TalkingShop June 2023

BLACK HEART STOUTM285169

TESCOGROUP

BOOST YOUR PROFIT WITH BREWDOG BLACKHEART.

BLACK HEART IS BRINGING NEW CUSTOMERS TO STOUT:

41% £ Sales from new customers to beer & cider category

Data Source: Shopper Loyalty Data To 26/03/23

DRIVE YOUR STOUT SALES:

–25.5% Opportunity to refresh your stout range, currently in the impulse channel stout sales are -25.5% vs 2YA

Data Source: Nieslen Scantrack w/e 25.02.23

98%

Younger more affluent shopper than Guinness

Of all stout sales in the impulse channel are Guinness, it’s time for some disruption

A very warm welcome to your latest issue of Talking Shop as we enter the peak summer period and a whole new world of opportunities opens up to drive new footfall, sales and profits in the warmer weather.

On the cover of this issue you will have noticed that Premier has reached yet another major milestone as we opened our 500th Premier store in Scotland. As well as being the UK’s leading symbol group with over 4,100 stores, we are also Scotland’s leading symbol group and the latest opening saw us reach the magical 500 mark.

The store in Tranent is a fantastic example of a modern Premier store and features many of the standout features that are working so well in other stores such as a Refresh@ Premier bar, a beer cave, an extensive fresh and chilled range, and a great selection of Jack’s and Euro Shopper own-brand products. Turnover in the store has grown by 50% in just 10 weeks.

We’re also looking ahead to the ever-popular Premier Wine Festival in this issue, and there’s a special feature on the Women’s World Cup which is set to be a highlight of this summer and a great opportunity to grow sales in categories like BWS, snacks, confectionery and soft drinks as shoppers meet up to watch England and the Republic of Ireland as they bid for glory.

The Jack’s range continues to grow, with new ranges of sausages, snack packs and sustainable carrier bags unveiled in recent weeks. It’s a brand that is perfectly in tune with today’s shoppers and I would encourage every Premier retailer to stock up.

Don’t miss the feature on SocioConnect, our new social media solution that can help turbocharge your social media presence. Best of all, it’s absolutely free.

I wish you all fantastic summer trading and hopefully you'll find lots of ideas, here in Talking Shop to help you increase sales and profits.

If you’ve got news, tips or feature ideas, please get in touch with Talking Shop:

Martyn Parkinson, Sales Director – Booker Wholesale

36

thinking

Cleverly designed Birmingham store revitalised with refit.

42

Swindon store leads the way with unique fireworks and party focus.

Sunny Mann’s Swindon Premier store sees 30% increase after refit.

56 Jack’s update

The Jack’s range continues to grow with new ranges added.

66

Premier’s popular Wine Festival returns.

62 Refresh@Premier: a

72 World Cup wins

The Women’s World Cup presents great opportunities for retailers.

86 Meet The

Fresh Produce Buyer

Martyn Hartshorne shares his secrets.

New Booker social media solution a ‘gamechanger’.

Sales and footfall are being set alight at Premier Mbros in Swindon.

Drive footfall with SocioConnect!

500th Scottish Premier Store

‘game-changer’

PremierNews

NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Premier hits 500 store milestone in Scotland

INBRIEF

SOCIAL MEDIA ‘GAME CHANGER’ UNVEILED

Premier recently opened its 500th store in Scotland following a strong period of growth which saw more than 150 stores join in the last two-and-a-half years alone.

As the largest symbol group in the UK with over 4,100 stores, Premier has cemented its leading position in Scotland with the opening of Ali’s Convenience Store in Tranent on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

The outstanding performance led to Premier being named Scottish Local Retailer Symbol Group of the Year and Premier has continued to build momentum in Scotland as more and more retailers are attracted to its unique model that focuses on helping retailers maximise their profits.

The 500th store features many of the hallmarks of Premier’s latest blueprint and took learnings from other Premier stores like Mandeep Singh’s Premier store in Sheffield and Premier Talbot Village in Bournemouth.

The store features a Refresh@Premier bar, a beer cave, a food to go cabinet, an extensive fresh and chilled range, digital shelf edge labels, a home delivery service and an extensive range of Jack’s and Euro Shopper own brand lines.

Booker Wholesale Sales Director Martyn Parkinson commented: “This is a major achievement for Premier and we’re particularly delighted because it’s not just about growing numbers, it’s about adding top quality stores. Ali’s Convenience Store spent over £210,000 on the refit

and it’s really encouraging that retailers are seeing what we are doing with the Premier model, they’re seeing other Premier stores reap the benefits and they’re willing to invest in refurbishing their own stores to a very high standard.

“We know how tough it is out there at the moment and that’s why we’re working so hard to get our Premier retailers’ margins up to 30%. Stores that follow the blueprint typically see margins increase by 6% or 7%. We believe that if you follow our blueprint, you will get margins around 30% and you can expect full payback on your investment within 12 months.”

Booker has recently launched an exciting new free service which allows Premier retailers to control their social media platforms in one app and post engaging content more regularly with a minimum of effort.

The free SocioConnect solution also allows retailers to access Booker’s centrally produced posts and copy them across to their own pages in minutes with a minimum of fuss, helping them to quickly enhance their own pages.

SocioConnect has been trialled in 30 pilot stores over the last year and resulted in a mammoth 180% increase in posts and a 300% increase in followers.

To find out more, turn to p90.

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@booker.co.uk

As the leading symbol group in the UK, Premier has also cemented a top spot in Scotland by opening its 500th store north of the border after a remarkable period of growth.

NO.1

VALUE CIDER GB IMPULSE*

THIS IS A CIDER LIKE NO OTHER

*SOURCE: NIELSON, VOLUME (HL’S), GB IMPULSE, TO 31.03.2023

CommunityNews

NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Soccer Singh

Singh team scores even more community points following high-profile charity football match

Premier Singh’s has organised a charity football match in aid of Sheffield Hospitals Charity.

The annual match, which was also supported by Premier Stores and Booker, saw Punjab Kings play Sheffield Lions at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground.

The charity supports staff, patients and their families at the Northern General, Royal Hallamshire, Weston Park, Jessops and Charles Clifford Dental hospitals in Sheffield.

Running retailer Sponsored sleep

Premier retailer Julie Kaur of Jule’s Convenience in Telford completed the London Marathon for the second time in 10 years.

Julie ran the 26-miles in aid of the Sikhs In The City, a group of runners from all backgrounds and faiths, and its Fauja Singh Clubhouse Appeal. The clubhouse will cater to the fitness needs of locals in East London.

Premier Heysham employee Hollie Hilliard has raised more than £100 for the Royal British Legion by taking part in the Great Tommy Sleep Out.

The fundraising challenge aims to support the estimated 6,000 veterans that are experiencing homelessness in the UK.

Hollie was sponsored to sleep under the stars for several nights.

She said: “Having hailed from a military family, supporting veterans is close to my heart.”

Premier Heysham also held an in-store collection for the charity.

FLOWER POWER

Premier Whitehills in Banff, Aberdeenshire, has raised over £250 for end-of-life charity Marie Curie.

The store held a daffodil tea in its Auntie Meg’s Cafe for Marie Curie’s annual Great Daffodil Appeal, which helps the charity provide free care and support to people living with a terminal illness.

In addition, the event included a raffle, with prizes including a handmade occasion cake, a box of traybakes and cupcakes, a watercolour painting of a daffodil, and a minihamper from the shop.

RACY RETAILING

Premier Netherton in Wakefield, West Yorkshire – sponsored Friends of Netherton Junior & Infant School PTA’s race night.

The store sponsored one of the night’s races and also donated a bottle of Prosecco as a winning owner or jockey prize.

In total the race night raised £545 for the charity.

The UK’s #1 Tampon brand*

NEW PRICE MARKED PACKS

INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Scottish DRS postponed and aligned with UK

CASHLESS SOCIETY ‘A LONG WAY OFF’

The launch of Scotland’s Deposit Return recycling scheme (DRS) has been delayed until at least October 2025 after the UK government refused to agree to a full exclusion from the Internal Market Act which would have been required for the scheme to progress in Scotland.

The UK government did grant an exemption but included a number of conditions, the most important being the removal of glass and the requirement to align aspects of the scheme with planned schemes across the UK.

Following consultations with key businesses including producers and retailers, Scottish ministers concluded that Scotland’s deposit return scheme will not now go live until October 2025 at the earliest.

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation said alignment

with the UK scheme may now be the “best solution” for the sector and businesses across the UK. Chief Executive Pete Cheema said: “It is vital that both UK and Scottish Ministers provide immediate clarity for business on the critical path and timescale for the development for the UK scheme.”

Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive James Lowman commented: “This is disappointing, but it is the right decision to work towards the launch of interoperable schemes across the UK in October 2025. It is absolutely essential that the governments of the UK work together to introduce a scheme that works for everyone, is effective at increasing recycling rates, and does not impose unnecessary conditions on the retailers that will be delivering the scheme on the ground.”

Retailers continue to push for energy support

The NFRN is calling on Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt and the business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch to provide independent retailers with clarity and assistance over the future of their energy bills and the government’s aims to end the energy crisis.

Jeremy Hunt has said that the government is “willing to do what it takes” to help assist households and families with reducing their energy bills but the NFRN is concerned that high energy costs still pose a threat to many smaller retail businesses.

While the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, which

has extended energy relief to businesses until 31 March 2024, will continue to provide some assistance to retailers in reducing the financial burden that high energy bills have placed on many in the independent retail sector, more work is still needed to aid retailers at this time, says the organisation.

National President Jason Birks said: “Whilst Mr Hunt’s comments may bring relief and hope to households struggling to pay their energy bills, the same relief cannot be found among us retailers. The government is not doing enough to support them during this time.”

New research conducted by independent financial experts Enryo with input from LINK, the UK’s largest cash machine network, has found that most people in the UK still use cash, so a cashless society is a long way off.

The study found that 71% of UK shoppers have used cash in the past two weeks to pay for something and that a quarter of people do not anticipate that their use of cash will change anytime soon.

The cost-of-living crisis has prompted a resurgence in the use of cash with the majority of households across the UK now tightening their belts, with one-in-10 UK consumers intending to use cash more frequently to help them budget more effectively.

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@booker.co.uk

Scotland's flagship recycling project has been postponed until at least 2025 in order to allow it to launch at the same time as similar schemes in England and Northern Ireland.

Summer own-brand sales boost predicted

SINGLE-USE PLASTICS GUIDANCE PUBLISHED

Independent retailers are likely to see an increase in sales over the coming weeks with own-brand sales in particular set to benefit as the warmer weather boosts footfall and sales, according to new research from NIQ, the data and insight specialists formerly known as Nielsen.

Mike Watkins, NIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, said that May saw an increase in sales and the coming weeks should see further increases for convenience stores.

NIQ said that cost-of-living concerns were evident as shoppers continued to switch to lower-priced alternatives with own-brand sales rising to 63.3% of fast-moving consumer goods in May, up from 62.1% in 2022.

Watkins added: “With warmer weather coming up towards the end of May, we can expect to see a further lift to sales in June, particularly at convenience stores, where 30% of households now say they shop at once a week or more.

“Shopper mobility tends to

increase over the summer and with 82% of shoppers buying food on the go, this is another reason to visit a store. While some parts of the hospitality industry are facing headwinds, there remains a strong consumer demand for dining at home.”

Scottish Government softens HFSS proposals

The Scottish Government has said that it may not proceed with some of its proposed legislative measures to reduce the sale of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products.

Holyrood had previously indicated that it intended to go further than HFSS legislation in England by introducing additional measures such as banning temporary price reductions and forcing retailers to feature islands and FSDUs in-store where HFSS products could not be sited.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto, however, has indicated that “there was a more direct and efficient way” to help reduce obesity, without introducing new regulations. The apparent change of direction followed a consultation, with another now planned.

The Association of Convenience Stores said it was concerned that the "lack of consistency" across the UK nations would present "significant operational challenges for retailers."

The UK government has published updated guidance to help retailers prepare for the ban on single-use plastics which comes into force on 1 October.

From that date retailers will not be able supply, sell or offer single-use plastic items including plates, trays, bowls, cutlery or certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers.

Retailers are being advised to sell through existing stock before October and begin sourcing alternative single-use materials or offering reusable items.

The new guidance also clarifies that retailers can still supply food or drink in polystyrene containers if it needs further preparation before it is consumed by, for example, adding water, microwaving or toasting.

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@booker.co.uk

As warmer weather boosts business, independent retailers will see an increase in sales over the coming weeks, with own-brand products likely to benefit most, says NIQ.

Soft drinks ‘worth £2.8bn’ to convenience channel

UNDERAGE VAPING CRACKDOWN WELCOMED

The soft drinks category delivered the biggest absolute value growth of any product category in 2022 and is now worth £2.8bn to the convenience channel, according to Britvic’s Soft Drinks Review 2023.

The data shows energy drinks were the star performer last year, responsible for £96.9m (28%) of the category’s £347.4m growth. Cola and plain water added just over £70m each; due to the heatwave in 2022, sales of plain water surged by +39.4% to £250.3m.

The research also reveals on-the-go missions rose from 13% of store visits in 2021, to 14.9% in 2022. Soft drinks’ share of these occasions also rose significantly, featuring in 48% of all on-the-go occasions, making them the number one on-the-go

item bought in independent stores.

The resurgence of on-the-go trade is also changing dynamics in packaging formats, with on-the-go single-serve sales outperforming take-home across all channels.

Britvic has identified five key drivers for retailers to bear in mind as they tap into the opportunity onthe-go formats present: recruiting generation Z, winning with food, maximising health, simplifying shopping experiences, and evolving energy.

The Review highlights the continued importance of delivery for retailers. Although share has fallen since the height of lockdown, delivery still accounts for 6.7% of convenience occasions and soft drinks are one of the top 10 categories bought using delivery apps, ahead of hot drinks and confectionery.

