Talking Shop Issue 93 February 2018

Talking Shop ISSUE 93 – February 2018

The magazine for Premier retailers

PLUS

Russian revolution Russian-born Northamptonshire retailer revitalises the family store by joining Premier TS.indd 1

Meal Deal Bonanza

Premier Meal Deals drive footfall, sales and profits

Be a winner!

Your guide to entering and winning awards 20/02/2018 15:01:58

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MAINSTREAM

Granulated or powdered entry level instant coffee

-7% CATEGORY DECLINE*

MAINSTREAM 2.9p PER CUP**

PREMIUM

Freeze dried instant coffee

WHOLEBEAN INSTANT

The best quality tier, including freeze dried coffee with finely ground whole beans

12% CATEGORY GROWTH*

+33% CATEGORY GROWTH*

PREMIUM 3.9p PER CUP**

WHOLEBEAN INSTANT 5.2p PER CUP**

*Nielsen- Total Impulse- 52 w/e 30.12.17 **Nielsen- Total Market- 52 w/e 30.12.17

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Talking Shop | February 2018

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE 93 – Februa

ry 2018

Welcome to the first issue of

The magazine

Talking Shop for 2018. It’s an

for Premier reta

ilers

exciting time to be a Premier retailer with lots of great opportunities ahead for us all in the coming year.

One such opportunity and one we believe is already having a massively beneficial impact is the growth of our range of Premier Meal Deals. Feedback from retailers suggests that the Sandwich Meal Deal and Frozen Meal Deal are being received enthusiastically by shoppers too. The newer Evening Meal Deal also looks set to be a great way of driving footfall, sales and profits.

You can find out more about the Meal Deals in this issue.

The continued growth of our Discover the Choice own label chilled range is another great opportunity for retailers. It’s clear that both retailers and shoppers love the range and it’s easy to see why. The combination of great quality and fantastic value is perfect for today’s marketplace. Again, you can read more about this inside.

The new year is traditionally a great time to take a fresh look at your store which is why we have included

Russian revolution

Russian-born Northampton shir retailer revital ises the family e by joining Pre store mier

PLUS

Meal Deal Bonanza

Premier Meal Deals drive footfall, sales and profits

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Be a winner!

Your guide to ent and winning ering awards

COVER STORY From Russia with ambition.

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THE THREE BIG STORIES 33 Meal deals

Three separate Meal Deals will grow footfall, sales and profits.

45 Time for a refresh?

New year is a great time to take a fresh look at your store.

49 Be a winner!

A hands-on guide to entering industry awards.

a New Year Revamp article in this issue - and if you are thinking about refreshing the store, why not consider entering some of the industry awards out there, with the help of a ‘how to’ guide you’ll find on page 49?

Let’s make 2018 a great year. Good trading.

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director Premier

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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.

February 2017

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54

18

EPoS gets upgrades

Coming back stronger

43 Cashing in on Easter

39

29

Ones To Watch

Cleaning up this spring

7

Premier News Premier Whitsone hosts ACS Rural Shop Report Launch.

9

News Edinburgh Premier sees growth despite Aldi moving next door.

11 Community News

22 Growth in a mature store Despite 30 years of history, a Doncaster store sees immediate growth with Premier.

24 Fresh challenge for kent retailer After a decade in forecourts, Kent

Premier store sells £100k

retailer regains his passion after

scratchcard.

joining Premier.

13 Industry News

29 Clean up at spring!

43 Prices Down A range of £1, £2, £3 and £5 Easter eggs set to light up the season.

45 New year, fresh start The new year is a great time to take a fresh look at every aspect of your store.

49 Rewarding activity Entering industry awards has lots of benefits for Premier retailers.

54 Tech update

Darwin £10 note extinct and sugar

The annual spring clean presents

tax implications explained.

retailers with a great chance to

Premier preferred EPoS supplier

drive up sales and profits.

TRDP updates its software,

15 From Russia with ambition

33 Meal Deals flying

hardware and service offering.

61 Guest Column

Russian-born retailer finds success

Premier’s range of three separate

with Premier in Northampton.

Meal Deals is going from strength

Kirkcaldy retailer Asif Akhtar

to strength.

discusses the vital importance of

18 Turning challenges into opportunities

39 Ones to Watch

community engagement.

63 ACS View

Carlisle retailer defies two

Some of the latest products to hit

catastrophic floods to come back

the shelves including an improves

Chief Executive James Lowman on

stronger.

Snax On The Go range.

the importance of rural stores.

February 2017 TalkingShop

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PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Premier Whitsone hosts launch of Rural Shop Report Premier retailer and PDG member Dan Cock welcomed a high-powered delegation to his store in Cornwall recently to launch the ACS’s important Rural Shop Report.

INBRIEF PREMIER ALDERMOOR GETS BEHIND LOCAL SCHOOL

RURAL AFFAIRS: Dan with his local MP Scott Mann.

Big-hearted Premier retailer Rajinder Saghera and his family presented their local school with a cheque for £450 recently after hosting a raffle to raise much needed funds.

The family, who run Premier Aldermoor Convenience Store in Coxford in Southampton, organised a raffle to win one of three special hampers.

The raffle raised £450 and the money was donated to the nearby Rosewood Free School

PDG member Dan Cock’s Premier Whitstone Stores in Cornwall was chosen recently as the perfect venue for the launch of the Rural Shop Report by independent retailing industry body the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).

The highly innovative store was chosen as a fantastic example of what ACS Chief Executive James Lowman described as “modern convenience store innovation at its best: starting from what the community needs, and building a facility that is right for that

location”.

The Rural Shop report highlights the vital role that independent stores play in sustaining thriving rural economies and communities.

The launch saw local MP Scott Mann in attendance, as well as ACS Head of Policy & Public Affairs, Ed Woodall.

Dan told Talking Shop: “It was fantastic to support the ACS Rural Shop Report. The Report is a very important piece of work because it recognises for the first time the clear difference and unique

importance of rural independent retailers and the specific challenges rural stores face.

“It’s particularly important that the ACS has stepped in to prioritise this issue following the recent sad loss of the Rural Shops Alliance.

“I would like to thank everyone who made this possible and say how pleased I am that Premier has been able to fly the flag for rural stores across the country. I would also like to single out Scott Mann MP for his continued support of vital rural businesses.”

for children with profound learning difficulties.

Rajinder told Talking Shop: “This is a community project that we do every year and we are just delighted to be able to help out where we can.”

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

February 2017 TalkingShop

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News

INBRIEF Important Reminder: NEW GUIDANCE TO HELP REDUCE FOOD WASTE

Surcharges are now illegal

Sustainability experts WRAP have published new guidance on best practice when it comes to managing food waste. The guidance offers up to date advice on the choice and application of date labels and storage.

The goal is to make packaging much clearer for shoppers to help them save money and reduce waste.

WRAP is also calling for the freezing ‘snowflake’ logo to be reinstated where it may previously have been removed. This will remind shoppers that you can freeze food right up to its best before date rather than only on day of purchase.

The guidance also introduces for the first time a

Carl Churchill, Managing Director of NetPay Solutions Group, is reminding Premier retailers that levying surcharges for card payments is now against the law. He advises: “Implementing a surcharge for people using debit or credit cards became illegal on13th January, 2018. It is important that retailers who take card payments are aware of this change in law. Whilst consumers often snubbed surcharging, the process is now

illegal so those breaking the law may face penalties. There are bound to be examples made of those flouting the law, especially with the increased likelihood of customers reporting such charges to Trading Standards - there is very little point in taking the risk.

“It will still be legal to set a minimum spend on cards such as £5 or £10, which may be one way to help businesses that take smaller payments avoid absorbing the costs. We are

aware that many businesses are facing narrowing profit margins, the impact of living wage, rate rises and general increases in the cost of doing business and will find the charges hard to absorb and need to respond.

“At NetPay we will continue to offer the opportunity for merchants to effectively manage this cost and have a partnership with Booker for those looking to take advantage of preferential rates. We offer businesses the opportunity to compare costs with their current supplier”.

This is an ideal opportunity to review your existing contract and rates. Contact NetPay for a free, no obligation cost comparison on 0800 043 5990 or take a look at their website at www.netpay.co.uk/booker

new ‘Little Blue Fridge’ icon for foods that should be kept chilled, or would benefit from being kept in the fridge.

New data rules drawing near

Premier offers the following tips to retailers to reduce food waste in their stores: l Follow the storage guidelines on the packs l Ensure items are reduced to clear as they get near to their best before/use by date l Find a local charity that provides food to the needy in the community to donate products to that have not sold. This reduces waste and bin charges.

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The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on 25th May 2018 and will impact upon the way Premier retailers collect, use and store personal data of any description.

The GDPR replaces the current Data Protection Act and requires all organisations to be more accountable and more transparent with personal data.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the body in charge of monitoring compliance, is helping small businesses by offering a wide

range of dedicated products and services to help them prepare for the new data laws.

If you would like to find out more about these changes will affect you, the following resources are available online at www.ico.org.uk: l A ‘Getting ready for the GDPR’ self-help checklist to help you work out what you need to do. l Answers to the questions most frequently asked by small businesses. l A dedicated GDPR helpline on 0303 123 1113, option 4.

February 2017

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News

Premier sees sales increase despite Aldi moving in next door Edinburgh Premier retailers defy the odds by posting a sales increase after Aldi opened a store next door in November.

INBRIEF CASH IN ON FOOD WEEKS! With a number of different themed ‘food weeks’ planned for 2018, Talking Shop is

Edinburgh Premier retailer and PDG member Dennis Williams has defied the odds by posting an increase in sales over the festive period, despite Aldi opening a huge new store next door in November.

Dennis and wife Linda were over the moon to discover that sales over the Christmas period were actually up 4% year on year. Even though new year sales fell 3% on the previous year’s figures, the net increase of 1% is a remarkable achievement.

Dennis told Talking Shop: “We had to run the numbers two or three times because we simply couldn’t believe we’d actually grown sales with Aldi next door. We had done all that we could to prepare for the arrival of the discounter

suggesting Premier retailers to get involved by planning activity around them to generate excitement and interest and drive up footfall, sales and profits. It’s a great way of generating strong social media content for your store and it’s also a good way of getting into local and regional newspapers who are often interested in local activities like this. You can find our about all events planned at www.awarenessdays.co.uk but we have highlighted a few upcoming days that may be of interest:

but we still fully expected to see a sharp fall in sales – so to post an increase, even if it is only 1%, is absolutely phenomenal.”

The couple, who have been

in the store for over 30 years, put the success down to a great plan, strong promotions especially on chocolates and alcohol, in-store events and good use of social media.

Frozen food category growth offers opportunities for retailers The retail frozen food sector finished the year on a high maintaining impressive growth that saw it exceed the £6bn milestone for the first time ever in 2017.

The news comes hot on the heels of the launch of Premier’s new Frozen Meal Deal that is creating new opportunities to drive up footfall, sales and profits from the category.

Statistics from Kantar Worldpanel for the year to 3rd December show that the value

of frozen sales was up 6.1% and volume increased 2% creating an additional £64m worth of value for the sector.

Star performing categories were savoury food up 8.8%

in value, closely followed by ice cream at 8.5%. Frozen vegetables and fish also recorded significant value growth of 7.2% and 6.7% respectively.

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director - Premier, commented: “Frozen food is a key growth opportunity that we have identified. This is why we introduced the Premier Frozen Meal Deal and we see it as a great way for retailers to drive up footfall, sales and profits in their stores.”

Real Bread Week 24th February Fairtrade Fortnight 26th February Time For A Cuppa Day 1st March The Great British Spring Clean 2nd March British Pie Week 5-11th March Disabled Access Day 10th March National Butchers Week 12-18th March If you do decide to get involved, be sure to let Talking Shop know by emailing talkingshop@55north.com

February 2017 TalkingShop

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CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Gloucester Premier store sells £100,000 winning scratchcard South Cerney Premier retailer hoping for a big rise in scratchcard sales after a regular customer collected a cool £100,000 from a card redeemed at his store.

INBRIEF KIRKCALDY PREMIER OFFERS HELPING HAND TO HOMELESS

Big-hearted Kirkcaldy Premier retailers Asif and Abada Akhtar have partnered with their local Council to provide much needed accommodation for DRINK TO THAT!: Donald Miles and his wife celebrate their win with Premier retailer John Porter (centre).

local homeless families.

Asif and Abada, who own and run Premier Smeaton Stores, welcomed the families

Gloucestershire Premier retailer John Porter was almost as surprised as his lucky customer in January when he learned that a scratchcard redeemed in his store was worth a cool £100,000.

