TalkingShop February 2020

Talking Shop ISSUE 105 – February 2020

The magazine for Premier retailers

Aiming high

Leeds retailing family think big with an inspiringly creative refit in Morley

PLUS

Fresh start

Get 2020 off to a flyer

Euro Shopper

Cash in on value and quality

Get it at Bo first oker! †

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Milk Bag size 32.5g and case size 24 White Bag size 30g and case size 24 Launch WSP £7.49 2 for £1†† ® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. Images for illustrative purposes only.

† Exclusive to Booker Group to 31st March 2020. *Source: IRI InfoScan All Channels, Confectionery Value Sales 52 w/e September 2019. **Based on Booker Group WSP. †† RRP is at the sole discretion of the retailer.

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Illustrations for illustrative purposes only.

Talking Shop | February 2020

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE 105 – Februa

ry 2020

Hello and a very warm welcome

The magazine

to this, the first issue of 2020. I

for Premier retai

lers

hope that you all had a busy and profitable festive period and are ready for the year that lies ahead.

The are certainly a number of

Aiming high

great opportunities to embrace in 2020 and we discuss many of them in this issue of Talking Shop.

Leeds retailin g big with an ins family think piringly creative refit in Morley

2020 off to a flyer

The early part of the year is the perfect time to take a

Euro Shopper

step back from the day-to-day running of your store and try to see it through the eyes of your shoppers. That’s a good way of highlighting both fresh opportunities and areas of your store or parts of your business that could benefit from a little attention. You’ll find a couple of helpful articles inside that offer some great advice on how to do just that.

We are also taking a closer look at our popular Euro Shopper brand in this issue. The need for fantastic value combined with great quality has never been more important to shoppers and the Euro Shopper range delivers on every front.

Similarly, our Amazing Value Essentials promotions will help you provide exceptional value to your shoppers in the categories that bring them to your store on a daily

PLUS

Fresh start Get

TS January.indd

Cash in on value and quality

1

19/02/2020 15:40:06

COVER STORY Exceeding expectations in Leeds.

THE THREE BIG STORIES 28 Value and quality

The Euro Shopper range delivers it all for shoppers.

33 Everyday essentials

Great value offerings on bread and milk can help drive daily footfall.

49 Nine tips to refresh your store Hands-on advice on moving it up a gear.

basis. Categories like bread, milk, eggs and sugar are key to maximising footfall, sales and profits.

Don’t miss our regular store profiles too with some inspiring stories that might help you in your own business.

I wish you all fantastic trading!

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director Premier

4 TalkingShop

February 2020

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.

45 Ones To Watch

33

Everyday value drives footfall

15 Blazing a trail in Bedford

28

Euro Shopper value and quality

39 Cash in on pet food

07 Booker hailed as ‘Supplier of the Year’ Booker adds to its lost of accolades at the NFRN Awards.

08 Veganuary hits record numbers Veganism and vegetarianism set to feature heavily in 2020 as record numbers sign up for Veganuary.

13 Premier store assistant wins £10k a month!

A store assistant in Wales wins £10,000 a month for a year with the National Lottery.

15 Ahead of the game New Bedford Premier store 80%

22 Kicking on

45 Ones To Watch

A hugely successful refit is inspiring

Some of the latest NPD, including a

a Nottinghamshire Premier group.

new Happy Shopper crisp range.

24 Fresh growth

49 Nine steps to growth

A sales hike of 15% was the result of

A hands-on guide to building fresh

a major overhaul of a Wigan store.

growth in your business.

29 Euro Shopper has it all

53 Fresh Start

The Euro Shopper range combines

Now is the

unbelievable value with fantastic

ideal time to

award-winning quality.

take a fresh

33 Amazing value essentials The key to big footfall is fantastic value on everyday lines.

39 Pet project

look at your store.

61 Data matters!

Why data is vital, and how

ahead of projections after only six

The pet category can drive big

to manage it

months.

footfall, sales and profits for your

well.

18 Exceeding expectations Leeds retailing family delivers huge

store.

43 Cracking Easter

growth by focusing on the shopper

A packed promotional programme

experience.

promises a profitable Easter.

46

Gordon’s unveils new gin

February 2020 TalkingShop

5

Mini Cheddars Crinklys C&O HP Mini Cheddars Branston Pickle Mini Cheddars Big Bag Original Mini Cheddars BBQ Grab Bag

30x50g 30x50g 30x50g 30x50g

M335531 M325201 M040341 M045242

PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Booker named Supplier of the Year at NFRN Awards

INBRIEF AMIT WINS A FAMILY HOLIDAY IN THE SUN!

Booker added to its long list of prestigious industry awards by being named Supplier of the Year at the recent NFRN Awards in London.

Booker’s “hard work and dedication to the independent retailing industry” was recognised at the recent NFRN Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London with success in the prestigious Supplier of the Year category.

Television presenter and journalist Naga Munchetty hosted the awards evening.

The judges commented: “Booker is fully committed to supporting a prosperous and vibrant independent sector.

“It focuses on choice, which includes providing a wide range of branded and own label products, as well as on lower prices and service.

“For many years it has worked closely with the NFRN to help members build successful and sustainable businesses.”

Premier retailer Amit Patel of Premier Sandiacre in Nottinghamshire has won a £3,000 family holiday in the sun in a competition run by Swizzels.

The Fun in the Sun competition saw retailers who purchased three cases of Swizzels’ £1 PMP hanging bags

GroceryAid Awareness Day returns for 2020 GroceryAid, the national charity for the grocery industry, has announced that its second Awareness Day will be held on Tuesday 3rd March 2020.

The day focuses on encouraging retailing colleagues to spread the word about the free emotional, practical and financial support available from GroceryAid. Last year’s Awareness Day saw 63 companies participate, with 5,483 stores and manufacturing sites receiving GroceryAid information to share with colleagues, through putting up posters, handing out materials and posting on social media.

This participation led to a 31% increase in

GroceryAid applications and a 22% increase in calls to the Helpline. Even though Employee Assistance Programmes are widely available throughout the grocery industry, GroceryAid has identified that colleagues frequently do not want to access support available from their employer for more personal problems, such as relationship problems, mental health issues and debt worries.

To get involved in GroceryAid Awareness Day, please get in touch at news@groceryaid.org.uk or visit https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/ for more information and to download the free Awareness Day pack.

entered into the prize draw and Amit was the lucky retailer to win the all-inclusive oneweek holiday to the Canary Islands.

Amit told Talking Shop: “It was a complete surprise when I got the phone call telling me I’d won, but I was delighted!

So I’m off to Greece for a week in the Easter holidays with my wife and two kids.”

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 2020 TalkingShop

7

News

INBRIEF Veganuary 2020 campaign SHOP PRICES ‘CONTINUE TO FALL’ AS INFLATION HITS YEAR-LONG HIGH The latest British Retail

sees record numbers

The increasing interest in vegan and vegetarian products shows no sign of waning as the Veganuary initiative saw record numbers of more than 370,000 signing up.

Consortium–Nielsen Shop Price Index has found that food inflation accelerated to 1.6% in January, up from 1.4% in December.

Ambient food inflation in particular accelerated to 2.8% in January, up from 2.4% in December, the highest inflation rate since April 2019.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Grocery prices could rise further as last year’s increase in global food prices filters through to British shelves.

“Nonetheless, food prices remain low by European standards.

“Rising costs from business rates and minimum wage increases continue to put

The massive surge in interest in vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets was a key trend in 2019 and that trend looks set to continue into 2020. The annual ‘Veganuary’ festival that took place last month saw record numbers sign up for the campaign with over 370,000 people taking part.

Veganuary also saw a number of new vegan products launched onto the market as brands and retailers continue to take advantage of the trend by broadening their ranges to meet the needs of shoppers pursuing specialist diets.

Will Broome, CEO of convenience retailing tech specialist Ubamarket, says that

getting ahead of the movement and making in-store offerings accessible for those following vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian diets can only be beneficial for

Premier retailers: “Movements like Veganuary have proven themselves in recent years in their ability to initiate real change and gain real popularity.

Retailers would be wise to take heed of this rapid growth in popularity. According to our own research, one in three Brits say that they are eating significantly more vegan and vegetarian meals in their diets.”

Premier already offers a wide range of vegan and vegetarian lines that retailers can take advantage of to target this growing segment of shoppers.

Speak to your RDM for advice on how to optimise your vegan and vegetarian range and instore merchandising.

upward pressure on prices.

“When these cators are combined with fierce competition across the industry, margins are being steadily squeezed as retailers strive to keep prices low for consumers.”

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February 2020

Alfred Button & Son Lemon Sherbet Gin is a winner!

The Booker-exclusive Lemon Sherbet Shimmer Gin liqueur from Alfred Button & Sons has been named Wine & Spirits Product of the Year at the Product Excellence Awards organised by The Caterer magazine.

The Lemon Sherbet variant has been a particularly popular line with both shoppers and retailers, thanks to its striking on-shelf appeal and its unique flavour profile.

The judges were “full of admiration for Booker for stocking Alfred Button & Sons Lemon Sherbet Gin which has a ‘mystical simmer’ and packs a citrusy punch.” The product beat rivals including Bottega Gold Prosecco DOC Brut and the shortlist in the category also featured another Booker exclusive product, Don Pavral Rioja Crianza.

News

ACS pushes Treasury to help retailers invest

The Association of Convenience Stores has urged the Treasury to introduce policy changes in the forthcoming Budget to help retailers invest in their stores.

INBRIEF NEW SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS FOR RETAILERS A new set of social media tools specifically for use by retailers has been developed in partnership with audience engagement platform Maybe*.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has launched the new tools which cover setting up an account on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and ensure that your account is as visible as possible.

For retailers that are already using social media, the tools provide more advanced guidance on how to get the most out of social media

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called on The Treasury to introduce policy changes on business rates, crime and employment costs in the Budget on 11th March to help give the UK’s independent retailers the confidence to invest in their businesses.

A submission submitted by ACS urges the government to give local shops ‘the green light’ to invest without facing a potential increase in their rates bills as a result.

Convenience stores invested

more than £558m in their businesses in the year to November 2019, although this was down almost a quarter on the previous year.

The submission also calls on the government to significantly increase the Employment Allowance and increase the threshold for employer National Insurance Contributions to help offset the rising cost of employing staff.

Additionally, ACS is requesting a freeze duty levels on alcohol and tobacco products

and the removal of ‘through the wall’ free to use ATMs from the rating system to sustain access to cash.

ACS chief executive, James Lowman, said: “This Budget is a huge opportunity for the government to affirm its commitment to supporting local shops by taking long overdue action on reforming the business rates system, providing mitigation for increases in employment costs, and ensuring that the communities that our members trade in are safe.”

whether by expanding reach, building a base of recommendations or finding new ways to showcase products and offers.

ACS chief executive, James Lowman, said: “Using social media to promote your business and engage with customers can be a really powerful tool, but it’s also a daunting prospect. It’s been clear from our own research that this is a significant untapped area for lots of retailers.”

Minimum Unit Pricing hits alcohol sales The amount of alcohol sold per adult in Scotland fell by 3.6% over the 12 month period that followed the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in May 2018, according to data published by NHS Scotland.