Frozen returns to volume growth

The volume of frozen food sales has returned to growth in the first quarter of 2023, according to new Kantar data from the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF). The 12-week figures to 19 March show that volume sales of frozen food grew by more than 2.5m tonnes, year-on-year.

The value of the retail frozen food sales also continued to increase in the same period, up 9.5% (£273m), largely driven by inflation across the entire food supply chain.

Frozen vegetables, meat and poultry, potato products, ready meals, and savoury foods have all saw a jump in volume while more indulgent products such as ice cream and confectionery have seen a drop in sales volume in the same period.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed an announcement from the Government on plans to introduce a range of measures to tackle underage vaping and protect responsible retailers.

Announced at the end of May, the measures include increased education and dedicated school police liaison officers to keep vapes out of schools, a review on the level of fines for shops selling illicit vapes and a review on whether ‘nicotine-free’ vapes should be banned for under-18s.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said:

“The vaping market has grown significantly over the past few years and independent retailers have continued to act responsibly in the sale of these products by implementing age verification policies such as Challenge25. We welcome further resource to tackle underage vaping. Now is the time for action against the irresponsible sale of these products."

A new report from Britvic has found that soft drinks have delivered the biggest value growth of any category over the last year and are now worth £2.8bn to independent retailers.

62% of vegan shoppers focused on promotions

LOTTERY SALES HIT NEAR RECORD LEVELS

Following years of growth in plant-based product sales, new data from NielsenIQ (NIQ) has found that almost three-quarters (73%) of vegan shoppers are actively trying to make savings on their food bills with 62% of them believing buying into promotions is the best way to do this.

Data from NIQ shows that plant-based alternatives often cost more than the standard ranges and it is likely that shoppers are becoming more price sensitive in the current challenging economic conditions.

Veganuary, traditionally a time for shoppers to switch to dairy and meat alternative diets, resulted in a decline in unit sales for most dairy and meat alternative categories this year compared with the same period last year.

NIQ data shows, however, that 38% of the UK population are still replacing meals containing meat with vegan or vegetarian alternatives at least once a week. The data also shows that over half (52%) of plant-based shoppers buy vegan NPD at least once a month, offering retailers the opportunity to cash in by stocking new lines as they become available.

Katrina Bishop, UK Thought Leadership

Activation Manager at NIQ, said: “There continues to be a market for plant-based alternatives, and many consumers are still reducing the amount of meat they eat, so it is important to appeal to flexitarians as well as those with vegan or vegetarian diets.

“Messaging is therefore key – bringing the outof-home occasion inside can save money, even with premium products, and shoppers are still willing to spend on occasional indulgent treats. It’s also crucial to pay closer attention to your target consumer –messages around health and sustainability resonate strongly with shoppers who are regularly eating a more plant-based diet, so focus on ensuring these are clear when promoting such products to shoppers.”

Consumer confidence recovery continues

Consumer confidence has continued to improve, up 3% in May, according to GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index.

The most recent index reveals that all measures of confidence – personal finances, the economy, major purchases, and savings – were up in comparison to the previous month.

Joe Staton, Client Strategy Director at GfK, said: “This is the fourth monthly increase in a row and retailers will be pleased to see further improvement in how people view their personal finances in the next 12 months. The overall trajectory this year is positive and might reflect a stronger underlying financial picture across the UK than many would think.”

Camelot UK has reported that total National Lottery sales for the year to the end of March increased by £99.6m to £8.19bn – the second-highest annual sales total since The National Lottery’s launch.

As a result of this powerful performance, returns to good causes from ticket sales alone hit an all-time high of £1.8bn in 2022/23, £6.2m higher than in the previous year.

Over the same period, The National Lottery awarded £4.69bn in prize money to players – up £81.7m and the second highest-ever amount awarded – and created 382 new millionaires.

Despite tough trading conditions, in-store sales recovered slightly over the past six months to reach £4.49bn for the full year as people visited stores more frequently in search of best value.

New data from NielsenIQ has revealed that 62% of vegan shoppers are increasingly buying into promotions to help them cope with the rising cost of living.

School Essentials Grant returns

Applications are now open for GroceryAid’s exceptionally popular Back-to-School Essentials Grant Scheme which offers industry colleagues up

GroceryAid’s hugely popular Back-to-School Essentials Grant Scheme is back once again this year to help people working in the independent retailing sector.

Applications can now be made at groceryaid.org. uk and is a great way to help industry colleagues at an expensive time for families: the start of a new school year.

Eligible families can get £150 per school-age child, for up to three children per household. Applications will close once the fund is spent.

To get a GroceryAid School Essentials Grant, colleagues need to meet the following criteria:

l They have been working in your store for at least six months;

l They are already receiving Universal Credit/ Child Tax Credit for school-age children (aged 4-18 as of 31 August 2023);

l Their household savings/balances are less than £4,000;

l They haven’t received a financial grant from GroceryAid in the period since 1 April 2023.

To apply, colleagues imply need to upload onto the application form copies of a current payslip, their Universal Credit statement and their name and address. If they receive child tax credit, they should provide a PDF of their current bank statement showing the Child Tax Credit entry. The Fund will remain open until fully subscribed.

CHECKOUT SCOTLAND LINE-UP REVEALED

The Scottish committee of GroceryAid has unveiled the headline acts for this year’s Checkout Scotland event, which takes place at Barras Art & Design in Glasgow on 31 August.

Crossover dance music star Example will headline the event and he will be joined by popular Irish girl group B*Witched and legendary Scottish songsters The Supernaturals.

Checkout Scotland will once again help raise awareness of the free and confidential support that GroceryAid offers to all industry colleagues.

Visit groceryaid.org.uk/ event-bookings/CS2023 to purchase tickets for the event, which cost £75 + VAT.

to £150 per child in financial support.

Premier hits 500 store mark in Scotland

Premier has cemented its position as the leading symbol group in Scotland by opening its 500th store after a remarkable period of growth.

In addition to being the largest symbol group in the UK, with over 4,100 stores, Premier is also the largest symbol group in Scotland, having recently opened its 500th store. The achievement follows a period of remarkable growth, with more than 150 new Premier stores added in the last two-and-a-half years.

The 500th store is Ali’s Convenience Store in Tranent on the outskirts of Edinburgh, a store which bears all the hallmarks of Premier’s tried-and-tested approach that allows retailers to pick and choose from a range of solutions that focus on high margin, high volume, minimum intervention products and services.

Run by husband-and-wife team Zulfiqar and Anila Ali, the 1,400sq ft store took many learnings from other Premier stores like Mandeep Singh’s Premier store in Sheffield and, more recently, Premier Talbot Village in Bournemouth.

The blueprint offers Premier retailers a suite of proven solutions that they can pick

and choose from according to the needs of their own shopper base, fitting as many high margin, high volume solutions into their stores as possible – although retailers are encouraged to retain a spacious, accessible layout, something that is very much in evidence in the Tranent store after a £210,000 refit.

Among the ‘modules’ to be found in Ali’s is the must-have Refresh@Premier bar featuring Tango Ice Blast and Coca-Cola Frozen slush machines as well as a twostation milkshake unit and Costa Coffee.

The striking Refresh@Premier drinks to go zone is already taking £3,500 a week with margins of typically around 65%.

Equally importantly, as Booker Wholesale Sales Director Martyn Parkinson pointed out during the visit: “The Refresh bar requires no input from staff, which helps keep costs down. All the machines cost only around £10 a day to run, and customers serve themselves, which is a feature of many of the solutions we offer to our Premier retailers.”

Similarly, the Tranent store features a showstopping 400sq ft beer cave that was added during the refit by repurposing part of an old storeroom. The cave offers a real point of difference over local competitors as well as over supermarkets. As well as having a vast array of chilled beers, wines, ciders and RTDs – over 50 new lines were added – the cave offers a vast selection of multipacks, making the store a true destination. Offering a point of difference isn’t the only benefit of a beer cave though, as Parkinson explains: “We typically expect to see an electricity cost saving of around 50% when compared with traditional chillers and the total energy bill for the store has already fallen by £100 in the first month, so that’s a great indication.

“Additionally, part of the point of the beer cave is to minimise what’s stocked in the backshop and get it all out front. Touching

stock is expensive, so every time we reduce the amount of times it needs to be moved by staff we reduce cost for the business.”

In a similar vein, the store features 500 digital shelf edge labels which greatly reduces the time required to manually switch labels around, particularly during promotional period changes. “Even with 500 labels, we reckon that the store is saving about seven-and-a-half hours of staff time a week,” comments Parkinson.

On the tech front, the store has also abandoned printed promotional leaflets in favour of scannable QR codes that customers can use to access deals.

Another key focus in the modern Premier blueprint is fresh and chilled. The chilled section was expanded from two meters to seven and the range was increased from around 70 lines to more than 320.

“Fresh and chilled is critical these days but we are very aware of retailers’ concerns around waste, so we’ve worked very hard to massively increase the number of longer-life fresh and chilled products we are able to offer our retailers,” says Parkinson. “Over 80% of the lines in our fresh and chilled range now

have at least 20 days’ life.”

Anila Ali doesn’t mind admitting that the huge expansion of the fresh and chilled section was her biggest concern during the refit: “Before the refit we didn’t do much and we were not known for it, so I was a little nervous at how big the section became but when I see it now, it just makes me so happy and proud!”

Also added during the refit was a new food-to-go cabinet which features a range of pastries, cakes and treats. As none of the food is prepared in the store, the socalled ‘Natasha’s Law’ does not apply, minimising effort and labour costs.

With value as critical as ever, the store also stocks an extensive range of Jack’s and Euro Shopper own-label lines as well as prominently sited Mega Deals that help drive sales and communicate value.

On top of all of that, the store has stepped up its home delivery game post-refit, growing by about 30% already, and now turns over in excess of £6,000 a week using Snappy Shopper.

Anila and Zulfiqar have had the store for over 17 years, 16 of those with Premier, but Anila says the refit has been the most transformative development for the business that they’ve ever undertook.

“We had to close the store for about four weeks for

the refit,” says Anila, “but we couldn’t leave the local community without a shop, so we continued to trade from a shipping container out the front!"

When it came to the refit, Anila says she and her husband largely gave the Premier team a free hand: “We had some ideas but we trust Premier, so we went with almost everything they suggested. In just 10 weeks sales are up 50%, so we’re absolutely over the moon."

To coincide with the reopening, the store took advantage of Premier’s new social media support service which helped it to quickly grow its following from 200 to over 1,200. “We’re seeing around 1,000 more shoppers every week now,” says Anila.

As for Premier itself, Parkinson is "delighted" that so many retailers are prepared to invest in their stores.

“We know how tough it is out there at the moment and that’s why we’re working so hard to get our Premier retailers’ margins up to 30%. Stores that follow the blueprint typically see margins increase by 6% or 7%."

“It’s an exciting time in Scotland for Premier and I’m looking forward to welcoming more Scottish stores to Premier in the future," he concludes.

Choice, price and service

Insights, advice and deals were all flowing freely at the Booker Trade Shows 2023.

Premier retailers from across the country flocked to the Booker Trade Shows 2023 in a bid to bag the very best inspiration, advice and support for the year ahead – plus hundreds of unmissable deals!

Held at Doncaster Racecourse on 16 March and Sandown Racecourse on 23 March, both shows provided a showcase of Booker’s key choice, price and service strengths, including exhibitions from more than 100 key suppliers from across the major food, drink and nonfood categories.

Top Booker suppliers, including CCEP, Country Choice, Heineken, Britvic Soft Drinks/PepsiCo UK, Mondelez and Unilever showcased their bestsellers as well as the innovative new products tipped to help retailers drive sales and profits in 2023.

The shows also offered retailers the chance to make the most of market-leading WOW deals and take advantage of hundreds of Exclusive Trade Show Only deals.

Retailers attending the shows were also able to see and sample the full range of Jack’s and Euroshopper own-brand products that are now available to them.

The Doncaster and Sandown shows also provided a valuable opportunity for Premier retailers to network with fellow store owners and catch up with Booker Management and Leadership Teams.

Cooking demonstrations and free product samples also allowed retailers to fill their bags (and in some cases their car boots) with some of 2023’s most exciting new products yet, along with best-selling favourites.

2024 DATES

Doncaster

14th March 2024

Sandown

21st March 2024

UNILEVER UK, JOANNA BRIGGS

“The shows have been absolutely fantastic; we’re so pleased with the level of engagement we’ve been able to have with retailers. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to highlight our three key pieces of new product development for 2023: Magnum Starchaser, Magnum Sunlover and Twister Fruit Zinger, the latter of which is HFSS compliant, features real fruit juice and includes just 66 kcals. It’s also been a great opportunity to make retailers aware of all the cabinets and POS that are available to help retailers better support their ice cream sales this summer. We are also offering some strong Trade Show Only deals and the orders have been coming in thick and fast!”

OLIVE & ACACIA, ALEX PEARSON

“Fresh flowers offer convenience retailers so many opportunities to set themselves apart, drive footfall and create beautiful in-store theatre, and these shows provide a great opportunity for us to deliver that message and help retailers make more of this profitable category.

From the point of picking to purchase, we pride ourselves on the speed at which our flowers can reach retail stores meaning that they are always at their fresh best.

The margins that retailers can make are very strong too, at around 30% to 35% on most products. We’ve had a great deal of interest in our Gift Bouquets and seasonal daffodil bunches.”

Booker Trade Shows 2023 Review |

RETAILER VIEW

SHIVAM PATEL

Premier Macknade Stores, Faversham, Kent

“We’ve having such a great day! There are some fantastic Trade Show Only deals to be had and the show is also a great opportunity to learn about new products and trends. There are also lots of great free samples and we are going home with heavily- laden bags of latest new products to try out, including a number of new products from PepsiCo for 2023 which look really exciting. It’s also been lovely to watch some of the cookery demonstrations taking place –the smells are mouth-watering.”

