Talking Shop June

Talking Shop ISSUE 95 – June 2018

The magazine for Premier retailers

A glimpse of the future

Meet the Hull retailers who are pioneering Premier’s Store of the Future concept

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PLUS

World Cup

Make your store a winner this summer

Responsible retailing

Respect your shoppers and reap the rewards

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Talking Shop | June 2018

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE 95 – June

Welcome to the latest issue

2018

The magazine

of Talking Shop where we are

for Premier reta

ilers

delighted to bring you an exclusive insight into Premier’s

A glimpse of the future

new Store Of The Future. Victoria Dock in Hull offers a fantastic view into how Premier sees the future of independent retailing and the

Meet the Hul l reta pioneering Pre ilers who are mier’s Store of Future concep the t

store is packed with great ideas

PLUS

World Cu

Make your sto p winner this sum re a mer

Responsible retailing

Respec shoppers andt your reap the rewards

and solutions you can learn from.

Our approach in shaping this Store Of The Future was to bring together into one place everything we have learned over decades of working hand in hand with independent retailers.

Check out the profile on page 15 and you will see a truly striking store that has been purpose-built to deliver a package where every single aspect of the store has been designed to grow footfall, sales and profits.

Less is definitely more in Victoria Dock with slower selling categories like traditional grocery and

COVER STORY An exclusive look inside Premier’s Store Of The Future.

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THE THREE BIG STORIES 33 Up for the cup!

Cashing in on the biggest sporting event on the planet.

49 Set BBQ sales alight

make shelf space for much more dynamic, fast-growing

Great advice on making the most of the BBQ season.

categories like protein, free-from, local produce, food to

54 Build sales with meat

confectionery singles significantly reduced in size to

go, premium frozen and vaping.

Additionally, you will also see some truly innovative merchandising solutions which I hope you can learn from you and adopt in your own stores.

We are also very excited about the launch of our new range of Euro Shopper Protein Shakes which offers retailers a great way of cashing in on a huge trend.

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director Premier

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How to create big basket spends around a strong fresh meat offer.

Share your shop news

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

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

June 2018

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54

22

Fresh meat focus

39 Ones To Watch

45

33

Win at the World Cup

7

Premier News Premier named top symbol group once more.

9

News Three new Premier Stores Of The Future unveiled.

11 Community News Mandeep Singh raises more charity cash at annual football match.

13 Industry News Voluntary bag levy support materials now available.

15 Store Of The Future

22 Sesonal challenges and opportunities Welsh retailer shares the essons of running a highly seasonal store.

24 Defying the odds

EDLP deals on confectionery set to drive sales.

45 Get fresh with fruit and veg

Despite losing the Post Office,

Providing a great fresh fruit and

Cornwall coastal retailers post a

veg offer is a must these days.

15% increase in sales.

29 Getting ready for summer A hands on guide to getting your store ready for the summer rush.

33 Cash in on the World Cup

A look inside Premier’s spectacular

How to make the most of the

new Store Of The Future in Hull.

biggest sporting event on earth.

18 Seaside sales

43 Prices Down

39 Ones To Watch

Finance director turned retailer see

A round-up of the latest products

sales soar on the coast.

to hit the shelves.

49 BBQ boom time It’s time to make sure you’re ready to cash in on BBQ season.

54 Meaty sales Stocking fresh meats can unlock big basket spends.

61 Guest Column Retailer Anita Nye on the value of responsible retailing.

63 ACS View James Lowman talks planning.

June 2018 TalkingShop

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PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Premier voted the nation’s favourite retailer by shoppers!

It was a monumental night at the recent HIM Awards as Premier scooped the three most coveted awards available as voted for by shoppers.

SYMBOL KING: Martyn Parkinson accepts the Symbol Retailer of the Year award.

Premier was the undoubted star of the show at the recent HIM Awards in London, securing the three most important awards up for grabs on the evening. The HIM Awards are unique in being voted for by shoppers which makes it even more special that Premier was named The Shopper’s Favourite Symbol Retailer for 2018, The Shopper’s Favourite Community Retailer for 2018 and The Shopper’s Favourite Convenience Retailer for 2018.

The incredible trio of accolades reflects the continued impressive progress of Premier stores and the strength of the relationship between Booker and Premier retailers. A huge thank you goes to all Premier retailers for the role they played in helping achieve this truly remarkable set of awards and making Premier the nation’s favourite place to shop.

As part of the voting process, over 20,000 shoppers were asked to rate Premier across all aspects of the store from availability and range to ease of shop and staff friendliness.

Shoppers were also asked about their purchasing behaviours and their loyalty to

NUMBER ONE: Martyn Parkinson adds the Convenience Retailer of the Year itle.

the store. A delighted Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director – Premier, told Talking Shop: “I would like to thank all Premier retailers for helping us win this unpredented collection of awards. I’m absolutely thrilled because they all played their part in helping us secure our place as the nation’s favourite place to shop. The fact that the awards are voted for by shoppers tells me that we are delivering exactly what today’s shoppers are looking for. Our offer has never been better and we are delighted that shoppers across the country agree, so I would also like to thank our many shoppers too.”

“It’s only by working in partnership that we can win awards like this. Being named both The Shopper’s Favourite Symbol Group and The Shopper’s Favourite Convenience Retailer of any description is a massive pat on the back to everyone at Premier and every Premier retailer.

“To also win The Shopper’s Favourite Community Retailer award into the bargain is just the icing on the cake and shows the important role that Premier retailers play at the heart of the communities they serve.”

COMMUNITY HERO: The Comunity Retailer of the Year award makes it three on the night.

Judging Criteria: The Shopper’s Favourite Symbol Retailer for 2018 This important award is based on a range of shopper ratings across all aspects of the store offer, including availability, ease of shop, range of products and staff friendliness as well as loyalty and purchasing behaviours.

The Shopper’s Favourite Community Retailer for 2018 This award is based on the importance of community involvement in attracting shoppers to the store and how they rate their community involvement.

The Shopper’s Favourite Convenience Retailer for 2018 This award is based on shopper ratings of key aspects of the store offer such as range of products, availability, ease of shop, and staff friendliness as well as purchasing behaviours and loyalty.

June 2018 TalkingShop

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News

INBRIEF Booker launches NEW ‘CASH OVER THE COUNTER’ SERVICE TRIALLED

PayPoint has announced that it is working with LINK, the UK’s largest cash machine network, to pilot a new ‘cash over the counter’ withdrawal service for independent retailers.

The innovative new service, which carries no fee for

Euro Shopper Protein Shakes

Booker is helping Premier retailers capitalise on a growing category with the launch of two new Euro Shopper protein shakes.

retailers, is being trialled at 15 locations this summer and will see shoppers able to withdraw up to £100 and for the first time, receive exactly the amount they need, down to the last penny, subject to availability.

Shopper will simply insert their bank card and PIN in to a PayPoint terminal, telling the retailer how much they would like to withdraw and the retailer will give them cash directly from their till.

The PayPoint terminal will act just like an ATM, removing

With protein-based nutrition driving 82% of value sales within the Sports & Health Nutrition category [IRI Market Place, December 2017], Booker is helping Premier retailers capitalise on this growing opportunity with the launch of two new protein shakes.

Launched under the Euro Shopper brand, the new range comprises two lines – Strawberry and Chocolate. Both lines will carry fantastic value RSPs of just 89p, significantly cheaper than the branded equivalents. The price-marked lines are VAT-free and are available to retailers in cases of eight, delivering excellent PORs of 30.4%.

Both products offer over 20g of protein per bottle and will help drive footfall, sales and profits

for Premier retailers. The lines are fat-free and contain no added sugar, making them attractive to a wide range of health-conscious shoppers.

Premier Brand Director Martyn Parkinson commented: “Booker is committed to staying ahead of the competition by reacting quickly to major trends in independent retailing and there’s no doubt that protein has become a major category in the last 12 months or so.

“These new Euro Shopper protein shakes allow retailers to capitalise on this growth by bringing the familiar mix of great value and great quality together, while also driving significant PORs. I would urge all Premier retailers to stock these lines immediately and start cashing in on protein.”

the need for an additional machine.

With a minimum withdrawal of just 1p and completely free to use, the service is designed to give people another way

Innovative social media strategy drives engagement for Faraz

to access their money free of charge and to strengthen financial inclusion.

If the trial is successful, the service is likely to be rolled out to complement existing ATM coverage in 2019.

Dominic Taylor, Chief Executive of PayPoint, commented: “We’re delighted to bring an innovative solution to market that will help customers and local retailers alike. This is another example of how retailers play a critical role in delivering vital services to their local communities.”

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Kirkcaldy Premier retailer has struck upon a fantastic way of driving engagement with his Premier Linktown Local’s Facebook page using the National Lottery.

The concept is simple but has proven very effective for growing the store’s audience on social media. Faraz posting an image of himself buying a Lottery Ticket and then posting it onto Facebook with a comment saying that anyone who likes and shares’ the post would be entered into a ‘syndicate’ for the ticket. If the ticket is a winner, the money would then be shared by everyone in the syndicate.

“It’s such a simple idea but I couldn’t believe the response I got,” Faraz told Talking Shop. “I got over 400 likes and shares the first time I did it and it only cost me £2!”

He has re-run the idea since and has had literally thousands of likes and shares in total now, growing the number of followers of his Facebook page enormously.

June 2018

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News

Premier unveils new Store Of The Future

UK FOOD sales grew by 2% on a like-for-like basis and 3.4% on a total basis, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for May 2018.

A PROPOSAL by the European Commission is set to expand the threshold for low alcohol beers from 2.8% to 3.5% ABV, meaning reduced duty rates and lower prices to shoppers.

BLU owner Fontem Ventures has called on the World Health Organisation to recognise the growing evidence that vaping can make a significant contribution to tobacco harm reduction.

WHAT’S

HOT Premier brings its vision of the future into reality with the launch of a new concept storet that brings all its advice together to create the perfect Store Of The Future.

Premier has unveiled a fantastic new concept store as part of its ambitious and exciting Stores Of The Future initiative. Created to allow Premier to bring all of its experience, expertise and best practice together, the project sees a new Store Of The Future come to life at a Premier store in Hull.

Talking Shop gained an exclusive insight into the store, Victoria Dock, and you can read a full profile in this issue starting on page 15.

From store layout and exterior signage to ranging and merchandising, the store has been carefully created to demonstrate just what can be achieved in terms of driving footfall, sales and profits when retailers follow Premier’s advice right across every aspect of their stores.

The store now focuses far more heavily on the core areas that Premier sees as vital for a successful, profitable store in the future, areas such as food to go, fresh and chilled, EDLP, events and seasonal, local produce and meal deals.

The store has also taken a strict ‘less is more’ approach with several categories such as grocery

and confectionery singles being trimmed down to only Core In Every Store lines, freeing up more space for growing categories such as free-from, protein and vaping.

Premier Brand Director Martyn Parkinson explains: “Stores Of The Future is a hugely exciting initiative for Premier as it allows us to bring all of our best thinking together in one place in a real, live trading environment. We are very grateful to our participating retailers Jatinder Singh Punian and Kuldeep Kaur Punian for giving us free reign in their store but we are very confident that they will reap the benefits – and there will be so many fantastic learnings for all Premier retailers that will come out of this project.