MUP is generally accepted to be a contributory factor in this fall, although alcohol sales volumes had been falling prior to the introduction of MUP in Scotland.

The volume of alcohol sold per adult in the off-trade in Scotland decreased from 7.4 to 7.1 litres in the year following the introduction of MUP. The biggest decreases were recorded in the cider category, down 18.6% In the post-MUP year in Scotland per adult sales of cider fell the most (down 18.6%). Spirits sales fell by 3.8% while beer sales remained largely unaffected at -1.1%.

February 2020 TalkingShop

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– THE UK’S NO.1 – CHILLED * COFFEE BRAND

STOCK UP NOW *Source: Nielsen 52 30th November 2019

CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Marathon man Arnie clocks up 73 runs in 8 years!

Despite only taking up running when he was 52, Hitchin Premier retailer Gurbin ‘Arnie’ Parmar has already clocked up 73 marathons and half marathons, many for charity!

INBRIEF SINGH’S HANDS OUT BAGS FOR LIFE FOR FREE TO SHOPPERS Community-minded Premier Singh’s in Sheffield recently made great use of their free case of Premier-branded bags

Inspirational Premier retailer Gurbir ‘Arnie’ Parmar, who owns Premier Parmar’s Food and Wine in Hitchin, is entering the final stages of preparation for his third London Marathon in April, a run that will mean he has completed 74 marathons and half marathons in just eight years!

Arnie, aged 60, only took running up for the first time when he was 52 but has manged to complete official runs across the globe from

Toronto to Berlin, raising more than £10,000 for a number of

very worthy charities in the process.

“I’m running this year’s London Marathon for the Leonard Cheshire charity,” says Arnie. “It’s a charity close to my heart and I even volunteer as a driver for them, but I’ve a lot of money for a number of other charities including Cancer Research UK.” To donate money to this great cause, please visit: www. uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ GurbirSinghParmar

Premier store assistant wins £10k a month for a year!

Ziyaad Fathe-Aldeen, who works at Premier Express Roman Way Convenience Store in Carleon in Wales, has won £10,000 a month for a year with the National Lottery. Amazingly, it was only the second time that Ziyaad had played the National Lottery!

He matched the five main numbers in the Set For Life draw on November 25th and now plans a to go on a world tour. Ziyaad said he had been inspired to buy a ticket by talking to shoppers in the store. He said: “A few of them were buying tickets so I thought I would have a go. I gave the ticket to my girlfriend to look after for me.

The next day I was back in work and she came in shaking. She said: ‘I think you’ve won’.”

Ziyaad says he wants to let the win sink but says that he will spend time travelling the world.

for life by handing them out free to the first 200 shoppers to visit the store.

Mandeep Singh commented: “We all know that single-use plastic is a huge issue for shoppers and we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously.

“So we decided to hand our new bags for life out free to our shoppers to encourage them to think about their own carbon footprint and encourage them to say no to single-use plastic bags.

“We also saw it as another way of strengthening the relationship we have with our community.”

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

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

February 2020 TalkingShop

11

see your sales soar * Wherever you take it 25% of shoppers purchase price marked packs in convenience stores on impulse!

26% say that price shown on a shelf label is an extremely important factor in deciding what to buy** 71% of Mixes promotional sales are incremental to the category!***

®Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. *Sales not guaranteed. **HIM Ltd 2019 ***Source: IRI Nescafe P&P – UK – 28.12.2019.

IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Low and no alcohol a ‘key trend in 2020’ New research from the Portman Group suggests 2020 could be a transformative year for the fast-growing low and no alcohol drinks sector.

INBRIEF ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEW £20 NOTE The Bank of England’s new plastic £20 note enters circulation this month. Printed on polymer, it features the artist JMW Turner on the reverse and retains the distinctive £20 purple colour. The Bank says that it is the most secure note it

The latest survey from alcohol social responsibility body the Portman Group shows that over half of alcohol drinkers (59%) have at least tried a low alcohol product (products with an ABV of above 0.05%, up to 1.2%).

The Portman Group’s second annual poll into public attitudes to low alcohol conducted by YouGov also shows that almost a quarter (23%) of those who drink alcohol said that they had, or were likely to, consider switching some of their drinking to lower alcoholic options in the next six months.

The intention to switch is being led by younger drinkers with almost one in 10 (9%) 18-24 year olds saying that they had already switched the majority of their drinking to lower alcohol options.

The reasons given reflect increasingly responsible attitudes to drinking across all age groups, ranging from being able to drive home after social events (31%) to reducing the risk of long-

term physical health issues (22%).

However, 30% of British adults who drink alcohol in an average week say they have yet to try a low alcohol product and 13% do not recall seeing a low alcohol option available.

The survey highlights the public’s desire for wider availability of lower alcohol alternatives in retail.

Portman Group Chief Executive John Timothy said: “While producers continue to heavily invest in the sector, our research shows more work needs to be done to support its growth.

“We believe in broader consumer choice and would like to see a low and no alcohol option available in a wider range of outlets.”

has ever produced.

Sophisticated security features make it difficult to counterfeit but simple and quick to check including complex see-through windows and a hologram image containing the word ‘Twenty’ which changes to ‘Pounds’ when the note is tilted from side to side.

Paper £20 notes, featuring Adam Smith, remain legal tender and should be accepted as usual. These notes will be gradually withdrawn as they are banked.

Notice will be given six months ahead of legal tender status being withdrawn.

Shoplifting ‘up 14% in last decade’ Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has called for Government action in light of new Office for National Statistics reporting a 14% increase in police-recorded incidents of shoplifting in England and Wales over the last decade. Theft has been shown to be a main trigger for violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers.

Last year Usdaw and retailers responded to the Home Office ‘call for evidence’, jointly pushing for action to tackle this growing problem.

Usdaw’s response included a call for tougher sentences for those who attack shopworkers, a

change to the out of court disposals system (eg fixed penalty notices) which is failing to have an impact on reoffending, and a full review into the response of police forces to incidents of violence in the retail sector.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime, with theft from shops often triggering violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers. Retail staff have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.”

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 2020 TalkingShop

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Bedford | STORE PROFILE

game Ahead of the

After only six months in his third Premier store, Bedford retailer Kandasamy Satsoroopan is already 80% ahead of his budget projections – and there’s more growth to come.

February 2020 TalkingShop

15

STORE PROFILE | Bedford

80%

Ahead of sales predictions

F

or retailer Kandasamy Satsoroopan and his wife Keerthana, the last six years have been an exhilarating rollercoaster of a ride as the couple quickly built up a chain of three Premier stores in the Bedford area.

“I worked in the convenience sector as an employee for a long time but around six years ago we decided the time was right to strike out on our own and buy a store for ourselves,” recalls Kandasamy, better known to his shoppers as Roopan.

“It was a tough decision to make but we really felt like we wanted to take control of our lives and our careers so we decided to go for it!” he says with a smile.

Not even Roopan could have predicted how quickly the business would grow however and in June last year the couple opened their third Premier store in the Abbeyfield suburb of Bedford, a newbuild store created as part of an integral 13-apartment development.”

“It’s been an amazing few years us,” says Roopan. “And we’re absolutely delighted at how well the stores are performing. The new store is a great example. When we sat down with Premier and we drafted our plans for the new store we obviously built what we believed was a sensible budget document with predicted sales. Just six months down the line we’re already delivering sales 80% above budget! It’s remarkable.”

It certainly is, but it’s easy to see why the store is doing so well. “We spent a lot of time working with Premier to plan the store to make sure we had our range just right and that we were dedicating space to all the growth and high margin categories

16 TalkingShop

February 2020

PURPOSE BUILT: The newbuild store has been created to Roopan’s precise specifications.

and products like coffee, food to go, desserts, shakes, Tango Ice Blast, vaping and so on,” he comments.

The store is striking and, despite being six months old, it looks like it was built yesterday. Both the exterior and interior are in immaculate condition and maintaining very high standards is clearly a key element of Roopan’s strategy. Even the 12 space parking area is spotless.

With a new 800 house development in progress nearby, no competition and a school just down the road, there’s every reason to believe that Roopan can continue to grow those already impressive sales numbers.

“We are lucky to have basically a monopoly in the Abbeyfield area so we enjoy high footfall and the area is growing all the time so we’re in a good place,” he says. “It’s quite an affluent area so that means we get good sales from premium lines as well as getting a lot of business from the grocery end of the market as people prefer to use us for their everyday needs rather than driving to the nearest supermarket.”

A hair salon and a dispensary next door also helps drive footfall and awareness but Roopan is also very clear on how important it is to engage proactively with the local

REAL DEAL: The store boasts the only F’real shakes machine in Bedford.

800 New houses being built nearby

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

NICE SLICE: A pizza unit at the tillpoint drives impulse hot food sales.

community. “Yes, we have a monopoly position in a sense, but that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels,” he comments. “We have to go out into the community and really make ourselves a key part of it. That’s why we do things like sponsor the local school and support the planting of trees and plants in the local area and sponsor the Christmas lights for Abbeyfield.”

There’s no question that Roopan and his wife Keerthana have built a fantastic business in the last six years and they are very keen to keep that growth going, as Roopan concludes: “We’ve grown quickly DELI STYLE: Food to go now sits at the heart of the store’s offering.

and we want to keep growing but we’re aware that we don’t want to grow too quickly. It’s vital to establish and maintain high standards in all of our stores and that takes time but having said that, we do have our eye on another store for the end of this year or the start of 2021!”

Store CV:

Name: Premier Abbeyfield Neighbour hood Store, Bedford Retailer: Kandasamy and Keerthana Satsoroopan Stores in group: 3 Time as a retailer: 6 years Time with Premier: 4 years Size: 1,600sq ft Staff: 5 Services: Licensed, food to go, coffee, F’real, Tango Ice Blast, Chicago Town Pizza, Just Desserts, Rollover, PayPoint, Lottery, ATM, local bakery items Nearest competition: Tesco 2 miles away Trading hours: 6am – 10pm Mon to Sat; 8am – 9pm Sun

READY MARKET: The store was built as part of a 13-apartment housing development.

GO LOCAL: Locally sourced bread and bakery products are popular.

February 2020 TalkingShop

17

STORE PROFILE | Morley, Leeds

Exceeding

expectations Premier Morley in Leeds is a fine example of a store embracing all of the latest major trends and executing them exceptionally in-store to dramatically improve the shopping experience.

Store CV:

I

t’s always a great idea to be well on top of the latest trends in independent retailing, but how you add important new categories and merchandise them in-store can be just as critical to the ultimate success of your business, as Premier Morley Convenience Store in Leeds demonstrates admirably.

Run by the Singh family – father Jazz and sons Mani and Arjan – the store sits at the heart of an estate in the Morley area of Leeds and was fully refitted in September last year to allow the family to bring in a range of new critical products and categories. But the trio set out not just to broaden their range but to massively enhance the shopper experience at the same time.

“My dad has had this store for over 35 years but as time has gone by we realised that we needed to really overhaul our range to bring it more in line with today’s shopper expectations,” explains Arjan. “But we didn’t want to just meet those expectations, we wanted to exceed them. That meant we had to get a little creative in how we designed and planned the refit. Fortunately, Premier was totally onboard from day one and they couldn’t have been any more helpful and constructive.”

