Talking Shop
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Welcome
A very warm welcome to your latest issue of Talking Shop.
The days are beginning to lengthen and, with a bit of luck, the temperatures will soon begin to rise – which is always a great sign for retailers.
With the spring months now upon us, there’s a host of new opportunities for you to capitalise on and we’ll be highlighting just some of them in this issue.
An exciting new development is the soft launch of Booker’s new low-cost delivery app. Scoot is backed by a full support package and marketing programme and I look forward to watching how it develops and grows over time.
Another clear opportunity on the horizon is Easter, which is always a great chance for retailers to grow footfall and sales. As always, Premier has a fantastic range and promotional package in place to help you make the most of this key seasonal opportunity.
Similarly, this year’s Premier Wine Festival will also provide an array of opportunities to uncork additional sales and profits, so I would strongly urge you check out our Wine Festival Feature.
We also take a look back at the recent Booker Trade Shows and as always, there are some really interesting store profiles for you read and hopefully pick up one or two ideas that you can implement.
And, as ever, you’ll find the usual mix of news, views, advice and ideas to help make the most of the next couple of months and beyond.
I wish you the very best of trading.
Martyn Parkinson, Sales Director – Booker Wholesale
COVER STORY
Premier retailer Karan Patel has spearheaded an array of gamechanging developments to his family businessincluding a show-stopping development of KP’s Mini Market in November.
THE THREE BIG STORIES
51 Showing off Innovation galore at the Booker Retail Shows 2025.
59 Wine to shine!
Premier’s Wine festival is back with a bang.
44 Great eggspectations Easter 2025 is set be a cracker.
Share your shop news
If you’ve got news, tips or feature ideas, please get in touch with Talking Shop: EMAIL: talkingshop@booker.co.uk
Karan
Stay
James
Jack’s
NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER
Booker unveils delivery app for symbol retailers PremierNews
Rapid delivery ordering platform Scoot will be rolled out in phases to Booker symbol group retailers from April 2025.
Premier retailers will soon have access to Scoot –the new rapid delivery ordering platform which can help them deliver local groceries within 30 minutes.
The new ordering platform will connect shoppers with participating stores, enabling them to order from a range of products, curated by the retailer.
Scoot facilitates the ordering, payment, and picking processes, leaving retailers to organise delivery - either in-house or via a third party.
Scoot is currently piloting in Budgens Abridge, with a further three stores to be piloted in March.
The platform will then be phased out more widely to Booker symbol group retailers, including Premier, from April 2025.
The low-cost ordering platform builds on Booker’s commitment to support independent retailers in growing their business.
Offering the convenience of home delivery allows these retailers to reach new customers and help them increase sales opportunities.
Retailers also benefit from being able to set their
HIGHLIGHTS
l Fully flexible model.
l Make an estimated £34,000 additional profit per year.
l Only 1% commission charged up to £5,000 of weekly sales.
l Zero commission once you reach £5,000 of weekly sakes on the app.
own delivery, service and minimum order charges, which can vary dependent on location.
Retailers who sign up to Scoot will receive a launch support package worth over £2,800 –including point of sale, digital assets and thermal delivery bags.
All stores can take advantage of upweighted marketing support including targeted social media adverts, and a contribution towards a full promotional wrap for their delivery vehicle.
Colm Johnson, Managing Director for Booker Retail, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for our retailers to increase their basket spend, store sales, and connect with new and existing shoppers in their local communities.
“The feedback from our pilot test has been really positive and we look forward to welcoming more retailers to the platform over the next few months.”
To register your interest and receive a call back, visit www.scootdelivery.co.uk/retailer
INBRIEF
WINNING WAYS AT PREMIER DUSA
The inspirational in-store team at Premier DUSA in Dundee scooped the first ever Team award at SLR’s Above and Beyond Awards 2025.
Held on 12 March at The Corinthian Club in Glasgow, the awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and astonishing acts of convenience store employees from across Scotland.
Headed up by store manager Moira Dean, the 15-strong team at Premier DUSA moved the judges with their exemplary customer service skills and unbridled team spirit. Members of the team regularly go above and beyond to support their shoppers – many of whom are young university students, living away from home for the first time.
Moira described her team as “a bunch of unsung heroes,” who she was “proud to call colleagues.”
NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER
Dropping around the clock CommunityNews
Premier Girish’s@Barmulloch becomes Scotland’s first convenience store to offer 24-hour delivery.
SNAPPY DECEMBER DEALINGS
Hayat’s Premier in Dundee hit a home delivery milestone in December 2024 when it made more than £200,000-worth of deliveries.
The store generated so much business through Snappy Shopper during the month of December that, at times, it achieved more deliveries per hour than a nearby supermarket.
Glasgow-based Premier retailer Girish Jeeva has launched a landmark 24-hour home delivery service – the first convenience store in Scotland to do so.
Run in partnership with Snappy Shopper, the ultra-convenient new service offers shoppers roundthe-clock access to essential goods.
Launched on 6 February from his Barmulloch store, Girish hopes that the new 24-hour service will help him to reach a wider audience and generate £5,000 a week in extra sales.
He tested the idea on Facebook, running a poll to judge shoppers’ feelings on the idea – with 140 voting in favour of the service. “To get that sort of reaction made us think it’s going to work out, plus it’s a new audience, not a regular customer that will order at that time of day,” he said.
“The result won’t be immediate, but we are 100% down for trialling it for a good few months. At the moment, deliveries account for 20% of our business, so we think £5,000 sales a week from the nighttime is more than achievable.”
Retailer Akky Hayat said: “Snappy Shopper has revolutionised how we serve our community. Achieving more than £200,000 in deliveries in one month exceeded our expectations and highlighted the incredible potential of quick commerce.
“The platform’s efficiency allows us to deliver faster and more effectively than even larger supermarkets at peak times. It’s proof that independent stores can compete and succeed in the digital age.”
A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY
Industry welcomes Crime and Policing Bill IndustryNews
The Crime and Policing Bill was laid in Parliament on 25 February.
The retail industry has given a warm welcome to the Crime and Policing Bill, which sets out a wide range of measures aimed at empowering police forces and tackling crimes like shop theft and antisocial behaviour.
The Bill, which was laid in Parliament on 25 February, is set to be backed up by the recruitment of 13,000 additional police officers.
It will also make assault against shopworkers a standalone crime in England and Wales, (as is already the case in Scotland) and scrap the £200 shoplifting threshold.
Other measures outlined in the Bill include:
l Police will no longer need to apply for a warrant to search a premises where stolen goods have been electronically located.
l Increased powers to crack down on repeat antisocial behaviour offenders, with new Respect Orders banning those prolific offenders from town centres.
l Expanding police powers to drug test more suspects on arrest, helping direct more drug users into treatment and away from illegal drugs.
l Creating a new criminal offence of possessing a bladed article with the intent to cause harm.
In the year ending September 2024, police recorded one million incidents of antisocial behaviour. In the same period, they recorded more than 490,000 shop theft offences, an increase of 23% over the previous 12-month period.