“The concept store has been completely reengineered to bring to life all of the best practice that Premier has perfected over the years covering all aspects of ranging and merchandising and will demonstrate that by following our advice, retailers can continue to grow and develop their businesses long into the future.”

What’s good and bad in the industry

WHAT’S

NOT MAY footfall fell by 1.4% this year, compared to the month before, says new data from Ipsos Retail Performance.

Year-on-year, footfall was down 8.6%.

DRINKS watchdog the Portman Group has called for ‘clarity & consistency’ on low alcohol descriptors to provide ‘much-needed clarity and consistency.’

GROCERYAID has refreshed its ‘#notbuyingit’ press campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues affecting thousands of grocery colleagues on a daily basis.

June 2018 TalkingShop

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CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Singhs football match INBRIEF raises £1,400 for local terminally ill youngster COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN KIRKCALDY

Kirkcaldy Premier retailer Faraz Iqbal has been busy recently supporting local charity and

The Singhs Sheffield retailing family hosted their seventh annual charity football match recently, helping to make a dream come true for a terminally ill local youngster.

community events.

Faraz, who runs Premier Linktown Local, helped former shop employee Ritchey Fairbairn raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK by

TEAM SPIRIT: The players of Hillsborough Pumas and Brinsworth Whitehall were happy to help

sponsoring him £180 to abseil from the Forth Bridge. He also helped promote the stunt, and raised even more funds through shopper donations.

“I was only too happy to help out,” says Faraz. “It’s a very close knit community here so we like getting involved.”

As a member of Linktown Tenants and Residents Association, Faraz has also been handing out free baby food to needy parents.

Community-minded Sheffield Premier retailing family the Singhs have hosted their seventh annual football tournament to raise much needed funds, this time to help terminally ill local youngster Harrison Parker make a dream come true.

The Singhs Football Charity Cup was held in May at Bramhall Lane, home of Sheffield United FC, and will raise over £1,400 for little trooper Harrison to enjoy a fantastic holiday at Center Parcs. The match between Hillsborough Pumas and Brinsworth Whitehall ended in a 6-0 victory to the Pumas, but a great day was had by all who attended.

Young football fanatic Harrison especially loved the day as he watched and played the sport himself.

Lauren Stocks, a mum from the Hillsborough Pumas said: “It’s fantastic that Singhs have put

this event on, it’s for a great cause and lets the lads enjoy a kick about.”

Supporters from both sides attended the match as well as a number of people who just decided to come along.

Jason Ford, manager of Brinsworth Whitehall and Lee Rodgers, a parent from Brinsworth both mentioned how the event will “create memories for the kids and everyone else.”

All in all, the total amount raised for Harrison is currently at £1,040. However, the Singhs have vowed to write a cheque to Harrison to reach the goal of £1,400.

Jeni Parker, Harrison’s mum said: “Today has been amazing, Harry has absolutely loved it.”

Harrison has since been to Wembley for the first time to watch Rotherham play, seeing his favourite player, Caolan Lavery, in action for the first time.

“The Association was donated a few pallets of free baby food,” he explains. “We made it available in the local community centre but I also decided to hand it out in the shop. It’s what community retailing is all about and my shoppers appreciate it.”

TALKING TACTICS What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market?

Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@55north.com 0141 222 5380

June 2018 TalkingShop

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IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Voluntary plastic bag charging POS available

INBRIEF VOLUNTARY SCHEME TO RESTRICT UNDERAGE SALES

The Home Office has launched

Retail trade bodies the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) and the National Federation of Newsagents (NFRN) have launched a new materials to help independent retailers introduce a plastic bag charging scheme following the publication of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

The joint initiative is designed to make it easier for retailers to charge on a voluntary basis for single-use plastic bags and to implement the policy in-store.

The poster on the right as well as other POS materials have been produced to help retailers communicate their plastic bag charging policy to shoppers, including guidance on how to administer a voluntary charging policy in their store.

The poster can be downloaded at www.acs. org.uk/advice/carrier-bags. Currently 42% of independent retailers already charge for plastic bags and 65% support the introduction of mandatory plastic bag charging in England.

Charging for single-use bags is already mandatory in Scotland.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Thousands of retailers already charge for single-

a new set of voluntary commitments for retailers on the responsible sales of corrosive substances.

THE COMMITMENT Signing up to the commitment means that you will: • Agree to comply with the Poisons Act 1972 and promote awareness to staff of what this means for the sale of products that contain corrosive substances.

• Agree not to sell products to under 18s that contain potentially harmful levels of corrosive substances.

• Apply Challenge 21/25 policies when asking for

use plastic bags on a voluntary basis and the feedback has been extremely positive. Retailers are able to use the funds raised to support local causes while also playing their part in reducing the overall number of plastic bags that are being given out.”

age identification.

TRAINING Training is a big part of the scheme and if you sign up you need to ensure that each member of your

Minimum wage adds 4.4% to costs At the start of April, the rates retailers must pay their staff rose once again – to £7.83 for those aged 25 and above and £7.38 for those between 21 and 24.

This means that Premier retailers now have to find an extra 4.4% this year on their single biggest cost. It is vital that retailers have their concerns heard which is why the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) is working on their behalf to raise issues like these with the Government and, in this specific case, the Low Pay Commission (LPC).

The LPC is responsible for reviewing the minimum wage each year and ACS is working hard with them to ensure they understand the concerns and challenges that retailers have every time the minimum wage rises.

If minimum wage is impacting upon your business, ACS wants to hear from you. If you didn’t get the chance to complete their survey in April you can still email them to explain your views and experiences.

To register your input, please contact: steve.dowling@acs.org.uk

staff is aware and has a clear understanding of the commitment.

Training materials are available at: www.gov.uk

TALKING TACTICS What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market?

Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@55north.com 0141 222 5380

June 2018 TalkingShop

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Hull | STORE PROFILE

Premier Store of the

Future Talking Shop visits Premier’s Store of the Future to see all of Premier’s experience and expertise condensed into a truly breath-taking glimpse of next-generation independent retailing.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Victoria Dock, Hull Retailers: Jatinder Singh Punian and Kuldeep Kaur Punian Time as retailers: 15 years Time in this store: 3 months Size: 2,200sqft Staff: 8 Services: licensed; Lottery; ATM, PayPoint, My Hermes, hot food to go station; vaping station; Snow Shock slush machine Nearest competition: Lidl and Asda under a mileaway Trading hours: 6.30am – 10pm Mon to Sat; 8am – 10pm Sun

STORE OF THE FUTURE: Victoria Dock is Premier’s vision for Store Of The Future.

W

PLUG IN: The breakfast bar and free wifi and power encourages shoppers to dwell.

ith decades of unrivalled experience in helping independent retailers grow their footfall, sales and profits, it was a natural step for Premier to bring all that expertise to life in a Store of the Future. The concept was simple but required the participating retailer to give Premier free rein. Talking Shop visited the trailblazing store – Premier Victoria Dock in Hull – to see the vision become a reality.

Retailer Jatinder Singh Punian and wife Kuldeep Kaur Punian bought the store in October 2017. Jatinder intended a full refit of what had been a derelict building – but was intrigued when Premier proposed to use his store as a hotbed of innovation.

After renovations, the Store of the Future officially opened on February 16th. It takes all of Premier’s best practice advice and

executes it to an very high standard, but in a way that other Premier retailers can learn from and replicate. It is a practical blueprint for the next evolution of the Premier brand.

The store’s overall layout will be familiar to Premier retailers – but it is clear that Premier Victoria Dock is a turbo-charged version of the modern convenience store.

The flow of the store has been planned carefully with the first thing greeting shoppers a seated breakfast bar area complete with free charging points and wifi.

Shoppers progress into a comprehensive breakfast and lunch food to go zone that includes a ‘goalpost’ style food to go station complete with a self-serve Douwe Egberts coffee machine and a hot cabinet. The store is already selling 600 cups of coffee a week.

Soups and noodle pots can be prepared with the coffee machine’s hot water, while cakes and sweet treats drive impulse sales.

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STORE PROFILE | Hull

JUST ADD WATER: Instant snacks offer shopper a new hot food option.

FOOD TO GO: The striking food to go station.

HOT SALES: An extensive hot food selection drives footfall and sales.

MEAL DEAL: A dedicated chiller highlights the Premier Meal Deals.

Across the aisle is a dedicated chiller for Premier’s Meal For Tonight Meal Deals and a breakfast and lunch food to go chiller offering a strong range of fresh-made rolls, Snax To Go sandwiches, wraps and salads as well as soft drinks, yoghurts and confectionery. A lunch time Meal Deal helps drive basket spend from this chiller.

The entire store is split into dedicated shopping mission zones, and the food to go chilled lines are sited in the food to go zone – not, as in many stores, in the main chilled section.

‘Less is more’ is a clear guiding principle in the store.

The grocery fixture has been trimmed to just six metres and includes only Core In Every Store lines. Similarly, the main confectionery fixture carries only a very tight range of countlines, with the emphasis on the larger format packs and multipacks currently driving growth.

A new five metre kids confectionery section with selfserve slush machine adds appeal for younger shoppers while an American candy bay has been a huge hit.

Even soft drinks has been approached differently, with a reduced range of flavoured carbonates and a greater focus on waters and low and no sugar lines.

This trend towards healthier products explains dedicated ‘free-from’ and protein aisle ends, popular with local gym users. This section includes bulk 2kg tubs of whey protein and specialist high protein shakes.

Another noticeable strand of the store’s strategy is a focus on local produce with everything from craft beers to cakes sourced from Yorkshire producers, often

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LUNCH MONEY: The lunch shopping mission is priority in the store.

HOT SALES: An extensive hot food selection drives footfall and sales.

June 2018

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

TIGHTER RANGE: The grocery range has been trimmed back to core lines only.

PRIME SPACE: The tobacco gantry has been replaced with a premium spirits range.

E-SALES: The vape station is popular.

FREE REIGN: A free-from aisle end caters for specialist dietary requirements.

FROZEN QUALITY: The Gourmade range of premium frozen ready meals and desserts.

TOP END: A range of premium wines is displayed with style.

GOING DIGITAL: Instore screens highlight offers and local news.

MAKE AN OCCASION OF IT: The store features a dedicated events fixture.

AN APP FOR THAT: The store is helping to trial the new Premier app.

through Premier’s Central Billing facility.

An eye-catching vape station behind the counter offers a full range of e-liquids and accessories, including the high end ‘mods’ popular with experienced vapers.

However shoppers won’t see a tobacco gantry behind the till. Tobacco is stocked in drawers under the counter, freeing up the tillpoint for a range of high value spirits including 34 gins and an extensive range of fractionals.

The off licence section has distinct flooring and feature lighting solutions, and features an extensive range of national and regional craft ales as well as a large offering of wines.

Another great idea in the store is a dedicated section for seasonal activities and events.

The frozen section combines a pared-down range of fast-moving lines and features the Premier Frozen Meal Deals while a standalone Gourmade chest freezer carries a range of premium ready meals and desserts.

An active Facebook presence and loyalty club help keep shoppers engaged, while the store is also one of half a dozen trialling the new Premier app with the learnings helping to inform Premier’s future strategies.