BREWDOG, LIAM ANNETTS

“The shows have been a perfect platform for us to showcase our latest new product development: Brewdog Blackheart which we hope will help to redefine the stout category and bring some muchneeded excitement into it. It’s currently an exclusive SKU for Booker and Tesco, and offers shoppers a memorable draft experience in the comfort of their own homes. Retailers have been queuing up to sample it and orders have been coming in thick and fast. We’ve also got some great Trade Show Only deals on multi-packs.”

FERRERO UK, ASHLEY COSGROVE

“The shows have been great and so well attended. We’ve had lots of really positive engagement with retailers despite the inflationary pressures, which is very encouraging. Shoppers are looking towards price-marked packs more than ever before so we are responding in kind, with PMPs available on leading brands including Kinder Bueno and Kinder Chocolate. It’s also been a great opportunity to talk to retailers about our Kinder Cards. Although not new, the brand is doing phenomenally well, tapping into the trend towards on-the-go consumption and permissible treating.”

RETAILER VIEW

DANELS SILUVAITHAS

Premier Springfields Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire

“There are so many fantastic suppliers here, the buzz is great. We sell a lot of tobacco in our store so we’re looking forward to seeing some of the key tobacco suppliers here including Imperial Brands, JTI, British American Tobacco and Philip Morris. It’s also a great opportunity to catch up on some of the latest trends such as heated tobacco and vape, which is becoming an increasingly big seller.

“The shows are also a fantastic opportunity to catch up with fellow retailers and exchange news and ideas. Taking time out of the business to attend things like this can have so many benefits.”

PEPSICO, STEPHEN BREARLEY

“The show has provided us with a great opportunity to have meaningful conversations with the retailers at the sharp end of sales. It’s been great to talk to them about the latest trends that we see shaping the market in 2023 and getting their feedback. It’s also a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on some of our new products including Quavers BBQ Sauce, which taps into the key trend towards retro flavours and nostalgia. We’re also showcasing our new Doritos Burger King Flame Grilled Whopper which we are supporting with an on-pack promotion offering shoppers a free Whopper Meal. Tie-ups with big brand fast-food companies are certainly very compelling at the moment.”

Fresh beginnings

The saying ‘small but perfectly formed’ could not be more apt when it comes to Premier Takhar’s – a 480sq ft pocket rocket of a convenience store in Thornaby, Stocktonon-Tees.

Run by independent retailer Gurmeet Singh Takhar and his wife Ruby, the store had enjoyed almost a quarter of a century successful trading as ‘Takhar's' before the couple felt the time was right for an epic refit that would set it up for the next 25 years.

A new focus on fresh and chilled produce, paired with the introduction of other key footfall-driving and profit-rich categories, such as drinks-to-go, vape and American confectionery, would form the backbone of the ambitious project, while joining the Premier symbol group would give it powerful legs.

Ruby tells Talking Shop: “Having run

the store for just over 22 years we were very well known in the local area. We’d had a few refreshes and mini-makeovers over the years, but we’d never done anything on a large scale. Following the Covid-19 pandemic we felt that the time was now right to invest in the business and create a totally new offer for local shoppers that would better meet their needs.

“We were inspired by a number of refits that other Premier retailers and some of our own family members had done in their stores, and we were keen follow suit.

“The store needed modernising both inside and out and it needed a total refresh of its range to better meet shoppers’ growing demand for fresh and chilled produce, as well as food- and drinks-togo.

“At just under 500sq ft we weren’t sure about how we’d be able to achieve all of this in such a small space but thankfully

Premier had the answer!”

The store closed for 10 days in the last week of February 2023 to allow the “whole interior to be ripped out” and make way for its fresh new identity.

Stylish slate-grey flooring, combined with dark walls and ceiling panels work together to create a crisp, smart backdrop which allows the new range to shine.

Smart slimline shelving and brand-new chillers with doors have also been fitted throughout the store, allowing Ruby and Gurmeet to make key changes to the store’s range, including a “substantial increase” in fresh and chilled products.

The store, which previously had just one small dairy fridge with under 50 lines, now boasts 2.5 metres for fresh, with over 150 new lines, a change which alone, has led to a £900 weekly sales rise.

“The range is totally different from what we had before,” Ruby says. “In line with what shoppers want, we now offer a good

Sales have almost doubled at Takhar Stores following a game-changing refit and move to the Premier symbol group.

core range of fresh meats, vegetables, fruits and ready meals, along with dairy items.”

Chilled foods, including Jack’s sausages, gammon and bacon, plus products from the new TGI Fridays range, including BBQ Beef Brisket and Buffalo Chicken Wings, are now housed in a smart new four-door energyefficient chiller.

A key range of fresh vegetables and salad products is also proudly displayed in attractive wicker baskets that slot inside the chillers to create a premium feel.

“We’ve also introduced a new Cossiga chiller for fresh locally made cheesecakes and sandwiches at the front of the store which we

The range is now 50% larger than before

never had before. The cheesecakes come from a local supplier called Sophellies and they include delicious individual cheesecakes, plus incredible filled donuts,” says Ruby.

With mouth-watering options such as ‘Lotus Biscoff cheesecake donuts,’ the new fresh cake offer has given the store a new premium edge that local shoppers are all too happy to indulge in. The new unit is already contributing £600 worth of sales a weekdriving a “great additional margin.”

The offer is complemented by an extended range of soft drinks, all of which are housed in a brand-new six-door bank of chillers, that also feature a wider range of beers.

The extended beer offer includes a greater number of multipacks, all of which are supported by eye-catching special offers.

A slimline wine offer also includes topselling white and rosé wines from key brands, including Yellow Tail and I Heart.

The removal of the store’s old tobacco gantry has also created valuable space for a large new spirits range on the back wall.

Store CV

Store Name: Premier Takhar Stores, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland

Retailers: Gurmeet Singh Takhar and wife Ruby

Size: 480sq ft

Services: National Lottery, free cash machine, PayPoint

7

The attractive backlit display now includes a number of new lines that cater to the prevailing trend towards flavoured gin and vodka products, from key brands including Smirnoff, JJ Whitley and AU.

Also new is a showstopping Refresh@ Premier zone including coffee-to-go from a new Vitro S1 machine, Reese’s hot chocolate, Reese’s and Hershey’s Freeze, and two flavours of Jolly Rancher slush, which together are helping the store to rack up an extra £900 a week, at a 50% margin.

Next to the Refresh zone is a small shelving unit featuring grab-and-go crisps, as well

as key American confectionery lines.The store’s frozen space was also doubled with the introduction of a new three-door freezer featuring an array of key frozen meal solutions and great deals helping frozen sales to jump from £100 a week to more than £500.

The store’s strong new value positioning has also been granted powerful prominence with dedicated Mega Deals bays and promotional POS throughout.

“All in all, the results have been incredible and we are so pleased,” Ruby says. “Shoppers said they couldn’t believe their eyes when we first reopened, and the change still takes me by

surprise on some days!”

“I’d estimate that the range is now 50% larger than it was before, so it’s made a huge difference to local shoppers.” That difference can clearly be seen in the store’s sales figures which are up from £12,000 a week to more than £22,000, while margin is up from circa 17% pre-refit to 25% now.

“Most of our shoppers live in close proximity to the store, so our new bigger and better fresh and chilled offer has been a game changer for them.

“The whole store really looks the part now and we’re all so proud to be a part of it.”

The results have been incredible and we are so pleased. Shoppers said they couldn’t believe their eyes when we first reopened, and the change still takes me by surprise on some days!

Ruby Takhar

Needs must

Vikash and Neha Phoughat’s Shera’s Premier has been cleverly designed to meet a very specific set of shopper needs.

As seasoned convenience operators, Vikash and Neha Phoughat are well schooled in the art of meeting shopper needs.

However, the pair took this understanding to a whole new level in the summer of 2022 when they opened a new 2,000sq ft state-ofthe-art Premier just three units down from their existing convenience store.

The original store, a 1,000sq ft Premier Express, which has since been re-branded as ‘West Heath Local,’ had been “performing

strongly” since the couple purchased it in 2017 – acting as a key local hub for essential services.

As such, the couple decided to trade the two stores alongside each other, with each store catering to a distinctly different set of needs. “West Heath Local has a Post Office and is packed with other additional services including the National Lottery, Paypoint, E-Top Up and more, so it serves a very important service function on the high street and appeals to shoppers on a top-up shopping mission,” Vikash explains.

“Our new store: Shera’s Premier, has been designed with a totally different set of needs in mind,” he says.

Shera's Premier is heavily-focused on food- and drinks-to-go and strives to offer its shoppers the pinnacle of fast, efficient and friendly service.

Catering to local shoppers’ drinks to go needs, Shera’s Premier boasts an eye-catching Refresh@Premier zone, primely located at the front of the store.

The bright and welcoming zone features Costa Coffee, Tango Ice Blast, Jolly Rancher

slush, Hershey’s Freeze and Hot Chocolate. Drinks-to-go are complemented by an attractive fresh local cake offer and donuts from Planet Donut, while an array of chilled ‘to go’ needs are met with a quality range of sandwiches, wraps and deli items, including Premier's lunchtime Meal Deal.

Shoppers hankering for a taste of something hot and spicy to-go can also have their needs met by Vikash and Neha’s very own ‘Spice and Slice’ food-to-go concept.

Freshly cooked in the store’s purpose-built open plan kitchen, Spice and Slice offers shoppers an array of homemade pizzas and spicy shawarma wraps to take away or have delivered to the comfort of their own homes.

“The concept has been a great hit since launching,” Vikash explains. “We’re big believers in quality over quantity so we’ve deliberately kept the menu small, with just eight top-quality homemade pizzas plus a few popular sides and shawarma wraps.

“We offer an array of deals on the pizzas including one medium pizza, a side and a

drink for £19.99, or one large pizza, any side and a drink for £22.99. Shoppers love it, the concept is doing so well especially on weekend evenings.”

With its crisp white tiling and eye-catching ‘Spice and Slice’ branding, the in-store kitchen enhances the store’s unique look, while the mouth-watering aromas that drift across the shop floor only boost its appeal further.

Another winning USP and major footfall driver for Shera’s Premier is its destination Beer Cave.

Impeccably merchandised over 12, 800mm bays, Shera’s Beer Cave offers local shoppers a comprehensive mix of chilled beers, wines, ciders and RTDs, as well as draught kegs and large multi-packs.

There’s also a dedicated bay for alcoholfree drinks, which Vikash says are growing in demand.

“The Beer Cave has helped us to become a destination store for alcohol,” Vikash says. “Shoppers love the experience of entering and shopping the cave, and they love the

convenience of being able to buy large multi-packs of beers and cider chilled down and ready to drink. Thanks to the Beer Cave, alcohol has become the biggest selling category in our store.”

And it’s not just shoppers who are impressed by Shera’s alcohol offer, with the store having also claimed the coveted ‘Off-licence of The Year’ award at the Asian Trader Awards 2022.

The Beer Cave also serves an important efficiency function, as Vikash explains. “The Beer Cave is really labour saving too; there’s much less time needed moving stock from the stockroom as the Cave holds so much. It’s also far more energy efficient than running multiple chillers, which is another important consideration.”

The 2,000sq ft store also features 7.5 metres of fresh and chilled produce plus five metres of soft drinks, including a number of American soft drink brands, in line with the trend towards US products.

Two energy efficient freezers also house the store’s “very popular” frozen food range. “Demand for frozen foods has been growing ever since we opened and we may look to expand this area in the future,” Vikash adds. “Not only do frozen products offer better value for money than chilled products but their long shelf life also helps shoppers to plan and budget better, which is so important these days. Take up of Premier’s frozen Meal Deal is also very strong.”

Complementing the store’s American soft drinks offer is a full bay of American confectionery and snacks which the store promotes heavily on social media in a bid to further drive engagement and footfall.

“Keeping on top of big trends like US products is so important. We pay really close attention to industry drivers and all the new products that are available to Premier retailers which we then promote heavily on social media. It’s a great way to engage with shoppers and keep ahead of the competition,” Vikash adds.

2022

Store Profile

Name: Shera’s Premier

Location: West Heath, Birmingham

Retailers: Vikash and Neha Phoughat

Size: 2,000sq ft

Opening hours: 7am-10pm

Staff: 10

Top selling categories: alcohol, vape, food- and drinks-to-go

We’re big believers in quality over quantity so we’ve deliberately kept the menu small, with just eight topquality homemade pizzas plus a few popular sides and shawarma wraps.

Vikash Phoughat

Shera’s Premier was crowned ‘Offlicence of The Year’ at the Asian Trader Awards

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“The same is true for vape. We have two large vape units on the shop floor and the vape category is doing phenomenally well. Disposable products are a huge footfall driver and we offer a strong range of leading brands and on-trend flavours.”

Another trend which Vikash and Neha plan to make more of in 2023 is vegan products, with the pair planning to introduce a new instore zone dedicated to vegan this summer following sky-high demand.

Plans to launch a new home-delivery web portal are also afoot, as are proposals to extend the store’s trading hours, with a view to eventually opening around the clock – a move which Vikash says would help him to answer even more local needs.

“Shoppers absolutely love what we’ve done at Shera’s Premier and footfall and sales are both growing month on month.

“We’ve invested heavily in the creation of a bright, airy and futuristic-feeling store that meets all the latest trends and shopper needs.

“Customer service is another of our strong points and for that I must also thank our incredible team who have such a fantastic rapport with shoppers and have already shown great dedication to the business.”

Shoppers are able to interact with the store’s welcoming staff at two manned till points, while a third offers a self-scan solution for those in need of ultra-fast grab-and-go service.

“We are so proud of everything that we've achieved at Shera’s Premier and the broad range of local needs that we can now meet and surpass,” Vikash says.

“I’m sincerely looking forward to seeing where the next 12 months take us!”