The winning scratchcard was bought by regular customer Donald Miles who has now retired in style after collecting his winnings.

Donald and his wife were planning to retire in four years’ time when she reached retirement age – but their plans have changed dramatically after the major win from the card bought at John’s Premier South Cerney store.

“We couldn’t believe it when we heard,” John told Talking Shop. “We started to hear some

rumours because Donald bought the ticket but didn’t actually check whether he’d won or not for over a week. Then he appeared in the store one day and it was just a wonderful experience.

We didn’t even know what to do with the ticket as we’ve never had a win that big before!”

John contacted National Lottery organisers Camelot who verified the ticket and instructed the winning couple on how to collect their cash.

Winner Donald said: “We’ve lived in this village for 50 years and to get our winning scratchcard from our local shop is just the icing on the cake and we’re really pleased to be able to celebrate our win with them.”

to properties they own near the store in the run up to Christmas to give them a comfortable festive period.

Asif told Talking Shop: “We converted a derelict building we own into three-bedroom houses to be used as temporary accommodation for homeless families. It’s not an affluent area so we wanted to do something to help our local community.”

They worked with the local Council and four families

Premier retailers secure global coverage Swansea Premier retailers Jonathan and Teri Baylis who run Premier Linkside Stores in the city secured global media coverage of their branding recently. The local Bishopton Under-13s football team they sponsor were used as mascots for the Swansea City versus

Manchester United match which was covered by Sky Sports.

Jonathan told Talking Shop: “We sponsor a couple of local teams and we couldn’t believe it when we learned one of them would be getting beamed around the globe with our logo on their shirts! I’m a Swansea City seaon ticket holder too, so it was an amazing day!”

moved in during December.

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

February 2017 TalkingShop

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BUY A PACK. HELP END THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS.

1 = 12 LIMITED EDITION PACK

MONTHS OF CLEAN WATER*

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Sharing Please drink responsibly. ©2018 AB InBev UK Limited, all rights reserved. *For each bottle or can sold, Stella Artois will donate £0.05 to water.org.

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IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Darwin £10 note nears extinction – are you ready?

The old style Darwin £10 note will no longer be legal tender after 1st March 2018 – so it’s vital that Premier retailers have everything in place to ensure a smooth transition.

INBRIEF SUGAR TAX: HOW WILL IT AFFECT YOU? The new soft drinks sugar levy comes into force from 6th April 2018.

The tax was introduced in the April 2016 Budget and applies to the production

The Bank of England will withdraw legal tender status of the paper £10 note featuring Charles Darwin on 1st March 2018. After that date Premier retailers no longer have to accept the Darwin £10 note as payment or in change and the new polymer note featuring Jane Austen will be the only £10 note with legal tender status.

The Bank of England is encouraging retailers and businesses to carry out the following steps in good time: l Clear out your safes. Start banking your paper £10s now. l Update your machines. Ensure you know which cash handling machines are being operated by your business and check whether an adaptation is required with your supplier. l Check your note supply arrangement with your bank. Understand whether they will continue to accept paper £10 notes after the

and importation of soft drinks containing added sugar.

The Levy applies in two different bands: a lower rate will be applied to drinks with a total sugar content of 5mg to 7.99mg per 100ml; a higher rate applies to drinks with 8g

withdrawal date on 1st March. l Train your staff. An A4 poster is available to support staff training on withdrawal and available to download or order, free of charge.

It can also be displayed in the shop front and is available at www.bankofengland.co.uk l Manage your customers’ expectations. If you have not been able to adapt your machines before the note is withdrawn, have a process in place so that customers can exchange old notes if they are dispensed in change.

or more per 100ml.

While retailers retain full control over their pricing, if they choose to maintain cash margin and pass on the tax in full to the shopper, the following price increases will apply: l 330ml can: lower rate – 7p; higher rate – 10p. l 500ml PET: lower rate – 11p;

‘No adverse effects from longterm vaping’, finds study

higher rate – 14p. l 1.75l PET: lower rate – 38p; higher rate – 50p.

An important new study based on a 24 month clinical trial has found no negative health impact on smokers who used vaping products, and no increase in body weight, news that was welcomed by the independent retailing industry.

The study examined 209 volunteer smokers who used a typical closedsystem e-cigarette for 24 months.

“This study shows that after two years of continual e-cigarette use, there were no signs of serious health complications in smokers,” said Tanvir Walele, Director of Scientific Affairs at Fontem Ventures, the owner

of e-cigarette brand blu.

Further, the use of the vaping products was associated with a reduction in nicotine withdrawal symptoms, reduced exposure to cigarette smoke constituents, and no increase in body weight.

“Governments and policy-makers should now ensure that regulatory frameworks reflect this emerging scientific consensus, as more long term research demonstrates the safety profile of e-cigarettes,” said Walele. “This research suggests we need e-cigarette regulation that is not modelled on tobacco product regulation.”

l 2l PET: lower rate – 43p; higher rate – 58p.

Dairy and pure juices are exempt.

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

February 2017 TalkingShop

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Introducing goodnessKNOWS®. Each pack contains

4 delicious squares crafted with fruits and nuts, then dipped in dark chocolate.

4.6m planned media spend!

10% of profits go to a good cause ®/™/Design/Mars ©Mars 2017.

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New goodnessKNOWS® comes in 3 delicious flavours: Cranberry & Almond, Blueberry & Almond and Apple, Peanut & Almond.

Visit www.whatisgoodnessknows.co.uk for more information

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Northampton | STORE PROFILE

From Russia with ambition

Russian-born Northampton retailer Adil Sadygov and his mother have fought hard over the last decade to establish their store in the fast-growing village of Roade – and joining Premier just a couple of months ago has been just what the store needed to help the pair achieve their long-held ambitions.

W

hen Northampton Premier retailer Adil Sadygov and his mother Raisa first arrived in the UK from Russia in 2008 the pair had their hearts set on a career in retail, not least because Raisa had a long track record in the industry having run a retail park in Russia for many years.

“My mother’s experience in retail was invaluable when we arrived in the UK,” explains Adil. “And while it was a different type of retail experience she had, we quickly discovered that a lot of her knowledge and expertise transferred easily into independent retailing.”

With invaluable experience of running a large retail-based business, Ukranian-born Raisa insisted on taking a very ‘big business’ methodical approach to every aspect building the new business, starting with finding the right store to help them achieve their ambitions.

“We’re both quite fastidious people so when we first set out to look for a store that suited our requirements, we took a very structured approach,” recalls Adil.

At the time the pair were living in Luton but they decided not to restrict themselves geographically so cast their net far and wide. This approach was clearly more time-consuming but Adil believes that it ultimately paid dividends. “We looked at literally dozens of stores before we found the one that ticked every box – and it was in the small village of Roade in Northamptonshire,” says Adil.

The store “wasn’t in great shape” when Raisa and Adil acquired it, but they wanted a store that had potential to grow and they wanted it in an area that was growing itself. With its proximity to the M1 and within reach of several major cities, Roade was and remains a fast-growing village.

“The village is so convenient for reaching places like Birmingham and London so lots of people are choosing February 2017 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Northampton

to move here,” explains Adil. “In fact, there are another 200 houses set to be built here in the next couple of years.”

The plan went perfectly for the first few years until, by Adil’s own admission, the credit crunch hit the store’s fortunes very badly. “We had been hitting all of our aims and reaching all of our goals when the credit crunch happened and we really struggled for a few years after that.”

During that period a butcher’s shop across the road was converted into a convenience store which didn’t help, but Adil and Raisa were determined to succeed and simply worked harder than ever before.

“We finally realised however that the way forward for us was to join a fascia group,” says Adil. “And once again we took a very methodical approach to that – but it very quickly became clear from our research that Premier offered the best package for us. We were desperate to hold onto our independence and only Premier really allowed us to do that, while also offering us what I consider to be a

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UNRECOGNISABLE: Shoppers can’t believe how much the store has changed.

FOOTFALL DRIVERS: Adil believes the promotions have been key to footfall growth.

ALL CHANGE: Everything but the ceiling was changed in the recent refit.

PERFECT MIX: The combination of big brands and great own label works for the store’s shoppers.

HOW YOU’VE CHANGED: Shoppers have even posted photos of the new shop on Facebook to show how much they like it.

February 2017

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

Store CV:

GROCERY MATTERS: In a small village, a good grocery range is key.

HANDS ON: Hard work and smart thinking are behind the store’s success.

IMPACT FIXTURE: The store uses Happy Shopper lines to create impact.

ALL SMILES: Adil’s shoppers have never been happier!

Name: Premier Express Raisa & Sons, Roade Village, Northamptonshire Retailers: Raisa and Adil Sadygov Time as retailers: 10 years Time with Premier: 2 months Size: 900 sq ft Staff: 2 Services: licensed, Lottery, Health Lottery, Payzone, coffee machine, parcel services Nearest competition: 2 other small stores in village Trading hours: 6.30am – 7pm Mon to Sat; 8am – 4pm Sun

market-leading range and promotional package.”

Adil accepted that to take the store to the next level would require significant investment and was happy to commit to it. “When we were talking to Premier they made it clear that we needed to bring the store up to modern standards and we were fully on board. We knew it was the right thing to do.”

The store signed up to Premier in December and literally everything was replaced. Adil comments: “The only thing we didn’t replace was the ceiling because we had only replaced that a year ago to bring in new LED lighting. Apart from that, everything else in the store is brand new, including more than 200 new lines.”

The change was so dramatic that Adil says the refit “caused uproar” in the village! “Our shoppers were absolutely over the moon with their new Premier,” he beams. “To be fair the store is unrecognisable – and our shoppers keep telling us that. Only today one of our shoppers who lives across the road took a photo of the shop and posted it on our Facebook page saying how lovely it looks now.

That sort of thing means a lot to us.”

Despite the fact that the store gets very little passing trade and that there are two other convenience stores in

Roade, footfall was up 11% in the very first month after joining Premier.

“It’s obviously very early days,” says Adil. “We’ve only had the Premier fascia up a matter of weeks now but the response from our shoppers has been immense. You’ve got to remember that we’re in a small village with no passing trade so to get an 11% increase in footfall that quickly is an amazing result.”

Part of that growth has been driven by the success of the Premier Meal Deals which Adil believes have helped give shoppers new, compelling reasons to visit the store over the competition.

There’s no question of Adil and Raisa resting on their laurels however and they already have some innovative plans for the future. “We’re working on some interesting stuff,” concludes Adil. “We’re starting to do video content for our Facebook page including testimonials from shoppers, which I believe will really improve engagement. We have a strong digital strategy that we think will bring more shoppers to us and we’re also looking at bringing in a lot more locally sourced produce like butchery and bakery lines.

“We’re never content to just stand still and with Premier behind us the future looks very bright for us.”

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STORE PROFILE | Carlisle

Turning adversity into

opportunity PASS IT ON BILLY OFFERS THE FOLLOWING ADVICE TO FELLOW PREMIER RETAILERS: l Know your customer inside out and back to front. Treat them with respect and you’ll get it back. l Do all that you can for your community and lead by example. l Have the right wholesale partner of board – as all Premier retailers do – and treat the relationship as a true partnership.

After a second disastrous flood in one of their stores, many retailers may have been tempted to admit defeat – but not Carlisle Premier retailers Billy and Jenny Bone who faced the challenge head on and turned it into an opportunity.

W

hen a major flood almost entirely wipes your store out, you can certainly think yourself unlucky.

When it happens a second time, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s time to throw in the towel and call it a day – but that’s not the approach that Carlisle multisite retailer Billy Bone took when that precise scenario happened in his store on the outskirts of the city centre.

“When it happened the first time back on the 5th of January 2005 – I’ll never forget the date – we couldn’t believe it, it was truly horrific,” recalls Billy. “The water was literally 6ft deep in the street and the floods utterly destroyed the store. Even worse, we

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had only just finished a full refit of the store literally four weeks before!

“I’m a positive man by nature though so after I’d gotten over the shock I managed to convince myself that it was all ok because we’d just had to do a full refit so all we had to do was re-order all the materials and do exactly the same refit one more time.

We were open and trading again just three weeks later.”

It’s that approach to business of turning adversity into opportunity that has seen Billy and his wife Jenny build a chain of five separate Premier stores in all corners of Carlisle over a retail career spanning more than 30 years. In the process the couple have become well known stalwarts of the local community and play a hugely active

role in a wide array of community-led activities in the area.

“We’ve been here 30 years and you don’t spend that much time in the same place without getting to know the local community pretty well,” says Billy. “We try and get involved in as much as we can and we encourage our team to do the same.

