SLR August 2024 Edition

AUGUST 2024 | ISSUE 256

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SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR

MSPs ponder vaping restrictions

RTDS IN FOCUS

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ANTISOCIAL

Social media scams harming four in five retailers

RTDs market flying in Scotland

SNAPPY SCRATCHCARDS Online sales via Snappy Shopper

Campus champs: Premier DUSA in profile – p30

August 2024

Contents

Contents ISSUE 256

NEWS 04 05 06 08 10

20 22

Horizon Scandal A new redress scheme for postmasters with overturned convictions is launched.

Crime Recorded crimes of assault and abuse of Scottish retail workers shoot up by 46%.

Vaping The SGF urges MSPs to consider the risks of restricting vape flavours.

Proxy Purchasing A new campaign highlights that buying alcohol for children could result in a fine or jail time.

News Extra Legislation Fresh from its election win, the Labour government will make its mark with a host of new laws, but at what cost to retailers?

Product News Sprite and Pringles pair up, while Diet Coke launches personalised cans.

Off-Trade News Knights Cider gallops into Scottish wholesalers and Diageo supports its RTD cocktails.

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INSIDE BUSINESS 24

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Category Insight Exclusive new TWC research on ARTDs within convenience sees Scotland punching well above its weight in this vibrant and innovative category.

Store Profile Premier DUSA Find out why this campusbased store claimed two gongs at the recent SLR Awards.

Charity GroceryAid’s latest Impact Report reveals a huge increase in requests for its support in the past year.

Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.

Under The Counter The Auld Boy gets to the bottom of America’s toilet paper shortage.

FEATURES 40

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Soft Drinks With limited editions galore, evolving functionality and the ability to meet multiple need states, the soft drinks category is thriving in convenience.

Nicotine From pouches and vapes to heat not burn tobacco, next generation products provide a wealth of opportunity for retailers who are prepared to put the work in.

Back To University Students of today are having to watch what they spend, with their biggest headaches fuelled by financial and sustainability concerns, rather than alcohol.

Halloween Ensure your Halloween offer is on point and you’ll leave your customers spellbound.

Forecourts The forecourt sector continues to evolve as operators up the ante with improved retail offerings and EV charging points.

ON THE COVER 14

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Social Media Scams Local retailers are battling against the growing scourge of fake Facebook pages out to scam their shoppers.

AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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News HORIZON SCANDAL Compensation scheme launches

Weather blamed for Post Office cash handling dip After a record-breaking April and May, cash transactions dropped in June due to unseasonable weather, according to the Post Office’s cash tracker data. Total cash transactions in Scotland for June were worth £230.9m, with total cash deposits value down -4.2% MOM, and up +2.2% YOY to a total of £171.2m. Cash withdrawals carried a value of £59.7m, down -6.7% MOM and -2% YOY.

Broughty Ferry Aldi on track Discounter Aldi has confirmed that a new store in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, is on track to launch in the coming months, having first announced plans to open the store last December.

The new site will form part of the

New redress scheme for postmasters with overturned convictions Postmasters whose convictions have been overturned by the Post Office Offences Act (including that passed by the Scottish Government) can now apply to a new redress scheme.

Designed for postmasters whose conviction was not already quashed by the courts, the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) gives victims the choice of a taking a flat £600,000 or a fully detailed assessment of their case.

Once eligibility is confirmed, the government has claimed that the new scheme will provide swift and fair redress without bureaucracy, allowing those affected to rebuild their lives.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

“Postmasters have suffered immeasurably so I hope [the] new redress scheme brings some relief to postmasters who have waited far too long to get back the money that is rightfully theirs.

“Any postmaster who thinks they are eligible for this scheme can come forward and register. We know that every case is different, and this government fully supports the right of every postmaster to choose what is best for them.”

Postmasters eligible can either accept a fixed settlement of £600,000 or those who believe their losses exceed that amount can choose a full claim assessment route. This will mean their application will be fully examined by a team of dedicated caseworkers

in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

DBT will work closely with the Ministry of Justice to confirm the eligibility of individuals registering for the scheme. Postmasters with overturned convictions have already begun to receive written confirmation of their exoneration from the Ministry of Justice.

The letters will also explain how criminal justice agencies will be amending their court and criminal records. If there is insufficient evidence to confirm that a conviction can be quashed, postmasters may receive a request to submit further information.

The Government has committed to paying all reasonable legal fees for postmasters’ legal representation.

group’s continued expansion in Scotland, where it is investing more than £56m over 2024-25.

Food to go powers convenience channel The convenience sector was worth £47.4bn in 2023, up 5%, with food to go cited as a key driver of growth, according to Lumina Intelligence’s UK Convenience Market Report 2024. Growth was restricted by weak household spending, and a colder-than-average summer, stated the report. However, improvements to household spending in 2024 were expected to contribute to convenience channel growth of 4.2% in 2024,

STORES

Daniall Nadeem celebrates 30% sales hike Spar Motherwell Road owner Daniall Nadeem, who held a successful store launch party last month, has achieved a 30% increase in YOY sales after switching symbols at the end of 2023.

Since changing from Nisa to Spar, Daniall has welcomed a host of new customers, many of whom came to celebrate with him on 5 July at the Bellshill store’s official opening.

“I’ve realised how much the Spar brand actually means to customers,” he told Scottish Local Retailer.

“We’ve become accustomed to seeing a lot of new faces as of recent. It all happened when our signage changed.”

Daniall explained that as sales climbed, he has had to invest in the infrastructure of the business, hiring more staff and more delivery drivers. “We’ve brought in five new team members, also we had to sign up with an agency to have driver cover at all times. We need to ensure we’re delivering on time and that the store is still trading as it should be.”

predicted Lumina.

MADL’s Heart of the Community returns Making a Difference Locally is set to distribute £250,000 to local initiatives via its largest Heart of the Community Awards yet. The Nisa charity aims to empower local charities and not-for-profit causes by helping them tackle pressing local issues and build brighter futures. Applications are welcome from groups addressing a wide variety of challenges and the deadline is Tuesday 17 September 2024.

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EVENTS In-store fun with hole in one

Troon KeyStore drives engagement with in-store golf competition In-store theatre was par for the course at KeyStore Central Avenue, which organised its own mini golf event to celebrate the Open Golf Championship held at nearby Royal Troon last month.

Rolling out its own golfing green alongside the alcohol chillers and soft drinks aisle, the store invited customers to pick up a club and see if they could get a hole in one. Despite the rain, plenty of people came to take part in the activity and were rewarded with a plethora of prizes, including Eden Mill Golf Gin, Object Bluetooth headphones, snacks, sweets, hats and bottle openers.

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News CRIME Rise in attacks on Scottish shopworkers

Recorded crimes of assault and abuse of Scottish retail workers up 46% As UK Labour announced the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill, which will make violence against shopworkers a standalone crime in England – as is the case in Scotland – new Scottish retail crime figures have provided a worrying picture of the colossal size of the problem.

A horrendous 5,490 crimes of abuse and assault of Scottish retail workers were recorded in the year to March 2024, up 46% on the previous year, according to the latest figure from the Scottish Government. Meanwhile, shoplifting is at its highest recorded level in a decade.

Breaking down the data, the largest increase was in common assault, which rose a massive 55% to 2,555 crimes recorded against Scottish retail workers in 2023-24,

accounting for 4% of all common assaults in the country.

There were 13 serious assaults on Scottish shopworkers recorded in the last year, down from 15 in 2022-23.

Recorded incidents of threatening and abusive behaviour against retail workers have soared 39% to 2,922. This miserable figure accounts for 7% of all crimes recorded in the threatening and abusive behaviour category.

Shoplifting levels are equally appalling, up 35% YOY to 38,674 recorded crimes in 2023-24. This is an increase of 41% since 2014-15, its highest recorded level in the last 10 years. Shoplifting accounts for 35% of crimes of dishonesty and is now the largest category within this group, having overtaken ‘other theft,’ which includes bicycle thefts.

Scottish Grocers’ Federation boss Pete Cheema said: “The recorded crime in Scotland statistics for 2023/24 published by the Scottish Government are a real concern for our sector as they clearly show that shoplifting and crimes against retail workers such as assault, threatening and abusive behaviour are prevalent.

“We would urge the Scottish Government to act before things get even worse. If not now, then when?”

The actual number of crimes committed against retailers is in all likelihood far higher because the above data only takes into account recorded crimes and, as Cheema has previously highlighted, many crimes are going unreported because retailers don’t believe the authorities will respond.

C-stores come out top UK consumers view their local convenience stores as the most important service at creating jobs, encouraging local investment and attracting more customers, revealed the ACS 2024 Community Barometer.

The report highlighted that convenience stores employ over 400,000 people and consistently invest over half a billion pounds each year in improving their businesses.

Unitas Chairman resigns Unitas Wholesale Chairman Mark Aylwin is to step down from the role at the group’s AGM in November after an extension to his term. Having been elected to the position in March 2021, Mark agreed to remain as Chairman beyond his threeyear term to oversee Unitas’ strategic development, with a particular focus on supply chain optimisation.

CAMPAIGN Anti-crime initiative kicks off

SERVICES

Community Safety Minister welcomes ‘Don’t Put Up With It’ relaunch

Indies to sell scratchcards via Snappy Shopper

The ‘Don’t Put Up With It’ campaign to support retailers facing abuse and violence has been revamped to raise awareness of the growing impact of retail crime in Scotland, and across the UK. The campaign seeks to provide information and guidance for retailers about the support available through the Protection of Workers (Retail) Act 2021 and charitable organisations such as Grocery Aid, while also raising public awareness of the impact of crime.

The renewal of the campaign by Retailers Against Crime (RAC) and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, has been welcomed by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown MSP. She said: “I fully support the Don’t Put Up with It! campaign, which calls for everyone to respect retailers and encourages shop workers to report all incidents of retail crime to Police Scotland. Retail workers provide an invaluable service to all of us, and any kind of abuse or violence is completely unacceptable.”

RAC Managing Director Maxine Fraser said: “People should not have to go to work in their local community and experience threatening and abusive behaviour on a regular basis, often escalating to violence. It’s simply not acceptable.

“We have a simple message to everyone who is faced with the terrible impact of retail crime on their business and staff, Don’t Put Up With It! Report it!”

Visit dontputupwithit.scot for more info.

Retailers can grow their National Lottery sales and associated commission by selling scratchcards online, through an Allwyn partnership with Snappy Shopper.

To be eligible, lottery retailers must be signed up to sell groceries on the Snappy Shopper platform. The store must also use its own staff members (as opposed to third-party drivers) for home deliveries, as well as be up to date with all the necessary lottery safeguarding training.

Retailer Natalie Lightfoot, whose Londis store was in the trial, said: “Notably, three of our Scratchcards have ranked among the top 100 products sold through Snappy Shopper in the past three weeks, indicating that our customers appreciate the freedom of choice and convenience of purchasing online.”

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ACS welcomes FCA Access to Cash statement The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that from 18 September, banks and building societies will be required to provide “reasonable additional cash services” when closing branches or making other changes to existing cash services. The ACS welcomed the assurance in the FCA’s statement that cashback without purchase should not be relied upon as the sole cash access point as it may only be available at the discretion of the retailer.

Co-op teams up with EG On The Move Co-op and Zuber Issa’s EG On The Move have joined forces as the convenience retailer looks to expand its franchise operation in the forecourt sector. Seven new Co-op franchise stores open on EG On The Move forecourts this summer, including at Nitshill, Glasgow; Portlethen, Aberdeenshire; and Macmerry in Tranent, East Lothian.

AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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News VAPES Fears over forthcoming legislation

UK food sales rise Notwithstanding a cool June, UK food sales have grown in value and volume over the last quarter, according to BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor data, and IGD has predicted a post-election bump in shopper confidence. While total UK retail sales dropped 0.2% YOY in June, compared to a growth of 4.9% in June 2023, food sales saw a rise of 1.1% YOY over the three months to June, against a growth of 9.8% in June 2023.

Party in Garthamlock The Glasgow suburb of Garthamlock has welcomed the start of the school holidays with a summer party at the local Spar store. Revellers enjoyed a disco vibe, dancing and giveaways. The Spar Scotland spinning wheel gave customers the chance to win Spar branded items, vouchers or goodies from suppliers such as Barista Bar and Irn Bru. The Healthy Living Programme engaged customers with insights into promoting

SGF urges MSPs to consider risks of vape flavour restrictions The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has voiced its fears to MSPs over too many restrictions being placed on the flavours available to vapers.

The group put forward the case that the government can simultaneously stop vapes from appealing to underage consumers, whilst also ensuring that smokers looking to quit can access less harmful alternatives.

The new UK Government has announced that the previously published Tobacco and Vapes Bill will now be brought forward in this Parliament. The Bill proposes new powers for Ministers to further restrict key features of nicotine vaping products and e-cigarettes.

The Scottish Government has already proposed a ban on single-use disposable vapes from April 2025 and has said it will use its devolved powers to further restrict the product north of the border. It is in the detail of the proposed legislation in which SGF is urging caution on over-restriction.

SGF boss Pete Cheema said: “We were among the first organisations to publicly call for measures to ensure that product names and packaging are not attractive to children.

“But what our members in convenience stores across the country tell us is that their customers say that the range of flavours – and finding one that works for them – has been the key factor in them stopping smoking.

“If those flavours are not there, it will reduce choice and potentially make it more difficult for smokers to quit, if they want to. That risks setting our public health agenda back and increasing the strain on our NHS.” SGF has also reiterated its calls for retailers to be allowed to openly display vaping products so that smokers can see the less harmful alternatives available, albeit in a way which presents them as an alternative to smoking, rather than an addition.

healthier lifestyles while giving away info packs and goody bags.

Jisp retail sales leap 79%

SERVICES A new addition for Payzone retailers

Payzone teams up with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport

STORES Two sites open in time for new term

Ashok Pothugunta opens two stores near Edinburgh Uni

Tech firm Jisp has seen retail sales rocket over £2.2m in the first half of 2024, up 79% compared to H1 2023. The business believes it is on track to top 2023’s retail sales of £3.5m.

The number of stores trading with Jisp has risen 59% since H1 2023, with Scan & Save’s popularity growing during the cost-of-living crisis. The loyalty scheme has earned retailers £5.8m since launch.

PO on track In a bid to give customers more choice, Royal Mail Tracked 24 and 48 have rolled out at Post Office counters across the UK. Royal Mail’s Tracked products can be used to send large letters, as well as parcels. They provide information on the journey of the item from sending to delivering, with a photo captured as proof of delivery.

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Strathclyde-based Payzone retailers will be able to sell Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) ZoneCards thanks to a new partnership with the transport operator.

ZoneCards will be available in-store via an ITSO Smartcard top-up solution, which is rolling out to stores this month.

Retailers can select the transport app and open the SPT tile on their Payzone Plus device. This is then loaded onto the customer’s Smartcard.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is the largest of Scotland’s seven regional transport partnerships. It runs the Glasgow Subway, a host of specialist bus services and is responsible for delivering “better public transport for all”.

Retail veteran Ashok Pothugunta, who has over 15 years of experience with Nisa, has opened his third and fourth Scottish stores in Edinburgh.

Both purchased from Scotmid, the shops are based just 1.3 miles apart in Polwarth Gardens and Marchmont Road.

The Marchmont store was the first to be revamped as a Nisa and will aim to cater to students from nearby Edinburgh University with a strong selection of local products, ready meals, global cuisine and meal deals.

A key feature of the Marchmont outlet is the bakery section, offering a variety of fresh pastries, breads, and cakes sourced from local bakeries. The store also includes a substantial food-to-go offer.

