The Week In Retail Issue 16

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

CAMPAIGNING

PERNOD APP TACKLES HATE SPEECH

PERNOD RICARD URGES BRANDS TO FIGHT ONLINE HATE RETAILER INTERVIEW

PRINCIPLES AND PROFIT

AMAZON GO UK SBSS REVIEW DELAYED WALKERS BACKS INDIES

+

ZERO WASTE IN DUNDEE

POST-COVID ‘GREEN RECOVERY’ IN FOCUS Commercial Partner:

Brought to you by:

Issue 16 Wednesday 05 August 2020

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THE WEEK IN RETAIL

EDITOR’S COMMENT SHARE YOUR NEWS AND VIEWS WITH ME AT ABEGLEY@55NORTH.COM

WE ALL WANT TO LIVE IN A BETTER WORLD It wasn’t exactly done on purpose, but something was very obvious to me as I checked though this issue of The Week In Retail and, indeed, last week as I checked over the latest issue of SLR before it went to press: a huge amount of the content is, in on way or another, driven by what might loosely be called more ethical retailing and more ethical consumption.

From this issue’s cover story subject, Jillian Elizabeth and her zero waste store in Dundee, at one end of the spectrum to spirits behemoth Pernod Ricard and their initiative to encourage global brands to get more active about dealing with social media hateful content, it’s pretty clear, to me at least, that coronavirus has maybe triggered a new tipping point. It looks like more people than ever just want to live in a better world.

Ok, it’s easy to be cynical about the motives

driving mammoth conglomerates like Pernod Ricard and Coca-Cola and the like, but surely it’s got to be a good thing that organisations like this with their huge budgets and massive influence are pushing decent social, human and environmental agendas? Yes, their bottom line still remains their bottom line, but that applies to us all and I’d rather have them inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.

The major concern is that all this love thy neighbour and take care of the planet stuff is merely the latest fad and that we’ll be onto something else next week. But it doesn’t feel that way. Bigger concerns - the planet, our friends and family, our communities, mental health, work-life balance and so on - are seeping deep into the modern psychology and that will inevitably influence a lot of important decisions in the future, and hopefully mostly for the better.

ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY

ANTONY BEGLEY, EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

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CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

9

10 AMAZON GO TARGETS 30 UK STORES

20 HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN JILLIAN ALEXANDER?

Amazon has 10 sites secured with another 20 in the pipeline.

BEYOND THE BOYCOTT Pernod Ricard urges big brands to leverage their power against online hate speech.

Dundee zero waste retailers talks ethics, principles and profit.

6

NEWS ROUND-UP

15 PICKS OF THE WEEK

A DIGEST OF THE LATEST RETAIL NEWS

FROM THE PAST WEEK.

WOULD MEAN FOR RETAILERS.

NEWS ON THE LATEST PRODUCTS AND

19 OUT THE BOX

CAMPAIGNS.

WALKERS SUPPORTS THE RETAIL AND

8

COVID UPDATE

16 THE GREEN RECOVERY

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIES IN A SINGLE

CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO TURN THE

PROMOTION.

WORLD UPSIDE DOWN.

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

TOMRA’S LIZZIE BARTHOLEMEW DISCUSSES WHAT A GREEN RECOVERY

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5

NEWS DIGEST

THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

SUGRO ADDS KHOSLA

RETAIL CRIME

has welcomed Hayes-based

MASKED KNIFEMAN ROBS STORE ON FIRST DAY OF MANDATORY FACE COVERINGS

Khosla Wines as its latest

A RETAILER IN ENGLAND WAS SUBJECTED TO A HORRIFIC KNIFE

member, adding £15m to

ATTACK ON THE VERY FIRST MORNING THAT FACE COVERINGS

Sugro’s turnover.

BECAME COMPULSORY.

Member-owned buying and marketing group Sugro UK

COCA-COLA GETS HARD The Coca-Cola Company is launching an alcoholic hard seltzer in the US under its Topo Chico sparkling water brand this year. Topo Chico hard seltzer will launch in a Tangy Lemon Lime vAriana.

According to Nielsen, annual sales of hard seltzers are due to hit $3 bn in the US this year.

SPAR SAFETY AWARD Spar Scotland wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang and Son has been awarded the RoSPA President’s Award for health and safety achievements for its commitment to the highest standards and in recognition of their efforts to ensure its staff get home safely to their families at the end of every working day. The President’s Award was presented to the company after being awarded 10 consecutive Gold Awards.