Welcoming the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We hope it will send a clear message that shop theft and assaults on retailers will be taken seriously by both the police and the justice system.
“People running and working in shops deserve to be treated with respect, and we believe this Bill takes important steps toward that goal.”
PAYPOINT BOOSTS ACCESSIBILITY WITH TRANSLATED TRAINING GUIDES
Online training guides from PayPoint have been translated into Urdu, Indian Punjabi and Sinhalese to help retailers who don’t speak English as a first language. PayPoint made the move following feedback from retail partners and the translated guides are now available to download online for the PayPoint Mini and Connect. Retailers will also be sent emails with the resources on launch.
Antony Sappor, Retail Proposition & Partnerships Director, PayPoint, said: “By providing key materials in a wider array of translations, we hope that more of our retailer partners can take advantage of the tools on offer to help their businesses thrive, delivering the best possible service to their local communities.”
Record-breaking mystery shopper results for lottery retailers
The number of retailers correctly asking for ID as proof of age for lottery sales is at its highest level since National Lottery mystery shopping visits started over two decades ago.
Allwyn organised more than 8,200 mystery shopper visits over 2024 as part of its new Operation Guardian programme.
The final results show that a record-breaking 92.3% of National Lottery retailers correctly asked players who appeared under the age of 18 for ID as proof of age on their first visit.
Allwyn also carried out 4,000 ‘excessive play’ visits to ensure stores could provide support information to players requesting help with their play if needed.
This also incorporated a smaller-scale mystery shop exercise for the new 10-scratchcard per purchase limit towards the end of the year.
The final part of Operation Guardian, a
‘knowledge check,’ encompassed 4,000 visits to assess store staff’s knowledge around preventing underage play and minimising excessive play. Retailers were tested using six core questions, with 85% having answered five or more correctly.
Any retailer not passing one of the three parts of Operation Guardian received additional training from Allwyn.
Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford, said: “A huge congratulations to our 40,000-plus National Lottery retailers for their commitment to selling The National Lottery responsibly and raising their standards to the highest levels ever seen.”
TWC REVEALS
2024’S KEY CONVENIENCE TRENDS
The confectionery, soft drinks and food-to-go categories showed the highest value growth in the convenience sector in 2024 according to data from TWC’s SmartView Convenience market read.
Other insights included in the report included:
l Value sales were down by 6% through 2024 –but this was driven by declines in tobacco/ tobacco alternatives and commission.
l Average spend per unit only increased by 1% in 2024.
l Alcohol sales underperformed at Christmas (versus the performance over the rest of the year).
l Branded products outperformed ownlabel sales in the sector.
l The leading suppliers are winning share. In eight key convenience categories, threequarters of the top two suppliers in each category are growing their share of sales in the channel.
InPost unveils label-free parcel delivery service
InPost Group has launched labelfree delivery service Send.
Shoppers can use InPost’s new Send service to post parcels from one InPost Locker to another, an out-of-home point such as a Pick Up and Drop Off location, or directly to their chosen home address.
Accessible through the InPost app, Send can process small, medium and large parcels up to 15kg.
PAYPOINT RETAILERS TO DISTRIBUTE EMERGENCY FUEL VOUCHERS
A partnership between PayPoint and Fuel Bank Foundation means people facing fuel poverty can turn to local retailers to redeem emergency energy topup vouchers.
The launch follows InPost’s commitment to invest £600m in its UK operations by 2029, following its exponential growth in the UK where it delivered 93.2 million parcels in 2024, double the volume from 2023.
Neil Kuschel, CEO of InPost UK, said: “Send marks a pivotal moment for both InPost and the wider UK postal market, bringing the parcel experience up to date with consumers’ lifestyles.
“We are proud to introduce this new service that directly meets those needs and drives increased competition in the industry.”
Breakfast costs bite
The cost of a home-prepared breakfast rose in February, with butter, cheese, eggs, bread and cereals all experiencing price hikes, latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shows.
Food inflation increased to 2.1% year on year in February, against growth of 1.6% in January. Fresh food inflation also increased to 1.5% year on year in February, while ambient food inflation increased to 2.8% year on year in February.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said: “While shop prices remained in deflation in February, prices on the month saw the biggest increase in the last year.
“Climbing global coffee prices could threaten to push the morning costs higher in the coming months.”
Those who receive Fuel Bank energy vouchers can redeem their pre-paid top-up vouchers for energy meters in any PayPoint store, to get their heat, light and power back on as quickly as possible.
Around six million UK households are currently living in fuel poverty, and the charity anticipates demand for support to be greater than ever this year.
Matthew Cole, CEO of Fuel Bank Foundation, said: “Over the next few months, we estimate that more than a quarter of a million people will turn to Fuel Bank Foundation for emergency help because they can’t afford to top-up their energy meter or fill their heating oil tank, coal bunker or log store.”
Post office to be removed from overseeing Horizon redress
The Post Office will no longer be involved in administering redress for Horizon victims, the UK government has said.
From 3 June, all postmasters who have had their convictions overturned by the courts will have their conviction claims managed by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
After a three-month transitional period, the DBT’s Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) will broaden its scope to take on responsibility for redress for postmasters who have had their convictions overturned by the Courts. These are currently dealt with by the Post Office through their Overturned Convictions scheme.
The DBT acknowledged that postmasters have suffered a huge amount. It claimed that while the government couldn’t fully put right what they have been through, it could make sure the compensation
process works better for them by listening to their grievances and acting upon them where possible to ensure postmasters are treated with dignity and respect.
The delivery of redress for victims of the Post office Horizon scandal is a key government manifesto commitment, with a commitment of £1.8bn to ensure all postmasters receive the justice and financial redress they deserve.
The three-month transitional period between now and 3 June would allow for the smooth transfer of active claims from one scheme to the other, ensuring there is no gap in service for postmasters who have claims in the system, the government claimed.
RETAILER LED SUPPORT GROUP LAUNCHES
Peer support group, Retailers 4 Retailers, has got off to a successful launch with its first meeting in February and second in early March.
The group offers online video call meets where retailers can seek advice and support from their peers in a safe space.
“Our hope is to develop a support system so you no longer need to feel alone,” said the group. “Because let’s face it; no one understands what it’s like other than another retailer.”
The group was set up by Glasgow-based Londis retailer Natalie Lightfoot, fellow Londis retailer Atul Sodha who has a store in Middlesex, Peterborough Premier retailer Neil Godhania and Lancashire-based Sophie Towers, who has spent 17 years in independent retail.
Everyone on the Retailers 4 Retailers team has been on mental health training courses and other retailers have also volunteered to help with mentoring.
NEW ICE KICK
GroceryAid Day 2025 is almost here!
GroceryAid Day 2025 is set to take place on Thursday 8 May and is the perfect opportunity to let your
free,
team know about the
confidential support that is always available.
It’s not long now until GroceryAid Day 2025, the annual opportunity for you to help elevate the awareness of our industry charity in stores across the UK.