All in all, Joe has had the courage to take all of Premier’s advice then ruthlessly distil the offer down to a range of products that will enjoy very high rates of sale and tap into the latest consumer trends. Victoria Dock is a store that sets new standards in modern day independent retailing and will provide great lessons for Premier retailers in the future.

June 2018 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Sea Palling, Norwich

Sales by the sea

in Sea Palling Finance Director turned retailer Lisa Bonney has seen sales soar and her quality of life dramatically improve after swapping her desk in a London office for a seaside Premier store in Norwich.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Sea Palling Village Stores & Post Office, Norwich Retailer: Lisa Bonney Time as Retailer: 2 years Time with Premier: 2 years Store Size: 900 sqft Staff: 5 Services: Licensed, National Lottery, Post Office, Dry Cleaning & Laundry Nearest Competition: Tesco and Nisa 4 miles away.

Trading Hours: 7.30am to 7pm Mon – Sat; 8am – 5pm Sun (extended in summer)

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TEAM WORK: Lisa and her team at the revitalised coastal store.

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

SEASIDE SALES: The store sits within a stone’s throw of the beach.

A

fter 20 years working in the hustle and bustle of London, it wasn’t a difficult decision for Norwich retailer Lisa Bonney to take a new direction in life and move to the beautiful resort of Sea Palling. “I had been a Finance Director at a firm of property surveyors but when my daughter came along I started to think that the time was right to try something new with a better quality of life,” explains Lisa. “We had been coming to Norfolk on holiday for many years and my husband still worked there on a one-weekon/one-week-off basis so it was a fairly easy decision to make.”

In early 2016 the decision was finally made to go for it and in May that year Lisa moved from Essex to Sea Palling.

Lisa knew that the store she had chosen was a seasonal one and would face unique challenges but she admits to being slightly

PROMO PACKAGE: The Premier promotions help keep footfall high in quieter winter months.

unprepared for the first weekend that they had the store when the sun came out and the store was swamped with shoppers!

“We were really thrown in at the deep end,” she laughs. “Learning the intricacies of running a convenience store took a bit of time to pick up – so that first weekend was a real baptism of fire!”

Thankfully Lisa soon got into the swing of things and quickly began building a business that has gone from strength to strength. “We achieved a sales increase in the first year of 15% which I was pretty pleased with, considering we took the store over from a couple who had been there for years and years.”

The biggest challenges Lisa faced were related to the very seasonal nature of the store. She explains: “I knew the store would be quiet in winter and hectic in summer and I knew that the weather would have a big impact on the business, but if I’m honest, I

GO LOCAL: Broadland Hams is just one of many local suppliers featured in the store.

didn’t anticipate just how important these factors were going to be.”

For example, Lisa says that a really sunny weekend can literally see sales quadruple compared to the previous weekend, creating challenges around ordering and stock holding. Similarly, in the quieter winter months Lisa has to tailor her range more tightly for the local shoppers who use the store all year round but tend to buy different products from tourists and holidaymakers.

“In summer we sell lots of beach goods, but in winter the focus shifts onto categories like alcohol and tobacco.”

That seasonal shift also creates staffing challenges: “Some of our staff have been in this store for over 10 years so we didn’t feel it was right to lay them off in winter. We do our best to keep them on all year round.”

Ordering is also complicated by seasonal patterns, as Lisa says: “We obviously have to run down stocks of beach goods

SALES LEADS: The store offers a large range of dog lines to cater for beach dog walkers.

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

CORE FRESH: A strong fresh and chilled range builds footfall.

and souvenirs in winter but when we start moving towards summer again it means we suddenly have to invest very heavily in whole new ranges which is hard on cashflow. In fact, for the beach goods and souvenirs, in order to get the very best prices we have to buy the stock in the December or January so that can be tough.”

Being an entrepreneurial type, however, Lisa has found solutions to all of her challenges. To free up more space in the store, she has had a permanent canopy built at the front of the store which allows her to stock a lot of the beach goods outside. “An exterior display also helps bring shoppers into the store,” she explains.

Lisa also says the Premier promotional package is a great way of boosting local trade: “We run all of the Premier promotions and Meal Deals and we’ve found that they have helped us keep footfall up in the quieter months. The Mega Deals in particular have been very successful in bringing people in.”

BIG DRAW: Lisa has recently moved a range of beach goods to the outside of the store.

IT’S A DOG’S LIFE: The store even stocks frozen yoghurt for

She has also added a pound range from OTL which has proven very popular.

Another successful strategy has been a link-up with local holiday home owners.

“We now do quite a lot of welcome packs for people staying in the holiday homes,” she explains. “They order them before they leave home and they’re there waiting when they arrive on holiday. We include lots of local and regional products.”

Local and regional produce is also a feature of the store itself with everything from sausages, cooked meats, bakery, fruit, veg, bread, cakes, rolls and sandwiches sourced from the local area. With the beach just a few yards away, Lisa has also had resounding success with products for dogs. She comments:

LOCAL FOCUS: Lisa stocks a wide range of locally sourced lines.

“We get so many dog walkers on the beach all year round, so we’ve added a bigger range of products for them.”

Those lines include handmade dog treats from local supplier Poochs and even Frozzys Frozen Dog Yoghurt!

Lisa also makes a point of being a truly active member of the local community: “It’s a small village and the store is really the hub, so it’s important that we play our part.”

“Running a seasonal store is complicated and can be difficult, but it’s very rewarding,” concludes Lisa. “It requires you to be on the ball every day as you can’t plan too much in advance because everything is so weather-reliant, but I feel I’m making good progress and there’s still a lot of room for growth for us.”

ROCK ON: It wouldn’t be a seaside store without a few traditional sticks of rock!

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STORE PROFILE | Nefyn, North Wales

Store CV:

Name: Premier Old Post Office, Nefyn, North Wales Retailer: Ashley Hughes Time as a retailer: 16 years Time with Premier: 7 years Size: 900 sq ft Staff: 9 Services: licensed, PayPoint, PayZone, Lottery, hot drinks, My Hermes, ATM Nearest competition: Spar ¼ mile away Trading hours: 7am – 10pm

soar Seaside sales

North Wales Premier retailer Ashley Hughes has mastered the art of running a highly seasonal store – and has seen sales triple since joining Premier.

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and Ashley saw the opportunity to take itting less than half a mile from advantage. the sea, North Wales retailer “The store was doing well and we were Ashley Hughes’ Premier store growing but when the Spar store moved I enjoys a steady trade all year decided it was the right time to rebuild the round from locals in the small business it into a modern convenience store village of Nefyn but really comes alive in summer – a fact that brings a lot of practical with a great range and strong promotions,” says Ashley. “I had a look around at challenges but also a huge amount of potential partners and Premier’s offer was opportunities. by far the best. It allowed me to retain full “Like most stores near the coast, we control of the store but gave me everything basically have to set ourselves up for two I felt I needed to take the business to the completely different periods each year,” next level.” explains Ashley. “In winter we rely As part of joining Premier, on the local community but in he committed to a very summer we see a massive significant refit that influx of tourists and transformed the store – passing trade which and the sales. “The refit has a huge impact on took two weeks and was everything from staffing a full floor to ceiling levels to product range.

INCREASE IN project, but we instantly It can be tricky but we’ve TURNOVER SINCE saw the benefit and got the hang of it now JOINING PREMIER ultimately increased sales and since joining Premier by about 300%.” in 2011 we have basically That’s a success in anyone’s tripled our turnover.” book and the store has gone from A born entrepreneur, Ashley set his strength to strength since then as Ashley first business up aged just 15 selling office perfected the art of managing a seasonal supplies before buying a small newsagents store that is highly dependent on the tourist in 2002, aged 18. The business expanded over the coming years and in 2011 he joined trade, and the weather.”It’s still a challenge and you need to always keep an eye on the Premier, keen to fast-track the growth of weather because a sustained period of good the business, especially after a Spar store weather like we’ve had recently can push next door moved a quarter of a mile away

300%

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CAN YOU DIG IT: Buckets and spades are surefire summer sellers.

FOOTFALL DRIVERS: The store offers PayPoint, an ATM and parcel service.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT: The store runs all of the Premier Meal Deals.

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

GO LOCAL: Ashley stocks a range of locally sourced lines.

BEAN MACHINE: A coffee machine helps drive footfall and profits.

PART AND PARCEL: Delivery services bring shoppers to the store.

sales through the roof so we need to be very careful with ordering, wastage and staffing,” he says.

Ashley keeps all of his staff on year round to maintain consistency and deliver the great customer service his shoppers expect from the store. The store offers a full convenience range but also carries and extensive range of beach goods like buckets and spades, crabbing nets, dinghies and windbreakers to capitalise on the summer trade.

He also stocks a wider range of locally sourced food and drink which is popular with locals and visitors alike.

“We need to offer a good grocery and impulse range and provide great promotions as most of the locals use this store all year round,” he explains. “But we also have to cater for passing trade and tourists who are often looking for different things.”

Core to Ashley’s strategy is active community engagement, something that he sees as vital in a small village of around 2,000 people.

He is a retained Watch Manager at

MAP IT OUT: A range of stationery and maps is popular with tourists.

FISHING FOR SALES: A range of seasonal items boosts summer spend.

LOCAL TASTES: The store stocks Welsh language publications for locals.

BEER MONEY: Local ales are popular with tourists to the village.

the local fire station and is Chairman of the local Carnival Council, as well as participating in host of community and fund-raising activities.

“In a village like this, you get to know everyone so it’s important to really get involved with everything you can,” he says.

“If you put in a little effort, you get the reward in terms of customer loyalty.”

A good example is the fact that all of the local accommodation providers make a point of letting their guests know about the store when they arrive on holiday, something that helps boost footfall, sales and profits.

“It’s a close-knit community and local business owners work hard to help each other out where we can,” concludes Ashley.

“It’s the way it should be and it benefits us all.”

Ashely also hasn’t ruled out a second store at some point in the future: “Who knows, I might fancy a second Premier store at some point. I enjoy the job and I enjoy the life.”

GIN PALACE: Local ins help Ashley cash in the biggest trend in spirits.

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STORE PROFILE | Tintagel, Cornwall

Posting bigger sales Told they would ‘never survive’ without a Post Office, Deepak Kumar and Deborah Eunice turned the situation to their advantage and saw sales rise 15%, in a small seaside town.

COMMUNITY FOCUS: The store is at the heart of a small village.

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or many retailers, the prospect of losing the Post Office in their store is a source of dread, but not for Cornwall retailers Deepak Kumar and Deborah Eunice. The pair had been involved in retail for many years, running stores on behalf of other people, but had always wanted their own store. That opportunity finally arose last year and Deepak and Deborah snapped it up, acquiring a 1,500sqft Premier business not far from the coast in Tintagel in Cornwall, just a stone’s throw from the famous Tintagel Castle that was once home to the legend of King Arthur.

Deepak and Deborah wanted to retain the Post Office facility when they took the store over in March 2017, but, as Deepak explains: “They just wouldn’t work with us and it was eventually decided that we would go without it. We were told we would ‘never survive’ without the Post Office.”

The pair then set about proving everyone wrong and, while initially nervous about how it would affect business, with hindsight they now realise it was actually a real benefit. “Not having the Post Office freed up a lot of space in the store and it saved us £27,000 a year on staffing,” says Deepak, “so the net result is that despite losing it, sales are still up around 15% on last year.”

