SLR December 2025 Edition

NEWS

06 Deposit Return Scheme A reverse vending machine trial at New College Lanarkshire is an overwhelming success.

07 Crime Unscrupulous convenience retailers across the UK are targeted in grey economy crackdown.

08 Vapes The number of over-16s in Great Britain who vape overtakes the number of adult smokers for the first time.

10 News Extra In-Store Abuse A new poll reveals a worrying increase in the frequency of shopworker mistreatment.

18 Product News Shoppers can win a trip to Iceland in CocaCola’s new promo while the National Lottery launches its Christmas campaign.

20 Off-Trade News Jam Shed makes its TV debut and Tennent’s launches Bavarian Pilsner.

INSIDE BUSINESS

23 SLR Awards The search is on for Scotland’s brightest and best as the SLR Awards 2026 officially get underway.

28 Deposit Return Scheme Momentum is building as the entire local retailing industry prepares for October 2027.

30 Above & Beyond Awards Your team going the extra mile makes local retailing unique – so please take a few minutes to tell us about the stars in your business.

32 SLR Awards Winner’s Profile David’s Kitchen Glenrothes The store remains as visionary and progressive as ever, as its double win at this year’s SLR Awards shows.

36 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.

46 Under The Counter The launch of Greggs’ new Bitesize format causes considerable consternation for the Auld Boy.

FEATURES

38 What’s In Store? With a raft of new regulations on the way in 2026, retailers must look forwards and get ready to face their challenges head on.

42 Easter Learn which Easter segments perform and what NPD will help you crack seasonal sales.

44 Tobacco Light up sales this Christmas with a cigar selection to suit every need.

HFSS reaches Holyrood

The Scottish Government has published The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025, which are now before the Scottish Parliament. The regulations aim to make promotions healthier and reduce overconsumption of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products. They align with equivalent policy in England and Wales and will come into force on 1 October 2026.

CJ Lang shows resilience

Spar Scotland wholesaler, CJ Lang & Son Ltd, has announced a group net turnover increase of £2m to £255m in its financial statement for the period ended 27 April 2025. The firm reported an EBITDA of £6.8m and operating profit (pre-exceptional costs) of £2.35m. Despite tough conditions, CEO Colin McLean, said: “sales remained strong, demonstrating the strength of the Spar brand, but profits have inevitably been squeezed.”

Ofgem to regulate energy broker market

The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s announcement that energy regulator Ofgem will be appointed to oversee the energy broker market. Energy brokers, also known as third party intermediaries, typically act as comparison services for businesses. However, due to the unregulated nature of the market, not all brokers act in their customers’ best interests.

UWG and ShopMate launch United Epos

United Wholesale Grocers, which operates the Lifestyle Express Symbol Group, has teamed up with ShopMate to launch United Epos. The new system will roll out to 200 stores over the next 12 months. UWG claimed retailers using United Epos would benefit from seamless integration of stock and pricing, centralised promotions, and access to digital media screens.

Scottish students RVM trial drives recycling surge

More than 20,000 cans and plastic bottles have been recycled by students across the Motherwell, Coatbridge and Cumbernauld campuses at New College Lanarkshire following the introduction of a 20p nancial incentive for using reverse vending machines (RVMs).

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) partnered with the college and Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) to introduce a 20p reward – redeemable at the University’s canteens – for every can and plastic bottle recycled through RVMs on campuses during September.

Aimed at encouraging positive recycling behaviour, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) trial saw the RVMs used 80 times more than

SYMBOL GROUPS

when compared to the same period last year.

In total, 11,293 cans and 8,884 plastic bottles were recycled during the trial, compared to just 255 bottles and cans in the same period last year.

However, once the incentive ended, usage dropped sharply, with just 346 containers recycled the following week, a 91% decrease on the trial’s weekly average. e ve-week trial led to an 80% redemption of the 20p vouchers students received for recycling their containers.

Barry Fisher, KSB Chief Executive, said: “As expected, a small incentive drove a huge increase in the use of these reverse vending machines during this trial period.”

New appointment and fascia upgrade mean big changes for Nisa

Co-op Wholesale has appointed former Booker Group Head of Marketing & Added Value Services, Daniel Marsden, as Head of Retail and unveiled plans to introduce a refreshed Nisa fascia and proposition in 2026.

Marsden had previously worked at Booker for nearly 25 years, holding roles as the group’s Head of Marketing & Digital and as Londis Central Head of Operations & Marketing.

He joins former Booker Wholesale Customer Director Martin Swadling, who started at Co-op Wholesale in October as Customer Director.

Marsden replaces Taranjit Dhillon who has just been appointed Director of Independent Retail – Recruitment at AF Blakemore.

He added: “With two years until we see a UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme it’s vital that the public are aware of its introduction to ensure it is a success from the start.”

With this in mind, O cial DRS operator, UK Deposit Management Organisation, is set to launch a national consumer awareness campaign in 2027 ahead of the UKwide DRS scheme going live later that year on 1 October.

LEGISLATION Parliamentary ping pong Unfair dismissal debate rages on

e Employment Rights Bill has reached the nal stages in UK Parliament, with unfair dismissal rights proving to be a major sticking point.

e House of Commons has proposed that the qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection, which is currently two years, should start from the rst day of employment. e House of Lords, backed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), has proposed a six-month qualifying period.

During a debate at the Lords on 17 November, the Conservative Peer Lord Leigh of Hurley said: “Every SME I have spoken to has many objections to the Bill. In fact, I have not spoken to one that is happy with the Bill, in part or in whole.”

Helen Dickinson, BRC Chief Executive, commented: “Retailers support the Employment Rights Bill’s goal of cracking down on unscrupulous employers who do not treat their employees fairly, but this must not come at the price of penalising responsible businesses.”

Meanwhile, retail trade union Usdaw called on the Government to resist pressure from Conservative and Liberal Democrat Peers “trying to weaken the Employment Rights Bill and give rogue employers the legal right to unfairly dismiss sta ”.

Rogue Scots shops busted in grey economy crime crackdown

Corrupt store owners have been targeted by law enforcement agencies, who visited almost 200 businesses across Scotland last month to tackle money laundering and seize illicit goods.

O cers from Police Scotland, Trading Standards, HMRC, the Department of Work and Pensions, and Home O ce Immigration Enforcement visited c-stores, vape shops, barbers, nail bars and car washes which encourage customers to use cash as payment to avoid paying tax and duty.

e activity was the second part of the UK-wide, multiagency, intelligence-led initiative, Operation Machinize, co-ordinated by the National Crime Agency.