The Beer Cave has helped us to become a destination store for alcohol. Shoppers love the experience of shopping it and the convenience of being able to buy large multi-packs chilled down and ready to drink.

Vikash Phoughat

Explosive opportunity

Sales and footfall are being set alight at Premier Mbros in Swindon.

As the owner of one of the biggest and best fireworks and party businesses in the southwest of England, Shilen Madhani knows a thing or two about making a bang.

And, since the creation of his Premier Mbros concept store in the unit next to his footfall-driving Fireworks at Mbros and Mbros Superstore, business has taken off like a rocket.

The business, which was originally established by Shilen’s father and uncle in 1987 has been transformed over the years, evolving from a vast superstore selling “everything under the sun” into the three distinct brands that stand proudly alongside each other today.

Shilen, who bought his uncle and father out in 2015, explains the change: “The superstore that my dad and uncle first established was really ahead of its time. It sold everything from toys and homewares to DIY products and electricals; local people loved it. However, by 2017 it was time for changes to be made.”

Shilen modernised the store with the new systems and processes, and shook up the superstore’s mix by expanding its range of party supplies and fireworks. The Mbros Fireworks brand was later created in early 2020, around which time Shilen also introduced a small range of groceries to complement Mbros Superstore’s existing DIY, garden and homeware ranges.

And then Covid hit. “The pandemic was a bit of a gamechanger for us,” Shilen explains.

“We already sold a few soft drinks and medicines and just before the first lockdown hit, I went to Booker and bought in an extended range of groceries, including bread, cakes, biscuits and packaged groceries.

“The new grocery range meant that we were able to stay open when other standalone DIY shops and garden centres were closed, and we did really well as a result.

“When the restrictions finally eased, I knew it was time to evolve again. Demand for convenience products had boomed over the period and so at the beginning of 2021, I started moving products around in a bid to create space for a dedicated convenience offer.

In late 2022 it was clear that time was now right for Shilen to take his convenience offer to the next level.

“Booker was my first port of call and Premier was the natural fit. The team at Premier were great and they were keen to help me develop a concept store. I jumped at the opportunity and was immediately taken by the plan. It was packed with innovations, really forward-thinking and I knew it would be a hit with the local demographic and perfectly complement the other sides of the business.”

In early 2023 Shilen’s vision was brought to life when the doors to his brand new 1,200sq ft Premier Mbros opened in the prime corner unit located immediately next to his Fireworks Mbros and Mbros Superstore businesses.

Store Profile

Store: Premier Mbros, Swindon

Retailer: Shilen Madhani

Size: 1,200sq ft

Staff: Four full-time

Services: PayPoint, National Lottery, Refresh, in-store bakery

Opening hours: 7am-10pm

“The team at Premier were great, the systems they put in were fantastic and they did all the merchandising work for me, offering loads of other support and advice along the way,” he adds.

The finished article is a bright, bold and buzzing Premier store that local shoppers “can’t get enough of”.

“The whole store has a really futuristic feel. We’ve invested in all the latest fixtures, fittings and lighting technology to make it look as sharp as possible and function efficiently. It’s very open, very clean, very slick: exactly how convenience shopping should be,” says Shilen.

“It’s also very Instagrammable which is an important consideration these days. In-store music and on-trend ranges such as the standout Refresh@Premier zone all add to the vibe.

“From the start I was keen to go after the grab-and-go end of the market and we’ve certainly achieved that.”

Shilen’s Refresh offer includes Costa Coffee, Coca Cola Frozen, Hershey and Reese’s Freeze, Jolly Rancher slush, plus three flavours of indulgent milkshakes from The Thick Shake company.

A custom-designed Beer Cave, with a ‘wave to open’ sensor adds to the store’s wow factor with its wide range of perfectly chilled beers, lagers, ciders, wines and RTDs.

A comprehensive fresh and chilled range meanwhile, meets local top-up shopping needs.

“Initially I was a little worried about the wastage side of things, but I didn’t need to be,” Shilen says.

“The range that Premier and I have developed works phenomenally well and wastage is really low.

“We’ve tweaked it a little since we first opened in January – reducing the number of scratch-cooking lines, such as whole chickens and steaks, because shoppers around here seem to prefer grab-and-go solutions and ready-made meals. The Jack’s ready meal range is a huge seller

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as a result. There’s a great choice of different styles and flavours and the price points are fantastic, especially the ‘2 for’ offers.

“We have also created a six-door frozen food section which has been a huge success since opening. “We actually have an Iceland just a few metres down the road but despite that, frozen sales are really strong. Shoppers say that they love our deals and the fact they can buy so much else besides. The store’s frozen section also features eye-catching floor to ceiling wall art, displaying a full-scale map of Swindon and its surrounds.

“Vape sales are also phenomenal and we have two dedicated vape units on the shop floor. Disposable products are flying.”

Premier Mbros also boasts a prominent and comprehensive spirit range, which Shilen is proud of.

“I’ve worked hard to develop a large and unique spirits offering,” he says. “It’s yet another area where we are setting ourselves apart from the competition. I have pretty much every flavour of gin and vodka under the sun and a number of premium products.

“I’m very careful on pricing though, and deliberately keep my spirits margins at the lower end so that I can offer shoppers a sharp price point. I want to stand out for that. It’s the same story in the beer cave; we do our best with the pricing and Premier’s deals and special offers add a further string to our bow.

“Promotions and deals play a significant role in our business and we work hard to ensure that all special offers stand out and have maximum impact by making the most of all the Premier POS and highlighting offers on social media.

“A good deal advertised well on Facebook, TikTok or Instagram and signposted clearly in-store will certainly drive footfall and sales.”

Shilen’s special offers are far from the only thing that shoppers love about their new store.

“I’ve been blown away by shoppers’ reactions,” he says. “Even now, almost six months after opening, new shoppers still walk in and say ‘wow!’

“We’re a real destination store and people travel from miles around to visit, purely because they’ve heard about us or seen us on social media.

“Business is booming, and sales are exceeding my expectations. We’re seeing increases week on week, so clearly we’re getting things right.

“Even more exciting is that we still have so much room left to grow, so watch this space!”

Business is booming and sales are exceeding my expectations. We’re seeing increases week on week, so clearly we’re getting things right.

Shilen Madhani

A sunny disposition

Sunny’s Premier in Hessle has a bright new outlook thanks to a top-to-bottom refit and brandnew ranges.

For many stores, the start of a new year can often herald a slowdown in trade, as shoppers rein in their spending following the excesses of the festive period.

However, Sunny Mann’s Premier store in Hessle, near Hull, certainly bucked that trend this year following a targeted store refresh programme just ahead of Christmas 2022, which resulted in a 30% sales increase at the start of the year.

The 1,000sq ft Premier store has played an active role in village life since Sunny bought it back in 2009, being widely regarded as the

“go to place” for papers, essentials, and a friendly chat.

“Hessle is a lovely village with a great community, and we have lots of very loyal and valued local shoppers,” Sunny explains. “However, things have changed over the years: there is more competition in the local area and shoppers also expect a lot more from their local stores in terms of range, standards and appearance so it was time for us to make changes in kind,” he explains.

As such, the store underwent a £75,000 refit at the end of November 2022, transforming it into a fresh, bright and “far more shoppable” space.

“We pretty much changed everything from A to Z, including the old flooring, which was replaced with a smart new safety floor and a brand-new ceiling,” Sunny explains.

“All the lights were also upgraded to smart and more energy efficient LEDs which also light the space so much better and add to the new-found sense of space,” he says.

The store was also fitted with brand-new 2010mm full-height shelving, allowing it to expand its range in key growth areas including long-life bread and cakes, sharing, and snacks such as crisps.

Space for totally new product ranges such as American Confectionery was also created,

We now have a really comprehensive range that more than stands up to the local competition and the whole store feels fresh, bright, professional, and exciting – exactly how a convenience store should be!

Sunny Mann

with candy from across the pond having already emerged as one of the store’s biggest sales successes post refit.

Ranged over two full bays, sales of American Confectionery are now exceeding £1,500 a week.

The store’s old tobacco gantry was also removed to make way for a brand-new backlit display for spirits, with tobacco now housed in drawers under the counter.

A smart and more browsable vape display for adult vapers was also created on the shop floor.

“Vape has been another great success,” explains Sunny. “Prior to the refit we only sold a small range from behind the counter and adult vapers had to ask to see products but now they can browse them at their leisure. It’s resulted in a big increase in sales.”

Confectionery sales are now exceeding £1,500 a week

Sales from the new Vaping@Premier unit are now hitting £1,800 a week – up from around £300 and growing week on week, led by convenient disposable products.

Also helping to set Sunny’s Premier apart from the local competition is a brand-new Refresh@Premier zone featuring the winning combination of Tango Ice Blast, Jolly Rancher slush and Hershey’s & Reese’s Freeze and a coffee machine.

The new zone has been “an instant hit” with shoppers, especially the Jolly Rancher Slush which instantly started selling 27 £2.50 cups a day in its very first week of operation, with Tango Ice Blast hitting 15 cups a day for £4 a cup.

Sales, Sunny says, are continuing to grow week on week and he has high hopes for the summer months when local people flock to the large park just across from the store for picnics and games.

The store’s fresh and chilled offer has also been revolutionised, helping Sunny’s Premier to offer shoppers a far greater range of choice, all backed by a strong promotional focus.

Pre-shop fit the store only had one 2.5 metre chiller for fresh and dairy. This has now risen to five metres, with the store now stocking a brand new long-life fresh range from Booker.

Fresh sales are now ringing in at around £3,000 a week, driven by ready meals which have emerged as another key growth area, thanks to the Jack’s brand.

“Shoppers love the new fresh and chilled range, especially the Jack’s ready meals, as we never offered anything like this before. The quality is great, and the deals are also a big driver of sales, especially the ‘2 for’s’,” Sunny adds.

“Our offer really has been transformed. We now have a really comprehensive range that more than stands up to the local competition and the whole store feels fresh, bright, professional, and exciting – exactly how a convenience store should be!

“Our shoppers are delighted with what we’ve done and all the newness that we now have on offer, as am I.”

Vape sales are now hitting £1,800 a week and growing

PMP 380ml: M275007

STD 500ml: M076784

PMP 380ml: M285722

PMP 380ml: M275006

STD 500ml: M076785

BUY, SCAN, WIN

Jack’s adds snacks, bangers and bags

The ongoing expansion of the extremely popular Jack’s range continues with the addition of new snacks and sausage ranges and the launch of two new carrier bags.

As the pressure on shoppers’ wallets shows no signs of easing it’s little surprise that more and more shoppers are turning to own-label products to help make their hard-earned pounds go further.

In a recent report from NielsenIQ, over a third of shoppers said they were watching

what they spent more closely than ever and almost as many – 31% – said they were turning to own-brand alternatives to help them do so.

The launch last year of the Jack’s ownbrand range couldn’t have been better timed and, with the range now extending to around 400 products across all key categories, Premier retailers have the perfect weapon in

Jack’s £1 Snack Range

New to the continually expanding Jack’s range is a selection of £1 snack packs.

Almonds

Case Size: 12x60g WSP: £9.00 RSP: £1 POR: 25%

Fruit & Nut Mix

Case Size: 12x55g WSP: £9.00 RSP: £1 POR: 25%

Soft Apricots

Case Size: 12x50g WSP: £9.00 RSP: £1 POR: 25%

their armoury to meet the increased shopper demand for great value without sacrificing on quality.

Coupled with Premier’s outstanding promotional programme and its extensive EDLP offer, the Jack’s range provides retailers with all that they need to deliver value while also achieving the margins they need to run profitable, successful businesses.

Jack’s £1.25 Snack Range

Also new to the Jack’s brand is a range of £1.25 snack packs.

Milk Chocolate Fruit & Nut Mix

Case Size: 12x60g WSP: £9.36 RSP: £1.25 POR: 25%

Milk Chocolate Peanuts

Case Size: 12x65g WSP: £9.36 RSP: £1.25 POR: 25%

Milk Chocolate Raisins RSP: £1.25 POR: 25%

SNACK ATTACK

The latest evolution of the Jack’s brand sees the launch of a whole new range of fruit and nut snack packs priced in two distinct bandings: £1 and £1.25. The six-strong range features an array of healthy, popular snacking favourites such as almonds, dried apricots, fruit & nut mix, chocolate raisins, and chocolate peanuts.

Presented in attractive recyclable pots, the range is perfect for tempting shoppers looking for healthier, tasty snacks at any time of day but don’t want to pay over the odds. The range should be ideal in helping boost basket spend, particularly at lunch and breakfast times.

Every product in the range delivers a strong POR of 25% for retailers.

MEATY PROFITS

Also new to Jack’s and further enhancing the already outstanding fresh and chilled range is a selection of three top quality sausage lines:Traditional Pork Sausages, Cumberland Sausages and Lincolnshire Sausages.

All three lines are made in the UK from Red Tractor certified pork and all three are gluten-free. Hand-trimmed by skilled butchers, the sausages are made with prime cuts of pork and offer shoppers great value for such high quality products at just £3.50 for a pack of six.

The lines carry the same WSP of £17.15

and deliver strong PORs of 30%. The products will make a welcome addition to the chilled cabinet and the eye-catching packaging will help drive trial.

IN THE BAG

The Jack’s range is also being expanded with the addition of a choice of three carrier bags to meet continuing shopper demand. While the carrier bag tax has resulted in fewer bags being requested by shoppers, data shows that a significant demand remains.

In order to meet that demand responsibly, Booker has launched two new branded solutions: a Jack’s Bag For Life and a Jack’s Paper Handled Bag.

The Bag For Life is made from strong yet light plastic which contains 30% recycled materials and is itself 100% recyclable. At 45cm x 45cm, it is the ideal size for the convenience channel.