Thursday 8 May will see this year’s annual GroceryAid Day take place, offering you the chance to join hundreds of retailers in letting your team know about the charity’s free and confidential financial, emotional and practical services that are available to them 24/7, 365 days a year.
Did you know that colleagues can access GroceryAid’s services and support from the very first day of their employment? And after just six months of continuous employment, if they have experienced a drop in income, they may be eligible for a non-repayable financial grant.
If you or any of your team need immediate emotional support, you can call GroceryAid’s FREE and confidential Helpline, which is available
24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 08088 021122. Calls will be answered by a trained counsellor who can either give immediate support or signpost callers to another GroceryAid service that may help. More than 200 languages are also supported through the Helpline, on request.
Support and further advice are also available through the website, groceryaid.org.uk/get-help. The website has an accessibility toolbar which translates the content into more than 100 different languages, as well as text to speech in 60 languages.
All of GroceryAid’s services are completely free and confidential and they do not disclose any details back to the charity. This emotional and practical support is also available to spouses, partners and dependants.
GroceryAid Day is a great way to help you ensure that your colleagues can reach out to GroceryAid for support.
ORDER YOUR FREE GROCERYAID COMMS KIT
Retailers can order their free GroceryAid communications package quickly and easily by visiting groceryaid.org.uk.
The pack contains everything you need for GroceryAid Day from posters and leaflets to wallet cards and stickers.
There’s everything you need to make all of your colleagues aware of the free and confidential financial, practical and emotional support that is available to them, should they ever need it.
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A cut above
Jeyaseelan Thambirajah’s brand new Premier is at the sharp end of innovation.
Known as the ‘steel city’ and the epicentre of English cutlery production from the 14th century onwards, Sheffield has a long and pointed history of cutting-edge innovation.
Today, Sheffield is once again at the sharp end – with a range of multi-million-pound regeneration projects currently taking place across the city in a bid to hone it for the future.
One retailer who is certainly on point with the plans is Jeyaseelan Thambirajah (Seelan) whose brand new city centre Premier store really is a cut above.
Located on Sheffield’s busy Queen Street and surrounded by offices, student
accommodation and University colleges, the brand-new store is Seelan’s 20th Premier –and his sharpest to date.
Following an investment of around £400,000, Seelan’s pioneering new Premier opened for business on 28 February 2025, showcasing a range of cutting-edge concepts to surprise and delight Sheffield’s shoppers.
The site’s city centre location was a fairly new one on Seelan – whose impressive portfolio majors on stores in village and community settings – however, as he explains:
“From the moment I saw it, I knew this site would represent a significant opportunity. It was totally different and very, very exciting.
“It’s surrounded by offices and the
University of Sheffield International College is only a two-minute walk away. There’s also accommodation all around, including homes for about 3,000 students.”
The ideally located site was formerly a large open-plan office, offering Seelan and the Premier team a blank canvas primed for potential.
And what a picture they have painted.
The brand-new store treats shoppers to a host of head-turning new concepts, including a revolutionary ‘vape vault’ at the rear and high-impact 3D signage and new graphics throughout.
Featuring 20 metres of shelving, the dedicated vape zone allows Seelan to offer
adult vapers an unrivalled range of easyto-browse vaping choice – in a space which can be securely sealed with a roller shutter at closing time.
Next to the ‘vape vault’ is a state-of-the-art beer cave featuring 13 bays and a large central floor plinth on which to display Premier’s great-value range of bottled and canned lagers and ciders, multipacks, ales and stouts, and RTDs.
On the outer wall and behind four smart energy-saving doors, shoppers can also take their pick from a wide range of chilled wines.
Responding to the store’s sizeable international student demographic, Premier Queen Street also features a unique frozen
zone with dedicated freezers for Indian, Chinese and African ready meals and products – much of which is sourced from small and local suppliers.
Four doors of space are also allocated to traditional British frozen fare – and ice cream of course!
This international focus is also felt within the store’s 10-bay grocery offer, where four are dedicated to world foods including Caribbean, Indian and Chinese products among others.
Given the store’s sizable passing trade opportunity, food to go forms another key part of the store’s offer. Greeting shoppers upon entry is a bold and bright Refresh@Premier bar featuring Skwishee and Millions Slush,
Rollover Hotdogs and a Lavazza Classico coffee offer.
“The Lavazza coffee offers shoppers great quality for an affordable price, which is so important to shoppers but especially students,” Seelan explains. “I want this store to offer them the best quality and value for money around and I want that message to be crystal clear from the moment they walk in.
“We are running as many promotions as possible and using PMP packs wherever we can, to really drive that home.”
The store also offers a range of meal deals, including Premier’s popular ‘sandwich meal deal’ which is housed within a four-door fridge dedicated to chilled food to go.
The support and service that I received from the Premier team when planning this store was nothing short of exceptional. You don’t get that kind of support anywhere else.
Jeyaseelan Thambirajah
Two temping Cossiga units at the front of the store offer shoppers further food-to-go choice, including chilled treats and hot ready to eats.
Seelan has also opted to fit the store with a large 10-metre run of soft drinks chillers adjacent to the chilled food-to-go offer where shoppers have easy access to a wide range of leading UK and international brands.
“The store is like a game of two halves,” explains Seelan.
“Passers-by looking for ‘to go’ solutions, including coffees and hot breakfast bites, can quickly and easily find everything they need at the front, while those on meal for tonight and evening missions can browse a fantastic range of chilled and frozen meal solutions, plus BWS and vape, at the rear,”
“The support and service that I received from the Premier team when planning this store was nothing short of exceptional,” he adds.
“So much time was spent getting every aspect exactly right. You don’t get that kind of support anywhere else.”
Further supporting Seelan is his valued head office team, which last year, grew by a full seven new members.
“My team now includes an inventory manager, an office account manager, an admin manager, building and refrigeration servicing managers and a dedicated retail support manager who visits all the stores,” he says.
Seelan invested around £400,00 developing the pioneering new Premier.
“All this support enables me to drill right down into each of my stores’ unique demographic so that I can identify exactly who the customers are and what they need, before tailor-making each offer to fit just right.
“That’s where the difference between an independent operator and a multiple is so clear to see.
“My stores are like children and, like children, each one is totally different. What I am doing here in Queen Street I couldn’t do in Harlaxton Road. Each one is unique and that’s what’s so exciting to me.”
Premier Queen Street is already proving a thrill to shoppers too, with excitement being driven to near-fever pitch thanks to a £5,000 investment in promotional giveaways.
“Each week, for the first 12 weeks of trading, we are offering shoppers an amazing giveaway, from brand new iPhones to iPads and even air fryers,” Seelan says. “Yes, it’s a big cost, but I think it’s worth it, to help spread awareness of the new store.”
While still very early days, shoppers are certainly engaging as hoped with the new store – which Seelan expects to eventually turn over in the region of £50,000 a week.
“This is a totally new store, in a location where there wasn’t one before, so it will take a few weeks for word to spread and the store to hit its stride but once it does, I’m certain it will be a great success.”