Retailer Rikki Patel of RNP News in Hatfield, Hertfordshire was held up at knifepoint at 6.30am on the very first day that face coverings became mandatory in stores in England. A masked and gloved thug ransacked the till before making off with £100.

A passer-by saw the bandit hurrying out of the store and rushed to help Rikki, who had already pushed a panic button. Police officers were on the scene 15 minutes later, however the offender was not located.

The Federation of Independent

Retailers (NFRN)’s National President Stuart Reddish said: “It is unfortunate that the steps being taken to protect the local community during the coronavirus pandemic have also helped this criminal protect their identity.”

EDGEPOS SELF-CHECKOUTS NOW FULLY INTEGRATED WITH BP

Henderson Technology has announced the launch of the first EDGEPoS selfcheckout integrated with BP systems in a Henderson Retail EUROSPAR store in Northern Ireland.

Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director, said: “We are excited to launch our successful interface with BP to offer the first hybrid self-serve option in all BP sites using the award winning EDGEPoS retail system.“ Our product gives retailers more choice to utilise space throughout the store, enhancing the customer shopping experience as the self-checkout is much smaller and more streamlined than other products on the market.”

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Retail, said: “The launch of the self-checkout with BP has been a great success; customers are really reacting to the newest addition to the store. We have had lots of customers trying out the new service daily and are returning to use the express tills confidentially.”

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NEWS DIGEST

THIS WEEK’S NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

RESEARCH

OVER 40% NOW ‘CARE MORE’ ABOUT THEIR COMMUNTIES

DIAGEO SALES FALL 4% Diageo’s GB net sales declined by 4% for their last financial

A NEW SURVEY HAS FOUND THAT OVER 40% OF CONSUMERS NOW

year with solid first half results

CARE MORE ABOUT THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

offset by the impact of ontrade closures from March,

New research conducted amongst 2,000 UK consumers by parcel locker firm InPost, has uncovered a growing sense of care and community spirit during Covi-19. Overall, 41% of consumers agree that they now care more about their local area and have embraced community spirit and the same number agree that they now think about the impact that environmental issues have on their local community and not just globally.

This figure is notably higher for those in Edinburgh (47%).

Jason Tavaria, CEO of InPost UK,

said:“It’s really encouraging to see an increased sense of community spirit and a nod towards more environmentally friendly behaviour.

It appears that lockdown has changed more than we think. It has presented us all with an opportunity to really consider how we want to live and work and support others.

despite an increase in off-trade sales. The impact was further amplified by the cancellation of sporting and cultural events.

BOOTS GOES VIRTUAL Boots is now offering virtual physiotherapy appointments via teleconferencing call as part of its extension of virtual customer services under lockdown. Boots is partnering with PhysioFast Online to implement the service and believes around 80% of a

VPZ OPENS FIRST NEW STORE SINCE LOCKDOWN BEGAN VPZ, the UK’s .leading vaping specialist, opened opens its first new store since lockdown in Edinburgh last week. The firm, which is headquartered in Newbridge, Edinburgh has had to adapt to the new way of life following the huge change in the retail landscape Doug Mutter, Director, said: “Despite the economic turmoil we are continuing to create jobs in Edinburgh and we are delighted to open our new

normal physio appointment can be conducted remotely.

store at Bruntsfield. We are seeing the biggest change in the retail economy in living memory and we as a company have had to be adapt in what we can offer.

“We understand that not all of our customers are able to travel to our stores which is why we have opened this new store within a more residential area to ensure we can still serve our customers, without requiring them to take excessive travel.”

M&S GROWS SCAN AND GO M&S has more than tripled the number of stores featuring its mobile Pay Go technology.

Some 310 stores will now offer the contact-free solution enabling shoppers to buy up to £30 worth of groceries by scanning them with the M&S app on their smartphone and paying with their card.

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NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

LABELLING CONSULTATION The UK Government has launched a on Front of Pack Nutritional Labelling (FOPNL), running until the 21st October 2020. The government considers it an important tool in reducing obesity and wants to ensure labelling still meets the needs of UK shoppers.

RETAIL WEBINARS The retailTRUST charity has launched a series of live webinars for retail workers facing redundancy or currently unemployed. The sessions are ideal for everyone working in retail from middle management to shop floor who wants to

POST OFFICE ‘KEY TO MAINTAINING BANKING ACCESS’ A NEW REPORT FROM CITIZENS ADVICE SUGGESTS THAT, DESPITE BIG INCREASES IN CASHLESS SPENDING, POST OFFICES REMAIN CRITICAL TO ENSURING CONSUMERS HAVE ACCESS TO BANKING SERVICES.

