Talking Shop December 2019

Talking Shop ISSUE 104 – December 2019

The magazine for Premier retailers

PLUS

Sweet cash

Keeping it simple The key to building a 15-strong chain of Premier stores? Keep it simple...

More cash profit from Happy Shopper confectionery

Value January

New promotions to drive sales in 2020

Better pricing

Improved pricing on bread, beer and tobacco.

MICHELOB ULTRA & BUD LIGHT MAKE UP 21% OF THE NO AND LOW ALCOHOL SEGMENT*

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*Source: Nielsen Scantra

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NEW

12X660ML - M253924

ak (MAT w/e 10.08.19) | Total off-trade

4X6X275ML - M220235

©2019 AB InBev UK Limited. All rights reserved.

Talking Shop | December 2019

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE 104 Decem

ber 2019

A very warm and festive welcome

The magazine

to the final issue of Talking Shop

for Premier retai

lers

for 2019. It’s been a good year for Premier as we marked our historic 25th birthday with a huge array of promotions as well as sales and footfall-driving activities that have helped Premier retailers add to their bottom line.

Now it’s almost time to get started on what I’m sure will be a hugely successful 2020 – but before that, there’s the not insignificant matter of Christmas and New Year.

Once again we have an excellent programme of activity, promotions and exclusive packs to help you make the very best of the festive period.

When 2020 does roll around and after the big spending of Christmas, it’s likely that your shoppers will be more focused on value than ever. That’s why we have yet more initiatives and promotions in place including a new ‘all this for £5’ tea, coffee and biscuits deal and another additional alcohol leaflet. You can read more about these inside and how they’ll help you deliver both value for shoppers and sales for your store.

One article that’s worthy of merit is a very informative piece on Assistance Dogs. Did you know that over 7,000

Keeping it simple

The key to bui of Premier storlding a 15-strong chain es? Keep it sim ple...

TS December.indd

PLUS

Sweet cash

More cas from Happy h profit Shoppe confectioneryr

Value January New promotion drive sales in s to 2020

Better pricing

Improve bread, beer d pricing on and tobacc o.

69

11/12/2019 17:18:27

COVER STORY Keeping it simple is the key to success.

THE THREE BIG STORIES 28 January value

It will be all about value for shoppers in early 2020.

39 Sweet changes

The Happy Shopper confectionery range revamped to grow sales.

49 Assistance Dogs

How to identify and welcome Assistance Dogs.

shoppers in the UK rely on Assistance Dogs and making them welcome in our stores is something we should all be aiming for. Find out how you can identify these shoppers and their specific needs inside.

I wish you all fantastic festive trading!

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director Premier

4 TalkingShop

December 2019

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.

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

39

Relaunched confectionery

Amazing Value

Ess ent ial s

only

£1.09 £1

£1.75

£1.99

Wash

52 Pack

only

only

PM £2 15 Pack

any 3 for

£1

24 each

any 3 for

£1

each

offer ends: 18/02/20

£1

only

£1

£1

only

only

£1.19

£1.75

each

each

any 3 for

£1.50

only

£2

Offers available 08/01/20 to 28/01/20

any 2 for

£1

Back from £2.19 PM 50p as stocked 82.5g/150g Varieties as stocked 3’s/70g/80g theVarieties ashes

any 2 for

1

only

£2

Incl. Wholemeal/5050 Thick/Medium 800g

only

1

CHILLED AND FROZEN

£1.29/£1.45 169g

£2.99

75p/85p

Varieties as stocked 360ml

Single

£2.70 4 Pack

75p/79p/82p

Varieties as stocked Stick

only

only

£2.25

45

£1.25

each

PM £2.65 80’s

better than

only

half price

£5.25

£2

each £4.99/£5.45

9 Rolls

4x500ml

12

better than

o

£3.50

COFFEE, TEA & 2 PACKS OF BISCUITS

£1

each

Pack

ALL THIS FOR £5

only

£1

Incl. PM £1.65

o

£

e £

any 2 for

£1.50

Ones To Watch

only

£1 each

£1.39

45g

Varieties as stocked 500ml

0p

only

£2 each

2 for

£1

better than

half price

1L

any 2 for

£1

28 any 3 for

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60p

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SAVE £4.22

Driving value in January

Varieties as stocked 80g

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PM £1.69

60g

07 Booker and Premier winners again

22 Flying start PROUD TO SERVE A retailer

89p

45 Wash

1.5L

Both Booker and Premier have added yet more awards to their collection.

46 Ones To Watch

in Inverkeithing gets off to

LIC Leaflet.indd 1-3

08 Anita and Justin steal the show Premier retailers put up another fine

@MyLocalPremier

www.premier-stores.co.uk

each £1.89

only

shelves.

PROUD TO SERVE

49 Assistance dogs C0/M0/Y0/K70

C60/M0/Y40/K20

Our local commu

A practical guide to welcoming

disaster into opportunity.

assistance dogs in your store.

52 GDPR and you

show at the Asian Trader and IAA

In the wake of Christmas, January

Did you know that if you use CCTV

Awards.

will be all about value for shoppers.

to prevent or detect crime you

13 Premier store worker scoops £105m!

33 Better pricing, bigger profits

A store worker from a Premier in

Improved pricing on bread, beer

Chichester wins big with the Lottery.

and tobacco drives profits.

16 Success is simple

The relaunch of the Happy Shopper

simple for this multisite Premier

confectionery range generates

retailer.

extra cash profit for retailers.

18 University challenge

must register with the ICO?

39 Sweet idea

The key to success is keeping it

43 Christmas essentials

A look inside one of 60 Premier

Great deals on those all important

stores managed by global catering

Christmas essentials help squeeze

firm Aramark.

out every festive penny of profit.

e £

£6

Gateshead retailing family turns

28 January value

£4

Some of the latest NPD to hit the

nity Our local commu an unexpectedly busy start.

24 Rising from the ashes

half price

£10

60p

Single

offer ends: 18/02/20

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33

Better pricing, bigger profits December 2019 TalkingShop

5

PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Thank you for helping us win at the HIM Awards!

Booker was the star of the show at the recent HIM Wholesale Awards 2019, winning half of all the awards on offer, including the top award – and it’s all thanks to Booker customers! The awards are decided using HIM’s annual Wholesale Tracking Programme which consists of over 4,000 interviews with retailers and foodservice operators.

Booker collected the following awards: l Best National Wholesaler for Overall Customer Satisfaction l Customers’ Favourite Delivered Wholesaler l Customers’ Favourite Wholesaler for Exceptional Staff and Service Charles Wilson, CEO, said: “It is a privilege to serve our retailers.

For them to vote us the best wholesaler in three awards is a huge honour. Many thanks to all retailers for their business and votes.”

HIM judges commented: “Helpful and friendly staff, speed of service, range and ease of depot layout are just some of the KPIs Booker received high scores from their customers for.”

Rebecca Mallows, HR Director, said: “Customer satisfaction is at the heart of everything that we do at Booker and I’m sure our colleagues will be overjoyed to have won this award. It is particularly special as it is voted for by customers.” Andrew Muldoon, Group

THANK YOU: Andrew Muldoon, Rebecca Mallows and Charles Wilson offer their thanks.

Operations Director, added: “This is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates that our customers appreciate the extra time, care and effort of our team. Thank you to all of our customers!”

Premier secures gold at FWD Awards The exceptional standards set by Premier retailers over the last year have been rewarded with Brand Director Martyn Parkinson collecting the Customer Business Development Award at the recent Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) Awards.

The Awards celebrate excellence in the wholesale channel and the award is a fantastic reflection of another outstanding year from Premier retailers.

Martyn told Talking Shop: “A massive thank you and congratulations to every Premier retailer on helping us secure this very special award. I am particularly pleased to receive this award this year, given that Premier is currently celebrating its 25th

anniversary. Premier retailers have worked unbelievably hard over the year to make our 25th anniversary extra special for their shoppers.”

And the good news didn’t end there on the night. Booker was also named Green Wholesaler of the Year in recognition of continued reduction of carbon emissions, switching to LED lighting and redistribution of surplus food to charities.

Booker Sustainability Manager Catherine Marston, who collected the award, told Talking Shop: “We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously. I’m delighted to accept this FWD Award on behalf of the whole Booker team.”

December 2019 TalkingShop

7

NEWS

Anita does it again at Asian Trader Awards!

Premier retailer Anita Nye has added yet another community award to her collection for the outstanding work she consistently does for her local community.

It was another successful night for Premier retailer Anita Nye of Premier Eldred Drive Stores in Orpington recently as she added yet another award for the amazing work she does in her local community.

Anita has already collected countless community awards over the years and this time was recognised at The 30th Asian Trader Awards for being “at the heart of her community and putting the customer at the centre of everything she does”.

The judges were simply blown away by Anita’s passion and commitment, stating: “Our winner encourages healthy eating with an innovative loyalty scheme, offers credit to those in hard times and regularly donates to local food banks and other good causes.”

The judges were extremely impressed to learn that Anita’s loyalty card scheme is exceptionally popular as it not only gives

generous money-off discounts but also encourages local children to eat healthily.

Anita told Talking Shop: “We’re always pleased to win community awards because that’s really what our store is all about. We wouldn’t have a store without our amazing shoppers and we’re totally committed to doing all that we can to support our community.

“We don’t do it to win awards, although it’s always a lovely surprise when we do.

We do it because we’ve grown very close to our community over decades of serving them and we’re now serving the grandkids of the shoppers we used to serve all those years ago.

“We feel it’s only right that we do what we can to support the community that has done so much to support us over the decades we’ve been here”.

COMMUNITY QUEEN: Anita Nye adds another award.

Justin engages with even more success!

Also celebrating at the recent Asian Trader Awards was Royton Premier retailer Justin Whittaker who picked up the Food To Go Award. Justin, who owns MJs Premier, was praised by the judges for “identifying that whilst his food-to-go offer was great for breakfast and dinner, from 4pm the store was quiet. So he introduced a desserts bar to offer something that would appeal to the younger generation – waffles, crepes and premium ice cream! Backed by a Facebook ordering page, the evening is now the busiest time of day.

The Asian Trader Award will sit nicely beside the Digital Engagement Award that Justin also won, this time at the Independent Achievers Academy 2019. The judges praised Justin for “using digital tools strategically and really thinking about how they drive sales. He has developed his own app and has put ease of use at the forefront, with just three clicks to pay. He’s imaginative with social media and incorporates the app in all posts. One gin offer on Facebook resulted in £3,000 worth of sales in just one day”.

Justin said: “Food to go and digital engagement are just so important in independent retailing these days, so I’m delighted for the whole team that our creativity and hard work have been recognised.”

8 TalkingShop

December 2019

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

Quality shines through The quality of Booker’s own brand ranges has once again been recognised at this year’s Quality Food Awards.

The great quality of Booker’s own brand ranges has been once again recognised with a long list of product awards at this year’s Quality Food & Drink Awards.