Store profile
Retailer:
Size: 2,340sq ft
Opening hours:7am-11pm
Staff: 9
Name: Premier Queen Street Sheffield
Jeyaseelan Thambirajah (Seelan)
YOU R CUSTOM ER S
New Pepsi Strawberries ‘n’ Cream and Cream Soda flavours WITH ZERO SUGAR
*Source: NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Flavoured & Unflavoured Cola (Britvic Defined), Value Sales, 52wks vs 2YA, Data to 23.11.24 and CGA, Total OOH, Flavoured & Unflavoured Cola (Britvic Defined), Value Sales, 52wks vs 2YA, Data to 30.09.24
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To the scanner born
Inspirational young retailer Karan Patel is bagging success in Leeds.
Lots of retailers claim to be ‘born and bred’ into the shopkeeping life but one who quite literally was is Karan Patel (KP) who, just hours after birth, was nestled in his mother’s arms behind the counter of his parents’ store.
Much like KP himself, the business has grown in leaps and bounds since that auspicious first day – with KP having spearheaded an array of game-changing developments to the family business in the last six years since he finished university and launched himself into retailing proper.
Thanks to KP’s acquisitive drive, the business, which he now heads up, boasts four phenomenally successful stores, all located within the same Leeds postcode.
Included in this punchy portfolio is the quite literally head-turning KP’s Mini Market which re-opened as a new-concept Premier following a show-stopping development in November 2024.
The top-to-bottom refit was inspired by a transformational development of one of KP’s other sites: KP’s Local on nearby Throstle Lane one year prior.
“That refit was a gamechanger,” KP explains. “I have a really strong relationship with my Premier RDMs and the wider Premier
team and had complete confidence that they would deliver, which they certainly did.”
The success of that earlier refit saw KP offering “a blank canvas” to his trusted Premier team and Omega Retail Services, for the development of KP’s Mini Market, which has been in the family fold since 2015.
The 1,500sq ft store is primely located just off the busy M261 which leads directly to the nearby M1 and M62 motorways, making it a magnet for passing trade.
“It’s also close to a number of local schools and is on the fringe of a large council estate, so we also see a lot of regular faces in addition to all the commuters and passers-by,” KP explains.
“The first thing you notice when you walk inside the store now is a bright and airy open space. There’s also a clear line of visibility straight into the heart of the store from the
outside. It’s amazing the difference that the open space and increased visibility has made to the look and feel of the store.
“Passers-by and existing regular shoppers alike can so clearly see the full breadth of our incredible new offer.”
KP’s incredible new offer includes a custom-made Beer Cave towards the front of the store and a footfall-driving Refresh@ Premier bar.
“The old store offered nothing in the way of food- or drinks-to-go, so that was another thing we were determined to put right with this refit,” he adds.
The revamped store’s Refresh@Premier offer includes Jolly Rancher and Fruit Salad slush machines, Think Fresh Shakes, Reese’s hot chocolate and both hot and iced drinks from Costa’s new integrated self-serve machine.
The ice cream of ice creams.
I have a really-strong relationship with my Premier RDMs and the wider Premier team and had complete confidence that they would deliver, which they certainly did.
KP
Shoppers can also treat themselves to a vast selection of delicious local cakes and pastry products to go, courtesy of local bakery Ortons.
Housed in a large chilled Cossiga unit at the till point, the local cake offer has become a runaway success, with KP’s weekly bakery bill for his Mini Market store alone already costing in the region of £1,000 a week.
And while the new store doesn’t currently offer hot food to go, a customer kettle and microwave allows shoppers to heat up chilled goods or noodles pots.
“Our vastly extended chilled food offer also includes the Premier Mega Meal Deal of five items for £5.50,” KP explains, “and shoppers can’t resist the great value and choice that it offers them.
Store profile
Size: 1,500sq ft
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 6.30am9pm, Sun: 8am-9pm Staff: 15
Name: KP’s Mini Market, Premier Belle Isle Road
Retailer: Karan Patel (KP) and parents Dipak and Priti.
“Interestingly Meal Deal sales are even bigger online than they are in store though! A lot of our shoppers work from home, or from local businesses and they order them for home delivery.
“Some shoppers will even order from us two and sometimes three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner!
“We have one shopper who regularly places large orders twice a day, because he loves our range and service. Just yesterday he ordered more than £30-worth of food in the morning and then another £40-worth in the afternoon!”
KP grins.
The store has partnered with Snappy Shopper for its delivery service, with KP even having invested in a fully-branded Citroen DS3 – complete with personalised numberplate to turbo-drive local awareness.
The service, which he also promotes heavily on social media, is proving to be a phenomenal success – making more than £4,500 in its first week alone.
“Fresh and chilled has been another huge change and one which shoppers are also delighted with,” KP adds. “We only sold four fresh products before: cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers. Now we have a full two-metres of it, including local potatoes as well as all the great-value Jack’s lines.
“In addition to that, we have a further five metres for chilled foods including the ready meals, deli items and dairy. Shoppers can now do full basket shops here – and they are!
“Prior to the refit, shoppers would just pick up a handful of items but now they will automatically pick up a basket, or even a basket on wheels, as soon as they enter.
“The baskets on wheels have been another gamechanger and something I’d wholeheartedly recommend to other stores.
As a shopper, once your hand-held basket starts to get heavy, you’re going to head to the tills, but you’ve got one on wheels, you don’t notice the weight – meaning that shoppers who use those tend to browse for longer and buy more.”
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Another of KP’s “gamechangers” is a backlit Premier fascia.
“I can’t emphasize the positive impact of a backlit fascia enough,” he says. “It looks so great at night, and I would highly recommend it to other retailers, especially those in high street settings like mine, where there is a lot of traffic passing by.”
The new store also incorporates an array of deeply personal touches, including a feature wall adorned with old family photos, which
highlights the family’s long and close bond with the LS10 postcode. “We’ve been trading in this area for a really long time now and we wanted to emphasise that this is a community store that is there for its shoppers,” KP adds.
And shoppers are certainly there for the store too, with overall sales having soared since the refit and grown every single week since re-opening in early December 2024.
“They love the store’s clean, modern and spacious new look and they adore the
new range and all the footfall drivers we’ve added,” says KP.
“We’ve also launched with a powerful new promotional offer. I’m doing every single Premier deal, including all the optional ones. When you do a full refit, you want that big ‘wow factor’ and the deals deliver that.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved. But what makes me truly happy is that I’m making my parents proud too, and in an industry that they worked so hard in.”
How to crack Easter
Premier is helping retailers to make the most of the eggstremely valuable Easter opportunity.
CRACKING POS
Premier retailers can add some bounce to their Easter displays with an array of engaging POS materials featuring colourful eggs and bunnies.
The cheery bundle includes bunting, posters, shelf edge strips, barker ears, window stickers and fun bunny footprint floor stickers to lead shoppers to Easter displays.
For more details, speak to your Premier RDM.