Citizens Advice have produced a new report focusing on the Post Office’s current provision of banking services.

The report highlights how, despite a huge increase in cashless spending and rising online banking, 14% of consumers and 20% of small businesses still use face to face banking weekly. As banks continue to exit the high street, post offices are key to maintaining access to banking services.

Importantly, the report confirms that vulnerable groups use Post Office banking most frequently, particularly those on low incomes and disabled people.

Some 70% of postmasters, however, told Citizens Advice that pay rates for banking do not Even cover the cost of providing the service, prompting the agency to recommend that the Post Office “ensure postmasters’ remuneration for providing banking is provided at levels that can sustain the service”.

build their knowledge and skills. For more information, visit www.retailtrust.org.uk/ upskilling-webinar

WELSH PUBS OPEN The Welsh Government has announced that pubs in Wales could fully reopen, both indoors and outdoors, from Monday this week. Previously, pubs in Wales could only reopen to serve outdoors, making it the last part of the UK where pubs couldn’t open indoors, stopping them from fully reopening properly.

LOMOND LAUNCHES MARGIN-BOOSTING DEALS Glasgow-based Lomond The Wholesale Food Co has unveiled a margin-boosting ‘welcome back, giving back’ promotion, cutting the price on many of its bestselling foodto-go products by up to 40% to help boost customer margins, aimed at helping retailers offering food to go as restaurants re-open.

Running until the end of November, the promotion will feature ’star foodto-go products’ each month with each promotion including Lomond’s core line of bestselling products, with a range of chips, bacon, burgers and

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chicken goujons up for grabs during August.

“It’s been such a terrible few months, we wanted to help our retail customers maintain their food-to-go sales as foodservice operators open their doors once more,” said Director Barbara Henderson.

Products included in the August promotion include 4 x 2.5kg chips at £6.99, 2.27kg bacon at £6.99, 1.9kg battered chicken burgers at £4.99, 2kg chicken goujons at £8.99 and 1kg sliced roast chicken at £5.99. Fond out more at www.lomondwholesale.co.uk

NEWS SPECIAL

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, HEAD TO WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK/CATEGORY/NEWS/

SBSS REVIEW DELAYED

30 AMAZON GO STORES PLANNED FOR UK

I

THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED A DELAY TO THE REVIEW OF THE SMALL BUSINESS BONUS SCHEME.

Amazon is reportedly planning to open up to 30 checkout-free stores in UK with the Sunday Times reporting that the retail giant has already done deals to secure the first 10 sites.

n a move welcomed by the Scottish local retailing industry, the Scottish government has confirmed a delay to the review of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBSS).

The Fraser of Allander Institute, Scotland’s leading economic think tank, had been commissioned to conduct the review as part of a wider re-examination of the Non-Domestic Rates system. Earlier this year the Scottish government announced that.

SGF Head of Public Affairs Dr John Lee said: “This is the right decision. The impact of the pandemic on businesses must be taken into account. Overall the Small Busines Bonus must be retained and there should be no moves towards making receipt of the bonus conditional or linked to initiatives such as the Scottish government Living Wage or modern apprenticeships.”

It is now expected that the SBBS review will be completed in the spring of 2021.

The company is understood to be targeting transportation hubs to attract busy commuters.

Treasury Wine Estates has introduced its first e-commerce platform in the UK, selling its portfolio of luxury wines direct to consumers.

The company aims to bring consumers “closer to its wider portfolio”, whilst also enhancing the consumer experience by providing people with authentic experiences.

Consumers will have access to events and the winemakers themselves – with the longterm ambition being to run a range of monthly events

from wine clubs to vertical tastings.

Ben Blake, Head of Marketing for EMEA at Treasury Wine Estates says: “This offering perfectly complements Treasury’s existing routes to market, has the potential to connect with new consumers and provides the opportunity to promote our brands to a wider audience. Direct to consumer platforms are in high demand and we felt that now was the right time to introduce The Winery Collection to wine lovers in the UK.”

TECH SOLUTIONS

TREASURY WINE UNVEILS D2C PLATFORM

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RETAILER PROFILE

JILLIAN ELIZABETH THE LITTLE GREEN LARDER, DUNDEE

HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN...