The prestigious awards attract hundreds of entries and only those of the very highest quality are chosen by an expert panel as winners. Particularly pleasing was the fact that the Euro Shopper Mild White Cheese picked up the ultimate Gold Q Value award. This year’s winners were: l Desserts & Puddings: Booker Classic Almond Ice Cream l Vegan/Vegetarian: Discover the Choice Spicy Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry with Pilau Rice l Chocolate & Confectionery: Euro Shopper Hazelnut Milk Chocolate l Biscuits & Snacks: Euro Shopper Jaffa Cakes l Store Cupboard: Euro Shopper Beans l Cold Beverages: Euro Shopper Strawberry Protein Shake l Value – Cheese: Euro Shopper Mild White Cheese l Gold Q Value: Euro Shopper Mild White Cheese The judges comments for the Spicy Chickpea Curry included “Good taste, chilli kick and bite to the veg, great value too,” while the Gold Q Value Winner, the Euro Shopper Mild White Cheese, was praised as being “very tasty” and “deliveing more flavour than expected” with a “strong price point”.

INBRIEF SHOPPERS ‘INFLUENCED BY ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES’

New research from Kantar has discovered that the majority of shoppers – 77% – have switched, avoided or completely boycotted certain products or would consider doing so in the future- because of the brands’ environmental and sustainability policies.

Of the 1,200 UK consumers surveyed, the youngest age group (16-24 year-olds) was most likely to act based on a brand’s environmental credentials. Some 87% said

Booker rewarded for Butchery Training Programme

they have already switched brands or might do so.

The figure for millennials (25-34-year-olds) is 40% while only 9% of those aged 55-65+ say they had avoided a brand because of perceived poor environmental credentials.

That same group however was also the most likely to switch or boycott brands in the future (46%).

Mark Chamberlain, MD of Brand, Kantar UK said: “Responsible living is being

Booker has won the prestigious IGD John Sainsbury’s Learning and Development Award for its Butchery Training Programme.

The programme was first introduced in 2008 to ensure a long term stream of fully qualified, well trained staff

for the company’s Butchery departments.

The success of this programme has been recognised by the judges. Stuart Comer, Head of Group Technical & Digital Learning at Sainsbury’s, and sponsor said: “Booker

has clearly demonstrated that responding to significant challenges in the market does not necessarily require innovative, high-tech solutions – it simply means building on strengths and finding ways to do the things you do well, even better!”

driven by cross-generational groups of ‘woke’ consumers that look towards inspiring brand heroes as change leaders. Governments and organisations are being forced to listen.”

December 2019 TalkingShop

9

RED BULL CHILLERS

SLIM COUNTER TOP COOLER PERFECT PLACEMENT

This cooler should be placed on the counter top at the cashier in smaller format convenience stores. This unit holds 12 cans, yet takes up very little space.

MEGA SLIM COOLER PERFECT PLACEMENT

This slim glass door cooler will tuck neatly in to the fast lane of any store where space is an issue.

TO QUALIFY FOR A RED BULL COOLER YOU MUST STOCK AS A MINIMUM RED BULL’S CORE 4 SKUS; 250ML ENERGY, 250ML SUGARFREE, 355ML ENERGY, 355ML SUGARFREE. RED BULL’S COOLER TERMS AND CONDITIONS MUST BE SIGNED AS PART OF THE HIRE AGREEMENT.

SOURCE: 1 INSTINCT LABORATORY CONVENIENCE STORE STUDY; 2 IRI VALUE PER LITRE TOTAL MARKET 2019, 3 NATIONAL CONVENIENCE LOCATION STUDIES - RB UK.

SEE YOUR SALES FLY WITH A RED BULL CHILLER. 00:02:13 AVERAGE TIME SPENT

Half of the shopper’s time in store is spent at the cashier1

30%

30% of Sports & Energy purchases are unplanned2

+37%

Placing a cooler at the cashier in your store could grow sales of the SKUs included by +37%3

For more information and to order your Red Bull chiller, contact chris.watts@redbull.com

CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Premier worker wins £105m!

INBRIEF REMEMBRANCE DAY ‘POPPY WALL’ RETURNS TO ELDRED DRIVE STORES

Orpington community retailing star Anita Nye of Premier

Lenka Thomson who worked in Premier East Beach Stores in Chichester has won £105m, the ninth-biggest jackpot ever paid out by the National Lottery!

A member of the team at Premier East Beach Stores in Chichester has become the ninth-biggest winner in the history of the National Lottery.

Lenka Thomson and her husband Steve scooped an enormous £105m in a recent EuroMillions jackpot win.

Mrs Hinal Patel who owns Premier East Beach Stores told Talking Shop: “Lenka had

been with me at the store for over six years and was a wonderful worker and wonderful person.

It honestly couldn’t have happened to a nicer family. They are so down-to-earth and she was such a reliable, loyal member of the team that I’m absolutely delighted for her.”

Lenka’s husband Steve had bought the winning ticket in the store next door.

Eldred Drive Stores once again installed a fantastic ‘poppy wall’ to commemorate Remembrance Day. The special day marks the day the First World War ended and Anita’s thoughtful and creative installation in the store saw shoppers bring poppies into the store to be mounted on the poppy wall. Anita said: “We mounted a camouflage net on the wall and shoppers were invited on social media

Newbridge store adds defibrillator Premier Greenfield Stores in Newbridge, Caerphilly has recently had a new lifesaving defibrillator fitted outside the store following a hugely successful fundraising campaign in the local community.

The campaign, known as Jack’s Appeal, was organised in memory of 15-year-old Jack Thomas who died suddenly of an undetected heart problem in 2012.

The new defibrillator marks another step towards ensuring the area is as “heart safe” as possible.

to bring their poppies to be added to the wall. We’ve had poppies from far and wide once more, some of them even knitted by shoppers!”

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

December 2019 TalkingShop

11

IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Shoppers continue to ‘buy more less often’

INBRIEF GROCERYAID RELEASE MARTIN’S STORY

New insight from the Retail Data Partnership shows that basket spend is on the rise in convenience stores as shoppers buy more but visit stores less often.

That latest insight from Epos provider and insight specialist the Retail Data Partnership (RDP) has shown that the average basket spend in convenience stores in October grew by 4.9% over October 2018 to hit £6.55, helping generate a 1.2% increase in turnover.

The data comes from almost 4,500 ShopMate tills in stores across the UK and highlights how shoppers are spending more on each visit but are visiting less often. Average store footfall fell

by 3.6% in the same month.

RDP believes the spend was helped by Halloween, the launch of Christmas confectionery lines and England reaching the Rugby World Cup final.

The categories that benefited most included roll-your-own tobacco (up almost 10%), spirits (up 4.8%), chocolate confectionery (up 4.2%) and beer and wine (both up 3.6%).

Basket spend increased the most in London and the south east (+6%) and the east of England (+5.6%).

Recent findings by mental health charity Mind show one in five workers take a day off due to stress, yet 95% cite a different reason to their employer. This suggests people are still reticent to talk about mental health issues.

To highlight this, industry charity GroceryAid has released its latest film, Martin’s story. Following the loss of his father and a stressful period at work, Martin’s mental wellbeing deteriorated. He

BRC Parking Toolkit to ‘boost footfall’

left work and suffered a

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has in persuading councils to make high streets and launched a Parking Toolkit which provides town centres easier to get to for shoppers.

Dominic Curran, Property Policy Advisor retailers with the tools to help reduce parking charges in their area. A factor limiting growth at the BRC, said: “With parking charges for many stores is the ease with which shoppers generating almost £1bn, it means there are nearly a billion reasons preventing shoppers can access high streets and town centres.

The BRC Parking Toolkit provides a visiting the high street. Difficulties and costs framework for positive action that can be used associated with parking are a major deterrent to shoppers reaching high streets and by local retailers, a forum for retailers town centres across the country. to come together to have the BRC “The BRC Parking Toolkit gives lobby councils on their behalf and the every retailer the tools to fight for resources necessary for retailers to Tackling lower parking charges, and for the make the strongest possible case for the Parking Challenge: resulting boosts in footfall and parking charge reform. spending.”

‘Tackling the Parking Challenge: Visit brc.org.uk for more A Practical Guide to Boost Store information or to find out how to get Turnover’ provides a step-by-step a copy of the guide. guide for local store managers to use

Martin reached out to

a practical guide to boost store turnover

breakdown.

After learning of GroceryAid, the charity and received counselling and support which gave him the ability to make a full recovery. You can view the film at www.groceryaid.org.uk Contact the GroceryAid Helpline free on 08088 021122.

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

December 2019 TalkingShop

13

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with the UK’s No.1 Toilet tissue brand

Now Even Softer

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Bedford | STORE PROFILE

success The simple route to

Retailer Seelan Thambirajah has built a 15-strong group of Premier stores by ‘keeping it simple’ and delivering what today’s shoppers want.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS: Seelan (right) and some of his team.

F

or fast-growing multisite retailer Seelan Thambirajah, the secret to success in the independent retailing channel is pretty straightforward. Having recently added his 15th Premier store to the group he runs, he modestly sees success as a question of getting the basics right, as he explains: “Our strategy is a simple one: we offer a personal, professional service and make sure our stores provide the widest possible range of community-based essential products and services. We aim for a bright, clean, friendly retail store environment with a clear focus on value for money and customer service.”

On top of that, he works hard with his team to “ensure that we always exceed our shoppers’ expectations on every shopping occasion”.

As philosophies go, it’s hard to fault – and judging by Seelan’s continued growth and success, it’s a philosophy that is paying handsome dividends. His 15 stores are spread across Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and, now, Bedfordshire and he employs over 60 people.

The latest store to join his group is Premier Gostwick Road in Bedford, a mile or so from the high street.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Gostwick Road Convenience Store, Bedford Retailer: Seelan Thambirajah Stores in group: 15 Time with Premier: 2.5 years Size: 1,800sq ft Staff: 9 Services: licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, food to go, coffee, ATM, slush Nearest competition: Costcutter 1/3 of a mile away; Morrisons 1 mile away Trading hours: 7am-9pm Mon to Sat; 8am-7pm Sun December 2019 TalkingShop

15

STORE PROFILE | Bedford

“I always look for stores with the potential to grow,” says Seelan. “In the case of Gostwick Road, I could see a lot of scope for growth as the previous owners had basically let it slowly crumble through lack of investment and passion. So we bought it in March last year, closed it for three weeks to allow us to carry out a full-scale refit, then re-opened it in April as a fantastic, bright, welcoming new Premier store.”

Seelan’s knack for identifying stores with big potential for growth is clearly working well because the store turnover has grown almost 300% since it reopened.

“We spent a lot of money on the refit,” he admits. “Pretty much everything was replaced, so we expected growth to come but we weren’t quite prepared for how quickly it grew – and kept on growing.”

And with sales now three times what they were when he took over, Seelan is quick to point out that the store is still in growth.

“The growth has obviously slowed down a little now but we’re still making progress and still growing every month, so let’s hope Christmas keeps that trend going,” he laughs.

Core to the success of Seelan’s group is working closely with a single wholesale partner. He comments: “We work exclusively with Booker because Premier shares our vision and provides us with the flexibility we need within our business model to deliver for our shoppers every day. It’s a strong partnership.”