Meanwhile, the Polwarth Garden site will aim to attract elderly customers with local jams and breads and an extended wine range.

Ashok already owns stores in Selkirk and Peebles, as well as six stores in England. He told Scottish Local Retailer that he aimed to hit £30,000 turnover a week at both new stores within two years to justify their high rents.

He claims to have remained loyal to Nisa due to its availability levels: “This reliable availability is key to ensuring that every customer leaves our store satisfied with their shopping experience.”

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News

RTD Watch SLR is working with Red Star Brands and its fast-growing RTD brand Four Loko to provide you with regular updates on the performance of an increasingly important category.

FAST FACTS Long term growth of the RTD category continues, growing at 2.8% in the Latest 52 weeks.

With Supermarkets not yet fully embracing some of the fastest growing RTD brands, it is the Convenience channels that are driving the growth, growing at 14.7% in the same period.

Within the Convenience channels, Scotland regions outperform all other regions, contributing to 51% of the Total Growth.

Four Loko remains the biggest contributor to category growth in Scotland, contributing £5.7m of total category growth, and growing at 59%, followed by AU Vodka (#2) and Dragon Soop (#3).

CAMPAIGN Groups tackle proxy sales

Proxy purchasing initiative lays down the law The Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership, Community Alcohol Partnerships and Police Scotland have launched the ‘It’ll Cost You!’ campaign, which highlights that buying alcohol for children could result in a fine or jail time.

Evaluations of the previous ‘It’ll Cost You!’ campaigns have shown a steady increase in awareness about the implications of supplying alcohol to minors, but it remains a serious issue with 18 detections being made during the course of last year’s campaign.

Police Scotland’s Superintendent Joanne McEwan commented: “This campaign showcases the benefits of key partners working together to inform the public of dangers associated with underage drinking, as well as the criminal consequences for supplying those under 18 with alcohol.”

Luke McGarty, Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group and Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Scottish Grocers’ Federation, said: “Proxy purchasing is not an easy crime to detect, and retailers are the first line of defence in reducing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol. The ‘It’ll Cost You!’ campaign fits perfectly with SGF’s position of promoting responsible community retailing. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners on the campaign again this year.”

Grahame Clarke, Community Alcohol Partnership Coordinator, said: “The campaign gives us an opportunity to spread the ‘It’ll

Cost You!’ message in local communities, highlighting the dangers of buying alcohol for young people. We look forward to working with Police Scotland and the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers to make sure that this messaging is carried through all our engagement activity this summer.”

Siobhain Brown MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, said: “I welcome the return of a campaign that successfully illustrates the value of strong collaboration and regular engagement between partners, which help to deliver shared aims to help reduce underage drinking and anti-social behaviour in our communities.”

The campaign will run until 12 August.

FUNDING Access financial aid for education

Four Loko growth has been aided by recent NPD, with:

Higher ed bursaries available for retailers’ families

White the single biggest selling product in the market in the Latest 52 weeks, and: The recent addition of Dark Berry Burst, selling faster (Value Rate of Sale) than any other branded impulse product in the Latest 8 weeks since launch.

University students whose parent, carer or spouse is a convenience retailer or c-store worker, have been encouraged to apply for a higher education bursary through The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust (LTCT).

Applications for the scheme will be open between 1 August and 15 October, and students can apply to receive up to £3,000. The bursary can be

put towards tuition fees, or other expenses such as course materials, equipment or travel costs.

As the cost of attending university keeps rising, the bursary has been designed to help families who may be concerned about supporting a child through higher education. With the charity’s core belief that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their academic potential, LTCT hopes that it will help alleviate some of the financial pressure on students and their parents.

In 2024, the total number of bursaries awarded since the

scheme launched was expected to exceed 5,000, totalling £28m worth of financial aid.

Alongside the undergraduate bursary, a postgraduate scheme is currently open for those keen to return to university, closing on 1 September 2024.

Visit leverhulme-trade.org. uk for a full breakdown of bursary eligibility and to apply.

Professor Anna Vignoles, Director at The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust, said: “We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to continue their educational journey, and we hope our bursaries can help lighten the financial burden.”

[Source: IRI, 52 weeks to 16th June 2024]

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

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News Extra

NewsExtra SOAK UP SOFT DRINK SALES – P40

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF What does the future hold for convenience retail? The past few years have seen an unprecedented level of change for our communities, for the Scottish economy, and for many small local businesses.

There is no doubt that many convenience retailers are under immense pressure just trying to keep the doors open. Nonetheless, there are also countless reasons to be optimistic for the future of our sector, and to welcome a new way of doing things.

Covid-19 proved that the service we provide for our communities is priceless.

Meanwhile, the drive toward sustainability may initially see challenges but will ultimately reinforce the importance of good local services.

At times it may seem that there is no light at the end of the tunnel of economic uncertainty, overregulation, and retail crime. It certainly seems that many policy makers don’t understand, or listen to, the depth of the impact their decisions have.

However, we know that retailers are embracing the future. Investing in new cleaner energy efficient technologies, while making use of online and AI to reduce crime, improve shopper experiences and deliver the goods and services customers want.

SGF’s Healthy Living and Go Local programmes go from strength to strength and show just how Scottish convenience retailers are leading the way in several areas.

That is why, despite all the challenges, our sector keeps growing. With more stores in Scotland year on year and, UKwide, the sector is expected to reach £50.9bn by 2026. In just the past four years, 200 more stores are in operation in Scotland, and the number of people employed has risen by more than 12%, to over 49,000.

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

New UK government set to ring the changes Fresh from its election win, the Labour government will make its mark with a host of new laws, but at what cost to retailers?

Labour reigned victorious at last month’s UK General Election with a huge majority, including 37 seats in Scotland, while support for the Scottish National Party nosedived, dropping to just nine seats, down from 48 in 2019.

The Labour party promised to “end the chaos” and restore stability, and leader Keir Starmer pledged a mission of “national renewal,” but how will retailers fare?

With Starmer becoming the new Prime Minister, Scottish retailers can expect a generational smoking ban to be implemented as per the Labour party manifesto, in addition to the vape restrictions reported on p6.

The government has also pledged to ban the sale of “dangerously high caffeinated energy drinks” to under 16s, which forms part of Labour’s Child Health Action Plan.

However, the responsibility for age of sale and restrictions to instore placement and promotion of products remains devolved to the Scottish Government.

An Employment Rights Bill will ban zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights. The Government also intends to remove the age bands so that all adult workers on the National Living wage receive the same amount.

The news was welcomed by retail trade union Usdaw. Its General Secretary Paddy Lillis said: “For too long, too many workers have struggled with low pay and insecure employment. Labour’s new deal will help ensure that workers benefit from the Government’s drive for economic growth and provide security in employment.”

However, removing the age bands will mean yet higher costs for convenience retailers with the sector already impacted by the latest minimum wage rates.

On 1 April, the UK National Living Wage rose to £11.44 per hour, a 9.8% increase on 2023/24.

However, a collaboration between the Scottish Grocers’ Federation and University of Stirling earlier this year revealed that the true cost for retail employers would be as much as £15.39 per hour – a jump of £1.39 on the previous year and the highest increase for at least the past eight years.

A recent survey of Scottish Grocers’ Federation members shows that more than 90% of respondents were less likely to hire more staff, due to the wage increases. What’s more, threequarters of owners/managers reported working over 65 hours per week, just to keep costs down.

In its manifesto, Labour pledged to change the Low Pay Commission’s remit so that alongside median wages and economic conditions, the minimum wage would for the first time reflect the need for pay to take into account the cost of living.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) gave oral evidence to

the Low Pay Commission earlier this month, highlighting that the National Living Wage is starting to negatively impact the sector.

The ACS has found that 53% of retailers were reducing the amount that they invest in their business, with more than half of them being forced to increase their prices.

Furthermore, 47% were reducing the number of staff hours in the business, and the same number were having to take lower profits and/or absorb the costs of wage increases.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The Low Pay Commission are faced with a tough decision on how to set future wage rates, needing to balance the needs of employers and employees, and the overall economy. We have identified four key indicators that the National Living Wage is starting to have unintended consequences and that increases should be slowed or stopped: a shift towards more gig economy working, a reduction in in-work progression, entrepreneurship becoming less attractive, and a reduction in business investment.

These considerations need to be utmost in the Commission’s thinking.” www.slrmag.co.uk

News

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Comment

ANTI-SOCIAL If local retailing has a single USP that is valued above all others, it’s the relationship we enjoy with our customers. No other channel or format comes close.

Which is why this month’s cover story is so alarming because it describes in horrifying detail a plague of social media scams that are risking those all-important relationships that stores have worked hard to build with their shoppers over time, often over many years. All that good work potentially destroyed in an instant thanks to some faceless, largely untouchable cyber cretin.

And the problem is much more prevalent than you might think. It’s certainly much more prevalent than we thought when we were writing the article. In an entirely unscientific straw poll we conducted, four out of five retailers had encountered fake social media accounts pretending to be their stores. Four out of five.

Retailers like Dan Brown at Pinkie Farm, Natalie Lightfoot at Londis Solo Convenience and Anila Ali in Premier Tranent have first-hand experience of the damage these fake accounts can do. And, to add insult to injury, the morally repugnant scamsters appear to be carefully choosing retailers who already have strong reputations – and therefore significant numbers of followers – on social media channels like Facebook. In other words, they are using the good reputations of the stores against them.

So, what can be done? Well, I would strongly urge you to read the cover story for a start but there are some immediate actions you could consider. Firstly, the heart of the problem seems to be the popular ‘like and share’ model that retailers often use to gain followers and reach. This is the model that is being targeted most often by fraudsters so is possibly worth avoiding if you can.

Secondly, independent advice suggests that you should always and immediately report a fake account or page if you come across one. You can do that easily in Facebook, for example, and it’s similarly very simple to report a ‘pretending to be someone else’ account or page in Instagram. A great tip too for Facebook is on the ‘About Us’ tab where you’ll find a Page Transparency section. Fraudsters can fake almost everything in there, but they can’t fake the ‘Page Creation Date’. It’s a quick and easy way to get a good idea if a page is legit or not.

It’s also important to keep close tabs on your own social media accounts, looking out for anything that doesn’t look or feel right in the comments.

This is your reputation that is at risk, which ultimately means it’s your relationship with your customers that is on the line.

EDITORIAL Publishing Director & Editor Antony Begley abegley@55north.com Deputy Editor Sarah Britton sbritton@55north.com Features Editor Gaelle Walker gwalker@55north.com Web Editor Findlay Stein fstein@55north.com

ADVERTISING Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons 07575 959 915 | hlyons@55north.com Advertising Manager Garry Cole 07846 872 738 | gcole@55north.com

DESIGN Design & Digital Manager Richard Chaudhry rchaudhry@55north.com

EVENTS & OPERATIONS Events & Circulation Manager Cara Begley cbegley@55north.com Scottish Local Retailer is distributed free to qualifying readers. For a registration card, call 0141 22 22 100. Other readers can obtain copies by annual subscription at £50 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail), £99 (Worldwide airmail).

55 North Ltd, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6AY Tel: 0141 22 22 100 Fax: 0141 22 22 177 Website: www.55north.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/slrmag DISCLAIMER The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of 55 North Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher.

All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endevoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.

This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

Scottish Local Retailer is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

© 55 North Ltd. 2024 ISSN 1740-2409.

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Cover Story

Social Media Scams

LIKE AND SCARE Local retailers are battling against the growing scourge of fake Facebook pages out to scam their shoppers.

BY GAELLE WALKER

S

cam, sham, cheat, con: dirtysounding words that describe dark and dirty dealings. Not the kind of words that any local retailer would want uttered in association with their business, and certainly not by their shoppers. The problem though, is that this is exactly what is happening – and the problem is getting worse.

Retailers today are trading against a backdrop of unprecedented levels of cybercrime – and fraudsters have local retailers and their shoppers in their sights.

A recent survey of 7,000 shoppers by cyber security company F-Secure claims that “cybercrime has never been more prevalent,” with 85% having received a digital scam attempt in the past 12 months.

The F Secure survey, which questioned shoppers from seven countries including the UK, also found that 36% said that they get more scam attempts now than they did 12 months

“A straw poll by SLR found that four out of five retailers had experienced the problem of fake social media accounts pretending to be their stores in the past year.”

ago. And it seems that social media is a key medium of choice for scammers.

Another survey conducted by F-Secure earlier this year, revealed that 80% of people who had encountered a digital scam in the last month, had done so on social media, with 62% of Facebook users saying they encountered scams every week.

The findings echo the experiences of independent retailers – increasing numbers of whom are being plagued by scammers trying to impersonate their stores’ official social media pages – with a view to scamming unwitting shoppers.

In fact, a straw poll of Scottish local retailers by SLR found that four out of five retailers had experienced the problem of fake social media accounts pretending to be their stores in the past year.

Daniel Malone, Implementation Manager at Socio Local, the company behind the Socio Connect platform which helps retailers manage their social media pages, is all too familiar with this problem.

“It’s something that we see somewhat frequently, based on cases reported to us,” he tells SLR. “The rationale is simple and the same as other phishing attacks where a fraudster might pretend to represent a corporate business or government entity to trick people into providing private or financial information.

Though in these cases, they leverage the reputation of a local business on social media,” he says.

The danger that these types of scam attempts pose to legitimate retailers are clear. “They can create doubt for a store’s audience, who may be distrustful of content from that store in the wake of that page being impersonated – and rebuilding that trust can take time,” Malone explains.

TROUBLE IN TRANENT One retailer who is sadly all too familiar with the troubles that fake accounts and social media scams can inflict on your business is Anila Ali.

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Social Media Scams

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Cover Story

AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Cover Story

Social Media Scams

“We had five fake accounts created in the space of about 10 minutes in response to a ‘like and share’ post that we did when Prime Energy was first launched.”

DAN BROWN, PINKIE FARM

COMPETITION CONUNDRUM “In the last year, we mostly see Fake accounts appear when a business runs a competition,” Socio Local’s Implementation Manager Daniel Malone says.

“The fraudsters use the same page name, profile pictures, and business information to make a surface-level copy of the page. They then post the same competition posts but would ask for direct messages looking for personal information.”

FAKE PAGE WHAT TO DO?

16

1.

Immediately report the fake account or page. For Facebook, it can be reported as a Fake Page or as a fraud or scam.

2.

Go to the impersonating profile or Page.

3.

Click on the three dots below the cover photo.

4.

If you’re reporting a Page, select ‘Find support or report Page’. If you’re reporting a profile, select ‘Find support or report profile’.

5.

Follow the on-screen instructions for impersonation to file a report.

6.

Inform your followers of the impersonating page/account.

7.

Ask your team and shoppers to also report the fake page if possible – more reports help to get fake accounts taken down.

SLR | AUGUST 2024

Shoppers at Anila’s Premier Ali’s Convenience Store in Tranent were targeted by online scammers last autumn, after the store, which became Scotland’s 500th Premier in July 2023, launched a ‘like and share’ competition for shoppers to win a bottle of AU Vodka.

Just hours after the competition was posted on Facebook, a number of shoppers who had liked and shared the post started to receive messages from a Facebook page claiming to be the store.

The fake page informed the shoppers that they had ‘won’ the competition and encouraged them to provide their bank details to claim their prize.

Anila explains what happened next: “One of our regulars, who is also a local radio DJ, came in to tell us that he’d been contacted to say that he had won the prize. He was suspicious because he’d also been asked for a number of personal details. We instantly knew something was wrong as we hadn’t even drawn the winner yet!