Recently they’ve done an assault course to raise money for a Crohn’s Disease charity, we’ve had BBQs and fun days. We believe that if you’re good to people and work with them, they’ll be good to you in return.”

And it’s that spirit of partnership that Billy believes has underpinned three decades of success in independent retailing, the vast majority of those years with Premier.

February 2017

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

PROMO DRIVEN: The store focuses on promotions.

MEAL DEAL: The Premier meal deals are starting to work well.

HAPPY SHOPPERS: Billy makes extensive use of own label products to drive sales.

“It’s only really when the chips are down and you face real problems that you find out who you can really rely on,” he says, “Unfortunately in 2015 we had another opportunity to find who our true friends were when we had another disastrous flood in the shop. Needless to say, we had countless offers of support from right across the community and from Booker who couldn’t have been more helpful when we really needed them.”

This time the flood struck on the 5th of December in the run up to Christmas and the flood was just as bad as the first. The water was above head height and wiped out every single item in the store as well as all of the fixtures and fittings.

“It was an absolute mess,” says Billy.

“It would have broken your heart.” But, once again, Billy and Jenny refused to be defeated, donned their wellies and got stuck in. He explains: “You do think for a brief second that maybe it’s time to call it quits but then my optimistic side quickly returned and we got a team together and got the whole shop cleared in five days, which was no mean feat if you had seen the place.”

Never one to miss an opportunity, Billy saw this latest enforced refit as a chance to

sort out some issues he’d been keen to deal with anyway, including a reworking of the Post Office in the store to introduce a new combi counter and create more sales space.

“You can see these things as huge disasters or you can choose to see them as fresh opportunities to develop the business,” he comments. “We chose to see it as an opportunity.”

The latest refit was slowed by the fact that it was almost Christmas but the store was back up and running, looking better than ever, by the 18th of January 2016 – a remarkable achievement.

But Billy’s problems – or opportunities – didn’t end there. While he had the store back up and running, hundreds upon hundreds of local houses still remained uninhabitable because of the flooding, which meant that there were far fewer shoppers around to take advantage of the re-opened store.

“You get an idea of the scale of the flooding when you consider that even now, more than a year later, 200 or so houses near the store are still empty,” says Billy.

“But we take our role at the heart of the community very seriously and we felt it was important that we led from the front

PRIME SITE: The long, narrow store faces Carlisle FC’s ground.

FREEZE FRAME: The frozen meal deal is popular.

SPACE RACE: The store packs a lot in without feeling cluttered.

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What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com and lead by example. Many of the houses may have been empty but the ones that weren’t still needed a local store for all their essentials – and we wanted to make sure they had one.”

Billy reckons that the store is still not quite back to where it once was but the progress it has made under the circumstances has been simply remarkable.

He comments: “We’re probably at about 80% or 85% of where we were before the second flood but even getting to that level is a bit of a miracle. And the truth is that we couldn’t have done it without the support of our friends and colleagues in the local community and without the help of Booker.

“Their help through this tough period was just fantastic and I’ll never forget it. I’ve always believed that you need partners who you can trust and rely on, and you in turn need to be trustworthy and reliable for them.

I feel I’ve got that relationship with Booker and Premier and when I need them they are there.”

These days the store is simply immaculate and manages to squeeze a very broad range into what is a relatively small 1,000 sq ft store. Attention to detail is evident everywhere with perfect merchandising

standards adhered to and carefully worked planogrammes to ensure that shoppers can find everything they need for the vast majority of their requirements from traditional convenience categories through to a good frozen offering, an extensive fresh and chilled range, non-food lines, a Post Office and a coffee machine.

“The only thing the store really misses is a food to go offering,” admits Billy, “But I’m an old fashioned guy with old fashioned morals and there’s a food to go place across the road from the store that’s run by a long-standing friend of mine so I wouldn’t do that to him. Other than that, we cater for most requirements and very few shoppers leave empty handed.”

The journey clearly hasn’t been an easy one for Billy and Jenny but their dedication, commitment and desire is a lesson to all Premier retailers. Billy concludes: “Everyone faces adversity in their business, that’s just a fact of life. But it’s how you face up to that adversity that defines whether you’ll be successful or not.

Smile, roll up your sleeves and get on with it. That’s what we’ve always done and it’s an approach that has served us well for three decades.”

Store CV:

Name: Premier Foreways Convenience Store Retailers: Billy and Jenny Bone Stores in chain: 5 Time as retailers: 30 years Time with Premier: 22 years Store size: 1,000 sq ft Services: Lottery, licensed, Post Office, Payzone, coffee machine, ATM Staff: 8 Nearest competition: Bargain Booze ¼ mile away; One Stop, Asda, B&M, Iceland 1 mile away Trading hours: 7am-10pm

POSTING PROFITS: The Post Office area has been reduced to increase sales space.

BIG DEAL: Prime space is given over to the best deals.

HIGH STANDARDS: In-store standards are exceptionally high.

COMMUNITY HERO: The store has been vital for locals after the flood.

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STORE PROFILE | Bawtry, Doncaster

Building on a

retail heritage The Doncaster store run by Jas and Hardy Aujla has been in the family for 30 years but in just seven months since joining Premier they have seen sales grow by over 15% – and the couple have set their sights on even bigger growth in future.

I DEAL MAKER: The Premier sandwich meal deal has been a huge hit in the store.

COOL SALES: Frozen sales have increased with new freezers and the Meal Deal.

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t could be tempting too think that a store that has been in the family for 30 years has reached maturity and probably doesn’t have much room left for growth - but fortunately that’s not the attitude that Doncaster husband and wife team Hardy and Jas Aujla took when they decided to move their store into Premier last year.

Appropriately enough, their journey together in independent retailing truly began eight years ago on their wedding day. “We had just got married and were trying to work out what we wanted to do with our new life together,” explains Jas. “We had a few options available to us but we knew that Hardy’s parents were considering retiring after running a convenience store for well over 20 years – so we got together and decided we would buy it from them.”

Since then the couple have gone on to grow the business beyond recognition as well as adding a second store which they built from the ground up three years ago.

Last July they decided to move the Bawtry store into Premier and the second store is now also in the process of joining Premier.

“We ran the Bawtry store successfully for six or seven years and it was improving steadily but it was very clear to us that the market was changing and we realised we had to change with it if we wanted to thrive and prosper in the future,” says Jas. “Shoppers have become much more discerning and demanding in the last five years or so. They want great brands and great quality products but they also want outstanding value, and they want that every time they cross the door.”

With several family members already operating stores under the Premier fascia, the pair soon decided that Premier offered the best package for the modern retail market.

Jas comments: “We had been watching Premier over the years and had seen it flourish and all we were getting from our family members with Premier stores were positive reports, so we decided to take a much closer look. It didn’t take long to decide that it was exactly what we were looking for.”

The decision made, Jas and Hardy

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

DRINK TO THAT: The alcohol section is one of the most successful areas of the store.

CUSTOMER CARE: Treating shoppers well is the key to driving footfall, says Jas.

PASS IT ON JAS HAS THE FOLLOWING ADVICE FOR FELLOW PREMIER RETAILERS: l Good, reliable, trustworthy staff are the cornerstone of a strong business. Recruit carefully and train them well. l Excellent customer service is what keeps shoppers coming back. Never lose focus on it.

TEAM WORK: Jas (right) and her team always make shoppers feel welcome.

moved quickly and in July last year the store reopened as a Premier – and the improvement in results was instantaneous.

“We started seeing growth from the very first week which was just brilliant,” recalls Jas. “We had hoped for an increase obviously but just six or seven months down the line we’re around 15% up on where we were before, and that’s against the backdrop of a tough market, so we’re delighted.”

Jas puts the growth down to a number of

DISCOVER THE PROFITS: The Discover the Choice range has been very well received.

factors including a great name above the door, an outstanding range, a market-leading own label offer and exceptional availability.

“The Premier offer is just tailor-made for today’s shopper,” she says. “Happy Shopper has been a massive hit, the new Discover the Choice range seems to be heading the same way and the promotional programme is brilliant for driving footfall, sales and profits.”

The store has also seen marked growth in the frozen category, driven partly by the installation of a new set of upright freezers and accelerated by the huge success of the Premier frozen meal deals. “The meal deals have been really strong, particularly the frozen one,” she says. “When you see what shoppers get for £5 it’s no surprise it’s such a big hit.”

While the pair have no immediate plans for a third store quite yet, they wouldn’t rule it out. Jas concludes: “We have two stores to run and a young family so we’ve got our hands full for the next while and we want to make sure both stores are as successful as possible – but then again, never say never!”

l Make sure your range is appropriate for your shopper base and remember how important value is to shoppers these days.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Bawtry Convenience Store Retailers: Jas and Hardy Aujla Store size: 1,200 sq ft Stores in chain: 2 Time as retailers: 8 years Time with Premier: 8 months Staff: 3 Services: licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, dry cleaning, Country Choice hot food, coffee machine, ATM Nearest competition: Today’s and Sainsbury’s ¼ mile away Trading hours: 8am to 9pm Mon – Sat; 8am to 8pm Sun

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STORE PROFILE | Cliftonville, Kent

A fresh start

with Premier After 17 years in forecourt retailing with constantly escalating symbol group fees, Kent retailer Sivasubramaniam Ravi decided it was time for a fresh start in a true convenience store and chose Premier as the perfect partner for his exciting new adventure.

W

FRESH START: Working with Premier gave Siva back his passion for retailing.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Summerfield Stores, Kent Retailer: Sivasubramaniam Ravi Time as a retailer: 17 years Time with Premier: 5 months Size: 600 sq ft Services: licensed, PayPoint, Collect+ Nearest competition: Co-op next door Staff: 2 Trading hours: 6am – 10pm

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LAST POST: The store was formerly a Post Office.

ith a career in independent retailing stretching back some 17 years, Kent Premier retailer Sivasubramaniam Ravi – or Siva as he is usually known – has enjoyed a long and successful period in retail. Over the last few years, however, he came to realise that the market was changing dramatically and accepted that he had to make some changes of his own if he was to continue being a successful retailer.

“I had been in forecourt retailing since I first arrived in the UK from Sri Lanka where I had been a chemistry teacher,” he explains. “When I arrived I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I had a friend in England who ran a forecourt and he offered me a job working for him. I found that I enjoyed it and ultimately went on to buy my own forecourt.”

Owning his own business gave him great satisfaction and a good living but over time the market was getting tougher and tougher while the costs of doing business also continued to rise.

“Over the last five years or so things just kept getting tougher and tougher and even after trying out a couple of other symbol groups, I found that the benefits of being part of them were outweighed by the constantly increasing fees and the loss of independence,” he says. “It just became so expensive and I no longer felt that I controlled my own business that I started to think that it was time for a radical change.”

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

That notion came to a head last year with the latest round of fee increases and Siva decided that the time was right for a change.

After consulting friends and researching his options, he quickly highlighted Premier as the best option on the market to give him everything he wanted. He also decided that he wanted to start afresh with a new store and started looking for one that offered him the potential to develop and grow with the support of Premier.

He comments: “I wanted to just start again because I had become really disillusioned and wanted something new and exciting to really get me positive and optimistic again after so many hard years. I found what I thought could be a great little store in Cliftonville in Kent and I spoke at length to Premier about a partnership. The package on offer was just perfect for me.”

The store in question had been a Post Office but had closed a year before and had lain empty for all that time so there was a lot of work to do to turn his dream into reality, but it was exactly the kind of project he was looking for.

“I needed a new challenge and the more I spoke to the team at Premier the more I got excited about our plans for the store and how we could develop it,” he recalls. “It just gave me back my enthusiasm for retailing.”

Work began on the store towards the end of last year to refit it as a bright, modern convenience store and the Premier fascia went up proudly above the door in December. A full new range and modern merchandising were implemented and the transformation was underway.

“It’s still early days and we still have a lot to do to get the store completely finished,

UNRECOGNISABLE: A major refit has transformed the store.

IMPULSE FOCUS: The store is geared to maximising impulse sales.

INNOVATION: Innovative merchandising solutions make the most of the space.

but it’s already unrecognisable,” he says.

“We’ve just had approval for the Lottery so that should arrive soon. There’s also an ATM about to be installed and we’re just completing all the work to ensure the newspaper supply is in place. We need as many reasons for people to visit the store as possible.”

Siva is very aware that, having been closed for a full year, his big challenge is getting the footfall to the store back where it should be, a task that isn’t made easier by the fact that his store sits right next door to a Co-op.