Yes, the family wanted to bring

18 TalkingShop

February 2020

Name: Premier Morley Convenience Store, Leeds Retailers: Jazz, Arjan and Mani Singh Time as retailers: 35 years Size: 2,200sq ft Staff: 10 Services: Licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, hot and chilled food to go, coffee, Tango Ice Blast, ice cream machine, US candy, locally sourced butchery and bakery, ATM, Fizzee machine, vape island, dessert bar, Chicago Town pizza unit Nearest competition: Asda ½ mile away Trading hours: 7am – 10pm Mon to Fri; 8am – 10pm Sat & Sun

NEW LEVEL: Mani, Jazz and Arjan Singh are focused on an outstanding shopper experience.

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

ISLAND LIFE: The freestanding vape island is a feature of the store.

JUST DESSERTS: The new Cool Desserts Bar has grown sales and footfall.

STAY COOL: The Chill Factor zone offers Fizzee and Tango Ice Blast.

20% Increase in sales since refit

HOT STUFF: A Premier Deli drives new food to go sales and profits.

hot food to go, coffee, vaping, desserts and American candy into the store, for instance, but they also wanted to create a real ‘wow’ factor – and they certainly achieved it.

“Take our vaping island, for instance,” says Arjan. “We were selling more and more vape products over the last few years but we knew we were losing out to specialist vapeshops. So we didn’t want to just add some new lines in behind the counter – we wanted to create something special.”

That something special was a freestanding vaping island – which has apparently come to be known as The Tardis! The fixture stands on the shop floor and allows the store to stock a much larger range as well as letting shoppers take their time and browse the range at their leisure. The island even features digital shelf edge labels which reduce workload and look great.

“It really adds something to the store and it basically means we now offer a bigger range than the local vapeshops,” says Arajan. “We stock a massive range of liquids, devices and

accessories and that’s bringing in new shoppers every day, some of them from miles away.”

Additionally, the store prices the lines competitively, as Arjan explains: “For the vapeshops, it’s their sole source of revenue so they need the bigger margins.

As a full convenience store, we can afford to be a little more competitive on pricing but still drive big sales and big profit margins. We offer two premium liquids for £15, for example, and that is hugely popular and also generates big margins for us.”

The strategy is clearly working with the vaping category alone adding around £1,500 a week to total sales.

That spirit of innovation and enhanced customer experience is evident throughout the store.

The food to go area is striking while the new dessert bar also adds massively to the theatre of the store.

Rather than simply adding slush, the family has instead created a dedicated Chill Factor zone with the addition of both a Tango Ice Blast machine and a new carbonated frozen drink concept from the US called February 2020 TalkingShop

19

M 5 £ Advertising

Available

in 380m

£1.25 **

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PMP

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12 x 3 8 0 ml

to * s n i m e c B vita u d e r help dness tire B12 5, B6 & *B3, B

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+32% YOY* *Source: IRI | Total Market | Value | 52wks to 25.08.19. **Recommended retail price. LUCOZADE, LUCOZADE REVIVE and the Arc Device are registered trade marks of Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd.

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

PIZZA PIE: A Chicago Town unit generates sales all day long.

LOVING IT: Shoppers love the experience of visiting the store.

CHILLED FOCUS: Chilled food for tonight and Meal Deals push basket spend up.

UNITED FRONT: The store even finds room to celebrate the local football team!

KIDS ZONE: A dedicated kids zone ensures younger shoppers aren’t left out.

EXPERIENCE DRIVEN: The store has been entirely designed to enhance the shopper experience.

Fizzee. A new F’real shakes machine is on order too, as is a very rare Coke fountain selfservice vending machine.

“We’ve gone heavily on selfservice in the store, for a couple of reasons,” he says. “Firstly, shoppers are more relaxed when they can serve themselves and don’t feel under pressure to do everything quickly. Secondly, when they take their time they often notice other products they might want to pick up too.”

A Chicago Town pizza unit, a range of locally sourced butchery and bakery products and a US candy fixture have also been added while the refit ensured that there was enough chilled space to accommodate a huge range of cold food to go as well as the fresh range and beers and wines.

“The refit was a proper fullscale refit,” recalls Arjan.

“We wanted to create more space for important categories and higher margin lines but we also wanted to make the store feel less cramped. We wanted shoppers to feel they have lots of space so they could enjoy the experience. Yes, we had to

sacrifice some space we could have made for more sales space but we think our strategy was the right one. Our shoppers love visiting us now!”

Not only do they love visiting, they’re also spending a lot more than before. In fact, sales are up 20% since the refit with profits up around 2%, an outstanding achievement in a store that’s been there for the best part of four decades.

“My dad says that this January was the best January the store has had in 30 years,” laughs Arjan. “So we have high hopes for what will happen when the warmer months arrive.”

It’s no surprise that Jazz, Arjan and Mani are completely fired up to keep innovating into the future and keep focusing on how they can continue to exceed the expectations of their shoppers.

“Our next development is to introduce home delivery,” concludes Arjan. “We’re looking at a dedicated service powered by an app and we believe it will help us grow sales and grow our shopper base. If we keep focused on delighting our shoppers, we won’t go far wrong.”

February 2020 TalkingShop

21

STORE PROFILE | Tuxford, Nottinghamshire

New dawn The massive success of a major refit of their store in Tuxford last summer has inspired retailers John and Ben Matthews to draw up plans for the three other Premier stores they own in the area.

T FRESH START: The fullscale refit has given the store a new lease of life.

CHILL OUT: A significant increase in chilled space has driven sales and profits.

22 TalkingShop

February 2020

here’s no question that independent retailing has changed beyond belief in the last four or five years and we accepted that we had to change beyond belief with it,” says Nottinghamshire multi-site retailer Ben Matthews in response to a question about what inspired him to undertake a massive refit of his store in Tuxford. “We had been tweaking the store as we went since we bought it around 10 years ago but it hadn’t had a full refit in that time,” he explains. “It was well overdue – and I now wish we’d done it sooner!”

The store is one of four Premier stores that Ben and his father John own in the area and is now being used as a sort of testbed for new ideas and trials with the most successful ideas being rolled out to the other stores.

“When we committed to the refit, we decided do go all-out,” says Ben. “We did it last summer and we replaced everything. Floor, ceiling, all the shelving, the lighting, the refrigeration, the lot. To really let us build a store fit for the modern shopper, we knew we had to basically rip it up and start again. We

GEARING UP: Ben Matthews is reaping the benefits of a major refit in his Tuxford store.

had to fully close the store for two weeks.”

Working hand-in-hand with Premier, Ben and John carefully drew up plans for a new store that would allow them to incorporate everything that today’s shoppers are looking for: hot food, coffee, US candy, vaping, chilled food to go, premium spirits, slush and more.

The amount of chilled space was dramatically increased for beers, wines and ciders and for chilled food to go, which has resulted in big sales hikes. “We’ve gone for energy-efficient closed-door chillers for the alcohol section and open dairy decks for the food to go and that’s working a treat,” says Ben. The refit also saw the tobacco gantry removed and replaced with a striking backlit spirits fixture which, according to Ben, has seen sales of spirits grow significantly while cigarette sales have remained largely unaffected. A new vaping unit incorporated behind the till has also proven popular with shoppers.

The net result? Sales in the store have increased by an impressive 35% – a remarkable improvement given that the

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

Store CV:

Name: Premier Tuxford Convenience Store, Nottinghamshire Retailers: John and Ben Mathews Stores in group: 4 (all Premier) Time as retailers: 30 years Time with Premier: 14 years Size: 1,500sq ft Staff: 8 Services: licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, ATM, Chicago Town Pizza, microwave, coffee machine, slush, US candy, vaping Nearest competition: Costcutter and Co-up within ¼ mile Trading hours: 7am-10pm

GOOD TO GO: The food to go area has attracts new shoppers.

fact that the store had already been trading steadily for over a decade beforehand.

“I have to say that I’m very pleased with the results,” says a delighted Ben. “Everything that we added into the store during the refit has worked. Sales have increased across every category. When you invest a lot of money in a refit, you’re always a little nervous so to see all of the new products and categories working so well is just fantastic.”

So well is the store working in fact, Ben and John are now using what they’ve learned on the refit to begin planning overhauls of their other three stores. “We obviously can’t go and refit them all at once,” he says, “but when you see the results of the refit at Tuxford it gets you excited about doing the same thing in the other stores and hopefully replicating that success. But we’ll take our time and do them properly and we’re always learning. My dad has been in retail for three decades but he has always told me that you never stop learning in this industry.”

Ben concludes that his only regret about the refit is that he didn’t do it earlier!

35% Increase in sales since refit

THAT’S THE SPIRIT: A new backlit spirits fixture replaces the tobacco gantry.

BIG DEAL: Meal Deals have been a big hit.

CHILLED GROWTH: A big focus on own brand chilled food to go has increased sales.

HOT STUFF: Freshly baked pizza is popular.

February 2020 TalkingShop

23

STORE PROFILE | Upholland

game Ahead of the

15%

Increase in sales since refit

Upholland retailers Suresh and Prem Patel have driven new sales and profit growth into their store with their latest major refit.

BACK ON TRACK: Suresh and Prem Patel are big in big growth after the refit.

I

f proof was needed that the rate of change in the independent retailing sector has never been quicker, then the experience of Upholland retailers Suresh and Prem Patel over the last few months is there to provide it. “We only refitted the store seven or eight years ago but the market has moved on so quickly that we decided that we needed another major refit last year,” explains Suresh. “We had been trading well over the years but in the last year or two things had begun to slow down and we weren’t seeing the same growth so we knew we had to move with the times once more and look at how we could ensure that we were meeting the needs of today’s shoppers.”

A lot of research and soul-searching last year led the pair to conclude that only a major refit would allow them to bring in all the new products and services that they knew would be key to driving growth back into the store.

“We didn’t really have a plan at the outset, just a general concept, but we started talking to Premier about what we wanted to do and we quickly a g r e e d that a full refit was in order,” s a y s Suresh.

“My wife and I are so grateful to Premier for all

2%

Increase in profits since refit 24 TalkingShop

February 2020

the support and advice they gave us during that planning phase because it encouraged us to be honest with ourselves and accept that we needed to make some major changes.”

As well as simply wanting to bring in new products and services that shoppers were looking for, Suresh and Prem were also increasingly focused on identifying higher margin offerings that would increase not only the store’s turnover but also its profitability.

“With costs rising continuously on all fronts, we knew that we needed to bring in more lines that would add to our bottom line,” admits Suresh. “Fortunately, most of the products and services that our shoppers are looking for these days do offer improved margins, so it was a real win-win.”

Among the key goals was to introduce hot food to go, a dessert bar and an improved range of premium footfall-driving solutions like F’real and vaping.

The refit was soon planned and was then carried out in October with “no half measures” and the store, says Suresh, has never looked better.

“Previously we had been a standard convenience store,” he explains. “We sold no food to go, really, so we anticipated it taking a little time to bed in and for our shoppers to realise that we had this whole new range of products, but what we actually experienced was an almost instant lift.