It being a very seasonal business, however, that figure doesn’t tell the whole

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FRESH-FACED: Deepak with a selection of the fruit and veg on offer

HOME FREE: The store’s extensive free-from range is popular with customers

SEEDS OF SUCCESS: A substantial range of own-label health foods is a winner

SPICED-UP: A comprehensive Herbs and Spices offer

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

CREAM OF THE CROP: Clotted cream is a must-stock for Cornish stores in tourist season

Store CV:

Name: Premier Tintagel Stores, Tintagel, Cornwall Retailers: Deepak Kumar and Deborah Eunice Time as retailers: 8 years Time with Premier: 15 months Size: 1,500sqft Staff: 9 Services: licensed; Lottery; PayPoint; ATM; hot food and drinks Nearest competition: Spar, 150 yards away, Co-op 8 miles away Trading hours: 7am-9pm Sun to Thurs; 7am-9.30pm Fri and Sat

58%

CHARGES DROPPED: A free-touse cash machine helps drive footfall

HOT STUFF: Customers love the locally-sourced food-to-go selection

IT PAYS TO LISTEN: Fluoridefree toothpaste is stocked by customer demand

a few unique twists story, as Deborah thrown in. comments: “We’re up Catering for such 15% year on year but at a small community, the May Bank Holiday INCREASE IN MAY Deepak has learned to this year, sales were up BANK HOLIDAY be very flexible when it 58% on the same weekend SALES comes to ranging so that last year – so we’re very he can meet local demands. pleased.”

“We listen to our shoppers and get These figures have been achieved what they want if we can,” says Deepak. despite the fact that Tintagel has a very Which explains the large range of free-from small population of only around 2,200 products – including fluoride-free toothpaste people. and bamboo toothbrushes! – as well as “Sales basically quadruple from May to an extensive continental cuisine section.

September,” says Deborah, “so we have to Deepak also ensures that the bulk of his work hard in that period which helps carry fruit and veg is free from plastic packaging. us through the quieter winter months. We An extensive range of local craft beers also retain all of our staff all year, albeit on reduced hours, which helps with consistency and over 35 gins has been popular, as has a selection of locally sourced bakery and cake and customer service.” lines.

Having managed a Premier store before, A 1,000sq ft walk-in fridge and freezer the pair knew the offer inside out and it also means the store is able to keep stock was the natural choice for them in their levels high to cope with the big surges in own store. Deepak explains: “Premier lets sales that good weather brings. us run and own our own store and delivers The pair work hard at engaging with everything we need from a great range and the local community, hosting fund-raising excellent promotions to excellent support events and participating in local committees. every time we require it. They’ve been “It’s all about customer service and being brilliant for us.” close to your shoppers,” concludes Deborah.

While the store is only a few miles “In a store near the coast like this in a very from the coast, it’s far enough away that it small village like this, you really have to has no need to carry a coastal range with get embedded in the community and we feel beach goods and looks far more like a we’ve done a good job on that front so far.” conventional convenience store – but with June 2018 TalkingShop

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Getting Ready For Summer | FEATURE

Plan ahead

for hot summer sales Getting the very best out of what will hopefully be a long, hot summer means spending a little time planning ahead and ensuring your store is all set to cash in when the thermometer rises. Talking Shop provides a few ideas to help you make sure you’re ready…

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s every Premier retailer knows from experience, when the sun comes out so too do the shoppers which means increased footfall, increased sales and increased profits.

But if you really want to unlock summer sales growth then it’s vital to take a fresh look at your store and see if there are any areas you can tailor or improve to help get the very best out of the warmer months.

It could be as simple as planning ahead to leverage forthcoming major events like the FIFA World Cup, or it could be giving more space over to categories that perform better in summer like ciders, beers, wines and ice creams.

KEEP AN EYE ON THE DIARY! Making the most of summer also involves keeping an eye on major events coming up over the summer months both local and national.

From Wimbledon and the World Cup to local fetes and fairs, building in-store activity around these types of events will help boost footfall, sales and profits.

Use social media to engage with shoppers around this activity will help amplify that message and bring more shoppers to your store.

Here are a few upcoming sporting events to look out for:

l l l l l

FIFA World Cup – June 14th to July 15th Wimbledon – July 2nd to July 15th Tour de France – July 7th to July 29th British Grand Prix – July 8th The Open – July 19th to July 22nd June 2018 TalkingShop

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FEATURE | Getting Ready For Summer

There are lots of ways of tweaking your offering to give yourself the very best chance of maximising your sales this summer.

Talking Shop offers a few ideas on how to do just that…

When sales rise as the weather improves, it’s tempting to just leave the store as it is and enjoy the extra profits – but think what might happen if you put it a little extra thought into how much space you give over to each category during the summer month.

By prioritising the categories most likely to deliver growth when it’s warm and giving them more space in-store, you not only increase your chance of boosting sales and profits, you’ll also spend less time restocking fast-selling categories.

To create that space, consider reducing the space you give over to slower-selling categories like grocery which slow even

further in summer when sales of products like soups and tinned goods tend to tail off. Reducing your grocery range down to only the Core In Every Store range will ensure you free up space for faster moving categories while still retailing the key lines you need to meet the vast majority of shopper requirements.

But if you are planning to follow our advice, where should you begin? Talking Shop offers a few pointers.

CIDER SALES: Cider is a great category to focus on when the sun comes out.

CIDER SUMMER The cider market is in growth, 5.4% up in value, and 3.5% up in volume.

Both Apple cider and Fruit Cider are driving sales growth. Within apple cider, it is Premium products that are performing particularly well, such as

SUMMER CIDER TIPS l Think about the formats you are selling cider in. Cans continue to drive the market in the off-trade, accounting for nearly half of all cider spend. l Be prepared for warm weather and bank holidays – have stacks of multi-packs available over the summer. l Ranging premium brands like in can format should be an essential part of your cider offer. l It’s all about availability – your customers want to pick up and go, so don’t forget single bottles in the chiller for impulse and casual buys. Broaden your selection with a range of traditional premium ciders in bottles. l With strong sales growth, Traditional Premium are an important and growing category. Consumers are prepared to spend more to enjoy a high quality, premium English cider, with strong provenance.

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the Westons Vintage 500ml bottle.

Canned lines within apple cider are also performing well with products such as Thatchers Gold 500ml can. Shoppers are looking for more provenance and authenticity and brands such as Westons & Thatchers can match that need.

In fruit cider, the fastest growth area for the whole cider category, Strongbow Dark Fruit is the star performing brand. Whether it’s the 4x440ml or the 10 pack, this brand is flying off the shelves. Other brands performing well, are the likes of Kopparberg, both in glass bottles and cans. New flavours of Bulmers (Blueberry & Lime) are also doing well.

Whilst it is always essential to be stocking the brands and products that are driving growth and staying up to date with the shopper’s changing needs, it’s important to understand that there are big lines that are not driving growth, but will still be making up a huge proportion of your cider sales.

For example, whilst making sure you stock Strongbow Dark Fruit, make sure you also have Strongbow Original 440ml can and Strongbow 2 Litre in your chiller. The original Strongbow may be in decline, but you will still have a lot of customers wanting to buy this product. The same goes for the Strongbow 2 Litre. PET sales are in decline but in convenience, PET Cider still makes up a large proportion of overall cider sales. With that in mind, make sure you have Strongbow, Frosty Jack, Omega and Barnstormer products in your chiller.

The key to success is looking after your core shopper,with the household brands and then increasing basket spend and attracting new shoppers to the fixture by stocking new and exciting ‘on trend’ products to deliver incremental sales.

GET REAL: Craft beers can work well, especially when chilled.

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

CASH IN ON SPIRITS When it comes to spirits for the summer, the key areas of focus are Pre Mix Cans, premium spirits and that most traditional of British summer classics, Pimms.

PRE MIX CANS l Pre Mix Cans are driving growth with sales up 15% in convenience [Nielsen, Apr, 2018]. l The top seven Pre Mix products account for 80% of sales so focus on the biggest brands to deliver the biggest sales, and allocated space accordingly. l Bear in mind that 90% of Pre Mix shoppers consume their purchase within two hours [HIM, 2017] so having these products chilled is key to maximising the growth opportunity this summer. l Trials by Diageo also showed that sales increase by a minimum of 50% when Pre Mix cans are merchandised in a fridge.

PIMMS l Pimms is a uniquely British phenomenon and is a great way to announce the official arrival of summer in your store. l Pimms was worth £1.2m in value sales in convenience last year [Nielsen, Apr 2018] l Why not merchandise Pimms alongside mixers and fresh fruit (where licensing laws allow) to help boost basket spend further?

PREMIUM SPIRITS l Premium and Super Premium Spirits are growing at 12% in convenience significantly out performing the rest of the market [Nielsen, Apr 2018] l 63% of shoppers say that independent retailers do not stock enough premium SKUs [HIM, 2017] l Having a range of Premium Spirits can help bring new shoppers into the category as well as encouraging existing shoppers to trade up whilst also improving the quality perception of a store.

WIN WITH WINE Wine sales can also be encouraged to rise during the warmer months with a little extra effort and with shoppers just as focused on value as they have ever been, the Copper Beach (RSP £3) and Distant Vines (RSP £4) ranges fit the bill perfectly.

Not only do they deliver outstanding value, they also provide shoppers with exceptional quality. The Distant Vines Merlot, for instance, got Commended at the 2018 International Wine Challenge, a truly remarkable achievement for a wine available to shoppers for just £4.

Just as impressive is the fact that both lines are on permanent discount for Premier retailers, delivering PORs in excess of 20%. l Copper Beach White / Red / Rose Case size: 6x75cl WSP: £11.99 RSP: £3 POR: 20.1% l Distant Vines Sauvignon Blanc / Shiraz /Pinot Grigio Blush / Pinot Grigio / Merlot Case size: 6x75cl WSP: £16.99 RSP: £4 POR: 22.6% Remember to chill all white and rose wines where possible as many shoppers will be intending to consume their purchases within an hour or two of leaving the store. And don’t forget the latest trends in wines including small bottles, fruity wines and low and no alcohol wines. Staying ahead of the game will ensure your summer is a long and successful one.

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FIFA World Cup | FEATURE

Six steps

to World Cup sales success The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet and offers Premier retailers a once-in-four-years opportunity to boost huge sales growth in a wide array of product categories.

Talking Shop offer a six-step guide to scoring this summer.

T ENGLAND FIXTURES Tunisia v England Monday 18th June, 7pm England v Panama Sunday 24th June, 1pm England v Belgium Thursday 28th June, 7pm

he FIFA World Cup in Russia is now underway and offers retailers the biggest sales opportunity of the summer, focussed around England’s three group matches (see panel), with excitement building the further Gareth Southgate’s team progress in the tournament.

But it’s not all about England. With up to three games a day in the group stages, there will be plenty of chances to cash in on football fans who are looking to liven up their armchair spectating with some drinks and snacks.

It’s safe to say that it will be a busy month and it’s an opportunity that Premier retailers must cash in on. The World Cup will help drive sales across lots of different categories as families and friends gather to cheer their team on: beers, ciders, wines, crisps, snacks, confectionery and more.