Each bag comfortably holds between 10 and 12kg and the bags are available in bundles of 25 or in outers of 10 x 25. The RSP on each bag is 19p, delivering a POR of 47%.

The Jack’s Paper Handled Bag is made from lightweight sustainably sourced, FSC certified paper and is manufactured in the UK. Again, the bag is 100% recyclable, holds between 10 and 12kg and at 31cm x 39cm is the perfect size for independent retailing.

The Paper Handled Bags are available in

Jack’s Sausages Range

Expanding the Jack’s chilled range is a new selection of great quality, fantastic value sausages.

“Sales of Jack’s branded products just keep on growing and their success is being felt across the board but especially in the fresh, chilled, and the crisps & snacks sectors. Jack’s-branded crisps are flying. Shoppers love the larger bag formats and the fact that they are available on a great-value ‘2 for’ offer. Almost every single shopper buys two at a time.”

PRAGA BALASUBRAMANIAM Premier Hartley’s, Littlehampton

RETAILER VIEW

cases of 100 at £15.99 with an RSP of 25p, offering retailers a POR of 36%.

In addition, Booker has produced an unbranded Vest Carrier that contains 30% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable. These lighter bags can hold up to 10kg and are available in cases of 10 x 100 at £21.99 with an RSP of 5p and a POR of 60%.

The new bags provide Premier retailers with a great way of meeting ongoing shopper demand for carrier bags.

BIGGER AND BETTER

Since launch, the Jack’s brand has continued to grow and evolve in response to retailer and shopper feedback and is now a fullyfledged brand in its own right. Feedback shows clearly that shoppers trust the brand and appreciate the Tesco-branding that appears on-pack, giving them the confidence to trial products from the range. The quality of the Jack’s range then comes into its own and helps drive those all-important repeat purchases.

Billy Hartlett of Premier Bacton in Norfolk told Talking Shop: “The Tesco branding gives shoppers a great deal of reassurance and trust. Our own-brand sales are much higher now that we have the Jack’s brand compared to previous own-brand sales.

“In the current economic climate, shoppers have gone back to topping up every day as opposed to doing larger less frequent shops, so value and promotions are more important than ever. People are very conscious about

RETAILER VIEW

SINGH TAKHAR

Jack’s Bags

“Fresh and chilled was a totally new area for us when we redeveloped our store in February this year. We moved from just one small dairy fridge to 2.5 metres for fresh and just 50 lines to more than 150 lines including Jack’s ready meals, sausages, bacon and gammon plus a larger range of dairy products. The Jack’s brand has been central to the range’s success. Shoppers love the quality and especially the great value price points and ‘2 for’ offers. Most of our shoppers live in close proximity to the store so our new bigger and better fresh and chilled offer has been a gamechanger for them.”

GURMEET

Premier Takhar Stores, Stockton on Tees, Cleveland

*All prices correct at time of going to press.

what they are spending.”

Billy also says that a major driver of sales has been the Jack’s ‘2 for’ deals: “There’s no doubt that they drive footfall and sales, and they also drive repeat purchases.”

To leverage the power of the ‘2 for’ promotions, Booker recently launched new on-pack messaging to make the Jack’s ‘2 for’ deals unmissable and increase buy in yet further.

The mechanic is already available across a wide selection of high-volume categories such as crisps, nuts, confectionery, chilled foods and more, and features an even bigger and brighter ‘2 for’ band to help land the

What are your views? Email

value message with even greater force.

quality and price are great.

“Price is a big focus right now and promotions are key, shoppers are always on the lookout to bag a bargain. The Jack’s ‘2 for’ promotional mechanic is very powerful. It’s very easy and straightforward for shoppers to understand. Categories such as crisps, nuts and confectionery work really well and it’s very rare for shoppers to only buy one product. The take up of ‘2 for’ offers is very high.” fruit and vegetables and ambient groceries

Redemption levels on Jack’s ‘2 for’ offers were already over 85% and the bold new approach is expected to drive take-up even higher, improving retailers’ footfall, sales and profits into the bargain.

One retailer who can clearly see the benefit of the ‘2 for’ mechanic is Pinny Singh Sohal of Ken’s Convenience Store in Winsford, Cheshire. He told Talking Shop: “Jack’s is doing very well, especially on fresh fruit and vegetables and ambient groceries such as crisps, snacks and confectionery. It ticks all the boxes for shoppers; the

JACK UP YOUR SOCIAL PAGES

Social media is a fantastic way for Premier retailers to raise awareness of the Jack’s range, encourage trial and drive repeat purchases of Jack’s products – especially with the launch of Booker’s new SocioConnect social media solution [see page 90 for more].

The solution allows retailers to control all of their social media channels from within one simple app as well as gain access to Booker-produced posts that they can simply re-post to their own pages. The solution makes managing your social media presence easier than ever before and will help you drive engagement with your local community as well as reach out to new shoppers and grow your social media following.

Channels such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok offer a great way for you to flag up Jack’s promotions and new products as well as highlight the range’s value and quality.

Speak to your local RDM for more information.

*All prices correct at time of going to press.

Refresh@Premier: a ‘game-changer’

With summer upon us, it’s the perfect time to consider installing a Refresh@Premier bar in your store and follow the many other Premier retailers who have seen sales and profits rocket.

There’s no such thing as a magic bullet in retail to help you instantly grow sales and profits – but the Refresh@Premier bar concept is as close to a guaranteed quick win as you are likely to get.

Hundreds of Premier retailers have now embraced the concept, with Refresh zones now a key feature in most new-look Premier stores. In fact, it’s usually the first item on the

wish-list for Premier retailers when they are refitting and updating their stores.

What’s so attractive about the solution? Well, there are three key benefits: increased sales, increased profits and minimum effort from your team.

Retailer Anila Ali who runs Premier Ali’s Convenience Store in Tranent just outside Edinburgh explains: “We fully refitted the store and re-opened about 10 weeks ago

and as part of the refit we were absolutely determined to add a Refresh@Premier bar. We’d visited other Premier stores and heard so many good things about the concept that we decided we definitely had to have one.

“We installed a bar with Tango Ice Blast, Coca-Cola Frozen, a milkshake unit and a Costa Coffee machine. In just 10 weeks we are already taking around £3,500 a week from the bar and it’s growing all the

RETAILER VIEW

Ken’s Convenience Store, Winsford

“Our Refresh@Premier zone is one of the first things that shoppers see when they enter and we’ve gone all out on Refresh with two flavours of Tango Ice Blast, Fanta Frozen, and Jolly Rancher slush each plus Hershey’s and Reese’s Freeze, Reese’s Hot Chocolate, F’real Milkshakes and Costa Coffee. It’s been a total gamechanger for the business. Everything in the Refresh zone sells well, but Tango Ice Blast and F’real are the real drivers. In the summer months we sell over 100 large cups of Tango Ice Blast a day and 80 F’real.”

TANGO ICE BLAST

Tango Ice Blast is a massively popular product that sells in high volumes in many Premier stores.

Profit margins are between 70% and 80% a cup and you only need to sell two large cups at RSP a day to cover the lease fee!

RETAILER VIEW

SERKAN ARAZ

Premier Methwold Convenience Store

“Our Refresh@Premier sets us apart and has created a real ‘wow’ factor. No other store in a 15-mile radius has anything like our Refresh offer, which includes two flavours of Jolly Rancher slush, Hershey’s, Reese’s Freeze, and a Costa Express. The slush is proving to be a real hit with the local secondary school kids, and parents and passers-by are popping in for coffees. We sell at least 20 cups of each of the slush flavours a day, which is pretty good considering the size of the village. We’re expecting Refresh to really take off this summer.”

time. Best of all, we average around 65% margin from the Refresh@Premier bar. It’s astonishing, really – and we’re only a relatively small store at 1,400sq ft, so it shows it can work in most stores. I would definitely encourage other Premier retailers to add one to their store.”

Anila has also calculated that, since the refit, she is seeing around 1,000 more shoppers a week coming to her store and

COCA-COLA FROZEN

One of the fastest-growing brands in the Refresh@Premier bar in Premier stores is Coca-Cola and Fanta Frozen.

The option allows retailers to leverage the power of the well-known soft drinks brand and deliver increased footfall, sales and profits.

Through Premier, retailers have access to three different sizes of machine on lease for Tango Ice Blast and Coca-Cola Frozen:

l C4: £7,500 + VAT

l G3.5: £5,350 + VAT

l H4: £8,764 + VAT

The 3-year lease term includes installation, maintenance, servicing, repairs and parts and monthly finance options are available.

while that extra footfall isn’t all down to the Refresh@Premier bar, “it’s clearly an important factor”.

Those types of footfall, sales and profit increases have been replicated by many other Premier retailers in all sorts of locations and in all sizes of stores. Put simply, the solution works.

But it’s not just about footfall, Booker Wholesale Sales Director Martyn Parkinson

explains: “The Refresh@Premier bar requires virtually no input from staff, which helps keep costs down. The machines cost only around £10 a day to run, and customers serve themselves, which helps explain why so many Premier retailers are embracing the concept.”

Anila Ali also points out that the products available from her Refresh@Premier bar have been massively popular with home

You hear about how successful the Refresh concept can be from other Premier retailers but when you actually see those sales figures climbing for yourself, it’s pretty mind blowing.

Pinny Singh Sohal, Premier Ken’s Convenience

PINNY SINGH SOHAL

delivery customers, something she didn’t anticipate.

“When we opened the Refresh@Premier bar, we expected it to be mostly an in-store purchase. We listed the products on the home delivery menu but we didn’t really expect to see many orders come through – but we learned very, very quickly that the Refresh products were hugely popular.”

Another Premier retailer who has found the Refresh@Premier bar to be a “gamechanger” is Pinny Singh Sohal of Ken’s Convenience Store in Winsford in Cheshire. The store has had the bar for over a year and Pinny has been blown away by the success.

He told Talking Shop: “You hear about how successful the Refresh concept can be from other Premier retailers but when you actually see those sales figures climbing for yourself, it’s pretty mind blowing.

“Our Refresh@Premier zone is one of the first things that shoppers see when they enter and we’ve gone all out on Refresh with two flavours of Tango Ice Blast, Fanta Frozen, and Jolly Rancher slush each plus Hershey’s and Reese’s Freeze, Reese’s Hot Chocolate, F’real Milkshakes and Costa Coffee. It’s been a total gamechanger for the business and it paid for itself well inside a year.

“Everything in the Refresh zone sells well, but Tango Ice Blast and F’real are the real drivers. In the summer months we were selling over 100 large cups of Tango Ice Blast a day and F’real was around 80 too.

“This year will be the first full summer that I’ve had the zone and I’m expecting it to be bigger than ever now that it’s well bedded in.”

So, isn’t it time you considered giving your footfall, sales and profits a Refresh? To help you decide, here are just some of the options available to Premier retailers…

ROBINSONS FRUIT

ICE

The Robinson’s brand is enjoyed by over 12 million families, according to the brand, and a Robinson’s Fruit Ice allows retailers to cash in on this massive popularity by offering Robinson’s favourite flavours but with an icy twist. With real fruit in every drop, the solution also helps retailers to appeal to shoppers seeking out more natural options.

NO SUGAR SLUSHY JACK’S

Unlock the potential of Europe’s fastest-growing slush drink with No Sugar Slushy Jack’s. The brand offers a great tasting classic slush which is dispensed via energy-efficient machines that use eco-friendly refrigerants. Every cup sold also helps raise money for Ocean Generation.

Premier retailers have access to the Robinson’s Fruit Ice and No Sugar Slushy Jack’s at a lease rate of £1,997 + VAT for each machine.

Again, the 3-year lease term includes installation, maintenance, servicing, repairs and parts and monthly finance options are available.

To find out more, speak to your RDM or: Web: visit frozenbrothers.com

Email: e-commerce@frozenbrothers.com

Tel: 020 8578 5785

use eco-friendly refrigerants. Every cup sold

Win with wine!

Premier's stellar Wine Festival is helping retailers to uncork additional sales and profits this summer.

BOOKER EXCLUSIVE!

PLAZA PROSECCO PLAZA CENTRO PROSECCO ROSÉ

Case Size: 6x75cl

Promotional WSP: £37.35

Promotional RSP: £8.49

POR: 12%

Case Size: 6x75cl

Promotional WSP: £37.35

Promotional RSP: £8.49

POR: 12%

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

The Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May provided the nation with a much-needed shot of joy and merriment, as people from across the country came together to mark the historic event.

Now, with summer just around the corner, Premier’s stellar Wine Festival is helping shoppers to remain in a celebratory frame of mind.

Launched on 24 May and running until 27 June, the Wine Festival provides Premier retailers with yet another opportunity to boost footfall, sales and profits, with an array of showstopping promotions.

This year’s serving of special offers has been carefully designed around key brands and the prevailing trends driving wine sales this year, including wines from Australia and South Africa, with sweeter taste profiles.

Deals are on offer across every price bracket, including value, mid and premiumpriced products, allowing Premier retailers to meet the needs of a wide variety of different shoppers and social occasions.

With demand for sparkling options remaining high, especially as we approach the summer, this year’s Premier Wine Festival also includes a number of fantastic deals on sparkling products to suit all budgets.

Premier retailers also have access to an exclusive deal on Plaza Prosecco.

RETAILER VIEW

SHILEN MADHANI

Premier Mbros Swindon

“Alcohol plays a key role in our store and we’ve taken great care to give the category a real edge locally with our Beer Cave, which is unique in the local area. Promotions are key and we take great care to make the absolute most of all the Premier promotions that we run, making the most of all the POS and promoting deals on social media. The Premier Wine Festival is another string to our bow and this year there are some truly great deals to be had. I’m expecting the deals on Prosecco to go very well and also the Mega Deals on key brands like Yellow Tail.”

