TalkingShop November 2019

Talking Shop ISSUE 103 – November 2019

The magazine for Premier retailers

PLUS

Mobile deal

Community heroes

Kirkcaldy retailers combine exceptional local community engagement with 18% sales growth.

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Exclusive Tesco Mobile offer for Premier retailers

Healthy options

Cashing in on the growth of low and no sugar drinks 29/10/2019 16:40:54

INCREASE YOUR SALES OF CHOCOLATE AT CHRISTMAS

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DISPLAY UNITS AVAILABLE TO ORDER

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Talking Shop | November 2019

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE 103 – Novem

ber 2019

A very warm welcome to your latest issue of Talking Shop and

The magazine

for Premier reta

ilers

we’ve got a lot to share with you once more. First up, it’s fantastic to see so many Premier retailers doing so well in the various industry awards yet again.

Premier stores are always among the big winners and that reflects the huge progress we are making together. Well done to Asif and Abada Akhtar, Imtiyaz Mamode, Shamly and Vikas Sud all of our other Premier winners. Keep up the great work!

We have some very interesting store profiles for you again, several of them industry award winners. There’s lots to learn from seeing how other Premier retailers are developing their stores.

With Christmas on the horizon we also have a few articles helping you build winning strategies for the festive period. Premier has an amazing set of promotions for Christmas period so you have everything you need to maximise footfall, sales and profits this year.

It’s also exciting to announce the new Tesco Mobile deal exclusively for Premier retailers. The Bigger Group is Better For All, and this is just the latest proof. In fact,

PLUS

Community heroes

Kirkcaldy reta iler community eng s combine exceptional local agement with 18% sales gro wth.

Mobile deal Exclusive

Tesco Mobile offer Premier reta for ilers

Healthy options

Cashing in on growth of low the and no sugar drin ks

COVER STORY Community first in Kirkcaldy.

THE THREE BIG STORIES 28 Christmas drinks

Beers, wines and spirits are key to a profitable festive period.

33 Healthier options

Healthier soft drinks are in huge growth so it’s time to cash in.

49 Tesco Mobile deal

Get access to a fantastic mobile deal exclusively for Premier retailers.

you’ll read in this issue how Premier has helped add an extra £10,000 onto Premier retailers’ bottom line already this year – and there’s more to come!

I wish you all great trading over the next couple of months. It’s a great time of year to be a Premier retailer.

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director Premier

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Share your shop news

If you’ve got news, tips or feaure ideas, get in touch with Talking Shop. Just pick up the phone and call:

0141 22 22 100 or write to: Talking Shop c/o 55 North Ltd. Waterloo Chambers 19 Waterloo Street Glasgow, G2 6AY or email: talkingshop@55north.com DISCLAIMER: Prices are correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to change.

November 2019

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45

22

The UK’s first recyclable, biodegradable, compostable coffee cup.

Back in the game in Greenock

33

Healthier drinks

18 DRS comes to Moniaive

49

Premier exclusive Tesco Mobile deal

07 Beer and tobacco deals keep on coming

22 Back in the game

45 Ones To Watch

Greenock retailer opens new store

The latest lines including a UK-first

The latest reduced WSP deals on

next door to one he sold two years

green coffee cup.

key beer and tobacco lines.

ago.

08 Carbon Trust success

24 Controlled growth

49 New exclusive Tesco Mobile deal

Booker becomes the first UK

Four-strong chain of Nottingham

Premier retailers have access to an

wholesaler to hold four Carbon

Premier stores prizes quality over

exclusive Tesco Mobile deal.

Trust Standards.

quantity.

09 Winning ways

28 Drink to that

53 Getting Christmas right!

Seven Premier retailers offer tips on

Premier retailers make their mark in

How to maximise footfall, sales and

making sure Christmas is a cracker

industry awards once more.

profits with Christmas drinks.

this year.

13 DRS: an update

33 Low and no sugar drinks

The latest Deposit Return Scheme

Shoppers are demanding more low

developments.

and no sugar options as they aim

15 You can have it all!

Kirkcaldy retailers combining

for healthier lifestyles.

39 Festive snack attack

legendary community

Put the relaunched Happy Shopper

engagement with growth.

range at the heart of your offer.

18 The only show in town

43 £10k extra profit

The challenges of being the only

Premier has unlocked £10,000 of

retailer for miles around.

extra profit for retailers this year.

39

Festive snack attack November 2019 TalkingShop

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* R O T C ENIENCE SE

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N O C E N H I T D AN R B T E E W S No.1 CHEWY

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ST O CK U P NO O O OW

F OR H A LLOWEEN !

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*Source: IRI Marketplace, Convenience GB. Volume Sales. YTD to 14/7/19

N O L L U F THE

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PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

INBRIEF Better beer and tobacco prices just keep on coming!

FOCUS ON THE PRODUCTS THAT DELIVER PROFIT

Premier’s strategy of driving down prices in the key beer and tobacco categories to boost profits for retailers continues with more fantastic reduced-WSP deals.

Asif and Abada Akhtar of Premier Smeaton Stores in Kirkcaldy have seen massive success in thir store by focusing on the Premier Tobacco Club products that deliver the best PORs for them.

Abada told Talking Shop: “It makes sense for us to focus on the tobacco lines that deliver the best profits for us, and that clearly means the Premier Tobacco Club lines.

As part of its Bigger Group Better For All strategy, Premier has been delivering improved pricing in the critical beer and tobacco categories all year, helping to boost Premier retailers’ profits.

The strategy has already delivered thousands of pounds of extra profit on average for Premier stores and a key element of that profit has been the package of greatly reduced WSPs on topselling beer and tobacco lines.

The latest phase sees yet more amazing deals on key tobacco and beer lines. WSPs on the huge-selling Carlton Red range have been slashed by £2.27 on both King Size and Superking outers. This allows Premier retailers to sell these two lines at reduced prices of £8.70 while still growing their POR from 5.7% to 7.7%.

Additionally, new deals on cider 4-packs

and cases of beer see Premier retailers save up to £3 per case. The WSP of Strongbow Cider £4.25 price marked 4-packs has been cut by a whopping £2 while 4-packs of £5.50 pricemarked Strongbow Dark Fruits have also seen their WSP slashed by £2. This takes PORs on the two products to 34.1% and 27% respectively.

Similarly, the WSP on cases of 6 x 4-packs of San Miguel has been reduced by a huge £3, boosting the POR to 35.3%.

These new deals alone are expected to add an extra £4,500 of profit for Premier retailers.

The deals this year have seen PORs rise by 2% on high value tobacco products, through the Premier Tobacco Club, while savings on cases of big brand beers have been as high as £4 per case.

The net result is thousands of pounds of extra profit for retailers, simply for selling products that are already in high demand from shoppers.

“We’ve made use of the Premier Tobacco Club price list and have sited it prominently at the till point to remind shoppers that we are selling at RSP and to focus their attention on the lines that work best for us too. It’s already working well for us.”

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

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

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News

INBRIEF Booker becomes first EXCLUSIVE TESCO MOBILE DEAL FOR PREMIER RETAILERS

Demonstrating that being part of a Bigger Group is Better For All, Premier has unveiled the latest deal for Premier retailers Provided by Tesco Mobile, this exclusive offer gives

wholesaler to retain four Carbon Trust Standards Booker Group is the only UK wholesaler to retain four separate Carbon Trust Standards for its industry-leading commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

customers three months free on any contract of 12 months or longer, for up to five contracts.

Retailers are also able to flex their tariff down or up to adapt to any business changes, helping you drive down your costs and improve your profits.

Customers can get access to all the latest phones with complete confidence, as Tesco Mobile is powered by O2’s 4G network, which offers 99% population coverage.

Find out more by turning to our special feature on page 49.

THREE MONTHS FREE ON THE LATEST PHONES

Booker Group has achieved four certifications to the Carbon Trust Standard for the second time, recognising reductions in carbon emissions, waste output, water use and the achievement of zero waste to landfill status.

Booker Group is the only UK wholesaler to hold these

four certifications. The Group has now delivered 12 years of absolute carbon emission reductions despite sales growing from £3bn to £5.6bn. During those 12 years the Group has saved almost 14,000 tonnes of carbon, equal to a family driving for 44 million miles.

Some of the initiatives behind this achievement include the roll out of LED lighting, improved vehicle telematics and dealing with food waste through both local charity donations and the use of anaerobic digestion to create energy.

“We are delighted to again be the only wholesaler that holds these four Carbon Trust Standards,” said Catherine Marston, Sustainability Manager. “This is a reflection on how seriously we take our responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment.”

Premier Racetrack in top gear at Forecourt Awards Premier Racetrack Services in Glasgow has picked up three awards at the recent Forecourt Trader Awards following a massive redevelopment programme. Run by husband and wife team Shamly and Vikas Sud with their son Gunaranjan, the Premier store features a unique product offering including a liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour, a Cuban cigar humidor and over 60 flavours of slush.

The store won Best Food-To-Go Outlet, Best Forecourt Innovation and the Scotland Up To 4MLA. Shamly told Talking

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Shop: “The store hasn’t been open for very long so we weren’t expecting to be winning awards already so we were blown away to win not one but three awards on the night!

“It’s great to be getting recognition from the industry for what we’re trying to do in our store which is all about making the shopping trip a real experience for our shoppers.

“The whole team is absolutely delighted and it’s a real pat on the back for them and everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve. We’re thrilled to be recognised for our work!”

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News

Premier stores make their mark on IAA Finalists list It has been another outstanding year for Premier stores at the Independent Achievers Academy Awards with Premier securing an impressive eight Finalist spots.

Premier stores have a long heritage of securing the top industry awards and this year looks set to end on another high with no fewer than eight Finalist slots secured

by Premier stores for the Independent Achievers Academy (IAA) Awards.

Premier Finalists now appear in half of all the categories up for grabs, a remarkable achievement.

The 12 Category Stars and the Overall Best Shop will be announced at the IAA Gala Dinner on 27th November in London.

Premier Brand Director Martyn Parkinson commented: “Securing eight Finalist spots is a fantastic achievement and represents another exceptional performance at the IAA Awards.”

Justin Whittaker of MJ’s Premier Store in Royton,

DOUBLING UP: Justin Whittaker’s MJ’s Store in Royton has been shortlisted twice.

INBRIEF NEW £20 NOTE UNVEILED

The Bank of England has unveiled the design of the new polymer £20 note which goes

Oldham, secured not one but two Finalist slots and told Talking Shop: “It’s been a big year for us with a full refit of the shop and a new strategy built on focusing on higher POR categories and products so it’s fantastic to be recognised in two very different categories. Being a finalist in the Shop Layout category confirms that we got everything right with the refit while being shortlisted in the Digital Engagement category tells us that the new digital

strategy we have implemented has also been a success.”

Meanwhile, Anita Nye of Premier Eldred Drive Stores in Orpington was equally delighted to be recognised.

She told Talking Shop: “We’re always surprised when we make it onto shortlists for big awards because there are so many good stores out there that we are competing with, but it just goes to show that we must be doing things pretty well. It’s a huge pat on the back to the team at the store.”

live on 20th February 2020 as the Bank aims to introduce more security features to the most commonly forged banknote in the UK. Retailers can prepare for the new note by taking the following steps: 1. Plan training for staff: visit www.bankofengland.co.uk to order or download free training materials.

2. Continue to accept paper £20s: You can continue to accept the current paper £20 note as normal. These will be gradually withdrawn and notice will be given six months

Smeaton and Wych Lane on top at RIAs

ahead of legal tender status

Premier Smeaton Stores in Kirkcaldy (top photo) and Premier Wych Lane in Gosport came up trumps at the recent Retail Industry Awards, claiming the Independent Community Retailer of the Year award and the Newcomer of the Year Award respectively. Judges praised the Kirkcaldy store’s “seemingly non-stop support for local causes”, which was particularly impressive given the small size of the team. They were also impressed by the Gosport store’s “excellent financial performance and the way it uses Facebook to build a substantial online following”.

Ensure any note accepting or

being withdrawn.

3. Engage with ATM suppliers: dispensing machines will be updated.

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

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

November 2019 TalkingShop

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CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Premier Linktown Local supports local half marathon

INBRIEF SINGH’S BACKS LOCAL CHARITY

PDG member Faraz Iqbal’s store supported the recent Kirkcaldy Parks half marathon community event by becoming Official Water Sponsor on what turned out to be a warm day.

Renowned for his community work, Kirkcaldy retailer and PDG member Faraz Iqbal was busy once more supporting his local community recently by becoming the Official Water Sponsor of the annual Kirkcaldy Parks Half Marathon.

The event saw hundreds of local people, as well as a few from further afield, take on the epic run, all supported by Premier Linktown Local who donated bottled water for the event.

Faraz told Talking Shop: “The Half Marathon is quite a big event for the community these days so we thought we should get involved to show our support.

It made sense to become Official Water Sponsor, not least because it ended up being quite a warm day and we were keen to make sure that the runners avoided dehydration.

“It was a good fun day and we got lots of exposure for the store. We also posted about it on Facebook quite a bit and got lots of really positive responses.”

The big-hearted team at Singh’s Premier have continued their long-standing commitment to the local community by donating £500 to the nearby Paces School charity. The school was founded by parents of children with cerebral palsy in 1997 and has worked ever since to support those families, children and adults who are living with neurological conditions.