“It’s strange because you would think that having a Co-op next door would be a real problem but it’s actually helping with footfall because people who normally shop in the Co-op have been coming in for a look and already they’re liking what they’re seeing in my store,” he says.

“The Premier promotional package is a huge benefit on that front and the Mega Deals in particular. The Meal Deals have also been really successful in driving repeat visits. Another favourite with shoppers has been the own label lines. I’ve lost count of how many times shoppers have told me that our own label lines are better than the Coop’s, so it’s not all bad news having another shop next door.”

Siva points out that his main task at the moment is tempting people to change their habits but he firmly believes that ones he has all of his services sorted out the power of Premier range and promotional programme will do all the hard work for him.

“Once we get people through the door, we tend to see them again,” he says with a smile. “The hardest part is just getting them through the door in the first place. We’ve started using the Premier promotional leaflets which is really helping and all of the other improvements of new services will help too.”

Siva remains under no illusion that he has a lot of hard work ahead of him but believes has a plan and a partner in Premier that will deliver the growth his is aiming for.

He concludes: “I knew that it would take time to build a shopper base from scratch but, working with Premier, we are putting all the right pieces of the jigsaw together and we are confident the store will get where it needs to be just as we’ve planned.

It’s an exciting time for me it’s just what I needed.”

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20/02/2018 15:03:02 18/12/2017 16:45

Spring Clean | FEATURE

Are you ready for the

BIG

spring clean?

As spring approaches, the traditional spring clean bonanza is almost upon on us – so it’s time to start planning ahead to make sure your store is ready to meet all the needs of shoppers about to roll up their sleeves and give the house its annual deep clean.

RETAILER VIEW BILLY BONE Premier Foreways, Carlisle “The spring clean is a great British tradition and there’s no doubt we see a spike in sales of cleaning and household products around this time every year. Our store is only a relatively small one but we still make a point of ensuring we have a good, basic range of the sorts of products that shoppers will be looking for when they decide to get the house spick and span.

“It doesn’t require a lot of effort to build a decent range for the spring clean, and it doesn’t take up much space in store – but if you don’t have that range you can definitely miss out on a lot of sales.”

F

or millions of households across the UK over the coming months, the annual ‘big spring clean’ is something of an annual tradition as shoppers prepare to wave goodbye to the cold, damp, wet months of winter by giving their homes a good going over in preparation for the better weather ahead.

That spring clean opportunity is one not be missed for Premier retailers as it promises a once-a-year bonanza on sales of a whole array of cleaning products and related items that shoppers will stock up on prior to the big clean.

To help you ensure that you are ready to

cash in on the opportunity, Talking Shop has compiled some great advice and tips on making the most of the spring clean occasion.

KITCHEN The focus of the household in many homes, the kitchen is the area where much of the hard work happens during a spring clean: l Make sure you have a good range of oven cleaning products – restoring the oven to a pristine condition is near the top of many shopper’s spring clean target lists! l A good value range of work surface cleaners is also vital to help knock the kitchen back into shape when it comes to February 2017 TalkingShop

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FEATURE | Spring Clean

KITCHEN & BATHROOM SHOPPING LIST TALKING SHOP RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING CORE IN EVERY STORE PRODUCTS FOR THE SPRING CLEAN OPPORTUNITY: Euro Shopper Citrus Thick Bleach PM50 Case size: 12x750ml WSP: £3.49 RSP: 50pPM POR: 30.2% Euro Shopper Original Thick Bleach PM50 Case size: 12x750ml WSP: £3.49 RSP: 50pPM POR: 30.2% Euro Shopper Washing Up Liquid Original PM60 Case size: 12x550ml WSP: £4.19 RSP: 60pPM POR: 30.2% Euro Shopper Washing Up Liquid Lemon PM60 Case size: 12x550ml WSP: £4.19 RSP: 60pPM POR: 30.2% Fairy Liquid Original PM129 Case size: 10x433ml WSP: £8.49 RSP: £1.29PM POR: 21% Febreze Cotton Fresh PM299 Case size: 6x300ml WSP: £10.45 RSP: £2.99PM POR: 30.1% Flash Wipes Lemon PM100 Case size: 10x40pk WSP: £6.25 RSP: £1PM POR: 24.3% Happy Shopper Multi Surface Citrus PM115 Case size: 8x1l WSP: £5.35 RSP: £1.15PM POR: 30.2% Happy Shopper Pine Disinfectant PM100 Case size: 8x1l WSP: £3.60 RSP: £1PM POR: 46% Happy Shopper Trigger Anti-Bac PM125 Case size: 8x750ml WSP: £4.99 RSP: £1.25PM POR: 40.1% Happy Shopper Trigger Bathroom PM125 Case size: 8x750ml WSP: £4.99 RSP: £1.25PM POR: 40.1% Happy Shopper Trigger Window Cleaner PM125 Case size: 8x750ml WSP: £4.99 RSP: £1.25PM POR: 40.1% Mr Sheen Original PM100 Case size: 6x300ml WSP: £4.19 RSP: £1PM POR: 16.2%

cleaning worktops and cupboards. l No kitchen cleaning session is complete without a sparkling floor, so make sure you have some relevant products on your shelves. l Window cleaning products are key to completing the task of making the kitchen shine once more. l Don’t forget the basics too like: l cloths l brushes l pans l rubber gloves l washing up liquid l scouring pads l dishwasher tablets, salt and rinse aid l washing machine powders, gels and tabs

BATHROOM

The special requirements of a bathroom cleaning session require another set of dedicated products where Premier retailers can cash in and drive up spend and profits:

RETAILER VIEW FARAZ IQBAL Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy “We try to offer a good range of cleaning products for around the house all year round but there’s no doubt that sales increase as spring approaches.

Winter is so messy and wet and damp that I think shoppers like to feel they’ve washed and swept all that away and they’re ready for the coming summer.

“It’s important not to forget the little things that can really push basket spend up, though.

Things like rubber gloves and sponges and cloths and bits and pieces like that. When shoppers do come they want to be sure of finding everything they need for their spring clean, so it’s important to think about all the little things too and make sure you stock everything they’re looking for.”

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l Bath, sink and shower cleaners are muststocks and will form a key part of the spring clean l When it comes to the toilet, make sure you stock a good range of lines from bleach and toilet cleaner to fragrancing units. l Floor and window cleaning lines will also see some action in the bathroom. l For the annual spring clean, your shoppers may also be on the look out for mould and mildew-removing liquids to bring the shine back to the bathroom tiles. l Don’t forget the other basics that shoppers might pick up during a spring clean shop: l Toothbrushes l Toothpaste l Deodorant l Candles l Shower gel l Shampoo

LIVING ROOM & BEDROOM Once all of the smaller rooms are dealt with, it’s onto the living room and bedrooms where yet another set of products are required: l Carpet shampoo and cleanser can sell particularly well at this time of year as shoppers give the carpets throughout the house an annual deep clean. l Make sure that you also offer a range of floor-cleaning products for households with hardwood, laminate or parquet flooring. l Odour-eliminating products and air fresheners come into their own at this

February 2017

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

EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS SHOPPING LIST YDAY PRODUCTS DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE EVER FOR TOO! SHOPPERS WILL BE LOOKING PM199 Comfort Concentrate Original 9 RSP: £1.99PM Case size: 8x750ml WSP: £10.0 POR: 23.9% 9 Daz Go Pod Washing Caps PM24 RSP: £2.49PM Case size: 6x12s WSP: £10.25 POR: 17.7% Daz Regular Powder PM249 RSP: £2.49PM Case size: 6x650g WSP: £9.29 POR: 25.4% 0 Domestos Regular Blue PM10 RSP: £1PM Case size: 9x750ml WSP: £5.99

POR: 20.1% Easy 3in1 Powder PM100 RSP: £1PM POR: 28.1% Case size: 6x884g WSP: £3.59 0 Easy Colours Powder PM10 RSP: £1PM POR: 28.1% Case size: 6x884g WSP: £3.59 0 PM10 er Powd Easy Non Bio RSP: £1PM POR: 28.1% Case size: 6x884g WSP: £3.59

time of year too as sofas, curtains and other soft furnishings get the spring clean treatment. l Again, window cleaning lines will be used extensively here. l It wouldn’t be a spring clean without a general dust and polish so be sure to stock a few options here too, including dusters and cloths.

DON’T FORGET THE CAR! For many shoppers, a spring clean will also extend to the car, so it makes sense to offer a basic range of products that can be used to give the family vehicle a spruce up: l Surface cleaners are vital and while many shoppers will be happy to use household

polish and cloths, some may be looking for car-specific lines which are good to stock if you have the space. l Once more, window cleaning products will be on call when the car gets its spring clean so be sure to stock up. l Air fresheners – both dedicated car versions and more generic household ones – will undoubtedly be in demand. l Again, while some drivers may be happy to use normal kitchen washing up liquid for washing the outside of their cars, many will be happy to pay a little more for a dedicated car wash liquid, if you have space in-store to stock it. l A basic range of sponges and cloths will round the car spring clean list off nicely.

RETAILER VIEW SHEILA ANTHONY Premier Anthony’s Village Stores, Cumbria “We are in a small village so a lot of our shoppers use us as their main store for the majority of their needs and that includes the traditional spring clean. I know the spring clean is sometimes seen as a bit old-fashioned these days but there’s no doubt to me that it still happens every year. Shoppers like that feeling of having a sparkling house again after winter and I’m only too happy to help them.

“You often see big baskets of cleaning products this year and you know exactly what the shopper is up to! We try to offer a good range of branded and own label lines to give our shoppers the choice. Some want the big name, some want the value of own label but know that what they’re getting is often just as good in terms of quality.”

February 2017 TalkingShop

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SOFT DRINKS TAX SOFT DRINKS TAX EXPLAINED SOFT DRINKS TAX SOFT DRINKS TAX EXPLAINED SOFT DRINKS TAXinto EXPLAINED EXPLAINED Soft drink tax comes EXPLAINED Soft drink tax comes into effect 6th 2018!

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DRINKS HIGHER TIER 5.4p 250ml 6.0p 7.2p HIGHER TIER TAX 275mlTax per pack 5.0p 5.9p 275ml 6.6p 7.9pPlus VAT Plus VAT Tax per pack Plus VAT TaxTax per per packpack Plus VAT SOFT SOFT RATES 330ml 5.9p 7.1p 330ml 7.9p 9.5p LOWER TIER 5.4p HIGHER TIER DRINKS (pence) DRINKS 250ml250ml 4.5p4.5p 250ml 5.4p 250ml 6.0p6.0p 7.2p 7.2p 500ml 9.0p 10.8p 500ml 12.0p 14.4p LOWER TIER HIGHER TIER TAX TAX Tax per pack Plus VAT Tax per pack Plus VAT 5.9p 275ml 6.6p 7.9p 275ml275ml 5.0p5.0p 5.9p 275ml SOFT 1.5ltr 27.0p 32.4p 1.5ltr 36.0p6.6p 43.2p 7.9p RATES Tax per pack Plus VAT Tax per pack Plus VAT RATES SOFT 7.1p 330ml 7.9p6.0p 9.5p DRINKS 330ml 5.9p 7.1p 330ml 7.9p 9.5p 250ml330ml 4.5p5.9p 5.4p 250ml 7.2p (pence) (pence) Prices will be subject to change following Sugar Tax. DRINKS 500ml 9.0p 10.8p 500ml 12.0p 14.4p 250ml 500ml 275ml 275ml1.5ltr 1.5ltr 330ml

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TIER LOWER TIER LOWER LOWER TIER HIGHER TIER TIER HIGHER HIGHER TIER TIER HIGHER LOWER TIER HIGHER TIER TIERTax per pack LOWER TIER 250ml 4.5p LOWER TIER

83371 83371 83371

0-4.99g Sugar 0-4.99g Sugar per 100ml 0-4.99g Sugar per 100ml

TAX FREE FREE TAX TAX FREE

EXEMPT EXEMPT EXEMPT

330ml 500ml 83371 SugarTaxBrochure2ppA4 .indd 500ml 1.5ltr

4.5p 9.0p 5.0p 5.0p27.0p 27.0p 5.9p

2

1.5ltr 83371 SugarTaxBrochure2ppA4 .indd 2

TS.indd 32 83371 SugarTaxBrochure2ppA4 .indd 2

TAX 250ml 500ml 275ml TAX 1.5ltr RATES 275ml 1.5ltr 330ml RATES (pence) 7.1p 330ml 10.8p 500ml Prices will be subject to change following Sugar Tax. (pence) * Prices will be subject to change following Sugar 10.8p 500mlTax.