JILLIAN ELIZABETH? IT’S BEEN AN INTERESTING FIRST YEAR IN HER ZERO WASTE SHOP IN DUNDEE BUT JILLIAN ELIZABETH IS HOPEFUL THAT THE PANDEMIC WILL SEE A GROWTH IN INTEREST IN ETHICAL CONSUMPTION.

HOW’S YOU WEEK BEEN JILLIAN? It’s been really positive, actually.

Coronavirus has been tough for us but we’re finally getting back to business properly and the store’s starting to get busy again, which is great.

WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA TO OPEN A ZERO WASTE SHOP? It’s a bit of an unusual story. I was actually a make-up artist for many years before I opened the shop. I specialised in wedding make-up but over the years I gradually become more aware of how much waste is created in that industry and it got me to thinking about what I could do to try to make a difference. So I ended up

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RETAILER PROFILE

JILLIAN ELIZABETH THE LITTLE GREEN LARDER, DUNDEE

on a trip to New York and happened to visit a zero waste shop over there and I was fascinated. It was a non-food store but I immediately realised that this was something I wanted to do.

WHEN DID YOU OPEN THE LITTLE GREEN LARDER? We first opened just over a year ago in July 2019.

It really started because I was always looking for places where I could buy ethically sourced and healthy food for myself and I got a bit frustrated that there didn’t seem to be many outlets like that in Dundee. So I thought, why not open a zero waste store myself?

WAS IT EASY TO FIND A STORE? It wasn’t too difficult. The site I ended up moving into had been a mortgage advice centre so it needed fully refitted but because I wanted a very specific look and feel for the shop, I knew that wherever I moved into would need a lot of work.

HOW HAS THE YEAR BEEN? It’s been brilliant, it really has. From day one I didn’t want to be a little niche, specialist shop. I wanted to offer something for everyone. I quickly built a strong core customer base that would visit regularly but over the year I’ve seen more and more people visit and once they’ve been here once, they usually come back.

WHAT RANGES DO YOU OFFER? It’s mostly food and drink with a little bit of nonfood that I feel is relevant. We do a full range of loose product including fruit and veg and lots of staples like pasta, rice, grains, nuts, lentils and beans. Customers can just bring their own containers and then buy as much as they need – so there’s no packaging waste. We also do products like Bombay mix, vegan pick and mix, oils,

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 11

RETAILER PROFILE

JILLIAN ELIZABETH THE LITTLE GREEN LARDER, DUNDEE

vinegars and so on and we do a range of Fairtrade and organic lines like chocolate. The non-food lines include a full range of environmentallyfriendly, cleaning and washing products plus we have everything from bamboo toothbrushes to t-shirts.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO STICK TO YOUR ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE STORE? It’s not that difficult. We buy a lot of our stock from Greencity Wholefoods in Glasgow and they deliver that mostly in bulk, so we then just decant them into our dispensers. We try to buy fixtures or fittings we need for the store second-hand, so we do have some plastic gravity dispensers, for instance, but I got them second-hand on eBay. Oddly, there’s a huge demand for this kind of stuff on eBay so it tends not to very cheap to buy! We buy a lot of local product like fresh fruit and veg, to reduce food miles and because it’s the best in the world, and we also focus on products that are organic, Fairtrade, ethical traded and so on. Once you get your supply chain sorted out it’s not too difficult at all to keep the store stocked without having to compromise your principles.

HOW WAS CORONAVIRUS FOR YOU?

“I think what people have gone through in the last three or four months could well lead to an increase in ethical consumption.”

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It was tough. We decided very early on that we had to close the store, but we maintained a click and collect service so that kept some money coming in and it kept our regular customers happy. The fact that we were about the only store in Dundee with rice and pasta at the start of lockdown helped ensure we still got a fair bit of custom in the early days. We also had plenty of hand sanitiser that we get in bulk from a local company, so that was popular too. Our customers really understood the challenges we were facing

RETAILER PROFILE

JILLIAN ELIZABETH THE LITTLE GREEN LARDER, DUNDEE

and they understood why we had to do what we did. We then re-opened about a month or so ago and it’s been a bit quieter than usual but it’s starting to build back up again, so fingers crossed.

We’re close to an Art School, which is closed at the moment, but when that re-opens we should see some decent growth again.