Seelan also believes that developing a bond with the local community is key to delivering busy, successful stores. “The store sits on an estate and when I was first looking at it, I could see that 20 years of underinvestment meant that there was no longer any bond between the store and the community it served,” he says. “It’s the only store on the estate so I believed that if we could rebuild that relationship, we would have a great chance of providing the community with a brilliant store that they would be happy to use every day. There was a whole estate of shoppers there who I felt would gladly use the store if it met – or exceeded – their expectations.”

The refit saw Seelan work with Premier to incorporate all of the categories and elements that are vital for today’s independent retail shoppers, with a real focus on exceeding expectations.

“We completely overhauled the exterior of

16 TalkingShop

December 2019

GO, GO, GO: Food-to-go is a major sales and profit driver for the store.

FRESH IDEAS: Shoppers have access to a large fresh range for the first time.

BIG DEAL: Meal Deals drive sales, footfall and profits.

300% PREMIUM SPACE: A spirits fixture and vaping station replaces the tobacco gantry.

growth since re-opening

BASICS DONE: Basics like the Everyday Essentials deals are all in place.

STACK UP: Floor stacks draw shoppers to the drinks area and drive spend.

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

PITCH PERFECT: Festive promo ends are fully stocked, clearly priced and totally tempting for shoppers.

SPEND BOOSTER: Tasty treats boost food to go spend.

HOT OPTIONS: A hotdog machine broadens the hot food options available.

SOFT SELL: Soft drinks are key so even some 2l takehome packs are chilled.

BAKERY FOCUS: Seelan uses bakery and cakes as a real point of difference.

NEW RANGE: The store has been quick to stock up on the new Happy Shopper range.

the store and the signage,” explains Seelan.

“We renewed the floor, added new brighter lighting and new chillers. We added a new food-to-go area, a craft alcohol fixture, a new fresh and chilled section and a selfserve coffee machine. We also added a new bakery area with fresh cakes and we added a lot more fresh produce. There are a lot of families in the area with kids so a major concern was offering healthier options.”

As well as adding whole new ranges, Seelan was also very conscious of his role as a community retailer. “Shoppers made it clear that having access to services like PayPoint was important to them and it also became clear that they wanted us to proactively engage with the community. So we donate food to a local primary school, we regularly donate to local charities and we use social media to promote the store, communicate the community work we’re doing and get feedback from shoppers.”

Even Seelan’s local MP, Mohammad Yasin, commented on how integral the store has already become to the local community.

“There’s no question in my mind that the community engagement work we do has really helped change the store’s reputation,” he says.

And the good work doesn’t stop there.

Seelan already has plans to grow his food to go range by adding freshly-made sandwiches from another company he owns, The Early Birdy.

“My range of fresh cakes and pastries are really popular and I want to expand on this with the sandwiches, each of which will be delivered to the store every morning,” he says.

With a model like that this is delivering outstanding success, it’s no surprise that Seelan already has his eye on yet more stores. “I’ve got two or three in the pipeline that we’re just finishing the paperwork on,” he concludes. “I’m hoping to have 20 stores by the end of 2020 and they’ll all be built on those same foundations: get the basics right, exceed expectations and engage with the local community.”

And it goes without saying that Premier will be the name above those new stores too. “For me, the relationship with Premier just works. They understand what I’m trying to achieve and they work hard to help me achieve it. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”

December 2019 TalkingShop

17

STORE PROFILE | Premier College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire

A Premier store with a

difference

Premier College Lane Campus is one of 60 Premier stores run by global catering business Aramark and is already seeing 40% sales increases since joining Premier in September.

CAMPUS QUEEN: Store manager Pauline Coleman.

I

t’s probably fair to say that the Premier College Lane Campus Shop at University of Hertfordshire isn’t your typical Premier store. For a start, it’s part of a group of 60 Premier stores managed by the UK division of global catering business Aramark. Additionally, it has virtually no competition in terms of other convenience stores or supermarkets and it obviously also has to work around the student term time, as well as having a range that is tailored carefully for a very specific audience.

Scott Allibone, UK Retail Development & Brand Manager at Aramark, explains the unusual setup: “Aramark is a US company that operates globally and provides contract

18 TalkingShop

December 2019

catering services to a wide range of sectors such as the defence market and the education market. In the UK we manage 60 stores, many on education campuses.

We tend to work with one wholesaler in our retail outlets and Aramark have been working with Premier for two years now. We’re almost finished converting all 60 stores to Premier. We have already completed 55 and the remaining five will be completed in the near future.”

All stores are operated under a management contract with Aramark putting its own team in place and managing all aspects of the operation of the store on behalf of the client, in this case University of Hertfordshire.

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“When we take the contracts on we try to ensure as much consistency as possible,” explains Scott. “So in the College Lane Campus Shop we were delighted to have Pauline Coleman transfer over to us to run the store as she had managed it when it was part of the Student Union and knew the campus and the structures well.”

Being sited on a university campus brings both opportunities and challenges. “We have a more or less captive audience,” explains Scott. “There are no other stores like this on campus but that doesn’t mean we aren’t just as focused on delivering great choice, great value and great service as any other Premier store.”

The store runs all of the standard Premier promotional programme, for instance, and also runs the Premier Meal Deals and Everyday Essentials deals, as well as stocking the Booker own label ranges. “Our students and university staff want value for money just as much as anyone else and with most students here for up to three years we want to keep them loyal to us,” he says.

There are challenges too, however, with the most obvious being term times and the fact that many students aren’t resident on campus so aren’t around most weekend.

“From Monday to Thursday evening we’re very, very busy but it slows down considerably over the weekend with so many students not on campus,” comments Scott. “And of course the biggest challenge is when terms end because a lot of the students are no longer on campus at all for extended periods, but we factor that into our plans every year and we have a lot of experience in managing campus stores.”

That experience was also critical when Aramark and Premier first started working together a couple of years ago.

Scott explains: “Our long experience in campus stores meant that we had a good idea of the range that we need but it was also invaluable to work with the Premier planning and development teams. It was a real joint effort and we’re very pleased with how this store has turned out. Despite only opening as a Premier store in September we’ve already seen sales grow by 40%.”

So pleased is Scott that the University of Hertfordshire store is being used as a template for other stores run by Aramark.

“It has worked so well that we consider it our ‘store of the future’ and a lot of what we have learned here will be rolled out to the

PREMIER PLAN: Much of the store is instantly recognisable to Premier retailers.

PRODUCT MIX: A conventional impulse range is blended with a specialist student range.

NICE SLICE: Pizza is popular.

SPIRITED APPROACH: A backlit spirits and vaping display sits behind the tillpoint.

STATIONERY FOCUS: The store naturally stocks a large range of student stationery.

STAR TURN: A Starbucks On The Go unit drives sales.

SWEET SALES: Pastries and treats are on offer.

BLAST OFF: Tango Ice Blast adds sales and margin.

December 2019 TalkingShop

19

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

JUST DESSERTS: A dessert bar sits at the heart of the food to go area.

Store CV:

FREE FROM: A large free from fixture is popular in the store.

40% sales growth since joining Premier in September

INCLUSIVE RANGE: A wide selection of specialist diets are catered for.

other stores in the group in the future,” says Scott.

While much of the store would be instantly recognisable to Premier retailers, there is one element that is peculiar to a campus store: the significant space given over to student stationery.

The store also has a significant focus on foodservice and related products that drive footfall.

“We have two hot food counters, a Chicago Town pizza unit and a large Cool Desserts Co bar serving a big range of pastries, cakes and other sweet treats which is hugely popular,” comments Scott.

“We complement that with elements like a Krispy Kreme doughnuts unit, a Tango Ice Blast machine, a F’Real shakes machine, a Rollover hotdog unit and a Starbucks On The Go machine.”

These products drive both footfall and, critically, bigger PORs for the store. “We are obviously focused on margins like every

Name: Premier College Lane Campus Shop, University of Hertfordshire Retailer: Aramark Stores in Group: 60 Time with Premier: 2 years Manager: Pauline Coleman Size: 2,000sq ft Staff: 15 Services: Licensed, hot food to go, F’Real, Starbucks On The Go, Tango Ice Blast, Krispy Kreme, Rollover, Stationery, dessert bar, free-from Nearest Competition: Supermarket 1 mile away Trading Hours: 8am-9pm Mon to Fri; 10am-6pm Sat & Sun

other Premier retailer, but not at the expense of value,” explains Scott. “It’s all about balance. There’s not much point in having really high POR lines if they don’t sell, so it’s a case of blending higher POR lines within a wider product mix that delivers great value and a great experience overall.”

As with many Premier stores, packaged grocery is declining in importance. Scott comments: “We see ourselves very much as a top-up store. We’re not a supermarket, we’re a grab and go Premier store – with added extras – and our offer is very much geared to the needs of our target market.”

It’s a fascinating store with one of the most remarkable points being how closely it resembles any other Premier store in terms of range, merchandising and service.

“We like to think of ourselves as a high street Premier store but on a campus,” concludes Scott. “Students on the whole are looking for exactly the same things as every other shopper and the success of Premier demonstrates clearly that it delivers precisely what today’s shoppers are looking for.”

With sales hikes of 40%, it’s clear that Pauline and her team are doing likewise.

December 2019 TalkingShop

21

STORE PROFILE | Inverkeithing, Fife

flyer Off to a

O The opening of Mohammed Irshad’s newbuild store got off to an unbelievable start thanks to the temporary closure of a nearby store within days of the opening which led to a welcome flood of new customers through the door.

22 TalkingShop

December 2019

pening a brand new store is often a nerve-wracking experience but one challenge that few retailers tend to face in that situation is the challenge of coping with a much bigger surge of new customers through the door than anticipated thanks to the sudden and unforeseen closure of a well established store nearby. But that’s exactly the challenge that faced Inverkeithing retailer Mohammed Zahid Irshad.

He explains: “We had owned a store in the area since 1982 but then a couple of years ago the Council decided to knock the building down.

We negotiated with them and they agreed to build a brand new store for us, which was fantastic. Then, literally two days after we opened,

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

Store CV:

BLAST OFF: Tango Ice Blast is popular with Mohammed’s shoppers.

HOT STUFF: Hot food to go will form a key part of the store’s offer.

Name: Name: Premier Hillend Road, Inverkeithing Retailer: Mohammed Zahid Irshad Time as a retailer: 39 years Time with Premier: 1 year Size: 900sq ft Staff: 6 Services: licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, hot food, Tango Ice Blast, fresh fruit and veg, bakery, vaping, ice cream Nearest competition: bakery next door; Scotmid ½ mile away; Asda 1 mile away Trading hours: 6am-10pm

MADE TO MEASURE: The newbuild store was created to Mohammed’s exact specifications.

the roof in the nearby Scotmid collapsed and we instantly got overwhelmed by the volume of shoppers coming through the door!”

That may seem like a fantastic problem but it created a few challenges for Mohammed, as he discusses: “We had made elaborate plans with Premier and had run demographic reports of the local area to help predict demand and stocking levels but all that work basically went out of the window and we spent most of the first few weeks just trying to get enough stock into the shop and onto the shelves to cope with the demand!”