ONLY £3!
l Quality Street Carton 220g
l Dairy Box 160g
l After Eight 300g
As one of the biggest seasonal opportunities of the year, Easter has always helped retailers add some much-appreciated bounce to their sales.
Easter 2024 certainly proved no exception to the rule, with value and unit growth outperforming total FMCG and confectionery trends at 13.5% and 2.4% respectively during the season.
There was also a 14% increase in trip spend and a 6% rise in trips compared to the rest of the year, according to Kantar data for the 13 weeks to 31 March 24.
With figures like that, it’s little surprise that retailers across the country will be hoping for an equal, if not even better, performance in 2025.
The fact that Easter is late this year –a full three weeks later than 2024 to be precise – will certainly set them up to do just that.
Easter Sunday falls on 20 April this year – giving retailers a long and opportunityrich lead up in which to focus on driving that all-important excitement, footfall and sales.
a raft of new products and Group Exclusives designed to help sales bloom.
New for 2025 and available to Premier retailers now are KitKat Mini Eggs pouches which offer a maxi-sized minimum POR of 43.3%.
Perfect for scattering in hunts, stirring into bakes or just scoffing alone, mini-sized eggs are one of the fastest growing segments of the Easter market at the moment.
Other new mini-sized egg launches include Crispy M&Ms Choco Eggs –available now in 72g packs with an RSP of £1.69 and a POR of 20.1%.
And who could forget the Terry’s Chocolate Orange Filled Egg? This surefire Easter hit boasts an RSP of 99p and a juicy POR of 39.9%.
In addition to new products, the return of old and much-loved favourites, such as the Malteser Bunny and the classic Cadbury Creme Egg, will also help retailers to get those all-important Easter sales clucking.
Small, self-treat and novelty items such as these are perfect for driving unplanned impulse purchases throughout the season, especially when backed with unmissable multi-buy deals.
ONLY £5!
l Cadbury Crème Egg shell egg 195g
l Cadbury Twirl Egg 198g
l Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations Egg 202g
Fortunately, Premier is here to help, with an egg-cellent range, attention-grabbing promotions and showstopping POS packages to support them in doing just that!
INNOVATIVE IDEAS
New products remain a powerful way to drive growth within the Easter season and Premier has certainly delivered this year, with
As the end of the Easter season approaches, the gifting trend comes into its own, prompting shell egg sales to shine.
As such, Cadbury advises retailers to gear up for a ‘gifting finish’ for the last three weeks before Easter Sunday by ensuring that they are offering a wide range of shell eggs in small, medium, large and giant sizes – as well as other gifting formats.
THE THREE PHASES OF EASTER
Mondelez International recommends that retailers split Easter into three phases:
l Getting off to a fast start (January to Valentine’s Day);
l Building momentum (from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day);
l Gearing up for a ‘gifting finish’ for the last three weeks as the period reaches its finale.
NEW ANTHONYJOSHUAeditionmangopeachade peachade
This Easter, Premier retailers will be able to offer their shoppers unbeatable value with an array of round pound deals on shell eggs and boxed chocolates from bestselling brands for only £2, £3, £4 and £5.
Premier shoppers will also be able to take advantage of a Buy One Get One Free deal on small 110g Milkybar shell eggs.
Traditional medium to large sized eggs remain a firm favourite with shoppers and Premier retailers can offer them all that their hearts and baskets desire with its cracking range of top-sellers from big-name brands including Kit Kat Chunky, Aero Peppermint and Skittles for only £4 each.
And while traditional medium to large sized eggs remain the heartland for seasonal shell egg sales, extra-large and giant eggs
are one of the fastest-growing Easter egg segments across the total market.
In fact, for Mars Wrigley, Extra Large Eggs is the fastest-growing egg format with a 37% value increase and 39% unit increase year on year – with these supersized shells offering shoppers the opportunity of an unforgettable gifting experience.
Helping Premier retailers to get in on the oversized act is the new 216g Snickers Extra Large Chocolate and Peanut Egg which includes two Snickers bars.
Retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers a host of other giant eggs for mini-sized prices, including just £6.99 for Twix White and Maltesers Milk Chocolates Extra Large eggs.
HOME BAKING
With their sweet gooey centres, crispy crunchy exteriors and novel colours and shapes, many Easter confectionery items also double up as ideal toppers for indulgent seasonal desserts and beautiful bakes.
Products such as the classic Cadbury Creme Egg and Cadbury Mini Eggs are perfect for topping traybakes and cakes or mixing into brownies.
In fact, in 2024, Cadbury Mini Eggs sold 11 million more units than the year before, according to Mondelez, as shoppers snapped up the Easter staples to munch alone, and use in and on bakes, cakes and desserts.
If space allows, why not consider dual siting certain seasonal products, such as Cadbury Mini Eggs, within your home baking aisles? Just over 70% of shoppers buy Easter confectionery from a secondary location, so multi-siting clearly does pay!
And of course, sweet treats aren’t the only categories to shine over Easter.
The season is also a time for bakery to shine as stores are lifted by toasty sales of key seasonal lines such as Hot Cross Buns and Simnel Cakes.
Premier retailers can offer their shoppers a tasty choice of two different buns including six-packs of Jack’s Hot Cross Buns for just £1.49 or four-packs of Bakery Select Hot Cross Buns for £1.25 – with both offering PORs of more than 25%.
As with last year, the continued squeeze on household spending is also likely to prompt many families to celebrate the long Easter weekend with meals and sharing occasions at home.
And with more shoppers choosing to buy from their local convenience stores, retailers will have a meaty opportunity to rack up strong sales across other key categories such as fresh, chilled, savoury snacks, BWS and more.
Thankfully the Premier range offers an outstanding array of choice, quality and value across all of these and more.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT CREME OF THE CROP
The Cadbury Creme Egg has been an icon of the season for over half a century, with 3.7 packs sold every second, according to Nielsen ScanTrack data from Mondelez International.
In 2024 the brand expanded its Creme Egg portfolio, launching the Cadbury Creme Egg Tablet, which sold a bumper 4.6 million units nationwide, making it the number one NPD for the entire Easter 2024 season, Mondelez claims.
From stock cubes to stuffing and not forgetting Jack’s Yorkshire Puddings, Premier has everything that a shopper might need to accompany a rip-roaring roast.
In-fact during the NP2 period, Premier shoppers will be able to take advantage of an amazing value deal entitling them to a FREE pack of 12 Jack’s Yorkshire Puddings when they buy a pack of McCain Roast Potatoes.
They can also make the most of an ‘Any 2 for £2’ offer on Jack’s frozen vegetables including Sliced Green Beans, Chunky Vegetable Medley, Mixed Vegetables and more.
So with all that said and done, it’s clear that Premier retailers have all they need to give the Easter Bunny a run for his money and get their Easter sales hopping.