Mandeep Singh commented: “It’s humbling to be able to help. The team

Premier retailer aims for community-owned DRS

at Paces do an absolutely incredible job with these super kids, putting a smile on their

Graham Watson who runs Premier Watson’s Grocer in Moniave near Dumfries has become one of the first stores in Scotland to install a Deposit Return Scheme reverse vending machine. Graham’s sim is to have the machine owned by the local community and managed by his team on the community’s behalf.

Graham told Talking Shop: “We are in a very small community of just 650 people and we feel like we should be leading the way when it comes to important environmental initiatives like this. The machine allows my shoppers to recycle plastic, cans and glass easier than ever before.”

The store is currently talking to a number

of local groups to secure the funding for the community to buy the machine.

“It would be a remarkable achievement for a tiny community like this to be the first in Scotland to have a community-owned DRS machine and shows what can be done if we work together.”

faces and giving them great conductive education, tailored specifically for their needs. We were delighted to be able to play our part for this fantastic Sheffield charity.”

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

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

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RED BULL CHILLERS

SLIM COUNTER TOP COOLER PERFECT PLACEMENT

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

MEGA SLIM COOLER PERFECT PLACEMENT

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

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

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

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

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

30%

30% of Sports & Energy purchases are unplanned2

+37%

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

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IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Deposit Return Scheme INBRIEF begins to take shape LIVING WAGE HIKE CONCERNS RETAILERS

Plans for a Deposit Return Scheme are taking shape as Scotland confirms a launch date and plans for an ‘all in’ scheme ahead of a similar scheme for England and Wales.

Independent retailers have

The Scottish Government has announced that its new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will be implemented from April 2021 and has launched a public consultation to shape the new scheme. The most controversial element of the proposals is the intention to launch an ‘all in’ scheme to include plastic and cans as well as far more difficult to handle glass containers.

Under DRS, all retailers that sell drinks will be required to charge a deposit to the shopper for each container and accept all containers covered by the scheme back from shoppers after use.

In Scotland the deposit level is likely to be 20p per container and, subject to the public consultation, glass will be included. The proposed inclusion of glass has been strongly opposed by 16 industry bodies including the Association of Convenience Stores, the British Soft Drinks Association, the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, the Scottish Wholesale Association and the Scottish Retail Consortium.

The trade bodies outlined concerns including the extra storage space required, manual handling issues, increased capital expenditure for

next five years.

expressed their concern about the government’s plans to raise the National Living Wage to £10.50 per hour within the The increase was announced recently by Chancellor Sajid Javid at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester with Javid also vowing to lower the age

TRYING TIMES: Premier retailer Dennis Williams took part in a DRS trial.

threshold for those who qualify from 25 to 21.

The Association of

automated reverse vending machines, the impact on prices and sales and fears over fraud and theft.

One small concession made by the Scottish Government has been the late inclusion of a potential exemption for smaller retailers if sufficient DRS facilities already exist nearby.

In the meantime, former environment secretary Michael Gove also confirmed the UK Government’s commitment to an ‘all in’ scheme which would include glass. A second stage consultation on a DRS in England and Wales has been postponed until early 2020 and it is likely that a scheme will not come into force until at least 2023.

Convenience Stores (ACS) said further hikes would threaten the viability of convenience stores and urged the government to allow the Low Pay Commission to set wage rates based on evidence, rather than political pressure.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “As the costs of employing people rises, well above inflation according to the chancellor’s target of £10.50 per hour, local shops will simply not be able to

Retailers ‘repeatedly targeted’ by criminals

survive, invest, and to continue to provide so many local, flexible and secure jobs.”

A new report from the Association of Convenience Stores highlights worrying signs that incidences of retailers being repeatedly targeted by criminals have rocketed year-on-year.

The report cites official Home Office figures which show that retailers who experience crime are being targeted more and more often. The 2018 Commercial Victimisation Survey revealed that crimes against retailers and wholesalers have risen year-on-year. On premises that have experienced crime, the rate of repeat victimisation has more than doubled from 32 incidents per premises in 2012 to 69 per premises. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Businesses are being repeatedly targeted by criminals that are not only committing thefts but are also being abusive and violent. We need targeted action to deal with repeat offenders who are currently being all but ignored by the justice system.”

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

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

November 2019 TalkingShop

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THE UK’s NO.1 CHILLED COFFEE BRAND

*

AVAILABLE NOW *Data source: Nielsen June 2019

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Kirkcaldy | STORE PROFILE

You can

have it all!

Store CV:

Name: Premier Smeaton Stores, Kirkcaldy Retailers: Asif and Abada Akhtar Time as retailers: 18 years Time with Premier: 15 years Size: 1,000sq ft Staff: 4 Services: Licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, Collect+, hot food, coffee Nearest competition: Nisa, Co-op, Aldi and Asda all under half a mile away Trading hours: 6am to 8pm Mon – Sat; 8am to 5pm Sun

Inspirational Kirkcaldy retailers Asif and Abada Akhtar prove you can have it all by combining a fanatical commitment to the local community with 18% sales growth and a shelf that groans under the weight of industry awards.

WINING WAYS: Asif and Abada display a small selection of their awards.

K

irkcaldy Premier retailer Asif Akhtar is the first to admit that when he first took over the family store with his wife Abada more than 18 years ago “he didn’t set out to be a community hero”. He laughs at the suggestion and the use of the word ‘hero’ but there’s a shelf full of more than two dozen industry awards and commendations sitting behind him and virtually all of them are in recognition for the community engagement work that the pair do.

Indeed, in the last month or so they added another trophy to the groaning shelf: The Retail Industry Awards Independent Community Retailer of the Year – and it’s the second consecutive

year they’ve collected that award.

“It’s such a lovely surprise to win these awards but for us the real reward is the feeling we get from being able to help our community,” says Asif. “When we took the store over about 18 years ago we were simply focused on running it profitably and we didn’t have a strategy to get so heavily involved in the community. But it’s just what happens when you serve the same community for decades. Our shoppers are more like friends and family than customers.”

Asif also points out that when he took the store over with Abada, he didn’t even intend to be a retailer! He explains: “I was studying architecture at Aberdeen University at the time and unfortunately my father passed away. The family had November 2019 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Kirkcaldy

owned the store for over 40 years so felt the right thing to do was to come back to Kirkcaldy and help run the store at least until we could decide what to do with it in an organised fashion. We had no intention of becoming retailers ourselves. That was 18 years ago and we’re still here!”

Abada highlights that the relationship that the pair now enjoy with the Smeaton community has been hard earned. “Back then the Smeaton area wasn’t in good shape at all. It’s still officially one of the most impoverished areas in the UK but back then it was far worse with massive drug and social problems and no sense of community.

“In fact, for the first year or two we couldn’t even open the shutters because the windows would just get smashed and we had graffiti everywhere. We quickly decided we had a responsibility to do what we

VALUE FOCUS: Promotions are vital in delivering value for shoppers.

could to help push the community forward and bring them together.”

Fast forward 18 years and the store feels more like a community hub than a shop. An endless stream of shoppers crosses the door, chats with the staff and with each other and trade ‘bantar’.

“For us, community engagement still isn’t a strategy,” says Asif. “We often get asked if being so close to the community has a positive impact on the business and it does – we’re up 18% this year on what was a phenomenal year last year – but that’s categorically not why are so involved with the area. We do it because we can and we still feel like we have a major role to play in helping this community grow and develop.”

The community focus also doesn’t prevent Asif and Abada from continually developing the store as a business. Today the store is largely unrecognisable from just three or

HOT STUFF: Food to go and coffee has been key to the store’s growth.

STACK SUCCESS: Striking floor stacks generate interest and sales.

four years ago. A series of refits, large and small, and a continual wave of reinvestment has helped ensure that the Smeaton community has access to a fantastic, modern Premier store.

“We try to do at least one major improvement each year alongside a few smaller ones,” says Abada. “In the last couple of years we’ve added a big run of brand new chillers and freezers and we’ve added a large food to go and coffee section.”

Next up is a full rework of the counter area which will see tobacco moved under the counter and a new backlit spirits area take the place of the gantry. “Minimum Unit Pricing has been hugely beneficial for us,”

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THAT’S THE SPIRIT: Spirit sales have rocketed in the last year, thanks in part to MUP.

says Asif. “It didn’t have much impact on the first Christmas after it was introduced because our shoppers just didn’t understand it, but it transformed our Christmas sales last year. Our spirits sales are up 28% year on year, which is phenomenal.”

The new backlit spirits fixture should help grow sales even further while the food to go area in the store is going from strength to strength.

“When we first introduced it we tried to focus on locally sourced bakery products,” explains Abada.

“We thought that would work well but for some reason it didn’t really take off so we gradually moved over to the Country Choice range and that

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

LOCAL SOURCING: The store stocks locally sourced butchery products.

18% Sales growth year-on-year

ANOTHER VICTORY: Asif and Abada add a new banner outside to celebrate their latest accolade.

is selling really well now. Coffee is also huge for us, sometimes over 100 cups a day.”

It’s astonishing how the pair have managed to keep developing the store when so much of their time is dedicated to community activities, but the passion and energy and commitment of the pair demonstrate quite clearly that retailers can indeed have it all.

“It’s definitely challenging trying to find time to do it all, particularly with a young family, but it’s just what we do and we wouldn’t have it any other way,” says Asif.

There is no way, however, that he will be repeating the bungee jump he did last year to celebrate his 40th birthday and raise money for a prostate cancer charity. “Absolutely never again,” he laughs. “No chance. It was the most terrifying experience of my life, even if we did raise a lot of money!”

The community work rolls on nonetheless with the pair having even set up a new officially registered charity in honour of a customer who sadly passed away. “We set up the Brian Kerr Foundation when Brian told us he was a terminally ill. His dying wish was to go to Florida so we ran some fundraising activities and sent him to Florida. When he passed away we decided to keep the charity going and his wife now manages it with us.

We raised around £10k with two community parties we organised and we’ve got more in the pipeline.”

Asif and Abada also find time to support local schools by funding uniforms for kids who can’t afford them. “It’s so sad that some local parents can’t even afford to buy uniforms for their kids, so we thought we would help,” says Abada. The pair also organise a series of healthy breakfasts in local schools. A Halloween community event is just around the corner and a Christmas party will help raise more funds for the charity.

The pair also bought a £5,000 electric wheelchair for another shopper who had cancer and lost both legs. They did so privately but their delighted customer quite rightly went to the local newspaper to thank Asif and Abada and the response from the local community was “overwhelming”.

“It was a quieter Christmas for the kids that year,” laughs Asif. “They didn’t get quite so many presents so we could buy the wheelchair but they understood.”

And so, the next generation of Akhtars are already well on their way to becoming the community heroes of the future.

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STORE PROFILE | Moniaive, Dumfries

The only show

in town

As the only store in Moniaive, Graham Watson takes his responsibilites to the local community exceptionally seriously.

P

VILLAGE STAR: Graham Watson, the only retailer in the village.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Watson’s Grocers, Moniaive, Dumfries Retailer: Graham Watson Time as a retailer: 18 years Time with Premier: 2 years Size: 1,500sq ft Staff: 8 Services: licensed, Lottery, Payzone, Post Office, coffee, microwave, food to go, DRS machine Nearest competition: Spar and Co-op 8 miles away, Tesco 18 miles away Trading hours: 7am – 8pm UNIQUE SPACE: The unusually shaped store runs over two separate levels.

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remier Watson’s Grocers in the small village of Moniaive near Dumfries is not your typical Premier store and owner Graham Watson is not your typical retailer. For one thing, the store is literally the only retail outlet in the village with the nearest competition a long way away. So far, in fact, that when asked where the nearest convenience store or supermarket is, Graham looks slightly baffled by the question and takes a moment or two to work it out: “The nearest competition? Well, there’s a Spar store and a Co-op maybe 8 miles away and then there’s a Tesco in Dumfries that’s about 18 miles away.”

Consequently, Watson’s Grocers must be one of the few Premier stores with almost literally no competition, a fact that places some key responsibilities on Graham’s shoulders. He explains: “Being the only store in Moniaive, the role we play in the community might be slightly unusual because, between us and the pub across the road, we’re basically the hub of the village.

We’re where everybody comes for everything – and not just groceries.”

Which partly explains the unusual design of the store which is set over two distinct levels and features a sofa and TV on the upper level by the front door. “We’ve always tried to make this a place where anybody can come and just relax for a while, read the paper, have a coffee, watch TV,

November 2019

29/10/2019 16:41:36

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

COMMUNITY MATTERS: Graham has been recognised as a community hero.

GREEN GAME: The store has installed what will become a community-owned DRS machine.

MEETING PLACE: Graham’s famous lounge used by locals as a meeting point.

chat with whoever else is there and so on,” says Graham. “It’s the place where people meet, basically.”

Graham has owned the store for around 18 years, having bought it when he left the Royal Navy where he served for 14 years, mostly in submarines. When he left the services his wife, a teacher, found a job in Moniaive and the rest, as they say, is history.

“We didn’t know Moniaive at all when we came here,” he says, “but we fell in love with it because, well, look at it! It’s beautiful!” There weren’t many employment opportunities in the village when he arrived – the population is only 650 – so Graham grasped the opportunity to buy a small store along the road which

GIN PALACE: Over 80 gins are listed, including many sourced locally.