Not only that, Mohammed’s plans to introduce a brand new hot food counter and bakery had to be temporarily postponed because he needed all hands on deck just to keep the store running well. “We had already fitted out the hot food counter and had done a lot of the work on the menu planning as we were planning to gradually ramp up the hot food operation, but we got overtaken by events and are only now finding the time and

LOCAL TREATS: A selection of locally sourced cakes and treats tempts shoppers.

staff needed to start working on getting it fully operational.”

Food to go will become core to the store’s offer and Mohammed already offers a fantastic range of hot pastries and pies as well as a full range of cakes and treats from the local Stuart’s bakery.

Mohammed is quick, however, to credit Premier for doing a great job of helping him quickly cope with the new demand. He said: “Premier were on the case immediately and the team worked with us to ensure we got all the stock we needed and got it out onto the shelves to ensure our shoppers could always find what they wanted.”

The business has clearly benefitted enormously through the sharp rise in footfall. Mohammed says the store is around 30% ahead of where it was originally forecast to be at this point. The newbuild store is immaculately presented throughout and it seems highly likely that many of Mohammed’s new shoppers will have every

reason to stay loyal to him even when the Scotmid reopens.

“We still don’t know exactly when it will be opened again so we’re having to re-do our plans once more to try to anticipate how many of the new shoppers we will retain, but we’re pretty confident that their experience in my store will mean that a lot of them will stay with us for the longer term,” he says.

Additionally, around 300 new homes are being built nearby which will further expand his scope for growth. “The new homes will bring more new opportunities”, he says. “The Premier offer allows us to deliver exactly what today’s shoppers want. Great value, unbeatable promotions, great foodservice support, a best-in-class own brand range and a household name above the door.”

It has to go down as one of the more unusual store launches in the independent retailing trade, but it’s also proof that being adaptable and flexible remains as important as ever.

December 2019 TalkingShop

23

STORE PROFILE | Gateshead

ashes T Rising from the The Soha family in Gateshead turned a catastrophic fire earlier this year into the perfect opportunity to entirely rebuild their store and create an outstanding modern Premier store.

SETTING SAIL: The bright, spacious new store is a huge hit with shoppers.

here are few catastrophes as devastating to a store as a major fire, something that the Soha family in Gateshead discovered earlier this year – but they admirably chose to turn the potential disaster into a fantastic opportunity to entirely rebuild the business and create an amazing new store in its place.

“The fire happened in June and it was truly devastating for us,” explains Romel Soha, who helps run the business with has brother Zernosh and their father Peter. “It was so bad the store was closed for five months and it was a really difficult period.

“We’d owned the store since 2013 and had been growing it really well so it’s hard to explain how distressing the fire was for us.”

When the family originally bought the store it had at the time been one of the oldest and best known pubs in

Store CV:

Name: Premier The Ship, Gateshead Retailers: Zernosh, Romel and Peter Soha Stores in group: 2 Time as retailers: 44 years Time with Premier: 5 years Size: 2,200sq ft Staff: 15 Services: licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, ATM, food to go, coffee, slush, Tango Ice Blast, vaping, US candy Nearest competition: One Stop, Co-op and Asda within ½ a mile Trading hours: 6.30am-10pm

24 TalkingShop

December 2019

BRIGHT FUTURE: Zernosh Soha and his fantastic new store.

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

SIZE MATTERS: The store has plenty of room with wide aisles.

COUNTER PROPOSAL: The new counter area features an eyecatching backlit spirits gantry.

CHILL OUT: All new refrigeration makes a standout chilled run.

Gateshead – The Ship – but it had run into difficult times. “We had been looking at a few different pubs at the time but we decided to go for this one as it offered a lot of potential.

It took around 10 months to fully convert it and get all the paperwork done but it looked fantastic when we were finished and it had been doing really well.”

Needless to say, the fire caused massive upheaval, but the family quickly decided to turn disaster into opportunity and set about another full rebuild and refit. “We almost literally replaced everything, and I mean everything,” says Romel. “New floors, new ceilings, new fixtures, new refrigeration, the lot. We even resurfaced the entire car park out front as well as all exterior signage.”

The results of that effort are, to say the

ON THE GO: A drinks station offers Tango Ice Blast, slush and coffee as well as treats.

LEASE OF LIFE: The new store has revitalised the local community.

least, hugely impressive. The family worked with Premier to design a modern store that incorporated all of Premier’s latest thinking as well as a few ideas of their own, as Romel explains: “We added a new food to go and coffee station, a large fresh and chilled section, a large American candy fixture, a Tango Ice Blast machine, slush machines, a backlit spirits gantry behind the counter and a vaping section.”

At 2,200sq ft it’s a large store so there is plenty of room to include a long run of fresh and chilled produce, a large chilled beer and wine section, a large grocery section and plenty of room for dedicated promotional areas around the store. A full re-ranging was also carried out and Romel is very pleased with the results.

“It’s still very early days as we only reopened in November but we’re confident that the new store will be a success and get us back to where we need to be,” he says.

“Working with Premier, we think we have created a store that meets the needs of all our shoppers and we’re working hard at bringing them all back.

“Five months is a long time to be closed but when shoppers see the new store, we invariably see them again.”

It’s a true tale of triumph over adversity and one that Romel and his family are justifiably proud of. “We could have just walked away after a fire of that scale,” concludes Romel, “but instead we rolled up our sleeves and got on with it and the store looks better than ever now.”

December 2019 TalkingShop

25

FEATURE | January Value

ng Value

nt ia ls

CHILLED AND FROZEN only

offer ends: 18/02/20

or

1

9p/82p

tocked Stick

1

£1 each

only

only

£1.19

£1.75

each

each

DEAL MAKERS!: The new ‘All This For £5’ deal (below) will boost January sales, as will the Meal Deal promos (above).

£1.29/£1.45 169g

Incl. PM £1.65 Pack

£2.99

Varieties as stocked 360ml

any 3 for

£1.50 75p/85p Single

only

£1.25 PM £2.65

half price

£5.25

£2

each £4.99/£5.45

9 Rolls

4x500ml

£3.50

any 2 for

£1.50 better than

y 3 for

PM £3.99

PM £1.29

100g

Varieties as stocked Pack

SAVE £4.22 28 TalkingShop

December 2019

better than

only

half price

L

60p

4 Pack

only

£2.25

Offers available 08/01/20 to 28/01/20

£2.70

COFFEE, TEA & 2 PACKS OF BISCUITS

£1.69

Single

£2

ALL THIS FOR £5 80’s

1.20

only

better than

half price

£4 £10

89p

45 Wash

1.5L

each £1.89

only

January Value | FEATURE

Value key to a great start to

2020!

After the excesses of Christmas have died down, January will be all about value for many shoppers – and Premier has just what you need to meet those demands.

W

COOL VALUE: The Frozen Meal Deal offers amazing value.

hen January comes and the long festive season of merriment and excess is finally behind us, the strong likelihood is that shoppers will be looking to be far more careful with their spending and will be more focused on value than ever.

The key to a great start to 2020 for Premier retailers, then, is delivering a strong value message that drives sales and footfall.

That’s precisely why Premier has been working hard to deliver some fantastic initiatives that will help drive footfall to Premier stores in January and February.

One initiative that is sure to attract shopper attention and drive footfall and sales is the new ‘buy all this for £5’ deal. The deal runs until the 18th of February and represents absolutely outstanding value for money for

shoppers, saving them a whopping £4.22 on a basket of big brand name products.

Included in the deal are a 100g jar of Nescafe Gold coffee, a packet of 80 Tetley tea bags and two packets of McVitie’s biscuits – all for just £5!

The lines can be bought individually, each product heavily discounted, but the promotion aims to encourage shoppers to buy into the whole deal to maximise the saving they make on these big name, high quality everyday products. This will help drive basket spend and footfall, delivering for both retailers and shoppers.

There is also an amazing Wow Deal – a 24 pack of Pepsi Max 330ml cans for just £6 – as well as an outstanding selection of promotions in all key categories.

In addition to the core deals, Premier has also created the latest of its additional December 2019 TalkingShop

29

FEATURE | January Value

winter WARMERS

Offers available 08/01/20 to 18/02/20

only

only

£8.99

£19.99 each 1ltr

each

PM £8.99

Incl. PM £20.49

only

£14 PM £15.99

£15.99 35cl

35cl

£9.99 35cl

35cl

NP11 EW&NI LIC

each

35cl

PM £16.49 70cl

only

only

£14.99

£14.99

35cl

£17.99

only

only

£9.79 PM £9.79 35cl

PROUD TO SERVE

35cl 35cl

35cl

only

£10.99

only

£14

£10.99

35cl

only

35cl

35cl

only

PM £12.99

70cl

£16.49

TO THE POINT: Using free POS effectively will boost sales and profits.

£8.49

35cl

PM £9.49

35cl

35cl

Our local community

96438 NP11 Premier EW&NI Alcohol Leaflet.indd 1

22/11/2019 15:16

SHOUT ABOUT IT! One of the most effective ways of growing sales of Meal Deals and Essential Deals in your store is to shout about them as loud as possible!

• Use external POS to attract attention and bring shoppers through the door.

• Use internal POS and signage to highlight the deals and drive impulse purchases.

• Site the Meal Deals prominently in each relevant fixture to ensure awareness.

• Highlight the Meal Deals and Essential Deals on social media.

• Encourage staff to talk to shoppers about the deals and trade them up.

BIG PROFITS: Miniatures offer a great value option in early 2020.

30 TalkingShop

December 2019

FOOTFALL FOCUS: External POS is the ideal way to drive footfall.

alcohol leaflets carrying a huge array of spectacular, great value deals. The additional alcohol leaflets have been introduced in direct response to strong feedback from Premier retailers that made it clear that the additional alcohol leaflet should deliver value for shoppers but should also deliver strong PORs for retailers.

The latest ‘Winter Warmers’ additional alcohol leaflet does exactly that, offering great deals for shoppers and great PORs for Premier retailers. The leaflet covers everything from litre bottles of spirits for just £19.99 to 35cl bottles for as little as £8.49 and 5cl bottles at only £1.99.

Also featured is a great range of wines in 70cl, 20cl and 18.75cl format plus a selection of RTD premix products from brands like WKD, Jack Daniel’s, Smirnoff, Gordon’s, Pimm’s and Captain Morgan’s.

But it’s not all about special promotions.

One of the best ways of driving the value message is by really leveraging the power of the exceptional range of Premier Meal Deals and Essential Deals which give more shoppers more reasons to come to your store more often, from breakfast until evening.

The special lunchtime and breakfast Meal Deals offers and sandwich or wrap, a soft drink and packet of crisps for just £2.85, spectacular value that will keep shoppers coming through the door all day long.

This is complemented perfectly by the Evening In Meal Deal which delivers two Discover the Choice pizzas and a four pack of Stella Artois or bottle of Distant Vines wine for just £7.99 or two pizzas and a multipack of Coke or Diet Coke for just £6.99. This deal has been extremely successful in attracting shoppers later in the

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

TEMPTING LINES: Premier’s promotions will be vital for shoppers in January.

FULL AND NEAT: Well merchandised promotional ends help drive sales.

VALUE MARKET: Premier’s range of amazing value wines and spirits will be popular in lean January.

EGG-CITING DEALS: Everyday Essentials deals will be key.