5.4p 10.8p * 5.9p 32.4p 5.9p 32.4p 7.1p

5.9p 9.0p 9.0p 27.0p

*32.4p

27.0p

32.4p

* *

1.5ltr 1.5ltr

Prices will be subject to change following Sugar Tax. Prices will be subject to change following Sugar Tax.

6.0p 12.0p 6.6p

36.0p 6.6p

36.0p 7.9p 7.9p 12.0p 12.0p 36.0p 36.0p

7.2p 14.4p 7.9p

43.2p 7.9p 43.2p 9.5p

9.5p 14.4p 14.4p 43.2p

14/02/2018 09:06

43.2p 14/02/2018 09:06

20/02/2018 15:03:09 14/02/2018 09:06

Meal Deals | FEATURE

Using meal deals to drive footfall

In response to demand from retailers, Premier has launched a range of a rolling programme of frozen, evening and sandwich meal deals that will help drive footfall, sales and profits throughout the day.

February 2017 TalkingShop

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FEATURE | Meal Deals

EXAMPLE! A typical frozen meal deal would include: Birds Eye Chicken Dippers, Birds Eye Potato Waffles, Happy Shopper Mixed Vegetables and an Aunt Bessie’s Jam Roly Poly – all for just £5!

1. FROZEN MEAL DEALS The frozen meal deal now forms a core element of the Premier promotional package and will deliver outstanding meal deals that change every promotional period to help maintain interest and drive footfall.

P

remier retailers are always looking for ways to increase footfall and basket spend for their stores and one of the most effective ways of achieving this has been the ‘meal deal’ concept. The idea is not a new one but Premier has recently committed to putting much more focus onto meal deals as part of its wider promotional programme and the results have already been massively encouraging.

Premier Brand Director Martyn Parkinson explains: “The meal deal concept is one that Premier retailers have had success with in the past but we decided to take meal deals to the next level by making them an important element of our promotional programme, largely in response to demand from our retailers.

“As a result we have decided to commit to delivering three different meal deals on

a consistent basis going forward: a frozen meal, a sandwich meal deal and an evening meal deal.

“Retailers have told us that meal deals work well in increasing footfall and in driving up basket spend which helps improve sales and profits. The three different types of meal deals will also help ensure extra sales right through the day from morning until evening. The deals give Premier retailers another point of difference and give their shoppers more reasons to visit their stores more often and spend more while they are there.”

Premier has also produced a range of instore POS including eye-catching vinyls to help retailers communicate the meal deals to shoppers. The meal deals will feature in the Premier promotional leaflets to maximise footfall and bring shoppers to store to seek out these amazing deals.

HOW DOES IT WORK? The new meal deal package means that Premier retailers will be able to take advantage of a rolling promotional meal deal package with the three different deals:

34 TalkingShop TS.indd 34

The frozen meal deals will feature a mixture of top quality brands and much loved own label lines to deliver an outstanding meal deal for shoppers that combines great quality products with phenomenal value for money and great POR for retailers.

RETAILER VIEW MAHESH ODEDRA Premier Lake Avenue Convenience Stores, Bury “Great value meal deals are a fantastic way of encouraging shoppers to increase their basket spend, while still getting a great deal. The sandwich deal has been a real hit because it delivers everything that lunchtime shoppers want at an excellent price. It helps too that there are big brands featured in the deal because shoppers trust them.

“The frozen meal deal has also been a great bit of innovation. Once our shoppers got used to the idea that we run a different frozen meal deal every period they started looking out for it.

“They have also been quick to realise just what great value for money the deals represent. They know they’re getting enough to feed their family with best quality food at a top price.”

February 2017

20/02/2018 15:03:10

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

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The deals give Premier retailers another point of difference and give their shoppers more reasons to visit their stores more often and spend more while they are there.

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RETAILER VIEW DENNIS WILLIAMS Premier Broadway Convenience, Edinburgh “I believe the sandwich meal deal has been nothing short of a revelation. It’s without a doubt the best deal of its kind on the market and our shoppers absolutely love it. They’re getting big brand soft drinks and crisps plus a great quality Snax on the Go sandwich for just £2.25. It’s no surprise it’s been so popular.”

2. SANDWICH MEAL DEAL Since it as was launched recently the UK’s leading sandwich meal deal has gone down an absolute storm with Premier retailers and their shoppers alike – and it’s not hard to see why. Perfect for those breakfast and lunch time rushes, the deal once more combines the biggest brands and the best of own label to deliver a sandwich, crisps and a soft drink for just £2.25 to the shopper. The deal comes complete with high quality in-store POS to communicate the deal to shoppers and drive up impulse purchases.

£5,000 Extra annual profit from sandwich meal deal

Premier has calculated that retailers can make an extra £5,000 profit annually by selling just 100 extra sandwich meal deals per week. The meal deal provides between 21% and 36% POR and is certain to improve sales, profit and footfall.

EXAMPLE! A typical sandwich meal deal would include: a Snax on the Go sandwich, a packet of Walker’s Oven Baked crisps and a bottle of Pepsi Max – all for just £2.25!

February 2017 TalkingShop

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35 20/02/2018 15:03:12

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What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com 3. EVENING MEAL DEAL Also available to Premier retailers is a fantastic evening meal deal that helps retailers boost footfall and spend later in the day.

The evening meal deals will typically be themed – Italian, for example – and will offer combined food and drink deals for a specially discounted price. The deals, which include alcohol, will deliver PORs of at least 17.4% for retailers. Once again the deals will be supported by eye-catching instore POS that retailers can use to highlight the deals in-store.

EXAMPLE! A typical evening meal deal would be themed, for example as a ‘Go Italian’ meal deal and would include: two Discover the Choice pizzas plus a four pack of Birra Morretti beer or any bottle of Distant Vines wine – all for just £7.99.

February 2017 TalkingShop

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

Ones to

watch

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

Cash in on chilled snacking WHAT? SNAX ON THE GO RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Food to go and chilled have been two of the fastest growing categories in independent retailing in recent years, which is why Booker’s exclusive Snax on the Go range of products is a must stock range for every Premier retailer. The full range delivers the unbeatable combination of fantastic value and superb quality that Booker’s own label offerings have become renowned for. The entire range also delivers PORs of at least 25%.

WHO? The comprehensive 14-strong range of products has something for every taste and includes all of the most popular chilled snacks on the market – all delivered at exceptionally good value prices. Produced in high quality, eye-catching packaging, the Snax on the Go range will deliver extra sales and profits all day long, not just in the busy breakfast and lunchtime periods.

WHERE TO STOCK? The range should be merchandised prominently in the chiller and ideally sited together to maximise visual impact and drive impulse sales.

SNAX ON THE GO CHICKEN &

SNAX ON THE GO QTR POUNDER

MUSHROOM SLICE; SNAX ON

WITH CHEESE

THE GO CHEESE & ONION SLICE;

SIZE: 4 X 202G WSP: £4.20 RSP:

SNAX ON THE GO PEPPERED

£1.49 POR: 29.5%

STEAK SLICE; SNAX ON THE GO

e Park Business Centre Park ford BD5 8HH

www.define-creative.com info@define-creative.com 01274 288990

SAUSAGE ROLL; SNAX ON THE

SNAX ON THE GO SOUTHERN

GO SPICY CHICKEN SLICE; SNAX

FRIED CHICKEN BURGER

ON THE GO TRADITIONAL PASTY

SIZE: 4 X 127G WSP: £3.00 RSP:

SIZE: 6 X 150G WSP: £4.50 RSP:

£1.00 POR: 25%

£1.00 POR: 25%

mmit Foods ax On The Go eese Burger b No. 1809 ge 1, Artwork h May 2017

SNAX ON THE GO HAM &

© Define Ltd. 2017.

ntact: Sarah Whitehead

SNAX ON THE GO PORK PIE

CHEESE SUB PMP

SIZE: 6 X 120G WSP: £4.50 RSP:

SIZE: 4 X 115G WSP: £3.00 RSP:

£1.00 POR: 25%

£1.00 PMP POR: 25%

SNAX THE GO CHEESE BURGER

SNAX ON THE GO BREAKFAST

PMP

TOASTIE

SIZE: 4 X 140G WSP: £3.00 RSP:

SIZE: 6 X 180G WSP: £8.95 RSP:

£1.00 PM POR: 25%

£2.00 POR: 25.5%

mit Foods On The Go ter Pounder with Cheese No. 1809 e 1, Artwork May 2017 © Define Ltd. 2017.

SNAX ON THE GO HOT DOG

SNAX ON THE GO HAM &

act: Sarah Whitehead

PMP

CHEESE TOASTIE

SIZE: 4 X 145G WSP: £3.00 RSP:

SIZE: 6 X 157G WSP: £8.95 RSP:

£1.00 PM POR: 25%

£2.00 POR: 25.5%

this artwork has been thoroughly checked by Define, timate responsibility for its accuracy rests with the client.

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February 2017 TalkingShop

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20/02/2018 15:03:21

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

Hit the heights with new Bin 161 wines WHAT? HARDYS BIN 161 RANGE NEW LINES WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Hardys Bin 161 is exclusive to Booker and our best selling wine brand. The range has grown with the introduction of two main wine varietals, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. The outer cases and screw caps are colour coded to make it easy for retailers and shoppers to identify the different grape varietals. The five variants, encompassing the best selling grape varietals, feature peelable price marked stickers. Peelable price mark packs have been designed to allow the consumer to easily remove the price should the bottle be purchased as a gift. Prominent pricing on bottle neck will also reassure consumers of a competitive and ongoing price which will drive repeat purchases.

brand in the UK. Booker’s exclusive Bin 161 range takes advantage of that heritage and consumer trust of reliable and outstanding quality, while delivering fantastic value for shoppers and great PORs of 19.6% for retailers.

WHERE TO STOCK? The red variants should be stocked on the main ambient red wine fixture while the white and rosé variants should be chilled where possible.

HARDYS BIN 161 CHARDONNAY; HARDYS BIN 161 SAUVIGNON BLANC; HARDYS BIN 161 ROSE; HARDYS BIN 161 SHIRAZ; HARDYS BIN 161 MERLOT Case size: 6 X 75CL WSP: £22.10 RSP: £5.50 PM POR: 19.6%

WHO? Hardys is renowned the world over and is the number one selling

Hit the Beach for profits WHAT? RELAUNCHED COPPER BEACH RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? The exceptional value range of Copper Beach wines has been relaunched to help further improve its appeal to shoppers and will drive sales for Premier retailers with bottles price-marked at just £3.

The range of British wines includes a red, a white and a rose and offers great value and great quality at a price point that is sure to drive trial and bring new shoppers into the category.

WHO? The range will appeal to all shoppers looking for exceptional value wine from a trusted, established brand.

WHERE TO STOCK? The red should be merchandised on the main red wine fixture where the prominent price mark will attract impulse sales, while the white and rosé variants should be stocked within the chiller for shoppers looking to make purchases for instant consumption.

COPPER BEACH RED; COPPER BEACH WHITE; COPPER BEACH ROSE Case size: 6X75CL WSP: £11.99 RSP: £3 PMP POR: 20.1%

40 TalkingShop TS.indd 40

February 2017

20/02/2018 15:03:23

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

Time to Choos WHAT? EXCLUSIVE CHOOS CONFECTIONERY RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Booker has secured another exclusive deal with a major confectionery manufacturer to bring two new hanging bag products to Premier stores. The Choos range from Swizzels is a £1 price-marked range with the two new products – Drumstick Choos and Refreshers Choos – exclusive at Booker until Easter 2018.

WHO? The soft chew sweets are the latest sweet creations from the UK’s fastest growing sugar confectionery manufacturer and should be a big hit with a wide range of shoppers, helping to drive up sales and profits. Both lines are Vegetarian and Vegan-friendly, so they will appeal to those with specialist diets as well as those simply looking for a tasty, chewy treat.

WHERE TO STOCK? The range should be stocked alongside other £1 hanging bag lines and, for added impact, near high footfall areas such as the tillpoint.

SWIZZELS REFRESHERS CHOOS, SWIZZELS DRUMSTICK CHOOS Case size: 12 x 135g WSP: £7.49 RSP: £1 PM POR: 25.1%

Feel the passion WHAT? RIBENA PINEAPPLE AND PASSIONFRUIT CARTON PM50 WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Capitalising on a growing demand for exotic fruity flavours and handy carton formats, Ribena has launched a new Pineapple and Passionfruit variant of its carton pack.