LOCAL FOCUS: The store features a wall of photgraphs of local community members and shoppers.

was up for sale. “The village badly needed a store and it was a great way of serving my new community and finding a job,” he laughs. That store did well but when a larger property along the road came up for grabs, Graham couldn’t resist it.

“It’s a quirky shape and layout which didn’t lend itself to being a typical convenience store, but I thought I could make it work,” he says. A keen interest in art and music has definitely influenced the store’s décor and ambiance with professionally taken photographs of local villagers adorning the walls, for instance, and regular live music performances in the ‘lounge’ area of the store helping to ensure that Premier Moniaive is a true hub of the community.

“I’ve always loved music so we host gigs in the store for fun and because our shoppers love it,” explains Graham. “We’ve even had Alex Kapranos, lead singer of Franz Ferdinand, perform in the store!”

Graham himself also doubles up as DJ Noky, performing regularly as a DJ in the village and generally getting himself involved in everything. He organises the New Year Fireworks Display outside the store (complete with very loud classical music), runs countless fundraising events for local charities including a recent catwalk fashion show, and acts as the unofficial ticket office for every local event.

He also operates a small Post Office facility in the store as it’s vital for the community.

November 2019 TalkingShop

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SCAN ME 7 613034 065537

LIMITED EDITION Super-premium Instant Coffee was first launched in 2011 and is now ½ the size of Regular Instant Coffee

+3% YOY GROWTH IN CONVENIENCE!*

® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

TS October.indd 20

Source: *IRI Total Convenience 52 w/e 20.04.2019

29/10/2019 16:41:42

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

BEAN THERE: A coffee machine in the lounge is well used.

FIRST NAME TERMS: Graham knows literally every shopper by name.

FULL RANGE: The store caters for every xxx: xxx requirement.

But while the store is certainly unusual and quirky, Graham undoubtedly takes his role as a retailer very seriously. “I never forget that the store is a lifeline for the local community and first and foremost we’re here to provide the best store we can for our shoppers,” he says. “We work very hard with Premier to ensure that we’re giving the village the same quality of store and the same range they would find in a store in Dumfries or Glasgow.”

Indeed, the range in most of the store is more or less as it would be in any other Premier store, including a strong range of Premier promotions. “We also sell books and maps for tourists and things like that, and we probably over-index on locally sourced products like gin (we have over 80

gins) and butcher meat but that’s because those things matter to shoppers in small, very rural villages,” he says. “But otherwise we stock what I hope is a strong core range in all of the key categories.”

Graham is also a member of Scottish Grocers’ Federation National Executive and is increasingly involved in the industry in Scotland. One of the latest consequences of this has been his decision to become one of the first stores in Scotland to install a Deposit Return Scheme reverse vending machine.

“I think it’s important we lead the way when it comes to environmental issues and we’re working with various local bodies and groups to secure enough funding to acquire the machine outright and have it owned by

LOCAL HUB: The store sits at the heart of most of what goes on in Moniaive.

the local community but serviced by us,” he says.

Graham is also in the process of planning a new food to go offer for the store and is hoping it will go live before Christmas.

“Running a store in a tiny village like this has its challenges, of course it does,” concludes Graham. “But it also has its massive upsides. We know literally every shopper by name, we are able to play a hugely active role in the community and we are able to have a laugh every day and really enjoy running the store. With the support of Premier we are able to give the good people of Moniaive a great wee store that means they don’t need to drive 18 miles to get to a supermarket. They’re loyal to us and we’re loyal to them, and that’s how I like it!”

November 2019 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Greenock

popular demand Back by

BIG DEALS: A multipack beer fixture drives basket spend.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT: Meal deals are popular in the store.

Having sold a store next door to McColl’s, Greenock retailer Jai Dhillon has returned to the area with a new Premier store in response to overwhelming demand from the local community.

FAMILY MATTERS: Jai and his family team, back by demand.

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PURPOSE BUILT: The store was built to Jai’s specifications.

T

he story of how Greenock retailer Jai Dhillon came to open a new Premier store next door to a store that he once owned and then sold to a competitor is a fascinating one.

Jai and his family had owned and operated a Premier store on the site along with a fast food outlet next door for many years but received an offer they couldn’t refuse in 2016 from McColl’s for the store.

“At the time we’d been in retail for 20 years and we felt that it was the right time to try something new and focus on the fast food outlet,” explains Jai. “The offer from McColl’s was a good one and it all just felt right. The problem was that it didn’t take long before all of my old customers started telling me that they wanted their Premier store back! They missed having a store that gave them amazing value every day and a store that had a real connection with the community.”

It was flattering, admits Jai, but even if he had wanted to jump right back into retail, he was prevented from doing so by a non-compete clause he signed when he sold the store.

“The non-compete clause was for two years and as that period was drawing to a close we were just being overwhelmed by our old customers telling us they wanted us back,” laughs Jai. “So we decided to look at the vacant building that sits literally on the other side of our fast food operation and the more we thought about it, the more we thought it was something that we just had to do.”

The building had once been home to the Co-op decades ago but had lain empty for many years so would require a major refit. “It was basically a start-again job,” says Jai. “We gutted it completely and basically rebuilt it from scratch, with the help of Premier.”

The refit took a full month but on the 18th of January this year the

November 2019

29/10/2019 16:41:48

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

GO LOCAL: Locally sourced produce features in the store.

COOL SALES: Slush is a firm favourite with Jai’s shoppers.

Store CV:

DRINK TO THAT: The store offers a huge range of chilled beer and cider.

local community finally got what they had been asking for when their new Premier store opened.

Ably supported by his children and wider family, the store is heavily staffed and, as a result, is in immaculate condition every day of the week. “I’ll admit to having a bit of OCD,” comments Jai. The first nine months or so have flown by and Jai is delighted to have won so many of his old shoppers back. “We know what they want from their store and we give them it, thanks to the package from Premier,” he says. “They want value every day so the every day low pricing and the promotional programme means we are miles ahead of our retail neighbours and it didn’t take our shoppers long to work that out. The feedback from the community has been just overwhelming.”

Jai is already well advanced in his plans to convert the fast food business that sits between his new store and his old one into a food to go operation that will perfectly complement his Premier store. It will offer a range of freshly prepared sandwiches, baguettes, pies, pasties and other traditional favourites. “We should be up and running with it in early 2020 and we will run link deals and promotions between the store and the food to go business to drive traffic between the two.

It’s quite exciting.”

Consequently and understandably, Jai has avoided including a food to go operation in the store, preferring instead to offer a solid coffee offering and more traditional convenience range.

“The store is all about delivering the great range and fantastic value that our shoppers have been asking for over the last couple of years,” concludes Jai. “I believe that we’ve succeeded in giving them what they want – and now it’s time to ramp it up with the food to go business next door. It’s exciting to be back in retail, that’s for sure!”

NEON GLOW: Light strips add excitement to aisle end displays.

Name: Premier Your Store, Greenock Retailer: Jai Dhillon & family Time as retailers: 22 years Time with Premier: 7 years Size: 1,000sq ft Staff: 4 Services: licensed, Lottery, ATM, PayPoint, coffee Nearest competition: McColl’s next door, retail park less than half a mile away Trading hours: 7am to 10pm Mon – Sat; 8am to 10pm Sun

BACK IN BUSINESS: The community loves having its Premier store back.

November 2019 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Nottingham

MULTIPACK FOCUS: Multipacks are a big focus on the run up to Christmas.

COFFEE TIME: Coffee helps drive footfall, sales and profits.

Store CV: TOP 100: The store was recently named in the IAA Top 100.

CANDY CRUSH: US and kids candy helps bring shoppers to the store.

DESTINATION WINE: The store is cashing in on great promotional deals on wine to drive basket spend.

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Name: Premier Cinderhill, Nottingham Retailer: Steven Mahal Stores in group: 4 Time as a retailer: 12 years Time with Premier: 8 years Size: 700sq ft Staff: 4 Services: Licensed, Lottery, PayPoint, coffee, American soft drinks Nearest competition: One Stop less than half a mile away; Tesco and Aldi a mile away Trading hours: 7am to 10.30pm Mon-Sat; 9am to 9.30pm Sun

November 2019

29/10/2019 16:41:57

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

Focus on

excellence A relentless commitment to delivering excellence for his shoppers has resulted all four of Nottingham retailer Steven Mahal’s stores being listed in the IAA Top 100 stores.

W

ith a group of four Premier stores in the Nottingham area built up over the last 12 years, the obvious first question for retailer Steven Mahal is whether he has ambitions to add more stores in the future – and his answer is very revealing: “Yes, we definitely want to add more stores but our first priority at the moment is to ensure that the four we already have are as good as we can get them.”

That strategy appears to be serving this family-run business very well indeed because all four of his stores have just been listed in the IAA’s Top 100 Stores list, a remarkable achievement.

“We are very pleased to see two of our stores on the list,” explains Steven. “And it seems to indicate that we’re growing the group in the right way, slowly but carefully.”

While many retailers probably wouldn’t describe building a chain of four stores in just 12 years as “slow growth”, a very modest Steven says he could have added more stores in that period but chose instead to focus on what he terms “controlled growth”.

{

He says: “We’ve seen many cases where groups grow too quickly and the quality of the stores suffer as a result. Our focus is on making sure all of the stores are exceptional before we add any more.”

There’s no doubt that the Cinderhill store is exceptional, and the judges at the IAA agree.

“It’s quite a small store at 700sq ft,” says Steven, “but it’s busy and it’s successful and our shoppers seem to love it. We’ve been working closely with Premier for about eight years and all of our stores are in Premier. That partnership has been key in allowing us to get the maximum out of each store, delivering great value every day, a fantastic range, great promotions and the best own label ranges in the market, as far as I’m concerned.”

Cinderhill sits on a main road and benefits from both repeat business from the local residential area and passing trade which means that the range has to offer something for everyone. It’s a challenge in a smaller store, admits Steven, but it’s one that he has embraced and, despite challenging conditions over the last year, the store

continues to grow, up between 5% and 10% on last year, even though last year’s trading was exceptional with a long, hot summer.

“For me, retail is all about keeping up with the latest trends and developments so we work hard at keeping ahead of the game by reading the trade press, attending events and shows, talking to the Premier team and generally just keeping an eye out for what’s coming down the track,” he says.

“We like to keep offering our shoppers new and exciting products and services that keep up their interest,” he adds. Steven also makes extensive use of social media – particularly Facebook and increasingly Instagram – to stay in constant touch with his shoppers and let them know what’s happening in the store.

As for what’s next, Steven says that the store has just been fully remerchandised and he is planning an extension that will allow him to develop a strong food to go offer.

“The support structure we have with Premier allows us to keep moving forward because if you’re not moving forward you’re going backwards,” concludes Steven. “Its definitely quality not quantity for us.”

For me, retail is all about keeping up with the latest trends and developments so we work hard at keeping ahead of the game.

}

November 2019 TalkingShop

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YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE THINKING A B O U T S W I T C H I N G .*

*Whilst quitting tobacco completely is the best decision a smoker can make, for those who don’t, there are better alternatives to smoking.

TS October.indd 26 Ads_280x210mm_Consecutive_AW1.indd 1 PHI0591_Stoptober

29/10/2019 16:41:57 19/09/2019 17:28

YOU SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT H E AT E D T O B A C C O A LT E R N A T I V E S .

More of your customers will look to quit cigarettes.

Whilst quitting tobacco completely is the best decision a smoker can make, for those who don’t, there are better alternatives to smoking.

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

uk.iqos.com

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

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29/10/2019 16:41:58 19/09/2019 17:29

FEATURE | Christmas Drinks

Drink to that!

MICHELOB ULTRA AND PERONI MULTIPACK DEALS: To help trade shoppers up this Christmas, Premier has secured amazing deals on both Michelob ULTRA and Peroni premium multipacks: MICHELOB ULTRA BOTTLES 4 PACK Case size: 6 x 4 x 330ml bottles WSP: £17.99 RSP: £5.99 POR: 39.93% PERONI CANS 10 PACK Case size: 10 x 330ml cans WSP: £16.69 RSP: £12.50 POR: 19.89%

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Exclusive drinks offers and fantastic promotions means you have everything you need for a profitable Christmas!

W

hen it comes to setting the tills ringing over the festive period, no category delivers quite like the beers, wines and spirits category – and spend in these categories is growing. Last year UK shoppers spent an average of £69.27 in the category at Christmas, according to Kantar data, an increase of £3.52 on the year before.

Even with pressure on disposable income, people are nonetheless willing to splash out on drinks at Christmas with a third of shoppers perfectly happy, for instance, to spend more money on wine at Christmas to get better quality [IGD, ShopperVista, 2018].

It’s a time of celebration and that means shoppers tend to loosen the purse strings and buy either more or better – both of which represent a great opportunity for Premier retailers to grow basket spend and profit.

So where should retailers start to ensure a profitable festive period? There are a few top tips worth considering:

1. Stock up early – let shoppers know you’ve got what they want this Christmas by stocking up on BWS lines that will be popular as early as possible.

2. Stay in stock right through until new Year – ensure you have sufficient stock levels to meet demand all the way through to the start of 2020 so that you don’t miss any sales opportunities, particularly in the week between Christmas and New Year.