DONE DEALS: Meal Deals deliver great value and drive basket spend.

day and growing footfall and basket spend in the evening.

Then there’s the Frozen Meal Deal which offers unbelievable value by including a Chicago Town pizza, McCain chips, SFC chicken nuggets, two Happy Shopper garlic baguettes and a Viennetta – all for just a fiver! That’s a saving of £2.93 and is a deal that has shoppers interested and buying all day long.

Finally, the amazing value Essentials Deals offer shoppers guaranteed great value on some of the biggest footfall-driving lines of all: bread, milk and eggs. At just £1.09 for a Kingsmill 800g loaf, £2 for 15 Happy Shopper eggs and an ‘any two for £2’ deal on Muller-Wiseman 2l jugs of milk, there’s no reason for shoppers to look anywhere else for their everyday essentials.

MEGA DEALS: Premier’s famous Mega Deals will also be popular.

HAPPY SHOPPERS: Own label lines deliver the value shoppers are seeking after the excesses of Christmas.

December 2019 TalkingShop

31

WSP: £8.79 RSP: £1.35 POR: 34.9%

©2020 The Coca-Cola Company.

All rights reserved. COCA-COLA, COCA-COLA ZERO, DIET COKE and THE CONTOUR BOTTLE are registered trade marks of The Coca-Cola Company.

Better Pricing In Key Categories | FEATURE

Better pricing,

bigger profits Premier has secured significantly improved pricing on a range of big brand fast-selling bread, beer and tobacco lines to help retailers get off to a flying start in 2020.

W

hile Christmas may still lie ahead of us, Premier has long been working hard on giving retailers some great news to start 2020 with – and what better news is there than even better pricing in key categories like bread, beer and tobacco?

Being part of a bigger group once again allows Premier to negotiate some fantastic pricing deals in these vital, everyday purchase categories. Not only will these deals deliver great value on big name brands for shoppers, they will also deliver increased footfall and improved PORs for Premier retailers at a crucial time of year when shoppers often tighten their purse strings after the festive period.

December 2019 TalkingShop

33

TRY A NEW TRADITION THIS CHRISTMAS MAX PERFORMANCE: NO.1 COLA BRAND IN THE UK* MAX TASTE: PEPSI MAX IS THE UK’S BEST TASTING COLA** MAX SHOPPERS: PEPSI MAX SHOPPERS BUY MORE VOLUME PER BUYER THAN ANY OTHER COLA***

STOCK UP NOW PREMIER SELL

CONSUMER DEAL

PEPSI MAX PM189 2LTR

£5.29

PEPSI MAX 8X330ML

£5.69

M CODE

DESCRIPTION

M245875 M155396

*Nielsen, Total Coverage, Pepsi Max Volume, MAT 12.10.19 **MMR Feb 2018, Quant Blind Taste Test, Sample 1004. Pepsi MAX Taste Challenge blind sampling consumers in Great Britain between 25/07/18 to 19/08/18. Conducted by ID Limited and on behalf of Britvic Soft Drinks Limited. The taste challenge was against Coca-Cola Regular.

Nielsen RMS, Total Coverage, Value Sales, 52w/e 01.09.18 *** Kantar Worldpanel, Take Home, Volume per Buyer, 52w to 19.05.19

Time to

RSP

POR

2 FOR £2.50

£1.89

15.36%

£3.00

£4.00

24.13%

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

WARBURTONS LOCKED DOWN PRICING A new deal secured with Britain’s biggest bakery brand Warburtons sees prices locked down for Premier retailers right up until 11th February 2020.

For instance, the WSPs on Warburtons leading range of 800g loaves will actually be reduced from 89p to just 81p, boosting PORs to 25.69% for retailers.

Similarly, the WSPs on Toasting Muffins, Pancakes and Potato Cakes have been slashed to just 59p from the previous level of 89p, massively increasing PORs to 41%.

As part of the deal, the RSPs on many products will also be reduced, helping not only to drive footfall to your store but also guaranteeing big PORs for every product that you sell from the range.

A great example is the 800g loaf range which will see the RSP dropped from £1.29 to just £1.09 – a fantastic price for a top quality loaf.

WARBURTONS BREAD NEW FOOTFALL DRIVERS Locked down pricing for P11 & 12 (until 11th Feb 2020) WAS

NOW

PRODUCT

WSP

WSP

RSP

POR

Warburtons Crumpets 6s

£0.59

£0.59

£1.00

41.00%

Warburtons Toasting Muffins 4s

£0.85

£0.59

£1.00

41.00%

Warburtons White Sandwich Thins 6s

£1.09

£0.59

£1.00

41.00%

Warburtons Fruit Teacakes 4s

£0.59

£0.59

£1.00

41.00%

Warburtons Pancakes 6s

£0.85

£0.59

£1.00

41.00%

Warburtons Potato Cakes

£0.85

£0.59

£1.00

41.00%

Warburtons Medium Sliced Bread 800g

£0.89

£0.81

£1.09

25.69%

Warburtons Sliced Toast Loaf 800g

£0.89

£0.81

£1.09

25.69%

Warburtons Medium Wholemeal Bread 800g

£0.89

£0.81

£1.09

25.69%

Warburtons Soft White Farmhouse 800g

£0.89

£0.81

£1.09

25.69%

December 2019 TalkingShop

35

18+ Contains Nicotine

T H E M O D E R N & N O R D I C N I C OT I N E E X P E R I E N C E ANYTIME. ANYWHERE.

POR * 20%

NEW

MINT 6MG 9MG

6.50

RRP

£

**

FOR 20 POUCHES

B E R G A M OT W I L D B E R RY 6MG 9MG

NEW CATEGORY = NEW SALES = MORE PROFIT! www.nordicspirit.co.uk

nordicspirit_uk

nordicspirituk

*POR achieved when you purchase Nordic Spirit cans at an outer rate of £21.66 (excl. VAT) and sold at RRP of £6.50 for 20 pouches / can. **RRP £6.50 effective as of 6th June 2019. Retailers are free at all times to sell JTI products at whatever price they choose. Offer available for a limited time only in participating wholesalers.

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

NEW LINES ADDED

IMPROVED 4-PACK BEER & CIDER PRICING Another benefit that Premier retailers will see from being part of a bigger group is new lines added to the massively popular improved pricing deal on 4-packs of beers.

The extended promotion saves retailers up to £3 a case on 4-packs from leading brands like Strongbow, San Miguel, Carlsberg, Fosters, Carling and Stella Artois.

Retailers save £3 on every case of San Miguel 500ml 4-packs while on lines like Carlsberg 500ml 4-packs they save £2.50, boosting PORs to a huge 38.8%, an outstanding POR in this popular category.

4-PACK PRICE-MARKED BEERS & CIDERS IMPROVED PRICING – NEW LINES ADDED! PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

SAVE

POR

Strongbow PM 4/£4.25

6x4x400ml

£2.00

34.10%

Strongbow Dark Fruits PM 4/£5.50

6x4x440ml

£2.00

27.00%

San Miguel

6x4x500ml

£3.00

35.30%

Carlsberg PM 4/£5.39

6x4x500ml

£2.50

38.80%

Fosters PM 4/£4.50

6x4x440ml

£2.00

31.60%

Carling PM 4/£4.89

6x4x500ml

£2.00

30.50%

Stella Artois PM 4/£5.79

6x4x500ml

£2.00

36.10%

NEW TOBACCO CLUB LINES

BOOKER TOBACCO CLUB NEW LINES ADDED PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

WSP

SAVE

Players KS Real Red

RSP POR

10x20s

£65.97

£1.45

£8.70

9%

Players SK Real Red

10x20s

£65.97

£1.45

£8.70

9%

Players KS Crushball

10x20s

£66.70

£1.45

£8.70

8%

Gold Leaf RYO + Papers

5x50g

£66.52

£1.51

£18.15

12%

Gold Leaf RYO + Papers

5x30g

£40.33

£0.92

£11.00

12%

Riverstone RYO

5x30g

£35.75

£0.91

£11.00

22%

Carlton Red KS

10x20s

£66.86

£2.27

£8.70

7.7%

Carlton Red SK

10x20s

£66.86

£2.27

£8.70

7.7%

L&B KS Blue Crushball

10 x 20s

£67.72

£1.42

£8.70

6.6%

L&B KS Blue Real Blue

10 x 20s

£67.72

£1.42

£8.70

6.6%

L&B Original RYO 50g

5 x 50g

£62.25

£2.03

£18.00

17%

L&B Original RYO 30g

5 x 30g

£37.17

£1.78

£10.75

17%

The launch earlier this year of the Booker Tobacco Club has succeeded in delivering savings to Premier retailers, helping them to boost profits in a vital, high volume category.

The Booker Tobacco Club offers retailers greatly reduced WSPs and improved PORs on some of the biggest selling tobacco lines including three Players lines, two Gold Leaf RYO lines, a Riverstone RYO line, two Carlton Red lines and two Lambert & Butler lines.

The Tobacco Club has now been broadened even further to include two Lambert and Butler RYO lines. The WSPs on the new 30g and 50g lines have dropped by up to £2.03 until the 28th of February 2020 allowing Premier retailers to sell these two lines at reduced prices while still growing their POR from 15% to 17%.

In return for a commitment to maintain stock of these Tobacco Club lines and selling at or below RSP, Premier retailers can benefit from savings of up to £2.27 per outer, boosting their POR by 2%.

Ensure you display your tobacco price list and make sure your list shows your cheapest on display. Please speak to your RDM for an editable copy of the tobacco price list.

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Happy Shopper Confectionery Relaunch | FEATURE

Even more cash profit with

Happy Shopper!

The relaunched range of Happy Shopper confectionery delivers great new flavours, new packaging, amazing value for shoppers and even more cash profit for Premier retailers.

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FEATURE | Happy Shopper Confectionery Relaunch

FAST FACTS!

l Price points move from 59p PMP / 2-for-£1 to 89p PMP / 2-for-£1.50 to unlock more cash profit l Case sizes moved from 12s to 10s in singlefacing Shelf Ready Packaging formats l Some bag sizes doubled from 80g to 160g l WSP moved from £3.99 to £4.99 l Improved packaging with more prominent yellow price band l New vegetarian option included (Giant Strawberries) 40 TalkingShop

December 2019

T

now being completely relaunched in a move specifically designed to deliver even more cash profit for retailers. The new range of 24 fully price-marked products sees three new products added and a new price point of 89p per pack plus a multibuy deal of 2-for-£1.50.

Additionally, the outer sizes have been moved from 12s to more efficient 10s with a standard WSP across the range of £4.99 . All pack sizes have been increased with the majority doubling from 80g to 160g, ensuring shoppers get the great value RETAILER VIEW they expect from GRAHAM WATSON the Happy Shopper Premier Watson’s Grocers, Moniaive, Dumfries range.

“The Happy Shopper hanging bag range has What this all always been a massive hit for us because our means then is that shoppers love the fact that they can get proper, great quality confectionery at a brilliant value for the new POR of money price.