“Shortly after his visit we received a couple of phone calls from other shoppers to say that they had received messages from the fake page telling them that they had won the prize too.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Social Media Scams

profiles including Natalie Lightfoot’s wellknown Londis Solo Convenience store.

Premier Whitehills in Banff was also targeted by scammers. A fake account for the SLR awardwinning store surfaced in November 2023 featuring images of its café and highly prized local delivery service.

Another store fighting the battle against fake accounts is Pinkie Farm Convenience Store in Musselburgh. Managing Director Dan Brown told SLR that a number of fake accounts purporting to be his well-known store had surfaced over the years – generally always after he had posted a genuine ‘like and share’-style competition on Facebook.

“It’s a huge problem!” Dan says. “Obviously the last thing you want is for your shoppers to be scammed. It’s also incredibly time consuming to delete the scam comments or fake accounts and ultimately none of that actually stops the problem from recurring again.”

Anila acted promptly. “We immediately told those shoppers that it was a scam page,” she says.

“We would never reveal a prize win in that way, and we would certainly never ask for customers’ personal details!

“It was really disheartening because we love to run these types of competitions. They’re a fun and simple way to generate a bit of a buzz and our shoppers love the prizes, so it’s horrible when that gets marred.

“Thankfully none of our shoppers did fall for the scam but if a vulnerable shopper had done so, the outcome could have been terrible.

“We’re just a small business so having to deal with things like this is really unpleasant and quite scary.

“The other worry that we had is that shoppers could misunderstand the situation and think that it was us running the scam! We are hardworking community retailers and just don’t want to be associated with anything like that.”

And Anila is far from alone. A quick trawl of Facebook revealed numerous examples of stores impacted by the problem of fake Facebook www.slrmag.co.uk

Cover Story

Socio Loco’s Malone agrees that competition posts, such as ‘like and shares,’ tend to be the hook that scammers hang their fraudulent activities on.

“In the last year, we mostly see fake accounts appear when a business runs a competition.

The fraudsters use the same page name, profile pictures, and business information (address, opening hours, etc) to make a surface-level copy of the page. They then post the same competition posts but would ask for direct messages looking for personal information. Any business should make the terms of the competition abundantly clear and that they’ll never seek personal information to enter or win competitions or giveaways,” he says.

WHAT TO DO So, what steps should retailers take if scammers create a fake Facebook page pretending to be their store?

“As a general rule we have now stopped posting ‘like and share’-style competitions altogether. Unfortunately, I think that any competitions designed to generate likes these days just run the risk of attracting scams.”

DAN BROWN, PINKIE FARM

AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Cover Story

Social Media Scams

Anila Ali now adds a disclaimer to posts, warning shoppers to be careful of fake accounts.

“First and foremost, retailers should immediately report that account or page,” Malone advises. “For Facebook, they can be reported as a Fake Page or as a fraud or scam, as appropriate.

“On Instagram, they can be reported as ‘Pretending to be someone else’. We’d also recommend they inform their followers of the impersonating page/account and ask them to also report it, which helps get these fake accounts taken down.”

Speed is also of the essence, Dan Brown adds.

“When it happened to us, I was really quick to act. The only way to deal with these types of problems is to get on top of them quickly before they spiral.

“It’s vital that you have access to your Facebook page at all times but especially just after you post anything and particularly if it’s a post about a competition. As soon as I post anything, I constantly keep tabs on the page to see what’s coming up in the comments.

“We had an instance a while back where we had five fake accounts created in the space of about 10 minutes! It was in response to a ‘like and share’ post that we did when Prime Energy was first launched.”

The post received around 1,000 likes – the most Pinkie Farm had ever had. “But we ended up having to delete it all,” Dan says. “Since then, 18

SLR | AUGUST 2024

as a general rule we have now stopped posting ‘like and share’-style competitions altogether.

“Unfortunately, I think that any competition designed to generate likes these days just runs the risk of attracting scams – so we now try to avoid that as much as we can. This approach does challenge us to be a bit more thoughtful about how we grow our audience – by coming up with more innovative social media content that also drives shoppers into store.

“After all, you don’t want to end up in a situation where you’ve got a lot of people that are just entering competitions on your Facebook page and not actually ever visiting your store.”

Dan cites the example of a successful competition the store recently ran to celebrate its 10-year anniversary: “We put a post up on Facebook inviting shoppers to ‘buy any Irn-Bru product from our store to enter a draw for the chance to win a full Irn-Bru supporters kit!’

“We also make sure that any posts relating to competitions make it abundantly clear that winners will never be announced in the comments. We also post regular advice on how shoppers can identify our official Pinkie Farm Facebook page – which has more than 6,700 likes and 7,100 followers.

“It’s important that our shoppers understand that if they see a Pinkie Farm page that only has two or three likes, it’s a fake!”

Socio Loco’s Malone agrees with the approach Dan took and says that retailers can go one step further.

“To help your audience differentiate which page is the original, Facebook Pages have an ‘About’ section where one can find ‘Page Transparency’. This tells you the creation date of the page, if the page is running adverts, and which Business Manager owns the page. While fraudsters can mimic a page name, PFP, and opening hours, they can’t fake a Page Creation Date,” he explains.

Fortunately, since Anila’s store was targeted, no further scam attempts have taken place.

“After the first scam happened, we put out a series of posts to explain what had happened to our shoppers,” she says.

“We actually have continued to run some ‘like and share’ promotions but we now ensure that we add a disclaimer to every single post warning shoppers to ‘be careful of fake accounts,’ and that we would never ask them for any personal details.

“We also tell them that the winner will only ever be announced on our official Facebook page and the date on which the announcement will be made. We also post a nice picture of the winner with their prize after the event.

“Thankfully we’ve not had another incident since that one, but we now remain ultra vigilant.” www.slrmag.co.uk

News

Products

Celebrations curtailed Mars Wrigley has reduced the contents of its Celebrations tub by roughly five sweets (50g) ahead of Christmas. The move came to light after a warehouse worker posted pictures of new 550g tubs on social media.

Containers have also got smaller and now use 17% less plastic than previously. The confectionery giant remained cagey about the cost of the new tubs, saying pricing “is at the sole discretion of the retailer”.

Accessible yogurt Müller Yogurt & Desserts is rolling out NaviLens codes across all its branded products, increasing accessibility for blind and partially sighted people.

The high-contrast colour codes are far more easily detected by smartphones than standard QR codes and users don’t need to know exactly where it is to scan it. The NaviLens app either reads aloud product information, or

Product News NAIL THE NICOTINE MARKET – P50 SOFT DRINKS/SNACKS Cross-category POS is a bid drive meal deals

Sprite and Pringles Hot! strike up POS partership Sprite has teamed up with the Pringles Hot! sub-brand to launch a new range of cross-category point-of-sale materials.

The move is intended to help retailers drive linked meals and snacking purchases in-store and is part of Sprite’s ongoing global ‘Heat Happens’ campaign that encourages people to ‘stay cool’ when things get heated.

Convenience retailers can request Pringles Hot! and Sprite POS materials and download digital assets via My.CCEP.com to help drive sales.

The POS comes with the hot and spicy snacks category growing by 9% year on year and in the wake of a Kantar study revealing that one in

every three meals consumed in GB contains spice.

Kate Abbotson, Convenience Environment Lead at Sprite maker Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said: “Recent research has shown that activating occasionled messaging at point of purchase where food and drink are merchandised together can double shopper engagement and increase sales by up to 32%, so we’d encourage convenience retailers to get activating in-store and appeal to shoppers who want spicy food and a refreshing soft drink.”

the user can view it using their phone’s accessibility tools.

Champion promo

BISCUITS (POSSIBLY CAKES)

SPORTS & ENERGY

McVitie’s has launched a nationwide campaign that aims to put to bed once and for all the perennial debate of whether a Jaffa Cake is indeed a cake or a biscuit.

The campaign includes a series of out-of-home adverts with humorous catchlines including ‘We’re a Cake! You biscuit’, ‘Say biscuit one more time… we dare you’, ‘Clue’s on the box, bruv,’ and ‘Nuff said’ with an arrow pointing to the word ‘Cakes’.

These run alongside a number of films for social media that reinforce the campaign messaging.

The campaign also features partnerships with Gen Z influencers and Great British memes. It is set to be seen by 71% of all UK adults and to generate 177 million impressions.

Adam Woolf, Marketing Director for McVitie’s at pladis UK&I, commented: “The campaign taps into Jaffa’s distinctive heritage of boldness and boundary pushing in its unapologetic way, while retaining its classic British humour roots.”

Boost Drinks has reintroduced £1 price-marked packs right across its Juic’d range.

The move to roll back to £1 is a permanent change and aligns with competitor pricing in the 500ml segment. It comes in response to feedback from both retailers and consumers.

Boost said the decision is also in line with current market trends, as the 500ml segment is experiencing 20% growth within the energy category.

Adrian Hipkiss, Commercial Director at Boost Drinks, commented: “By repositioning Juic’d PMP at £1, we are enabling retailers to attract more customers, drive higher sales volumes, maintain healthy profit margins, and build strong customer loyalty.”

Cake or biscuit debate climaxes

Spar UK has launched a new way

Boost revives £1 price-marked packs for Juic’d

for shoppers to win discounts on all Spar own-label products – with vouchers worth £3, £2, and £1 up for grabs until 28 August.

The ‘Make Me a Champion’ competition offers shoppers the chance to win money off everything from Spar Thin & Crispy Pepperoni Pizza to Spar Hand Cooked Sea Salt Crisps.

Shoppers can also enter to win a weekly cash prize of £1,000.

Coke tours food festivals Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has announced a new food truck tour for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Until mid-September, the cola brand will be visiting 16 retail customer sites and sponsoring seven food festivals across the UK. The Coca-Cola Zero Sugar food-fest truck will deliver over 500,000 samples to keep the brand front of mind and strengthen the tradition of the mealtime occasion with soft drinks.

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Products

News

Win a grand with Swan A new Republic Technologies competition gives retailers the chance to win £1,000 in cash.

Five lucky winners will grab a grand and there are a further

SOFT DRINKS Shoppers can choose from more than 150 names

Diet Coke makes packs personal

five prizes of £100 available.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB has rolled out new ‘Diet Coke Break, By You’ cans and bottles that have been personalised with one of more than 150 names.

The personalised packs are available from now to September.

For shoppers whose name isn’t already on one, there are also 4,000 bespoke cans on offer via the CocaCola app (accessible via a QR code on pack).

Everyone who enters for the chance to win a bespoke can will also automatically go into a weekly prize draw with hotel,

republictechnologies.co.uk/

spa and shopping experiences worth up to £5,000 all up for grabs.

Rob Yeomans, Vice-President of Commercial Development at CCEP GB, said: “We know that Diet Coke has millions of incredibly loyal fans, making it core to our customers’ soft drink ranges.

“In fact, 32% of Diet Coke drinkers are brand exclusive and would drop out of cola if Diet Coke wasn’t

To enter, purchase three cases of any Swan-branded filters from qualifying wholesalers.

Proof of purchase can then be entered online, either by visiting summer-of-swan or via the QR code found on POS in depot.

Tayto hits bullseye Tayto has launched its biggestever campaign for pork scratchings, sponsoring darts coverage on Sky Sports in support of Mr Porky Original Scratchings, Mr Porky Crispy

available. That’s why our fans are front and centre of our brand activity, offering something personalised which will also help drive sales for our customers.”

Strips, and Midland Snacks’ Hand Cooked Pork Scratchings.

The sponsorship continues all the way through to 3 January for the finale of the World Darts Championship, held at

SOFT DRINKS

Irn-Bru gets set for summer Irn-Bru has launched a new promotion that will help consumers get ready for summer – if it ever comes.

Live now, the competition gives shoppers the chance to win one of 1,000 prizes up for grabs. These include Irn-Bru BBQs, deck chairs, beach towels, golf umbrellas and flipflops.

The summer competition will feature heavily on the brand’s social media channels and bespoke POS kits are available to retailers to further drive interest.

Jonathan Kemp, Commercial Director at Barr Soft Drinks, said: “We’re encouraging retailers to plan ahead, increase facings and make the most of this eye-catching competition POS to maximise shopper engagement with the category and brand.”

CONFECTIONERY

Squashies unveils new Minions packs Swizzels has revamped the packaging for its Minions-themed Squashies to tie in with the launch of the fourth Despicable Me movie, which is currently in cinemas.

New packs featuring three different character designs are available now.

To support the launch, a social media campaign gives consumers the chance to win a foreign holiday. The campaign has more than 25 million opportunities to be seen.

Point of sale material is also available to wholesalers and retailers.

The range includes Minions Banana & Blueberry Squashies, Minions Tropical Chew Bars, Minions Tropical Fizz Individual Chew Bars, and Minions Sherbet Dips.

Alexandra Palace.

Crêpe promo, decent prizes Filled crêpe brand Whaoo! has unveiled a new on-pack promotion that gives families the chance to win one of more than 350 prizes. Running until 8 September, the nationwide promotion is available across grocery and via Booker. Prizes include a week-long family holiday at Badger’s Rest in Somerset, Go Ape activity vouchers, bikes, micro scooters, and more.

Purity keeps lid on litter Purity Soft Drinks, makers of Juice Burst and firefly, has introduced attached caps across its entire Juice Burst range, making the packaging 100% recyclable. The move makes it easier for consumers to recycle the products more effectively, reducing the frequency of bottle caps being discarded or littered.

It also sees the removal of foil seals from all Juice Burst bottles, reducing foil packaging waste by 10 tonnes annually.

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AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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News

Off-Trade

Wolf pack expands Wise Wolf has launched a new French Sauvignon Blanc.

Presented in a glass bottle made from 100% post-consumer recycled glass, Wise Wolf Sauvignon Blanc is initially available from Sainsbury’s with a £12 RSP. In line with the brand’s commitment to sustainability, the labels are made from 100% recycled paper, the closure from 100% recycled plastic, and the outer case from 100% recycled paper pulp.

Start to Finnish Drinks start-up Lonkero has launched in the UK, offering a spirit-based alternative to beer and cider. A mix of gin, grapefruit, soda and lime with a pinch of pine and botanicals, Lonkero is a take on Finland’s national tipple, the Finnish Long Drink. It is available in six- and 12-packs of 440ml cans (ABV 5.5%) with RSPs of £17.99 and £29.99 respectively. Retailers should visit lonkero.co.uk/#stock for stock enquiries.

Lewis Hamilton’s alcoholfree tequila races into UK Spirits distributor Mangrove

Off-TradeNews SCARE UP SPOOK-TACULAR SALES THIS HALLOWEEN – P56 CIDER Aston Manor’s premium brand charges across the border

Knights Cider gallops into Scottish wholesalers Midlands-based Aston Manor has announced that its premium Knights Cider brand is now available in all major Scottish wholesalers.

Made using a blend of bittersweet and dessert apples, Knights Cider is described as having “a refreshing medium dry taste”.

The brand has seen sales rocket by 54% in the last 12 weeks and it now shifts more than 12 million cans every year. This rise in popularity comes at a time when total cider sales have declined by 6.5%.

These figures chime with a general move towards more potent brews within the Beer, Lager and Cider categories; five of the top 10 brands have an ABV of 6% or more – including Knights, which weighs in at 8.4%.

This shift has been put down to aftershocks from the cost-of-living crisis, and has seen some cash-strapped consumers make the switch from spirits to cider.

Grace Anthony, Brand Marketing Manager at Aston Manor Cider, said: “Aston Manor’s ethos is all about affordability and we strongly believe it is our affordability that is driving demand for our world-class ciders, particularly Knights Cider.

“We’re delighted to share that Knights Cider is now being sold in even more locations across Scotland.”