DO YOU THINK THE PANDEMIC

COULD ULTIMATELY BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS? I think what people have gone through in the last three or four months could well lead to an increase in ethical consumption. I think more people than ever are now interested in the impact they are having on the planet and are looking to be a bit more mindful about what they buy and where they buy it from.

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 13

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MALIBU GOES NUTS

BLINDING NEW LOOK

BEAR OUTDOORS

Malibu is partnering with

Sadler’s award-winning Peaky

Kids fruit snacking brand

DJ Dillon Francis and a

Blinder spirits have been given

BEAR is kicking off a burst

host of celebrities to launch

a new look for summer 2020,

of outdoor activity to support

#TheCoconutChallenge. The

emphasising provenance and

its best-selling product,

campaign will see over 30

enhancing standout on-shelf.

BEAR yoyos. The nationwide

Malibu ambassadors from seven

The portfolio Blended Irish

campaign is set to reach six

countries encouraging Gen

Whiskey, Black Spiced Rum

million consumers. The product

Zs to move to the beat of The

and Spiced Dry Gin.

is made with 100% fruit and

Coconut Nut Malibu Remix.

RSPs: £22

vegetables.

FLIPZ IN PMPS

SELF-SERVE PIZZA

COKE GETS POETIC

Snacking giant pladis has

Frozen pizza specialist Chicago

Coca-Cola Great Britain has

launched Flipz Milk Chocolate

Town has launched a new

launched a new TV campaign,

in £1 price-marked packs to

self-serve 12” pizza-to-go

Open Like Never Before,

attract interest from both the

solution into convenience and

featuring a manifesto poem

brand’s loyal shopper base, as

forecourts following trials with

written specifically by award-

well as new shoppers. They

Spar wholesaler James Hall.

winning spoken word artist

are available this month in

They are available in a range

George The Poet to mark a

80g bags with packaging fully

of flavours including Loaded

time of social and cultural

recyclable.

Cheese and Loaded Pepperoni.

change post pandemic.

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 15

OPINION

GREEN RECOVERY LIZZIE BARTHOLOMEW, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, TOMRA COLLECTION SOLUTIONS UK & IRELAND

BUILDING BACK BETTER IS A RESURGENCE IN INTEREST IN SUSTAINABILITY ON THE CARDS AS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC BEGINS TO RECEDE, AND WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR LOCAL RETAILERS, ASKS LIZZIE BARTHOLEMEW?

are showing an increased interest in sustainability following the impact of Covid-19, and how this could translate to business benefits.

MINDFUL SHOPPING

M

uch has been said of a ‘green recovery’ for the economy after the Covid-19 pandemic, but what does this mean for retailers? Rightly, the focus for rt the beginning of the pandemic was on keeping shelves stocked, colleagues and customers safe and business running. Now, as we begin the slow exit from lockdown, it is becoming clearer that sustainability remains high on the agenda for consumers.

In July, Zero Waste Scotland outlined its five-point plan for a green recovery from Covid-19. These measures focus on ‘building back better’ to create a robust and green economy in Scotland. The message here is clear: any sustainability initiatives must work hand in hand with getting business moving again. Here, we identify three areas where consumers

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One trend emerging from the pandemic is consumers becoming more conscious of where they spend their money, not just what they spend it on. While value, convenience and availability are key drivers for buying certain products, research by McKinsey highlighted that 44% of shoppers are now more mindful of where they spend their money compared to before the pandemic. This naturally represents a huge opportunity for local retailers who can highlight their strong connection to the community. The same research also showed that consumers are likely to spend more with a company who take care of their employees’ safety. This is a good reminder that sustainability is about people and community, as well as the planet.

When it comes to making environmentally conscious choices, research by Accenture has highlighted that 45% of consumers say they are now making more sustainable choices when shopping and will likely continue to do so. Therefore, retailers who can offer a range of sustainable food choices are likely to be preferred by many shoppers.

EMBRACING LOCAL A shift to local shopping has been clear, necessitated by travel restrictions, long queues at supermarkets and a

OPINION

GREEN RECOVERY LIZZIE BARTHOLOMEW, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, TOMRA COLLECTION SOLUTIONS UK & IRELAND

general preference for staying close to home. Supporting local businesses has also become increasingly important for consumers, something which will continue to benefit convenience stores in the coming months.