Price marked at just 50p, the line is likely to be popular with existing Ribena fans as well as attracting new shoppers into the category.

WHO? Ribena lines have a strong tradition of appealing to a broad spectrum of shoppers but the new line is expected to be particularly popular with parents looking for a tasty drink for their children’s lunchboxes as well as those simply looking for a convenient, enjoyable way to quench their thirst. The line delivers 32.1% POR for retailers.

WHERE TO STOCK? The new line should be stocked in the main drinks chiller alongside other carton and children’s products to maximise sales and profits.

PRODUCT- RIBENA PINEAPPLE AND PASSIONFRUIT CARTON PM50 Case size: 24 x 250ml WSP: £6.79 RSP: 0.50 PM POR: 32.1%

February 2017 TalkingShop

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20/02/2018 15:03:24

CRISP APPLE CIDER BLENDED WITH JACK DANIEL’S TENNESSEE WHISKE Y. DON’T BE A BAD APPLE. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. J ACK DAN IEL’S AN D JACK DAN IEL’S TENNESSEE CIDER ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF JACK DA N I EL’S © 2 0 1 8

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20/02/2018 15:03:25

PricesDown

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

Boost Easter profits with great prices on shell eggs!

Premier is helping retailers drive up Easter footfall, sales and profits with a fantastic range of promotions on small, medium, large and luxury shell Easter eggs.

E

aster is a great opportunity for retailers to drive up footfall, sales and profits every year through that most traditional and popular of Easter products: the Easter egg.

To help maximise that opportunity, Premier has launched a comprehensive promotional package on a full range of small, medium, large and luxury shell eggs that will deliver PORs of at least 20% on every sale.

The promotions are active in Promotional Period 13, running from the 21st of February to the 20th of March and feature big brand lines from some of the biggest names in the business, including Cadbury, Milkybar, Mars, Maltesers, M&M’s, Celebrations and Galaxy.

The promotions are geared to allow Premier retailers to offer a simple, easy to understand and great value for money offer to their shoppers: l Small eggs – just £1 l Medium eggs – just £2 l Large eggs – just £3 l Luxury eggs – just £5 Premier Brand Director Martyn Parkinson commented: “Feedback from retailers told us that they wanted a great value offer on the best brands available, and all at prices that would drive footfall, sales and profits.

“This promotional package delivers that and we would encourage retailers to stock up early and ensure they maintain great availability right up until Easter Sunday to ensure maximum sales.”

Product

Case Size

WSP

Consumer Deal POR

Cadbury dairy milk small shell egg 72gx12

£7.99

£1.00

20.1%

Cadbury Buttons small shell egg

85gx12

£7.99

£1.00

20.1%

Milkybar Small Egg

65gx12

£7.99

£1.00

20.1%

Cadbury Crème egg medium shell 138gx9

£11.99

£2.00

20.1%

Cadbury Mini Egg medium shell

130gx9

£11.99

£2.00

20.1%

Cadbury Oreo medium shell

123gx9

£11.99

£2.00

20.1%

Mars Medium Egg

141gx9

£12.00

£2.00

20.0%

Maltesers Medium Egg

127gx9

£12.00

£2.00

20.0%

M&M’s Choco Medium Egg

135gx9

£12.00

£2.00

20.0%

Celebrations Large egg

248gx4

£8.00

£3.00

20.0%

Galaxy Golden large egg

234gx4

£8.00

£3.00

20.0%

Snickers Large egg

274gx4

£8.00

£3.00

20.0%

Galaxy Indulgence large shell Egg 308gx4

£13.30

£5.00

20.2%

Malteaster bunny large shell egg

265gx4

£13.30

£5.00

20.2%

Kinder Surprise 100g Egg

100gx4

£13.00

£5.00

22.0%

Cadbury Crème egg 5pack

197gx28

£37.29

£2.00

20.1%

Milk Tray Medium

360g

£4.00 single or £10

20.1%

with Prosecco

RETAILER VIEW MICHAEL HAITH Premier Smiley’s One Stop Shop, Blackpool “I’m delighted to see some great deals on Easter eggs for this year because those are the products that shoppers are looking for. To be able to offer a full range from just £1 for a small shell egg up to just £5 for a luxury egg means we are in a position to cater for every taste and every pocket.

“At those prices we will be sure to get a lot of impulse sales and that can only be good news at what is a very important time of year for Premier retailers. Even better, a good solid POR of at least 20% means that retailers are just as happy as shoppers!”

February 2017 TalkingShop

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20/02/2018 15:03:29

Now on Promotion in Booker* Ordering Code

Product Description

Pack Size

Price Marked

M221799

I Can’t Believe It’s So Good...

8x500g

£1.69

*On promotion in Booker: 14th February – 13th March 2018

TS.indd 44

20/02/2018 15:03:29

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

New year, fresh start!

The first couple of months of the year are a great time to take a fresh look at every aspect of your store to make sure it’s ready for a busy, profitable 2018. Talking Shop has gathered some top tips from leading Premier retailers.

W

ith all of the excitement of the recent new year now settling down, it’s a fantastic time to take a deep breath and take a fresh look at your store to ensure that you have everything in place to make the very most of the year that lies ahead.

In the midst of a typical busy day it can often be difficult to find time to take a step

back and check that all of the key elements of your business are aligned and geared towards helping you drive up footfall, sales and profits. It has been shown time and again however that making some time available to do just that will invariably have a beneficial impact on your store.

To help you see that store with fresh eyes, Talking Shop has spoken to a number of top retailers to find out their tips and advice on making a fresh start for 2018.

February 2017 TalkingShop

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EXTERIOR The first place to start when auditing your own business is with the exterior, the part of your store that your shoppers see first: l Is the fascia clean, neat and tidy? Does it require a clean or a touch up? l Are the windows clean and in good condition? Poor weather can quickly turn the windows grimy so more regular cleaning at this time of year may be required. l Are your windows and doors clutter-free and attractive? Too many advertising and information posters can make the store look messy. l Are your exterior promotional signs in good shape and up to date? l Has the area in front of the shop been swept and is it neat and tidy? It’s an easy thing to overlook but it can quickly tarnish the appeal of the store to passing potential shoppers. l If you use advertising A-boards or street signage, are they in good working order, clean and up to date? l Do all of the exterior lights work? If any bulbs need replacing, now is a great time to take care of it!

RETAILER VIEW NISHAN SIDHU Premier Sidhu Stores & PO, Porth “We always try to use the new year as a catalyst to start afresh and bring some new energy and ideas to the store. As every retailer knows, it’s very easy to get caught up in the business and not take the time to step back and try to see the store through the eyes of your shoppers. But making that time available will always benefit your store because you start to notice things that you never saw before, despite the fact they’ve been right in front of your face for the last six months. There’s always improvements you can make and the store has to be moving forward all the time.”

INTERIOR

COUNTER AREA

Once your shoppers have crossed the store, it’s vital that the all important first impression is a good one:

The tillpoint is the busiest part of the store and the only area every shopper has to visit, so it’s critical that it presents the right image for your store:

l Is the store well lit and bright? If any ceiling light panels are damaged or broken, replacing them will help enhance the ambience.

l Is the tillpoint cluttered? The counter area can easily get cluttered with impulse lines and various sales displays but it’s important that shoppers feel the area is tidy and clean.

l Are any of the ceiling panels tarnished or damaged? They are cheap and easy to replace. l Are the floors clear and clean? A regular cleaning routine is vital but a periodic ‘deep clean’ is important in keeping your store looking its best. l Are the fixtures and fittings in good shape? Try taking a walk around the store and checking every fixture, taking note of any areas that need taken care of. l How about a full store spring clean? A great idea is to systematically take the stock off of every single shelf in the store, give it a proper clean, then replace all the stock neatly and faced up, keeping an eye out of any out of date products along the way. Shoppers like nothing more than seeing their local store being cleaned top to toe. l Are the chilled cabinets sparkling? Maximising sales from a chilled cabinet relies on a spotlessly clean fixture and neat ticketing that inspires confidence in the products on the shelves. This is particularly important for the milk fixture.

46 TalkingShop TS.indd 46

l Try to stock only lines with a very high rate of sale at the tillpoint to make maximum use of the most valuable sales space in the store. l Ensure all products at the tillpoint are clearly priced.

One thing almost guaranteed to stop shoppers buying products is a missing price ticket.

RETAILER VIEW JAY JAVID Premier Paisley Convenience “Ideally you want to be monitoring every aspect of your store all the time but in reality that can be very difficult so using the new year as a reason to basically audit your business is a great idea. All I do is walk out of the shop then stand out front and imagine I’m a shopper.

What do I think of the outside? Is it clean and tidy? Does it make me want to go in?

“Then inside I ask myself the same questions. Is it clean and tidy and well lit? Does it have what I’m likely to be looking for? Are the staff well presented and friendly? Is everything easy to find? It can be amazing what you find with a simple exercise like that.”

February 2017

20/02/2018 15:03:36

STAFF Your staff are your most valuable asset, so make sure they are well presented, friendly, trained and helpful: l Are all staff in uniform? Ensuring staff wear Premier uniforms at all times is an easy and practical way to keep your store looking professional. l Has all training been completed as logged? With so many training requirements in licensing, hygiene and more, it’s critical that you have made sure all of your staff have received the training they need by law, and that you have kept a formal record of that training. Now is a good time to check your training record to ensure it is comprehensive and up to date. l Always, always impress upon your staff the important of a ‘hello’ and a smile for every shopper. HIM research repeatedly shows that friendly service is among the top reasons why shoppers choose independent retail stores.

SEASONAL RANGES

TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW?

The start of the year is a great time to examine seasonal lines:

The new year is the ideal time to consider taking a look at bringing some new ideas to your store, particularly those doing well in other Premier stores:

l Is your store ‘new year’s resolution friendly’? Many shoppers choose the new year as the perfect time to focus on improving their health and wellbeing so make sure your range offers something for everyone looking to stop smoking (vaping products), reduce calorie intake (reduced sugar and fat products), improve their diet (fresh fruit and vegetables, water) etc. l Stock early for Mother’s Day and Easter.

RANGE REVIEW There’s no doubt that the start of a fresh year is the perfect time to get the most out of your EPoS system by using it to check sales in every major category instore: l Check that your range in all categories is in line with the Core In Every Store range identified by Premier. l Be ruthless with any lines on your shelves that fall below a certain rate of sale.

Products selling very slowly are only taking up space that could be better used. l Try to avoid range proliferation and offering your shoppers five and six options where two or three would be sufficient. l Are you making enough of the Premier own label ranges? Happy Shopper lines should always be double-faced to maximise impact and sales – and all lines have been shown over time to deliver fast rate of sale and great PORs.

l Is hot food an option? If you don’t do hot food to go, could it be something you could bring into the store?

The category is in massive growth and it needn’t require a lot of space in-store to offer a good, basic range. l If you already do hot food, is it time to expand the range and really make your store a destination venue for local food to go shoppers? l Is it time to step up your chilled and fresh offering?

Most Premier retailers now offer a good chilled food range but chilled and fresh remains an increasingly important category. Is there scope in your store to grow your offer, particularly given the massive success of Premier’s Discover the Choice range? l Many other categories are also showing strong growth so it could be time to find space for a broadened range in categories such as gin, craft beer and vaping products.

RETAILER VIEW JIMMY PATEL Premier Jimmy’s, Northampton “You can’t go wrong with taking a fresh look at your store, no matter what time of year it is. Have a good look at your store and be ruthless! Don’t forgive yourself for those messy little things you’ve never gotten around to fixing. Write them all down then cross them off as you fix them.

“It’s also a good idea to have a look at some other great stores. You can learn so much from a day on the road and you’ll come back full of enthusiasm.”

LEARN FROM OTHERS! A great way of kicking your year off is to take a day or two out of the business to go on a ‘store safari’ to see what other Premier retailers are doing in their stores: l It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of your business but just a day or two visiting other stores can help give you great ideas and inspiration for ways to develop your store. l Most Premier retailers will be happy to welcome you to their store for a look, with a little notice. l Be open-minded when you go. It’s better to go with no agenda. You never know what you might learn!

February 2017 TalkingShop

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ST OC K UP N OW

MP P 9 .

9 4 £ GU INN ESS 0M L 5 6 3 1 USE H OP HO INA L G I R O S GU INN ESTOUT EXTR A S

| PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

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20/02/2018 15:03:39

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

How to be a winner at industry awards!

Winning awards is great for business and helps bring your team together, so Talking Shop has spoken to some award-winning Premier retailers to find out how to build a strong entry.