Retailers can visit astonmanor.co.uk to find out more about Knights Cider and the rest of the Aston Manor portfolio.

GIN

Pitt hits Brits with Gardener Gin

Global has launched Almave’s second alcohol-free spirit in the UK. Almave Blanco (0% ABV, 70cl), an alternative to tequila, is the creation of Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and Mexican spirits group, Casa Lumbre. It follows the launch of the brand’s first SKU, Almave Ambar, in winter 2023 and is available through Mangrove Global with an RSP of £24.

Carlsberg buys Britvic Danish brewing giant Carlsberg has successfully acquired soft drinks manufacturer Britvic for £3.3bn. The move is seen as a strategic diversification for Carlsberg, as the addition of Britvic’s extensive soft drinks portfolio – which includes brands like J2O, Robinsons and Tango – will let it capitalise on the growing demand for non-

Specialist drinks importer and distributor Amathus Drinks has launched The Gardener Gin in the UK. The Gardener is the latest collaboration from movie star Brad Pitt and the Perrin family of French winemakers. They have now teamed up with Master Distiller Tom Nichol, formerly of Tanqueray, to produce a gin that “captures the soul of the French Riviera”.

Made from wheat in copper stills, the organic certified gin is described as “an unconventional blend of both fresh and dry citruses – pink grapefruit, bright lemon and the yin and yang of sweet and bitter orange from the Cap d’Antibes area”.

The Gardener Gin (ABV 42%, 70cl, RSP £55) is available exclusively from Amathus Drinks.

RTDs

Four Loko thinks pink RTD brand Four Loko is targeting Gen Z and Millennials with a new Pink Melon variant that blends high quality vodka with natural summer fruit flavours.

The new 8.4% ABV RTD is caffeine free and comes in a distinctive pink 440ml can (RSP £3.49).

Four Loko has seen huge success in local retailing, rising to the number five brand in total GB convenience and now has seven of the top 13 fastest-selling SKUs in GB convenience (by value).

alcoholic drinks and expand its reach beyond the beer aisle.

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Off-Trade

News

Explore the cider-verse Heineken has launched a new campaign to help retailers maximise cider sales this summer: ‘Explore A Wider World of Cider’. The campaign

RTDs New marketing campaign will reach more than 250,000 consumers

Diageo doubles down on Cocktail Collection

will be brought to life through a

Diageo has launched a £2.5m marketing campaign for its ‘Cocktail Collection’ trio of premium ready-to-serve bottled cocktails.

The campaign runs across TV, digital platforms and social media.

Alongside a Hello Fresh brand partnership, a mass sampling campaign is due to reach over 283,000 consumers, and influencer marketing will target more than seven million followers. There will be further activations across the off-trade and online through the creation of POS material.

The activity comes with the news that the Cocktail Collection has

number of choices available to

series of in-store and in-depot activations. By shining a light on the whole category, Heineken wants to encourage retailers to explore the varying needs of their shoppers and spotlight the help meet them.

Goslings’ Spirited Seas docks in UK Love Drinks has launched Spirited Seas in the UK, a new rum from Bermudan family-run producer Goslings made from a blend of aged, dark Bermuda rums that is transferred into

become GB’s number one product in the RTD category, according to Neilsen Scantrack data.

The range, which launched in March, is based around three of Diageo’s leading brands and is made up of Johnnie Walker

VODKA Pop artist celebrated with limited-edition bottle

Absolut-ely Andy

Absolut has announced the launch of a new limited edition inspired by the rediscovery of pop artist Andy Warhol’s Absolut ‘blue’ painting.

Best known for his screen prints of Campbell’s soup cans, in 1985 Warhol was the first artist to create artwork based on the silhouette of Absolut’s bottle.

Absolut Warhol launches initially in global travel retail before a wider release from September in both 1L and 70cl bottles.

Proceeds will support the work of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Old Fashioned (20.5% ABV), Tanqueray Negroni (17.5% ABV), and Cîroc Cosmopolitan (17.5% ABV). Each 50cl bottle (RSP £15) contains five serves. The range is also available in 100ml cans that RSP at £3.90.

LOW/NO ALCOHOL

New partnership sees Leclerc move from pit lane to Peroni Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% has signed a multi-year partnership with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

As the first global brand ambassador for the Asahi brand, the Formula One star will appear in the new ‘0.0% to 100%’ campaign.

The campaign will be centred around an episodic social content series, set around Lake Como, Italy and due to be released this summer.

The series will be amplified through experiential activity and personalised experiences, including signed gifts for fans and beer lovers.

Celebrating the allure of the Italian ‘Dolce Vita’ attitude, the content will salute small day-to-day experiences and offer a glimpse of Leclerc’s more laid-back lifestye away from the fast-paced world of motorsport.

vintage bourbon barrels before maturing for a year on board a ship out at sea. The 44% ABV rum is available to the retail sector immediately via Love Drinks in 70cl bottles with an RSP of £48.50.

Aussies and Kiwis team up for trade tasting Wine Australia and New Zealand Winegrowers will jointly host a tasting event at The Balmoral in Edinburgh on 4 February. New Zealand Winegrowers’ annual trade tasting has been running since 1982 and Wine Australia’s since 1986. This will be the first time that the two national associations have united for a tasting. More information will be released in the coming months.

Seaside cider Westons Cider has teamed up with Haven Holidays to give Stowford Press drinkers the chance to win a coastal getaway.

The promotion runs across Stowford Press Apple Cider four- and 10-packs, as well as the price-marked four-pack, with five £1,000 holidays to any of Haven’s 38 UK sites up for grabs. Hundreds of additional prizes can also be won.

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AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Inside Business

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

Category Focus | Alcoholic Ready to Drinks

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Alcoholic Ready to Drinks | Category Focus

Inside Business

YES, WE CAN

Exclusive new research from data and insight consultancy, TWC, on the ARTD category within convenience reveals Scotland punches well above its weight in this vibrant and innovative category with premium brands shining bright.

BY SARAH BRITTON

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he Alcoholic Ready-To-Drink (ARTD) market within the Scottish local retailing sector is worth an almighty £59.3m, according to the latest data from TWC’s Smartview Convenience read. Despite a slight decline, down -1.1% YOY, Scotland’s share of the GB market still equates to a whopping 26%. When you consider that Scotland’s population is less than 10% of GB, the fact that it accounts for over a quarter of RTD sales is pretty impressive. Compare this, for instance, with Scotland’s value share of the total GB Beer market, which stands at a more proportional 10%.

In volume terms, ARTD sales are also down recently, -3.9% YOY in Scotland, but nevertheless the category still accounted for a substantial 18 million retail units in the year to June 2024, making up 23% of GB sales.

The average price per unit for ARTDs currently stands at £3.28, versus £3.19 the previous year.

So which brands are top of the alcopops? It won’t come as a surprise to many to hear that Dragon Soop remains the leading brand in Scotland, racking up £17.3m sales in the 52 weeks to June 2024. The 500ml energy-alcopop hybrid has been commandeering Scottish retailers’ shelves for a number of years. The drink has a hefty 7.5% ABV, lowered from 8% to avoid paying higher taxes, and contains high levels

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of caffeine (35mg per 100ml), blended with taurine and guarana. Dragon Soop’s dominance, however, is under threat.

EXIT THE DRAGON? While it remains market leader, the brand has however been experiencing a decline in recent times, according to the TWC data. Sales fell 13.7% in the last year, a drop of around £2.7m.

Dragon Soop remains a key brand but the sheer volume of newcomers into the category has unsurprisingly taken its toll.

Key among the new kids on the block is Four Loko, which takes second place with annual sales of £14.7m. The brand has clocked up just under a million pounds worth of additional sales (+6.8%) YOY, making it the second biggest ARTD £ growth contributor in the country. Four Loko exploded onto the Scottish convenience scene in 2020 thanks in small measure to the efforts of Andy Ferguson of Red Star Brands, who had previously driven the huge success of Red Bull in Scotland.

At 8.5% ABV, the 440ml cans are unapologetically bold. “It’s not your everyday drink,” says Ferguson. “We like to think of it as a signpost, a statement of intent, the perfect way to get a memorable evening off to a flyer.”

MIDAS TOUCH Scotland’s biggest ARTD £ growth contributor, AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Inside Business

Category Focus | Alcoholic Ready to Drinks

AU, holds the number three slot in terms of sales value. The brand made the successful transition from premium spirit to ARTD in July 2022 when the initial release of cans sold out within a week and stores had to pre-order the products ahead of their return in August. The 5% ABV metallic cans of flavoured vodka and soda have – quite literally – proved to be a goldmine, valued at £6.1m, having grown an incredible 125.9% YOY, lapping up £3.4m extra sales.

Renowned for its gold packaging and multiple flavours, AU vodka has become a big name within convenience, often taking up

multiple facings in spirits displays. The brand has brought a similar level of excitement into the ARTD market, with the recent launch of Pink Lemonade becoming the fifth addition to its 5% ABV line up, plus new 200ml nitroinfused 8% ABV Strawberry Daiquiri and Blue Hawaiian cocktails. “We’ve revolutionised the market by offering bar-quality cocktails in a convenient, portable and gold format, which are nitro infused to ensure an exceptionally smooth liquid with an incredible taste,” says the firm.

AU is also the biggest ARTD £ growth contributor in convenience in England and

TOP 10 ARTD BRANDS IN SCOTLAND (£M VALUE SALES)

Wales, where it has risen 105.5% YOY and is the market leader, with a value of £25m. Last month, the brand claimed that more than one AU Vodka 5% ARTD can had been sold every second for the last 90 days, equating to 95,855 a day.

In terms of value sales, AU is followed by WKD (£3.9m), which rose to fame in the mid-90s; ARTD veteran MD 20/20 (£3.6m), which has been rumbling around since the 70s; Smirnoff Ice (£2.9m), which hit the scene in 1999; and Jack Daniel’s (£1.5m), which made its Cola ARTD debut in 1991 and then combined

TOP 10 ARTD £ GROWTH CONTRIBUTORS IN SCOTLAND (£K YOY VALUE GROWTH)

SmartView Convenience I-TG International Services Ltd in partnership with TWC. Value sales, 52w Jun 24. SmartView Convenience is a reflective market read of wholesaler-supplied Symbol and Independent Convenience stores across GB, it excludes Multiple Retail Convenience operators as well as Spar and Co-op.

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

SmartView Convenience I-TG International Services Ltd in partnership with TWC. Value sales, 52w Jun 24 SmartView Convenience is a reflective market read of wholesaler-supplied Symbol and Independent Convenience stores across GB, it excludes Multiple Retail Convenience operators as well as Spar and Co-op.

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TWC SmartView Convenience The key to unlocking facts about independent convenience market performance.

The most representative EPOS market read covering independent convenience retail and wholesaler supplied symbol stores in GB.

TWC Consultancy and Research Calling all suppliers...

Are you unlocking value and opportunities in the independent retail channel?

Are your business decisions guided by data insights?

Do you have enough time and resources to understand what's happening and why?

If you answer no to any of the questions then TWC have the solution.

To find out more: Call: 01908 101 389 Email: hello@twcgroup.net Visit: www.twcgroup.net

Inside Business

Category Focus | Alcoholic Ready to Drinks

forces with Coca-Cola to launch a dual-branded pre-mix last spring. The final three top 10 spots are taken by Gordon’s (£1.4m), VK (£1.2m) and Hooch (£1.2m).

NEW TRENDS But Dragon Soop isn’t the only big player to be bleeding sales in Scottish convenience. Other top 10 brands that are also witnessing value declines include MD 20/20 (-£975k), WKD (-£717k), VK (-370k), Smirnoff Ice (-£262k) and Jack Daniel’s (-£98k). TWC Category Insight Manager Elaine Baker says: “A lot of the well-established ARTDs, may be high up the ranking in £ value but are suffering in terms of £ losses with new, more exciting entrants into the market.”

With Dragon Soop coming in at 3.75 alcohol units per serve, while Four Loko delivers 3.74 and the biggest ARTD £ growth contributor brand, BuzzBallz, offering 2.7 units per serve, there’s no denying that high alcohol content is part of what is driving the market.

“Some of the biggest brands in £ value ranking or in £ growth contribution have higher ABV/ alcohol units per individual serve,” observes TWC’s Baker. “There is a trend here in terms of strong.”

But there is also a move towards premium with Ciroc, Dead Man’s Fingers, Gordon’s and Captain Morgan all featuring in Scotland’s top 10 ARTD £ growth contributors.

With both high alcohol content and premium SKUs fuelling the ARTD market, it looks like there’s plenty to play for in 2024.

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RETAILER VIEW Kirkcaldy Linktown Local retailer Faraz Iqbal claims that AU is flying at his store. “AU ARTDs have been great, they’re a top seller for me” he says. “A lot of people see it as a premium brand.

People see the gold can and it’s perceived to be the good stuff ’,” he says. Four Loko and Dragon Soop also perform well in store, but Faraz views these as a separate sub-category. “Four Loko and Dragon Soop are high-strength ARTDs, in bigger cans. I keep them on a separate shelf,” he says. “The premium brands, like AU and JD & Coca-Cola, are blocked together.”

Co-op is looking to cash in on the premium ARTDs opportunity, having recently announced the launch of a 94-store trial of new BWS chillers dedicated to single-serve cans featuring ARTDs,

craft beers, ciders and wine, in a bid to grow its share of the ‘on the go’ category.

The retailer’s trial offers a “carefully chosen” range of drinks, including Jack Daniel’s, Manchester Gin, MOTH cocktails and Ciroc ARTD brands.

Rebecca Oliver-Mooney, Co-op Head of Drinks, says: “This is a category that overindexes on innovation and our curated range looks to balance core member and customer favourites with premium and innovative lines that will drive interest and excitement in-store.”

FOUR LOKO PINK MELON ARRIVES FOR SUMMER Vodka-based RTD brand Four Loko has just unveiled its latest Pink Melon variant.

Aiming to appeal to Gen Z and Millennials, caffeine-free Pink Melon (RSP £3.49 per 440ml can) blends high-quality vodka with natural summer fruit flavours at 8.4% ABV. “The RTD category is currently experiencing rapid growth, with vodka-based drinks within RTDs enjoying over 37% share,” said Clark McIlroy, Managing Director of Four Loko distributor Red Star Brands. “It’s a great time for retailers to maximise the opportunities associated with this demand, especially as Four Loko is renowned for being the go-to choice for those seeking full-on fun and flavour.”

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Inside Business

SLR Awards Winner’s Profile | Premier DUSA

DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR DUSA Moira Dean’s Premier DUSA store in Dundee claimed both the Soft Drinks and Sustainability top prizes at the recent SLR Awards. Let’s find out why…

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

R

unning a busy convenience store is a difficult enough task at the best of times but when you’re running a store on a university campus that’s effectively deserted for big chunks of the year, life can get really tough. That’s the world that Moira Dean and her team at Premier Dundee University Students Association (DUSA) operate in but it’s a world where they positively thrive in, and that fact was recognised at the recent SLR Awards as the store picked up not one but two major awards.

Premier DUSA picked up both the Soft Drinks Retailer of the Year Award, sponsored by CCEP, and the Sustainability Retailer of the Year Award, sponsored by Business Energy Scotland.

“We were absolutely over the moon to win those awards,” says Moira. “We work so hard and we put so much into it that it’s just wonderful to be recognised by our peers and even just to be in that room at the Awards with all of these amazing retailers.”

SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS Before we get to those awards, however, it’s worth taking a look at the challenges Moira and her team face in running a campus store. “It’s tough, it really is,” explains Moira. “At certain times at the year like Fresher’s Week and after exams, the store is utterly packed, and I mean packed! Then during periods like now in the 30

SLR | AUGUST 2024

summertime, the campus is practically empty because most of the students have gone home.