“We used Facebook and Instagram to spread the word and it was amazing how quickly we started seeing new faces. The bright new fascia outside also helped draw more shoppers in.”

Hot food to go is now a key draw for the

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

JUST DESSERTS: The new desserts bar has added incremental sales.

GOOD TO GO: A new food to go station brings new shoppers.

LOOKING GOOD: The fresh new exterior halps draw in footfall.

SOCIAL SKILLS: Suresh has used social media to spread the word.

store with pasties, pies and slices flying out then door while the new dessert bar is delivering incremental sales and improved margins thanks to a tempting range of doughnuts, waffles, ice cream, crepes, cakes and pastries. A new bean-to-up coffee machine has also proven to be a big hit with shoppers.

“In just three months we’ve seen sales increase by around 15% and, more importantly, our profits have increased by about 2%,” says Suresh. “And that’s been through January, typically the quietest month of the year, so we’re expecting more growth in the coming months.”

Suresh and Prem’s story reinforces just how important it is to both stay aware of the latest trends and bring the best of them into your store for your shoppers.

CLOUD CHASING: The new vape station has been popular.

Store CV:

STRIKING STYLE: Sleek design renders the store unrecognisable from before.

Name: Premier Upholland Convenience Store Retailers: Suresh and Prem Patel Time as retailers: 26 years Time with Premier: 4 years Size: 1,000 sq ft Staff: 4 Services: licensed, Lottery, Payzone, ATM, hot food to go, coffee, F’real, vaping, ice cream, dessert bar, chilled food to go, pizza Nearest competition: Co-op 150 yds away Trading hours: 7am – 9pm Mon to Sat; 8am – 8pm Sun

PIZZA THE ACTION: A pizza unit drives sales throughout the day.

February 2020 TalkingShop

25

THE IQOS REVOLUTION. NEITHER VAPING, NOR SMOKING.

Did you know you can still sell menthol tobacco Did you know you can still after 20th May? sell menthol tobacco after 20th May? The Menthol Ban does not apply to HEETS Turquoise and HEETS Blue.

The Menthol Ban does not apply to HEETS Turquoise and HEETS Blue.

To find out more about selling HEETS and IQOS devices and for information on our Buy-Back scheme register now at:

menthol-ban-retail.co.uk

To find out more about selling HEETS and IQOS devices and for information on our Buy-Back scheme register now at:

menthol-ban-retail.co.uk Scan here.

Scan here.

This product is addictive and is not risk-free. Not for sale to persons under the age of 18.

FEATURE | Euro Shopper

Yearround value,

yearround profit The Euro Shopper range offers Premier retailers the best of both worlds: fantastic value and quality products that deliver increased footfall and fantastic cash profits all year round.

Euro Shopper:

3 3 3 3

Value all year round Award-winning quality Huge cash profit opportunity Footfall growth driver

28 TalkingShop

February 2020

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

RETAILER VIEW BEN MATTHEWS Premier Tuxford Convenience Store, Nottinghamshire “Value is what the vast majority of shoppers are looking for these days and they want it every day. They don’t just want promotional deals, they want good deals every time they shop and that’s where Euro Shopper really comes into its own. The value on offer is outstanding and, what’s more, the Euro Shopper products are really good quality too. It also helps that the Euro Shopper range offers such great margins for retailers because we know that we’re getting at least 30% POR on every line, and often a lot higher than that.”

T

oday’s shoppers are looking to have it all: fantastic value and great quality, every day of the year. Fortunately, Premier retailers have exactly what they need to deliver against those shopper demands in the shape of the outstanding Euro Shopper range.

The Euro Shopper range now extends to many of the most vital categories in independent retailing, particularly the ones that shoppers tend to buy into on a daily basis: soft drinks, milk, fresh, biscuits, chocolate and paper products.

Where Euro Shopper excels is in delivering not only for the shopper, but also for the retailer.

Every single line in the entire range delivers a minimum POR of 30% – with many products delivering PORs of up to 45.1%!

THREE TOP TIPS FOR CASHING IN ON EURO SHOPPER! Shoppers love the quality and value they get from the Euro Shopper range and retailers love the outstanding cash profits with PORs in excess of 45% on offer. Here are three great tips for how you can make more of this fantastic range in your store:

1.

STOCK THE KEY LINES Start by stocking the 15 key Euro Shopper lines, as highlighted on the next page. These lines are the most popular with shoppers and are a great way of ensuring you have the right range to deliver footfall, sales and profits. Then you can build your range from that platform.

2.

BUILD BOLD DISPLAYS IN HIGH FOOTFALL AREAS One of the most effective ways of boosting your sales, profits and footfall is by building a high-impact Euro Shopper display in your store in a high footfall area. The striking packaging, prominent price marks and superb pricing will help draw shoppers to the fixture and drive up basket spend.

3. USE THE NEW ‘VALUE ALL YEAR ROUND’ POS Another great way of drawing attention to the Euro Shopper products in your store, and the value and quality they offer, is by making extensive use of the new ‘Value all year round’ POS, available from your RDM. This bold POS helps attract the shopper’s eye and instantly communicates the amazing value available.

xxx 2019 TalkingShop

29

FEATURE | Euro Shopper

EURO SHOPPER RANGE – TOP 15 These15 key lines should form the core of your offer.

PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

WSP

POR

Euro Shopper Energy Drink PM35

24x250ml

£3.99

43.0%

Euro Shopper Energy Drink PM125

6x4x250ml

£3.99

36.2%

Euro Shopper Orange Juice PM100

12x1ltr

£6.99

30.1%

Euro Shopper Semi Skimmed PM79

10x1.36ltr

£5.09

35.6%

Euro Shopper Orange Isotonic PM50

12x500ml

£3.25

35.0%

Euro Shopper Toilet Tissue PM89

12x4-pack

£5.89

33.8%

Euro Shopper Toilet Tissue PM119

10x6-pack

£5.89

40.6%

Euro Shopper Sugar Free Energy PM35

24x250ml

£3.99

43.0%

12x1ltr

£6.99

30.1%

12x500ml

£3.50

40.7%

Euro Shopper U/S R/L Back Bacon PM100

6x150g

£4.20

30.0%

Euro Shopper Mild White Cheese PM100

8x180g

£5.59

30.1%

Euro Shopper Jaffa Cakes PM100

20x300g

£13.79

31.1%

Euro Shopper Milk Chocolate PM50

26x90g

£7.55

30.3%

Euro Shopper Energy PM100

12x1ltr

£5.49

45.1%

Euro Shopper Apple Juice PM100 Euro Shopper Energy PM59

The impossible-to-miss bright yellow price-mark bands have been carefully designed for maximum on-shelf impact and experience has shown that the bands works exceptionally well in catching the shopper’s eye and driving sales.

With prices often at less than half that of the branded equivalent, it’s not difficult to see why more and more shoppers are turning to Euro Shopper.

Not only does Euro Shopper deliver superb everyday value for shoppers all year round, it also delivers great quality. So much so, in fact, that many products in the range have won independently judged quality awards.

In only the last few months, for example, the Euro Shopper Mild White Cheese picked up the ultimate Gold Q Value Award at the Quality Food Awards, a remarkable and prestigious achievement and a testament to the quality of the product.

30 TalkingShop

February 2020

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

30%

minimum POR on every product RETAILER VIEW KANDASAMY SATSOROOPAN Premier Abbeyfield Neighbourhood Store, Bedford “The Euro Shopper range is a vital part of any Premier store’s offer. The value that the range provides is unlike anything else in the store and it’s a range that matters to a lot of shoppers. We stock all of the Top 15 lines and we use all of the new ‘value all year round’ POS to really draw the shopper’s attention to the lines and it works really well. The big yellow price mark also helps catch the eye and that more often than not converts into a sale. The quality of the products themselves does the rest and generates the repeat sales we’re all looking for.”

RETAILER VIEW CHRIS LOVE Premier Early Till late, Stenhousemuir “You can’t beat the value you get from the Euro Shopper range. It really does deliver value on a completely different level – and my shoppers certainly appreciate that. It offers them outstanding prices in many of the categories that they visit my shop for on a daily basis: confectionery, milk, biscuits, fresh, soft drinks and so on. They know they can come and do a decent sized daily shop and it won’t cost them the earth and they’ll be getting great value and quality into the bargain. That’s why the range works so well.”

At the same awards, other Euro Shopper products that collected prizes including Euro Shopper Jaffa Cakes (winner of last year’s ultimate Gold Award), Euro Shopper Hazelnut Milk Chocolate, Euro Shopper Strawberry Protein Shake and Euro Shopper Baked Beans.

It’s worth pointing out that these awards are judged by a panel of independent, expert, experienced food professionals. It’s also worth noting that the winning Euro Shopper lines triumphed over hundreds of other branded and own label products.

With award-winning quality and unrivalled value, it’s no surprise that Euro Shopper is now a core range for Premier retailers to stock.

While the product range does deliver on every front, it’s still vital that retailers give the range the best possible chance in-store by making Euro Shopper products impossible to

miss. One of the best ways of doing this is by building a high impact, dedicated Euro Shopper fixture in a high traffic area of your store. This will help bring more shoppers into Euro Shopper and will help grow footfall, sales and profits.

Additionally, it’s vital that retailers make good use of the new ‘Value all year round’ POS that is available free from your RDM. This bold, bright and impactful POS helps draw the shopper’s attention and quickly and efficiently communicates the stunning value that the entire range represents.

Retailers that have focused on highlighting the Euro Shopper range in-store have invariably seen the benefits in the till and with Christmas not too far behind us and value more critical than ever for shoppers, now is the time to really cash in on the unique and valuable appeal of the unique Euro Shopper range. xxx 2019 TalkingShop

31

®

DRIVE YOUR

SALES

with Robinsons, the 2nd most consumed soft drink in home* WSP £8

RUNS FROM 12/02/20 - 07/04/20

CONSUMER DEAL £1 RUNS FROM 19/02/20 - 07/04/20

245925 Robinsons Orange 900ml PMP 245926 Robinsons Apple & Blackcurrant 900ml PMP SQUASH DRIVES A VERY DIFFERENT SHOPPING MISSION: 54% ARE ON A TOP-UP SHOP**

RETAILERS WHO STOCK SQUASH OR DILUTES SEE AN INCREASED FOOTFALL IN STORES***

*Kantar Worldpanel Usage, In home and carried out consumption, MAT to 01.12.19. **Kantar Worldpanel Online 52wks to 3/11/19. ***IGD – 2019.

100% OF OUR Time to

BOTTLES AND CANS ARE

RECYCLABLE

FEATURE | Amazing Value Essentials

Unlock growth with everyday essentials

By focusing on delivering fantastic value on categories and products that bring shoppers to your store on a daily basis, Premier retailers can quickly unlock huge growth in footfall.

February 2020 TalkingShop

33

Don’t miss out We’re

PROUD PARTNERS OF

TEAM GB The Uk’s No.1 biscuit brand

*

Stock up now Product Pack Size Midas Code McVitie’s Gingernuts £1.29 12x250g M237238 Fruit Shortcake £1.29 12x200g M237244 *Source: Retail Sales – Nielsen Scantrack value sales, 52 w/e 28th December 2019 / Foodservice Sales - IRI Salesout value sales, 52 w/e 27th December 2019

www.mcvities.co.uk

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

A

s all Premier retailers know, driving footfall is fundamental to the success of any independent store.