To help you make the best of the tournament, Premier has created a bespoke package of fantastic promotions (highlighted on page 35) that will help you cash in on Russia 2018. All you have to do is stock up and get behind the event with passion and enthusiasm.

To help you do just that, Talking Shop has compiled a simple six-step guide to scoring big this World Cup and driving footfall, sales and profits.

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FEATURE | FIFA World Cup

THE FULL GROUP STAGES FIXTURE LIST Thursday June 14th Russia v Saudi Arabia 4pm Friday June 15th Egypt v Uruguay 1pm Morocco v Iran 4pm Portugal v Spain 7pm Saturday June 16th France v Australia 11am Argentina v Iceland 2pm Peru v Denmark 5pm Croatia v Nigeria 8pm Sunday June 17th Costa Rica v Serbia 1pm Germany v Mexico 4pm Brazil v Switzerland 7pm Monday June 18th Sweden v South Korea 1pm Belgium v Panama 4pm Tunisia v England 7pm Tuesday June 19th Colombia v Japan 1pm Poland v Senegal 4pm Russia v Egypt 7pm Wednesday June 20 Portugal v Morocco 1pm Uruguay v Saudi Arabia 4pm Iran v Spain 7pm Thursday June 21st Denmark v Australia 1pm

1. Tell your shoppers when the big games are!

It sounds obvious but it’s easily overlooked. Make sure you let your shoppers know when the biggest games are by using in-store POS, posting the dates on social media and talking to them in-store.

The England games will be the biggest of all, of course, but games that feature giants like Brazil, France, Germany and Argentina as well as popular outsiders like Nigeria are likely to spark parties round the TV.

France v Peru 4pm Argentina v Croatia 7pm

Spain v Morocco 7pm Iran v Portugal 7pm

Friday June 22nd Brazil v Costa Rica 1pm Nigeria v Iceland 4pm Serbia v Switzerland 7pm Saturday June 23rd: Belgium v Tunisia 1pm South Korea v Mexico 4pm Germany v Sweden 7pm

Tuesday June 26th: Denmark v France 3pm Australia v Peru 3pm Nigeria v Argentina 7pm Iceland v Croatia 7pm

Sunday June 24th England v Panama 1pm Japan v Senegal 4pm Poland v Colombia 7pm Monday June 25th Uruguay v Russia 3pm Saudi Arabia v Egypt 3pm

Wednesday June 27th: South Korea v Germany 3pm Mexico v Sweden 3pm Serbia v Brazil 7pm Switzerland v Costa Rica 7pm Thursday June 28th Japan v Poland 3pm Senegal v Colombia 3pm England v Belgium 7pm Panama v Tunisia 7pm

2. Use social media to shout about your great World Cup deals Social media is a massively powerful tool and it offers a great way of communicating the great deals that you will have on during the World Cup.

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

3. Dress the store up with flags, bunting and POS Get your shoppers in the mood for Russia 2018 by creating some in-store theatre using national flags, bunting and bespoke POS that help create excitement and drive impulse sales.

This is particularly important around the big fixtures.

SUMMER OF FOOTBALL PROMOTIONS Premier is running a number of fantastic promotions for Russia 2018 l Carlsberg* 18x440m Consumer deal: £11.99 l Carling* 18x440ml Consumer deal: £12.99 l Budweiser* 20x300mL Consumer deal: £12.99 l Doritos Cool Original 180g Consumer deal: Less Than Half Price £1 l Doritos Chilli Heatwave 180g Consumer deal: Less Than Half Price £1 l Doritos Tangy Cheese 180g Consumer deal: Less Than Half Price £1 l Doritos Rlt Tabasco Tortilla Consumer deal: Less Than Half Price £1 l Tango Org 2L £1.79 PMP Consumer deal: £1.25 l Pepsi Max Cherry 2L PM179 Consumer deal: £1.25 l Pepsi Max 2L PM179 Consumer deal: £1.25 l Pepsi Diet 2L PM179 Consumer deal: £1.25 l Walkers Stax Sour Cream & Onion 170g Consumer deal: Now Only £1 l Walkers Stax Salted Snacks 170g Consumer deal: Now Only £1 l Walkers Stax Paprika Snacks 170g Consumer deal: Now Only £1

4.

Encourage staff to wear football kits or national colours for big game days Step it up a gear by having your staff dress up in football kits – England strips or any national strips they may have an affiliation to – and your shoppers will definitely get the message.

Or you could simply have them dress up in national colours and maybe even organise a spot of face painting for your staff and your shoppers. St George’s Crosses to the ready!

*Only available in England and Wales

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

5. Floor stacks of the big deals is a great way to drive sales Experience tells us that creating impactful floor stacks of the biggest deals on offer will help draw attention to the World Cup and generate bigger basket spends.

Be as creative as you like in building themed stacks with POS and other decorations such as flags, strips and POS.

6. Run a competition to engage customers Use social media to run a sweep or a score and result-predicting competition. Ask every shopper to predict the results of every group match – 3 points for the correct score, 1 point for the correct result – and offer some World Cup themed prizes to the winners.

Or consider ‘like and share’ competitions on Facebook to help engage new followers.

LATTER STAGE MATCHES

Last 16: Sat June 30th – Tuesday July 3rd Quarter Finals: Friday 6th and Saturday 7th July Semi Finals: Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th July Third-Place Play-Off: Saturday 14th July Final: Sunday 15th July June 2018 TalkingShop

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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

Give your sales a shake!

WHAT? EURO SHOPPER PROTEIN SHAKE RANGE PM89 WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? With protein-based nutrition driving 82% of value sales within the Sports & Health Nutrition category [IRI Market Place, Total UK, Sports & Health Nutrition, 52 w/e 3 December 2017], Booker is helping Premier retailers capitalise on this growing opportunity with the launch of two great tasting Euro Shopper protein drinks offering amazing value at just 89p a bottle. Available in two popular flavours – strawberry and chocolate – both lines offer over 30% POR and will help retailers to significantly grow footfall, sales and profits. Not only do the price-marked products taste great, they also boast a nine month shelf life and are VAT-free.

WHO? The lines have been specifically designed to give retailers the chance to offer their shoppers great quality and exceptional value alternatives to the branded protein drinks currently available. Branded equivalents often retail at around £2.49 a bottle so the superb price point of just 89p for a 330ml bottle is certain to grow sales and bring new shoppers into a category that may previously have been too expensive for them. Both Euro Shopper Shakes offer over 20g protein in every bottle and the liquid contains no added sugar and is fat free.

WHERE TO STOCK? The great looking products will have fantastic impact on shelf in the chiller and will drive sales and profits for retailers.

EURO SHOPPER STRAWBERRY PROTEIN SHAKE PM89 EURO SHOPPER CHOCOLATE PROTEIN SHAKE PM89 Case size: 8 x 330ml WSP: £4.95 RSP: 89p PM POR: 30.4% (VAT-free)

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Sparkling sales with redesigned range WHAT? VINO SPUMANTE PROSECCO / VINO SPUMANTE PINOT ROSE / VINO FRIZZANTE PROSECCO WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? In response to customer demand for the hugely successful range of own label Prosecco, Booker is introducing a brand new design across the entire range, giving it a more contemporary and smart feel. The aim is to help retailers increase sales by offering a more appealing visual proposition to go with the award-winning quality of the liquid inside.

WHO? Prosecco remains an important category and the new-look wines, available in 75cl and 20cl formats, will help bring more shoppers into the category and drive sales and profits.

WHERE TO STOCK? The lines should be merchandised alongside other sparkling wines in the chiller, ideally at eye level where the value pricing and great-looking packaging will result in more sales. The award-winning fizz inside will then help deliver repeat business.

VINO SPUMANTE PROSECCO 75CL Case size: 6 x 75cl WSP: £34.99 RSP: £8.75 POR: 20% VINO SPUMANTE PROSECCO 20CL Case size: 12 x 20cl WSP: £24.99 RSP: £3.15 POR: 20.6% VINO SPUMANTE PINOT ROSE 75CL Case size: 6x75cl WSP: £34.99 RSP: £8.75 POR: 20% VINO FRIZZANTE PROSECCO 75CL Case size: 6x75cl WSP: £29.99 RSP: £7.59 POR: 21.0%

Wow factor WHAT? MILKYBAR WOWSOMES RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? New from popular kids confectionery brand Milkybar is Milkybar Wowsomes, an innovative new treat bar with 30% less sugar than similar products and just 95 calories per bar. The product is available in two flavours – Cocoa and White – and comes as a three-piece bar with each piece combining Milkybar white and milk chocolate, with a crispy, creamy-tasting centre.

WHO? Using new technology, the bar has 30% less sugar with no artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours or preservatives so it should make an ideal healthier treat for kids and as part of lunchboxes. It’s also gluten-free so will appeal to those with specialist dietary requirements.

WHERE TO STOCK? The products should be sited within the main confectionery fixture or at the tillpoint to maximise impulse sales.

MILKYBAR WOWSOMES COCOA; MILKYBAR WOWSOMES WHITE Case size: 25x18g WSP: £8.49 RSP: 55p POR: 25.91%

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

Tissue tactics WHAT? VELOUR ULTRA SOFT POCKET TISSUES PM £1 WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Following on from the launch of the popular Velour Facial Tissue cube, Booker is now launching a handy pocket tissue pack. The 6-pack of tissues carries a great value £1 price point and is available in three different eye-catching designs, two of each per pack. The packs are prominently price-marked with great standout to drive impulse sales, and are ultra-soft 3-ply products offering quality and value.

WHO? A top quality product at a great price, these handy pack tissues are perfect for a wide range of uses from coping with a cold to handling hayfever and should be popular across a wide shopper demographic. The products come in eye-catching Shelf Ready Packaging for easy display.

WHERE TO STOCK? The line should be merchandised in the paper fixture alongside other tissues. Ensure eye-level merchandising to maximise sales but why not also put them by the till to cash in on impulse sales of this 35.5% POR line?

VELOUR ULTRA SOFT POCKET TISSUES PM £1 Case size: 16 x 6 pack WSP: £8.59 RSP: £1 PMP POR: 35.5%

On the Button WHAT? MALTESERS BUTTONS

Go Loco with Monster!

WHAT? MONSTER JUICED MANGO LOCO

WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Iconic chocolate brand Maltesers has entered the chocolate buttons category with the launch of new Maltesers Buttons, available in a flashed pack to attract attention in-store and drive impulse sales.

WHO? Maltesers is one of the biggest brands in confectionery and this new launch is sure to be popular with shoppers young and old.

Combining the famous Maltesers flavour with the handy button format, the new line will drive sales and profits for Premier retailers.

WHERE TO STOCK? Maltesers Buttons should be merchandised on the main hanging bag fixture or within the main confectionery fixture to optimise sales and bring new shoppers into the category.

MALTESERS BUTTONS Case size: 36 x 32g WSP: £15.99 RSP: 70p POR: 23.9%

WHY? With both energy drinks and exotic flavours on trend at the moment, Monster has helped retailers cash in with the launch of new Monster Juiced Mango Loco.

WHO? Price-marked at £1.35, the eye-catching can will add a splash of colour to the energy drinks section and will appeal to existing Monster shoppers and those looking to try new and exotic flavours in a growing market.

WHERE TO STOCK? The new line should be merchandised within the energy drinks section of the chiller where it will drive sales and profits for retailers, providing a POR of 37.4%.