We still have some custom as the university staff obviously use the shop, so we have to stay open all year round, but it makes everything difficult in terms of stock levels, staffing levels and so on.

“The bottom line is that our weekly sales can triple or more in certain periods of the year, but we just need to plan for that. We’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years.”

And it gets even harder when the University forgets to let you know that 250 Italian students on Language School are turning up in the middle of summer out of the blue, as happened in the week that we spoke to Moira. “I couldn’t believe it,” she laughs. “We’re normally very quiet at this time of year so we stock and staff accordingly.

Then 250 students turn up in one go and we’re scrabbling about trying to make sure they get what they need!”

ECO WARRIOR Overcoming all of these challenges and still managing to create a truly spectacular store into the bargain is entirely to the credit of Moira and her team. “I joined just about eight years ago,” says Moira, “and we always wanted to build a store that was brilliant, by any standards. We wanted a store that would look brilliant if it was sitting on the high street in Dundee, rather than on a campus.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Premier DUSA | SLR Awards Winner’s Profile

It’s fair to say that she has succeeded and in some style. Moira makes no secret of her pride in winning the Sustainability award – for the second year running, no less – and she has no hesitation in referring to herself as “a bit of an eco-warrior”.

“Before I came to work here I’d spent a year in Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey and that really opened my eyes to sustainability and what we’re doing to the planet,” she says. “After that I got into scuba diving and started doing reef clean-up dives in Egypt where we would basically take rubbish and plastic out of the sea.

That’s when my interest in sustainability really took off.” www.slrmag.co.uk

So when Moira rocked up in Dundee, driving the sustainability agenda was very much front of mind. “It wasn’t easy at the start,” she recalls.

“Eight years ago sustainability wasn’t really much of a thing, and certainly not in convenience retailing. Premier DUSA is actually run as a not-for-profit as part of the wider University but even the University wasn’t particularly active on sustainability issues back then.”

How things have changed, however, and Moira can certainly claim to have led from that front, even if her natural modesty prevents her from admitting it.

She says: “It took a wee while to get everybody on board, but I kept plugging away and gradually

Inside Business

“I spent a year in Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey and that really opened my eyes to sustainability and what we’re doing to the planet.”

AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Inside Business

SLR Awards Winner’s Profile | Premier DUSA

the world moved on, attitudes moved on, and legislation moved on. Now we’re all absolutely committed and united on that front, not just in the store but across the University.”

In the store itself, Moira says that her entire team are “just as passionate” about sustainability as she is, and sustainability is now very much part of the University’s ethos as it progresses on its journey to net zero.

DOING BETTER If you boil it right down, Moira’s approach can be summed up quite succinctly. She explains: “Basically, we try to look at everything we do in the store – and I do mean everything – then ask ourselves if there’s a better way to do it. That’s right across food, drinks, clothing, stationery, you name it.”

That approach was evident to the judges on our various visits. From fully recyclable and recycled food packaging to an endless array of refillable products, from 100% recycled stationery to recycled and organic DUSA-branded hoodies and caps. Large chunks of the store’s range are also chosen on the “better option” principle and that’s across many categories from soft drinks to toiletries. No stone has been left unturned in the search for improvement.

There’s even one of those very rare DRS units in the store, a legacy of Moira being among the first in Scotland to get a reverse vending machine in preparation for the on-off arrival of DRS that never arrived.

“We got the machine early and decided to keep it, even when DRS got postponed again,” she says. “We offer a small incentive for the students which gives them money off future purchases and, to be fair, it gets used non-stop.”

Kieran Hoskins

CUSTOMER FACING Another element of Moira’s in-store strategy that impressed the judges was the vast array of customer-facing sustainability signage. Hardly a fixture is missing a little informative tidbit or a quick piece of advice letting customers know about the range available in the shop and how they can keep doing their bit for the planet.

That’s an element that’s typically missing from most convenience stores. When stores are legally obliged to recycle plastic, cardboard and food waste, it seems like a no-brainer to at least let your customers know that you do it.

“Students, as a rule, are pretty progressive on issues like sustainability, organic, veganism and vegetarianism,” she explains. “So they are receptive, but we feel a responsibility to take them along with us on our journey.”

Moira says a lot of people also ask her if choosing the “better option” has an impact on 32

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Premier DUSA | SLR Awards Winner’s Profile

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Inside Business

AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Inside Business

SLR Awards Winner’s Profile | Premier DUSA

her profits, and she’s pretty clear on that issue: “To be honest, better options can often be more expensive but that’s a price we’re willing to pay for what we feel we are achieving – and we believe our customers understand that. It means some products are a little more expensive and it means sometimes we have to accept slightly smaller margins. But don’t get me wrong, this store performs really well commercially – well – and I think we’re helping to prove that you can do the right thing and still run a very profitable store.”

SOFT OPTION As well as winning the Sustainability Award, of course, Premier DUSA also picked up the Soft Drink Award. It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that the judges felt that literally every aspect of the store’s soft drinks offering was utterly on point – and that’s in no small part down to the efforts, passion and drive of Moira’s colleague Kieran Hoskins.

“He’s a bit of a human dynamo,” laughs Moira.

“And I don’t think he’ll mind me saying that he’s a bit OCD, as some of the best retailers are!”

That was certainly evident on our visits and Kieran’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the soft drinks category was mightily impressive.

Sensing that he was all over his subject, our judges peppered him with some really tricky questions, often around the minutiae of ranging, merchandising and NPD. Kieran had the answer to every one and explained in some detail the unique way he builds a planogram and maintains and updates it on a very, very regular basis.

There was also no question that the soft drinks fixtures across the store were beyond impressive. There was literally nothing out of place. Bear in mind too that the SLR Awards judging is unannounced, so the place wasn’t immaculate because he knew the judges were coming. The place was immaculate because the place is always immaculate.

“He’s some boy!” laughs Moira, and it’s hard to disagree.

CAMPUS STARS It’s hard to visit Premier DUSA and not marvel at what Moira, Kieran and the team have achieved – and what they’re trying to do moving forwards. The students and staff of Dundee University should count themselves very lucky indeed to have a resource like this at the heart of their little community.

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Bringing together the best of Scotland’s grocery, CONVENIENCE AND WHOLESALE BUSINESSES for a unique music event Network with the industry and raise money to help colleagues in need.

05.09.2024

GLASGOW

4pm - Midnight

Scotland

Take the spotlight by choosing one of our sponsorship packages and activating your brand your way.

individual Ticket

BRONZE SPONSORSHIP

SILVER SPONSORSHIP

£95

£3,000

£5,000

+ VAT

+ VAT

+ VAT

GOLD SPONSORSHIP

Platinum SPONSORSHIP

£7,500

£10,000

+ VAT

+ VAT

To find out more: Scan the QR Code Visit groceryaid.org.uk/events/checkout-scotland Email checkout@groceryaid.org.uk A fundraising event supporting GroceryAid, the charity for the grocery industry.

GroceryAid Scotland

Inside Business

REQUESTS FOR GROCERYAID SUPPORT ‘UP 93%’ KEY HIGHLIGHTS Q

93% INCREASE IN REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT

Q

MORE THAN £6M SPENT SUPPORTING INDUSTRY COLLEAGUES

Q

£364,306 IN FINANCIAL GRANTS AWARDED TO INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

Q

5,926 CHILDREN BENEFITTED FROM £150 SCHOOL ESSENTIALS GRANT

Q

108% INCREASE IN COLLEAGUES ACCESSING SUPPORT FOR PROBLEM GAMBLING

Q

25% INCREASE IN FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLING

Q

48% INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR LEGAL ADVICE

GroceryAid’s Impact Report for 2023/24 has revealed a frightening 93% increase in requests for its support in the past year.

I

ndustry charity GroceryAid’s latest Impact Report has revealed an astonishing 93% rise in demand for its vital financial, emotional and practical support as industry colleagues continued to struggle with cost-of-living challenges.

The charity spent more than £6m helping colleagues in the past year, including £364,306 in financial grants awarded to independent retailers, according to the 2023/24 Impact Report. In total, GroceryAid provided more than 78,000 incidents of support in the last year.

More than 22,000 colleagues visited GroceryAid’s cost-of-living web page in 2023/24, with GroceryAid’s Grants Officers dealing with a 57% increase in colleagues receiving non-repayable financial grants in the past year.

There was also a 44% rise in grants awarded to support those leaving domestic abuse situations. The charity’s School Essentials Grant also meant that 5,926 children benefitted from a £150 payout, helping families to ensure that their children started the new school year with new uniforms and equipment.

For more complex issues, GroceryAid also partnered with Shelter Plus, who provided 184 hours of advice

to support those colleagues with legal issues around housing.

As well as providing financial grants, GroceryAid also ensures colleagues are provided with the right information to help manage their finances moving forward. As a result, last year it issued more than 5,000 Personal Action Plans to help colleagues budget.

The charity’s free and confidential helpline also saw a 22% increase in calls from colleagues looking for emotional and practical support. Qualified counsellors provided more than 5,000 in-the-moment counselling sessions – 11% more than the previous year.

The report noted a 108% increase in colleagues accessing support for problem gambling, while more than 1,500 colleagues accessed online self-help and CBT guided sessions. There was also a 25% increase in family and relationship counselling and a 48% increase in demand for legal advice – with one in three cases related to family law.

Incidents of practical support through GroceryAid’s Telephone Information Specialists also increased by 27% last year, with financial advice being the most common request.

DON’T MISS OUT ON CHECKOUT 2024!

Time is running out to book your tickets for Checkout Scotland 2024, GroceryAid Scotland’s unique music event which returns to Glasgow on 5 September. Only a few tickets remain and are available at £95 each from the groceryaid.org.uk/events/checkout-scotland webpage.

Up to 1,000 industry colleagues are expected to attend the event, which is set to be another spectacular day in the industry calendar and which will help raise awareness of GroceryAid and the support it can provide, as well as raising much-needed funds for the charity.

5 SEP 2024 BAAD GLASGOW

TO FIND OUT MORE, OR BOOK TICKETS OR SPONSORSHIP, VISIT GROCERYAID.ORG.UK/EVENTS/CHECKOUT-SCOTLAND

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AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Hotlines

Product News & Media Watch

McVitie’s Gold Digestives pladis Inspired by the brand’s Gold Bar. the first co-branded addition to McVitie’s Digestives range features classic Digestive biscuits topped with golden caramel. The new limited edition is available now in 232g packs of 15 biscuits with an RSP of £1.89. A convenienceexclusive £1.99 price-marked pack is also available. In consumer testing, McVitie’s said that 96% of 18 to 35-year-olds expressed an intent to purchase.

Billion-dollar brand hits UK

Sheba Kitten Mars Petcare Sheba’s first range for younger cats is available in two variants – Mixed Selection and Chicken & Salmon.

Both come in multipacks of 12 x 85g pouches with an RSP of £6.87, as well as in multipacks of 40 x 85g pouches (RSP £18.47). Sheba Kitten offers grain-free bite-sized chunks, natural ingredients, vitamins, minerals, and natural colours. The launch is supported under Sheba’s brand refresh campaign, which includes TV, social media and digital out-of-home activities.

American brand Cheez-It, a new snack from food giant Kellanova, is set to make its UK debut this summer.

Described as “a one-of-a-kind snack experience baked with 100% real cheese and a unique combination of wheat, corn and potatoes, driving an irresistible and distinct crispiness,” Cheez-It rolls out across all channels in the UK in two flavours: Cheese & Chilli and Double Cheese. These are available in several sizes, including 40g plain packs (RSP £1.09), 65g £1.25 price-marked packs, and 150g sharing bags (RSP £2).

The launch targets the UK’s 22.8 million cheeseflavoured crisp buyers and will be supported with an £18m media spend from September, spanning a TV advert, radio, out of home, sampling, PR, and social.

KitKat Chunky Crunchy Double Chocolate Nestlé

Marvellous Mallows Giant Swizzels

The new limited-edition 42g bar boasts a chocolate crispy wafer coated in a blend of smooth milk chocolate that is made with cocoa mass sourced from families enrolled in Nestlé’s cocoa Income Accelerator Programme. In a symbol group exclusive, KitKat Chunky Crunchy Double Chocolate is available to Spar retailers in a singles format at the promotional price of two for £1.50.

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

The new countline tastes of the nostalgic Drumstick flavour, Raspberry & Milk, with a blend of light and soft textures and has been created as an on-the-go option. It is available now with an RSP of 50p.

The launch comes in response to a growing trend among consumers for single confectionery items, with the sugar single category growing at +12% and mallows up +29%. A new social media campaign aims to drive awareness of the product among shoppers.

Kellanova is also supporting retailers with dedicated POS, including freestanding display units, to help create theatre instore and engage shoppers.

Chris Silcock, Kellanova UK and Ireland Managing Director, said: “When we became Kellanova back in October last year, we said we wanted to become a snacking powerhouse, and bringing our hero US Cheez-It brand to the UK is demonstrative of this ambition.

“We believe Cheez-It offers retailers of all shapes and sizes a compelling, differentiated product which will be backed by a heavy weight marketing plan.

While this is a new product and brand here in the UK, the trade this side of the pond can have confidence in Cheez-It – after all, it’s a billion-dollar brand in America!”

Quaker Protein Strawberries & Cream PepsiCo Quaker Oats has added a new Strawberries & Cream flavour to its Protein range, joining the existing Original, Golden Syrup and Peanut Butter flavours. It has an RSP of £3.50 for a carton of eight sachets.

Pots RSP at £1.30. The launch will be backed by a campaign that includes online media, in-store shopper support and sampling in September.

Knorr Wine Stock Pots Unilever Red Wine Stock Pots and White Wine Stock Pots are designed to bring depth and flavour to dishes without consumers having to buy or open a bottle of wine. Both contain the equivalent of half a glass of wine and include sustainably sourced herbs. They come in packs of four with an RSP of £1.90. Both SKUs feature a recipe on the back of packs: spaghetti bolognaise for the red and chicken risotto for the white.

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Product News & Media Watch Chupa Chups Sour Bites/ Sour Tubes Perfetti Van Melle



Sour Patch Kids Strawberry Mondelez

Both new jelly sweets offer a mixed fruity flavour, coated with a sour dusting. Chupa Chups Bites are rainbow coloured, whilst Tubes are fizzy with a sour core. Sour Bites and Tubes both come in 120g £1.25 PMPs, 130g bags (RSP £1.50) and 30g singles (RSP 70p). The launch is supported with influencer activity, mass sampling and advertising on TikTok and Snapchat.

Sour Patch Kids Strawberry is available now in 130g bags with an RSP of £1.50. It joins existing variants Original, Cola, Fruit Mix, and Watermelon in the Sour Patch Kids range. More than three-quarters of young adult shoppers eat jelly sweets at least once a week and the launch comes as research finds that the same demographic is looking for something new and exciting in the sour sweets category.

F’real x Rolo Rich’s UK

McVitie’s Signature pladis

Self-serve milkshake brand f’real has teamed up with Rolo to launch a brand-new, limited-edition flavour, available now. The launch sees enhanced support for partner retailers in the form of internal and external POS materials, social media assets and graphics, as well as planograms and user guides.

F’real Rolo is available through all of f’real’s UK distributors and wholesalers.

Described as McVitie’s “most indulgent” biscuits yet, the threestrong Signature range consists of Caramel Chocolate Rounds, Caramel Biscuits and Chocolate Cream Swirls. It targets the afternoon and evening snacking occasions, where the Sweet Biscuits category currently under-trades.