Many stores have also seen success by offering home delivery and click & collect services. The rise in these offerings has been huge, with the Association of Local Convenience Stores estimating that around 65% of convenience stores are now offering them in some form. This has further fostered a sense of community support, with the services largely aimed at those isolating or vulnerable. The popularity of this offering means it looks set to stay, with research by HIM & MCA Insight UK showing that around 70% of consumers are planning on using convenience store delivery services more in future.

There is now an opportunity for local stores to become even more central to their community, by supporting wider sustainability initiatives which will further benefit the local area. According to YouGov, 70% of consumers who shopped locally during the pandemic say that they will continue to do so, making it a chance to reap the business rewards too.

A RENEWED FOCUS ON RECYCLING While the perceived hygiene of packaged goods is appealing to many consumers, a new poll by Populus found that two in three Scots are concerned about an increase in plastic waste following lockdown. Litter has become a huge issue, with people now spending more time in parks and outside spaces, as well as consuming more on-the-go food and drink. This has prompted a new joint anti-littering campaign by Zero Waste Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Scottish Government.

One of the interventions to reduce littering and improve recycling rates in Scotland is the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in 2022. The scheme has now been voted through as law, with a delay to the launch date from April 2021 to July 2022 to give retailers more time to prepare.

Consumer support for a DRS remains higher than ever. In June, a survey by Nature 2030, showed that 84%

of respondents supported an ‘all in’ deposit return scheme covering drinks containers of all sizes. This was up from 69% in 2019, highlighting that public appetite for sustainability continues to increase following Covid-19.

Across Europe, deposit return schemes have continued to operate safely throughout the outbreak with adjustments to maintain social distancing and provide ‘touch free’ operation.

In some markets, the volume of containers returned is now higher than pre-Covid-19 levels, highlighting that if consumers feel safe, they are happy to recycle.

IN SUMMARY Covid-19 has been an unexpected crisis for retailers, but they have demonstrated just how resilient they are over the past few months. As we begin to slowly exit from the toughest lockdown measures, for many it will be a time to think about what ‘building back better’ looks like for their own businesses.

For some, this will mean fostering a stronger connection than ever to their local community. For others it may mean stocking more local foods. Looking further ahead, some retailers will be looking at plans to create a great recycling experience, as the deposit return scheme approaches. One thing we know for certain is that the challenges facing the environment have not gone away, and the appetite from both retailers and consumers to make a difference, has only been strengthened.

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 17

Learn more at tomra.com/uk

We make deposit return systems work for everyone.

TOMRA reverse vending machines collect 40 billion containers every year, keeping bottles in the Clean Loop and out of the oceans.

We look forward to helping retailers in Scotland get ready for the forthcoming deposit return scheme.

NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…

WALKERS TASTE ICONS RANGE NEW £1 PMPS ADDED

WALKERS RANGE HELPS BOOST RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS WALKERS’ TASTE ICONS RANGE HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE £1PMPs AND ALSO OFFERS CUSTOMERS VOUCHERS FOR A FREE MEAL AT A PARTNER RESTAURANT.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Following the launch of Walkers’ Taste Icons range earlier this year, the company is expanding the range with the introduction of £1PMPs - and is offering shoppers a free meal voucher for the partner restaurant flavour.

HOW DOES THAT WORK?

CAN THIS OFFER BE USED ALONGSIDE THE GOVERNMENT’S EAT OUT SCHEME? Yes. It applies throughout August, every Monday to Wednesday on all sales of qualifying food and drink.

The government scheme includes a 50% discount up to a maximum of £10 a person.

The Taste Icons range transforms signature dishes from some of the nation’s favourite restaurants into a Walkers pack of crisps.

WHAT’S THE RSPS?

WHICH RESTAURANTS?

Fernando Kahane, Marketing Director Walkers Snacks at PepsiCo, comments: “Households have been shopping very differently since the start of lockdown; we’ve seen greater demand for larger packs over single serve formats.

Our Taste Icons range has proved very popular with shoppers since its initial launch in March but in order to fully meet the shift in shopper behaviour, we’re expanding the range to offer even greater choice.

“Restrictions on Covid-19 are gradually being lifted and restaurants are being given permission to open under social distancing rules. It is our hope that with this promotion, it will not only boost snacking sales, but also drive much needed footfall back into the hard-hit hospitality sector.”

They include Classic Cheeseburger inspired by Gourmet Burger Kitchen, PERi-PERi Chicken inspired by Nando’s, American Hot Pizza inspired

by PizzaExpress and Katsu Curry inspired by YO!