SMALL FORMAT SPARKLING DEALS

Canti Prosecco 20cl

RSP: £3.99 or ‘Any 2 for £6’

Canti Prosecco

Rosé 20cl

RSP: £3.99 or ‘Any 2 for £6’

Most Wanted Pinot Grigio

Fizz 200ml

RSP: £2.49 or ‘Any 2 for £4’

NEW TO PREMIER!

Most Wanted Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Rosé

Origin: South Africa

Format: Can

Case size: 12x187ml

Promotional WSP: £15.99

Promotional RSP: £2.49 or ‘Any 2 for £4’

POR: 20.1%

Perfect POS

Premier retailers have access to a wide range of quality Wine Festival POS that will help them to create eyecatching in-store theatre and support the many deals and hot new products on offer.

The Premier Wine Festival POS kit includes:

l Bunting

l Header Cards

l Shelf Barker featuring QR codes that link to a digital leaflet with wine festival promotions

l Product-specific shelf cards with wine tasting notes

Made from grapes grown in the north-east of Italy, Plaza Prosecco has a bright citrus fruit flavour with floral notes that will help shoppers add some sparkle to all manner of social occasions for a terrific value for money price of just £8.49 –down from £9.49.

The Premier Wine Festival also features deals on wine in a wide variety of different formats, such as small 187ml bottles and even cans, in a bid to help shoppers get into the party spirit wherever they are.

New to Booker, the Most Wanted brand offers 187ml cans of Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc Rosé, perfect for packing into picnics or cracking at festivals.

TREND WATCH

In terms of flavour trends, Booker’s lead for wine and RTDs Mark Oldfield says there is one trend that’s more noticeable than all the rest: a move towards wines with sweeter taste profiles.

This trend lends itself to Australian wines and Mark encourages retailers to make more of Australian wines in their stores.

“Australia is the biggest country in terms of sales volume so it’s really important that retailers also have a good core Australian offering across each of the price brackets,” he advises.

“Australian wines tend to offer that sweeter taste profile which a growing number of shoppers are looking for these days. They also tend to be more robust in terms of price and availability, which is key.”

Sign of the times

NEW TO PREMIER!

La Vielle Ferme

Rouge, Blanc, Rosé

Origin: France

Case size: 6x75cl

Promotional WSP: £27.95

Promotional RSP: £6.99

POR: 20%

Premier’s POS suite includes a number of product-specific shelf cards to engage, inspire and inform shoppers.

The product-specific shelf card for Yellow Tail Chardonnay gives shoppers key information and a pairing suggestion:

l Wine of South-Eastern Australia

l A vibrant flavoursome fresh and easy-to-drink wine

l Enjoy with roast chicken

Yellow Tail Chardonnay is on offer during the Premier Wine Festival for an RSP of only £6.49 – down from £7.99.

MARVELLOUS MERCHANDISING

l Have at least two or three facings of your best-selling wines.

l Support promotions with displays in prominent sites in your store like gondola ends.

l Chill all white and rosé wines where possible.

l Make use of all the Wine Festival POS available.

MEGA DEAL!

Yellow Tail

Jammy White Roo

Origin: Australia

Case size: 6x75cl

Promotional WSP: £25.95

Promotional RSP: £6.49

POR: 20%

WINE: TOP TIPS

l Having the right range will drive more sales than simply having a big range.

l Delist lines that aren’t working to make space for big sellers.

l Focus on the brands that sell.

l Offer a solid range across the key price points.

l Follow the RSPs.

l Sweeter wines are on trend, so try to reflect this in your range. Australian wines are a great option.

RETAILER VIEW

Premier Hartley’s, Littlehampton

“Alcohol is a star performer in my store, which used to be a wine shop before I converted it to a Premier. Wine sales continue to be very strong, especially when backed by promotions.

“White wine is my strongest seller and sales are dominated by Pinot Grigio – and the I Heart brand in particular. When it comes to red, it’s all about Shiraz; brands such as Hardy’s and Castillero Del Diablo lead the charge.

“In the current times deals have such a big impact on sales, especially the Mega Deals. Footfall and sales always spike at the start of Premier’s new promotional periods. I’m really looking forward to the Premier Wine Festival which I know will have a big impact, especially when supported by all Premier’s quality POS. Shoppers were put in a fantastic celebratory mood by the King’s Coronation and I’m certain they will be keen to carry on the party.”

MEGA DEALS

The Premier Wine Festival also features a number of Mega Deals on key brands including the top-selling Australian brand Yellow Tail and Italian favourite Caparelli. Ten varieties of Yellow Tail wine including reds, whites and rosé will be covered by the Mega Deal, all of which will offer retailers a POR of 20%.

And of course, no Wine Festival would be complete without a showstopping suite of supporting POS.

Premier retailers have access to a range of engaging Wine Festival POS which has been specifically designed to help create valuable instore theatre and draw attention to the great deals and prices on offer.

The POS also works hard to inform and inspire shoppers, with scannable QR codes on selected shelf barkers linking to digital leaflets featuring the full range of wine festival promotions.

Another suite of product-specific shelf cards also features insightful tasting notes and helpful information about the origins, taste profiles and ideal food pairings of key wine products.

Featuring a sunny yellow and sky-blue colourway, Premier’s Wine Festival POS is sure to help retailers make the very most of this grape opportunity.

PRAGA BALASUBRAMANIAM

Net new sales with Women’s World Cup

The FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off this month and runs for a full four-week period offering retailers plenty of opportunities to cash in on a sporting highlight of the summer.

KEY MATCHES

Thursday 20th July Opening

Matches

New Zealand v Norway 8am

Australia v Republic of Ireland 11am

Saturday 22nd July

England v Haiti 10.30am

Friday 28th July

England v Denmark 9.30am

Tuesday 1st August

China PR v England Midday

Quarter Finals 11th & 12th August

Semi Finals 15th & 16th August

Final

Sunday 20th August 11am

ALE PROMOTIONS – 3-FOR-£6

For shoppers looking for more traditional ales as they cheer England on, Premier is offering a selection of great promotions including:

Product Size Shopper Deal

Fullers London Pride 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Old Speckled Hen 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Abbot Ale 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Hobgoblin 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Hobgoblin Ruby 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Hobgoblin Gold 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Bishops Finger 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Adnams Ghost Ship 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Fursty Ferret 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Spitfire Ale 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Old Golden Hen 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Shipyard American IPA 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Bishops Finger 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

Sharps Doombar 500ml Any 3 for £6 (Scot £2)

The growth of public interest in elite level women’s football over the last few years has been nothing short of remarkable, thanks in no small part to the heroic achievements of the Lionesses in winning UEFA Euro 22 at Wembley last year.

Almost 90,000 people were packed into the stadium that night, a record for a women’s football match in the UK. Indeed, the Euro 22 final set the record as the biggest attendance at any Euros final – for men or women’s football.

Interest in women’s football shows no sign of waning with over 77,000 people in attendance for the Women’s FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester United last month, a world-record attendance for a women’s club match.

So, the stage is well and truly set for another footballing extravaganza when the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia & New Zealand on 20 July. The tournament runs for a full month all the way through to the final on Sunday 20th August. Among those hoping to make it all the way to that final will be the Republic of Ireland and, of course, England, with the Lionesses hoping to build on their Euro glory by claiming the biggest prize in women’s football.

A total of 64 matches will see 32 nations compete in the ninth FIFA Women's World Cup, offering Premier retailers extensive opportunities to cash in and help fans stock up as they prepare to get behind their favourite team, or simply to join in the fun for one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.

Current World Cup holders the United States are the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the trophy, but England can surely count themselves as strong contenders. Whatever happens, there will be plenty of excitement around the tournament and plenty of opportunities to grow footfall, sales and profits.

WALL OF RED

Among the major brands helping retailers make the most of the event is Budweiser, the

BEER PROMOTIONS – 4-PACKS

Premier is offering a range of fantastic 4-pack promotions during the Women’s World Cup including:

Product Size Shopper Deal

Madri 4x440ml £5.50

Estrella Damm 4x330ml £6.25

San Miguel 4x330ml £6.25

Asahi Super Dry 4x330ml £6.25

Peroni Nastro Azzuro 4x330ml £6.25

Corona Extra 4x330ml £6.25

Birra Moretti 4x330ml £6.25

Brewdog Punk IPA 4x330ml £6.50

Brewdog Hazy Jane IPA 4x330ml £6.50

Camden Hells 4x330ml £6.50

Camden Pale Ale 4x330ml £6.50

Group D

ENGLAND

20th July 20th August 64 matches

official beer of both the Lionesses and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Budweiser has committed to being a trailblazer for women’s football and has plenty of activity planned to generate in-store excitement around the Women’s Cup to help grow sales and profits.

A key activity is an on-pack promotion across all Budweiser packs offering a range of great prizes including top-end TVs. The scanto-win mechanic makes it easy for shoppers to get involved and instantly learn if they have won a prize.

To make the most of the Women’s World Cup, Budweiser is advising Premier retailers to maximise profits by driving awareness through amplifying the fact that Budweiser is the Official Beer of the Lionesses and the FIFA World Cup by displaying Budweiser packs together in-store.

Budweiser is suggesting retailers create a ‘Wall of Red’ to make Budweiser and the Women’s World Cup unmissable in-store.

BEER BARGAINS

Throughout the tournament, Premier will be running a series of special promotions on 4-packs of beer from the biggest brands including Birra Moretti, Peroni, San Miguel, Estrella Damm and Brewdog.

For fans of more traditional ale, Premier is also providing a range of great promotions to help shoppers get in the mood and get behind England in their bid to claim the biggest prize in women’s football.

An ‘Any 2 for £4.50’ deal will run across a selection of the most popular 500ml traditional ale brands including Adnams Ghost Ship, Fuller’s London Pride, Hobgoblin, Abbott Ale, Old Speckled Hen, Fursty Ferret, Sharp’s Doombar, Spitfire and Bishops Finger.

Meanwhile, cider fans won’t be feeling left

What are your views? Email talkingshop@booker.co.uk

CIDER PROMOTIONS – 2 FOR £4.50

Cider fans won’t feel left out during the Women’s World Cup thanks to an extensive array of promotions including:

Old Mout Kiwi & Lime 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Old Mout Berries & Cherries 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Kopparberg Mixed Fruit 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Kopparberg Tropical 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Thatchers Gold 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Thatchers Katy 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Henry Weston Vintage 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Henry Weston Medium Dry 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Brothers Toffee Apple 500ml Any 2 for £4.50 (Scot £2.25)

Brothers Rhubarb & Custard 500ml

Bulmers

Bulmers Original

SOFT DRINKS PROMOTIONS

Premier has compiled a strong soft drinks promotional package from the biggest brands:

out with another great promotion, an ‘Any 2 for £4.50’ on 500ml bottles of flavoured and original cider from key brands like Kopparberg, Old Mout, Thatchers, Henry Weston, Brothers, Rekorderlig, Magners and Bulmers.

BIGGER BASKETS

As the tournament is being held in Australia and New Zealand, the time difference means that most of the matches kick off in the morning UK-time, which is why Premier’s Women’s World Cup promotional range covers a number of other important categories like soft drinks, confectionery, snacks and pizza.

A selection of great soft drinks promotions is available focusing on multipack formats to help drive up basket spend. For example, 24-packs of Pepsi Max, Pepsi Max Cherry, Pepsi Max Lime and Tango Orange will be available for just £10. Similar deals see a 10pack of Coca-Cola available to shoppers for just £6.50 while 12-packs of Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar will be on promotion at just £6.

No Women’s World Cup party would be complete without some snacks and Premier has put together a fantastic package with Walkers that allows retailers to offer Walkers 12-packs of just £3.25 and Walkers 6-packs at just £1.75. And to cater for those with a bigger appetite, there’s a great deal that offers a free Magnum Classic 3-pack to shoppers buying any two qualifying Chicago Town Pizzas for just £6.

TIME TO WIN

All that remains then is for the Lionesses to

give it their best shot and hopefully progress to the latter stages of the tournament. Whatever happens, the Women’s World Cup is set to be a true highlight of the summer and represents an opportunity not to be missed by retailers.

SNACKS PROMOTIONS

Helping shoppers enjoy their Women’s World Cup to the max while also driving up basket spend, Premier has a range of great snacking promotions available:

Chicago Town Medium Cheese Pizza Buy any 2 pizzas for £6 and get a Magnum Classic 3-pack free

Chicago Town Pepperoni Pizza Buy any 2 pizzas for £6 and get a Magnum Classic 3-pack free

Almost 90,000 people watched the Euro 22 final, a record for a women’s football match in the UK and the final also set the record as the biggest attendance at any Euros final – for men or women’s football.