In total, the partnership saw 2,734 premises visited and raided across the UK and 924 individuals

arrested. Over £10.7m of suspected criminal proceeds were seized and more than £2.7m worth of illicit commodities were destroyed.

ese gures include the removal of 70kg of cannabis, 111,097 illegal vapes, 4.5 million illegal cigarettes and 622kg of illegal tobacco

EDUCATION Healthy eating scheme success Healthy Living Programme breakfasts feed over 50,000 pupils

e Scottish Grocers’ Federations’ Healthy Living Programme has celebrated reaching over 50,000 pupils across the country since launching its Welby Breakfast initiative in 2017. e milestone was marked this morning at Coylton Primary School in Ayrshire, where pupils took part in a special Welby Breakfast event. e initiative connects young people with their local convenience store retailers, showing how these stores can o er a variety of healthier food options. Each breakfast session is fun, interactive, and designed to help children understand the importance of starting the day with a nutritious meal.

To celebrate the achievement, seven pupils from Coylton Primary joined the HLP team to mark the 50,000th breakfast. e event highlighted the Programme’s ongoing commitment to supporting healthy eating habits and helping young people develop the energy and focus they need to learn and thrive.

Every Welby Breakfast includes an educational pack that pupils take home, encouraging continued learning about nutrition and healthy choices beyond the classroom.

Kathryn Neil, Programme Director of the Healthy Living Programme, said: “ is is a huge milestone for the HLP team. Providing 50,000 breakfasts to children across Scotland is something we’re incredibly proud of. None of this would have been possible without the fantastic support of retailers, symbol groups, and wholesalers who make every event possible.”

(equalling £3.4m of duty taxes evaded).

Furthermore, 341 Referral Notices for illegal working and renting were issued, meaning businesses could face nes of up to £60,000 per worker with landlords facing nes of up to £20,000 per tenant if found liable. Over 450 companies have been referred to Companies House for further investigation.

Police Scotland Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry said: “Money laundering and supplying illicit products for their own criminal bene t is a scourge.

“Much of this activity is being undertaken by serious organised crime groups and can lead to the identi cation of other serious criminality such as human tra cking or modern slavery.”

COMMUNITY Londis Solo Convenience launches Christmas charity initiative

Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston has teamed up with the ‘Be Someone’s Santa’ charity campaign to help bring Christmas cheer to local kids.

The store, run by Natalie and Martin Lightfoot, has erected a Christmas tree featuring ‘Be Someone’s Santa’ tags. Each tag represents a local child in need of “a little festive magic”. By choosing a tag, customers can buy a gift for a child or young person who might otherwise go without.

UK DMO appoints CEO Deposit Return Scheme operator, UK Deposit Management Organisation, has appointed Russell Davies as its Chief Executive Officer. In the coming months the organisation will finalise its operational blueprint, consulting on the design of the Retail Handling Fee and Producer Fee structures and identifying the logistics, collection and recycling partners for the scheme.

Spar Scotland to Spin into Spring

Spar Scotland has shared details of its ‘Spin into Spring’ campaign, which is set to boost footfall and sales across the group’s 300+ stores with a combination of gamification, instant rewards, and brand interaction. Running from 12 March to 22 April, the digital campaign will invite shoppers to take part in a daily spin-to-win game where they can win FMCGbranded digital vouchers.

Scottish retailers face ‘twin threats’

Sales in Scotland rose for the fourth month in a row in October, but retailers face big challenges, the Scottish Retail Consortium has warned. Director David Lonsdale said: “Firstly, consumer confidence remains shaky and won’t be helped by mooted increases in personal taxation. The second threat is the risk of inaction on business rates.”

Co-op invests in Scottish Highlands sites

Co-op has revealed plans to open a new store in Gairloch in the north-west Highlands ahead of Christmas, as well as relaunching a further five Scottish stores following major refits. Highlands stores in Brora, Evanton, Fortrose and Inverness, and a fifth site in Callander are all due to reopen before Christmas. Stores in Kingussie, Selkirk, Irvine and Kingswells have also recently reopened after refits.

2,734 sites were visited UKwide, including this store in Cambridgeshire.

Sweets suffer frightful Halloween, figures suggest Chocolate and sugar confectionery both recorded a sales dip in Scotland and lower shopper penetration, according to October data from Worldpanel by Numerator. “This reflects a similar trend seen across Great Britain, where biscuit bars have surged by 17.1%, perhaps taking the place of traditional Halloween chocolates,” suggested the group.

20 is plenty campaign launches

A new campaign, 20 is Plenty, has launched in the UK to advocate for balanced regulation of nicotine pouches while maintaining access for adult users. The initiative calls on the government to introduce a 20mg cap on pouch strength, describing it as a practical, evidence-based measure. It also supports age verification and strength limits as the right approach to protect children without restricting adult choice.

Snappy bolsters board

Snappy Group has appointed Holland & Barrett Group Chief Financial Officer and former senior exec at Ocado Group, Vineta Bajaj, to its board as a Non-Executive Director. “Convenience is being redefined,” said Bajaj. “It’s no longer just about speed. It’s about service, sustainability, and accessibility. Customers want grocery shopping that fits their lives. The next day full basket delivery had its moment, and that was yesterday.”

Allwyn hits halfway mark National Lottery operator, Allwyn, has reached a major milestone in its UK-wide rollout of new Wave terminals, with more than 22,000 now successfully installed across retail locations. This marks the halfway point in Allwyn’s rollout of the new machines, which are designed to modernise and enhance The National Lottery’s in-store experience for both retailers and players.

Vapers smokersovertake for first time

As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill reaches the committee stage in the House of Lords, the number of vapers aged 16 years and over in GB has climbed higher than the number of smokers aged 16+ for the rst time.

e newly published gures from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) by the O ce for National Statistics (ONS) show that around 5.4 million (10%) of over-16s used a vape daily or occasionally in 2024. is compares to around 4.9 million (9.1%) current smokers aged 16+.

CRIME

Glasgow Southside man charged over exploitation

A 43-year-old man has been charged for exploiting young people who were committing shop the s.

O cers from Operation Dynos, an ongoing initiative funded by Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce, carried out inquiries into a series of shopli ings across the Central Belt, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire and Forth Valley between April and October this year.