32.72% will deliver “The reluanch is great news. Shoppers will continue to get great value for money because the bags have mostly doubled in size a whopping £2.91 while retailers get bigger basket spends and, most importantly of of cash profit from all, more cash profit. To be clearing £2.91 cash profit from a £4.99 outer is just fantastic. I think the new packaging also looks great.” every outer. Even on the multibuy deal,

he Happy Shopper range of confectionery has long been a huge driver of footfall, sales and profit for Premier retailers with shoppers showing massive loyalty to a range that gives them fantastic value, with excellent quality. Just as important, retailers have also benefitted from the big sales and big PORs that the range has delivered.

The fantastic news is that the full range is

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

THE NEW HAPPY SHOPPER CONFECTIONERY RANGE WSP: £4.99 RSP: £0.89 PM / 2-for-£1.50 PM Single POR: 32.72% Single Cash Profit: £2.91 Multibuy POR: 20.16% Multibuy Cash Profit: £1.51 Apple Pencils 10 x 160gm Strawberry Pencils 10 x 160gm Fizzy Rainbow Belts 10 x 160gm Jelly Beans 10 x 160gm Tangy Mix 10 x 160gm Sour Snakes 10 x 160gm Gummy Mix 10 x 160gm Fizzy Cola Bottles NEW 10 x 160gm Tropical Fruit Slices NEW 10 x 160gm Giant Strawberries NEW 10 x 130gm Wine Gums 10 x 160gm

the POR is an impressive 20.16%, equating to a cash profit of £1.51.

As part of the relaunch, the packaging has also been completely redesigned with a far more prominent yellow price band to help communicate the fantastic value message to shoppers.

The three new lines added are Giant Strawberries, Tropical Fruit slices and Fizzy Cola Bottles and it’s worth noting that many of the lines in the range are vegetarian, helping to broaden the appeal to a wider audience.

To make room for these new lines and to prevent unnecessary range proliferation, three slower-selling lines have been delisted: Strawberry Belts, Candy Cones and Cola Bottles.

The newly relaunched range will deliver for retailers and shoppers alike and is fully expected to grow sales, footfall and profit for Premier retailers, once again highlighting the massive value of the much loved Happy Shopper range.

Midget Gems 10 x 160gm Jelly Babies 10 x 160gm Fruit Pastilles 10 x 160gm Mint Imperials 10 x 160gm Mint Assortment 10 x 160gm Assorted Toffee 10 x 120gm Choc Raisins 10 x 100gm Mini Eggs 10 x 100gm Giant Choc Buttons 10 x 100gm Choc Caramels 10 x 100gm Choc Peanuts 10 x 100gm White Choc Buttons 10 x 90gm Honeycomb 10 x 100gm

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RRP

59p

Product code

Pack Size

M252022

12x24g

ÂŁ30M

* **

*

*Source: Nielsen Scan Track Total Coverage 29.12.2018. **Source: Nielsen scan track total coverage last 52 weeks ending 28/4/19

cra

PricesDown

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

Christmas essential deals!

Premier is running a fantastic selection of cut-price deals on a range of Christmas essentials helping you boost footfall, sales and profits over the vital festive period.

PERIOD 10 CHRISTMAS ESSENTIALS PROMOTIONS Boost your profits this Christmas with great Premier promotions on a range of best-selling essentials at cut-price deals running until December 31st.

Colmans Bramley Apple Sauce Case size: 8x155g WSP: £5.49 SAVING: £0.50 DEAL: £1 POR: 31.4% Colmans Classic Mint Sauce Case size: 8x165g WSP: £5.49 SAVING: £0.50 DEAL: £1 POR: 31.4% Colmans Cranberry Sauce Case size: 8x165g WSP: £5.49 SAVING: £0.50 DEAL: £1 POR: 31.4% Colmans Horseradish Sauce Case size: 8x136g WSP: £5.49 SAVING: £0.50 DEAL: £1 POR: 31.4% Colmans English Mustard Case size: 8x100g WSP: £5.99 SAVING: £2.00 DEAL: £1 POR: 25.1% Hellmanns Mayonnaise Light PM219 Case size: 6x400g WSP: £4.79 SAVING: £5.50 DEAL: £1 POR: 20.2% Hellmanns Mayonnaise Real PM219 Case size: 6x400g WSP: £4.79 SAVING: £5.50 DEAL: £1 POR: 20.2% Paxo Sage & Onion Stuffing PM149 Case size: 8x170g WSP: £6.39 SAVING: £2.76 DEAL: £1 POR: 20.3% Oxo Cubes Chicken 12s Case size: 2x12x71g WSP: £18.99 SAVING: £6.00 DEAL: £1 POR: 20.8% Oxo Cubes Red Beef 12s Case size: 2x12x71g WSP: £18.99 SAVING: £6.00 DEAL: £1 POR: 20.8% Oxo Cubes Vegetable Stock 12s Case size: 2x12x71g WSP: £18.99 SAVING: £6.00 DEAL: £1 POR: 20.8% Ambrosia Devon Custard PM109 Case size: 12x400g WSP: £7.19 SAVING: £2.60 DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 20.1% Bisto Gravy Granules PM169 Case size: 12x170g WSP: £9.59 SAVING: £5.20 DEAL: £1 POR: 20.1%

T

he festive season presents Premier retailers with a fantastic opportunity to drive sales of those staple products which shoppers rely on at Christmas. With friends and families gathering for social occasions, shoppers need products they trust to deliver consistent results time and time again.

Premier has built an exceptional package of reduced-WSP deals on a top-selling range of big brand Christmas essentials that will deliver extra footfall, sales and profits right the way through until December 31st.

With savings of up to £6 per case on brands including Oxo, Bisto, Colmans and Ambrosia, Premier retailers will be able to drive vital additional profit at this, the most important seasonal period of the annual calendar.

Don’t forget too that even at Christmas your shoppers will still be

SHOPPING LIS

T

Don’t forget to stay in sto ck of the following key lines that help drive fo will otfall, sales and profits this fe stive period.

HS Creamed Ho PM85 6x180g rseradish Sauce HS English Mu stard PM85 6x185g HS Mint Sauc e PM85 6x17 5g HS Tartare Sa uce PM85 6x 180g Birds Custa rd Powder PM 139 6x300g HS Plain Flo ur PM75 8x1k g HS Self Raisi ng Flour PM 75 8x1kg Goldenfry Yo rkshire Pudd ing Mix PM79 6x142g

looking for great value and the perfect way to deliver this is by stocking and prominently siting the Happy Shopper range of Christmas staples including Creamed Horseradish Sauce, English Mustard, Mint Sauce and Tartare Sauce.

Key categories to focus on include flavourings and seasonings and desserts. Over 92% of UK households buy into the flavouring and seasonings category each year [Kantar, Oct 2019] and the category is worth £51.8m within convenience stores [IRI, Sep 2019]. Bisto in particular is the nation’s favourite gravy brand with a 72% share of the ambient sector [Kantar, Oct 2019].

Similarly, Christmas is also a time for shoppers to treat themselves so stocking a good range of big brand desserts to follow the main meal can help unlock valuable additional basket spend and profits.

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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

More cash profit from new Happy Shopper lines WHAT? NEW HAPPY SHOPPER CONFECTIONERY LINES WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? As part of the full relaunch of the Happy Shopper confectionery range, three brand new products have been added to improve choice and tempt even more shoppers into buying from the massively successful range. New 89p / 2-for-£1.50 pricing means Premier retailers make even more cash profit from the entire range while bag

sizes have been increased to add value for shoppers.

Case size: 10 x 160g WSP: £4.99 RSP: £0.89 / 2-for-£1.50 POR: 32.72% / 20.16%

WHO? The new lines feature three popular flavours: Fizzy Cola Bottles, Tropical Fruit Slices and even a vegetarian option, Giant Strawberries.

GIANT STRAWBERRIES Case size: 10 x 130g WSP: £4.99 RSP: £0.89 / 2-for-£1.50 POR: 32.72% / 20.16%

WHERE TO STOCK? Site the lines on the main hanging bag fixture to help drive sales of this ever-popular and now even more profitable range.

FIZZY COLA BOTTLES; TROPICAL FRUIT SLICES

Time to skewer new sales WHAT? DELICATESSEN FINE EATING CHICKEN SKEWERS WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? With high quality, ready-to-eat snacking products increasingly popular with shoppers looking for low fat, tasty treats, Booker has added new Delicatessen Fine Eating Chicken Skewers. Made from the finest quality grilled chicken breast, the skewers contain only 2% fat and make an ideal snack for a wide variety of occasions and purposes.

WHO? This handy pack offers the perfect ready-to-eat solution for everything from simple lunchtime snacking and buffets to tasty grab-and go occasions for hungry shoppers in need of some sustenance while going about their daily business. The range will be popular with a broad cross-section of shoppers.

30% POR

WHERE TO STOCK? Site the line within your chilled food-to-go fixture alongside sandwiches and other snack items to draw shoppers into the fixture and grow basket spend.

DELICATESSEN FINE EATING CHICKEN SKEWERS Case size: 6 x 150g WSP: £11.20 RSP: £2.00 POR: 30%

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

New lines to drive Monster sales WHAT? MONSTER PACIFIC PUNCH AND MONSTER ULTRA PARADISE WHEN? LATE DECEMBER WHY? New from energy drink giant Monster are two fruity lines aiming to add further growth to the category. Monster Pacific Punch combines Monster’s unique energy blend with 12% real fruit juices including apple, orange, raspberry, cherry, pineapple and passion fruit. Also new is Monster Ultra Paradise, a refreshing fruityflavoured product with zero sugar and zero calories.

WHO? The energy drink market continues to be vital in independent retailing with shoppers increasingly looking for exciting, new flavours. These two new lines bring exotic new flavours and offer shoppers the choice of a traditional product containing sugar or a zero calorie, zero sugar version. These two new lines ensure you have options for most shoppers.

MONSTER PACIFIC PUNCH Case size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £8.69 RSP: £1.39 PM POR: 37.4%

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the new lines prominently within your energy drinks fixture where the bright packaging and hard-to-miss price marks will draw shoppers in and drive sales all day long.

MONSTER ULTRA PARADISE PM£1.25 Case size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £7.75 RSP: £1.29 PM POR: 39.9%

Heinz soups just got even more convenient!

WHAT? HEINZ POT SOUPS

HEINZ CREAM OF TOMATO POT SOUP;

WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW

HEINZ VEGETABLE POT SOUP VEGETABLE

WHY? Heinz has long been a flagship brand in the soup category and that position looks set to be strengthened with the launch of new Heinz Pot Soups. The 355g soups are available in two popular flavours – Cream of Tomato and Vegetable – and come in special microwaveable pots that mean shoppers can have a tasty, low fat soup ready to eat in just a minute and a half.

WHO? Heinz soups are popular with a wide demographic and the new microwaveable format makes it even easier for everyone to enjoy, from students looking for a lunchtime snack to parents seeking out a convenient, quick and tasty snack for their children at lunchtime. Both soups count as one of our ‘5 a day’, contain no artificial colours or preservatives, are vegetarian and low fat.

WHERE TO STOCK? Site them on the main soup fixture but also consider siting them next to a food to go counter or fixture where they will help drive basket spend.