3. Focus on premium – shoppers will trade up over Christmas so make sure you stock a good range of premium lines like Ciroc and 19 Crimes for those looking for something a little special for themselves, for gifting or for sharing.

4. Think big – stock larger format packs including litre bottles of spirits and multipacks of beer and cider to make it easy for shoppers to trade up.

5. Think small – don’t miss out on the huge opportunity that exists around stocking small 5cl bottles of spirits that drive big sales at Christmas.

November 2019

29/10/2019 16:42:00

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

ADDITIONAL ALCOHOL LEAFLET – WINE The leaflet features the following amazing selection of deals on great wines: Blossom Hill Sauvignon Blanc Blossom Hill Grenache Rose Blossom Hill Pinot Grigio Blossom Hill Chardonnay Blossom Hill White Zinfandel Blossom Hill Pale Rose Blossom Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

CHRISTMAS DEALS ON... FIZZ

What would Christmas be without a bottle of fizz or two? To help shoppers celebrate in style, the Christmas Additional Alcohol Leaflet and Trading Pack features a range of great promotions: PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

PROMOTIONAL

SAVING

CONSUMER

WSP Moet Brut Imp NV Gift Pack

PROMO

DEAL

POR

6 x 75cl

£131.94

£33.00

£29.99

12.01%

Freixenet Prosecco DOC

6 x 75cl

£39.99

£5.00

£9.99

19.94%

Canti Prosecco Brut

6 x 75cl

£32.99

£2.96

£7.49

11.91%

Bucks Fizz

6 x 75cl

£11.95

£1.54

£2.99

20.07%

Blossom Hill Merlot Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £23.69 Saving: £4.20 CONSUMER DEAL: £5.79 POR: 18.17% Yellow Tail Chardonnay Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio Yellow Tail Sauvignon Blanc Yellow Tail Merlot Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon Yellow Tail Malbec Yellow Tail Shiraz

CHRISTMAS DEALS ON... SPECIALITY DRINKS

The festive period also sees uplifts of sales in related speciality drinks and the additional alcohol leaflet has that covered too: PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

PROMOTIONAL

SAVING

WSP Cockburns Port

6 x 75cl

£39.89

£21.25

CONSUMER

PROMO

DEAL

POR

£9.99

20.14%

Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe

6 x 75cl

£39.89

£10.06

£9.99

20.14%

Croft Original Sherry

6 x 75cl

£39.89

£8.06

£9.99

20.14%

CONSUMER DEAL: £6.49 POR: 21.57%

Harveys Bristol Cream

6 x 75cl

£39.89

£5.05

£9.99

20.14%

Barefoot Pinot Grigio

Harvest Fruits Mulled Wine

6 x 70cl

£11.95

£3.94

£2.99

20.07%

Yellow Tail Jammy Red Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £25.95 Saving: £5.54

Barefoot White Zinfandel Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc Barefoot Chardonnay Barefoot Pink Pinot Grigio Barefoot Pink Moscato Barefoot Shiraz Barefoot Merlot Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon Barefoot Malbec Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £25.45 Saving: £4.94 CONSUMER DEAL: £6.49 POR: 21.57%

There’s no doubt that the biggest sales periods come right before Christmas. Nielsen data from last Christmas shows that the Saturday the week before Christmas followed by the Friday and Saturday immediately ahead of Christmas are vital opportunities to grow footfall, sales and profits. And don’t forget too that wine is undoubtedly a destination category for the festivities so ensure you have a good range to meet all price points.

BEER

Beer is a perennial favourite of UK shoppers and a star of the show at Christmas time.

Premier is helping retailers build basket spend and profits with several initiatives to help them stand out from the competition this year.

The introduction of two special 10-packs will help add another reason for shoppers to visit your store this festive period as well as encouraging shoppers to trade up and pick up bigger baskets in-store.

A new Michelob ULTRA 10-pack will appeal to shoppers who want to work out and still go out. Launched in October 2018, Michelob ULTRA is a superior light beer brewed to 3.5% ABV with just 73 calories per 330ml bottle. The product responds directly to the trend for health-conscious Brits leading active, social lives and the desire for a light beer to complement their lifestyle.

Offering a clean, crisp and refreshing taste, Michelob ULTRA continues to shake up the low and no-alcohol beer category, which is growing at nearly twice the rate of the 5% ABV+ segment (9% vs 5%), according to CGA and Nielsen data. The brand is also helping to bring new consumers into the beer market with 16% of Michelob ULTRA drinkers being new to the beer category [Nielsen, Aug 2019].

At just £5.99 for a 4-pack, the deal is fantastic value for shoppers while also delivering 39.93% POR for Premier retailers.

Also new is a Peroni cans 10-pack which will help cash in on the trend towards super xxx 2019 TalkingShop

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FEATURE | Christmas Drinks

ADDITIONAL ALCOHOL LEAFLET – WINE In response to retailer feedback, Premier now runs additional alcohol shopper leaflets at Christmas.

This year’s additional leaflet features the following fantastic wine deals: Hardys VR Chardonnay Hardys VR Pinot Grigio Hardys VR Shiraz Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £22.89 Saving: £4.50 CONSUMER DEAL: £5.79 POR: 20.93% Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc Brancott Estate Merlot Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £29.89 Saving: £9.10 CONSUMER DEAL: £7.49 POR: 20.19% Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £29.89 Saving: £2.60 CONSUMER DEAL: £7.49 POR: 20.19% Dark Horse Chardonnay Dark Horse Cabernet Sauv Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £31.45 Saving: £0.50 CONSUMER DEAL: £7.49 POR: 16.02% 19 Crimes Red Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £29.49 Saving: £4.46 CONSUMER DEAL: £7.49 POR: 21.26% Trivento Argentina Malbec Case Size: 6 x 75cl Promo WSP: £28.69 Saving: £3.26 CONSUMER DEAL: £7.49 POR: 23.39%

premium beers which is a category growing at 14%. The can format is also in massive growth in the superior premium category, up 22.5%. Peroni enjoys 93% brand awareness and the new 10-pack is a Booker exclusive until the end of 2019.

Remember too that in more than half of cases, if the preferred super premium pack is not available shoppers will not trade down and the sale will be lost [Nielsen, 2019].

The Peroni 10-pack retails at just £12.50 and delivers a POR of 19.89% for Premier retailers.

In addition to these exclusive deals, Booker has also delivered improved pricing this year on a range of top beer and cider 4-packs to boost retailers PORs. These include: l Strongbow 4 x 440ml PM£4.25 – save £2 l Strongbow Dark Fruit 4 x 440ml PM£5.50 – save £2 l San Miguel 4 x 500ml – save £3 l Carlsberg 4 x 500ml PM £5.39 – save £2.50

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l Fosters 4 x 440ml PM £4.50 – save £2 l Carling 4 x 500ml PM £4.89 – save £2 l Stella Artois 4 x 500ml PM £5.79 – save £2

WINE Wine becomes a destination category at this time of year as shoppers treat themselves and host parties and get-togethers for family and friends.

That can mean shoppers coming into a category they don’t normally buy from or it can mean shoppers trading up to more premium offerings to help Christmas go with a swing.

Either way, the Premier promotional pack in the run up to Christmas has something to meet every taste and pocket, from great value high quality wines to top of the range bottles of Moet Champagne.

The Premier promotions in periods 9 and 10 which run until January 7th include some fantastic deals on household name brands including:

November 2019

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

SMALL BOTTLES, BIG PROFITS

SPIRITS CORE RANGE

Talking Shop recommends the following promotional miniature lines to drive big profits this Christmas: Smirnoff Red 12 x 5cl Promo WSP: £11.99 Saving: £3.00 RSP: £1.99 POR: 39.75% Southern Comfort PET 12 x 5cl Promo WSP: £14.49 Saving: £1.00 RSP: £1.99 POR: 27.19%

Stocking Premier’s core range of spirits is the ideal platform for building big sales over the next couple of months: Gordon’s Gin PM1479 Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £58.45 Saving: £4.24 CONSUMER DEAL: £11.99 (Scotland: £13.13) POR: 2.5%

Bombay Sapphire

Smirnoff Red PM1479

12 x 5cl Promo WSP: £16.99 Saving: £2.00 RSP: £2.39 POR: 29.91%

Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £58.45 Saving: £4.24

Jack Daniel’s

CONSUMER DEAL: £11.99 (Scotland: £13.13) POR: 2.5%

12 x 5cl Promo WSP: £16.99 Saving: £1.50 RSP: £2.39 POR: 28.91%

Glenfiddich 12YO Malt Whisky

Bacardi Carta Blanca

Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £123.17 Saving: £8.77

12 x 5cl Promo WSP: £14.99 Saving: £0.76 RSP: £1.99 POR: 24.67%

CONSUMER DEAL: £29.99 POR: 12.01% WKD Blue 4% NRB PM299 Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £9.99 Saving: £1.96 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £5* POR: 33.18% WKD Blush Passion Fruit PM299 Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £9.99 Saving: £1.96 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £5* POR: 33.18% WKD Iron Brew PM299 Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £9.99 Saving: £1.96 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £5* POR: 33.18% WKD Red Berry PM299 Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £9.99 Saving: £1.96 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £5* POR: 33.18% WKD Pink Gin PM299 Case Size: 6 x 70cl Promo WSP: £9.99 Saving: £1.96 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £5* POR: 33.18% WKD Mixed Pack Case Size: 10 x 275ml Promo WSP: £7.49 Saving: £1.00 CONSUMER DEAL: £10.00 POR: 10.12% *Not applicable in Scotland due to licensing laws.

l Blossom Hill Varietals and Hardy’s VR at just £5.79 l Yellow Tail and Barefoot wines at just £6.49 l Brancott, Wolf Blass, 19 Crimes, Trivento and Dark Horse at just £7.49 Every product is in growth and offers a great chance to drive sales and profits in a category that becomes seasonally popular.

Pay special attention to brands that appeal to millennials such as Dark Horse and 19 Crimes which are growing at 88% [Nielsen, Aug 2018]. It’s also worth noting that Blossom Hill and Barefoot are the number one and two selling US brands while Hardys and Yellow Tail are the biggest Australian brands. [Nielsen, Aug 2018].

If it’s something special your shoppers are looking for, the promotions feature great deals on a range of fizz including Moet & Chandon at just £29.99, Bucks Fizz and a selection of Proseccos.

Don’t forget that speciality and fortified products like sherry, port and mulled wine come also come into their own at Christmas time.

SPIRITS Christmas is a key sales period for spirits, particularly premium spirits such as Ciroc vodka which is on at the special promotional price of just £29.99 this year.

Shoppers will often trade up over the festive period and Premier is running a great selection of spirits pormotions to help you cash in.

These include fantastic £19.99 deals on big selling lines like Smirnoff Red, Gordon’s Pink Gin, Gordon’s Gin and The Famous Grouse Whisky, saving shoppers up to £5 or more on a bottle. Also worth listing this year is a new WKD Mixed pack for just £10, a line that was added in direct response to request from PDG members.

The best place to start when building a solid spirits range that will deliver for you this year is the core range highlighted in the panel above.

MINIATURES

One oppportunity frequently overlooked at Christmas is the huge 5cl profit opportunity.

Did you know that 5cls are worth £15.4m in convenience and are also the fastest growing

size format at +18% [Nielsen, June 2019].

Smirnoff Red 5cl alone is worth £2.8m in convenience – which is why it is also featured in the special Premier Additional Alcohol Leaflet this Christmas.

Miniatures represent an excellent profit opportunity when sold at full price and this is not a category where shoppers expect to see discounts offered.

When it comes to leveraging the 5cl opportunity, the key is to focus on the core brands that drive the bulk of incremental sales. Some 57% of the 5cl market are core brands by simply ensuring you stock the following five brands you will be will on the way to unlocking new sales and profits: l Gordon’s Gin l Gordon’s Pink Gin l Bell’s Whisky l Captain Morgan Spiced Rum l Smirnoff Red Premium and super premium 5cl’s also help drive trial and often lead to sales of 70cl bottles so it’s also worth stocking options like Ciroc and Grey Goose in 5cl format.

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BUY NOW

£16.99 Per 70cl Bottle

| PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

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Healthier Soft Drinks | FEATURE

Healthier choices, healthier profits The last year or so has seen the soft drinks category transformed as more and more shoppers seek out healthier options, a shift that has opened up a whole new set of opportunities for retailers.

RANGING AND MERCHANDISING FOR PROFIT PREMIER OFFERS THESE TOP TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF SUGAR FREE AND LOW SUGAR SOFT DRINKS:

1 SPACE:

l CATEGORY SPACE SHOULD BE ALIGNED WITH SHARE OF VALUE SALES TO MAXIMISE SALES.

2 FOCUS ON TOP PERFORMERS:

l STOCK YOUR BIGGEST SELLING LINES AT EYE LEVEL AND GIVE AT LEAST TWO FACINGS TO YOUR VERY FASTEST SELLING SOFT DRINKS. l ENSURE 60-70% OF SPACE FOR YOUR BEST SELLING LINES WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE THE FAST-SELLING EURO SHOPPER RANGE OF ENERGY AND PROTEIN DRINKS.