TOP TIPS FOR CRACKING EASTER SALES
l Be sure to have sufficient stock of seasonal self-eat and sharing favourites from well-loved brands.
l Boost shoppers’ awareness of the Easter season by making the most of campaigns, competitions and promotions, highlighting them on social media where possible.
l Use Premier and supplier POS to highlight products and optimise incremental sales. The Premier POS package includes fun footprint and bunny tail floor vinyls to lead shoppers to your Easter displays.
Showstopping!
Booker’s Retail Trade Shows at Sandown and Doncaster showcased its choice, price and service muscle.
Retailers from across the country flocked to the Booker Retail Trade Shows 2025 in their droves – hungry to stock up on the latest news, insights and innovations on offer – and bag a treat or two!
Live at Sandown Racecourse on Thursday 6 March and at Doncaster Racecourse on Thursday 13 March, both shows served up a spectacular spread of Booker’s choice, price
and service offering – and a feast of exclusive Trade Show Only and WOW deals.
Showstopping WOW deals available on the day included ‘Save £8.30’ on 6x4x568ml cases of Stella Artois, ‘Save £6.80’ on 6x4x568ml cases of Budweiser and ‘Save £17.83’ on 4x6x35cl cases of Chekov Vodka.
The shows also armed retailers with bags of advice and solutions on how to ‘Make More and Save More’ in 2025 – highlighting key
NEW PRODUCTS AND GROUP EXCLUSIVES!
Booker’s sterling range of New Products and Group Exclusives were on proud display at the 2025 Retail Trade Shows. Retailers could get up close and personal with an array of new and first to market products guaranteed to give their shelves the edge this year. Did you know that Booker launched more than 40 first to market products in the last 12 months? It also launched more than 40 Group Exclusives.
opportunities, such as Spend and Save, Own brand, In-store Services, In-Post lockers, Coffee Club and much more.
They also provided the perfect platform to showcase Scoot – Booker’s exclusive new home delivery platform and app for its symbol group retailers.
The convenient new service offers retailers the chance generate an estimated £34,000 in additional profit each year (based on weekly app sales of £2,500.)
Retailers were also treated to a showcase of key Booker concepts and new initiatives, including the opportunity to get up close and personal with interactive food-to-go zones. With the food to go market expected to grow to £6bn over the next five years, visitors to these vibrant zones were able to touch, taste and talk about the many footfall- and salesdriving solutions available to their stores, with Trade Show Only deals available on a variety of machines. Did you know that stores with
OWN BRAND OPPORTUNITY:PRODUCTS TO BE PROUD OF
With the cost of living crisis prompting 68% of shoppers to purchase more own label products in convenience stores, visitors to the Own Brand stands were presented with four great-value meal solutions to help shoppers feed their families.
Using only Jack’s and Euroshopper products, solutions on display included a Full English Breakfast for £11.02, a home-cooked Chicken Tikka Masala for £9.03, Spaghetti Bolognese for £7.52 and a Roast Dinner for £10.28.
Each of the quick and simple meal solutions also generated a minimum POR of 25% for retailers.
a good food to go offer can earn an extra £21,000 of profit per year?
Retailers also had a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Booker’s Exclusive own-brand ranges Jack’s and Euroshopper, including Jack’s Top 25 Must Stock Products.
With more than 100 exhibitors from across all the key convenience categories, retailers also enjoyed a rare opportunity to meet and greet a vast range of leading suppliers under one roof – and get a taste of the new products promising to sweeten their shelves and sales in 2025.
Retailers could also enjoy a range of cookery demonstrations and the chance to fuel up on delicious-freshly cooked samples as they walked the halls.
And of course, with ample seating, great views and food and drinks aplenty, both shows also provided the perfect place for retailers to meet, greet and exchange ideas with each other – as well as key Booker team members.
RETAILER VIEW
“This is the first time I’ve been to one of the Booker Retail Trade Shows and I’m blown away. There’s so much to see and do and so many fantastic new products and services to learn about. There are also so many great promotions and Trade Show Only Deals to take advantage of – not to mention all the samples!”
SUVANTHA ANEESAN
Premier Fourteen Locks, Newport
What a corker!
PREMIER WINE FESTIVAL
30 APRIL – 20 MAY
l Mega Deals
l New products
l Group Exclusives
l Great value sparkling brands
l Flavours to suit all palettes
The Premier Wine Festival is back with a barrel-load of opportunities for retailers to enjoy grape sales this summer.
Wine has long since been a powerful driver of footfall, sales and profits – and especially at this time of year, as shoppers toast the return of warmer weather and the stellar Premier Wine Festival.
Running from 30 April to 20 May, the Premier Wine Festival will once again provide retailers with an outstanding opportunity to uncork additional footfall and sales.
This year’s Wine Festival has been carefully curated to offer retailers and their shoppers an irresistible mix of deals, and everyday low prices, on top-selling wine brands from around the world.
Deals cover all key price brackets and respond to the key consumer trends that are set to fire up sales this summer.
The Festival also stars a number of new products, including wines
from famous faces – and Booker Group Exclusives from big-name brands, such as Canti, which has recently launched new Pinot Grigio Rosé and classic Pinot Grigio variants.
FAMOUS FACES
Celebrity wines continue to cause a stir with shoppers and this year Premier retailers will certainly be able to make a splash – offering wines from a range of famous faces such as Graham Norton and Kylie Minogue.
The Premier Wine Festival includes a red-hot deal on Graham Norton Sauvignon Blanc for just £8.99 a bottle – down from £10.49. Shoppers can also enjoy a taste of Kylie’s Rosé for the same promotional RSP of £8.99.
The latest celebrity launch to hit the convenience aisles comes
TOP TIP!
Give country of origin space relative to sales to maximise your range. For example, Australia has a 24.1% share of sales but only an 11% share of space in the impulse, market according to NIQ data.
from Dolly Wines – the new wine collection from global superstar Dolly Parton created in partnership with Accolade.
The Premier range includes Dolly’s Rosé and Prosecco – with an outstanding deal available on Dolly Rosé this Wine Festival.
SWEET PICKINGS
When it comes to flavour trends, wines with sweeter taste profiles continue to be the pick of the bunch with shoppers.
This trend lends itself perfectly to Australian and South African wines, so it’s a good idea for retailers to have a good core Australian and South African offering across each of the price brackets.
The Premier range includes a great selection of both Australian and South African wines, with some especially sweet deals to come this Wine Festival. Premier retailers will be able to offer their shoppers an outstanding ‘Any 3 for £20’ deal on the South African Secretary Bird brand. The offer will apply to Secretary Bird Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Rosé. Scottish retailers will be able to offer all of the above for just £6.67. And that’s by no means, all. This Wine Festival, Premier retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers ‘Any 2 for £13’ on South Africa’s Quirky Bird brand, including Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Shiraz. Scottish retailers will be able to sell 75cl bottles for a special RSP of just £6.50.
Can do!
Marvellous merchandising
l Have at least two or three facings of your bestselling wines.
l Support promotions with displays in prominent sites in your store like gondola ends (subject to licensing restrictions).
l Chill all white and rosé wines where possible.
l Make use of all the Wine Festival POS available.
MUST STOCKS!