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December 2019

Case size: 4x355g WSP: £ 4.15 RSP: £1.39 PM POR: 25.4%

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

Pets mean profits WHAT? FELIX, PURINA AND WINALOT PET RANGES WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? With pet-owning shoppers often keen to trade up to premium lines for their dogs and cats, Premier has recently added a range of brand new pet food products from the well known Felix, Purina and Winalot brands. The new ranges offer a great opportunity for retailers to freshen up their pet food fixture and trigger new spend in this important category.

FELIX AGAIL DOUBLY DELICIOUS Case size: 4x(12x100g) WSP: £11.29 RSP: £4.25 PM POR: 20.3% FELIX AGAIL TUNA PM3/120; FELIX AGAIL CHICKEN PM3/120 Case size: 20x100g WSP: £5.55 RSP: £0.52 POR: 35.9% PURINA ONE CHICKEN CAT FOOD

WHO? The new premium branded lines cover both dog and cat food and include dry and wet options to make sure you meet the needs of a wide demographic of pet owners.

A number of on-pack multi-buy deals will also help boost spend.

Case size: 6x200g WSP: £3.99 RSP: £1.25 PM POR: 36.1% WINALOT PERFECT PORTIONS IN GRAVY ; WINALOT PERFECT PORTIONS IN JELLY Case size: 4x(12x100g) WSP: £8.09 RSP: £3.25 PM POR: 25.3%

WHERE TO STOCK? Add the lines prominently to your pet food fixture and see footfall, sales and profits grow.

FELIX GOODY BAG ORIGINAL MIX; FELIX GOODY BAG SEASIDE MIX Case size: 8x60g WSP: £4.39 RSP: £1.00 PM POR: 34.2% December 2019 TalkingShop

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PMPs coming soon!

UK’s

UK’s

No.1

No.1 Spray

Bathroom Spray*

*

*Source: IRI Volume share UK/HSC Sprays & UK/HSC Bathroom Sprays Categories 52 weeks ending 31/7/2019

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

A retailer’s guide to Assistance Dogs

Over 7,000 people in the UK rely on an assistance dog to help them with a range of disabilities, not just impaired sight, so it’s vital that your staff are able to recognise and welcome them.

D

id you know that in recent years the use of dogs to assist people with disabilities has gone beyond the universally recognised guide dogs for the blind and partially-sighted people?

Today there are around 7,000 handicapped people in the UK who rely on assistance dogs

for support, and not all of these disabilities are instantly recognisable to you and your team.

There are guide dogs and hearing dogs but there are also other types including posttraumatic stress dogs, autism assistance dogs, epilepsy assistance dogs, guide dogs for war veterans and many more.

To help retailers identify an assistance dog, most will wear a coloured jacket relating to the specific disability of their owner. It’s worth familiarising yourself and your team with these coloured jackets so that you will ready and able to help any shoppers who may need a little more support when they visit your store.

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{

It would be unlawful to refuse access to a disabled person accompanied by an assistance dog except in the most exceptional circumstances.

}

FAQs

What are assistance dogs used for?

There are guide dogs and hearing dogs but there are also other types including post traumatic stress dogs, autism assistance dogs and many more.

How can a retailer identify an assistance dog?

Most will wear a coloured jacket – see below.

How can a retailer show they welcome assistance dogs?

Firstly, by changing any ‘guide dogs are welcome’ signs to ‘assistance dogs are welcome’. It’s also worth training staff about the jacket colours.

Is it safe to have assistance dogs near food?

Yes. They are regularly vaccinated and checked by vets. They are also very well trained. They won’t pick up food or make a mess.

It’s also important that you use signage in the store highlighting that assistance dogs are welcome. If you already have a ‘guide dogs are welcome’ sticker or poster, best practice is to replace it with a more inclusive ‘assistance dogs are welcome’ version. A small but very important detail.

It’s also worth noting that assistance dogs are not pets. They are highly

trained, will not wander freely around the premises and will sit or lie quietly on the floor next to their owner.

Additionally, they are carefully trained to go to the toilet on command and so are unlikely to foul in your store or in any public place.

Disabled people who use assistance dogs sometimes experience discrimination that prevents them from doing everyday

Assistance dog jacket colours...

GREEN Dogs for Good BLUE Guide dogs, Veterans with Support Dogs RED

Medical Detection Dogs/Dog Aid

YELLOW The Seeing Dogs Alliance PURPLE Hearing Dogs/Canine Partners

www.assistancedogs.org.uk 50 TalkingShop

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things other people take for granted.

This can be because shops, restaurants and other businesses sometimes object to assistance dogs being brought onto their premises.

By refusing access, business are not only losing the business of that customer, they are also risking claims of disability discrimination, which could result in financial compensation.

The Equality Act 2010 says it is unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person in a number of ways, either directly or indirectly.

This could be as simple as enforcing a ‘no dogs’ policy or for failing to make reasonable adjustments to your store to make it easier for shoppers with assistance dogs to enter or use your store.

The Act is aimed to ensure people with disabilities to have the same right to services supplied by shops, banks, hotels, libraries, pubs, taxis and restaurants as everyone else.

It is occasionally assumed that there are valid cultural or hygiene-related issues around admitting assistance

dogs into stores, particularly those serving food to go.

Neither of these assumptions are correct and neither are viewed as a legitimate defences against noncompliance in the eyes of the law, according to the Assistance Dogs charity.

Cultural and religious beliefs are highly sensitive subjects however and the charity advises common sense and tact should be used by all involved.

Similarly, concerns exist around hygiene but retailers can be assured that assistance dogs are are regularly vaccinated and checked by vets. They are also very well trained and won’t pick up food or make a mess.

One of the best ways to find out what changes you might want to make to your store to meet the requirements of the law is to talk to your shoppers who have disabilities as they will give you invaluable information about how the design of your premises affects their ability to use your services.

A little effort can go a very long way in making sure that your store is as welcoming and accessible for all.

WHY SHOULD ASSISTANCE DOGS AND OWNERS ALWAYS BE ALLOWED INTO YOUR STORE?

WHAT DOES THE LAW

SAY?

Guide dog and assistance dog owners have important rights under the Equality Act 2010 (EA). The EA provides for people with disabilities to have the same right to services supplied by shops, banks, hotels, libraries, pubs, taxis and restaurants as everyone else.

Service providers such as retailers also have to make “reasonable adjustments” for guide dog and assistance dog owners.

In 2004 the law was extended to state that service providers have to consider making changes to “physical features” which make it unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use their services.

What the law means?

It is against the law for service providers to treat people with disabilities less favourably because of their disability, or because they have a guide or assistance dog with them. Making “reasonable adjustments” might mean giving extra help, such as guiding someone to a certain part of your store, or making some changes to the way you provide your services to make it easier for disabled people to use them.

This also includes allowing guide dogs and assistance dogs into all public places with their owners.

Disabled people rely on their assistance dogs to assist them with everyday tasks and would find it hard to manage without them. It would be unlawful to refuse access to a disabled person accompanied by an assistance dog except in the most exceptional circumstances. For example, in certain hospital wards.

Assistance dogs as well as being trained to carry out tasks can also provide emotional and psychological wellbeing and improve the confidence of disabled people who use them.

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BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

CCTV: are you registered?

Did you know that if you process personal information including CCTV for crime prevention or detection purposes, you need to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office?

I

t’s largely a fact of life these days that independent retailers rely on CCTV as a powerful way to both prevent and detect crime in their stores. What is perhaps less well known, however, is that since the 25th of May 2018 all retailers who use CCTV for these purposes in their stores are obliged to register with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) – and pay a data protection fee – or risk heavy fines.

Under the Data Protection (Charges and Information) Regulations 2018, individuals and organisations that process personal data – including

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CCTV footage – must pay this data protection fee.

All retailers who obtain, record, store, update or share any personal information that can be used to identify any living individual must be compliant with these regulations.

Good information handling makes good business sense, of course. By being fully compliant you will enhance your business’s reputation as well as increasing customer and employee confidence. By making sure personal information is accurate, relevant and safe, you will also save both time and money.

GDPR: A RETAILER’S BASIC GUIDE The Information Commissioner’s Office provides a simple self-assessment guide that retailers can follow to establish how well they comply with data protection law.

Use the checklist below to improve your understanding of data protection and find out what you need to do to make sure you are keeping people’s personal data secure: 1

Do you have a record of what personal data you hold? Do you know what you use it for?

2

Do people know you have their personal data and understand how you use it?

3

Do you only collect the personal data you need?

4

Do you only keep personal data for as long as it is needed?

5

Do you keep personal data accurate and up to date?

6

Do you keep personal data secure?

7

Do you have a way for people to exercise their rights regarding the personal data you hold about them?

8

Do you and your staff (if you have any) know your data protection responsibilities?

9

Do you know if you are obliged to pay a data protection fee?

This offers a quick guide to the basics of compliance but for a fuller outline of your responsibilities, why not complete the ICO’s official self-assessment form? To find it, please visit: www.ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-fee/self-assessment/

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LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

Vegan products help drive footfall, sales and profit

Vegan sausage roll a hit with shoppers 25% The recently launched Snax on the Go Vegan Sausage POR Roll has struck a chord with shoppers by meeting the growing demand for vegan and vegetarian snacking products.

Booker responded quickly to help retailers meet the growing demand for vegan and vegetarian products recently with the launch of a new own-brand Snax on the Go Vegan Sausage Roll. The vegan sausagestyle product also fits perfectly within the chilled food to go category, which is itself in growth, and offers shoppers on specialised diets even more choice when they visit their local Premier store. Yet another great way to target a new shopper base and grow sales and profits with the new line delivering 25%

POR for retailers. There are more shoppers than ever choosing to adhere to a vegan diet or flexitarians who wish to simply reduce the amount of meat and dairy products they consume on a weekly basis.

This new product offers them a fresh, tasty alternative from a trusted own brand. As with the entire Snax on the Go range, the Vegan Sausage Roll combines great quality with superb value and is price-marked at just £1.

Siting the new line within the chilled food to go fixture has helped many Premier

retailers draw more vegan and vegetarian shoppers into the category, as well as those shoppers simply looking for a meat-free tasty alternative.

SNAX ON THE GO VEGAN SAUSAGE ROLL CASE SIZE: 6 X 120G WSP: £4.50 RSP: £1.00 PM POR: 25.0%

shopper’s view…

Steve Cable, Newcastle I’ll be honest and say I’m not actually a vegan or even a vegetarian myself but I have been trying over the last year or so to reduce the amount of meat I eat on a weekly basis.

The fact that there are more and more vegan and vegetarian options appearing on the shelves of my local Premier store is fantastic news on that front. The Snax on the Go range is brilliant and I’ve tried quite a few products from the range but I particularly love the Vegan Sausage Roll because it tastes amazing and it’s brilliant value at just £1! I know that a lot of my friends are eating less meat and dairy so I think it’s a great move and the more choice we have the better.

RETAILER VIEW

IN SUMMARY

RETAILER VIEW

1

ANOTHER FANTASTIC ADDITION TO THE FAST-GROWING VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN RANGE AVAILABLE FROM BOOKER.

2

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT NEW SHOPPERS TO YOUR DOOR WHILE ALSO SECURING A 25% POR.

3

GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY FOR SHOPPERS AT JUST £1 WITH A PROMINENT PRICE-MARK TO ATTRACT ATTENTION.