3 VERTICAL BLOCKING:

l SHOPPERS ONLY SEE PRODUCTS WITHIN A 1.3M BREADTH. l VERTICAL BLOCKING HELPS SHOPPERS TO EASILY FIND THE PRODUCT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR IMPROVING THEIR EASE OF SHOP.

T

here’s little doubt that the implementation of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in April last year played a major role in encouraging shoppers to more actively seek out low and no sugar options – but in reality the sugar tax probably only helped accelerate a market trend that was already happening.

According to Nielsen data from December last year, “consumers have a greater awareness of health and wellness than ever before” and this has long been impacting the way they shop. So much so in fact that last year’s

HIM CTP report found that some 40% of convenience store shoppers rated a range of healthy products as important to them while IGD data suggests that 75% of shoppers are trying to live a healthy lifestyle and 85% are actively trying to improve their diet.

As more shoppers look to make positive changes in their lifestyles, sugar content has become a major factor and they’re continuously on the lookout for more low-sugar options in their food and drink – and this is particularly prevalent in the soft drinks category.

Thankfully, all of the major soft November 2019 TalkingShop

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PMPs coming soon!

UK’s

UK’s

No.1 Bathroom

No.1 Spray *

Spray*

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

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

drinks manufacturers have been quick to respond to this megatrend with reformulations of existing products and launches of new low and no sugar options. All of which means that Premier retailers have plenty of options when it comes to increasing the healthier choices can offer to their shoppers in the chiller.

But where should Premier retailers start when building a healthier range of soft drinks to broaden the appeal of the category to as many shoppers as possible?

LOW AND NO SUGAR

One of the most important trends to develop in the last year or so is the massive shift in shopper demand to low and no sugar soft drinks. In fact, spending on zero and low-sugar drinks has grown by 33% and 29% respectively in the last year alone, according to Lucozade Ribena Suntory.

Premier is helping retailers capitalise on this by offering an exceptional range of low and no sugar products and by creating a bespoke promotional plan in period 9 running until Nov 26th with a great selection of reduced WSP deals for retailers – to help drive up PORs – and a fantastic selection of ‘2 for’ deals for consumers to grow footfall and sales.

The consumer deals cover massively popular brands likes Pepsi Max,

Rubicon Spring and 7up and offer shoppers two bottles for just £1.50 or £1.70, depending upon the product.

Either way, the deals offer exceptional value for money and are sure to bring shoppers through the door and get them spending when they are inside.

WATER

Don’t forget the original no sugar soft drink when planning your ranging for the next couple of months. Water continues to be a key category and the stellar growth of flavoured waters over the last couple of years has helped drive a lot of the excitement in the wider soft drinks category.

Kantar data shows that flavoured waters are particularly popular with younger shoppers and millennials who are increasingly health conscious but are also looking for new and exciting flavour options at the same time.

The category offers shoppers an

33%

increase in zero sugar soft drinks [Lucozade Ribena Suntory data]

HEALTHIER DEALS P9 Talking Shop recommends the following healthier lines which are on promotion in Period 9 until Nov 26th and feature fantastic consumer deals: Rubicon Spring Orange & Mango PM119 12 x 500ml WSP: £5.99 RSP: £1.19 or 2 For £1.50 POR: 20.13% Rubicon Spring Strawberry & Kiwi PM119 12 x 500ml WSP: £5.99 RSP: £1.19 or 2 For £1.50 POR: 20.13% Rubicon Spring Black Cherry & Raspberry PM119 12 x 500ml WSP: £5.99 RSP: £1.19 or 2 For £1.50 POR: 20.13% Pepsi Max Cherry PM100 12 x 500ml WSP: 5.49 RSP: £1.00 or 2 For £1.70 POR: 45.10% Pepsi Diet PM100 12 x 500ml WSP: 5.49 RSP: £1.00 or 2 For £1.70 POR: 45.10% Pepsi Max PM100 12 x 500ml WSP: 5.49 RSP: £1.00 or 2 For £1.70 POR: 45.10% Pepsi Max Raspberry PM100 12 x 500ml WSP: 5.49 RSP: £1.00 or 2 For £1.70 POR: 45.10%

RETAILER VIEW

LOW/NO SUGAR PROMOS P9

JAI DHILLON Premier Your Store, Greenock “The Soft Drinks Levy definitely had an impact on sales of low and zero sugar soft drinks but I think that it was a trend that was already happening. As far as I can see, many shoppers are trying to improve their diets and be a little bit more careful about what they eat and drink.

“Soft drinks are important because just about everybody drinks them every day so I think shoppers see shifting to low or no sugar options as an easy way to make a difference to their diet.

“There are so many great tasting sugar free options these days so shoppers have more choice than ever when in a Premier store.”

Talking Shop recommends the following low or no sugar lines which are on promotion in Period 9 until Nov 26th and will drive profit growth: Highland Spring Sparkling 1.5l Case Size: 12 x 1.5Ltr WSP: £7.79 Promo WSP: £6.39 RSP: £1.19 POR: 46.30% Buxton Water Still 1.5l Case Size: 6 x1.5ltr Promo WSP: £2.99 Promo WSP: £1.99 RSP: £0.99 POR: 59.80%

75%

shoppers trying to live more healthily [IGD 2018]

Robinsons Refreshed Still Raspberry/Apple PM£1.00 / 2 for £1.70 Case Size: 12 x 500ml Promo WSP: £5.49 RSP: £1.00 POR: 35.41% Robinsons Refreshed Still Orange/Passionfruit PM£1.00 / 2 for £1.70 Case Size: 12 x 500ml Promo WSP: £5.49 RSP: £1.00 POR: 35.41% Glaceau Smartwater Sportscap Case Size: 12 x 850ml Promo WSP: £4.19 or 2 for £1.60 RSP: £0.99 POR: 47.63%

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FUNCTIONAL DRINKS Talking Shop recommends the following functional drinks as a great way of appealing to shoppers looking for products to complement their lifestyles: Euro Shopper Chocolate Protein PM89 Case Size: 8 x 330ml WSP: £4.95 RSP: £0.89 POR: 30.5% Euro Shopper Strawberry Protein PM89

85% of shoppers are trying to improve their diet [IGD 2018]

Case Size: 8 x 330ml WSP: £4.95 RSP: £0.89 POR: 30.5% Grenade CarbKilla Cookie & Cream Case Size: 8 x 330ml WSP: £12.69 RSP: £2.49 POR: 36.3% Grenade CarbKilla Fudge Brownie Case Size: 8 x 330ml WSP: £12.69 RSP: £2.49 POR: 36.3% Grenade CarbKilla White Choc Case Size: 8 x 330ml WSP: £12.69 RSP: £2.49 POR: 36.3% Monster Ultra Blue PM125 Case Size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £7.29 RSP: £1.25 POR: 41.7% Monster Ultra Red PM125 Case Size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £7.29 RSP: £1.25 POR: 41.7%

RETAILER VIEW GRAHAM WATSON Premier Watson’s Grocers, Moniaive “There’s no question that shoppers are far more interested and concerned about what they eat and drink these days and I think that’s behind the huge shift to low sugar or sugar free soft drinks.

“I think younger shoppers particularly have just grown up drinking zero sugar drinks so that’s what they’re used to and the idea of a full sugar can of Coke or Irn-Bru is not appealing to them.

“That’s got to be a good thing because we consume so many soft drinks that making simple changes like this can have a profound impact on shoppers’ health.”

Monster Ultra Violet PM125 Case Size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £7.29 RSP: £1.25 POR: 41.7%

HEALTHIER LINES

Monster Ultra White PM125 Case Size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £7.29 RSP: £1.25 POR: 41.7%

Talking Shop recommends the following products as the perfect foundation for a strong range of sugarfree waters and flavoured waters:

Red Bull Sugar Free PM125 250ml Case Size: 24 x 250ml WSP: £15.75 RSP: £1.25 POR: 37.01%

Volvic TOF Watermelon Sugar Free Case Size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £3.69 RSP: £0.89 POR: 58.5%

29%

Volvic TOF Strawberry Sugar Free Case Size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £3.69 RSP: £0.89 POR: 58.5% Ice Valley Still Spring Water 500ml Case Size: 24 x 500ml WSP: £2.39 RSP: £0.50 POR: 76.1% Buxton Still Sportscap

increase in low sugar soft drinks [Lucozade Ribena

Case Size: 15 x 750ml WSP: £5.99 RSP: £0.80 POR: 40.1% Volvic Water Sports Cap Case Size: 12 x 1l WSP: £4.49 RSP: £1.04 POR: 56.83%

Suntory data]

Evian Sportscap

alternative to traditional carbonated soft drinks, combining lower and zero sugar credentials with fruity and refreshing flavours with the hydration benefits of water.

A good range of plain and flavoured waters is essential in tapping into these key sales opportunities and Premier offers everything you need. From Volvic, Evian and Buxton to Glaceau, Highland Spring and Ice Valley, there’s a plain water to suit every need in a range of small, medium and large formats, all delivering between 34.2% and 76.1% POR. Promotional period 9 will also feature a range of flavoured water promotions on lines including Robinsons Refreshed, Ribena Frusions, Rubicon Spring and Volvic Touch of Fruit. It’s never been easier to build a superb flavoured water fixture that delivers for you and your shoppers.

Launched this year, the Ribena Frusion sub-brand was the brand’s first move into the enhanced and flavoured water category and the launch was supported by a £6.2m

media campaign including TV and digital advertising.

Case Size: 12 x 750ml WSP: £6.59 RSP: £0.99 POR: 33.4%

FUNCTIONAL DRINKS

‘Healthier’ soft drinks means different things to different shoppers, of course, and for many that includes functional drinks such as protein shakes and energy drinks, many of which are now available with zero sugar and zero calories.

The Euro Shopper Protein Shake range is a must stock, delivering high protein content at a fraction of the RSP of many branded equivalents, as well as making over 30% POR for retailers. The Grenade CarbKilla range is a great way to add a branded protein offer from a respected supplier while no store would be complete without a strong range of zero sugar energy drinks from the key brands like Red Bull and Monster. Growing at 7% [IRI, Jan 2019], Red Bull Sugarfree 250ml is the number one low calorie sports and energy drink and is a must stock.

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Snacking success

this Christmas PERIOD 9 MEGADEALS As Christmas draws near, Premier has a packed calendar of promotional activity that will help you grow sales and profits.

Key among those will be the Megadeals which run in period 9 runs until November 26th:

WOTSITS 18 PLUS 6 FREE 9 X 24PK WSP: £19.09 CONSUMER DEAL: £3 POR: 15.0% QUAVERS 18 PLUS 6 FREE 7 X 24PK WSP: £14.87 CONSUMER DEAL: £3 POR: 15.0%

With a full relaunch of the Happy Shopper snacks range and a huge collection of fantastic promotions, Premier retailers have everything they need to ensure maximum sales and profits this Christmas.

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he many parties, get-togethers and big nights in that characterise the Christmas period provide the perfect opportunity for Premier retailers to cash in and drive maximum footfall, sales and profits this festive period.

No party is complete with a range of crisps and snacks for sharing among family and friends and at the centre of your snacks

offering this year should be the newly relaunched Happy Shopper range.

The Happy Shopper range of snacks and crisps has long been massively popular with both shoppers and retailers. The fantastic news is that the entire range has been fully relaunched and now includes two exciting new products for shoppers as well as delivering even better PORs for retailers of up to 46.3%.

WALKERS STAX SOUR CREAM & ONION 15 X 170G WSP: £10.62 CONSUMER DEAL: £1 POR: 15.0% WALKERS STAX SALTED SNACKS 15 X 170G WSP: £10.62 CONSUMER DEAL: £1 POR: 15.0% WALKERS STAX PAPRIKA SNACKS 15 X 170G WSP: £10.62 CONSUMER DEAL: £1 POR: 15.0%

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FEATURE | Christmas Crisps & Snacks

KEY PERIOD 9 PROMOTIONS The key crisps and snacks promotions for period 9, running until November 26th, include: Quavers Cheese PM100 15 x 52g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Wotsits Cheese PM100 15 x 56g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Walkers Squares Salt &Vinegar PM100 15 x 68g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Walkers French Fries Cheese & Onion PM100 15 x 52g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Walkers Cheetos Twisted Flaming PM100 15 x 72g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Monster Munch Pickled 0nion PM100 15 x 68g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Monster Munch Flaming Hot PM100 15 x 68g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Monster Munch Roast Beef PM100

The relaunch includes all-new packaging with even bolder yellow price marks in response to retailer feedback and the case size has been increased by two bags.

The two new products to join the range are Happy Shopper BBQ Hoops and Happy Shopper Sweet and Salty Popcorn, offering shoppers yet more choice from this immensely successful range. All products are price-marked and every single pack line in the range is included in the 2-for-£1 deal that has been shown to increase basket spend and sales.

The two multipack options are both price-marked at just £1 for six bags. PORs run from a minimum of 42% right up to 46.3% and even offer 30% POR when sold as part of the multibuy deal.

The entire range should be merchandised within the wider Happy Shopper sharing range fixture and, as always, best practice is to double face

these fast-selling lines to maximise impact, minimise replenishment issues and drive up footfall, sales and profits this festive period.

FESTIVE PROMOTIONS In addition to the relaunch of the Happy Shopper range, Premier retailers have access to an incredible range of promotions in periods 9 and 10 running right through until December 31st.