MONSTER JUICED MANGO LOCO Case size: 12 x500ml WSP: £8.45 RSP: £1.35 POR: 37.4%

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PricesDown

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

Sweet sales with EDLP on confectionery!

Premier is helping retailers boost sales of confectionery with a fantastic range of 2-for-£1 Every Day Low Pricing on a wide range of the most popular lines

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onfectionery is one of the fastest selling categories in any Premier store so a new set of Every Day Low Pricing (EDLP) deals on some of the most popular confectionery lines on the market is fantastic news for retailers.

EDLP has become a core part of Premier’s strategy in recent years and has helped drive sales, foot fall and profits in a number of key categories.

The latest set of deals on confectionery allows Premier retailers to offer their shoppers 2-for-£1 deals on a the fastestselling products in the category. What’s more, the deals offer a minimum of 20% POR with some lines delivering over 30%.

Premier Brand Director Martyn Parkinson commented: “We know from working closely with Premier retailers that EDLP on a category as important as confectionery is a great way to bring shoppers to stores and a great way of increasing shopper spend and, ultimately, profits for retailers.

“This range of 2-for-£1 deals means shoppers are guaranteed great prices on the biggest confectionery lines every time they visit a Premier store.”

Product Cadbury Twirl PM55 Cadbury Wipsa PM55 Cadbury Double Decker PM55 Cadbury Dairy Milk PM55 Kit Kat 4 Finger 2/PM100 Aero Bubbly Pepp 2/PM100 Milkybar Medium 2/PM100 Rwntrees Frt Pastil 2/PM100 Polo Original 34g 2/PM100 Galaxy Milk Std Milkyway std Twin Pack Bounty Milk M&Ms Crispy Bag M&Ms Peanut Minstrels Twix Twin PM60 Snickers Std PM60 Mars Std PM60 Maltesers PM60 Kinder Bueno Classic PM60

Case Size 48x43g 48x36g 48x54.5g 48x45g 24x41.5g 24x36g 40x25g 32x52.5g 32x34g £8.79 24x42g 28x43g 24x57g 24x36g 24x45g 40x42g 32x50g 48x48g 48x51g 40x37g 30x43g

WSP

Consumer Deal

POR

£16.00 £16.00 £16.00 £16.00 £6.99 £6.99 £11.79 £9.39 2 for £1.00 £8.00 £9.33 £8.00 £8.00 £8.00 £13.33 £10.66 £16.00 £16.00 £13.33 £9.99

2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00

20.00% 20.00% 20.00% 20.00% 30.10% 30.10% 29.26% 29.58% 34.08%

2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00 2 for £1.00

20.00% 20.03% 20.00% 20.00% 20.00% 20.02% 20.05% 20.00% 20.00% 20.02% 20.08%

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BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Grow your fruit and veg sales!

Getting the basics right then adding a little flair and creativity are key to driving sales of fresh fruit and veg this summer.

MAKE AN EXTRA £2,000 CASH PROFIT ANNUALLY

BY GROWING YOUR FRUIT AND VEG SALES *Based on a typical retailer selling an extra £25 per day of Fruit & Vegetables in their store at 25% POR.

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strong fresh offering is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ in a modern convenience store, it’s an absolute must with shoppers now expecting to find a great range of great quality fruit and vegetables every time they visit.

The category represents a huge opportunity for Premier retailers to grow their sales, profits and footfall. In fact, by enhancing your range, presenting it well and using your free POS you can add an extra £2,000 cash profit a year by simply selling an extra £25 a day of fruit and vegetables.

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CORE SHOPPING LIST TALKING SHOP RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING CORE RANGE OF FRESH FRUIT AND VEG TO ENSURE YOU ARE PROVIDING YOUR SHOPPERS WITH THE MOST COMMONLY SOUGHT AFTER LINES THIS SUMMER. Pre-pack Potatoes Case size: 10 x 2kg WSP (single): £0.89 RSP (single): £1.19 POR: 25.0% Closed Cup Mushrooms PM Case size: 8 x 250g WSP (single): £0.74 RSP (single): £0.99 POR: 25.0% Bananas PM Case size: 20 x 5s WSP (single): £0.74 RSP (single): £0.99 POR: 25.0% Tomatoes PM Case size: 10 x 6s WSP (single): £0.81 RSP (single): £1.09 POR: 25.0% Mixed Peppers PM Case size: 10 x 3s WSP (single): £1.19 RSP (single): £1.59 POR: 25.0% Mild Onions PM Case size: 20 x 3s WSP (single): £0.96 RSP (single): £1.29 POR: 25.0% Carrots PM Case size: 10 x 500g WSP (single): £0.50 RSP (single): £0.69 POR: 27.0% Cucumbers PM Case size: 14 x sgl WSP (single): £0.59 RSP (single): £0.79 POR: 27.0%

Three Steps To Fantastic Fresh Produce Building and maintaining a great fresh offer couldn’t be easier. Here are Premier’s three steps to fantastic fresh produce:

1

Keep your display full and fresh

Only by keeping the fresh display well stocked can you maximise sales. A full, bright display gives shoppers confidence in the fixture and encourages them to shop and add more lines to their basket. Be ruthless with lines past their best – just one or two poor quality pieces of fruit or veg on a fixture can be enough to stop shoppers buying anything, so regularly check the fixture and remove products that aren’t in great condition. Why not appoint a dedicated ‘fresh champion’ whose job it is to check the fixture a couple of times a day to keep it in top condition? Similarly, keeping the fixture neat, clean and tidy is vital to building shopper confidence. The rule of thumb is: if you wouldn’t buy it yourself, neither will your shoppers.

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Red Apples PM Case size: 8 x 4s WSP (single): £1.19 RSP (single): £1.59 POR: 25.0% Iceberg Lettuce Case size: 12 x Sgl WSP (single): £0.55 RSP (single): £0.75 POR: 26.0% Florette Crispy Salad PM Case size: 10 x 115g WSP (single): £0.74 RSP (single): £0.99 POR: 25.0% Broccoli Case size: 10 x sgl WSP (single): £0.65 RSP (single): £0.89 POR: 27.0% Product sizes, price marks and POR may vary from those stated. All details correct at time of going to press.

Little And Often With these basics in place you will be ready to start growing your fresh sales and encouraging your shoppers to start buying fresh fruit and vegetables from you on a regular basis.

Experience from Premier retailers with strong fresh offerings tells us that shoppers will buy little and often when they have confidence in the store and know that they will always be able to find great quality produce every time they visit.

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Building Basket Spend Fresh produce is a great way of building basket spend as fruit and vegetables are often bought as part of a wider shopping mission such as meal for tonight, lunch, Sunday dinner and so on. If shoppers know they can find great quality fresh produce at your store, they may then go on to buy everything else they need to complete that shopping mission.

That could involve fresh meat, pasta, sauces, beers and wines, soft drinks, snacks, desserts and more – which could quickly turn into a basket spend well in excess of £10, all thanks to having a good core fresh range.

FRUIT SHOPPING LIST TALKING SHOP RECOMMENDS THAT PREMIER RETAILERS CASH IN ON THE FOLLOWING SEASONAL FRESH FRUIT LINES TO MAXIMISE SALES, FOOTFALL AND PROFITS: Strawberries 300g RSP: £1.99 POR: 25.0% Blueberries 125g RSP: £1.99 POR: 25.0% Plums 400g RSP: £1.99 POR: 25.0% Red Grapes 300g RSP: £1.99 POR: 25.0% Green Grapes 300g RSP: £1.99 POR: 25.0% Easypeelers 750g RSP: £1.99 POR: 25.0% Product sizes, price marks and POR may vary from those stated. All details correct at time of going to press.

Seasonal Specials Great quality seasonal fruit is becoming available and Premier’s brilliant range will help boost your fruit sales.

A big focus this year will be on strawberries and Premier will be offering a 300g pack to shoppers for just £1.99, delivering retailers PORs of 25% into the bargain.

And why not get a little creative with seasonal fruit?

Stocking it at the tillpoint could drive impulse spend. Or create some in-store theatre to encourage shoppers to pick up some fruit to liven up a jug of Sangria?

By stocking the six fresh seasonal fruit lines shown on this page – all retailing at just £1.99 – Premier retailers will drive sales, helping them progress towards that goal of delivering £2,000 extra cash profit a year.

2

Stock the core ranges as highlighted

The core range has been created from years of experience and represents the best-selling fruit and veg lines in Booker. These are the lines shoppers expect to find in your store.

3

Use the fruit & veg shelf cards from Premier

High quality POS will help highlight the fixture and draw shoppers’ attention to your fresh display, driving sales and profits.

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BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Set sales alight with a

hot BBQ offer

As the warmer summer weather takes hold, it’s time for Premier retailers to put plans in place for cashing in on the lucrative BBQ and outdoor dining occasion with a range of food and non-food lines.

Premier is driving down the price of a great BBQ range with the following deals in Periods 1 to 7: 5kg Lumpwood Charcoal Case size: 1 x 5kg WSP: £3.29 (standard WSP: £4.99) RSP: £5.99 POR: 42.3%

2kg Instant Light Charcoal Case size: 1 x 2kg WSP: £1.99 (standard WSP: £3.49) RSP: £2.99 POR: 30.1%

5kg Charcoal Briquettes Case size: 1 x 5kg WSP: £3.29 (standard WSP: £3.99) RSP: £5.99 POR: 42.3%

BBQ Lighting Fluid Case size: 12 x 1ltr WSP: £19.49 (standard WSP: £29.88) RSP: £2.99 POR: 34.8%

Disposable BBQ Minigrill Case size: 12 x 1sgl WSP: £15.48 (standard WSP: £29.88) RSP: £1.99 POR: 22.2%

Zip Firelighters 16s PM269 Case size: 6 x 16s WSP: £8.99 RSP: £2.69 POR: 33.2%

Zip Firelighters 20s PM179 Case size: 12 x 20s WSP: £11.49 RSP: £1.79 POR: 35.8%

Happy Shopper Firelighters Case size: 24 x 15s WSP: £11.49 RSP: £0.99 POR: 42.0%

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here’s nothing quite like a splash of sunshine to push basket spends up and at one great way of driving up footfall, sales and profits in summer time is through having a great BBQ and outdoor dining offer for your shoppers.

The BBQ occasion tends to include a whole array of different product categories covering everything from food and drinks to charcoal and sun cream. Building a strong and comprehensive BBQ offer in-store means you’ll be ready to cash in when the sun comes out.

Talking Shop offers a simple 6-step guide to making the most of BBQs, picnics and outdoor dining…

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Tip 1

GO LARGE!

SHOPPING LIST

One of the best ways of driving BBQ sales and big basket spends is by really making a feature of your BBQ offering in-store.

Rather than relying on shoppers to decide it’s a day for a picnic or a BBQ, why not give them a little reminder by having a dedicated fixture or bay in-store and perhaps adding some checkered blankets and wicker baskets to make the mission clear and get shoppers in the mood for a day in the sun. Feature as many related and relevant products as you can think of to drive up those all-important impulse sales Don’t forget to feature your BBQ offer on your Facebook page and with in-store POS.