New Products

NUAGE HAYFEVER RELIEF 30 WIPES

Case size: 24

WSP: £14.99

RSP: £1.00

Save £1

AU Vodka

Pineapple

Crush

Case size: 12 x 330ml

WSP: £20.49 £19.49

RSP: £2.99

POR: 34.8%

Canti Prosecco

Case size: 12 x 20cl

WSP: £30.99

£25.49

RSP: £3.99

Any 2 for £6

(Scotland: £3)

POR: 15%

Yellow Tail Jammy White Roo

Case size: 6 x 75cl

WSP: £30.99 £25.95

RSP: £7.79 £6.49

POR: 20%

New Products

TRIBUTE PALE ALE

Case Size: 10 x 440ml

WSP: £8.59

RSP: £13

POR: £20%

I HEART PROSECCO ROSÉ

Case Size: 6 x 75cl

WSP: £41.99

RSP: £10.99

POR: 23.6%

Nobilo New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

Case size: 6 x 75cl

WSP: £37.49

RSP: £9.99

POR: 24%

FOUR LOKO

Case size: 12 x 440ml

WSP: £26.99

RSP: £3.49

POR: 22.7%

BREWDOG BLACKHEART

Case Size: 6 x 4 x 400ml

WSP: £21.99

RSP: £5.79

POR: 24%

BREWDOG ALE TO THE KING

Case Size: 12 x 330ml

WSP: £10.49

RSP: £1.75

POR: 40.1%

STOCK UP CARTON ON OURNEW TOCK

New Products

SENSATIONS CORONATION

CELEBRATION KING PRAWN COCKTAIL, REGAL LAMB AND MINT

Case Size: 9 x 150g

WSP: £10.49

RSP: £1.75

POR: 20.1%

SERIOUSLY TASTY

CHICKEN TIKKA SLICE CHICKEN & MUSHROOM SLICE HAM & CHEESE SLICE

Case Size: 6 x 150g

WSP: £6.40

RSP: £1.59

POR: 32.9%

SERIOUSLY

TASTY SAUSAGE ROLL

Case size: 6 x 130g

WSP: £6.00

RSP: £1.49

POR: 32.9%

LOTUS BISCOFF ICE CREAMS

Case Size: 8 x 3 x 90ml

WSP: £22.49

RSP: £4.59

POR: 25.5%

ROWNTREES FRUIT BLASTER

Case Size: 12 x 6 x 58ml

WSP: £17.49

RSP: £2.50

POR: 30%

BISTO ROAST BEEF DINNER

Case size: 6 x 400g

WSP: £16.49

RSP: £3.89

POR: 29.3%

PricesDown

Exclusive deals help retailers save on vape

Booker’s range of great-value disposable products is helping Premier retailers generate valuable footfall, sales and profits.

The disposable vape category is continuing to boom, with Premier retailers across the country reporting strong and growing sales, driven by the convenience, flavour options and value for money that disposable products offer adult vapers.

Disposable products experienced “a remarkable increase” in sales over the course of 2022 and the category now accounts for a staggering 83% of all vape sales, according to Imperial Tobacco data from January 2023.

The boom in disposable products also led to a significant rise in the number of vapers in the UK in 2022, from 3.7m in 2021 to 4.3m in 2022, with numbers continuing to climb in 2023.

Helping Premier retailers to make the most of the trend is Booker, which continues to invest in its range with a growing number of quality disposable brands, that also offer adult vapers exceptional value for money.

The range available to Premier retailers includes a number of key brands including Elf Bar, Lost Mary and Crystal Bar.

The Crystal Bar line-up features 19 flavours including Lemon & Lime, Sour Apple and Berry Ice.

Fully compliant with UK legislation, Crystal Bar is currently available to Premier

retailers in case sizes of 10 with a great value RSP of just £5.99 – offering retailers a POR of 48.9%.

The Crystal Bar range is also routinely subject to an array of great deals for Premier retailers and their shoppers.

Throughout May and early June Premier retailers were able to save £2.50 on cases of 10, plus ‘Buy any 3 and save a further £5’.

Further great-value deals across Booker’s disposable vape are set to follow over the summer.

“The disposable vapes category has transformed my vape sales. This time last year I was selling just over £1,000 of vape a week, now it’s closer to £1,000 a day, which is incredible, especially considering the profit margins, which in most cases are more than 30%.

“Booker offers a fantastic range of leading disposable vape brands, all of which come in a wide range of unique flavours.

“Flavour is one of the category’s key strengths, especially tropical and berry flavours; they are in the highest demand.

“Key brands like Lost Mary, Elf Bar and Crystal are driving sales and, thanks to Booker, we are able to support the range with regular multi-buy promotions such as ‘2 for’s and ‘3 for’s which are incredibly popular and offer adult vapers great value for money. Almost every single adult vaper buys into these promotions and will buy more than one.”

PRAGA BALASUBRAMANIAM Premier Hartley’s, Littlehampton

RETAILER VIEW

Say Hello To: Martyn Hartshorne, Category Manager Fresh Produce

DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER JOURNEY UP UNTIL NOW?

Before joining Booker I was an independent retailer and small wholesaler of fresh fruit and vegetables. I sold the business around 20 years ago with the aim of trying something different, but fruit and veg is in my blood and when Booker asked if I was interested in a 12-week sales and development trial at their Coventry branch, I jumped at the chance. Twenty years later I’m still here, now as a Category Manager and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve been on an incredible journey with Booker and, now that it is part of the Tesco Group, I feel that another very exciting chapter has begun.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE KEY FUNCTIONS OF YOUR ROLE?

I’m one of three Fresh Produce Category Managers in the Booker Group. I work with Peter Ireland and Glen Goodall, and together we are responsible for offering our retail and catering customers the best possible choice, price and service in fresh produce. We source and select products from the best suppliers in the industry and we work really hard with those suppliers to ensure that quality, value and freshness are always at their best. We are also constantly reviewing the range that is available to retailers and we work very hard on promotions, which are an absolute must

Martyn Hartshorne’s expertise, understanding and passion for fresh produce is almost unrivalled

these days.

The most important part of the role though is the customer, and a key function of the role is spending time with those customers. We are lucky to be able to spend time with our Premier customers in our network of Booker/Makro branches and we also work closely with many of our customers in their own stores. It’s a massive part of the job for me, especially as I have that handson retail experience from my past. I have a great relationship with a lot of our key customers and that really helps me when it comes to planning range and promotional developments.

HOW HAS THE ROLE OF FRESH PRODUCE CHANGED IN CONVENIENCE STORES OVER THE YEARS?

There’s certainly a bigger demand for a wider variety of fresh produce than ever before.

While the ranges that many our customers stock always feature a number of core items

that have remained the same over the years, recent times have also seen the arrival of exciting new products such as prepared vegetables, and also fancier and more exotic products.

The pandemic really changed things too, many retailers increased their fresh produce ranges to better support local shoppers during those challenging times and many of them have retained that custom.

WHAT KEY TRENDS ARE DRIVING FRESH PRODUCE SALES AT THE MOMENT?

Healthy eating is a big one and is certainly driving produce sales at the moment, as is the movement towards vegan and vegetarian diets, which continues to gain momentum.

WHAT IS THE MAIN FOCUS OF ACTIVITY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AT THE MOMENT?

One of the biggest and ongoing pieces of activity is around price and value and

MARTYN’S TOP TIPS

l Consistency, quality and price are key to shoppers these days. Approach your range with these in mind at all times.

l If there’s a line or two that aren’t selling that well, don’t give up! If you remain consistent, the sales will come.

l Having a consistent core range of products will boost shopper confidence in your availability and they will purchase.

l Go through your range and displays with a fine toothcomb at least once a day to ensure that products are always looking at their best and always apply the ‘Would I buy it?’ principle.

l Don’t let wastage scare you. It’s better to discard one bruised apple than leave it on display where it could put a shopper off your entire range.

that’s what we call our ‘Fresh 4’ produce promotion. Every period sees us run promotions on four key lines which are designed to drive incremental sales and profits for our retailers. We spend a lot of time on the programme, making sure that we have the right products at the right time and at the right price. They could be seasonal products or they could be core range, but either way, they are when the product is at its ultimate best.

WHAT OTHER EXCITING NEWS DO YOU HAVE FOR RETAILERS?

We’ve done on lot of work on flowers and horticulture for Londis and Budgens, with big steps taken to improve choice, quality and value. We are now exploring new ways in

which we can make this wonderful category more available to the whole group. Exciting developments are on the cards, so watch this space!

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE FRESH PRODUCE CATEGORY THAT KEEPS YOU SO ENGAGED?

It’s exciting, it’s fast moving, it’s bright and it’s beautiful. I also love the fact that when you work with fresh produce, every day is different, and brings with it fresh decisions that need making.

It’s certainly the most colourful department in any convenience store and often the most talked out. The people in the industry are also fantastic and there is so much incredible experience out there."

WATCH OUT FOR THE STRAWBERRY PRE-SELL!

A relatively new initiative for fresh produce is offering our customers pre-sells, and from mid-June we will be offering an 800g ‘Bigger Pack, Better Value’ pre-sell on beautiful British strawberries – just in time for the start of the Wimbledon tennis tournament on 5 July.

The concept has been launched in direct response to customer feedback saying that they would like something a bit different and special, outside of the core range. We’re hoping that these bigger packs will create real excitement for them and help them make fantastic in-store theatre. The packs will also be supported with a stunning promotional POS package.

BetterService

Drive footfall with SocioConnect!

Booker has recently launched an exciting new free service which allows Premier retailers to control their social media platforms in one app and post engaging content more regularly with a minimum of effort.

Social media is one of the most powerful tools available to Premier retailers to help drive footfall, reach new potential shoppers, highlight promotions and engage with the local community.

Finding the time, however, to manage social media channels, create regular posts and answer any queries or comments from shoppers can be difficult with so much going

SOCIOCONNECT: THE LOWDOWN

Sign up to use Booker’s centrally created posts and copy onto your social pages for FREE!

l You can opt in to use Booker’s centrally-produced posts on your own social pages – either all posts, or just cherry pick those that relate to your store.

l Manage all your social platforms from one place – no more logging into separate networks. Just connect your chosen networks and you’re done.

l Track each post’s performance.

l Message customers directly and respond to their messages.

l Schedule promotional posts in advance or let the app do it for you.

l Compatible with phone and/or desktop.

l It’s super easy and it’s FREE!

on in a busy store.

That’s precisely why Booker has launched a brand-new solution that can make posting regular, high-quality content to multiple social media networks quicker and easier than ever before – and it’s entirely free.

SocioConnect is an innovative solution that lets retailers manage all of their social media content across all popular platforms all from a single, easy-to-use app. SocioConnect lets

you do it all in one single step.

All you have to do is register then download the SocioConnect app to your phone or, if you prefer, you can do it all from your desktop.

Once you’re registered and the app is installed, you are ready to start turbocharging your social media output, driving more footfall, attracting new shoppers and engaging more effectively with your local

We only had about 200 followers on Facebook and within 10 weeks we’re up to more than 1,200 and it’s growing all the time. I can thoroughly recommend it to other Premier retailers. SocioConnect is a game-changer!

Anila Alia, Premier Ali’s Convenience Store, Tranent

community. It’s that simple.

The app even makes responding to comments on your pages a piece of cake. Again, you can do it all, across every network, all from within the SocioConnect app.

Even better, the app allows you access Booker’s centrally-produced posts and then

copy them across to your own social media pages in minutes with a minimum of fuss. The solution provides you with a full bank of easily accessible content that has been professionally designed and will help you enhance your own pages.

Additionally, the app allows retailers to pre-schedule posts to ensure that they appear

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

1 Visit www.socioimplementation.com/premier-stores-signup and enter your email address and store number. You will then be sent an email to allow you to create a password.

2 Download the SocioConnect phone app and log in. Or you can use your desktop.

3Link your social media pages to access branded content and scheduled posts from Booker. You’re good to go!

on the network at exactly the right time. That could be to coincide with the launch of a new promotional period, for instance, or to highlight new products that are being listed in-store.

SocioConnect has been trialled in 30 pilot stores over the last year and resulted in a mammoth 180% increase in posts and a 300% increase in followers. In other words, it has been proven to work.

One retailer who has been thrilled with the success of SocioConnect is Anila Ali who runs Premier Ali’s Convenience Store in Tranent, just outside Edinburgh. Premier Ali’s was the 500th Premier store to open in Scotland and was unveiled recently after a full scale four-week refit that cost over £210,000.

As part of the re-opening, Anila was keen to improve her social media presence, as she explains: “Social media is really important for us but, as many retailers find, it can be difficult to make time to manage our pages, create new posts regularly and respond to comments and questions.

“When we heard about SocioConnect we

were really keen to try it out – and it works like a dream. It’s so easy to use and it saves so much time, it’s unbelievable. We re-share many of the Booker central posts and we also add our own bespoke posts and I have to say it has worked really well.

“We only had about 200 followers on Facebook when we re-opened the store and

within 10 weeks we’re up to more than 1,200 and it’s growing all the time. We’re seeing around 1,000 more customers coming to the store every week and a lot of that is down to our upweighted social media presence. I can thoroughly recommend it to other Premier retailers. It’s a game changer!”

Socio Connect relieves all of my headaches. It’s very easy to setup and it gives me peace of mind knowing that it is there. Even if I don’t do anything, posts are still going out on my social media. It’s brilliant!

Jalil Ali, AM2PM Premier, Liverpool

BetterService

IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Sustainable growth

Sustainability is a critically important challenge for the independent retailing sector and a challenge that is only going to become even more important in future. It’s a challenge that Booker has been enthusiastically embracing for many years, culminating in the launch of the groundbreaking Better Trolley for a Better Planet set of commitments.

Under Better Trolley, Booker has committed to a series of important goals that are already having a huge impact across issues like waste, climate, diet and community. To support those commitments, Booker is also encouraging Premier retailers to work towards improving their own sustainability credentials and has put in place a number of programmes that make it quick and easy for retailers to play their part in tackling key challenges like minimising food waste, reducing energy usage and continuing to improve recycling rates.

Under better Trolley, Booker has committed to leading by example when it comes to sustainability and has already achieved some remarkable successes:

FOOD WASTE

Booker has been awarded the Fareshare Partner logo to recognise its continued focus on redistributing surplus food. Over five million meals were donated to Fareshare charity by the Group in the last year alone.

In total, 91% of all surplus edible food was redistributed last year, a huge step towards the ultimate goal of ensuring 100% of all surplus food finds a good home. This achievement represents a 34% improvement on the base year of 2015/16 and clearly demonstrates the huge progress that is being made.

RETAILER FOOD WASTE

Booker helped more than 600 independent retailers redistribute over 220 tonnes of food in the last year, supporting local communities

through a partnership with the Too Good To Go solution.

PACKAGING AND INGREDIENTS

All non-recyclable materials have now been removed from own-brand products and recycling logos have been added to all packs. All ownbrand paper products are 100% certified FSC or recycled content.

All own-brand eggs are cage-free, a commitment achieved two years early, while all own-brand tea, coffee and cocoa are sustainably sourced. Own-brand products containing palm oil use only sustainably sourced oil and the soy used in animal feed with Booker’s supply chain is deforestation-free.