The deals feature the top brands in the category at knock-out prices for shoppers.

These include Pringles at just £1.50 (price-marked £2.49), Doritos at just 75p or 2-for-£1.50 (price marked at £1) and Space Raiders at 75p or 2-for-£1.50 (price marked at £1).

There are also fantastic promotions on leading Walkers, McCoy’s, Butterkist, Snack a Jack, Nik Naks, Monster Munch and KP Nuts brands and products.

15 x 68g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% McCoys Chip Shop Salt & Vinegar PM100 16 x 70g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 30% McCoys Chip Shop Curry PM100 16 x 70g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 30% McCoys Salt & Vinegar PM100 16 x 65g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 30% McCoys Cheddar & Onion PM100 16 x 65g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 30% McCoys Flame Grilled Steak PM100 16 x 65g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 30% McCoys Thai Sweet Chicken PM100 16 x 65g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 30% Wheat Crunchies Bacon PM100 14 x 78g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £7.69 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 27% Roysters PM100 16 x 65g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 30% Poppables Sweet Chilli PM100 15 x 60g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25%

PERIOD 10 MEGADEAL As period 10 arrives and Christmas preparation hits top gear, Premier has a new exceptional Megadeal to boost festive footfall, sales and profits. (Period 10 runs until December 31st): Walkers Box Case Size: 36x25g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £2.82 CONSUMER DEAL: SINGLE DEAL: POR: 15%

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KEY PERIOD 10 PROMOTIONS The key crisps and snacks promotions for period 10, running until December 31st, include: Skips Prawn Cocktail PM100 Case Size: 14 x45g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £7.69 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 27% Nik Naks Nice & Spicy PM100 Case Size: 16 x 85g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £7.49 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Space Raiders P Onion PM100 Case Size: 16 x 78g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £7.49 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Space Raiders Beef PM100 Case Size: 16 x 78g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £7.49 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Nik Naks Rib & Saucy PM100 Case Size: 16 x 85g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £7.49 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Butterkist Toffee PM100 Case Size: 12 x 85g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £5.60 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Butterkist C/Sweet PM100

10 PERIOD 9 & PRINGLES NS PROMOTIO es astic Pringl

: nge of fant mber 26th so has a ra until Nove Premier al 9, running for period ns io ot om 9 pr & On PM24 ur Cream SP: £5.99 Pringles So OTIONAL W M O PR 0g 6 x 20 e: Siz e % as 20 C 0 POR: DEAL: £1.5 CONSUMER Q PM249 BB s 9 xa Te L WSP: £5.9 Pringles OMOTIONA 6 x 200g PR e: Siz e % as 20 C 0 POR: DEAL: £1.5 CONSUMER 9 gar PM24 ne Vi & lt SP: £5.99 Pringles Sa OTIONAL W M O PR 0g x 20 6 e: Siz e % Cas 0 POR: 20 DEAL: £1.5 CONSUMER 249 PM al in rig WSP: £5.99 Pringles O MOTIONAL x 200g PRO 6 e: Siz e % Cas 0 POR: 20 DEAL: £1.5 CONSUMER 9 ktail PM24 oc C n aw SP: £5.99 Pringles Pr OTIONAL W M O PR 0g x 20 6 e: Siz e % Cas 0 POR: 20 DEAL: £1.5 CONSUMER

Case Size: 12 x 76g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £5.60 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Butterkist Sweet&Salt PM100 Case Size: 12 x 76g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £5.60 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Butterkist Salted PM100 Case Size: 12 x 58g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £5.60 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Doritos Cool Original Case Size: 12 x 180g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £9.60 CONSUMER DEAL: £1.00 POR: 20% Doritos Chilli Heatwave Case Size: 12 x 180g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £9.60 CONSUMER DEAL: £1.00 POR: 20% Pigs in Blanket PM100 Case Size: 15 x 75g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Turkey & Stuffing PM100 Case Size: 15 x 75g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £6.99 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 25% Doritos Tangy Cheese PM100 Case Size: 15 x 80g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £9.00 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 20% Doritos FGS PM100 Case Size: 15 x 80g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £9.00 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 20% Doritos Chilli HWave PM100 Case Size: 15 x 80g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £9.00 CONSUMER DEAL: 2 for £1.50 POR: 20% Doritos Cool Original PM100 Case Size: 15 x 80g PROMOTIONAL WSP: £9.00

46.3%

POR on many of the products in the new Happy Shopper snacks range

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PricesDown

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

£10k extra profit unlocked!

BIGGER GROUP BETTER FOR ALL

Some of the benefits of being part of a bigger group so far:

BETTER PRICES l 2-for-£1 confectionery l Pepsi multipacks l Medicines l Warburtons bread l Muller yoghurts multipacks and singles l Tobacco – up to £1.45 WSP saving per outer l Beer – up to £3.00 WSP saving per case

EXCLUSIVE PACKS l J20 6 pack l Gordon’s 10 pack l Coke 18/24 pack l Fever Tree 8 pack l Carling / Fosters / Strongbow 18 pack l Coors / Budweiser 20 pack l Peroni / WKD 10 pack l Felix 40 pack l Dino Prosecco l Spirits l Swizzels / Quality Street tubs l Jaffa Cake triple packs l Matchmaker

WOW DEALS l A WOW deal every promo period

As part its ‘Bigger Group Better For All’ strategy, Premier has unlocked £10k of profit for every retailer.

P

remier has continued to unveil months. All of this activity is helping retailers developments as part of its drive extra footfall and is adding an estimated ‘Bigger Group Better For All’ £10,000 extra profit. Premier retailers are strategy that has delivered an also beginning to benefit from access to some estimated £10,000 of benefits for services that will help them save money and all Premier retailers. The plans include Premier grow their businesses.

The first of these sees retailers gaining retailers gaining access for the first time to a exclusive access to a Tesco Mobile range of services that offer significant phone deal which allows them to potential to cut costs as well as C E L E BR AT I N G get their hands on the latest mobile further increase footfall, sales phones with three months free on a and cash profit. contract of 12 months or more.

The ‘Retail Wins’ initiative Te s c o plan kicked off earlier this Mobile is year with a range of exclusive powered packs and better pricing on key lines in the all-important tobacco and beer by O2’s 4G network, categories. This activity added an estimated offers flexible tariffs and delivers great £6,500 extra profit for retailers.

Phase 2 saw retailers benefit from value, making it a the massive festival of activity around fantastic deal for a Premier’s historic 25th birthday great new phone on celebrations, including the hugely popular an excellent network.

To find out more visit Scratch Card promotion.

Premier has also launched, in response to www.tescomobile. retailer feedback, a WOW deal will be included com. A bigger group in every promotional period for the next 12 is indeed better for all.

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H IT W S E L A S H S A E L UN GREAT NEW LOOK AND FLAVOURS!

BACK ON TV IN NOVEMBER! Also available in 330ml PMP Cans

Tango is the BEST tasting orange fruit carbonate*

+£2M Marketing spend in 2019

New SUGAR FREE flavours Tropical and Strawberry & Watermelon

M235784 - Tango Orange PMP 500ml PET M249662 - Tango Strawberry & Watermelon PMP 500ml PET M249663 - Tango Tropical PMP 500ml PET * MMR Consumer Product Benchmarking Dec 2017 (Base: Sugar free Rep Sample 18-24 yr olds n=81)

Time to

Time to

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

Ones to

watch

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

Best ever ‘Green’ cup from Booker WHAT? RECYCLABLE, COMPOSTABLE AND BIODEGRADABLE CUP WHEN? COMING SOON WHY? With shoppers and retailers increasingly focused on reducing the impact they make on the environment, Booker is delighted to announce the launch of its most sustainable cup.

The cup is recyclable, compostable and biodegradable and is a first in the UK. What makes this cup so special is the lining which is fully biodegradable and breaks down within just 90 days in a compostable environment, whereas other cups could take many years.

A UK first!

WHO? Sustainability is becoming more and more important to both shoppers and retailers and this new cup represents a huge opportunity for retailers to help reduce their impact on the planet and demonstrate that commitment to their shoppers. The cup is available in 12oz and 8oz and costs just 10p for the 12oz version and 8p for the 8oz cup.

WHERE TO STOCK? Siting these new cups alongside your coffee machine along with shopper-facing POS is a fantastic way of demonstrating your commitment to sustainability and is certain to drive sales among all shoppers who are keener than ever to minimise their environmental impact. This is a great way to set your store apart from the competition. Why not run a social media campaign to highlight the fact that your cups are now recyclable, compostable and biodegradable?

Recyclable, compostable, biodegradable

12 OZ ECO DOUBLE WALL CUP KRAFT COLOUR Case size: 16 X 30S WSP: £46.99

Breaks down within 90 days

Price per cup: 10p 8 OZ ECO DOUBLE WALL CUP KRAFT COLOUR Case size: 20 X 35S WSP: £55.99 Price per cup: 8p

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

Boost your food to go sales WHAT? LICHFIELDS FLAPJACK, TIFFIN AND ROCKY ROAD ASSORTMENT WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? With food to go now becoming part of the mainstream independent retailing mix, Booker is able to offer a fantastic selection of high-quality catering lines to help boost basket spend as well as sales and profits. One new range that’s ideal for this purpose is the Lichfields Flapjack, Tiffin and Rocky Road assortment. The range is individually wrapped in a mixed 16 pack with four of each variant in every pack: 4 x Amazing All Butter Flapjack, 4x Sumptuous Salted Caramel Flapjack, 4x Tempting Tiffin Bar and 4x Really Rocky Road.

WHO? All products are Gluten Free and all but the Rocky Road are suitable for vegetarians, so this range will appeal to a very wide audience of shoppers. The products provide the perfect way to boost basket spend around all food-to-go occasions, offering shoppers high quality, tasty treats to round off the meal solutions they buy from your store.

The lines have a long five-month shelf life to help eliminate waste.

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the lines prominently on your food-to-go fixture, near your coffee machine or near the serving counter to boost sales and profits. Shelf-ready packaging makes this quick and easy.

LICHFIELDS FLAPJACK, TIFFIN AND ROCKY ROAD ASSORTMENT Case size: 16s (4 x 4 x 65g bar varieties - Amazing All Butter Flapjack, Sumptuous Salted Caramel Flapjack, Tempting Tiffin Bar and Really Rocky Road) WSP: £9.69 RSP: £0.89 POR: 32.00%

Shake up your milk sales WHAT? DELAMERE FLAVOURED DAIRY MILK RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? The popular flavoured milk category helps drive footfall, sales and profits for Premier retailers and a new range from Delamere is set to grow the category even further. The range of four flavoured milks – strawberry, chocolate, banana and latte – are all made using fresh milk that has been gently pasteurised.

WHO? The range delivers all of the nutritional benefits of fresh milk but with a tasty twist, making it ideal for a whole range of shoppers of all ages and perfect for the whole family. Packaged in re-closeable and recyclable glass bottles, the range offers some great environmental credentials as well as being long life so can be stored and merchandised ambiently before opening which will help eliminate wastage.

WHERE TO STOCK? The products can be merchandised ambient on-shelf but to boost impulse sales it makes sense to stock them in the chiller next to other flavoured milks, space permitting, for instant consumption.

DELAMERE DAIRY STRAWBERRY MILK; DELAMERE DAIRY CHOCOLATE MILK; DELAMERE DAIRY BANANA MILK; DELAMERE DAIRY ICED LATTE Case size: 12 x 500ml WSP: £8.15 RSP: £1.00 POR: 32.08%

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

Don’t miss the white Rioja opportunity!

WHAT? CAMPO VIEJO RIOJA BLANCO WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Campo Viejo Tempranillo is the UK’s biggest selling red wine, and the best-selling Spanish wine brand overall. The overall brand has grown by 10.1%1 in value and 10.3%2 in volume sales over the past year and now they have introduced Campo Viejo Rioja Blanco. You could be missing out on an opportunity by not stocking this elegant, easy drinking and crowd-pleasing white wine, which will broaden the choice you offer to your shoppers.

WHO? You could increase your wine sales in this growing category as well as grow footfall and profits by stocking the white variant of the UK’s number one selling red wine (Campo Viejo Tempranillo). Stock up now to capitalise on shoppers looking for something a little different and to give them even more reasons to visit your store.

WHERE TO STOCK? Ideally, the Campo Viejo Blanco should be stocked prominently in the chiller within the white wine section where the big brand name will drive trial and repeat purchase.

CAMPO VIEJO RIOJA BLANCO Case size: 6 x 75cl WSP: £35.89 RSP: £8.99 POR: 20.2%

New RTD chilled coffee options from Barista Coffee Co

SOURCE 1,2: Nielsen Scantrack, total Impulse, year to WE 07.09.19.

Coffee with a bite WHAT? JAGERMEISTER COLD BREW COFFEE

WHAT? BARISTA COFFEE CO READY TO DRINK RANGE WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Barista Coffee Co is set to help Premier retailers tap into growing demand for ready to drink beverages. Year on year, ready to drink coffee has added more absolute value to the drinks category than any other segment [IRI / Kantar, July 2019], so it makes sense for retailers to develop this category further. Available in two flavours – Caffe Latte and Caramel Latte – the new drinks come in 250ml cans with an RSP of £1 each delivering strong retailer POR of 41%.