On each occasion young people stole quantities of alcohol from stores, which was then reset and sold on to fund organised criminal activity. In total, £50,000 worth of alcohol was stolen.

e man charged with exploiting the youngsters will appear at Glasgow Sheri Court on 4 February 2026.

e percentage of over-16s in GB who said they smoked cigarettes had decreased from 10.5% in 2023, while the number of over-16s who said they vaped had increased from 5.1million users in 2023.

Jamie Strachan, Operations Director at vape retailer VPZ, said: “ is milestone is a clear sign that vaping is continuing to play a vital role in helping millions of people across the country move away from cigarettes.”

Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of ASH, said: “ e growth in vaping has almost certainly contributed to the fall in smoking and is therefore to be welcomed.

“However, the concerns about non-smokers and young people taking up vaping remain. New powers to further regulate vapes in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill are a good opportunity to maintain the current trends by restricting marketing and reinforcing the role of vapes as a quitting tool.”

e Bill aims to standardise vape product design and will also introduce regulation-making powers to restrict avours, POS displays and packaging for vape products, as well as other consumer nicotine products.

e UK Government’s recent call for evidence has gathered information on what levels of nicotine should be permitted in products; the size and shape of vapes; and the role of technology in these devices.

Racetrack reveals UK retail’s first chilled nicotine pouch display

e innovative Racetrack team has introduced the rst chilled oral nicotine display in UK retail at its store close to Strathclyde University, providing “an elevated pouch experience”.

Inspired by Swedish smoking alternative retailers and executed with the usual Racetrack panache, the £15,000 bespoke Snus Daddy unit is 2.5m wide and 3.6m tall. e vibrant display is surrounded by neon lights and digital screens and holds nearly 200 SKUs.

Pouch sales have already seen doubledigit growth since the display was installed. “ e site is super-busy at the moment, pouch sales are up 15%,” says Retail Manager Guna Sud, who came up with the idea. “I think that’s mainly due to the fact it’s more impactful now. Some of the new sales are in new brands – Fumi and XQS, which have been promoted in the central area.”

He claimed that pouch sales had already exploded ahead of the display’s launch, especially in the group’s student-centric Racetrack Strathclyde store, so it was a no-brainer to make this the launch pad for the new unit.

If sales continue to perform well, he plans to roll the displays out to Racetrack’s other larger sites in 2026.

SMOKING ALTERNATIVES Creative POS powers sales

Shoplifting gang targeted

Being a part of SPAR Scotland gives us exclusive access to Barista Bar, the largest coffee brand in Northern Ireland. It has been a real game changer for us and customers here in Inverness are loving it. I thought we were already doing coffee well, but since installing the machine our sales are up about 50%. It looks fantastic, delivers quality, and keeps customers returning to the store.

Innes MacDonald – SPAR Retailer since 2007

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF

Next year will see tougher restrictions across a range of nicotine products, due to be introduced through the UK Tobacco & Vapes Bill. Limits on the sale and age restrictions of nicotine pouches can’t come soon enough.

Although the pouches do not contain tobacco, like many products in the category, there is a risk that media reports about illegal branding and high-strength pouches circulating could result in much tighter controls for compliant and well-meaning retailers – while rogue sellers continue to trade unhindered.

SGF is focused on responsible community retailing and that is why we have issued advice to our members on the sale of nicotine pouches – which are an adult smoking cessation aid and should never be marketed or sold to children. We are also urging anyone with information about those selling illegal or illicit products to contact police or trading standards.

Illegal products help fuel illicit trade and retail crime, which is devastating our sector, and we should support the clampdown on illegal selling wherever possible.

Standard pouches contain up to 20mg of nicotine, with over 30mg typically providing more nicotine than a cigarette. However, extra-high strength or illegal pouches of 100mg+, often infringing on the IP of confectionery companies, may pose significant health risks. Moreover, with no current legal age limit on the sale of nicotine pouches in Scotland, concerns have been raised about the impacts of the high nicotine content on the health of younger people.

Full guidance on Regulations for Nicotine Vaping Products and Tobacco Compliance in Scotland is available on the SGF website.

30% rise in retail workers abused or attacked weekly

New poll reveals a worrying increase in the frequency of shopworker mistreatment.

e number of shop sta being abused or attacked every week has risen 30% in the last year to more than two in ve (43%), according to new research.

e results of the Retail Trust’s poll of 1,000 workers were released for the launch of its Let’s Respect Retail campaign, which aims to change consumer behaviour.

e gures show that over three-quarters (77%) of shop sta have experienced intimidating behaviour in the past year and 23% were physically assaulted.

Of those experiencing abuse, 62% feel stressed and anxious going into work and 43% are looking to quit their job or the retail industry altogether as a result. Almost half (45%) of all shop workers said they now feel unsafe at work.

Former Dundee convenience store manager, Michael Fowler, told

the charity: “I’ve had nightmares, panic attacks, and ashbacks thanks to the abuse I’ve su ered. I always wanted to work in retail, but I le the industry altogether in January due to the impact this was having on my mental health.

“I worked as a store manager, so I was at the front line when it came to receiving abuse, which occurred on a daily basis. We had a lot of shopli ers in the area and whenever I tried to stop them, I’d be shouted at, spat at, punched and kicked. Other people would look down their noses and talk down to you simply because you worked in retail, so we were getting daily abuse from all sides.”

Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of the Retail Trust, said: “What was once occasional frustration has become routine abuse and we’re being contacted

by people who are ignored, disrespected and shouted at every single day. ey are being targeted by shoppers who treat retail workers as less than human and not even worthy of looking up from their phones for. is is taking a massive toll on people’s mental health, and many feel they have no option other but to leave jobs they once loved.”

Retail trade union Usdaw also recently agged up the high levels of threats and violence against retail workers to mark this year’s Respect for Shopworkers Week (10-16 November).

e interim results from its survey over 3,000 retail sta showed that in the last 12 months 71% of shop workers had experienced verbal abuse. What’s more, nearly half (48%) had been threatened by a customer and 9% had been assaulted.

While the gures were slightly lower than those recorded last year, the trade union highlighted that the current level of retail abuse remained wholly unacceptable.

Joanne omas, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “ is year’s annual survey interim results show a welcome, but slight, downturn in the level of incidents retail workers are experiencing while doing their jobs. However, it remains shocking that nearly three-quarters of those working in retail are regularly facing abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence.”

In this month’s cover story (p14), several leading Scottish convenience retailers talk about how retail abuse is impacting them and what they are doing to protect themselves and their sta . ere is also more information about e Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail Campaign.