Bringing shoppers to your door is one of the most important challenges that faces all retailers so it makes sense to focus on products and categories that your shoppers need to top up on regularly. There are few categories that fit this bill quite as well as those everyday essentials, bread, milk and eggs.

With freshness an absolute priority for all shoppers in these vital categories, regular visits to their local Premier store are a must. That’s precisely why Premier continues to focus on the importance of everyday essentials and, more specifically, on ensuring that Premier retailers are able to offer outstanding value to their shoppers

SHOUT ABOUT THE VALUE!

While the Amazing Value Essentials promotions from Premier will undoubtedly drive footfall, sales and profits for you, it’s important that you also communicate the deals as widely as possible to shoppers and potential shoppers alike. Consider: l Siting external posters highlighting the Amazing Value Essentials deals l Use the free POS in-store both on the relevant fixtures and in high traffic areas to ensure every shopper who visits your store knows about the promotions l Feature the promotions on your social media pages to make sure that your shoppers see the great value on offer but also to communicate with new shoppers l Ensure you circulate the promotional leaflets in your area to drive awareness, footfall and sales

when it comes to short life products like bread, milk, crumpets, pancakes, potato cakes, teacakes and muffins.

This outstanding value is what creates the footfall, but once the shoppers then arrive in your store, it’s the perfect opportunity to tempt them to spend more while they are there, either by picking up a few extra items or even by doing their full shop while they are there ostensibly to pick up a great value loaf and pint of milk.

In period 13, which runs until March 10th, Premier has some exceptional promotions available on these core everyday essentials. Working with major brands like Warburtons, Kingsmill, Cravendale and Muller-Wiseman, Premier has built a strong range of footfall-driving promotions that will help drive more shoppers to your store more often. xxx 2019 TalkingShop

35

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

PERIOD 13 SHOPPER DEALS: BREAD l Kingsmill Soft White Thick 800g – just £1.09 l Kingsmill Soft White Medium 800g – just £1.09 l Kingsmill Wholemeal 800g – just £1.09 l Kingsmill 50/50 800g – just £1.09 l Warburtons Soft White Farmhouse 800g – just £1.09 l Warburtons Wholemeal 800g – just £1.09 l Warburtons Toastie 800g – just £1.09 l Warburtons Thick 800g – just £1.09 l Warburtons Medium 800g – just £1.09

BAKERY l Warburtons Crumpets 6-pack – just 69p l Warburtons Soft White Thins 6-pack – just £1 l Warburtons Pancakes 6-pack – just £1 l Warburtons Toasting Muffins 4-pack – just £1 l Warburtons Fruity Teacakes 4-pack – just £1 l Warburtons Potato Cakes 6-pack – just £1

MILK RETAILER VIEW ROMEL SOHA Premier The Ship, Gateshead “There are certain categories that are absolutely vital in independent retailing and among them are the ones that bring shoppers to the door every day in life. These include categories like bread, milk, eggs, sugar and bakery. These are the products that shoppers use every day and have to buy frequently because many of them need to be very fresh. That’s why the Premier focus on Amazing Value Essentials is so vital. By delivering these key products at brilliant value prices we’re able to make sure that our shoppers have no reason to go elsewhere – then when we get them into the store for a jug of milk or half a dozen eggs, we have the opportunity to tempt them with everything else we have to offer. It’s a simple strategy but very effective.”

l Muller-Wiseman Semi Skimmed 2l / Muller-Wiseman 2l – Any 2 for £2 l Cravendale Semi-Skimmed 1.3l – just £1 l Cravendale 1.3l – just £1 This fantastic mix of popular products and big name brands offers Premier retailers a package that will appeal to the vast majority of shoppers and bring them to your door all week.

xxx 2019 TalkingShop

37

Pet Food | FEATURE

Pet project Pet food remains an important part of any store’s offer and staying on top of the latest trends will serve Premier retailers well.

MERCHANDISING TIPS FOR SUCCESS 1) Brand block within segments, such as Cat Pouch and Dry Food to create stand-out and make the fixture easy to navigate.

2) Place sub-categories separately.

3) Include products from each sub-category.

4) Put must-buy brands at eye level, because leading brands help shoppers to navigate the fixture.

5) Range PMPs where available.

6) Use POS to help shoppers navigate the store and fixture.

RETAILER VIEW

NPD WORTH CHECKING OUT! Product

Case size

WSP

RSP

POR

Felix AGAIL Doubly Delicious PM425

4x12x100g

£11.29

£4.25

20.3% 35.9%

Felix AGAIL Tuna PM3/120

20x100g

£5.55

£0.52

Felix AGAIL Chicken PM3/120

20x100g

£5.55

£0.52

35.9%

Purina One Chicken Cat Food PM125

6x200g

£3.99

£1.25

36.1%

Winalot Perfect Portions in Gravy PM325

4x12x100g

£8.09

£3.25

25.3%

Winalot Perfect Portions in Jelly PM325

4x12x100g

£8.09

£3.25

25.3%

Felix Goody Bag Original Mix PM100

8x60g

£4.39

£1.00

34.2%

Felix Goody Bag Seaside Mix PM100

8x60g

£4.39

£1.00

34.2%

SURESH PATEL Premier Upholland Convenience Store, Wigan “Pet food is one of the unsung heroes of independent retail. It’s one of those categories that’s easy to overlook but it’s actually hugely important in driving both footfall and sales.

For me, it’s a matter of offering a good range of value products – like Happy Shopper – and complementing that with a strong selection of the leading brands like Felix, Purina and Winalot. These brands act as signposts for the category and drive big sales and profits into the bargain.”

91%

Purchases planned before reaching the fixture [HIM 2019]

February 2020 TalkingShop

39

FEATURE | Pet Food

CAT FOOD – TOP TIPS Firstly know your audience. IRI data for January 2020 shows that cat ownership and sales increase dramatically in urban areas. In rural areas pet fixtures are larger with more opportunity for multipacks.

62%

buy pet food more than once a week in convenience

TIP 1 OFFER A RANGE OF LUXURY CAT FOOD The luxury market is now £132m bigger than the cat cans market.

An additional 55,300 shoppers bought luxury wet cat food than last year and the category is growing strongly in convenience, even though the share of space on shelf is lower than it should be. Shoppers will pay a premium for ranges like Felix As Good As It Looks.

TIP 2 DRIVE WET CAT GROWTH WITH POUCH Some 70% of wet cat food sales in convenience are in pouch and 64,800 more shoppers bought pouch multi-packs than the year before. It make sense to offer both a range of singles and 12-packs.

Lines like Whiskas pouches will drive sales and profits.

TIP 3 EXPAND DRY FOOD RANGE TO BRING IN NEW SHOPPERS Shoppers are looking for the brands they are familiar with so offering the correct range is key for Premier retailers to grow sales. Purina ONE Chicken 800g is the number one selling dry cat product in the market and is bought by nearly one million households with a 67.3% repeat purchase rate.

40 TalkingShop

February 2020

[HIM 2019]

T

he UK is a nation of animal lovers, of that there is no doubt – and that fact creates a wealth of opportunities for Premier retailers. Pet food is in fact the eighth largest category in grocery and is now worth around £3bn a year in sales, or around £8m a day!

What’s more, HIM research shows that if a shopper buys pet food in your store, they spend more per visit. Pet food owners tend to have 3.8 items on average in their basket, compared the 2.3 items average for convenience shoppers and spend £8.30 vs £6.35.

When shoppers are buying pet food, it’s also worth bearing in mind that the three key drivers for them (excluding price) are big brands, their ‘usual’ product and a choice of good, better and best lines.

Another important development has been

the huge growth in price marked packs which give shoppers the confidence that they are getting great products at great value prices.

START WITH THE BASICS So how exactly do retailers capitalise on this?

The key is in first getting the basics right instore: make the pet fixture easy to find and shop, focus on ‘must stock’ products to cover all shopping missions, offer price marked packs and, to reflect the biggest current trends, ensure that cat and dog pouches are stocked.

Also ensure you stock a range of big brand products and a range of better value won brand products to make sure you have something for the needs of every shopper.

GROW BASKET SPEND With the basics in place, it’s time to work on growing basket spend. To do this, you could consider stocking a range of multi-

10 KEY CAT LINES Product Euro Shopper Cat Litter PM179 Euro Shopper Cat Litter PM100 Happy Shopper Complete Chkn/Veg PM89

Case size

WSP

RSP

POR

1x8ltr

£1.00

£1.79

33.00%

4x4ltr

£2.29

£1.00

31.30%

8x425g

£3.99

£0.89

32.80%

Happy Shopper Jelly Chkn PM59 2/109

12x415g

£4.09

£0.59

30.70%

Happy Shopper Jelly Salmon PM59 2/109

12x415g

£4.09

£0.59

30.70%

Whiskas Chicken in Jelly PM90

12x390g

£7.75

£0.90

13.90%

Whiskas Salmon in Jelly PM90

12x390g

£7.75

£0.90

13.90%

20x100g

£4.15

£0.39

36.20%

Felix Pouch CIJ Meat PM375

Felix CIJ Chicken Pouch PM3/100

4x12x100g

£9.99

£3.75

20.10%

Felix Pouch CIJ Fish PM375

4x12x100g

£9.99

£3.75

20.10%

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

£8m

Value of daily pet food sales [Nestle Purina, 2020]

RETAILER VIEW MOHAMMED IRSHAD Premier Hillend Road, Inverkeithing “Pet food is a really important category. We all know that many pet owners are happy to spend lots of money on their pets and that’s great news for retailers. Getting them to trade up to higher price premium products is brilliant for basket spend. Keeping the fixture fresh is a good way of keeping up interest so it makes sense to keep an eye out for new NPD from big brands like Winalot Perfect Portions and Felix Goody Bags. Shoppers trust those brands and are happy to try new products from them.”

10 KEY DOG LINES Product

Case size

WSP

RSP

POR

Euro Shopper CIG Chicken PM100

6x1.24kg

£3.45

£1.00

31.00%

Euro Shopper CIG Beef PM100

31.00%

6x1.24kg

£3.45

£1.00

Happy Shopper Comp Beef & Veg PM125

5x950g

£3.59

£1.25

31.10%

Happy Shopper Comp Chkn & Veg PM125

5x950g

£3.59

£1.25

31.10%

Happy Shopper Dental Sticks 7pk PM100

13x180g

£6.29

£1.00

41.90%

Winalot Classics Chicken PM75

12x400g

£5.89

£0.75

21.50%

Pedigree Can Loaf PM85 2/160

12x400g

£6.99

£0.85

17.80%

Butchers Original Tripe Mix

12x400g

£6.45

£0.85

24.10%

Webbox Chubs Assorted

6x800g

£2.99

£0.75

20.30%

5x1kg

£6.79

£2.49

34.60%

Bakers Adult Chicken & Veg PM249

packs, adding pet treats to encourage impulse purchases, stay on top of trends and flex your range to meet the needs of your specific shoppers.