TALKING SHOP RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING LINES AS IDEAL TO COMPLEMENT A BBQ OFFER: DFE Diced Chorizo 70g WSP: £0.75 RSP: £1.00 POR: 25% DFE German Frankfurters 200g WSP: £0.75 RSP: £1.00 POR: 25% DFE German Sliced Salami 100g WSP: £0.80 RSP: £1.09 POR: 26% DFE Serrano Ham 80g WSP: £1.04 RSP: £1.39 POR: 25% DFE Sliced Pastrami 100g WSP: £1.50 RSP: £2.00 POR: 25% DTC Coleslaw PMP79 250g WSP: £0.55 RSP: £0.79 POR: 30% DTC Potato Salad PMP79 225g WSP: £0.57 RSP: £0.79 POR: 27% Delphi Black & Green Olives Pitted 240g WSP: £1.25 RSP: £1.79 POR: 30% Delphi Couscous Charggrilled Veg 160g WSP: £1.15 RSP: £1.59 POR: 27% Delphi Houmous Dip 170g WSP: £0.70 RSP: £1.00 POR: 30% Delphi Taramosalata Dip 170g WSP: £0.70 RSP: £1.00 POR: 30% Delphi Three Bean Salad 220g WSP: £1.15 RSP: £1.59 POR: 27% Delphi Tzatziki Dip 170g WSP: £0.75 RSP: £1.00 POR: 25% Primula Garlic & Herb Dip 170g WSP: £1.00 RSP: £1.39 POR: 28% Primula Nachco Cheese Dip 170g WSP: £1.00 RSP: £1.39 POR: 28% Primula Sour Cream & Chive Dip 170g WSP: £1.00 RSP: £1.39 POR: 28%

Tip 2

GET THE BBQ BASICS IN PLACE!

To really make the most of the BBQ occasion, take some time to ensure you have a good range of all the basics that your shoppers while be looking for on a sunny day. That means all the staple BBQ items like: l charcoal But don’t forget l Bread rolls l Burgers l firelighters vital non-food lines l Relishes, l Sausages l lighting fluid like: condiments and l Hot dogs l disposable BBQs sauces l Chicken wings

Premier recommends the following Every Day Low Pricing sauces and condiments as must-stock items for the BBQ season (with prices guaranteed until 10th July): Heinz Salad Cream Top Down Case size: 10 x 425g WSP: £12 RSP: £2.45 POR: 20%

HP BBQ Woodsmoke Sauce Case size: 8 x 465g WSP: £9.60 RSP: £2.11 POR: 20%

HP Sauce Top Down Case Size: 12 x 450g WSP: £14.40 RSP: £2.99 POR: 20%

Premier also recommends the following Core In Every Store lines this summer: Heinz Tomato Ketchup PM £2.05 Case size: 10 x 460g WSP: £12 RSP: £2.05 PM POR: 20%

Hellmanns Mayonnaise Light PM £2.19 Case size: X x 400g WSP: £10.29 RSP: £2.19 POR: 21.7%

Hellmanns Mayonnaise Real PM £2.19 Case size: X x 400g WSP: £10.29 RSP: £2.19 POR: 21.7%

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Tip 3

STEP IT UP A GEAR!

With the basics in place, you may want to take your BBQ offer to the next level by offering your shoppers an extended range of non-food items they might be looking for on BBQ day and are unlikely to have lying around at home. l disposable cutlery l napkins l grill tongs l skewers l Sun tan lotion l chapstick l sun hats l paracetamol

Tip 4

WATCH THE WEATHER!

Keep an eye on the weather forecast – featured in the Premier Weekly Bulletin – and the calendar to maximise sales. A sunny weekend can be a catalyst for big sales and make sure you also keep up to date with big sporting and social events which could trigger BBQs or picnics. Events like the World Cup and Wimbledon should be marked clearly on the calendar.

Also be aware of local or regional events that your shoppers will be participating in – everything from local Gala Days and festivals to important sporting matches or community events. As well as creating sales, you will also highlight awareness of the

WEATHER EYE: Don’t forget to check weather forecasts, especially before weekends.

central role you play in your community.

Again, use your website or Facebook pages to highlight these events and remind shoppers that they can collect all they need for a great day out from your store.

Tip 5

ACT ON IMPULSE!

Now that you have everything ready for the perfect BBQ, it’s time to take a look at a whole range of food and drink categories likely to be purchased during the mission: l multipack beers and ciders l wines l soft drinks – multipacks and larger format bottles l crisps and snacks – sharing format sizes l fresh and chilled l larger and sharing format confectionery

Tip 6

TEAM EFFORT!

Nothing will make your BBQ sales soar quite like an enthusiastic, passionate team so make sure your staff get right behind the picnic and BBQ mission. If the weather forecast is for a great weekend, then make sure your staff are briefed and ready to suggest a day in the garden or the park with a few burgers and a bottle of rosé. Or if shoppers are already clearly buying picnic items, be sure to suggest a few extra items that might help the day go with a swing.

UP A GEAR: Really cash in on BBQ season with added value products like seasonings.

THINK LOCAL: Locally sourced products can add value to your BBQ offering.

GET SAUCY: Condiments and sauces are key for outdoor dining missions.

THE BASICS: Beers, wines and spirits are often included in a BBQ basket.

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BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Complete the mission with fresh meat

Core to growing basket spends for the many shoppers on a mission to make meals from scratch is a range of high quality, great value fresh meats – and Premier has just what you need.

SHOPPING LIST TALKING SHOP RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING CORE IN EVERY STORE RANGE OF FRESH MEAT PRODUCTS FOR EVERY PREMIER RETAILER: Farm Fresh Skinless Chicken Fillets PM 400 Case size: 4x500g WSP: £11.68 RSP: £4.00 POR: 27.00% Shelf life: 4 days Farm Fresh Minced Beef PM325 Case size: 4x500g WSP: £9.25 RSP: £3.25 POR: 28.85% Shelf life: 5 days Farm Fresh Lincolnshire Sausage PM199 Case size: 6x454g WSP: £9.05 RSP: £1.99 POR: 24.20% Shelf life: 8 days Farm Fresh Unsmoked Rindless Back Bacon PM189 200g Case size: 3x6x200g WSP: £23.33 RSP: £1.89 POR: 31.42% Shelf life: 27 days Farm Fresh Smoked Rindless Back Bacon PM189 200g Case size: 3x6x200g WSP: £23.33 RSP: £1.89 POR: 31.42% Shelf life: 27 days

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very shopper who enters a Premier store looking to buy ingredients to make a meal from scratch wants to be able to find every item they need for that meal. Whatever they’re planning on cooking, the vast majority of the most commonly prepared dishes have fresh meat as the base ingredient. Whether it’s

a Spaghetti Bolognese for the family, a Chicken Tikka Masala for a lazy Friday night with friends or a Roast Chicken for Sunday lunch, offering a range of fresh meats is key to unlocking big basket spends as well as driving footfall and profits.

Talking Shop offers a step-by-step guide to cashing in on the cooking from scratch mission with a range of fresh meats.

1 STOCK THE CORE RANGE Premier’s Core In Every Store (CIES) range of fresh meats featured on the panel on he left provides retailers with the perfect core range to cater for the vast majority of requirements when it comes to shoppers looking to create a dish for lunch, evening meal or even a BBQ. Chicken, mince, sausages and bacon form the heart of many popular meals and snacks and should always be available in-store.

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2 TRY SOMETHING NEW?

SHOPPING LIST TALKING SHOP ALSO RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOW ING RANGE OF FRESH MEAT PRODUCTS AS GREAT ADDITIONS TO BOOST SALES AND PROFITS: Farm Fresh Peppered Grillsteaks (2’s) PM 250 Case size: 4x300g WSP: £7.00 RSP: £2.50 POR: 30.00% Shelf life: 10 days

To really unlock the opportunity however, it makes sense to develop your range to cater for an even wider array of shopper requirements. As well as the CIES range, why not consider whole chickens, gammon joints or steaks, fresh burgers, pork loin, meatballs or even rump steak?

Farm Fresh Quarter Pound Burgers (4’s) PM350 Case size: 4x454g WSP: £10.00 RSP: £3.50 POR: 28.57% Shelf life: 10 days Farm Fresh Whole Chicken PM400 Case size: 4x1.35kg WSP: £11.84 RSP: £4 .00POR: 26.00% Shelf life: 4 days Farm Fresh Chicken Thighs PM200 Case size: 4x430g WSP: £5.44 RSP: £2.00 POR: 32.00% Shelf life: 5 days

Providing a broader range will help tempt shoppers into trading up and trying something a little more special, as well as growing their spend in-store.

Farm Fresh Chicken Drumsticks PM200 Case size: 4x430g WSP: £5.44 RSP: £2.00 POR: 32.00% Shelf life: 5 days Farm Fresh Meatballs PM225 Case size: 4x340g WSP: £6.25 RSP: £2.25 POR: 30.56% Shelf life: 10 days Farm Fresh Rump Steaks PM500 Case size: 4x250g WSP: £14.40 RSP: £5.00 POR: 28.00% Shelf life: 10 days Farm Fresh Rindless Unsmoked Gammon Joint PM399 Case size: 8x750g WSP: £23.60 RSP: £3.99 POR: 26.07% Shelf life: 27 days Farm Fresh Rind On Unsmoked Gammon Steaks PM299 Case size: 8x2x170g WSP: £17.76 RSP: £2.99 POR: 25.75% Shelf life: 27 days Farm Fresh Cumberland Sausage PM199 Case size: 6x454g WSP: £9.05 RSP: £1.99 POR: 24.20% Shelf life: 8 days

3 BE BOLD! All of Premier’s fresh meats benefit from long shelf life dates so there’s no need to worry about waste. Meatballs and steaks have 10 full days while bacon and gammon steaks have 27 day’s life in the chiller. Even products like chicken fillets have four days’ code while beef mince has five.

Farm Fresh Pork Sausage PM199 Case size: 6x454g WSP: £9.05 RSP: £1.99 POR: 24.20% Shelf life: 8 days

What’s more, the entire range is available in small pack sizes to help retailers manage stock and eliminate waste.

4 GET CREATIVE! One great way to make shopping really easy for shoppers is to merchandise fresh meats alongside or adjacent to all the products that shoppers will need to complete the most common meals.

You could site pasta and pasta sauces near the minced beef and even merchandise come garlic bread alongside to really maximise basket spend. Or have curry sauces near the chicken to make it quick and easy for shoppers to find what they want and fill their baskets. Siting fresh veg near the fresh meat range will also help boost sales and adding some menu cards for popular dishes can help inspire shoppers.

5 DRINK TO THAT Many shoppers planning a meal for tonight will also be looking for something to drink alongside their dish of choice. Where possible, why not site some wine or beer to the fresh meats fixture and make sure that larger format soft drinks are also handy to drive impulse sales.

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LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

Deli salad range completes fresh offering

Discover The Choice Coleslaw PM79 Case size: 6 WSP: £0.55 RSP: 79p PM POR 30.38% Discover The Choice Potato Salad PM55 Case size: 6 WSP: £0.57 RSP: 79p PM POR 27.85%

Discover the Choice deli salads unlock profits Discover the Choice Coleslaw and Potato Salads provide the perfect accompaniment for any dish and offer retailers excellent PORs into the bargain.