ImagecourtesyofenginakyurtonUnsplash

WHAT’S WRONG WITH PEOPLE THESE DAYS?

As I was checking this month’s issue of SLR before we went to press, something struck me hard. I had just finished checking the article on the Above & Beyond Awards, the awards we set up to recognise those shopfloor superstars who do unbelievably heroic things for their colleagues, customers and communities. Things like literally saving lives and collecting Christmas presents for children who otherwise wouldn’t get any. And I had the warm and fuzzy feeling I always get around the Above & Beyond Awards. Aren’t retailers just damned amazing, I always find myself asking?

So, having done that article, the next one I checked was this month’s fascinating but chilling cover story on how some of Scotland’s best community retailers are approaching dealing with abuse and violence in-store. Practical advice on defusing situations and talking abusive nutcases down.

Reading those two articles back-to-back really had me shaking my head wondering how the hell you reconcile those two extremes. Stores that go way above and beyond the call of duty to care for their customers – and customers that then go in and abuse or assault those same retailers, invariably for absolutely no good reason.

And it was brought into sharp focus this month when Partick retailer Nathalie Fullerton and I exchanged messages after she was threatened with a knife after chasing a customer in Halloween fancy dress who stole a bottle of Buckfast. I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing the fact that the incident made her “want to sell up” – and who can blame her?

Yes, it’s largely down to bad apples. Most customers are perfectly lovely but it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the number of bad apples in the barrel is rising exponentially. Literally not a day goes by without some sort of horrific incident somewhere in Scotland. And yes, it’s great to see the various police crackdowns of late but those are, frankly, drops in an ocean of violence and abuse.

Have customers somehow just lost their way after Covid? When did it become normal and OK to shout at or physically threaten someone working in a shop when your card is declined or you are asked for ID?

The journey towards de-normalising that sort of attitude and behaviour will be a long and painful one and will require more than just more police. It will require talking directly to consumers and urging them to remember how to behave and to realise that everyone behind the till has a family, friends, worries, hopes and ambitions just like the rest of us. The last thing they need is to leave work shaking because some irate halfwit felt it was okay to threaten violence when his iffy £50 note was refused.

Recruitment is hard enough in this sector. It’s going to get an awful lot harder in future unless staff can have a reasonable expectation of being safe when they come to their work.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

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.

©55NorthLtd.2024 ISSN1740-2409.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CUSTOMER ABUSE?

Customer aggression can arise quickly and cause lasting damage to those involved. We speak to retailers about how they handle abusive situations and make staff feel safe.

BY SARAH BRITTON

Three quarters of retail workers have experienced abuse this year, with 43% wanting to quit their jobs as a result, according to a recent Retail Trust poll. In addition to having to contend with abuse from shopli ers, Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, claims that shop workers frequently face “rudeness, hostility and contempt” from those they are trying to serve.

Nathalie Fullerton, owner of One Stop Dumbarton Road in Glasgow, can’t get her head around why people nd it acceptable to abuse retail workers. “ e majority of our customers are lovely,” she says. “My sta are amazing. e customer service that comes from them is phenomenal and they go over and above. But there’s always that bad apple that comes in. “ e sense of entitlement and impatience is mental – it’s getting worse and worse.”

Wendy Stephen, owner of Spar Condorrat in Cumbernauld, says she and her sta regularly fall victim to customers losing their temper. “It’s not just shopli ers, it’s total abuse,” she says. “Being behind the till, customers think it gives them the full green light to treat people how they like.”

Simply waiting for what they deem to be too long in a queue can be enough to are tempers. “It’s such a hard time at the minute for retailers,” she says. “In the past, any more than two customers in the queue and we’d get till number two open and get them served. But we’re under so much pressure to get other things done in the store, that we can’t do that unfortunately. Our customers had always received and expected that, so now to dial that down, they don’t understand. I get quite frustrated because I go into other, bigger retail stores and you’re lucky if there are two tills on. We’re just a small 1,800sq convenience store and if people have to stand for more than ve minutes it’s the end of the world.”

And queuing is just one of many triggers for aggression. “A customer’s card was declined and the way she spoke to us was appalling,” says Wendy. “I said ‘I’m going to ask you to leave the store and come back when you’ve calmed down’.

“An hour later I got a phone call with her screaming saying she’d commit suicide over how she was treated. I said: ‘I am not equipped to deal with what you’re going through. I reported it to 101, but it le a mark on me for rest of the week.”

Mistakes with home delivery orders is another area where customers quickly become agitated, as is the store’s refusal to accept £50 notes.

“We don’t accept £50 notes because we were once hit with four fakes in one weekend,” says Wendy. “We have signs up to explain, but people don’t see them. ey get really, really angry about it.”

PARCEL PROBLEMS

Parcels are another bone of contention for convenience retailers. “ e only time we ever experience customer anger and aggression is from Evri parcel customers,” says Sophie Williams of Broadway Convenience Store in Oxgangs, Edinburgh. She notes that all her regular customers are local and well known to sta , whereas parcel customers can be unfamiliar, which is part of the issue. “It’s crazy busy – everyone’s trying to make a quick buck on the side – we get masses of parcels, and it becomes a health and safety issue. We have to refuse parcels and sometimes that does not go down well.”

Nathalie has also faced di cult situations with parcel customers.

“ ere’s no parking when Evri drivers come to us [to collect parcels] at 3pm. I relayed this to Evri – that they need to come in the morning or a er 5, but it didn’t make a di erence. ey were just coming past in the day and driving on because they couldn’t stop and pick up our parcels.”

One customer got particularly angry about the situation when he realised his package wasn’t being delivered and demanded that it be returned. “I could understand the guy’s frustration – he’s selling items and they hadn’t been collected,” says Nathalie. “I explained they’d been scanned into the system and were no longer in our remit, but Evri’s, so we couldn’t give it back.

“He started shouting and swearing at me. Another customer said, ‘It’s not the lassie’s fault’, but he still shouted and screamed at me.”

e following day the customer returned and verbally abused a member of sta over the same issue, driving them to tears.

at was the nal straw for Nathalie. “We just got rid of Evri parcels for that reason. We’re getting all this abuse for 20p a parcel – you can keep it.”

Shockingly, being shouted and cursed at isn’t the worst of Nathalie’s experiences. A customer in Halloween fancy dress recently ed the store with a stolen bottle of Buckfast when their card got declined, and when Nathalie gave chase, she was threatened with a knife.