A

sk any Premier retailer who has won an industry award and they will tell you that it’s a really rewarding experience – and great for business.

Not only that, even the process of entering can be hugely beneficial for your store as it forces you to take a fresh look at your business through the eyes of the shopper and establish what you’re doing well, and areas where there is room for improvement.

Many Premier retailers treat regularly entering awards as a key way of keeping their store in great shape all year round. By constantly taking a step back and seeing the store objectively, these retailers ensure that standards are maintained and the business is always making progress.

It’s a great idea when preparing to enter awards to have a look at other Premier stores on a regular basis to see which new ideas are coming through and find out where the latest opportunities lie. Talking Shop can help on this front with our regular store profiles highlighting some great ideas and new trends.

And if after all that work you are able to produce a strong entry and maybe pick up an award or two, so much the better! Winning awards helps boost morale among staff and gives shoppers the reassurance that their local Premier store is a great place to shop.

Working and shopping in an award- winning store is something everyone can be proud of. If you’ve never done it before, entering awards can appear a daunting task - but it’s actually much easier than you might think and can deliver big benefits. Read on for some top tips from Premier retailers that have made entering awards a core element of their business strategy...

SINGH STARS: Mandeep (2nd left) and Kulvinder Singh (and right) win big at the latest NFRN Awards.

STEP 1 RETAILER VIEW ASIF AKHTAR Premier Smeaton Stores, Kirkcaldy “We only started entering awards a few years ago and thought we had no chance against all of the competition out there - but we’ve been blown away by how successful we’ve been.

We’ve picked up quite a few awards now, mostly for our community work, and there’s absolutely no doubt that it means a lot to our shoppers and to our staff. It’s well worth doing.”

READ THE FORM! l It sounds obvious but make sure you read the entry form carefully.

It’s vital that know what the judges are expecting before you put pen to paper. l Entry forms for the various awards tend to be fairly similar but be sure to read and fully understand every question because they all have subtle differences. l Always try to provide precise answers to every question on the entry form - and resist the urge to miss any questions. Try to avoid including information that doesn’t add anything to your entry.

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STEP 2

STEP 3

FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS!

KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET!

l Another obvious point, but the best place to start when entering awards is to focus on areas of your store that you feel you have made great progress with over the last year.

l Nothing puts judges off more than pages and pages of text that they have to wade through, so keep it short and to the point.

l Similarly, it’s tempting to try to enter as many categories as possible for each awards programme, but that can be counter-productive.

It’s quality not quantity that matters here. It’s better to focus on the awards categories where you genuinely feel you’ve made progress in the last 12 months.

l Many entry forms carry specific word limits so be absolutely sure to keep within those limits. If you go over the word count it gives the judges as easy excuse for discounting your entry. l Even if the entry form doesn’t specify a word limit, try to only provide information that is relevant to your entry and try not to include lots of data that you might find interesting but the judges might not. If the point you’re making doesn’t add to your argument, ditch it. l Try to structure your entry with one point leading neatly and logically onto the next. Show the judges you understand your business and you know how to get to the point and satisfy your audience.

RETAILER VIEW MIKE HUMPHREYS Premier Dickleburgh Stores & PO WINNERS: Mike Humphreys and family from Premier Dickleburgh celebrate at the Retail Industry Awards.

RETAILER VIEW ANITA NYE Premier Eldred Stores, Orpington “Winning awards is just such a boost for the business and our shoppers like knowing that we’re an award-winning store. We have them all on show in the store - we’ve got nine on display so far! We’re also shortlisted in the Convenience Retail Awards soon so hopefully we’ll have another one to add to the collection.

“Entering awards is essentially part of our business plan for the store and we firmly believe it helps grow the store.”

RETAILER VIEW MANDEEP SINGH Singh’s Premier, Sheffield “Entering for an award is a great reason to give your store that litle bit of extra attention it needs to keep standards as high as possible - and that can only be a good thing. The very process of simply putting an entry in means you have get the store in its best possible condition and that benefits everyone. While it’s hard to put a figure on it, there’s no doubt in my mind that winning awards, if you’re look enough to do so, helps improve sales because it builds trust between you and your shoppers and trust turns into trade.”

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STEP 4

“Winning awards actually helps increase sales. We recently won an award and got two full pages in the local newspaper, including the front page. The newspaper is distributed to over 20,000 people so that’s the sort of publicity that’s worth a fortune and it increased sales.”

PRECISION IS KEY l With a huge pile of entries in front of them, judging panels are looking for hard facts and specifics, not generalisations, to help them sort out the better entries. l Try to avoid vague statements like ‘sales rose’ or ‘footfall improved; instead make it clear that ‘sales increased 13.2% as a direct result of your actions’ or ‘footfall increased 12% on a monthly basis’, for example. l Similarly, try to give precise financial numbers where possible. If you are not prepared to give specifics (sales rose £2,800 per week), then provide percentage figures (sales rose 15.1%). l Avoid using statements that you cannot back up with evidence. This might include things like ‘my shoppers are much happier’ or ‘my staff love it’ unless you back them up with some sort of research or testimonial statement.

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RETAILER VIEW

STEP 5

SAMANTHA COLDBECK Premier Wharfedale, Hull

DON’T MISS AYTHING OUT! l One thing sure to make you miss the shortlist is an incomplete entry.

Answer all questions and provide all supplementary evidence requested, even if you’re not sure it’s important. If the entry form requests photographs, include them. If it asks for supplementary evidence such as epos data, provide it.

STEP 6

“Entering awards is a brilliant way of benchmarking your store against the standards of the industry and helps highlight where your strengths and weaknesses lie. We make a point of entering awards every year and we have them on display in the store which our staff and our shoppers love.”

STEP 7

INCLUDE PICS AND / OR VIDEO!

DO YOUR RESEARCH!

l They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure you include photos and / or video that highlights your entry and brings energy and colour to the entry. It’s often much easier to show what you’ve done than explain it in words.

l This is the part where retailers can really get an edge on the competition. It always pays to do some research into the awards programmes that you are considering entering.

l With cameras on every smartphone, there’s no excuse for not providing photographs to illustrate entries. l Be ruthless: use one good photograph rather than providing three or four versions of the same shot. l Only send photos of what you are discussing in the entry! It’s tempting to include lots of pics of everything in your store but if they don’t relate to the specific entry you’re working on, leave them out. The judges don’t have the time to sift through dozens of photos. l It’s increasingly common to enter videos too. They can really bring an entry to life.

RETAILER VIEW DAN COCK Premier Whitstone Village Stores, Devon “Winning awards is great for business, it’s that simple. It’s very rewarding for you and your staff to have all their hard work and effort recognised by an independent set of judges. And shoppers love it too. Who doesn’t want to shop in an award-winning store? Awards also help you focus on what’s important all year round and keep your standards high.”

l Look at past winners and see why they won to help inspire you and your team. l If the category you are entering has a specific industry supplier sponsor, don’t be afraid to flatter them by mentioning them by name in the entry and including their products in your photos!

COMMUNITY HEROES: Asif and Abada Akhtar pick up another community award.

STEP 8

IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO IT, DO IT RIGHT! l If you’re going to enter awards, then do it enthusiastically! It takes time to build a good entry so if you commit to entering, then commit to making your entry the best it can be. l Judges can easily spot a hastily prepared entry and will be able to dismiss your entry quickly.

RESPONSIBLE RETAILER: Dennis Williams of Premier Broadway adds another award to his collection.

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GROW YOUR BOTTLED WATER DRINKS SEGMENT Importance of Bottled Water Drinks in Convenience

Contribution by water segment3

£347m

#2 Driver of Growth in Soft Drinks1

Growth

PLAIN SPARKLING

3RD

12%

PLAIN STILL

41%

Largest segment in Soft Drinks in Convenience1

Value sales in Convenience1

1 RANGE

Consumers are switching to lower sugar alternatives. However, different consumers are at different points on the scale to find a balance between health and taste2.

Help drive growth in soft drinks category with a complete bottled water range, capturing a wide range of shopper need states.

FLAVOURED AND JUICY WATER

47%

BENEFIT WATER -3%

DANONE CORE IN EVERY STORE RANGE

Volvic Plain 500ml

Evian Plain 500ml

PLAIN

Evian Plain Sports Cap



Volvic 1Ltr Sports Cap



Volvic Plain 1.5Ltr



Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime / Strawberry 1.5Ltr



Volvic Touch of Fruit Strawberry 500ml

TASTE

STOCK UP ON THE DANONE CORE IN

1: IRI Marketplace, Convenience, Value sales, 52 weeks w/e 3rd December 2017. 2: Danone Waters/Incite U&A study 2013. 3: IRI Marketplace, Total Convenience, Value sales, 52 weeks w/e 3rd December 2017. 4: Based on volume sales per segment: IR

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MERCHANDISING 2 Help your shopper find what they are looking for SPACE AND FLOW RECOMMENDATION

IMPULSE PLANOGRAM RECOMMENDATION

Plain Water

Flavoured water Juicy water

Others

CHECKLIST:

18% of your Soft Drinks Segments should be Bottled Water Drinks4 - the No.2 Category Growth Driver!1

18%

✓ Stock the CIES range ✓ Offer flavour choice Include both sports cap ✓ and screw cap form in Plain Water

ats

OPPORTUNITIES 3 KEY Making the most of these key areas will help drive sales HEALTHY SNACKING

SUMMER

92% of consumers are trying to reduce their sugar intake5. Also 42% of shoppers buy a snack on the Convenience shopping mission, 52% of food to go missions feature soft drinks6. So there is a big opportunity to promote hydration and snacking as a joint consumption occasion in store via cross-category merchandising and link deals.

The warmer summer months are the most important season of the year for Bottled Water Drinks as sales peak. Therefore it is crucial that you stock up to meet demand. Overstocking and over spacing are key to ensure you don’t run out of supply. This way you can take advantage of getting a wide range of products to cover different segments within Bottled Water Drinks.

a ✓

On average in the Symbols & Independents channel in the past 2 years we have see on average an uplift of +21% in the summer

RE IN EVERY STORE LINES NOW!

me sales per segment: IRI Marketplace, Symbols & Independents, Volume Sales, 52 weeks w/e 3rd December 2017. 5: Kantar Worldpanel “Change is coming”.

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6: IGD Shopper On- the-Go trend, Nov 2016.

20/02/2018 15:03:49 02/02/2018 09:51

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Adapting to a rapidly changing marketplace Premier preferred EPoS supplier The Retail Data Partnership has been working hard over the last 12 months to ensure that Premier retailers are better equipped than ever to make the most of their systems and data to drive footfall, sales and profits.

W

ith the world of independent retailing evolving quicker than ever, it’s vital for Premier retailers that the systems and services they rely on to run their businesses are evolving just as quickly to keep them ahead of the game. That’s certainly the case for Premier’s preferred Epos supplier The Retail Data Partnership (TRDP) who have undertaken an extensive range of upgrades to their software, service and hardware to make sure they are giving Premier retailers the tools

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they need to run profitable, progressive businesses.

TRDP Managing Director Stephen Burnett told Talking Shop: “Convenience retailing is facing a lot of challenges at the moment so it’s critical that retailers have all the right support they need to face those challenges head-on and continue growing their businesses and increasing footfall, sales and profits long into the future.

“Having the right technology and support in place is more important than ever and that’s why have made a number of very

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SERVICE UPGRADES l The TRDP insights service now actively providers retailers with details about their own business performance with comparison to their region and nationally, to let them know how they’re doing compared to their peers. l To support its growing estate of retailers TRDP has hired new support technicians, customer service staff and software developers.

significant improvements to our software, hardware and service package. Our ethos is to put our customers at the centre of everything that we do. We do this by supporting retailers, not just with EPoS, but increasingly with a range of vital data insights to tell them about their business performance and help them to make smarter decisions, all at an affordable cost with no hidden charges.”

In the last 12 months, TRDP has upgraded every element of its ShopMate EPoS System and Retail Data Partnership service keeping Premier reatilers ahead of the game.

SOFTWARE UPGRADES l In the past 12 months alone, TRDP has integrated with a variety of major card and mobile payment providers. l The company has seen the value of loyalty, offering retailers its own Local Loyalty scheme as well as integrating with other service providers including Zapper, Darius and YoYo. l More upgrade are planned for 2018 with integrations that will make ShopMate even more versatile.

RETAILER VIEW JAS AUJLA Premier Bawtry Convenience Store, Doncaster “We’ve been using the TRDP EPoS system for a long time now and we’ve always found it very reliable and efficient, plus the support centre is brilliant if anything ever does go wrong or if we’re just looking for advice on how to get more out of the system.