The range (RSP £2) has apparently performed “incredibly well” in consumer testing. It is in Waitrose now, ahead of a wider roll out.

Jolly Rancher Ice Pops World of Sweets

Cadbury Brunch Choc Chip Price-marked Pack Mondelez

Hotlines

Show some respect Bakery brand St Pierre has launched its firstever mass media marketing campaign with a tongue-in-cheek take on French superiority that highlights the brand’s quality credentials.

Running for five weeks, ‘Eat Avec Respect’ appears in-store, in online social and digital and with a dedicated consumer PR campaign, as well as on TV screens nationwide.

For whom the Bell Doles The Dole Sunshine Company has teamed up with TV presenter Angellica Bell for a major marketing push that will run through to spring 2025. Celebrity Masterchef winner Bell will spearhead two campaigns designed to highlight the taste, quality, versatility and convenience of Dole’s Tropical Gold Pineapple and its snack pot ranges.

Where’s Wallie Wall’s has sunk £10m into a new masterbrand campaign that puts the brand’s red heart logo front and centre of activities. A Wall’s ice-cream freezer, called Wallie, also plays a leading role. A new TV ad sees Wallie come to life and spread joy and refreshment around a city on a hot summer’s day, leaving people with a ‘Taste of Happiness’.

Sinner’s a winner

World of Sweets has added a new range of freezable ice pops from the Jolly Rancher brand to its American confectionery offer. With annual sales of around $331m, Jolly Rancher is America’s leading hard candy brand and the ice pops come in its four most popular flavours: Blue Raspberry, Green Apple, Cherry and Watermelon. These are available as on-the-go singles, with an RSP of 20p.

The 128g packs of five bars are price marked at £1.39 and are available now to help retailers drive sales within the healthier snacking segment.

Mondelez advised retailers to site the new SKU next to standard Cadbury Brunch packs. Retailers can visit the snackdisplay.co.uk website for more ranging and merchandising advice about Mondelez products.

Lavazza, has launched a campaign featuring its global brand ambassador, world no.1 men’s tennis player Jannik Sinner. Under the tagline ‘More than a cup,’ a new 30-second light-hearted ad filmed at Wimbledon nods to the brand’s passion for excellence. The campaign also includes programmatic, social media, and out-of-home activities.

Discovery Mentos Mentos has kicked off three months of promotional activity with its latest campaign, ‘Summer of Mentos Discovery’. The £1m activity spotlights the Perfetti Van Melle brand’s latest chewy NPD: Mentos Discovery.

The campaign includes a mix of out-of-home advertising, video on demand, influencer activities and POS materials.

for all the latest product news, head to www.slrmag.co.uk/category/product-news/ www.slrmag.co.uk

AUGUST 2024 | SLR

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Feature

Soft Drinks

BIG SOFTIES

With limited editions galore, evolving functionality and the ability to meet multiple need states, the soft drinks sector is thriving in convenience.

BY SARAH BRITTON

TOP 5 SOFT DRINK SEGMENTS IN CONVENIENCE: 1. Stimulants 2. Cola 3. Fruit carbs 4. Plain water 5. Sports drinks SOURCE: BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS REPORT 2024, CIRCANA, TOTAL CONVENIENCE, TOTAL SOFT DRINKS BY SEGMENT BRITVIC DEFINED, VALUE SALES, 52WE 31/12/2023

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

S

oft drinks certainly made a splash in convenience in 2023, growing sales by 15.3% to £3.3bn, alongside volume and unit growth of 3.3% and 3.0% respectively [Circana, Total Convenience, Total Soft Drinks, Value, Vol & Unit, 52WE 31/12/2023 vs. YA].

The Britvic Soft Drinks Report 2024 states that soft drinks are the number one footfall and sales driver for convenience retail, accounting for a whopping 31% of all shopping missions and a similer number of sales (32%) [Lumina Intelligence Retailer Attitudes and Behaviours Study, July 2023].

The main reason people are visiting c-stores to buy soft drinks is to satisfy the need “for a treat”, followed by the need “for a snack” [Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme, 52WE 31.12.23]. For this reason, Britvic claims it is important for stores to ensure they offer exciting flavours and drinks that offer a wide range of need states, noting that “limitededition flavours play a key role in generating excitement”.

Prime Hydration – the drink made famous

by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul – has caused many a commotion in recent years with its numerous limited-edition flavours. Prime www.slrmag.co.uk

DRIVING SALES THROUGH INNOVATION.

R E TA I L E R N A M E : JAC K M AT T H E WS STORE: BR ADLEY’S SUPERMARKET L O CAT I O N : L E I C E S T E R S H I R E

JACK’S GOT HIS RANGE SORTED. HAVE YOU? I N N OVAT I O N Innovation is key to increasing

sales, delivering 46% of category growth. Stocking new launches

bring excitement to your fixture.

NEW

NEW

NEW

M O N S T E R E N E R GY Monster delivered 62% of all new product sales over the last year

so make sure new launches such as Monster Zero Sugar, Monster

Reserve Orange Dreamsicle and Monster Juiced Bad Apple are added to your range.

F O R I N N OVAT I O N A DV I C E A N D TO H E A R

F R O M JAC K A N D OT H E R R E TA I L E R S J U S T .

CO.UK

V I S I T: S A L E S S U P E R C H A R G E D.C O.U K

©2024 Monster Energy Company. All rights Reserved. MONSTER ENERGY®, ®, MONSTER ENERGY ULTRA® are all registered trademarks of Monster Energy Company.

Source for all stats: NIQ, Value Sales, Total Coverage, MAT to 24.02.24

Feature

Soft Drinks

SOFT DRINKS WERE BOUGHT ON MORE OCCASIONS THAN BREAD LOAVES AND SWEET BAKED ITEMS LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME ON RECORD.

Another brand that has created a vibrant online presence is Mogu Mogu. “Like many other categories, social media and popular culture have a powerful influence over shoppers’ soft drinks choices,” says Sales & Marketing Director Ash Chadha. “Just look at energy drinks – when social media played a huge part in propelling influencer-founded brands into the market at speed, c-stores were quick to respond, unlocking mammoth sales growth in the process.

“Social media is a channel we’ve used to foster a growing, passionate fanbase for Mogu Mogu, particularly among Gen Zs and Millennials – something we’re building on by leaning into popular culture through strategic partnerships with high-profile influencers and celebrities whose audiences and their interests align with our own.”

[SOURCE: BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS REPORT 2024 LUMINA INTELLIGENCE CONVENIENCE TRACKING PROGRAMME – 52 W/E 08.01.23 – 07.01.24]

accumulated sales of £55.7m in convenience in 2023 – that’s a ridiculous 9,710.7% YOY increase!

[Circana Total Convenience, Total Soft Drinks, Value Growth YOY, 52WE 31.12.23]. The brand took 1.3% of soft drinks value in grocery, convenience and discounters [NielsenIQ RMS – Total Coverage Inc. Discounters, Total Soft Drinks, Value share of sales, Calendar year 2023 w/e 30.12.2023], according to the Britvic report. However, share has fallen to 0.5% since the start of 2024 [NielsenIQ RMS – Total Coverage Inc. Discounters, Total Soft Drinks, Value share of sales, Latest 12 weeks to 30.03.2024].

“Many established FMCG brands could still learn a lot from Prime about creating a buzz online with a steady flow of new products,” says Britvic, noting that seven of the top 20 soft drinks launches in 2023 were from Prime.

Daniall Nadeem of Spar Motherwell Road in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, is very accustomed to stocking up on all the latest trends. This year alone he has stocked Cherry Freeze, Strawberry & Banana and X Prime variants. “If you’re not quick off the mark you miss out on sales – it’s important to stay in touch with the market,” he says. “If you build up a reputation for being a store that stocks the latest products you’ll do well.”

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This includes sponsorship of The Chunkz & Filly Show – a podcast by two highly successful YouTubers with massive social media followings – which has helped Mogu Mogu to get in front of its core demographic, as well as a global brand partnership with up-and-coming K-Pop group Seventeen, who recently performed on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival.

As well as successfully connecting with its audience, Chadha believes that his product’s originality is a big part of its draw. The quirky Japanese-inspired drink combines juice with

nata de coco – coconut gel pieces – which consumers are encouraged to chew.

“Offering a multi-sensory drinking experience, our fun, unique chewy texture and line-up of refreshing fruit flavours has helped us successfully disrupt the category to become a mainstay in the drinks chiller,” he says. Mogu Mogu claims to have outpaced the success of the total category with phenomenal triple-digit growth of +216% over the past year, making it the fastest-growing soft drinks brand in 2023 [NielsenIQ Total Impulse 52 w/e 9.3.24].

Chadha claims that limited-edition seasonal launches are central to success. “Introducing limited-edition flavours, especially during peak sales periods for Soft Drinks, is always a winner when it comes to boosting volumes,” he says. “The exclusivity that comes with limited editions encourages shoppers to act on impulse and grab new launches whilst they still can. Our Bubble Gum and Candy Floss variants are a case in point here.

“Bringing unexpected, nostalgic flavours to drinks chillers has helped us to both extend appeal among soft drinks buyers and poach shoppers from other categories where these flavours are hugely popular, like confectionery.”

Limited editions have gained currency among established brands too, claims Britvic. Last year’s Limited Edition Tango Sugar Free Paradise Punch, racked up sales of £4.2m in convenience after launching in February 2023, surpassing Berry Peachy, which was the biggest NPD launch of 2022.

This April, everyone was talking about Tango Blast – an RTD version of Tango Ice Blast. Despite many retailers getting frustrated with the latter’s poor service levels, consumers can’t get enough of the red and blue drink. So converting the flavours into RTD formats seems like a win all round.

The c-store exclusive targeted Gen Z shoppers with its bold Raspberry and Cherry flavours, striking colours and eye-catching packaging.

Ben Parker, Retail Commercial Director at Britvic, says: “The demand for on-the-go soft drinks has increased, shown by the 57% of people who had purchased soft drinks saying that it was the main reason they went to their local convenience store [Lumina Intelligence Retailer Attitudes and Behaviours Study, July 2023]. In addition, 34% of shoppers will go without or elsewhere if they’re not happy with www.slrmag.co.uk

N U F R E SUMM HERE STARTS Fastest Gro ing Soft Drinw Brand 202k 3

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216 gro % va impwth lue uls in e*

Exclusive Distributor UK & Ireland

*NIQ Data 52 weeks to 9th March 2024 (TOTAL IMPULSE)

Feature

Soft Drinks

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE With consumers demanding variety and excitement from their soft drinks, there is a strong opportunity for challenger brands.

“Of course, soft drinks play a functional, thirstquenching role in shoppers’ lives, but they’re also seen as a quick, easy and cost-effective way to experiment with different and exciting flavours,” says Mogu Mogu’s Ash Chadha. “This means retailers need to strike a balance between maintaining stock of the category’s big players, whilst also injecting excitement into the category through NPD from disruptive, challenger brands.

“In a category that is almost second nature given how embedded it is in the nation’s everyday routine, retailers have a unique opportunity to stop shoppers in their tracks with brands that bring something genuinely new and distinct to the category, like Mogu Mogu. This is what’s going to encourage impulse purchases, capture the attention of new shoppers and turn the dial on retailers’ sales.”

Pepsi has also been busy differentiating itself from competitors, carrying out a rebrand last March with the goal of attracting younger shoppers, whilst retaining existing customers.

Ben Parker, Britvic Retail Commercial Director in Great Britain, said: “The rebrand reflects Pepsi’s challenger mindset and drive to push culture forward whilst remaining iconic and timeless, with a new logo and visual identity that borrows equity from its past and incorporates modern elements to create a look that is unapologetically current and undeniably Pepsi. The vibrant new look will grab the attention on the shelf, playing a key role in drawing younger consumers into the category.”

HALF OF CONSUMERS WHO VISIT CONVENIENCE STORES TO BUY SOFT DRINKS ARE SATISFYING THEIR NEED “FOR A TREAT” SOURCE: BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS REPORT 2024, LUMINA INTELLIGENCE CONVENIENCE TRACKING PROGRAMME, 52WE 31.12.23

the to-go drinks available [IGD Category Benchmark research, May to June 2023].

“The category presents a huge opportunity in the channel, which is why we’re supporting it with the exclusive launch of the already popular Tango Ice Blast flavours in a ready-to-drink format.”

When asked about winning soft drinks lines, Daniall Nadeem flags up the brand as a top performer at Spar Motherwell Road, alongside Irn-Bru slush.

Irn-Bru Xtra Raspberry Ripple and Wild Berry Slush limited editions arrived on shelves in March, backed by a marketing campaign targeting 16 to 24-year-olds.

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

Jonathan Kemp, Commercial Director at Barr Soft Drinks, says that the brand has already seen good results with limited editions. “Last year’s Irn-Bru Xtra limited editions were a massive success, delivering £29 million to the category as well as a 30% uplift in the core Irn-Bru Xtra variant.”

With regard to limited editions, the Britvic report says: “What’s crucial is that such products drive incremental growth and shoppers continue to buy once the novelty has worn off.”

This was certainly the case for April 2023’s Raspberry & Mango isotonic sports drink limited edition launch from Boost. www.slrmag.co.uk

F O F R E O R M E M AA SSUUMM

G N I L Z Z SUN’S OUT I S

BRU’S OUT S E L A S

BEST S ’ D N A L T O SC INKS R D Y Z Z I F LOVED RAND* B

*Source: Kantar,

March 2024

Feature

Soft Drinks

GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES Lucozade Alert is downsizing to 250ml cans in order to grow the brand’s appeal. The new format will come in two flavours: Zero Sugar Mango Peachade and brand-new Ultimate Energy, which features guarana.

Half of stimulation drink shoppers said they’d prefer a smaller can, according to The Work Perk data, which carried out a sampling campaign questionnaire.

Aoife McGuigan, Head of Category Expansion, SBF GB&I, said: “We’re investing in the Lucozade Alert range to bring the right formats and the right flavours to market and drive even more sales for retailers this year. The research shows us there is strong demand for smaller cans in the category, with 31% of stimulation drinks now sold in 250ml cans [Nielsen Total Cov. Incl. Discounters 52wks 13.04.24]. We also know they’re especially popular with shoppers over 25 years old [Kantar data 2024], so can help retailers to unlock new shopper demographics. Our dynamic duo of 250ml cans is certainly set to be a hit with new shoppers looking for a high caffeine stimulation drink, so retailers should stock up now to see sales grow!”

The drink turned out to be a mega hit, exceeding forecasted figures by 170%, and so the firm decided to permanently incorporate the flavour into its core range. Earning sales of £1.8m, it was the second-best-performing new sports drink in the convenience channel that year [Circana, Total Convenience, Total Soft Drinks Britvic Defined, Value, 52WE 31/12/2023].

Sports drinks were the winning segment in 2023 with value growth of 64.6% YOY, adding £75.3m to convenience, states Britvic [Circana, Total Convenience, Total Soft Drinks by Segment Britvic defined, Value growth YOY, 52WE 31/12/2023]. This growth rises to 69% if you home in on independents and symbols, shows the Britvic Report.

In fact, sports drinks have performed well since the pandemic, claims Suntory Beverage & Food (SBF) GB&I,

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SLR | AUGUST 2024

which correlates with a broader increase in focus on health following the impact of Covid-19.