“He could have stabbed me, you could see the rage in his eyes,” she says fearfully. ankfully, she returned to the store physically unharmed, but the incident has le a huge emotional scar. “I was in store yesterday and every time the door chime went o , I jumped thinking: ‘Is that him?’”

TECH SOLUTIONS

Nathalie has the Facewatch facial recognition security system in place, which can identify known shopli ers, so that sta can challenge

them if they’re banned from the store. But because the man had been masked, it doesn’t help in this instance.

In hindsight, she regrets not having used the store’s panic button, which is a silent alarm with a direct link to the police.

“I one hundred per cent should have pressed it,” she says.

Racetrack, which has a chain of stores in and around Glasgow, has had to contend with numerous incidents of abuse from shopli ers.

“We’ve got young sta in the site and shopli ers are becoming very aggressive and very violent,” says retail manager Guna Sud. “We have to train our sta and tell them to back o , it’s not worth it. We don’t want them to get involved.

“ e problem is in certain sites where it’s happened repeatedly, it’s getting tougher and tougher for those sta . We can only ask so much of our sta and for them to be exposed to violence all the time or threats is very hard. Some sta ask not to be put on the tills so that they don’t have to deal with it.”

Like One Stop Dumbarton Road, Racetrack employs facial recognition cameras to minimise

PEER SUPPORT

Even the most competent retailers can become overwhelmed when dealing with incidents of customer anger or aggressive shoplifters. “It can get soul destroying,” says Wendy Stephen, who runs Spar Condorrat in Cumbernauld. “Customers do not have any understanding of what a small business goes through.”

She recommends that retailers going through a tough time reach out to their peers as she has found incredible support from fellow retailers.

“That is really what saved me and is what’s keeping me in retail to be perfectly honest,” she says.

She regularly speaks to peers at the Retail Family - Online Safe Space, a mental health support group run by Glasgow Retailer Natalie Lightfoot; fellow Londis retailer Atul Sodha, who has a store in Middlesex; Peterborough retailer Neil Godhania; The Fed’s Nathan Hall, and Mondelez International’s Alisdair Hamilton.

“The fact that everybody welcomes you regardless of what symbol group you’re in is fantastic, and you can pick up just different things that you’ve maybe not thought of,” she says. “Having that support group of other retailers and leaning on each other really helps.”

The group hosts weekly virtual meetings every Monday.

Q Head to the group’s new website: www.retailfamily.co.uk or email: retailfamily@outlook.com for further information.

the problem of shopli ers entering the store. “ ey help a lot, but the problem we have is then sta still have to confront the person. We get managers to do it as they are stronger.”

e rm recently invested in bodycams for its delivery drivers a er a member of sta was threatened at knifepoint while on his e-bike, and they are now trialling bodycams on store sta as well in a bid to deter abuse and help sta feel safer.

One safety measure Wendy has in place is headsets, which can prove an invaluable tool in keeping sta feel safe and supported. Her Quail Digital units cost around £1,500 and are used on a daily basis.

“We had an old bell system – by the time someone comes from back to front that takes time – the headsets give you instant access to communicate,” she says. “We can immediately put known shopli ers out of the store before they steal again.”

Nathalie has also found headsets to be an invaluable tool in providing instant backup for her sta .

“One gentleman came in when we had PayPoint,” she says. “He wanted to do a cashout voucher and the sta explained it wasn’t one we supported. He got really abusive, but I heard the commotion through my headset and came out.”

She asked the man what the issue was and as soon as he felt heard, she says he came down a notch. “I explained that the voucher was PayZone, not PayPoint and so we couldn’t accept it. He then apologised and said he was having a really bad day and hadn’t had electricity for a week.”

ImagecourtesyofJohnCamerononUnsplash

COOL HEADS

Anila Ali of Premier Muirpark agrees that when it comes to customer disputes, dealing with the person in a calm manner and listening to their concerns can o en help reduce their anger.

“We do get [verbal] abuse, not a lot, but sometimes people want something on tick, and they don’t understand that we don’t accept it.

“Any situation we try to deal with calmly and tactfully. With adults, if they’re agitated and you’re the same, it just elevates the situation. Calling another member of sta o en helps to alleviate the situation.”

Sophie takes a slightly di erent approach with heated situations at Broadway Convenience Store. “I try and assess the situation from afar; sometimes a customer can feel ganged up on if other sta are involved,” she says. “I stay back in case it’s unnecessary to step in. Have faith in your sta and let them resolve it on their own and if they want your support then by all means step in. My Dad’s generation is that the customer is king, they can do no wrong. I don’t agree with that. I listen to both sides.”

She agrees with Anita that a calm approach is best. “If a customer comes to you in an aggressive manner, we always say to be extra kind and that tends to make them re ect,” she says.

e Retail Trust has launched a Let’s Respect Retail Campaign to change customers’ mindsets and encourage them to treat shop workers with dignity and humanity. Visit retailtrust.org.uk for a downloadable toolkit. e charity also o ers a wellbeing helpline on 0808 801 0808.

Retailers can also get support from GroceryAid by calling 0808 802 1122.

Tropicana unveils

Christmas juice packs

Tropicana has launched limitededition festive packs across its juice range for the Christmas and New Year period. The seasonal designs feature on 900ml and 1.5L cartons of Smooth Orange, Original Orange with Juicy Bits, Tropical Fruits, Orange & Mango, Orchard Apple and Extra Pulpy Orange with More Juicy Bits. They also appear on 500ml cartons of Smooth Orange and Original Orange with Bits.

Celsius appoints

Garrett Quigley

Challenger energy drink brand

Celsius has named Garrett Quigley as President – Celsius International. Quigley will oversee international operations with a focus on delivering consistent, impactful growth. He brings more than 25 years of experience from PepsiCo — which holds an 11% stake in Celsius — where he led operations across multiple European markets.

New-look Snack a Jacks expands Minis range

Snack a Jacks has added a new Lightly Salted Caramel flavour to its Minis range. The launch coincides with a packaging refresh across the range, featuring a polka dot design aimed at boosting shelf standout and reinforcing the brand’s playful identity. The new-look packs are intended to help retailers improve brand blocking, drive visibility and encourage impulse purchases.

New York Bakery rolls out festive bagels

Bagel brand New York Bakery has launched new limitededition festive packaging across its core range. Available from now until 31 December, the refreshed designs feature wintry backdrops and seasonal details set against the New York skyline. The limited-edition packs roll out across The Original, Sesame, Wholemeal, Red Onion & Chive, and Cinnamon & Raisin bagels.