WHO? The lines will appeal to shoppers looking for an affordable cold coffee that also delivers on taste. Barista Coffee Co also plans to release a further variant to support the brand before the end of the year.

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the lines prominently in the chiller alongside other chilled coffee lines to tap into this fast-growing market.

BARISTA COFFEE CO CARAMEL

WHY? New from the second biggest brand in the on-trade, Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee brings new opportunities to grow your shot sales. With six million dedicated Jägermeister social media followers and a £2.5m marketing launch spend, the new line will be big news in the market this Christmas. Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee is a fusion of the original Jägermeister and a generous helping of intense cold brew coffee.

WHO? Best served as an ice cold shot at -18°C, Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee has been created to be enjoyed in good company on great nights and features rich 100% Arabica coffee and notes of cacao blended with the original 56 hand-selected herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits of Jägermeister to deliver a distinctive new taste.

LATTE; BARISTA COFFEE CO CAFFE LATTE Case size: 12 x 250ml

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock alongside original Jägermeister to drive interest, trial and repeat sales over the coming months.

WSP: £6.99 RSP: £1.00

JÄGERMEISTER COLD BREW COFFEE

POR: 41.0%

Case size: 6 x 50cl WSP: £77.94 RSP: £19.49 POR: 20.0% November 2019 TalkingShop

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EXCLUSIVE TO BOOKER

P8 CONSUMER OFFER

ANY

2 FOR

£1.50

L A U N N A 5 2 F O ...1 ESS L IT M I L N O E D O CARDS!* n to

subscriptio Enjoy an annual ited films at watch unlim mas.

ODEON cine

Every time you buy your 3rd case of any Butterkist £1PMPs during P8 you will be entered into a FREE Prize Draw for a chance to WIN!

*Open to registered Booker retailers only. Participants must buy 3 cases of participating Butterkist £1PMP Range SKUs between 23rd September to 30th October 2019 to be automatically entered into the prize draw to win one of 25 Annual ODEON Limitless Cards. Please email brpenquiries@kpsnacks.com for full T&Cs. Promoter: KP Snacks, The Urban Building, 3-9 Albert Street, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2BE.

TS October.indd 48 Butterkist Odeon ad.indd 1 9031 Talking Shop

29/10/2019 16:43:07 19/09/2019 18:16

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Exclusive new Tesco Mobile deal for Premier retailers A fantastic new exclusive Tesco Mobile deal for Premier retailers is the latest proof of the fact that a Bigger Group is Better For All.

I

t’s been an outstanding year for Premier retailers as they have already benefitted to the tune of an estimated extra £10,000 in extra profit thanks to Premier’s ‘Retail Wins’ strategy. The initiatives so far this year have included better pricing on beer and tobacco, a huge array of exclusive packs, more WOW deals and, of course, the phenomenally successful programme of activity around Premier’s 25th birthday celebrations.

THREE MONTHS FREE ON THE LATEST PHONES

As if adding an extra £10,000 to your bottom line wasn’t spectacular enough, Premier is now demonstrating once more that a Bigger Group is Better For All with the launch of an exclusive new mobile deal for Premier retailers. Provided

by Tesco Mobile, the deal offers Premier retailers exclusive access to all of the latest mobile phones with three months free on any contract of 12 months or longer for up to five contracts.

Tesco Mobile is powered by O2’s 4G network, offering 99% UK population coverage on a deal that will help drive down your costs and improve your profits, as well as giving you access to the most technologically advanced mobile phones on the planet.

November 2019 TalkingShop

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REFRESHINGLY REFRESHINGLY REFRESHINGLY REFRESHINGLY REFRESHINGLY REFRESHINGLY UNCOMPLICATED UNCOMPLICATED UNCOMPLICATED UNCOMPLICATED UNCOMPLICATED Attracting a younger shopper than its main competitors.*

FANTASTIC EVERYDAY VALUE

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NEW M249374

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STOCK UP NOW

BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY 6x 6x 6x 6x 6x 4x440ml 4x440ml 4x440ml 4x440ml 4x440ml

SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL 4x440ml 4x440ml 4x440ml 4x440ml 4x440ml

£15.49 £15.49 £15.49 £15.49 £15.49 WSP WSP WSP WSP WSP

£4 £4 £4 £4 £4 RRP RRP RRP RRP RRP

********** POR POR POR POR POR 22.6% 22.6% 22.6% 22.6% 22.6%

REFRESHINGLY UNCOMPLICATED

FANTASTIC EVERYDAY VALUE Attracting a younger shopper than its main competitors.*

AAlight-tasting Alight-tasting Alight-tasting light-tasting A light-tasting premium premium premium premium premium beer: beer: beer: beer: 30% 30% beer: 30% 30% lower lower 30% lower lower inlower inABV inABV inABV ABV than inthan ABV than than most most than most most premium premium most premium premium premium beers. beers. beers. beers. beers. * Compared * Compared * Compared * Compared * Compared toto Fosters, to Fosters, to Fosters, Fosters, to Fosters, Carlsberg Carlsberg Carlsberg Carlsberg Carlsberg and and and Carling. and Carling.

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Based Based Based Based on Based on percentage on percentage on percentage on percentage percentage ofof shoppers of shoppers of shoppers shoppers of shoppers aged aged aged aged under under aged under under 45 under 4545 years 45 years years 45 years old. years old. old.

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TS October.indd 50

©©2019 ©2019 ©2019 2019 © AB AB 2019 AB InBev AB InBev InBev AB InBev UK InBev UK UK Limited, UK Limited, Limited, UK Limited, Limited, allallrights allrights allrights rights allreserved. rights reserved. reserved. reserved. reserved.

29/10/2019 16:43:09

AAlight-ta Alight-t Alight ligh * Compar * Compa * Comp * Com aged aged aged aged und unu ****Indicat **Indic **Ind In

3 MONTHS FREE

GREAT VALUE GUARANTEED

POWERED

BY O2’S 4G NETWORK

ALL THE LATEST PHONES

HOW TO GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE THREE MONTHS FREE OFFER… 1. Get your phone online (tescomobile. com), in-store or by calling 0800 032 1160.

2. From your new phone or SIM, text ‘BOOKER’ plus your Booker Customer Number to 60000.

3. Tesco Mobile will set up your discount and text you with updates.

The deal is available across all of the latest phones and delivers great value flexible tariffs which allow retailers to flex their tariff down or up over time to help them adapt to any business changes and guarantees great value which lets you plan ahead in complete confidence, knowing you have a fantastic deal in place.

For more information or to order your new phone, simply visit www.tescomobile.com/ bookeroffer and start gaining even more benefits from being a Premier retailer.

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Premier Customers can claim a bill credit of 3 months of their total bill when they sign up to any Tesco Mobile Pay Monthly Contract (1 month SIMO excluded). The Bill Credit cannot be used on their first bill. Eligibility: Customers must provide a valid Booker customer number; pay their first bill; and apply for the Promotion within 60 days. Maximum of 5 Bill Credits per Booker customer number; 1 Bill Credit per Pay Monthly Contract.

Participation: Customers must text Booker + Booker customer number to 60000. Full terms at tescomobile.com/bookeroffer. Requires a [12, 18, 24, 30 or 36] month credit agreement and a rolling monthly usage contract with Tesco Mobile Limited. Subject to status. Fair Use Policy applies.

Charges & terms at tescomobile.com/terms. Saving based on £3 per month over 36 months.

November 2019 TalkingShop

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BLUE RAZZ

HARDCO

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NEW

PM £1.29

ZERO SUGAR

100 CANS OF ROCKSTAR SOLD EVERY MINUTE

SH

& CARR

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NEW PASSION FRUTAS

PAS S IO N F R U TAS

NGO E L MA

EX

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FULL SUGAR

EXPLOSIVE TASTE

HIGH IN VITAMINS TS October.indd 52

REAL JUICE

WITH GUARANA, GINSENG & CAFFEINE 29/10/2019 16:43:11

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

7 steps to Christmas heaven!

Christmas is a massive sales opportunity for Premier retailers but to get the very best out of it, you need a strong plan! Talking Shop spoke to seven Premier retailers to hear their advice on getting Christmas right.

1. GET IN EARLY! Graham Watson PREMIER WATSON’S GROCERS, MONIAIVE “I think one of the most important things that Premier retailers can do is start generating noise around Christmas as early as possible. It’s not even Halloween yet and we’ve got a Christmas range in the store already!

It’s vital to get your shoppers into the Christmas spirit as early a possible with a dedicated fixture, some good POS and a range of the most popular products.

Yes, some of your shoppers will comment on the fact it’s only October or November but they usually do it with a smile on their face and they often end up picking up a product or two. If you start early it lets you slowly turn up the heat as Christmas draws closer and your shoppers will also know that they can get Christmas lines in your store. If you just drop a range in out of the blue in December you miss all of those opportunities. So my advice would be: get in early!”

C

hristmas comes but once a year, as they say, and it represents one of the biggest sales and profit opportunities of the entire calendar for Premier retailers.

Maximising profit over the festive period involves developing a coherent strategy and plan, however, that will ensure that you make the very most of a period that has the potential to turn a good year into a great one.

Talking Shop spoke to seven Premier retailers to get their top tips on smashing it this Christmas!

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2. FOCUS ON PROFIT! Justin Whittaker PREMIER MJ’S, ROYTON, OLDHAM “My Christmas top tip would definitely be to focus on the lines that make the POR you’re looking for. We recently reworked the entire store with a view to removing as many low margin lines as possible and adding in as many high margin lines as possible. That goes for Christmas too. I think in the past we’ve often been guilty of stocking festive lines that we know will sell well – but if the POR on them is low, you’re working hard for not enough gain, in my opinion.

Premier has a huge range of fantastic Christmas lines so it will be time well spent to sit down for an hour or two with the promotions and seasonal list and identify all the lines that you are confident will sell well that also give you the PORs you need. Christmas is a vitally important profit opportunity and it deserves a bit of though and planning.”

3. MAKE IT UNMISSABLE IN-STORE! Jai Dhillon PREMIER YOUR STORE, GREENOCK “Most shoppers love Christmas, even some of the ones that say they don’t! So I would advise that a great way to maximise footfall, sales and profits is to make Christmas huge in your store! Create a dedicated fixture, dress it up with decorations and POS, get the staff into Christmas jumpers, put out a Christmas tree if you’ve got room and generally make Christmas unmissable in your store.

It’s a lovely time of year for most people and they like all the excitement that surrounds it so if you can create a bit of theatre in your store you are basically helping them get into the spirit and helping them enjoy a fantastic time of year when friends and family get together to relax and have fun.”

4. REACH OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Vrinder Singh SINGH’S PREMIER, SHEFFIELD “One of the most effective ways of building excitement around Christmas and letting your shoppers know the great range and promotions you’ve got at Christmas time is by using social media. Facebook is a must and Instagram is becoming more important all the time.

It’s not just about highlighting promotions, it’s about bringing the community together at an important time of year. Run some Facebook ‘like and share’ competitions, encourage your staff to have fun and get dressed up and stick that on Instagram, maybe do a Christmas countdown promotion in-store and advertise is on Facebook.

There’s so much you can do and it’s all free. It will help bring shoppers to your door and it will drive sales and profits.

Just be creative and don’t be afraid to have fun!”

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5. TARGET PREMIUM SALES! Asif Akhtar PREMIER SMEATON STORES, KIRKCALDY “We find that shoppers tend to loosen their purse strings a little bit at Christmas as they want to feel they they are treating themselves. I think when people are having guests over too they also tend to buy premium brands because they want to be seen as good hosts.

Trading up offers huge opportunities right across the store but a few categories in particular are really important at this time of year, particularly beers, wines and spirits. Glens drinkers will often trade up to Smirnoff or even Ciroc at Christmas while wine fans will often push the boat out and buy some of the more premium wines. Likewise, beer drinkers might be tempted into buying some premium brands like Peroni rather than their usual – and we also see a rise in interest in craft beers.

The same goes for spirits. We’ve added a huge range of gins which are sure to do well this Christmas and we’ve also added in a range of litre bottles of spirits for the first time. Premium means premium profits and that’s important if we are to get the best out of Christmas.”

6. DON’T STOP UNTIL NEW YEAR! Steven Mahal

7. SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

PREMIER CINDERHILL, NOTTINGHAM

Chris Love

“Starting early on Christmas is vital but so too is stopping late! I think many retailers are tempted to start slowing down again come the 26th of December but it’s so important that they keep up the pressure right through the festive period into the new year.

PREMIER EARLY TILL LATE, STENHOUSEMUIR

The week between Christmas and New Year is always a big period for retailers so staying in stock through that period is critical if retailers are to maximise footfall, sales and profits. People are generally still in party mood at that point and that offers lots of chances to add extra sales and profits. That applies across all of the key categories: alcohol, confectionery, crisps and snacks and soft drinks. Hang in there and you’ll see the benefit in the till as 2020 dawns!”

“It might not be the sexiest part of Christmas, but having the small stuff in place like Christmas cards, wrapping paper, gift tags, batteries and bottle bags really can have a massive impact on sales over the festive period.

It’s easy to get carried away with all the Christmas confectionery and premium spirits and multipacks of beer but if a shopper wants to buy a bottle of gin as a gift, the chances are the first thing they’ll look for is a gift bottle bag, not the gin itself. If you don’t stock bottle bags you’re likely to lose the sale of the gin too.