ADD VALUE Another vital element to your strategy should be focusing on adding value by focusing on premium products which mean premium spend and premium profits. There is a shopper expectation these days for high quality pet food; not meeting those expectations may stunt sales growth. Don’t forget too that premium products are actually in growth in pet food and this will drive sales and profits in your store.

A key trend to capitalise on is the role of price-marked packs (PMPs) in pet food.

PMPs reassure shoppers that they are getting the best value and nearly half of all shoppers are more likely to buy a product if a PMP

is visible, while 83% of retailers say PMPs sell faster than equivalent non-price-marked packs [HIM, 2018].

The demand for PMP formats remains strong as they provide shoppers with much needed value and offset any potential price perceptions.

With 62% of pet owners buying pet food more than once a week in convenience, there is a huge opportunity for Premier retailers to squeeze a lot more footfall, sales and profits out of the category. It’s clear from data that brand and pack size are of equal importance for pet food shoppers in convenience and, as 48% of pet owners travel to the store in a vehicle, ensure you stock a range different pack sizes to meet those travelling on foot and those in cars.

DOG FOOD – TOP TIPS TIP 1 INTRODUCE A DOG POUCH While dog cans still represent 23% of dog food sales, shoppers are increasingly switching into pouches. This is why pouches are growing by £6.9m in the market and convenience is following this trend, growing at 33% per year.

Winalot is the largest growing dog pouch brand in both the overall market and in convenience.

TIP 2 STOCK A RANGE OF DRY DOG FOOD Dry dog food accounts for almost a quarter (22%) of total dogfood sales and is worthy of a proportionate amount of shelf space. Many Shoppers feed their dog both wet and dry food so stocking both will encourage them to purchase both categories.

TIP 3 STOCK A RANGE OF TREATS Treats drive impulse purchases and additional sales, and are an increasingly important opportunity for Premier retailers. Treats have grown 2.5% in the last year, equating to an additional £8m of spend.

An additional 139,700 shoppers bought across the biscuits, treat and chews category last year and retailers should stock a mix of dog treats such as dental, special treat and biscuits to meet what shoppers are looking for.

February 2020 TalkingShop

41

CH CHEEAP, AP!

PricesDown

OPENI H O U RNS G Good F

E a s te r

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

E a s te r E a s te r

rid a y

S a t u rd Su n da

Monda

ay

y

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97248 40 Premier Easter POS - Shelf Strip 990x38mm.indd 1

Buy early for a cracking Easter!

Fantastic Easter deals means Premier retailers have everything they need to drive footfall, sales and profits this year.

E

16/01/2020 16:54

97436

Premier

Easter

POS

- Opening

Hours

Poster

495x705m m.indd

1

4 PREMIER EXCLUSIVE DEALS 16/01/202 0 09:14

Product

Case size

WSP

Consumer Deal

POR

Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs

12x80g

£7.50

£1.00

25.0%

Aero Peppermint Bubbles Large Egg

4x302g

£9.99

£4.00

25.1%

Cadbury Mix Creme Egg/Caramel Egg 12 pack

18x474g

£46.99

£4.00

21.7%

Lindt Lindor Silver Assorted Egg

8x140g

£23.99

£5.00

21.9%

Case size

WSP

Consumer Deal

RSP

POR

12x74g

£7.99

£1.00

£1.85

20.1%

Cadbury Dairy Milk Small

12x72g

£7.99

£1.00

£1.85

20.1%

Milkybar Egg Small

12x65g

£7.99

£1.00

£1.75

20.1%

Cadbury Creme Egg Medium

9x138g

£11.25

£2.00

£3.49

25.0%

Maltesers Medium

9x127g

£12.00

£2.00

£3.05

20.0%

Mars Medium

9x141g

£12.00

£2.00

£3.05

20.0%

Celebrations Large

4x248g

£9.49

£4.00

£5.29

28.8%

Galaxy Enchanted Large

4x234g

£9.49

£4.00

£5.29

28.8%

Kit Kat Large Chunky

4x264g

£9.99

£4.00

£5.41

25.1%

Kinder Surprise Large

6x100g

£19.49

£5.00

£6.34

22.0%

£1.00

£1.20

22.6%

£1.00

£1.49

25.0%

£1.00

£1.49

25.0%

2 for £1.00

£0.60

25.1%

10 EASTER EGG DEALS Product Cadbury Buttons Small

aster Sunday falls on 4 MINI EGG DEALS the 12th of April this Cadburys Bag 24x80g £15.49 year, over a week earlier Milkybar 12x80g £7.50 than in 2019 but still Smarties 12x80g £7.50 relatively late in general Cadburys Carton 24x38.3g £7.49 terms. For many Premier retailers, that means it will fall in the middle 5 EASTER DEALS weekend of the school break, unlike Kit Kat Bunny 24x29g £6.99 last year when many children had to go Malteaster Bunny 32x29g £10.49 back to school immediately following Cadbury Caramel Egg 48x38g £12.49 Easter Monday. What this means is Cadbury Creme Egg 48xSgl £12.49 that there is an increased window of Maltesers Box 16x100g £12.99 opportunity for retailers to maximise their returns from this increasingly footfall and sales, particularly if you flag these important annual sales period.

Premier is helping retailers drive down deals up in-store and on social media in the run cost and drive up profits with a special Easter up to Easter. The key, as always, is to stock up promotional package that covers no fewer early and make a feature of your Easter range than 50 different deals. These deals will help in-store. Why not try a dedicated Easter fixture retailers secure improved PORs of up to more in a high footfall area? Or run an in-store and than 30% on big brand lines. The deals cover social media competition to win Easter goodies all popular formats from shell eggs and mini and grow your ‘followers’ into the bargain?

Premier has even produced a free opening eggs to novelties and cartons and ensure you hours poster (pictured above) that retailers can can find the right range for your shoppers.

The promotions also feature exceptionally use to communicate their opening hours to strong shopper deals which will help drive shoppers over the Easter week.

2 for £1.00

£0.65

30.1%

2 for £1.00

£0.62

21.3%

3 for £1.20

£0.60

21.9%

3 for £1.20

£0.60

21.9%

£1.25

£1.90

22.1%

Wishing all our Customers a

H ppy E aste r !

97248 42 Premier Easter POS - A3 Bay Header Card.indd 1

February 2020 TalkingShop

43

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

30% POR

Happy Shopper crisps set to add bite to your sales WHAT? HAPPY SHOPPER HAND COOKED CRISPS RANGE

120G Big pack size

WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? The crisps category is huge for all Premier retailers and the launch of a new range of Booker-exclusive Happy Shopper Hand Cooked potato crisps is set to help them drive even more footfall, sales and profits from this massively popular category. Available in three best-selling flavours – Sea Salt & Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Onion and Sea Salt – the hand cooked crisps come in big 120g bags and at just £1 they ensure fantastic value for money as well as amazing quality for shoppers. With PORs of 30% on the entire range, the lines also deliver for retailers too.

WHO? The premium big value sharing bags offer shoppers of all ages and demographics more choice in a fast-selling category and are expected to be popular with a broad array of shoppers. Bright, attractive packaging and the eye-catching yellow price mark band that characterises the Happy Shopper range means that shoppers won’t be able to miss the new range.

WHERE TO STOCK? Site the new lines prominently on your sharing bag crisps and snacks fixture where the bold price mark, high quality packaging and popular flavours will be sure to drive trial and repeat purchase.

HAPPY SHOPPER HAND COOKED SEA SALT & VINEGAR POTATO CRISPS; HAPPY SHOPPER HAND COOKED MATURE CHEDDAR & ONION POTATO CRISPS; HAPPY SHOPPER HAND COOKED SEA SALT POTATO CRISPS Case size: 16 X 120G WSP: £9.29 RSP: £1PM POR: 30% February 2020 TalkingShop

45

Sicilian sensation WHAT? GORDON’S SICILIAN LEMON GIN WHEN? AVAILABLE 17TH FEBRUARY WHY? Following the enormous success of Gordon’s Pink Gin, the UK’s number one selling gin brand is returning to reinvigorate the category once more with the launch of a new variant, Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Gin. With gin still very much driving the growth in the spirits category, this new line offers another way for retailers to drive sales.

WHO? The new gin will appeal to both existing gin drinkers and will also help bring yet more shoppers into the category thanks to the big brand name and exciting flavour. With an ABV of 37.5%, the new line should open up yet more sales and profit opportunities for retailers with a strong POR of 20% available on bottles purchased singly from Booker.

WHERE TO STOCK? Site the new line prominently on the spirits fixture within the gin section where the eye-catching bottle and attractive coloured liquid will help drive trial.

GORDON’S SICILIAN LEMON GIN Case size: 6x70cl WSP: £12.99 RSP: £19.49 POR: 20%

Doom Bar deal WHAT? DOOM BAR 500ML CANS WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? As well as being the UK’s best-selling cask ale in pubs and restaurants, Cornwall-made Doom Bar is also a very popular product in independent retailing.

Premier retailers will be able to cash in on this popularity with the launch of a new deal in period 13 (running until 10th March) that will see the WSP on Doom Bar 500ml cans cut by £1. This deal allows retailers to offer the 4-pack to shoppers at the great value price of just £5 and is sure to grow sales and footfall.

WHO? As one of the best known craft beers in the UK, Doom Bar enjoys a great reputation and very loyal customer base. This new deal will let Premier retailers appeal to that shopper base, as well as attract more shoppers into the craft beer category, while also generating in excess of 20% POR. WHERE TO STOCK? Site the 4-pack prominently in both the chiller and on ambient display as many shoppers prefer their craft ales at room temperature. And why not build a floorstack for added impact?

DOOM BAR 500ML CANS Case size: 6x4x500ml PROMOTIONAL WSP: £19.99 (Standard WSP: £20.99) CONSUMER DEAL: £5.00 (Standard RSP: £6.00) PROMOTIONAL POR: 20.04%

46 TalkingShop

February 2020

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

Let it Reign!

WHAT? REIGN TOTAL BODY FUEL WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Reign Total Body Fuel are new sugar-free performance energy drinks from Coca-Cola European Partners that have been engineered to fuel optimum performance for workouts and strength training. Created to be consumed pre and post workout, they contains natural caffeine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which can help to prevent protein muscle breakdown, as well as L-Arginine, which improves blood flow and stimulates the release of growth hormones.

WHO? The products are expected to be popular with shoppers who work out or are looking for a great product to fuel their busy lives. Available in Melon Mania and Lemon Hdz flavours, the products deliver PORs of 33% for retailers.

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the products in the chiller within the energy drinks section to drive trial and draw more shoppers into the category.

REIGN MELON MANIA; REIGN LEMON HDZ Case size: 12x500ml WSP: £9.99 RSP: £1.49 POR: 33%

Oh YES! WHAT? YES! BAR RANGE

Hit the button WHAT? SMARTIES CHOCOLATE BUTTONS

WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? New from Nestle, the YES! Bar range taps into the major shopper trend of healthier snacking but with a little twist of indulgence. The nut bars are available in two flavours: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt & Almond and Banana Pecan & Dark Chocolate and promise a tempting taste experience like no other.

WHO? The products are ideal for busy schedules and those on the go – and are a source of protein, high in fibre, and contain just 5g of sugar per bar. They are also gluten free and suitable for vegetarians and are even wrapped in recyclable paper packaging.