4

CAPITALISES ON THE GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR BOTH VEGAN PRODUCTS AND THE CHILLED CATEGORY IN GENERAL.

MOHAMMED IRSHAD Premier Hillend Road, Inverkeithing, Fife “It’s pretty clear that veganism and vegetarianism has been a major trend over the last year and I don’t think it’s one that’s going to go away. As shoppers get more interested in what they eat and where their food comes from, products like the Snax on the Go Vegan Sausage Roll will become more and more important to us as Premier retailers.

“I think it’s really important that we have a good range of meat and dairy-free products available for our shoppers because they expect to be able to find them everywhere they go these days.”

RETAILER VIEW STEVEN MAHAL Premier Cinderhill, Nottingham “As Premier retailers we’ve always got to stay up with the latest shopper trends and demands and at the moment that definitely includes veganism and vegetarianism, as well as dairy-free products which are increasingly popular.

“The Snax on the Go Vegan Sausage Roll is a perfect addition because it offers shoppers a great combination of value and quality and means that they can pick up a tasty snack at a great price as part of their breakfast or lunch. Products like these let us attract new shoppers and drive up basket spend.”

IMTIYAZ MAHMODE Wych Lane Premier, Gosport “For me, the Snax on the Go Vegan Sausage Roll ticks all the boxes. It’s great value, it’s great quality and it sits right in the middle of a couple of growth trends with both the vegan category and the wider chilled food to go category both growing well.

“The product is also exactly what my shoppers expect from my store because it gives them a top quality product at a fantastic price. There are lots of reasons why a shopper might want to buy a vegan sausage roll rather so it’s my job to make sure I’m offering them a good choice of products they want.”

RETAILER VIEW ASIF AKHTAR Premier Smeaton Stores, Kirkcaldy “Veganism has become one of those megatrends in the last year and there seem to be so many shoppers trying to live a little healthier and eat a bit less meat, so we need to be able to give them great choices. The Snax on the Go Vegan Sausage Roll does exactly that and I’ve been surprised by the shoppers that have been buying them. I didn’t know we had so many vegan shoppers! To be honest, I think the product just looks so good that my customers are interested in it and see it as maybe an interesting new choice for breakfast or lunch.”

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THE UK’s NO.1 CHILLED COFFEE BRAND

*

AVAILABLE NOW *Data source: Nielsen June 2019

GroceryAid | GUEST COLUMN

Booker Employee Relations Manager Steve Peace highlights the invaluable support that GroceryAid can provide you and your staff in times of need.

Real help for real problems

LPLINE l 24/7 HE 2 1122 0 8 0808 L NFIDENTIA l FREE CO ADVICE UPPORT l CRISIS S CIAL RM FINAN l LONG TE E ASSISTANC

GroceryAid is the national charity for everyone that works in the industry from the largest factory to the smallest independent store and can offer invaluable support in times in need.

G

roceryAid is the national charity that helps people across the whole of the grocery industry from the largest factory through the supply chain to the smallest independent store. The charity has been supporting the industry for 162 years and last year alone helped over 15,700 colleagues, spending £4.25m on welfare support.

The help that GroceryAid offers can make a very real difference and is available to colleagues working in the industry today as well as those who have retired. People experience difficulties in many ways and the charity has developed a range of services that can be of great help in difficult times.

Free confidential advice is available via a 24/7 freephone Helpline while crisis support and financial assistance is also available regardless of the nature of the difficulties they find themselves in.

The Helpline (online and freephone 08088 021122) provides problem solving and emotional support for a range of topics including relationship issues, career advice, basic legal matters, financial advice and debt management, support for carers and health and wellbeing

KEY SERVICES OFFERED: l FREE COUNSELLING SUPPORT – SOLVING PROBLEMS AND PROVIDING EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. THE FREEPHONE 24/7 HELPLINE OFFERS EMOTIONAL AND PRACTICAL ADVICE COVERING A RANGE OF ISSUES. (ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: FROM DAY ONE.)

l CRISIS SUPPORT – WHEN LIFE THROWS A CURVEBALL FOR UNEXPECTED EMERGENCIES, A CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES OR A SUDDEN GAP IN INCOME. (ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: TWO YEARS’ SERVICE IN THE GROCERY INDUSTRY.)

l LONGER TERM FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THOSE WITH TEN YEARS’ SERVICE IN THE GROCERY INDUSTRY, WHO ARE UNABLE TO WORK OR HAVE CARING RESPONSIBILITIES AND MEET FINANCIAL CRITERIA. (ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: TEN YEARS’ SERVICE IN THE GROCERY INDUSTRY.)

guidance. Specialist counsellors are also available to help those who have been impacted by a critical incident in the workplace.

Crisis support is there to help

with unexpected emergencies such as illness, relationship breakdowns and redundancy.

Financial assistance can be short or longer term and can include quarterly grant payments, winter heating allowances or funding for essential items such as white goods and mobility items. All financial grants are subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

An addition to these core services, GroceryAid works with a number of professional support organisations and can help in a range of different ways from telephone counselling and can help in a number of different ways through the provision of telephone counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and numerous guides, helpful hints, tips and useful phone numbers.

The charity can also help with Health & Wellbeing issues, Family Relationship support, Carers Support, Legal Advice, Back to Work support and Debt Advice.

The help that GroceryAid offers can make a very real difference.

Real lives. Real problems. Real help.

You can find out more about how GroceryAid can help at www.groceryaid.org.uk or by calling 01252 875925.

Alternatively you can email welfare@groceryaid.org.uk December 2019 TalkingShop

57

BUY NOW

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Colleague Survey 2019 | ACS Viewpoint

James Lowman The independent retailing sector provides flexible working opportunities like no other.

Despite myriad challenges, the independent retailing sector remains a vital source of felxible employment for the UK economy.

W

e often talk about the value of our sector and the vital role that convenience stores play in local communities, and while it may seem like an obvious thing to say, it is important to remember that these stores could not operate the way that they do without the colleagues who run them.

Our sector continues to provide flexible and secure jobs for hundreds of thousands of people across the UK, and we are proud of the genuine two-sided flexibility that our sector offers. More than two-thirds (69%) of colleagues are given at least two weeks’ notice of their work schedules which is especially important when you consider that many will be balancing other life commitments too.

We know, not only from talking to retailers on a daily basis, but from our annual Colleague Survey that our sector is a positive place to work.

According to our 2019 Colleague Survey, most colleagues in convenience stores are also satisfied with their job overall (69%), and when thinking about future almost twothirds of colleagues plan to stay with their current employer.

Realistically, how many sectors can say the same thing? I’m thinking that it is very few.

Local shops provide customers not It is right, and justified, that the only with their daily groceries but they Government looks at poor employment also act as a social hub for customers practices including the one-sided flexibility who may be more vulnerable or of gig economy jobs, which our sector is isolated. And this social interaction increasingly competing against, but this benefits both the customers and the needs to be done with caution. colleagues. When asked, colleagues While there is no denying that the playing in our sector said that the best things field needs to be levelled it is vital that any about the working in the sector are employment measures do not impose new social interaction with customers, administrative burdens on local shops who colleagues and being able to work as already provide secure and flexible jobs to part of the community. their local communities.

Although our sector is a positive and Our colleagues are committed to the stores valuable place to work, it is important that they work in and the customers that they to mention that there are some serve, but sadly it is the case the many of you challenges that local shops face on a reading will have experienced an incident of daily basis, notably operational issues violence or abuse at work. such as rising wage costs and crime.

It is shocking that 83% of colleagues have Since the introduction of the experienced verbal abuse in the past year National Living Wage, we have and that there were 10,000 incidents been hearing from retailers of violence against shopworkers. It IF YOU how they have had to make is completely unacceptable that WOULD LIKE TO difficult decisions about people working in our sector GET INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL WORK OF ACS cutting back on staff are facing instances of violent hours, investment plans and abusive behaviour simply ....................... CALL ...................... and in some cases, while trying to do their job.

01252 515 001 overall staff numbers Keeping all of this in mind, ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... to afford the annual this is why we need to see www.acs.org.uk increases. action from the Government There has been a lot of which introduces measures that talk from the Government about provide shopworkers with the support introducing measures that tackle and protection that they need. poor employment practices, some of Convenience retailers continue to invest which are present in other parts of the in their stores and their staff, but the sector labour market, with a particular focus needs support from the Government to on quality, security and pay in certain ensure that it remains a positive place to roles. work.

December 2019 TalkingShop

59

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.

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offer ends: 18/02/20

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each YOUR MIND? eachRETAILERS PUT each THEIR QUESTIONS TO PREMIER WHAT’S ON

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Vegan sales only on a roll

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We’re still seeing really £5.25 strong demand for vegan and vegetarian products 9 Rolls which is great in the store, news. It’s also great to see Premier continually expanding its range. Will this continue to be a trend in 2020? better than MOHAMMED half priceIRSHAD, PREMIER HILLEND RD, INVERKEITHING

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Value January ahead?

Our local community

retailers boost spend. The focus MARTYN PARKINSON, will be on value in early 2020 so BRAND DIRECTOR – making great use of Meal Deals, PREMIER SAID: It seems Everyday Essentials deals and very likely that shoppers will our special ‘All this for £5’ deals tighten @MyLocalPremier their belts in January www.premier-stores.co.uk will help grow spend and deliver but Premier has plenty of shopper value at the same time. initiatives in place to help C0/M0/Y0/K70

C60/M0/Y40/K20

Time for a fresh start to 2020?

We always try to make use of the slight lull after the Christmas storm to take a fresh look at the store and take care of lots of little jobs that can often go undone at busier periods in the year. Do you have any advice to offer on where we should be focusing?

SEELAN THAMBIRAJAH, PREMIER GOSWICK ROAD, BEDFORD

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – 45 Wash PREMIER SAID: It’s difficult to predict what the future will bring but it certainly looks likely that vegan and vegetarian products will continue to be popular in Premier stores.

We’re seeing good demand in many stores and that’s why we will continue adding new lines to meet that demand. The latest is PROUD our Snax onTO the SERVE Go Vegan Sausage Roll which has been hugely popular with a wide range of shoppers. Our focus on quality and value helps drive vital repeat sales.

£2

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ROMEL SOHA, PREMIER THE SHIP, GATESHEAD

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MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: The first month or two in the new year is a great time to take a fresh look at your store. Take some time to make sure all your health, safe and legal obligations are in place and also spend a day or two giving the entire store some attention to ensure it’s looking as good as possible for the year ahead. See p49 for more great advice.

December 2019 TalkingShop

61

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More of your customers will look to quit cigarettes.

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That’s why there’s never been a better time to start stocking HEETS.

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This product is not risk free. For adult use only. HEETS are specifically designed to be used with IQOS.

CELEBRATE CELEBRATE IN IN ITALIAN ITALIAN STYLE STYLE THIS THIS CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS STOCK STOCKTHE THENO.1 NO.1 SUPER SUPERPREMIUM PREMIUMLAGER LAGERNOW NOW* *

AVAILABLE AVAILABLEININ2 2x x1010x x330ML 330ML

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Talking Shop

Issue 104 December 2019