“We recently upgraded the hardware in the store and the new unit is much sleeker and neater, so it takes up less space at the tillpoint, and it’s also noticeably faster. That extra speed really helps when there’s a queue building up.

“Making the best possible use of our EPoS system is vital to us to ensure we’re running the store as efficiently and profitably as possible so it’s great to have a strong system behind us.”

HARDWARE UPGRADES l More powerful software needs more powerful hardware which is why TRDP has upgraded its standard EPoS hardware to the fast and reliable Flytech POS 325 unit. l The main improvements are significant processing speed, a tougher glass screen and a sleeker, more modern style. l Hardware upgrade cost is £699 for any retailer if they wish to upgrade from previous hardware.

 MORE

February 2017 TalkingShop

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LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

DISCOVER THE CHOICE COOKED MEAT LINES Talking Shop recommends that Premier retailers stock all of the following Discover the Choice cooked meat products:

Discover the profits with Discover the Choice meats!

DTC BREADED HAM 2 FOR £2.00 Case size: 8 WSP: £0.82 RSP: £1.19 / 2 for £2.00 POR: 31.1% DTC COOKED HAM 2 FOR £2.00 Case size: 8 WSP: £0.82 RSP: £1.19 / 2 for £2.00 POR: 31.1% DTC HONEY ROAST HAM 2 FOR £2.00 Case size: 8 WSP: £0.82 RSP: £1.19 / 2 for £2.00 POR: 31.1% DTC SLICED TURKEY 2 FOR 2.00 Case size: 8 WSP: £0.82 RSP: £1.19 / 2 for £2.00 POR: 31.1% DTC CORNED BEEF PMP £2.00 Case size: 8 WSP: £1.39 RSP: £2.00 POR: 30.5%

Booker’s award-winning chilled own label range Discover the Choice has been a revelation for Premier retailers since it launched and it continues to drive footfall, sales and profits.

The Discover the Choice chilled own label range has performed sensationally since launch and feedback from retailers and shoppers alike has been fantastic.

The range now extends to over 30 lines and covers the most popular categories in the increasingly important chilled market.

A particular favourite has been the range of Discover the Choice cooked meats. As more

and more shoppers continue to seek quality, value and convenience when buying chilled food, the Discover the Choice meats range delivers popular products at fantastic prices.

Equally important, the Discover the Choice range also delivers for retailers with standard PORs typically in excess of 30%.

The price-marked range of meats is beautifully presented in eye-catching,

upmarket packaging which as already proving a major hit with shoppers while a great set of ‘mix and match’ deals encourage bigger basket spends and repeat visits.

With five different cooked meat lines in the range, there’s a product for everyone.

All lines deliver great PORs so Talking Shop advises all Premier retailers to stock the full range for maximum profits.

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shopper’s view…

Richard Powell, Bristol “Like most people, I buy cooked meats quite frequently, usually for making sandwiches or adding to pizzas, but they can be quite expensive these days. I still love them but sometimes I can’t quite justify the spend, which is why I love the Discover the Choice range of cooked meats. The value is just unbeatable and, having tried most of the lines now, I can also say that the quality is exceptional. I particularly love the Discover the Choice Breaded Ham and the Honey Roast Ham but I have to say the Corned Beef is becoming a favourite too. Great price, great products and the ‘mix-and-match’ deal makes the value even stronger.”

IN SUMMARY

1

The Discover the Choice own label chilled range has been a star peformer since launch and the cooked meats range has been a huge hit.

2

The cooked meats range covers five different lines catering for every taste and every shopper, combining to make a comprehensive range.

3

All of the meats are price-marked and are included in the Discover the Choice ‘mix-and-match’ deal, driving up spend and profits.

4

Every line in the cooked meats range delivers over 30% POR for retailers when sold singly, ensuring great profits for Premier retailers.

RETAILER VIEW JAS AUJLA Premier Bawtry Convenience Store, Doncaster “Cooked meats are a staple product for many shoppers, whether its for making sandwiches for the kids or sorting something to liven up a salad for dinner, so being able to offer a comprehensive range at great value price points is just perfect for independent retailers.

“I think it also helps that the range has consistent packaging and looks great on the shelf. Shoppers appreciate the quality of the packaging and it definitely drives up impulse sales, as does the mix and match offer.”

RETAILER VIEW POOLOGASINGOM SUTHERSON Premier Johns Convenience Stores, Maldon “The Discover the Choice has been a real success story in our store and I believe it’s been doing really well in Premier stores across the country too. It’s just that brilliant combination of great prices, great quality product and really attractve packaging that brings it alive on shelf.

“The cooked meats range looks great when you merchandise them together and the price mark, coupled with the mix and match deal, means that we often see bigger baskset spends from the chiller these days.”

RETAILER VIEW FARAZ IQBAL Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy “In today’s competitive marketplace it’s really important that Premier retailers are able to offer shoppers a differentiated range and I think Discover the Choice ticks that box perfectly.

“The cooked meats range looks great quality in the chiller and I think shoppers are quick to trust it. That’s all important because that’s what drives the repeat purchases we all want.

“The mix and match deal is also a great idea and helps shoppers trade up.”

RETAILER VIEW KULVINDER SINGH Premier Wednesfield Convenience Store, Wolverhampton “Today’s shopper is looking for great quality and they want to know they’re paying a good price for it, and that’s what Discover the Choice delivers for them.

“The cooked meats range, just like the rest of the range, gives shoppers products they can rely on and guarantees them great value every time they visit my store. The range includes all of the most popular lines, it’s well presented and the mix and match deal means shoppers can try the whole range easily.”

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Community Engagement | GUEST COLUMN

Asif Akhtar, Premier Smeaton Stores, Kirkcaldy Playing as active a role in the local community as possible is critical to building loyalty – and sales.

Community engagement is a two-way street After 20 years of serving the same community, it’s no surprise Asif and Abada Akhtar’s Premier Smeaton Stores is a local hub – but it’s all part of being an active member of the community.

F

or my wife Abada and me, playing as active a role in our local community as we can is simply something that we’ve always done - and we get a lot of joy out of it. We’ve been in this store for 20 years so when you spend that length of time with the same community you develop a relationship that goes above and beyond a simple retailer/customer relationship. I would call most of our shoppers friends rather than customers these days – and that’s really what drives us to be active in the community, to offer help where we can and to use our unique place at the heart of Smeaton life to help drive activity that benefits us all.

We’ve seen our shoppers grow older, have kids, move away, move back, cope with illnesses and problems and all the other things that life throws at you – we’ve seen it all over two decades. Our desire to be good members of our community hasn’t been part of a marketing strategy or a way of getting PR. It’s come out of enjoying our role and wanting to be good people and treat our shoppers the way we would like to be treated in return.

We are not in an affluent area and it maybe doesn’t get the support it needs from local services so we are simply trying to do our bit to help improve the area and build a better community for us all, somewhere that we all love living. But there’s no question community engagement is a two-way street.

Many projects and activities we’ve been involved with have brought us much closer to our shoppers – and they reward us for that by remaining loyal to us, no matter what else happens. It works for everyone.

I wouldn’t say we go looking for community projects to get involved with exactly. It’s more a case of listening to our shoppers and keeping one eye open for opportunities to get involved and help them if we possibly can. That maybe explains some of the more unusual community things we’ve done like buying an electric wheelchair for a regular shopper that had both legs amputated through illness or converting a nearby property we own to provide temporary housing for local homeless people over Christmas.

We also do a lot of the more common community engagement activities like organising parties and BBQs and running

raffles and fundraising events too, so it’s not all big, expensive projects. We were invited to speak at the local school on the topic of integration, for instance. We just try to do what we can and it’s very clear to me that our community appreciates that effort.

In recent years we’ve been encouraged to try to share the work we do with a wider audience by entering industry awards and it’s been really heartening because we’ve picked up community prizes at lots of events including the Asian Trader, Scottish Grocer and Scottish Local Retailer Awards so we must be doing something right!

I would encourage all Premier retailers to take advantage of their unique position at the heart of the communities they serve. All you have to do is stay alert to opportunities where you can help out. If you have a budget for such activities, or you can find the money from somewhere, great. If you don’t have budget then you’ll still find there’s lot of ways you can help.

For me, independent retailing is all about local communities – and it has to be a partnership. If you are making a living from serving your community, it’s only right that you give something back when you can.

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ACS Viewpoint | Rural Shops

James Lowman Rural shops play a fundamental role in communities across the UK and need support to thrive, says ACS Chief Executive.

Rural shops are vital to the wellbeing of communities across the country which is why they need support to continue serving the needs of areas often overlooked by other types of business.

I

n January, we launched our 2018 Rural Shop Report which gives us the anatomy of the convenience sector trading in rural parts of the UK, and it’s great to see MPs like Ruth George, Scott Mann and Damian Hinds out in stores celebrating what these businesses do for the places where they trade. I was particularly struck

by Dan Cock’s Premier in Whitstone, one of the stores in Scott Mann’s North Cornwall constituency. Dan has developed his store into a pub, café, food-to-go outlet, community meeting place, post office and convenience store all in one. It’s packed out for Sunday lunch in front of a log fire, as well as hosting community groups, serving locals and people passing through the village, and of course being a great local shop in its own right.

This is modern convenience store innovation at its best: starting from what the community needs, and

building a facility that is right for that trade from a small, defined and location. It’s probably not a scalable fairly captive market. offer (though there’s plenty any Dan’s experience also retailer could learn from it) reminds us how important it is IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO because a few miles away that regulations help and not GET INVOLVED IN THE a different place will need hinder this development.

POLITICAL WORK OF ACS different things from their Knotty regulations like ....................... CALL ...................... local shop, but Dan’s use class orders, which thought process about define the primary use 01252 515 001 developing his business is of a business premises, ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... a blueprint for our sector. must be flexible enough to www.acs.org.uk Dan, along with many allow businesses to change rural retailers like him, are without having to go through introducing new services based on undue planning processes. The the specific needs of their community, business rates system needs and making a virtue of the fact that to give discounts and support every convenience store has its own to businesses introducing new discreet market. I celebrate every services, rather than separately investment and risk that a retailer takes taxing those services as we’ve to improve their business, wherever seen happen with ATMs. If you they’re based, but I’m seeing many of need convincing about why the best innovations starting out far these businesses are valuable away from the trendy big cities where and should get this help, go the game is attracting a proportion of back to look at the Rural Shop the tens of thousands of people passing Report and see the contribution near the store, rather than building we already make in rural areas.

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

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

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

Time to make Easter great?

What will the sugar tax mean to retailers?

I’ve heard so much about the so-called ‘sugar tax’ but I’m still a little confused about what it will actually mean to us as Premier retailers. Will we lose margin? And how much will products rise in cost?

SIVA RAVI, PREMIER SUMMERFIELD STORES, KENT

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR PREMIER, SAID: The new soft drinks sugar levy comes into force from 6th April 2018.

The Levy applies in two different bands: a lower rate for drinks with a total sugar content of 5mg – 7.99mg per 100ml and a higher rate for drinks with 8g or more per

100ml. Retailers will retain full control over their pricing and you can choose to maintain your cash margin and pass on the tax in full to the shopper.

A typical 330ml can would see a price increase of 7p for the lower rate and 10p for the higher rate. A 2l PET would increase by 43p at the lower rate and 58p at the higher one.

Are the Meal Deals here to stay?

Having had a fair bit of success with the range of Meal Deals available from Premier, I was wondering if they are here to stay? They are working for me.

MICHAEL HAITH, PREMIER SMILEYS, BLACKPOOL

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR - PREMIER, SAID: The three Meal Deals -

Easter has traditionally been a great opportunity for retailers and I am delighted to see the excellent range of Easter products available from Premier this year. With Easter eggs starting at just £1, the range means we can compete with anyone out there. Should we be optimistic about this year’s sales?

ROBERT KIRKWOOD, PREMIER EXPRESS CORNER SHOP, FIFE MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR PREMIER, SAID: We’ve worked really hard to deliver a fantastic range of big brand products at fantastic value prices and I believe we have every reason to be optimistic about Easter this year. Present the Easter range prominently in-store, stock up early and keep stocked up until Easter Sunday to maximise sales.

Sandwich, Frozen and Evening - have proven exceptionally popular with Premier retailers and they are definitely a solid part of our plans going forward. The Sandwich and Frozen Deals have been a huge hit so far and the newer Evening Deal is heading the same way. We will continue to monitor sales and feedback from retailers to continue developing them in future to better suit the needs of our shoppers.

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Talking Shop

Issue 93 February 2018