HOW DOES THE RESTAURANT VOUCHER WORK? Each pack contains a code on back of pack to unlock a free meal voucher. The offer varies by restaurant: Nando’s: free half chicken when you spend £7 PizzaExpress: 2 for 1 on mains YO!: 2 for 1 on large plates Gourmet Burger Kitchen: 2 for 1 on burgers Las Iguanas: 2 for 1 on mains

85p for the 50g bag and £1 for the PMP bags.

WHAT ARE WALKERS SAYING?

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 19

CAMPAIGNING

#STOPHATEFORPROFIT PERNOD RICARD

PERNOD RICARD CALLS ON BRANDS TO ‘GO BEYOND THE BOYCOTT’ WITH MORE THAN 1,000 BRANDS HAVING BOYCOTTED FACEBOOK IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AS PART OF THE #STOPHATEFORPROFIT CAMPAIGN, PERNOD RICARD IS CALLING ON BIG BRANDS TO ‘GO

T

BEYOND THE BOYCOTT’ BY USING THEIR POWER AND INFLUENCE TO DRIVE REAL, POSITIVE CHANGE.

he recent high-profile boycott of Facebook by reportedly more than 1,000 brands has helped draw global attention to the consequences of hate speech, racism and misinformation online. Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth has shrunk by an astonishing $7bn as a result of the boycott and Facebook’s market value plummeted by some $60bn in just two days in June.

The boycott is relatively unusual in its scale and helps reinforce the notion that nothing talks quite as loudly as money.

But Pernod Ricard, the second biggest spirits

THE NEW APP Q social media users affected by hate speech on social media will be able to report the content direct to brands Q brands will be able to use their influence with social media platforms to have the content removed Q it will create a space where users, brands and social media platforms can collaborate

20 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 16 / WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020

“Companies like ours can and should play a bigger role in problem-solving than just withholding advertising dollars.” company on the planet, is calling on brands to move ‘beyond the boycott and leverage their power and influence to combat hate speech online.

The company, through its affiliate Pernod Ricard USA, is creating a crowdsourcing app that will give consumers and brands a proactive voice in the fight. The plan is that the app gives consumers and those affected by hate speech on social media the power to identify and report content they find objectionable directly to brands and companies.

Brands can then leverage their influence with social media platforms to help ensure the content is reviewed and removed, if warranted.

“The world is waking up to the reality that we all have a role to play in stopping the spread of hate speech, racism and misinformation on social media platforms,” said Pernod Ricard USA CEO Ann Mukherjee. “There is a long way to go. Movements like #StopHateForProfit

CAMPAIGNING

#STOPHATEFORPROFIT PERNOD RICARD

are demonstrating that brands MORE THAN 1,000 HAVE and consumers want them to BOYCOTTED FACEBOOK take more urgent action. This is AS PART OF THE important, and it is why we are #STOPHATEFORPROFIT joining the movement for the next CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING: 30 days across all paid social media Q Adidas platforms in the U.S., not just Q Beam Suntory Facebook.”

Q Ben & Jerry’s Mukherjee, however, says that Q Coca-Cola this is “not sufficient”. She explains: Q Diageo “We need more action and more Q Ford people within the industry to find Q Hewlett-Packard more solutions. Companies like Q Levi Strauss ours can and should play a bigger Q Lululemon role in problem-solving than just Q The North Face withholding advertising dollars.

Q Patagonia We can create tools that make it Q Patron easier for consumers’ voices to be Q Pepsi heard when they see hate speech Q Pfizer spreading online. And that’s what Q Puma we are doing.”

Q Starbucks The app will allow consumers Q Target and brands to collaborate with Q Volkswagen one another to drive real change and also creates a space for collaboration between brands and social media platforms. This initiative, says Mukherjee, is about giving consumers a voice, helping brands own their responsibility to hold social media platforms accountable given their influence, and ultimately creating a more transparent and positive world with an internet that is safe for all.

Pernod Ricard Chairman & CEO Alexandre Ricard said: “As creators of conviviality, our mission is all about sharing with respect and responsibility, bringing people together to celebrate the moments that make life worth living, not to divide, deride or tear people apart. Social media platforms share that mission, but there is still a collective work to make those platforms safe, responsible and convivial for everyone.

Let’s then join forces to focus on a positive solution together.”

“The new app gives consumers and those affected by hate speech on social media the power to identify and report content they find objectionable directly to brands.”

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2020 / ISSUE 16 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

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