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the new lines on your breakfast and snack bar fixture to drive trial.

YES DARK CHOC SEA SALT & ALMOND; YES BANANA PECAN & DARK CHOCOLATE Case size: 12x35g WSP: £7.99 RSP: £1.29 POR: 30.31%

WHY? The latest product range from the iconic Smarties brand is Smarties Chocolate Buttons. The white buttons variant will be a Booker-exclusive for six weeks before they go on general release and offer Premier retailers a great opportunity to cash in. The range will also include a Milk Chocolate Buttons variant and both will be part of the ‘2-for-£1’ chocolate countline EDLP deal.

WHO? The range will be popular with shoppers of all ages and will deliver for retailers too with a strong POR of 25.1%.

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the range within the countlines main fixture and consider stocking them at the tillpoint, particularly during the exclusive period, to maximise sales and profits.

SMARTIES WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTONS; SMARTIES CHOCOLATE BUTTONS Case size: 24 x sgl WSP: £7.49 (normal WSP £9.75) RSP: 50p (normal RSP 65p) POR: 25.10%

February 2020 TalkingShop

47

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

9 steps to refreshing your store!

With 2020 now underway, it’s a great time to see if there are areas of your store that could benefit from a refresh. Talking Shop highlights nine areas to focus on.

W

ith so much going on in your store, it can be difficult to keep track of all the key components and check whether your business is progressing on all key fronts. But fear not, Talking Shop is here to offer some key tips and advice on where you could focus your attention.

In line with Premier’s over-arching strategy, we highlight nine vital areas you can explore to see if there is any room for improvement in your store for 2020.

1 FOOD TO GO / BAKERY It’s possibly the biggest trend in independent retailing and the experience of countless Premier retailers shows that having a strong, well executed range of food to go products, including bakery, is a fantastic way of growing footfall, sales and profits in your store.

Booker offers everything you need regardless of whether you are starting food to go from scratch or already have an offer but want to take it up a gear. And don’t forget Booker’s industry-first recyclable coffee cup! Talk to your RDM for advice.

2 FRESH / PREPARED

Fresh, chilled and prepared ready-to-eat food and drink is another key area in a modern Premier store with many shoppers expecting to find a good range of high quality, great value chilled products.

February 2020 TalkingShop

49

£4.50

*

RRP

PACK OF 10 CIGARILLOS PEPPERMINT CAPSULE FILTER TOBACCO LEAF WRAPPED STICK * Recommended Retail Price effective from 6 November 2019. You are, of course, at all times free to sell JTI’s products at whatever price you choose.

3. CORE RANGES Ensuring you have the ideal range is massively important. A great place to start is with a core range and after that, you can build on it to make sure you are efficiently meeting the needs of your own specific shopper base.

Your RDM will be able to help.

5. EVENTS The annual retailing calendar is now dominated by ‘events’, be they seasonal events like Christmas, Easter or Halloween, or local, national or global sporting or cultural events from your local summer fete to the football World Cup. All of these present brilliant opportunities to drive sales in a wide range of categories. All that’s required is a little research and planning.

8. SUSTAINABILITY There’s no question 2019 was a transformative year in terms of how your shoppers view sustainability. It’s clear that shoppers are more aware than ever of the sustainability credentials of the products they buy and the retailers they buy from. There are many ways to reduce your own environmental impact, by perhaps using the Booker recycling service, switching to low energy LED lighting or only buying products with minimal or recyclable packaging. Whatever you do, make sure you communicate the changes you make to your shoppers both in-store and via social media.

4. TECHNOLOGY Technology can help drive efficiencies and reduce costs, increasing your profits. Whether it’s ensuring you make the best use of your Epos or whether you want to invest in advanced in-store technology solutions like selfservice tills, there are many ways technology can improve your store.

6. EFFICIENCIES With the cost of running a store growing every year, it’s critical that retailers drive as many efficiencies as they can in their businesses. Minimising all costs – and in particular staff costs and energy costs – can have a dramatic effect on your bottom line. These efficiencies require careful thought and planning but can help transform your business. Why not call Premier’s energy partner SBS to see if they can save you money on your bill: 08448 222 802.

7. SERVICES It’s easy to overlook the role that providing services can play in-store. By adding new and innovative services you can attract entirely new shoppers and boost in-store spend and thus profits. Could you add a parcel delivery service or even a home delivery service? Or could you benefit from adding international cash transfer services or an external self-service laundry solution? Be creative and you could open up entirely new revenue streams.

9. HEALTH Another megatrend is health and it’s a trend that is unlikely to fade over time. Today’s shoppers are more interested in what they eat and drink than they have ever been and that has repercussions for your store and your range. Do you offer healthier options? Do you stock vegetarian and vegan lines? Do you offer low and no sugar soft drink options? Do you offer low and no alcohol beers, wines and spirits? More and more shoppers are looking for these types of products and you be missing out on sales if you fail to stock them.

February 2020 TalkingShop

51

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Fresh start for 2020!

There’s no better time to take a fresh look at your store than when the excitement of Christmas and New Year has died down. Talking Shop offers a few tips on where to start…

W

ith the hectic Christmas and New Year season behind us, now is the perfect moment to take some time out of the day-to-day running of the business and take a fresh look at your store.

One great way to do that is by taking a step back and trying to see your store the way your shoppers do, then drawing up a list of what you’re doing well, and where there could

be room for improvement. That could be as simple as a spring clean, a spruce up and a lick of paint or it could mean instigating a new programme of online staff training or checking that all hygiene, health and safety documentation and rules are in place – but there’s no better time to do it than in the slight lull after the festive storm.

With long hours and seven-day opening it can be difficult to find the time to stand back and take an objective look at your business

– but time spent in this way is invariably hugely productive and beneficial.

So why not set aside a day or two or take a few hours out to have a look around your store and start making a list of all the little jobs that need done to help get the store back into tip top condition?

The big question is where to begin which is why Talking Shop is here to help and offers some tips and advice on helping you get 2020 off to a flyer.

February 2020 TalkingShop

53

EXTERIOR The best place to start on your store audit is outside as that’s the first thing new and existing shoppers see when they visit your store – and first impressions count: l Is the signage neat, tidy and clean? l Are all posters up to date and in good condition? l Has the exterior been swept and is it litter-free? l Do the exterior walls need fresh paint or professional cleaning? l Are the windows clean, tidy and free of clutter? l Do you have a bin available for shoppers?

INTERIOR Once your shoppers step inside, what is the first thing they see?

Does it make a good impression and is it how you want your store to be perceived? After that, take a good walk around the store, just the way a shopper would, and make sure that everything is just as you want it. Ask yourself: l Are the floors clean and clear? l Do all the lights work? l Is the ceiling clean and free of marks? l Are the shelves clean, neat and well merchandised? l Is there any old POS that’s dirty or no longer relevant? l Is all in-store signage accurate and in good condition? l Are all shelf edge labels and price tickets clean, tidy and up to date?

HEALTH, SAFE AND LEGAL With the basics dealt with, it’s time to move onto more complex areas.

Health, safe and legal are massively important issues and no more so than if you operate a hot food to go counter. Areas to pay particular attention to are those with specific hygiene challenges like milk chillers and hot and cold food storage and preparation areas. l Is the milk chiller spotlessly clean? l Have any hot food storage units been deep cleaned recently? l Have all chillers been serviced as specified by the manufacturer? l Are your temperature checks up to date, accurate and within safe guidelines? l Has the shelving in the soft drinks cabinet been thoroughly cleaned to remove sticky residues? l What about your food prep areas? It is a legal requirement that these must be cleaned/sanitised then left for 30 seconds before using again. l Is your EHO certificate displayed as it should be? l Is your CleanPro+ manual available to staff, and are they aware of it?

54 TalkingShop

February 2020

STAFF Clearly, one of the most important factors on how shoppers judge your store is how the staff are turned out. Some basic questions to ask yourself include: l Are the uniforms grubby or past their best? l Do the staff require a little pep talk to ensure they greet every shopper with a hello and a smile? l Are staff that handle food wearing the appropriate aprons, bibs, gloves and hair nets?

FREE

ONLINE TRAINING One opportunity that deserves some focus at this time of year is your staff training regime. Do you have a formal regime in place? Are training records maintained and stored correctly? Do you speak to staff to find out of they need help in any areas?

To help deal with these challenges and more, Booker works with online training provider CPL Online to make available a range of 11 essential compliance training courses to Premier retailers – and they’re absolutely free of charge!

To take advantage, all you have to do is register your store by emailing permiertraining@cplonline.co.uk and your team will have access to the following course, all completely free:

STORAGE AREAS While the shopper-facing parts of the store naturally get the most attention, it’s still vital that all storage areas are kept in good shape to avoid accidents, hygiene issues and out of date stock. Ask yourself: l Are the floor areas of any store spaces clean, tidy and trip-hazard free? l Has also shelving been checked recently to ensure it’s safe and sound? l Has all the stock in the storage room(s) been rotated properly to avoid out of date stock and wastage? l Do all of the lights in the storage spaces work? l Could re-configuring the stockroom make re-stocking of the shopfloor easier and quicker?

l Allergen awareness l Age verification l Award in Underage Sales Prevention l COSHH l Emergency first aid l Fire awareness l Food Safety (Level 2) l Fuel safety l HACCP (Level 2) l Health & safety l Manual handling

These are endorsed courses compliant with the latest legislation and can be accessed via a web browser or through dedicated mobile apps, meaning your staff can access them from anywhere 24 hours a day.

On completion of the courses, each staff member gains formal certification.

Register your store today at permiertraining@cplonline.co.uk and remember to provide your site name, address, account number and a contact name and telephone number.

February 2020 TalkingShop

55

RED BULL CHILLERS

SLIM COUNTER TOP COOLER PERFECT PLACEMENT

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

MEGA SLIM COOLER PERFECT PLACEMENT

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

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

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

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

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

30%

30% of Sports & Energy purchases are unplanned2

+37%

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

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

LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

xxxx Button Shimmer Gin liqueur a hit with shoppers Alfred

ALFRED BUTTON & SONS LEMON SHERBET SHIMMER GIN LIQUEUR

Lemon Sherbet shakes up sales

CASE SIZE: 6X50CL WSP: £71.70 (£11.95 SGL) RSP: £17.99 POR: 20.3%

The striking Booker-exclusive Lemon Sherbet Shimmer Gin liqueur from Alfred Button & Sons has helped drive footfall, sales and profits for Premier retailers in recent months.

Christmas saw the phenomenal success of the gin category continue with shoppers still seeking out interesting and high-impact lines like Alfred Button & Sons Lemon Sherbet Shimmer Gin Liqueur.

As one of three Alfred Button & Sons Gin liqueurs available exclusively from Booker, the Lemon Sherbet variant has been a particularly popular line with both shoppers and retailers in recent months, thanks in no small part to its striking on-shelf appeal and its unique flavour profile.

Despite being principally aimed at the off-trade, the product has been a huge hit in independent retail by taking the category to

another level in terms of both flavour and visual appeal. The ‘Shake to Shimmer’ lines provide a novel fruity twist to any G&T and can also be added to 25ml of Prosecco to create a refreshing, tasty drink with a striking fruity shimmer.