It doesn’t take too much effort to get stocked up on all those important little sundries then you can site them next to the main Christmas lines and you could see basket spend rocket.

Make it easy for shoppers to fill baskets and you’re on your on your way to a profitable Christmas!”

November 2019 TalkingShop

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LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

New and improved Happy Shopper snacks range unveiled

Happy Shopper snacks relaunched The Happy Shopper snacks range has fully relaunched with two new products and even better PORs for retailers of up to 46.3%.

The Happy Shopper range of crisps and snacks has long been massively popular with both shoppers and retailers. Now the entire range has been fully relaunched and includes two exciting new products for shoppers, as well as delivering even better PORs for retailers of up to 46.3%.

The relaunch includes all-new packaging with even bolder yellow price marks in response to retailer feedback and the case size has been increased by two bags to help availability.

The two new products to join the range are Happy Shopper BBQ Hoops and Happy Shopper Sweet and Salty Popcorn. All products are pricemarked and every single pack line in the range is included in the 2-for-£1 deal that has been

shown to increase basket spend and sales. PORs run from a minimum of 42% right up to 46.3% up and even offer a to huge 30% POR when sold as part of the ever popular multibuy deal.

The entire range should be merchandised within the wider Happy Shopper sharing range fixture and, as always, best practice is to double face these fast-selling lines to maximise impact, minimise replenishment issues and drive up footfall, sales and profits.

46.3% POR

NEW HAPPY SHOPPER LINES CASE SIZE WSP RSP POR HAPPY SHOPPER BBQ BEEF HOOPS 16 X 70G £4.65 PM £0.65 / 2-FOR-£1 46.3% / 30% ON MULTIBUY HAPPY SHOPPER SWEET & SALTY POPCORN 16 X 55G £4.65 PM £0.65 / 2-FOR-£1 46.3% / 30% ON MULTIBUY

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shopper’s view…

Grame Stove, Horley “I have to admit that I’ve always been a big fan of the Happy Shopper range of crisps and snacks because they tick every box for me. They’re super-tasty and really full flavoured which I love, there’s lots of different flavours to try, you get plenty in the pack and they’re really great value for money. I like the new design of the packs because they look great and I like how the prices are really easy to see.

The multibuy deal is great too because I tend not to buy one pack a time anyway and I like getting a good deal. I’ve already tried the new flavours and I love them both, though I have to say that the Happy Shopper BBQ Hoops are just out of this world!”

IN SUMMARY

1

Fantastic bright, eye-catching packing with bolder, more prominent price marks than ever.

2 3

Improved POR of up to 46.3% delivering more profit for retailers.

New Happy Shopper BBQ Hoops and Happy Shopper Sweet and Salty Popcorn flavours.

4

Two exceptional multipack options available with RSPs of just £1 for 6 packs.

RETAILER VIEW FARAZ IQBAL Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy “Over the last few months I’ve been trying to tighten up my range across the store to focus more on lines that drive sales and profits. The Happy Shopper range definitely does that. The snacks range in particular is just huge in the store because it gives my shoppers what they’re looking for: quality and value.

“Today’s shoppers are looking for great value all the time, but they don’t want to compromise on taste. The Happy Shopper delivers for them on all fronts. Big packs, great taste and great prices.”

RETAILER VIEW SIVA RUBAN Premier Allsorts, Wallington, Surrey “Booker’s own brand ranges are just getting more and more important in the store and shoppers just seem to be heading that way more and more often. It’s not difficult to see why because value has become the most important factor for most of them. Yes, a lot of the big brands offer good quality, but they can often be really, really expensive for shoppers on a budget, so ranges like Happy Shopper are just right in that sweet spot of providing really good quality but a very fair price. The quality of the snacks range is fantastic now and the pricing is perfect.”

RETAILER VIEW IMTYAZ MAHMODE Wych Lane Premier, Gosport “With the market being so tough these days, Premier retailers have got to focus really clearly on products that work for both shoppers and for retailers. The Happy Shopper snacks range does exactly that. It gives shoppers great tasting products at great prices and it gives retailers the sorts of PORs they need to run profitable businesses. Getting over 46% POR on the range is fantastic, not least because the range sells in huge volume so we get the best of both worlds: big volumes of sales and big PORs. Even the multibuy deal delivers 30%.”

RETAILER VIEW KATHIR BALA Premier Old Village Neighbourhood Store, Corby “My store is just 1,100sq ft so I tend to be pretty careful when it comes to what I stock. I need every line in there to be earning its keep and that means giving me a POR that allows me to run a profitable store and keep re-investing in it. The entire Happy Shopper range fits the bill perfectly and now that we’re getting even bigger PORs on the snacks range I’ll certainly be making sure they’re prominent in the store. It’s a great range with plenty of choice for shoppers and the multibuy deal is always really popular and helps drive up basket spend.”

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Maximise your sales

with the UK’s No.1 Facial Tissue Brand† with Aloe Vera

Tissues aren’t just for blowing your nose, in fact this only accounts for 30% of usage occasions*. Maximise your sales by stocking both boxes and pocket packs all year round to cater for hay fever, make-up mishaps or even tears of joy.

Kleenex® Balsam

Kleenex® Balsam Pocket Pack Display Tray

Kleenex® Extra Large

®Registered Trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. ©KCWW *Kleenex® UK Tissue USA Study, 2013 Nielsen Homescan data to 10/10/2016. †Based on Nielsen Scantrack data for the UK Facial tissue category 12-month period w/e 07/09/2019.

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Carbon Trust Standard | GUEST COLUMN

Sustainability Manager Catherine Marston explains how Booker has become the only wholesaler to hold four Carbon Trust Standards.

Booker the only wholesaler to hold four Carbon Trust Standards In another remarkable achievement, Booker Group has achieved four certifications to the Carbon Trust Standard for the second time thanks to its outstanding environmental practices.

I

t was with great pride that we learned recently that Booker Group has just achieved four certifications to the Carbon Trust Standard – and this is the second time we have achieved this remarkable goal.

Critically, this means Booker Group is the only wholesaler in the UK to hold these four certifications, a unique achievement we are very proud of.

The certifications were awarded after the latest round of audits in recognition of our success in reducing carbon emissions, waste output and water use. We have also reached our target of zero waste to landfill status.

What’s perhaps even more remarkable is the fact that we have delivered an astonishing 12 consecutive years of absolute carbon emission reductions despite growing sales from £3bn to £5.6bn over that period.

To put that into some kind of context, what that means is that during those 12 years the Group has saved almost 14,000 tonnes of carbon which is the equivalent of a family driving for 44 million miles!

Similarly, in the last five years our efforts have resulted in an electricity saving of 42 gigawatts. Our LED lighting project alone has saved enough energy to power 42 average sized Booker branches.

Other fantastic initiatives that have helped secure these certifications include improved vehicle telematics which allowed us to deliver 13.5% more cases per litre of fuel during the past 12 months through branch delivery efficiencies.

Additionally, we have made great strides in dealing with food waste more effectively through both local charity donations and the use of anaerobic digestion to create energy.

We have, for instance, donated over 1.3 million meals to local charities in the last year and we now report our food waste volumes publicly.

These are just some of the exciting initiatives we have been working on and these four Carbon Trust certifications are an enormously positive reflection on how seriously we take our responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment.

I am really looking forward to continuing to drive these benefits throughout our business and working with Premier retailers to achieve our common goals.

TOP TIPS

l One of the easiest ways to save energy is to check your lighting has been changed to LED energy efficient lights. They can use up to 50% less energy than standard bulbs.

To see how much you can save contact our partners Best Energy on 0333 8000 771 or email best@hawley.pro l Switch lights off when not in use. Old lighting not only costs more to run, it generates heat. And remember to adjust any lighting on timers when the clocks go back. l Ensure drinks coolers are on timers (not on 24/7) and make sure they are not in direct sunlight. l Try to keep ovens or hot cabinets away from refrigeration equipment. l Be sure not to overfill fridges and freezers which makes them work harder and uses more energy.

November 2019 TalkingShop

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STOCK UP ON JACK DANIEL’S

THE BEST SELLING WHISKEY BRAND IN THE CONVENIENCE CHANNEL Drive growth in your store with Jack Daniel’s and Jack Honey 35cl PMP’s Maximise on the fastest growing pack formats of the convenience spirit category, from the No.1 Imported Whiskey brand in the UK*

Source: *Nielsen Data, MAT to July 13th 2019

GROW THE FAMILY. AND YOUR PROFITS. HOW EV ER YOU ENJOY IT, E NJOY R E S PON S I BLY. JACK DANIEL’S AND TENNESSEE HONEY ARE A REGISTERED TRADEMARKS. ©2018. JACK DANIEL’S PROPERTIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Local Shop Report | ACS Viewpoint

James Lowman The most comprehensive Local Shop Report ever finds plenty to be positive about once more.

The latest ACS Local Shop Report is the most comprehensive so far and highlights how the independent retailing sector has consistently grown and evolved in the face of stiff challenges.

E

very year since 2012, we have published the Local Shop Report, our annual look at the convenience sector. And every year since 2012 the convenience sector has continued to grow, innovate and invest, which makes our job of showcasing the work that stores have done across the UK to stay at the heart of their communities that much easier – resulting in what is now the most comprehensive report we’ve ever produced.

Throughout this year’s report, there is a slight change in tone in the way that we approach the different parts of the sector. We’re focusing more than ever on the importance of the sector to the people who live and work in the communities around convenience stores, and the enormous contribution that the convenience sector makes to the economy every year through both direct and indirect tax contributions.

The convenience sector generates over £40bn in sales and £8.8bn in GVA

(gross value added), which is more have in their stores. This is interesting than many other higher profile sectors for a number of reasons, including in the UK. The core message of the how much flexibility retailers have on Local Shop Report is that our sector is their premises to be able to expand and crucially important, and in the coming invest, but in the current climate, it’s weeks and months we’ll be taking useful in demonstrating the issues that that message to decision makers at smaller stores will have if they feel every level, including MPs, officials, that they need to stockpile products, mayors, councils and others. again – if there is disruption as a There is some new information result of the Brexit negotiations. In in this year’s report which will be short, almost one in four independent especially relevant in the current retailers tell us that they have no political landscape. We now have additional space in stores, so they new figures on the way stores in the will be especially reliant on deliveries sector receive products, either coming in time and at capacity.

IF YOU through delivered wholesale, We will continue to use WOULD LIKE TO visits to cash and carries, or the report to highlight GET INVOLVED IN THE a mixture of both, which the importance of the POLITICAL WORK OF ACS helps us explain the extent convenience sector to MPs, ....................... CALL ...................... to which convenience but there’s no substitute 01252 515 001 stores rely on different for getting them into your supply chains if there is store and explaining what ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... disruption in the event of a you’re doing locally and any www.acs.org.uk no-deal Brexit. concerns you have. If you’re Another area we’re looking at interested in organising a store for the first time is quantifying the visit, let one of the team at ACS know amount of additional space retailers via email at acs@acs.org.uk.

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

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

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

How do we make the most of Christmas?

Low and no the way to go?

It increasingly seems to me like one of the biggest trends in independent retailing at the moment is the shift in soft drinks towards low and no sugar drinks, including water. Is this trend set to become permanenent, and what does it mean for retailers?

GRAHAM WATSON, WATSON’S GROCERS, MONIAVE

MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Last year’s Soft Drinks Levy definitely helped push this trend along but it was a trend that was already happening as more and more shoppers look to live healthier lives. IGD data suggests that 75% of shoppers are trying to live more healthily and soft drinks and water are a key part of that. Additionally,

younger shoppers have grown up with Diet Coke and Pepsi Max so they don’t instinctively look for full sugar drinks the way older shoppers once did.

The key is to stock a good range of low and zero sugar lines and that means right across the board: carbonated drinks, energy drinks, plain waters and, increasingly, low sugar flavoured waters which is a category in huge growth.

Driving the green agenda I think environmental issues are more important than ever for shoppers. How is Premier supporting retailers to reduce their carbon footprint?

ANITA NYE, PREMIER ELDRED DRIVE STORES, ORPINGTON CATHERINE MARSTON, SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER, BOOKER SAID: It’s a huge

issue for shoppers and Premier is fully behind reducing our carbon footprint as a group.

Booker has recently become the first UK wholesaler to simultaneously hold four Carbon Trust Standards, which is an industry-leading achievement. Additionally, we have just launched the UK’s first recyclable, biodegradable and compostable coffee cup, reflecting our commitment to driving the green agenda.

We all know that Christmas should be a massive opportunity for Premier retailers. Do you have any advice on making sure we convert that opportunity into profits in the till?

JAI DHILLON, PREMIER YOUR STORE, GREENOCK MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Christmas is huge and Premier has put together a great set of promotions that should be the cornerstone of a profitable festive period. Making the most of it means starting early (now, if you haven’t already) finishing late and staying in stock all the way through until the new year. Have fun with it too by getting your staff involved, get dressed up and create excitement both in-store and on social media. Why not run some ‘like & share’ competitions around Christmas promotional products to drive engagement and awareness as well as growing your social media following? Or consider a ‘countdown to Christmas’ series of posts with a special promotion featured every day in December?

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Talking Shop

Issue 103 November 2019