Coca-Cola unveils festive Icehotel giveaway

SPORTS & ENERGY

Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) has launched a new onpack promotion giving shoppers the chance to win a trip to the Icehotel in Sweden, along with thousands of other seasonal prizes.

Running until 31 December, the promotion runs across select packs of Coca-Cola Original Taste and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Shoppers can enter by scanning QR codes on promotional packs.

Monster’s popular Call of Duty promotion returns

Monster Energy’s promotion in partnership with Call of Duty has returned, giving retailers the chance to tap into energy drinkers’ passion for gaming.

Gamers can scan QR codes or enter codes under ring pulls to unlock in-game content to use in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which launched last month.

Retailers can request point-ofsale materials from My.CCEP.com.

‘Ho Ho Hovis’ packs back

Hovis has relaunched its ‘Ho Ho Hovis’ limited-edition packaging across the core Hovis So White 800g range, including Medium, ick and Extra ick variants, as the brand bids to capture shopper attention during the pre-Christmas trading period. Packs have an RSP of £1.15.

Eight lucky winners will enjoy a three-night trip for two to the heart of Swedish Lapland – home to the Icehotel, which is rebuilt each year from ice harvested from the frozen Torne River.

ousands of instant-win prizes are also up for grabs, including dining-out vouchers and a range of exclusive Coca-Cola Christmas merchandise.

Coca-Cola Christmas pointof-sale materials are available to retailers via MyCCEP.com.

SNACKS

Kellanova has £10k retailer prize up for grabs

Kellanova has unveiled a new festive campaign giving retailers the chance to win £10,000 in cash.

Running until Boxing Day across symbols and indies, ‘Deck the Shelves’ spans Pringles and Cheez-It pricemarked packs in both large sharing and single formats.

Retailers can enter by purchasing any case of qualifying PMP product and scanning the QR code in depot or visiting the campaign microsite to complete a short entry form and upload a receipt. One winner will be selected at random.

Kellanova has also launched a consumer promotion offering instant £100 Prezzee gift cards via a QR code on pack. The QR code also features on POS material, with hundreds of kits available to retailers.

To support the new design, ‘Ho Ho Hovis’ activity is running across the brand’s socials in December, including chances for consumers to win branded festive merchandise.

SOFT DRINKS Shoppers can win a trip to Lapland

BREAD Hovis rises to the festive occasion

Philip Morris updates Terea packaging

‘Scratchcard-igans’ offer £500 prizes

National Lottery operator Allwyn has unveiled its multi-channel Christmas campaign, once again placing retail-exclusive Scratchcards at the centre.

Running for six weeks, the ‘Add some play to Christmas’ campaign positions scratchies as a light-hearted way to bring people together, regardless of the occasion or group.

As part of the campaign, Allwyn has created ‘Scratchcard-igans’ – knitted cardigans styled to resemble Scratchcards.

SOFT DRINKS Popular advert returns

e cardies, available to win via a competition on e National Lottery’s Instagram channel, can be scratched to reveal prizes – with one in four revealing a £500 win.

Philip Morris Limited has rolled out refreshed packaging for its Terea range of heat-not-burn tobacco sticks designed for exclusive use with the Iqos Iluma device. The updated design applies to all 16 Terea variants. For more information, retailers can contact the Philip Morris Open Support Team at retailersupport@iqos. co.uk.

CCEP celebrates local legends

funded Olympic diver and

Former National Lotteryfunded Olympic diver and knitting enthusiast Tom Daley is promoting Scratchcard-igans on Instagram, parodying popular social media fashion trends.

Additional campaign activity

Irn-Bru’s Snowman is back on screens and festive packs

Irn-Bru is back on TV screens with the return of the brand’s Snowman Christmas advert.

Running now until Christmas, the campaign spans TV, video on demand, out-of-home and social media, and is expected to reach 75% of adults in Scotland.

Additional campaign activity includes rail station takeovers and a 3D hologram activation.

GROCERY

Green Giant celebrates centenary with promo

Sweetcorn brand Green Giant is marking 100 years of its Jolly Green Giant mascot with a nationwide in-store activation, visual refresh and its biggest ever on-pack promotion.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ recent ‘Score Better with CocaCola’, which rewarded independent retailers and highlighted their role in local communities, was won by Bowkett’s Off Licence in Gloucestershire. Store owner Richard Bowkett bagged a home entertainment bundle with a second bundle donated to his chosen good cause, Great Oaks Hospice in Coleford.

Blue Bear 4-pack expands SPAR’s energy range

Dino Labbate, Chief Commercial O cer at AG Barr, said: “So drinks sales are increasingly important at Christmas, particularly carbonates, and retailers should prominently display all three variants of Irn-Bru to drive seasonal category upli s.

“Stocking Irn-Bru 1901, bru’d to the original 1901 recipe, is also essential as it appeals to a di erent shopper and delivers incremental sales.”

e Snowman’s return signals the start of a busy so drinks season for retailers, with special Snowman packs available across Irn-Bru 2L and 24can multipacks, supported by themed POS to create in-store festive theatre.

The centenary campaign includes a limited-edition promotion running until 31 December across four-packs of Green Giant’s Original and Salt-Free Sweetcorn. Shoppers have hundreds of chances to win £100 cash prizes from a total prize pool of £25,000.

Green Giant’s ‘100 years of irresistible sweetness’ campaign has already boosted household penetration by +0.1% and increased value share by +1.5 %, following a year of sustained growth.

SPAR UK has unveiled a new 4-pack format for its Blue Bear energy drink (4 x 250ml, RSP £2.50). It offers the same flavour and energy as the original single cans, in a convenient take-home format. This marks SPAR’s first move into the take-home energy segment, expanding its ownlabel range and responding to growing demand for multipack formats in the category.

Maeve Judge, Marketing Director at General Mills said: “We’re proud to mark our century milestone with an activation that is already seeing huge success for our brand and retail partners.”

Supermalt reveals ‘Design Your Can’ winners Malt drink brand Supermalt has launched three limited-edition packs following a ‘Design Your Can’ competition. The initiative invited designers from the Supermalt community to create a 500ml can for the brand. The designs of winners Sâde Popoola, Joyce Zengamambu and Mabutho Msimanga are now rolling out into wholesalers. Each has been reproduced on 150,000 cans.