ENERGY

All Booker branches and sites are now lit by LED lights and Makro Exeter has become the first ever site in the UK to self-fund a solar power solution, expected to generate 25% of the energy required by the site.

GET INVOLVED

Booker has achieved remarkable success in building towards a much more sustainable future and is encouraging Premier retailers to play their part by considering how they could make their businesses and stores more sustainable.

Fareshare donation boxes have been made available to all symbol group customers, including Premier.

To help retailers continue to create a more sustainable future, Booker has also entered a number of fantastic partnerships and secured some exclusive deals that can help Premier retailers continue to make steps in the right direction.

Booker is encouraging all Premier retailers to take some simple steps to help improve their sustainability credentials and play their part in building a more sustainable future.

HERE ARE SOME QUICK SOLUTIONS THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER FOR YOUR STORE:

1. Exclusive Waste Management Deal

Premier retailers can save 11% on their waste management thanks to an exclusive deal with Booker’s partner Valpak on the collection of general waste, recycling and more. The service is available via a simple, easy-to-use website – collectmywaste.com –which provides instant quotes showing the best prices for each service, including a Booker Group exclusive discount.

Simply choose the service you require, and you will be kept up to date in real time on the progress of your collection, helping you organise your team and maximise efficiency.

Collections are made by professional, friendly drivers who know their way around and can ensure fast, no-fuss pick-ups to let you get back to the business of running a great store and focusing your attention on your business and your shoppers. Visit collectmywaste.com and quote ‘BOOKERWASTE’ along with your Booker customer number to claim discounted rates today!

Sustainability Gains: a snapshot

l Booker has been awarded the Fareshare Partner logo to recognise the continued focus on redistribution of surplus food.

l Over five million meals were donated by the Group to charity last year.

l Fareshare donation boxes have been rolled out for all symbol group customers.

l Booker has helped over 600 independent retail customers prevent and redistribute over 220 tonnes of food, supporting local communities by introducing them to our partners Too Good To Go.

l Science Based Targets have been set as a Group with a Net Zero commitment by 2050 and an aim to be carbon neutral in our own operations by 2035.

l All non-recyclable materials have been removed from own-brand retail products with recycling logos included on all packs.

l All own brand tea, coffee and cocoa are sourced ethically.

RETAILER VIEW

l Own brand products contain only sustainable palm oil and the soy used in animal feed within our supply chain is deforestation free.

l 91% of all surplus edible food was redistributed last year getting us close to Booker's target of 100%.

“With costs rising across the board, every cost saving we can make is important these days, so this new waste disposal deal is fantastic news for Premier retailers. Savings of up to 11% represent a significant benefit and, once again, It's great to see Premier retailers gaining real value from these types of initiatives."

l 34% reduction in food waste versus base line year of 2015/16.

l All own-brand eggs are cage free - a commitment achieved two years early.

l Own-brand paper products are all 100% certified FSC or recycled content.

l All Distribution and wholesale sites are lit by LED Lights.

l Planet Champions support at every Booker site.

GIRISH JEEVA Premier Barmulloch, Glasgow

To find out about further ways we can support you please visit MY.CCEP.COM

M144607

2. Vape Recycling Service

Booker also works with Valpak to help Premier retailers comply with the recycling legislation that applies to disposable vapes. If your store sells any type of vaping or e-cigarette products, including disposable vapes, you are required by law to comply with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling legislation. These products are officially classed as electrical and electronic equipment and, as such, retailers are legally bound to help with the recycling of them.

The legislation requires you to offer your shoppers a free of charge, safe recycling point – and it makes no difference where your shoppers originally bought their vaping products.

To comply with the legislation, Premier retailers first have to calculate the value of vaping products they sell in their store each year. If that value is less than £100,000 you can join the Distributor Take-back Scheme.

If that value of products you sell is in excess of £100,000 however, you are required to provide your shoppers with a free in-store take-back service that complies with WEEE regulations.

To help Premier retailers quickly and easily put the relevant solution in place, Booker is working with leading environmental compliance business Valpak who can answer any questions you may have as well as helping you put in place the solutions you need to become fully compliant with the WEEE regulations.

WEB: RECYCLE-MORE.CO.UK/VAPES

EMAIL: INFO@VALPAK.CO.UK

TEL: 03450 682 572

3. Eliminate food waste

Premier retailers can entirely eliminate food waste, recover costs and support their local communities by taking advantage of three fantastic partnerships set up by Booker:

l Too Good To Go: to sell short-dated food and recover costs.

l OLIO: to donate surplus food not sold to your local community and save on food disposal costs.

l FareShare: to set up a donation box for your shoppers to support local charities.

By taking advantage of these three partnerships, retailers can ensure that not a single food or drink product is wasted – and getting involved with all three solutions couldn’t be simpler.

TOO GOOD TO GO

Too Good To Go is a social impact company and the world’s largest businessto-consumer app for surplus food. Retailers simply sign up to the Too Good To Go website, then download and log in to the app. After that, all retailers need to do is preload the portions of unsold food as ‘Magic Bags’. Shoppers then buy the Magic Bags through the app and collect them in-store at the time set by retailers.

As a general rule, all Magic Bags sold should be sold at approximately one third of the cost of the contents.

With so many Too Good To Go app users in the UK, it can help you reach new shoppers and increase footfall and your local community is sure to appreciate your commitments to reducing food waste and helping the planet.

Each Magic Bag sold through Too Good To Go is subject to a £1.09 fee with a yearly admin cost of £39. This is deducted from what retailers are paid each quarter.

To find out more, visit www.toogoodtogo.co.uk and you can download the app on both Google Play and from the Apple app store.

OLIO

While Too Good To Go is a fantastic way to sell short-dated products, if any products remain unsold, don’t worry – you can use OLIO to ensure that the

unsold food doesn’t go to waste.

OLIO is a hassle-free way for Premier stores to redistribute more of their unsold food.

There are 6.5 million OLIO app users in the UK and a huge team of 68,000 volunteers help ensure that OLIO provides a fast, reliable service for retailers.

Retailers simply scan a QR code to let OLIO know if there’s food to collect. A volunteer collects it, lists it on the OLIO app, and arranges collections with people in their local area.

OLIO will collect all edible food waste including hot, chilled or frozen food, loose ingredients and cooked meals. They will collect food up to the ‘use by’ date and will collect any volume of unsold food from carrier bags to full pallets. Collections are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be ad hoc or regular, all at times specified by the retailer.

Set-up is hassle free and the user-friendly tech means it’s easy for your team to get to grips with.

To find out more, visit www.olioex.com/business or email business@olioex.com. Alternatively, you can call 07729 130 824.

FARESHARE

If you want to take your commitments to the next level, you can even help generate additional donations to support vulnerable people by working with FareShare to set up a donation box in your store for your shoppers to support local charities.

To get involved, all you have to do is speak to your RDM about having a FareShare dumpbin and relevant POS installed in-store. Once the dumpbins are full, retailers can contact FareShare who will come and collect the donations.

BetterService

IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Push on with next-level EPoS

Independent retailing can be a complex business at the best of times so the benefits of a modern EPoS solution that can help you take your store to the next level have never been so important.

Fortunately, Premier has a longstanding relationship with EPoS supplier RDP (the Retail Data Partnership) which has continued to develop and evolve its offer by adding new functionality and benefits to help retailers operate their businesses even more efficiently and profitably.

RDP’s ShopMate system is among the most advanced systems available today and was created specifically for independent retailers and developed over the years in response to their direct feedback. ShopMate offers an array of excellent benefits that can have a positive impact on where it matters most – the bottom line.

BENEFIT NOW

Among the key benefits are automatic price and promotion updates, a comprehensive selection of intuitive reports and insights and the opportunity to extend the power of your ShopMate till with added-value services including full back office or head office functionality and a Local Loyalty scheme. Not only does RDP supply the Booker price file, but it also manages its own RDP Price File which complements the Booker file for non-wholesale related products, so if you purchase local products, these are catalogued, VAT rated and updated to the RDP price file

Key benefits

l Promotions and prices updated automatically.

l Intuitive reports and insights.

l Make more use of your till with addedvalue services.

l Expert UK-based technical support.

l Premier free EPoS bundle.

for all RDP customers.

Electronic Delivery Notes are provided for all products purchased with Booker. Regardless of whether the products are purchased in branch, via the web or from the till, so long as a Booker account number is used, the electronic invoices are uploaded to the till, providing immediate stock control for you.

Suggested and Electronic Ordering via the till also means that you can create an order without ever leaving the till.

An Online Management Suite has also been

WHAT’S INCLUDED…

l Flytech touchscreen till system.

l Epson thermal receipt printer.

l Datalogic/ Honeywell Orbit scanner.

l Mono laser printer.

l Power and router connection cables.

l Standard or fliptop cash drawer.

added, providing all RDP customers with the ability to manage their reporting remotely via laptop, PC, tablet or phone. The suite also offers real-time sales analysis and the ability to compare year-on-year product performance at either product or category level.

Another great opportunity is the RDP SelfServe queue-busting solution. There is no hefty price tag for ShopMate self-serve – the functionality is built into the existing software and so the till can either be assistant-managed or customer-managed.

The MediaMaster Advertising screens

In today’s complex trading environment, a cutting-edge EPoS system like ShopMate can help you improve efficiencies and drive profits – and Premier retailers can get it for free.

Case Study: Premier Talbot Stores

With speed of service a key concern for busy time-pressed shoppers, RDP launched a new Self-Serve queue-busting solution and the first Premier site to make use of the technology was Talbot Stores in Poole, Dorset. The ShopMate self-serve has functionality built into the existing software and allows the till to either be assistant- or consumer-managed.

Retailer Karumanity “Arun” Ehamparam said that within days of being installed, the new till was already proving to be a hit, particularly with his young shopper demographic.

“Our store is located right next to Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus, so much of our trade comes from students and university staff, as well as local residents of Talbot Village,” he explains. “The self-serve till has proved to be a real success, saving valuable staff time and speeding up service for shoppers.

“Many of our busy student shoppers just want to grab and go, and they are thrilled that they can do so now, without having to stand in line and wait to be served.”

Arun says that in the second week of trading alone, more than 20% of all transactions went through the self-scan till.

provided free of charge by RDP also allow retailers to advertise promotional offers at the point of sale. Not only are Premier promotions advertised but retailers can highlight local businesses, store-only promotions or sponsorship adverts within the media feed as well as supporting local community projects through adverts created by the RDP Marketing Department.

Additionally, ShopMate benefits from an expert UK-based technical support team, ready to help you whenever you need them.

The automatic price and promotion updates functionality means you and your team will no longer lose huge amounts of time setting up promotions every period and updating pricing for the shop floor.

The reporting functionality offers quick, easy and intuitive access to all your store’s most important data, allowing you to make better-informed decisions on every level.

New for 2023 is the introduction of Electronic Shelf Edge Labels to ShopMate, with RDP’s partner, Panasonic. This cutting-edge technology allows retailers the opportunity of instant price changes due to the software integration, again, saving retailers valuable time in store.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

The Premier ShopMate EPoS bundle includes everything you need to start leveraging the

power of a system that can take your store to the next level.

A touchscreen full-colour till, a thermal receipt printer and a Datalogic/Honeywell Orbit scanner are all included, as are a laser printer, power and router connection cables and a standard or flip-top till.

Training and installation costs just £495 and also provides access to the pre-install scanner, allowing retailers to manage existing product prices, prior to installation, meaning that they can hit the ground running on day one. The total cost of £495 can be spread across two monthly Direct Debit instalments if desired.

CONNECTED

With a long history of serving the independent channel, ShopMate work with leading partners including Barclaycard, Dojo, FreedomPay, Clover, Worldpay, Suresite, i-movo, Panasonic and PaperRound, to ensure that retailers get the right support in the right areas and have access to best-in-class solutions.

SERVICE FEES

l One till: £15.50 per week.

l Two tills: £23.00 per week.

l Three tills: £25.00 per week.

Contact your Booker RDM for further information about getting your ShopMate EPoS System.

Case: M286433

Bottle: M286434

At the end of April, we held our biggest-ever annual conference, with 500 retailers, suppliers and industry experts coming together to talk about the present and future of the convenience sector. There were some great insights from our speakers on the day, so I’ve reflected on some of the things that we’ve learned.

Firstly, convenience is as relevant to people’s lives as ever. Let’s be clear, these are challenging times for our sector with rising costs and increasing competition from all directions, but it’s not complacent to note that local shops can survive and thrive in tough economic times. There are a dozen or so reasons for this, but there’s one over-riding factor: relevance.

Secondly, it’s clear that innovation is a muscle. I could write thousands of words on the innovations that came out of our ‘10 Habits of Highly Effective Retailers’ films and the rest of the presentations, but there’s an overarching point: it’s not about individual initiatives or strategies, it’s the process of innovating, the constant strengthening and

toning of that innovation muscle, that really matters.

Finally, we heard that human interaction and investment in technology are compatible. The conference confirmed my opinion that technology can unlock better customer service rather than being a trade-off. Let the customer who wants to get in and out of the store while they’re on a Zoom call do that –and save colleague time by taking them out of that transaction… but then repurpose that colleague time by giving more attentive service to the customers who want it. Or introduce new services that you might have discounted because of the time taken to operate them.

If you were with us at Conference23, I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you for joining us and being part of it. If you couldn’t make it, please check out the 10 Habits videos – there are some fantastic stories from leading independent retailers that can provide inspiration for all of us. All the content is available on our YouTube channel and our social media accounts.

Retail more relevant than ever

ACS recently held its largest-ever annual conference with one of the clearest conclusions of the event being that, despite the enormous flux going on around us, independent retailing is more relevant to shoppers than ever.

James Lowman reflects on the recent ACS annual conference where it was clear that retail is more relevant than ever.