Penetration of sport drinks grew by 66% from February 2020 to February 2022 [Kantar | TakeHome Panel | 4we Rolling Data | Soft Drink Sectors | Penetration | 10 Year Trends]. “While a lower base than stimulation, the trend within sport drinks matches the upward swing in the broader sports & energy segment,” says Matt Gouldsmith, Channel Director, Wholesale, SBF GB&I. The top-performing NPD within sports drinks, according to the Britvic report, was Lucozade Sport Zero Sports Berry, which generated sales of £2.2m in the convenience channel [Circana, Total Convenience, Total Soft Drinks Britvic Defined, Value, 52WE 31/12/2023].

Sports drinks continue to perform in 2024, currently seeing 18.6% value sales growth and 17.1% volume sales growth [Nielsen, Sport, GB Total Coverage Convenience, Volume (LIT), Latest 52 weeks to 25.05.24].

Outside of sports drinks, other soft drinks categories are also benefiting from added functionality, making them more appealing and permissible.

“New consumer options – including enhanced waters, protein, gut health, meal solutions, fermented, prebiotic and probiotic drinks – are being executed in a variety of size formats to deliver excitement and respond to consumer needs while keeping the category fresh,” says Adam Hacking, Head of Beverages at Arla.

“The RTD coffee category, as it grows in scale and seeks to attract new consumers, will drive new trends, whether that be provenance, offering new taste options through limited editions, or enhanced product functionality.”

Arla has invested into the latter with its latest Starbucks launch, with the brand making its debut into protein drinks in June.

Crafted from Starbucks Arabica Coffee combined with low-fat milk and no added sugar, Starbucks Protein Drink with Coffee contains 20g protein per 330ml bottle and comes in Caffe Latte, Caramel Hazelnut and Chocolate Mocha flavours. The high-protein range adds strength to the protein category which has seen exponential growth, increasing in value from £46m in 2021 to £147m in 2024 [Nielsen 20/4/2024].

Starbucks’ consumers are some of protein’s biggest fans, claims Arla. In fact, they buy it 6.1 times per year more frequently than average protein buyers [Kantar 05/08/2023].

Britvic has also latched on to the lure of protein and coffee. When the firm entered the booming RTD Coffee market in July 2023 with the acquisition of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, it knew exactly how to maximise the opportunity. “Since adding Jimmy’s to our portfolio, we’ve boosted the brand’s functional credentials with the addition of two new products in collaboration with Myprotein,” explains the firm.

Available in Original Iced Coffee and Caramel Iced Coffee, the co-branded Myprotein lines pack 5.6 grams of protein per 100ml and have been designed to help retailers cash in on growing demand for protein-enriched drinks.

Jimmy’s Iced Coffee is also expanding its SlimCan range with a 250ml price-marked pack format. Rolling out exclusively across the convenience and impulse channel, the new format spans Jimmy’s Original, Mocha, Caramel and Strong flavours, with a £1.39 price on pack.

Britvic’s Parker says: “We know that shoppers are looking for value when it comes to choosing their next on-the-go drink, and with pricemarked packs holding 34% share of sales across total impulse [Nielsen IQ RMS, 52 wks to 30.12.23, Total Impulse exc. Co-op; using www.slrmag.co.uk

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Diet Coke is GB’s No.1 zero sugar cola brand1 If Diet Coke wasn’t available, 1 in 3 fans would not buy any other cola2 To find out more, email connect@ccep.com, call 0808 1 000 000 or visit My.CCEP.com for POS materials and downloadable digital assets. *GB18+. Download Coke App betw 15/7(0900) - 9/9/24(0859) for chance to win 1/4000 pers’lised 330ml cans in Instant App wins (winning moments which roll over). Not all Inst App prizes may be won. Auto entry into a wkly prize draw (8 in total). Max 2 inst win ents/pers/day. Max 1 win/pers/prize type.Mop Up draw for 100 pers’lised 330ml cans 10/9-1/10/24. Max 100 ents. Excl. apply. Full T&Cs: coke.co.uk/app/byyou Promoter: Coca-Cola GB. Sources: 1. Nielsen & CGA Total GB MAT val WE 23.03.24 2. Kantar World Panel GB 01.10.23 © The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved. DIET COKE and LOVE WHAT YOU LOVE are registered trade marks of The Coca-Cola Company.

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Feature

Soft Drinks

AC distribution, PMP Share of Value and Assortment over Total Single] the new Jimmy’s Iced Coffee PMP format is sure to help retailers deliver on this.”

Daniall Nadeem is teaming up with Jimmy’s for some activations to propel his iced coffee sales. “We had own-brand iced coffee from Spar but it was discontinued,” he says. “We do really well with Starbucks and Costa and we’re now in partnership with Jimmy’s – we’re just waiting to hear back details of an activation. It’s still very early stages, but they’re going to come out and possibly do tastings and give out some merchandise.”

He is a fan of using price marks within his impulse categories. “In soft drinks, confectionery, crisps and snacks we try and stick to price mark,” he says. “The margin’s not insulting at that point.”

When remerchandising his store, Daniall ended up losing 1m of soft drinks space, but this enabled him to review his range and ditch slow sellers. “We realised we were holding on to dead stock and [instead] stuck to a clean planogram,” he says. Despite having less shelf space, the category continues to deliver on sales. “Soft drinks are on the up,” he concludes.

ONE IN FOUR CONVENIENCE BASKETS FEATURES SOFT DRINKS SOURCE: THE BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS REPORT 2024, LUMINA INTELLIGENCE TRACKING PROGRAMME – 52 W/E 08.01.23 – 07.01.24

IN THE MOOD FOR FOOD While plenty of soft drinks shoppers buy into the category as a treat, there is an untapped opportunity to sell soft drinks as an accompaniment to food.

“Research has shown that food and drink merchandised together can double shopper engagement and increase sales by up to 32% [Food Pairing Insights, Connecta 2023],” says Rob Yeomans, Vice-President, Commercial Development at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB. With this in mind, the company has paired Sprite with Pringles Hot! In a special activation for c-stores. As part of Sprite’s ongoing global ‘Heat Happens’ campaign that encourages people to ‘stay cool’ when things get heated, Sprite has been highlighting how it is the perfect sidekick for the spicy snacks, offering instant lemon and lime refreshment.

CCEP has created eye-catching cross-category point-of-sale materials (POS) to help retailers drive linked meals and snacking purchases in-store. These can be requested via My.CCEP.com to help bring the campaign to life in store.

The company is further promoting the relationship between soft drinks and food with its CocaCola Zero Sugar food truck tour. Until mid-September, the truck will be visiting 16 retail customer sites and sponsoring seven food festivals across the country. The truck will deliver over 500,000 samples of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar from its Food-Fest Truck to keep the brand front of mind and strengthen the tradition of the mealtime occasion with soft drinks.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

THE UK’S NO.1 CHILLED * COFFEE

*Nielsen 15/06/24

Feature

Nicotine

KNOW YOUR NICOTINE

From pouches and vapes to heat not burn tobacco, next generation products provide a wealth of opportunity for retailers who are prepared to put the work in.

BY SARAH BRITTON

T

obacco remains a multi-billion-pound market in Scotland, but there’s no denying that it is in decline. Within the Scottish convenience sector, tobacco was worth 9.56bn in 2023, down 6.4% from £10.22bn in 2022, according to Imperial Brands’ latest figures [2023 ITUK Estimates from Retail Sales data (Epos) for Cigarettes and RYO in Convenience channel].

With the cost of living still hitting consumer spending and rising concerns over the health implications of smoking, many consumers are turning to alternatives for their nicotine fix.

“The UK is at a pivotal moment in its journey towards a smoke-free future; a downward trend in demand for combustible tobacco indicates a steady, but continuing decline in smoking itself,” says John Rennie, Director of Commercial Operations at Philip Morris Limited (PML) in the UK and Ireland.

During Philip Morris International’s (PMI’s) end-of-year 2023 financial results, CEO Jacek 50

SLR | AUGUST 2024

Olczak revealed that IQOS had surpassed Marlboro in global net revenues, becoming the company’s number one international nicotine brand. This success was replicated in the first quarter of 2024, where Philip Morris’ smokefree business accounted for 39% of international net revenues.

“Over several years, cigarette sales have fallen in the convenience trade and in the grocery multiples, demonstrating that more smokers are abandoning cigarettes, which is always the best choice, or switching to smokefree alternatives,” says Rennie. “This is a fundamental shift that all retailers should acknowledge and respond to.”

Guna Sud, Brand Manager at Racetrack Pitstop, which operates 11 convenience stores in and around Glasgow, has been doing his utmost to help smokers embrace next generation lines.

“Heat Not Burn [HNB] is not a huge market yet for us,” says Guna. “Customer education is not there yet.”

He sells HNB refills at all his sites, but only sells the actual devices in six. “We haven’t got kits in all our sites because it’s quite an upsell and in smaller sites we don’t have space for it,” he says. “We still have activations from IQOS, but it’s quite a lot of information for staff and there’s more uptake in vape. A lot of staff vape anyway so it’s easier to sell.”

For many retailers vaping has become a thriving category, with UK category value forecast to almost triple from £930m in 2019 to be worth almost £3bn in 2025 [ITUK estimates. Observable market = c34% of the total market including Key Accounts & Independents excluding Online and Vape Channels – Sept 2023]. www.slrmag.co.uk

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Nicotine

“With around 35% of current vape volume sales already taking place in the traditional retail channel [May-22 ECigIntelligence Market Database Estimates], it’s clear that there will be continued demand from consumers for vaping products throughout 2024,” says Yawer Rasool, Consumer Marketing Director UK & Ireland at Imperial Brands. “To tap into this rising trend, retailers need to ensure they are dedicating sufficient space in store for vaping products and stocking the right range for their customer base.”

The biggest part of the category is disposables, firing up an incredible 88% of sales [Source: ITUK estimates November 2023].

“Probably around 65-70% of our [vape] sales are disposable,” says Guna. Six hundred puffs Crystal and Gold bar (sold at five for £20) are top sellers for Racetrack, while IVG 2400 has led the way for some time in terms of big puffs.

However, with Labour backing the UK Tobacco and Vapes bill, there will undoubtedly be major changes ahead for the vape industry, with the new government pledging to ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children.

Pre-empting that this could prove the end for the disposable boom in retail, in the last six months Guna has converted just under a quarter of his disposable vape customers on to rechargeables. “We’re really pushing customers of disposables onto rechargeable devices with free nicotine salt or refillable pods,” he explains.

“Disposables are just one element of the market, but the market is going into refillables and rechargeables,” he says, noting that big puff devices offer a neat transition into rechargeables.

“The new IVG 5500 Puff is compliant for [a disposable] ban even though it’s technically single use. That’s roughly nine or 10 normal disposables in one device.”

After a successful trial of the IVG Smart 5500 Puff, he is rolling it out to all 11 stores. He is also selling IVG Air 4-in-1 devices featuring a 52

SLR | AUGUST 2024

refillable pod with 2400 puffs device, though he claims uptake of these has been slower than the latter.

He claims that rechargeable devices are a winwin for retailers and consumers. “For me as a retailer there’s more margin in nicotine salts and kits,” he says. “It’s better for the customer as they can save money… it’s just education.”

Guna is also working with Elfbar to grow sales of refillable lines. “We’ve signed an agreement with Elfbar. When customers buy a disposable we’ll give them a refillable kit free.”

He encourages his peers to expand beyond disposable vapes in order to stay ahead.

“Retailers need to embrace the next stage,” he says. “Otherwise, the black market will get worse if retailers don’t educate on refills.”

Another big player looking to grow sales in rechargeables is Imperial Brands, which has just launched a vaping device which offers up to 1,000 puffs per pod. The blu bar kit is being rolled out to UK Wholesale and Independent Retail channels first and allows consumers to enjoy intense flavours in pod format. The kit initially launches in four flavours – including new Cherry and Pineapple.

The sleek device offers the easy use and portability of a disposable device, while the rechargeable 550mAh battery and USB-C charging port enables repeated use. In addition, liquid level visibility means users can easily see when their pods need to be replaced, and Imperial Brand’s innovative mesh coil delivers enhanced flavour.

Rasool says: “The all-new blu bar kit further extends the range of product features and benefits the vaping community is seeking. It offers up to 1,000 puffs per pod, while the liquid level is also visible through the translucent pod, making it much easier to see when the pod needs replacing. Meanwhile, enhanced safety offered through a security lock is another key benefit for retailers to share with their customers.

“As consumers search for vaping solutions that provide even more intense flavours, ease of delivery and competitive pricing, we believe the blu bar kit offers a significant sales opportunity for wholesalers and retailers alike, as well as providing another revenue stream ahead of the proposed disposable vape ban.”

Other consumers may choose to get their flavour hit from the up-and-coming pouches market.

“Pouches are very good for us,” says Guna.

“More people are coming in and asking specifically for them. Sales are growing month on month.”

But there’s plenty of room for improvement.

“We have a 1m stand but again there’s a lot of education missing,” he says. “When we started stocking them, I was looking up online what’s compliant and what isn’t.” Guna points out that many retailers don’t realise the pouches have nicotine in them and therefore need to be sold using the Challenge 25 policy.

If managed correctly, Prianka Jhingan, Marketing Manager at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG UK) claims that the potential for the category is huge.

“When it comes to nicotine pouches, it’s fair to say that sales are really gathering pace in the UK and flavours are driving that growth, with mint being the dominant one,” she says. “In fact, in 2023, UK pouch sales accounted for a 10% share of global pouch revenue.”

The firm’s new XQS pouches come in Tropical, Blueberry Mint, Cool Ice and Arctic Freeze flavours with smaller-sized pouches to ensure a good fit under the lip.

“The nicotine market will only continue to grow so I’d encourage retailers to give it the focus it deserves,” says Jhingan. “It’s also worth noting that around 40% of all nicotine pouch sales take place in convenience stores, further reinforcing the fact it’s a category to understand and get right.” www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

Back To University

A DEGREE OF CAUTION

Students of today are having to watch what they spend, with their biggest headaches fuelled by financial and sustainability concerns, rather than alcohol.

Image by freepika

BY SARAH BRITTON

Y

ou might think being a student is all about rinsing the bank of mum and dad and nights out on the razz, but with costs and stress levels rising, these days many Gen Zs are having to watch their pennies more than ever.

Financial concerns and cost-of-living pressures were on the minds of half of students quizzed in the 2023 NatWest Student Living Index.

The research found that Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Coventry were the four regions with the highest cost of living, with Edinburgh coming out on top for the second year in a row.

Around a third of Brits aged 18-24 do not drink alcohol at all (Mintel’s Lifestyles of Generation Z UK 2023), but with Freshers Week fast approaching, it’s always going to be worth stores in student areas stocking a good selection of spirits and alcohol multipack deals to help students celebrate the start of their university journey. However, overall, students are spending less on booze, with Natwest reporting a drop of 29% to an average monthly alcohol spend of £30.96. The bank says: “This could be an indication that they are finding cheaper deals or cutting down on drinking entirely.”

Research also shows that putting food on the table is a battle for a worrying number of students. Money website Save the Student (STS) found that UK students spent £133 a month on groceries on average – their second biggest expenditure after rent. This breaks down to around £31 a week. But many are struggling to afford a good, balanced diet, with 18% using foodbanks, according to the 2023 STS Student Money survey.

That’s almost double the one in 10 using food banks in the site’s 2022 poll.

So if you are based near a university then ensuring value for money on the basics is a must. Ashok Pothugunta has just taken on two stores within 1.3 miles of each other in the heart of Edinburgh and is very mindful of student budgets.

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He is hopeful that he can draw in plenty of students come September by ensuring that prices remain reasonable. “Immediately I’m going to target price, so I’m going to check my competitors and what they’re doing, so that at least we can compete with them,” he says. “I’m going to target students with ready meals and meal deals. Maybe at the moment they’re £4.25 and I’m going to speak to Nisa and they may come down to £3.99 meal deals.”