Booker’s award-winning chilled own label range Discover The Choice has been a huge hit since it was launched, offering shoppers a fantastic quality range of pizzas, cooked hams and ready meals. The perfect accompaniment to many of these dishes, and more besides, is the range of Discover The Choice deli salads that includes Coleslaw and Potato Salad.

Priced at just 79p and 55p respectively, the two deli salads deliver the same

great quality, great value proposition that characterises the entire Discover The Choice range and both products have been performing exceptionally well.

The lines are significantly cheaper than branded equivalents and have been helping boost basket spends in Premier stores since launch.

The bold price-marks help bring new shoppers into the category and drive trial while the truly excellent quality of the

product inside has helped drive repeat sales.

Just like the other products in the Discover The Choice range, the coleslaw and potato salads also provide retailers with excellent PORs – 30.38% in the case of the coleslaw and 27.85% in the case of the potato salad.

They give retailers the perfect solution to rounding off a comprehensive chilled range and are available in small cases of six to help eliminate waste.

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shopper’s view…

Steve Cable, Newcastle “I like to look after myself and I go to the gym a fair bit so I tend to also try and eat reasonbly healthy food too and that means lots of fresh produce – but I also enjoy the occasional lazy meal in front of the TV too. My local Premier store stocks a great range of fresh fruit and veg, salads and fresh meats for when I’m feeling like cooking from scratch but I have to be honest and say I also do enjoy a Discover The Choice pizza or ready meal – and I always, always accompany them some coleslaw. I’m addicted to the stuff and at 79p I reckon you can’t beat the Discover The Choice coleslaw for quality and price. The Potato Salad is also a firm favourite.”

IN SUMMARY

1

Accompaniments help drive up basket spend and footfall, particularly when merchandised alongside pizzas, ready meals, fresh veg and salads.

2

At just 79p for the coleslaw and 55p for the potato salad, the Discover The Choice deli salads are significantly cheaper than branded equivalents.

3

Both lines deliver excellent PORs of or retailers – 30.38% for the coleslaw and 27.85% for the potato salad – helping boost profits.

4

Both lines are available in smaller case sizes of just six, making it simple for Premier retailers to minimise waste while minimising stock holding.

RETAILER VIEW JATINDER SINGH PUNIAN Premier Victoria Dock, Hull “The Discover The Choice range has been massively successful since launch and I think a lot of my shoppers really like it. It brings together everything they want: great quality, great taste and fantastic value.

“The Coleslaw and Potato Salad lines let retailers grow basket spend while also helping shoppers complete a healthy, tasty meal when they buy them alongside a Discover The Choice pizza or ready meal. It’s little things like this that can really help boost sales and profits.”

RETAILER VIEW FARAZ IQBAL Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy “The Discover The Choice range has been an absolute smash hit in my store since the first day we introduced it. I think it looks brilliant in the chillers with high quality packaging that really stands out on shelf.

“Discover The Choice has quickly evolved into a really comprehensive range and things like Coleslaw and Potato Salad help round that range out, delivering those little lines that can really enhance a meal for my shoppers – as well as enhancing my sales and profits!”

RETAILER VIEW DEEPAK KUMAR Premier Tintagel Stores, Cornwall “Fresh and chilled is such an important category in independent retailing these days so it’s vital that we have a brilliant range like Discover the Choice. The range provides everything that shoppers expect from their local Premier store these days, delivering top notch quality and unbeatable value.

“As the range has established itself, it’s important that we leverage the power of the Discover The Choice brand as shoppers know it and trust it so lines like Potato Salad and Coleslaw help complete the range and give shoppers everything they need.”

RETAILER VIEW ASHLEY HUGHES Premier Old Post Office, Nefyn “I think when shoppers are visiting a convenience store they want to find everything they need for the shopping mission they are on, so if that’s lunch or a meal for tonight they want to be able find a pizza or a ready meal but they also want to complete that mission with a tub of coleslaw or potato salad, some garlic bread maybe and perhaps a bottle of wine.

“Having a broader Discover the Choice range means that we are satisfying that demand which is great for shoppers and, of course, great for retailers.”

June 2018 TalkingShop

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THE BENEFITS OF RESPONSIBLE RETAILING | GUEST COLUMN

Anita Nye of Premier Eldred Drive Stores explains why being a responsible retailer strengthens bonds and drives loyalty.

Responsible retailing drives loyalty and sales

WINNING WAYS: Anita Nye collects her Responsible Retailing Award.

A two-time Responsible Retailer of the Year at the Convenience Store Awards, Orpington retailer Anita Nye believes taking a responsible approach to retailing grows community bonds and generates strong shopper loyalty.

W

hen you’ve lived in the same community since you were six weeks old as I have, taking a responsible approach to retailing is something that I’ve always just seen as the right thing to do. Given than I’ve seen most of my shoppers grow from being kids to adults and on to becoming parents and even grandparents themselves, I’ve always felt that it’s important to look after them and provide positive, helpful input into the community I serve.

I would class most of my shoppers as friends more than customers, so it comes naturally to keep an eye out for them and their children and act responsibly when it comes to things like their diet and their wellbeing.

For the last couple of years we haven’t sold energy drinks to anyone under 16; I know it has become fashionable now but we started it a long time ago it because we were seeing primary school kids trying to buy energy drinks and we just weren’t comfortable with that. Similarly, we introduced free fruit for kids in the store too, because we felt it was important for kids to have healthier, balanced diets and this was just something we could do to help.

At the end of the day it doesn’t cost us much money to do these things but it makes such a difference and we have had so much feedback from grateful parents who really appreciate what we’re

doing. It’s those sorts of things that I believe create bonds between the store and its shoppers that can last a long time.

Similarly, we work closely with the local school and agreed with them that we wouldn’t serve kids in uniform after 8.30am. We wanted to help discourage truancy because kids need to be at school to give themselves the best possible chance of a bright future.

Again, the feedback we got from the school for doing this was exceptionally positive.

But it’s not just kids that need a little attention. We keep an active look out for our elder shoppers, particularly in winter, even if that means going knocking on doors and checking they’re OK and if they would like anything delivered.

We don’t do these things for financial gain; we do them because we feel a responsibility to the community that allows us to earn a living. We’re just trying to be good people and treat our shoppers as friends. We all need a little help sometimes and as the hub of the local community there is a special responsibility on our shoulders at the store to make an extra effort.

Having said all that, there’s no doubt that retailing responsibly does benefit the business. It would be hard to put a figure on that but we all know that loyal, regular shoppers can be worth thousands of pounds a year to a store. I like to think that our shoppers are very loyal and repay our efforts by supporting us in return.

June 2018 TalkingShop

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The future of the high street | ACS Viewpoint

James Lowman As MPs plan the future of town centres, it’s vital that convenience retailers’ voices are heard.

MPs have recently begun an inquiry into the future of the high street to ensure planners and decision-makers are able to make the best use of town centre space. ACS has been involved.

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ver the last few weeks, a cross party committee of MPs have launched a new inquiry into the future of the high street, with the intention of looking ahead to 2030 to see how local planners and decision makers can be helped to make the best use of space in town centres and large parades.

There have been no shortage of reviews, reports and inquiries into the state of the high street with varying levels of success, but what all of the literature up to this point agrees on is that the high street is irreversibly changing. So where do convenience stores fit in?

One of the phrases that we use a lot at ACS when talking to the media is that the corner shop of 20 years ago is not the convenience store of today.

Even a decade ago, when you thought of what a convenience store offering looked like, it typically majored on traditional grocery products with perhaps some local collaboration on things like milk, bread and deli offerings.

Over the last few years however, the convenience store offer has

evolved to feature an increasingly The continued growth of online wide range of services for local retail is likely to be one of the core customers. Where other specialist focus areas of the inquiry, and stores on the high street like banks, while there are some hard policy pharmacies, off licenses and post recommendations we can make offices have faded away in many like a restructuring of the business areas, convenience stores have rates system to support bricks embraced those services, continuing and mortar businesses that invest to provide them for an ever more and adapt, rather than the current demanding customer base. model which favours online The role of the convenience store businesses, the reality is that online on the modern high street then is is not going to go away. an important one, as it acts not just As convenience stores have as a traditional social hub, but as embraced change over the last ten a collection of products and years to adopt additional services services in one place that and a wider range of goods, IF YOU is still more convenient the challenge for our sector WOULD LIKE TO and accessible (for the in the future, especially for GET INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL WORK OF ACS most part) than ordering the 18,000 urban stores on something online. high streets and in town ....................... CALL ......................

This cannot be taken centres, is to find new ways 01252 515 001 for granted though, as to collaborate with other ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... the high street is littered services that people want, www.acs.org.uk with empty fascias of and to co-exist with online businesses that thought businesses. they were more relevant to We’ll make the case for our consumers than they actually were, sector to the latest parliamentary laying the blame on changing habits inquiry into high streets. and online retail with their last breath I’m confident they’ll find that as if the concepts came as a surprise convenience stores are going to be and that their hands were tied when it even more relevant than ever in came to action. this changing retail landscape.

June 2018 TalkingShop

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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

Post Office challenges

Time to up our fresh game?

We’ve been saying for a long time that fresh and chilled are critical in modern stores because that’s what today’s shoppers are looking for.

Do you have any advice for building a solid fresh offer that will cover most requirements for shoppers?

PRIYANK MODI, PREMIER HAMBLEDON RD

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Fresh is indeed a vital category today because it’s a category that more and more shoppers are buying into now. The key is to have a good, solid range and to keep the fixture fully stocked and checked regularly to ensure that all of the stock on display is in great condition.

A good fresh range can be the catalyst for big basket spends as shoppers complete ‘meal for tonight’ missions – and it is also critical for those ‘little and often’ purchases that shoppers are making these days. There are a couple of articles in this issue on fruit and veg (p45) and fresh meats (p54) that offer some great advice on getting the basics right every time.

Can Gareth deliver us sales?

The World Cup is set to be massive for retailers, particularly if England perform well and manage to get through to the group stages. What should retailers do to make the most of the event?

KRISHNA DAS, PREMIER HIGHFIELD CONVENIENCE, FARNWORTH MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND

DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: The World Cup only comes around every four years and presents retailers with a month-long opportunity to build excitement in-store and boost sales in lots of categories. The key is to stock all of the Premier deals and then make some noise in your store. Use POS and in-store theatre, dress the staff in football strips and get the bunting out.

There’s more advice on how to do this on p33.

I run a Post Office in my store and it can be a real headache. I’m not sure I would ever give it up but do you have any experience of what has happened to stores who have lost a Post Office?

Does it mean the end of the world?

FARAZ IQBAL, PREMIER LINKTOWN LOCAL, KIRKCALDY MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Losing a a Post Office – or choosing to give it up – certainly doesn’t mean the end of the world. In fact, in this issue of Talking Shop we feature two retailers who have done just that and, despite being told all sorts of horror stories, have gone on to actually increase sales by 15%. Having a Post Office undoubtedly brings footfall, but so too do many other things that you can do in your store – and some of them are far more profitable. A Post Office also takes up quite a lot of space which could perhaps be used more profitably otherwise. For any retailers facing the prospect of losing a Post Office there’s certainly no reason to be overly concerned. Premier now offers everything that you need to run a busy, profitable store.

June 2018 TalkingShop

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Talking Shop

Issue 95 June 2018