The top 10 brands – Isla Negra, I heart, Hardy’s, Barefoot, Casillero, Yellow Tail, Trivento, Jam Shed, Blossom Hill and 19 Crimes – represent a 43% value share of the category so make sure you allocate enough space on your shelves to them!
NEW! DOLLY ROSÉ
Case size: 6x75cl
Wine Festival Deal: £8.99
POR: 24.5%
FAST FACT: FRENCH ROSÉ WINE IS IN GROWTH AS ARE CELEBRITY-ENDORSED WINES, MEANING THAT THIS NEW LAUNCH FROM GLOBAL SUPERSTAR DOLLY PARTON IS SURE TO BE A SMASH HIT WITH SHOPPERS THIS SUMMER.
BOOKER GROUP EXCLUSIVE!
CANTI PINOT GRIGIO ROSÉ
Case size: 6x75cl
Wine Festival Deal: £7.49
POR: 22.6%
19 CRIMES MALBEC
Case size: 6x75cl
Wine Festival Deal: £8.49
POR: 16.4%
FAST FACT: MALBEC SALES ARE IN GROWTH, MEANING THAT THIS NEW LAUNCH FROM THE TOP-SELLING 19 CRIMES BRAND SHOULD HIT THE SPOT WITH SHOPPERS.
MEGA DEALS!
The Premier Wine Festival will include Mega Deals across the top-selling 19 Crimes brand, including the new Malbec variant and on Wairau Cove Sauvignon Blanc.
19 CRIMES RED
Case size: 6x75cl
Shopper deal: £8.49
POR: 16.4%
19 CRIMES ROSÉ
Case size: 6x75cl
Shopper deal: £8.49
POR: 16.4%
WINE: TOP TIPS
l Having the right range will drive more sales than simply having a big range.
l Delist lines that aren’t working to make space for big sellers.
l Focus on the brands that sell.
l Offer a solid range across the key price points.
l Follow the RSPs.
l Sweeter wines are on trend, so try to reflect this in your range. Australian wines are a great option.
19 CRIMES SAUVIGNON BLOCK
Case size: 6x75cl
Shopper deal: £8.49
POR: 16.4%
KIWI WINES WINNING
With their crisp and intense fruit flavours, wines from New Zealand are also becoming increasingly popular with UK shoppers. In fact, New Zealand wines enjoyed especially merry sales over the 2024 festive period, with New Zealand white the country-of-origin leader in the Still White Wine category in the four weeks to 28 December 2024 – with value growth up 7.3% and volume growth up 9.7% compared to the same period last year. The Premier Wine Festival includes a number of corking deals on New Zealand wines including a Mega Deal on Wairau Cove Sauvignon Blanc.
BUBBLING UP
Sales of sparkling wines always tend to enjoy an added lift in the summer months as shoppers make the most of the warmer weather – prompting a rise in outdoor celebrations and get-togethers.
The Premier range includes a spectacular
WAIRAU COVE SAUVIGNON BLANC
Case size: 6x75cl
RSP: £8.49
POR: 16.4%
array of sparkling wines – with some truly sparkling deals available across the price sectors.
Shoppers will be able to make the most of a truly amazing value deal on Plaza Centro Prosecco Rosé and Prosecco DOC for just £7.99 a bottle during the Premier Wine Festival.
Look out also for I heart Prosecco and I heart Prosecco Rosé – both of which will be on offer to shoppers for just £9.49, delivering a POR of 22% for retailers.
Fizztastic deals on Freixenet will also be available including Freixenet Prosecco DOC and Freixenet Italian Sparkling Rosé for just £11.99 a bottle, offering retailers a POR of 21.6%.
And remember – cans count too. The Premier Wine Festival also includes an ‘Any 2 for £6’ deal on 20cl cans of Canti Prosecco and Prosecco Rosé. Scottish retailers can offer the cans for £3.00 each.
New Products
MAGNUM UTOPIA DOUBLE CHERRY AND DOUBLE HAZELNUT FLAVOURS
Case Size: 10x3x85ml
WSP: £18.90
GOLD BILLIONS
Case Size: 24x39.5g
WSP: £7.99
RSP: ‘Any 2 for £1’
RSP: £4.79
POR:20%
POR: 20.1%
HARIBO NOSTALGIX
Case Size:12x140g
WSP: £6.35
RSP: ‘Any 2 for £1.50’
POR: 15.3%
SFC CHICKEN BONELESS BOX
Case Size: 6x500g
WSP: £15.69
RSP: £3.75
POR: 30.3%
SFC CHICKEN CHICKEN NUGGETS
Case Size: 14x170g
WSP: £10.29
RSP: £1.00
POR: 26.5 %
Cocoa
New Products
RED BULL ZERO
Case Size:12x250ml
WSP: £7.29
RSP: £1.00
POR: 27.1%
SOMERSET VALLEY STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
Case size: 6x3x90g
WSP: £8.99
RSP: £1.99
POR: 24.7%
CELSIUS DRINKS PEACH VIBE
Case size: 12x355ml
WSP: £10.99
RSP: £1.79
POR: 38.6%
CELSIUS DRINKS SUNSET VIBE
Case size: 12x355ml
WSP: £10.99
RSP: £1.79
POR: 38.6%
New Products
KIT KAT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE
Case size:15x90g
WSP: £10.69
RSP: ‘Any 2 for £2’ / £1.50
POR: 14.5%
KIT KAT SALTED CARAMEL
Case size:15x90g
WSP: £10.69
RSP: ‘Any 2 for £2’ / £1.50
POR: 14.5%
BOOKER GROUP EXCLUSIVE REESE’S DIPPED PEANUTS
Case size: 16x69g
WSP: £10.65
RSP: ‘2 for £2’ / £1.35
POR: 20.1%
WESTONS 1880 VINTAGE
Case size:8x 500ml
WSP: £11.99
RSP:EWI ‘Any 2 for £5.50’ SC £2.75 POR: 34.6%
DORITOS DINAMITA EXTRA FLAMIN’ HOT
Case size: 20x65g
WSP: £13.65
RSP: ‘Any 2 for £2’
POR: 31.8%
INCHS CLOUDY APPLE CIDER
Case size: 6x4x440ml
WSP: £17.39
RSP: £5.00
POR: 30.4%
MONSTER RIO PUNCH
Case size: 12x500ml
WSP: £9.34
RSP: ‘Any 2 for £3’ POR: 37.7%
Serving suggestion.
†Source of vitamin D. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are recommended for good health.
*(CIRCANA
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CRAFTED FOR COFFEE
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*(CIRCANA ALL OUTLETS W/E 28/12/24)
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BetterService
IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE
Products to be proud of
Help shoppers save time and money with simple and delicious meal solutions from the great quality and value Jack’s and Euro Shopper brands.