He’ll also be stocking a good selection of global dishes to cater for a diverse range of tastes. “We’ll have more international lines because it’s a mixed community with students from all over the world,” he says.

In addition to value for money, sustainability is a high priority for young people of today. In fact, the Deloitte 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey shows six in 10 Gen Zs (62%) say they have felt worried or anxious about climate change in the last month, up two percentage points from last year.

As a result, 73% of Gen Zs have taken action to minimise their impact on the environment. What’s more, 79% believe that businesses could and should do more to enable consumers to make more sustainable purchasing decisions.

The convenience store at Dundee University Students’ Association, Premier DUSA, has tapped into this need in multiple ways, including making a dedicated display of health-, social-, and sustainabilityconscious products. The store also houses a vape recycle bin sourced from the Scottish Grocers’ Federation. “As part of our sustainability aims, it is vital that our customers can dispose of their vapes responsibly and with ease,” says the store. “We are delighted to work with socially responsible partners and improving sustainability is at the heart of what we do as part of Dundee University Students’ Association’s strategic plan.”

So while alcohol is undoubtedly still a key part of the student mix, it is worth keeping in mind that cost and sustainability are also student essentials for today’s mindful Gen Z crowd. www.slrmag.co.uk

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Feature

Halloween

MAKE A KILLING

Ensure your Halloween offer is on point and you’ll leave your customers spellbound.

ALMOST HALF (47%) OF SCOTS WERE PLANNING TO SPEND MONEY ON HALLOWEEN 2023 Finder survey 2023

BY SARAH BRITTON

S

pooky season has certainly got its claws into UK consumers, with a fifth now counting Halloween as their favourite annual holiday, a 2023 study from immersive attractions owners, The Dungeons, has revealed.

Indeed, Halloween has turned into an absolute monster of an event in recent years, topping £1bn spend in 2023 [Mintel Halloween and Bonfire Night Market Report 2023].

Just less than half (47%) of Scots were planning to spend on last Halloween, according to a survey from comparison platform Finder. com. The average planned Halloween spend per Brit was £36 per person, the research revealed.

However, Gen Z were planning to spend an average of £46 each, while Millennials were planning to spend an average of £41 each.

Mintel agrees that younger generations are spending more. “A record Halloween and

Bonfire Night in 2023 was driven by younger shoppers who were happy to use both events as an excuse to socialise and treat themselves,” says Mintel Retail Analyst Emily Viberg.

The firm advises retailers to leverage the emotional connection younger shoppers have with both events by invoking positive memories with nostalgic products.

What’s more, it highlights that awareness of the throwaway nature of many products during Halloween provides an opportunity for retailers and brands to engage with consumers who are concerned about the environmental impact and are looking for more sustainable options.

Sustainability is a key focus for Perfetti Van Melle. “For shoppers, Fruit-tella and Chupa Chups are now synonymous with Halloween and as such this period is one of the most important in the calendar year,” claims Perfetti Van Melle Trade Marketing Controller Derek Baker. “Both

brands are undergoing developments to ensure they are as sustainable as possible with regards to packaging, and there is a broad range of SKUs that appeal to all shoppers.

“Fruit-tella and Chupa Chups can assist retailers make the most of the Halloween occasion as both brands offer portionable and wrapped SKUs, perfect for trick or treating bowls.”

The company also has some frightfully fun ‘The Creeps’ POS. “Creating an eye-catching Halloween display plays a significant role in driving seasonal sales,” says Gemma Allanson, National Field Sales Manager at World of Sweets. “Grouping together all your Halloween lines into one big, attractive display provides optimum visibility and easier in-store navigation. Impulse-buy products can be placed near tills to encourage unplanned purchases.”

SHARES FOR THE SCARES

GRUESOME GOODIES FROM HANCOCKS The Petrifying Pumpkins Candy Cup (230g, RSP £1.99) is filled with pumpkin mallows and jelly pumpkins. The cup is resealable so it’s perfect for portion control and it’s also made from 30% recycled material and is kerbside recyclable.

Candy Realms Mallow Stacker is 27cm tall and retails for just a pound. This strawberry-flavoured marshmallow pop is in the shape of classic Halloween characters – pumpkin, ghost, monster and bat.

A pack of Candy Realms Alien Balloons with Popping Candy (RSP £1) contains four sachets of strawberry popping candy and two alien balloons, which last over a week once inflated.

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As autumn approaches, KP Snacks claims that Halloween represents a key opportunity for retailers to drive Big Night In sales and footfall. After all, what could be better than a comforting bag of snacks to munch on as consumers tuck into the latest zombie flick or slasher movie?

“In the lead-up to Halloween, consumers seek out their favourite snacks for movie nights at home and get-togethers with family and friends, making Crisps, Snacks and Nuts (CSN) a critical category to capitalise on,” says Matt Collins, Sales Director at KP Snacks. “To capitalise on Halloween and the strength of the Sharing segment, retailers should stock a range of Sharing CSN products. Sharing is the largest segment in CSN and is growing strongly at +9.3% [Nielsen IQ Coverage, Total Value, MAT 18.05.24].”

www.slrmag.co.uk

Feature

Forecourts

GULF NAIRN SERVICE STATION RELAUNCHES

FULLY CHARGED The forecourt sector continues to evolve as operators up the ante with improved retail offerings and EV charging points.

F

orecourts provide over 89,000 jobs for local people and have invested an average of over £11,700 per store – well at least they did when the latest Association of Convenience Stores Forecourt Report was published last year. Since then, there has been a tidal wave of movement as the sector continues to invest and the lines between convenience and forecourt become ever more blurred.

Back in October, Asda completed the acquisition of EG Group’s UK business meaning the retailer would take on hundreds of new convenience stores. This announcement followed the news that Asda had also kicked off its programme to convert 116 convenience Co-op petrol stations to its Asda Express convenience brand.

Since then, Co-op and EG-conversion stores have been opening across the UK, with 24 in Scotland, 310 in England and 22 in Wales.

Penny Petroleum, the UK’s fifth-largest independent forecourt operator, has also been 58

SLR | AUGUST 2024

investing in its retail offer. The company, which turned 30 this year, has entered into a long-term partnership with Bestway Retail, part of Bestway Wholesale. The operator already worked with the retail group to optimise its offer on 11 forecourts and retail stores and the new agreement has seen a further 57 stores joining the Costcutter operation to accelerate the customer offer. As part of the plan, the group re-branded its sites to Penny on the Move and joined the Bestway Retail National Account division.

Zuber Issa’s EG On The Move has also teamed up with a convenience operator, as the Coop expands its franchise offer into forecourts.

As part of a trial roll out, the first Scottish store, Nitshill Services in Glasgow, has already launched and will be followed by Portlethen, Aberdeenshire; and Macmerry in Tranent, East Lothian over the summer, in addition to a further four sites in England.

Nitshill Services in Darnley, Glasgow is open 24 hours and includes electric vehicle charging, with the Co-op convenience store offering a

Gulf was thrilled to announce the successful reopening of Gulf Nairn Service Station, thanks to a £100,000+ investment from Certas Energy earlier this month.

The site, which includes a Spar shop, has been fitted out with a new ceiling, flooring and energy-efficient lighting with a bespoke counter to provide an improved shopper experience.

In addition, the chiller space has been expanded and the store now has defined zones for food to go, chilled, alcohol and making a meal.

Sharon Ellen, Spar UK Store Manager, said: “Gulf Nairn is truly the heart of our community. As locals ourselves, we’re overjoyed with the positive feedback on the refurbishment.”

Gulf Retail UK said: “This investment underscores our dedication to enhancing customer experience, strengthening community ties, and supporting our retailers’ success.”

focus on fresh, chilled and healthy produce; meal ideas and everyday essentials; prepared sandwiches and food to go. The food service offer at the site also includes branches of Greggs and Starbucks.

The move is part of Co-op’s ambition to grow its franchise business to over 500 sites by 2030.

Issa said: “Following on from this seven-store trial, we look forward to working with Co-op to consider other locations across the network … this partnership not only promises to enhance our convenience store offer but it will also ensure our customers have access to exceptional fuel retail services including electric vehicle (EV) charging, a wide choice of essential and premium grocery and merchandise along with an enjoyable foodservice experience.” www.slrmag.co.uk

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Feature

Forecourts

HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY JET To celebrate turning 70, fuel brand JET has created a series of platinum-themed marketing activities and revealed a retro logo to mark the occasion.

‘JET Petroleum’ was founded in 1954 by Yorkshire businessman John Willy ‘Bill’ Roberts, who named the single service station firm after the licence plate of his first tanker: JET 855. Fast forward to 2024 and JET has grown into a leading brand in the UK, with 307 sites.

The firm will unbox some of its rich heritage, sharing stories from dealers, staff and customers as part of a ‘memory lane’ content series. There will also be a series of platinum Behind the Business dealer interviews, themed merchandise, including totes and t-shirts, and filmed content for social media.

The 70th celebrations will also see the return of the hugely popular Wheel Spins activity.

Meanwhile, the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator MFG is investing an initial £40m into Morrisons forecourts between May and October 2024 following its acquisition of 337 Morrisons petrol forecourts and more than 400 sites across the UK for ultra-rapid EV charging. MFG is refitting the stores with new equipment to provide improved food to go and “a truly convenience led retail offering,” with increased opening hours, alcohol licences where appropriate, and the provision of other services such as the National Lottery.

The group is also planning a full-scale redevelopment of the Morrisons portfolio, which will include valeting centres and the installation of ultra-rapid EV charging hubs.

MFG is targeting the installation of 800 ultrarapid 150kW EV chargers within the first five years alone, which will position MFG as one of the largest ultra-rapid EV charge point operators in the UK, with a landbank of over 1,300 sites.

Not to be left out of this lucrative market, BP has committed to investing up to £1bn by 2030 in the UK’s EV charging infrastructure with 90% of new public charge points being rapid or ultra-fast. And to maximise on its EV sites, BP has been loud and proud about elevating its convenience offer, especially food to go. “We know that as the energy transition progresses, 60

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customers and their habits will change,” says the group. “We expect customers will spend more time at our sites in the future, charging their EVs. “Our challenge now is to work out how we flex our current five-minute grab-and-go offer for a 20-minute customer stay while they charge.”

The company is trialling a Wild Bean Cafe made-to-order ‘food for now’ offer, which will see premium options, such as an avocado, halloumi and egg bap, made fresh on premises, and customers will also have the option to customise their food with a variety of fancy sauces – spicy gochujang ketchup anyone?

Since introducing this concept, the firm claims to have seen a 60% increase in Wild Bean Cafe sales and a 20% rise in transactions at trial sites.

Lumina Intelligence concurs that forecourts offering EV charging must ensure their offer stands out from the crowd. “With an increasing number of consumers opting for home charging, forecourts must differentiate their offerings to remain relevant,” it says.

EV charging can bring greater margins, alongside additional revenue from increased non-fuel spending as EV drivers experience longer dwell time, states OC&C Strategy Consultants’ The Forecourt of the Future 2022

report. “At present, the dwell time for an EV charge is between 30 and 40 minutes,” it says.

“In the future, we anticipate this will reduce to between 15 and 20 minutes, but this is still significant compared against the current dwell time of, on average, three minutes.

“Longer consumer dwell times offer the opportunity to develop new retail propositions.

These should be tailored to the forecourts’ locations, as consumers on highways will have different needs and expectations to those who are charging in urban areas. For example, forecourts could add value for consumers (and increase revenue) with a range of services appropriate to each site’s location such as click and collect, enhanced shopping experiences and ultra-fast valet services.”

MFG has done just that by signing a new partnership agreement with ME Group to install up to 300 Wash.ME Revolution laundry machines across the UK over the next five years.

The machines give consumers access to selfservice, large-capacity (9kg and 20kg drums), energy-efficient, high-speed washing and drying laundry services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With investment in additional services, food to go and ultra-fast EV charging, the forecourt sector is definitely going places. www.slrmag.co.uk

UTC

HOUSE OF CARDS

TOILET HUMOUR

Despite giving off the appearance of a superannuated fossil, Under The Counter is all for technology. Indolent by nature, he reckons anything that makes life easier can only be a good thing.

Take self-service tills, for example. A genius solution that means retailers no longer need to serve customers – who simply serve themselves instead.

This means retailers, liberated from the shackles of the shopfloor, have oodles of time for any number of other tasks.

Like hand-printing notices informing shoppers that the checkouts are card only and – under no circumstances – do they ever give cash back.

Something has quite clearly gone wrong in your store when you have no fewer than seven, including one in both English and Spanish, manky homemade signs around a solitary self-checkout all saying the same thing. UTC was minded of Einstein’s definition of madness.

America may well be the land of the free, but it’s not the land of the three-ply, for the nation is in the grip of a toilet paper shortage.

Logistics issues coupled with rising energy and raw material costs have led to a vicious circle of rising prices and panic buying.

Shoppers driven round the u-bend by a poverty of poo paper are now lifting loo roll from each other’s trolleys.

Much like when Britain’s 2021 supply chain woes saw cardboard cutouts of fruit and veg in supermarkets, some stores have resorted to sticking pictures of toilet tissue on shelves instead. Unfortunately, as the pictures are glossy, they’re not much use for wiping your bum with.

Boss of bogroll maker Kruger Products, Dino Bianco (that’s ‘white dinosaur’ in English), said there “is no absolute shortage of tissue”. Ostensibly discussing panic buying in the wider context of shopping missions he was more on the money than he imagined: “When you need to go, you’ve got a very focused agenda.”

This is a position Under The Counter gets behind. When his colleagues see him shuffling off with a rolled-up newspaper, they know only too well what’s on the Auld Boy’s agenda.

Every cloud has a silver lining, however. Sales of bidets in the States are surging, a fact that brought a flush to UTC’s cheeks. The Auld Boy will never forget his first encounter with a sphincter shower; an ill-advised trip to France saw him put his back out drinking from one.

At least there’s a cracking selection of wee balloons on sticks to tempt impulse customers with.

The store is, of course, in the US and part of the Smith’s Food and Drug chain.

Under The Counter was tickled to discover that Smith’s stopped accepting Visa cards for six months back in 2019, describing the fees as “excessive”.

Given its aversion to cash, he was amazed it managed to hold out for so long.

WILD AT TART Under The Counter loves a good marketing wheeze, so he was delighted by the stushie Waitrose whipped up by launching a bag for life featuring the word ‘tart’ superimposed on an image of a large strawberry. Ooh-er missus, as Frankie Howerd would say.

Tighter than two coats of paint, UTC firmly subscribes to the “why pay for advertising when faux outrage will get you (shopping) bags of free publicity” school of thought.

And it’s mission accomplished for the posh supermarket, with dire rumblings about sexual aggression and normalising misogyny

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plastered all over the media, accompanied by images of the offending bag. (See picture above. Irony intended.)

Predictably, shoppers with a sense of humour are snapping them up. Although, with the bags for life priced at a fiver a pop, Under The Counter is not among their number. Given that the overwhelming majority of his days are

behind him, he doesn’t view such extravagant expenditure as good value for money.

Now, on a spectrum of semantic slurs, UTC thinks ‘tart’ lurks somewhere near the bottom – titter ye not – just above ‘crumpet’.

And a considerable distance below ‘slag,’ as in Pot Noodle’s infamous and admittedly banned ‘The slag of all snacks’ campaign.

At the end of the day, the bag is a mildly risqué bit of innuendo, and we can all appreciate a decent double entendre – UTC included. He likes nothing better than slipping a big one into SLR at every opportunity.

www.slrmag.co.uk