The Lemon Sherbet variant has proven to be particularly popular and is helping drive footfall, sales and profits in Premier stores thanks to the eye-catching on-shelf appeal of the range.

The product has already collected a major award, being named the winner in the Wine & Spirits category at the prestigious Caterer Product Excellence Awards 2019.

February 2020 TalkingShop

57

T FASTESING GROW ING HANGG BA BRAND

M SUCC OST ESSFU

CONFSUGAR L NPD ECTIONER L IN OVAUNCH Y E YEARR 10 S Source: IRI Total Marketplace, 52 WE 11.08.19, Sugar Confectionery Value Sales.

shopper’s view…

Hazel Powell, Portishead “I’ve been a long-time fan of gin so I love the fact that so many new gins have come onto the market in the last couple of years.

I’m always on the look out for something new to try and when I first saw the Alfred Button & Sons Shimmer Gin Liqueurs I was instantly interested. I just loved the way it goes all glittery and shimmery when you shake it! It certainly makes my evening G&T look a lot more exciting than it used to and it definitely impressed my friends the first time I shared it at a party! Best of all, it tastes amazing. The Lemon Sherbet one is by far my favourite.

It’s sharp and sweet and totally moreish.

I buy it regularly now, although I do occasionally buy the other flavours too.

It’s just something totally different and I like that.”

RETAILER VIEW ZERNOSH SOHA Premier The Ship, Gateshead “Gin is obviously a massive category at the moment and it has been for a long time. That’s great news for retailers but wth more and more gins on the market, it’s getting harder and harder for individual products to gain standout on-shelf.

That’s not a problem for Alfred Button & Sons Lemon Sherbet Liqueur! If you can get the shopper interested enough to show them the bottle after you’ve given it a shake, nine times out of 10 you get a sale. The bottle looks great, the liquid looks amazing and the price point is good.”

RETAILER VIEW GRAHAM WATSON Premier Watson’s Grocers, Moniaive “Gin is an important category for us, as it is for most Premier retailers, so it’s important to us that we’ve always got something different and a bit unusual to offer our shoppers. Alfred Button & Sons Lemon Sherbet Liqueur ticks every box. It’s a striking colour to start off with but after you give the bottle a quick shake, the shopper’s eyes tend to light up. I think it’s one of those drinks that people buy to unveil at a party and have everybody ‘ooing’ and ‘ahhing’ when you pour it into the glass. It also tastes pretty great, which helps.”

RETAILER VIEW SIVA RUBAN Allsorts Premier Express, Surrey

IN SUMMARY

1

High impact ‘shake to shimmer’ line that adds colour and interest to the spirits fixture as well as outstanding theatre.

2

Gin continues to be a hugely exciting category with many shoppers looking for new and unusual lines to try.

3

A quirky and delicious flavour to drive repeat sales and draw new shoppers into the category.

4

Strong POR of 20.3% makes the product just as popular with retailers.

“I have a relatively small store at just under 700sqft so space is at a premium which means that every line I stock has to earn its keep. I’m looking for lines that stand out and really grab the shopper’s attention and there’s no question that the Alfred Button & Sons Lemon Sherbet Liqueur does just that. The shimmer effect is a great bit of theatre and the whole Alfred Button range really jumps off the shelf at you. When shoppers are looking for a gin product and don’t know what to buy, this is a great product to offer them, and retailers get over 20% POR, which is excellent.”

RETAILER VIEW FARAZ IQBAL Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy “I keep wondering if and when the gin bubble is going to burst but it certainly doesn’t look like it’s going to be any time soon. My shoppers still love their gin and we stock a pretty broad range now but the Alfred Button & Sons Lemon Sherbet Liqueur has to be one of the most unusual. Give the bottle a shake and you’ve got the shopper’s attention, and usually you get the sale too. It’s just a well thought out product that has found a way of achieving standout in a crowded category. And I’m told it tastes lovely as well!”

February 2020 TalkingShop

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Data Protection | GUEST COLUMN

Booker Data Privacy Officer Karen Becks offers some practical advice on managing your business’s data efficiently and compliantly.

LAWFUL BASES There are six ‘lawful bases’ for processing customer data: l Consent: the individual has given clear consent for you to process their personal data for a specific purpose. l Contract: processing is necessary for a contract you have with the individual, or because they have asked you to take specific steps before entering into a contract.

Data matters!

Data is a valuable commodity and handling data correctly is vital under GDPR.

D

id you know that 28th January was this year’s annual Data Protection Day? You have probably heard of GDPR but you may not be familiar with what it means for your business.

The European General Data Protection Regulation was implemented to give citizens more control of their personal data and it applies to any business in the EU. Brexit will not affect GDPR and the UK’s own law (or a newly-proposed Data Protection Act) will directly mirror the GDPR so this regulation is not going to go away. Failure to comply with the regulation will result in penalties.

It’s worth noting however that data is a valuable commodity and handling data correctly can be key to growing your business, building successful relationships with your staff and shoppers and improving efficiency. But getting it wrong can be damaging to your reputation and finances.

Whether it’s you keeping a spreadsheet of customer contact details, paying staff or operating a CCTV system in your store to prevent and detect crime, the GDPR will apply as you will be processing personal data. Firstly you will need to register your

business with the ICO. The fee for this starts at £40 and increases dependant on your size of turnover and number of staff.

GDPR regulation requires any business to process all personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently. To help you do this, we have listed the six ‘lawful bases’ for compliant processing above. What this means in practice is that you must: 1. clearly explain to people why you are collecting their data and how you will use it.

2. only use personal data for the purpose it was collected 3. not collect and handle more personal data than you need 4. keep personal data accurate and up to date 5. not keep personal data for longer than necessary 6. be aware individuals can access their data and allow them to correct it on request 7. keep personal data secure 8. allow data to be sent to another company only if there is an appropriate contract Mistakes can happen, for example by sending an email to the wrong person that might contain someone’s personal data or paperwork getting lost or stolen.

l Legal obligation: processing is necessary for you to comply with the law. l Vital interests: processing is necessary to protect someone’s life. l Public task: processing is necessary for you to perform a task in the public interest or for official functions, and the task is legal. l Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for your legitimate interests or those of a third party, unless there is a good reason to protect the individual’s personal data which overrides those interests.

You should investigate any incidents and any serious breaches must be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours. The report must include information regarding what led to the breach, how it is being contained and planned next steps.

Remember, personal data is any information that relates to a living individual.

So examples of personal data would be the obvious things such as name, address, date of birth, passport number, NI number as well as things such as social media name, IP addresses CCTV images, bank account number and so on.

Any personal data you process as a business also includes past and present employees and suppliers as well as shoppers.

The ICO has launched a website hub which has been developed to make it as easy as possible for small businesses to find all the essential guidance they need. You can find it here: www.ico.org.uk/for-organisations/business/ February 2020 TalkingShop

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RRP

59p

Product code

Pack Size

M252022

12x24g

ÂŁ30M

* **

*

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

cra

ACS Viewpoint | Supporting Vulnerable Shoppers

James Lowman The independent retailing sector has a key role to play in helping support vulnerable shoppers.

As well as providing essential products and services, independent retailers can also play a vital role in helping provide support to vulenerable members of their local community.

W

e have seen over recent years how the role of the convenience store has evolved, not only providing essential products and services but also acting as a social hub for customers who may be more isolated or vulnerable.

Local shops have become embedded in the fabric of the communities that they operate in and are a lifeline for many of their customers. One of the many things that I admire about our sector is the positive contribution that we make to the communities that we serve, firstly by just being there and trading, but also through the community and charity initiatives we lead. From organising litter picks to sponsoring local sports teams, we continue to hear from retailers about the many different and creative ways that they are actively engaging with their local communities.

With this in mind, we have launched a campaign in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Society to create 25,000 Dementia Friends in the convenience sector.

The aim of the campaign is to help colleagues better understand and support those living with and affected by dementia and I’m pleased to say that we’ve already had a fantastic reaction to the campaign so far.

There are 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia and sadly, less than half of people living with dementia say that they feel part of their community.

With 46,388 local shops operating in the heart of urban, suburban and rural locations across the UK, we can play a part in supporting people affected by dementia – and

by this I mean not just the people living with IF YOU dementia but also the families and carers that WOULD LIKE TO support them.

GET INVOLVED IN THE Becoming a Dementia Friend is easy, POLITICAL WORK OF ACS go to acs25.org.uk and follow the steps ....................... CALL ...................... on that page. It’ll take you through to a 01252 515 001 couple of short videos and takes just ten minutes to go through the process, but by ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... taking the step to become more dementia www.acs.org.uk friendly as an individual and a store you can have a long-lasting impact on your customers, colleagues and communities.

As part of the campaign, we’re also running a number of regional face-to-face training events which are free for members to attend. If you’re interested in attending please drop and email to steve.dowling@acs.org.uk for more information, and again all of the training dates are on the website at acs25.org.uk.

You can also download our new Supporting Vulnerable Customers guide which gives practical information on how you can support your customers in store, including information on how to help people who are affected by dementia.

This important campaign coincides with ACS’ 25th anniversary, and what better way to celebrate the importance of our sector than by coming together to make a positive difference to our local communities for years to come.

February 2020 TalkingShop

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Only

£1

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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

Is gin still the ‘big thing’?

Where to begin in 2020?

The start of a new year is the obvious time to have a think about areas of the store that can be improved, but it’s a daunting prospect. Do you have any advice on the most important areas to focus on?

ABADA AKHTAR, PREMIER SMEATON STORES, KIRKCALDY

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: This is indeed a good time to take a fresh look at your store and there are possibly two things to look at. One is basic store standards – is your store neat and tidy, are staff uniforms in good condition and so on, and you can find more help on tackling this on page 53. The

second area worth examining is where you can potentially drive growth in your store this year. Our feature on page 49 highlights the nine key areas Premier believes will be vital in 2020. They include growth categories like food to go and chilled, but the nine areas also include subjects like technology and new services that can add footfall and sales.

How do we drive footfall?

In today’s competitive market it’s clearly critical that we can continually drive footfall to our stores. Can you suggest some effective ways of achieving that?

IMTIYAZ MAHMODE, WYCH LANE PREMIER, GOSPORT MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Making good

use of social media is one good way of driving footfall. Another is to focus on delivering fantastic value in categories that your shoppers need every day like bread and milk. Premier’s Amazing Value Essentials promotions are the perfect way of achieving that. The Euro Shopper and Happy Shopper ranges will also drive footfall too, delivering that unique combination of outstanding value and award-winning quality.

Looking at sales data from Christmas, it seems that gin continues to be a massive category for Premier retailers despite predictions of other spirits gaining traction. Do you see gin remaining key this year?

SEELAN THAMBIRAJAH, PREMIER GOSWICK ROAD, BEDFORD MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Gin has been the star of the spirits category for a long time now but shoppers still seem to be drawn to it. I do see gin continuing to perform well, especially with things like the launch of Gordon’s new Sicilian Lemon variant and the recent success of our Bookerexclusive Alfred Button & Sons Lemon Sherbet Shimmer Gin at the Product Excellence Awards. Cash in on it while it lasts!

February 2020 TalkingShop

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Talking Shop

Issue 105 February 2020