NATIONAL LOTTERY Tom Daley dives into Allwyn’s Christmas campaign

The Macallan unveils Ne’erday limited edition

The Macallan has launched A Night on Earth: The First Light, the fourth release in its annual series marking global New Year traditions. This latest limitededition single malt celebrates one of the first sunrises of the year, in New Zealand and the packaging features artwork by Kiwi illustrator Bonnie Brown. A Night on Earth: The First Light is bottled at 43% ABV and has an RSP of £99.

Hoxton grows UK footprint with Maverick Drinks deal East London spirits brand Hoxton has signed a distribution deal with Maverick Drinks that takes its range nationwide. The partnership will see Hoxton’s six-strong lineup available in a number of national wholesalers, including Booker, alongside several online retailers. Founded by bartender Gerry Calabrese in 2011, Hoxton focuses on flavour-first spirits designed with drinkers in mind.

Zubrówka Biała rolls out forest-inspired design

Vodka brand Zubrówka Biała has launched a new sleeve design, featuring a winter forest-inspired look centred around the brand’s signature bison. The refreshed packaging uses evokes the Polish Białowieza Forest in winter, with a vibrant motif that reflects the bison’s role as ‘king of the forest’. New-look 1-litre bottles (37.5% ABV) are available now from wholesalers. Contact Paragon Brands for more details.

Low/no is way to go this Christmas, says GlobalData Retailers should expand and elevate their low- and no-alcohol ranges this festive season to capture more spending from younger consumers, according to GlobalData. The research firm says Gen Z now see these drinks as desirable choices rather than substitutes for alcohol. Almost 60% of 16–34-year-olds cite improved quality and variety as reasons for increased spending.

Jam Shed makes TV debut

Wine brand Jam Shed has launched its biggest autumn and winter campaign to date, backed by a £2m investment and estimated to reach 21 million UK adults.

‘ ere’s No Such ing As Too Jammy’ includes the brand’s rst TV advert, alongside activity across social media and streaming platforms. e 30-second ad follows a protagonist demanding “make it jammier!” before revealing a bottle of Jam Shed Shiraz.

It also has a cameo from wine expert Tom Gilbey, who last year said Jam Shed was “the most disgusting wine I’ve ever put in my mouth”.

RUM

e campaign spans broadcast TV, streaming platforms, social and in uencer activity, and digital outof-home screens.

In stores, Jam Shed is running e Jammy Drop, an on-pack

Havana Club gets dressed up

Rum brand Havana Club has launched a limited-edition bottle of its Añejo 7 Años expression, created in partnership with fashion designer Martine Rose.

The bottle was developed alongside Rose’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection and follows previous partnerships with Skepta, Burna Boy, Places+Faces and Jonathan Rashka.

It is available now with an RSP of £28.95.

BEER Christmas wrapping for Heineken brand

Birra Moretti in £2.4m festive push

Heineken UK is investing

£2.4m in a Christmas marketing campaign for its premium Italian lager brand, Birra Moretti, aimed at driving visibility and sales during one of the busiest trading periods of the year.

e campaign includes a new TV advert, out-of-home activations, and limited-edition festive packaging.

competition o ering shoppers a chance to win a share of £20,000. Also, limited-edition Christmas packaging features on 659,000 bottles and 35,000 mini-boxes of ‘Jam Sled’ this festive season.

WHISKY Tomatin targets c-stores with new single malt

Highland distiller Tomatin has launched a 10-year-old single malt whisky matured exclusively in bourbon casks, aimed at the grocery and convenience channels.

Available now, Tomatin 10 Year Old is bottled at 40% ABV with an RSP of £42. It marks the distillery’s first age-statement bourbon cask release in the UK retail sector.

The whisky offers a sweet, fruity and buttery profile, with aromas of lemon sherbet, green apple, white chocolate and macadamia.

It comes in a 70cl bottle with packaging inspired by oak tree rings – a reference to the distillery’s wood policy and cask traceability.

WINE Vinarchy pumps up the jam

Tennent’s marks 140 years with Bavarian Pilsner

Tennent’s Lager has celebrated its 140th anniversary with the release of Tennent’s Bavarian Pilsner, a 4.7% limitededition brew inspired by a journey that sparked a new era for Scottish lager.

In the 1880s, Hugh Tennent travelled to Bavaria and brought back brewing techniques that de ned the brand’s future.

WINE The jam trend gathers pace

honours

e new pilsner honours that legacy with German bittering hops and Scottish barley, delivering a smooth, refreshing nish.

Carling kicks off Premier Sports Cup final campaign Carling has unveiled a major outof-home advertising campaign in Scotland to coincide with the SPFL’s Premier Sports Cup semi-finals and final. As part of the activity, Carling will sponsor the popular Open Goal podcast, featuring host reads across the Acast network. Running until 28 December, the campaign is expected to deliver more than one million impressions to an adult audience across Scotland.

Gez Z shakes up cocktails

Jammy Red Devil joins Casillero del Diablo’s squad

Casillero del Diablo has expanded its UK portfolio with the launch of Jammy Red Devil, a sweeter-style red blend designed to tap into the growing “jammy” wine trend, now worth over £200m in retail sales.

e new wine combines Shiraz and Carmenere to deliver ripe blackcurrant, raspberry and vanilla notes, o ering a so er, fruit-forward pro le that appeals to consumers seeking easy-drinking reds.

It is available now through Unitas and Bestway, with an RSP of £8.

Casillero del Diablo remains the UK’s leading Chilean wine brand and ranks third among the top 10wine brands by value, according to NielsenIQ. e addition of Jammy Red Devil aims to strengthen its position in the fast-growing sweeter red segment.

e launch is supported by a campaign under the ‘15 Years United’ banner, celebrating Casillero del Diablo’s longstanding partnership with Manchester United. e activity includes onpack promotions and a consumer competition to win prizes such as Old Tra ord experiences and branded merchandise.

Bavarian Pilsner

Bavarian Pilsner is the inaugural release from the Tennent’s Vault – a new series that taps into over 500 years of brewing heritage to resurrect long-forgotten recipes.

e launch is supported by a digital and PR campaign that

and PR campaign that includes the world’s rst Square Wurst sausage, inspired by Bavarian bratwurst and the Scottish breakfast staple.

Tennent’s Bavarian Pilsner is available now in multipacks of 4x440ml cans.

VODKA Red Star Brands to drive XIX Vodka growth

Red Star Brands has partnered with XIX Vodka as the premium vodka brand looks to accelerate UK sales and expand its presence across the on- and off-trade.