RETAILER
VIEW
VINOJAN SUBRAMANIAM Premier Gunville, Isle of Wight
“Because of our location, we get a lot of basket and top up shoppers. Fresh produce, meats, deli items and ready meals are all doing well and Jack’s is driving that. The Jack’s meal deals are also especially popular. ‘Any 2 for £7 on pizzas and ‘Any 2 for £6 on ready meals is a winning mechanic. Shoppers around here are quite value conscious so it’s key that we give it to them.”
With the cost-of-living crisis still squeezing shoppers’ finances, the need for stores to offer their shoppers trusted, value for money solutions really has never been so important.
And it’s especially important for busy families with lots of mouths to feed. These shoppers are on the lookout for quick, simple, crowd-pleasing meal solutions that won’t break the bank and taste great too.
Fortunately, Booker’s exclusive own label Jack’s brand is here to help, with a vast range of quality pricemarked products available across all the key convenience sectors; including fresh, chilled,
grocery, frozen and more.
This vast range of choice means that shoppers have everything at hand to cook up quick, simple and tasty meals in minutes.
Why not check out our four Simple Recipe Ideas for your shoppers below? All four family favourites use products from the Jack’s and Euro Shopper brands - with each delivering a pocket-friendly cost per serving of less than £3.
And the best bit - all Jack’s products deliver meaty margins for retailers too. In-fact, all four of the simple recipe ideas listed below offer PORs of 25% and up, with most delivering more than 30%.
SIMPLE RECIPE IDEA:
FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST
FEED THE FAMILY FOR £11.02
Shopper 6 Barn Eggs
Unsmoked Back Bacon
6 Traditional Pork Sausages
Hash Browns
SIMPLE RECIPE IDEA:
CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
61% of items typically bought from convenience stores are food items for home. The cost-ofliving crisis has made 68% of shoppers purchase more own label ranges at convenience stores.
£70.7M Sales
SIMPLE RECIPE IDEA:
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
FEED THE FAMILY FOR: £7.52 COST PER SERVING: £1.88
RETAILER POR: 25.1%
Jack’s Beef Mince
Jack’s 2 Roasted Garlic & Herb Flatbreads
Bolognese Sauce
Spaghetti
SIMPLE
RECIPE IDEA:
ROAST CHICKEN DINNER
FEED THE FAMILY FOR: £10.28 COST PER SERVING: £2.57
RETAILER POR: 26%
Jack’s British Large Whole Chicken
Sage & Onion Stuffing
Roast Potatoes
Broccoli Florets
Baby Carrots
RETAILER VIEW
NADARASA RAMAKRISHN
Premier Kenfig Hill Superstore, Bridgend
“Chilled food is a huge driver of sales. The Jack’s ready meals are a big hit with shoppers, especially when they see the ‘2 for’ deals. Shoppers are also buying fresh meat and fish products to scratch cook at home. Jack’s Chicken Breasts are a very fast seller. They are so versatile, and the quality and price is great.
Produce is another strong seller and thanks to Jack’s we’ve got it all - from apples to strawberries, tomatoes to lettuce and more. Shoppers can do a full shop in our store, we’re so much more than a top-up solution.”
TOP OF THE STOCKS: JACK’S TOP 25 MUST STOCK PRODUCTS
Jack’s products play a starring role across all the key convenience categories - and especially in fresh produce, chilled, ambient and household; so be sure to stock up on all of the ‘Top 25’ and make the most of the sizeable opportunity that own brand products serve up.
FRUIT & VEG
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NO.1 SPARKLING BRAND IN SYMBOLS AND INDEPENDENTS
Offer subject to availability from 1st April to 2nd May 2025.
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This material is restricted to those who are involved in the business of the sale and distribution of tobacco who are aged 18 or over. This material should not be made available to the public or sent to anyone else. IQOS is not risk free and is for adult use only.
BetterService
IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE
CMA Pricing Practices Update
The Competition and Markets Authority recently completed an investigation into pricing practices and has issued official correspondence to independent retailers.
You may have seen recent press coverage about consumer pricing in symbol and convenience stores. This is a result of an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) working alongside Trading Standards.
The CMA found a number of examples of poor and misleading pricing in some symbol/convenience stores. No stores were named but the CMA is clearly concerned and are expecting Trading Standards to take particular interest in the way pricing is displayed and communicated to shoppers.
We need to let you know about this because the CMA have the power to issue fines and in the worst cases bring criminal prosecutions. Trading Standards also has wide ranging powers to issue fines.
We very much want you as our retailers to be up to speed and not accidentally running into problems like that.
We would please request that you, as the business owner, read the guidance on the following pages.
It is really important that you ensure that all of your staff and colleagues in your business also see it, read it and understand it and that new staff are fully trained. It’s very likely that the CMA will come back to this subject in a few months to see if things have improved.
Part of the strength of the Premier brand is the great standard of instore operations by retailers.
We thank you for reading this and taking action where it might be needed.
You must clearly display the total selling price in writing. It should be obvious to your customers what the price is, without them having to get help from a member of staff. Prices should: be clearly displayed; be easy to read; be close to the relevant product; and match what the customer is charged at the till.
Do
Do
James Lowman outlines the key findings of the ACS’ latest Crime Report.
There were over 6.2 million incidents of shop theft in the last year, an increase of 600,000
Calling time on crime
As crime figures spike, the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill is an opportunity to reset the retail crime narrative, says ACS.
Every year, we release figures on the scale of crime that retailers face, going into detail on areas like shop theft, violence, abuse, fraud, and the difficulties that retailers have when reporting crime to the police.
These figures provide a benchmark for the Government, Police and Crime Commissioners, and local decision makers to understand what needs to be done to make a positive difference in communities.
Our latest Crime Report outlines the most challenging picture that we have ever seen when it comes to retail crime. Over the last year, we estimate that there were over 6.2 million incidents of shop theft, an increase of 600,000 on the previous year, and 10 times the amount of theft offences that end up being recorded by the police.
Other figures provide equally concerning
reading – there were 1.2 million incidents of verbal abuse and over 59,000 incidents of violence in 2024, with 44% of these being hate-motivated. While these numbers might be shocking, it is unfortunately a window into the reality that retailers face every day.
Where in previous years we may have been focused mainly on describing the scale of the problem to Government, we now need to do more. The Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently moving through Parliament, aims to put in place a series of additional powers and protections to support retailers and their colleagues, and we believe that the introduction of the Bill is a genuine opportunity to reset the narrative on retail crime. We must send a clear message that theft, abuse and violence committed against local shops will not be tolerated, and that prolific offenders will be brought to justice.
Retailers themselves are already starting to
fight back. Last year, there were investments of over £265m in crime prevention measures as we saw retailers prioritise investing in technology and equipment such as CCTV that can be remotely monitored and shared with police, and radio headsets that ensure staff connectivity.
We saw retailers train staff on how to use this equipment, and how to react and protect themselves and customers when crimes take place. We also saw retailers invest in systems that made cash handling and dealing with customers safer.
Our Crime Report brings all of this together alongside case studies with retailers outlining strategies that actually work in communities to reduce the impact of crime.
You can read the report and our factsheets on reducing and reporting crime on our website at ACS.org.uk.