XIX Vodka, created in collaboration with YouTube collective the Sidemen, launched in 2022 and now offers five variants: Original Vodka, Mixed Berry, Tropical Ice, Gumball Orange and the new limitededition Toffee Apple.

The brand is already listed in Tesco and Wetherspoons, as well as with several online retailers. The new partnership is designed to deepen distribution and build brand momentum. Transition arrangements are already underway, with trade plans for 2026 in the pipeline.

Gen Z is driving the growth of cocktail culture, says Bacardi’s seventh annual Cocktail Trends Report. Half of those surveyed aged 18–29 say they celebrate special moments with cocktails rather than champagne, 32% drink more cocktails than wine, and 30% choose cocktails over beer. Ready-to-drink cocktails are also on the rise, with 40% of Gen Z respondents saying they will drink more RTDs next year.

Pernod Ricard launches Christmas PMP range

Pernod Ricard is rolling out new PMPs for Malibu, Jameson and Absolut this December, alongside a Kahlúa and Tony’s Chocolonely collaboration to boost interest in the Espresso Martini trend. The campaign includes 100,000 chocolate giveaways, a major competition, and influencer activity, while Bumbu rum offers a branded glass gift-with-purchase.

Brits nearly break at-home drinking record

Brits spent £27.4bn on alcoholic drinks for home consumption last year, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) consumer trends report. That figure beat 2023’s £24.1bn and was just shy of the record £27.47bn set during lockdowns in 2022. Wine and cider led the way with a record £13.1bn, topping 2023’s £12.6bn and 2022’s £11.8bn. Spirits accounted for £7.7bn, while beer sales reached £6.5bn.

50,000 pupils have been fed a healthy breakfast option through the Healthy Living Programme and Scottish Convenience Retailers, linking communities with stores. Would your store like to host a Welby Breakfast in your local primary school?

• Connect with your future shoppers

• Help influence healthy eating in younger children

• Fun and interactive filled morning!

Find out how you can be part of the programme - Call 0131 343 7602

There’s no question that the last year has been another very challenging one for the Scottish local retailing sector and that looks set to continue for the foreseeable future but, as we all know, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Despite the formidable hurdles that we continue to face, Scotland’s local retailers continue to rise to the challenge as they have always done – and at the SLR Awards 2026 we aim once again to recognise and reward those stores, individuals and teams that have met those challenges and have continued to ensure that our sector remains at the forefront of retailing in the UK.

As always, we’ll be doing the SLR Awards the way we always have. The judging visits will be unannounced – to ensure that our judges see your stores as they really are –and we will once again be taking thousands of photographs and hours of video to show on the night of the awards on 17 June 2026.

Not only do those photographs and videos help us to clearly demonstrate how fantastic our winning stores are, but they also help inspire other retailers in the room to push on. Only by working together and driving each other forward can we make sure that the local retailing sector in Scotland remains vibrant, progressive and relevant long into the future.

We will be once again returning to the Radisson blu in Glasgow and, as always, all shortlisted stores will be invited to the Awards free of charge, including overnight accommodation. We like to look after our retailers in the same way that they look after the communities they serve.

So, mark 17 June in your diary and give yourself plenty of time to get your entries in by the deadline of 13 March. And don’t be shy with your photographs – the more the merrier – and make sure you send in plenty of pictures that support the specific entry you are making.

A PICTURE IS WORTH…

Key to a great entry and impressing the judges is providing lots of good photographs to support your entry. We would suggest as a minimum:

Q Exterior store shot – ideally including you, the retailer!

Q Interior wide shot or two for context.

Q At least four or five shots to support the specific category you are entering. are

DRS: AN OPPORTUNITY, NOT A CHALLENGE

With a new Deposit Return Scheme looming in October 2027, momentum is building as the entire local retailing industry begins to put the jigsaw together, hopefully in good time.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

What was crystal clear for a very long time before the last botched attempt at launching a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Scotland collapsed in chaos

is time around, however, the indications are increasingly clear that a DRS will indeed be introduced in Scotland on or around October 2027. Lessons have been learned and, while it’s still early days, the new UK Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) appears to be a vast improvement on Circularity Scotland, the DMO at the time of the rst DRS.

e vast majority of the big stakeholders in DRS are more or less on board this time around, for various but related reasons: the supermarkets, the big suppliers and the larger convenience store chains.

DMO APPOINTS CEO

The UK Deposit Management Organisation (UK DMO) has continued its steady progress with the appointment of Russell Davies as its Chief Executive Officer.

Davies brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across global logistics, supply chain management and commercial strategy. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer for North Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Hillebrand Gori, a DHL company specialising in beverage logistics, where he led teams across multiple international markets.

He will formally take up the role on 5 January 2026. He comments: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a scheme that works for business, for consumers and for the environment – a system that changes how the UK manages packaging and recycling.

“Work is already underway and we’re working hand-in-hand with industry, government and supply chain partners to ensure the scheme is designed with their needs in mind and can be delivered in a way that works for everyone.”

What local retailers can take from all of this is that DRS is very likely to happen and the time to start thinking about how you will cope with it when it does is now. Perhaps the most pragmatic approach to DRS is not to think of it as merely ‘coping’ with it, but proactively looking at how you can maximise the opportunity it will bring. View it as an opportunity, not a challenge. e Irish experience, as highlighted in last month’s SLR, shows that many local retailers have turned DRS into a new source of income, growing footfall and growing sales and pro ts.

As Macroom Costcutter retailer June Murphy said: “At rst we were unsure about DRS but now everyone brings their recyclables back to us because there are no long queues like in the bigger stores.”

A related issue is the importance of focusing on delivering the best possible customer experience, just as you would with a new co ee machine or hot food unit. You probably wouldn’t buy the cheapest bit of kit you can nd, so it makes sense to apply the same logic to a reverse vending machine (RVM), if you get one. Make

LANARKSHIRE TRIAL DRIVES 20,000 RETURNS

Students across the Motherwell, Coatbridge and Cumbernauld campuses of New College Lanarkshire have recycled more than 20,000 cans and plastic bottles in a five-week DRS trial.

A similar trial last year saw just 255 returns. This year, a 20p incentive was offered for each return, resulting in 20,177 bottles and cans returned: 11,293 cans and 8,884 plastic bottles.

The trial was a partnership between Keep Scotland Beautiful, New College Lanarkshire and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.

However, once the incentive ended, usage dropped sharply with just 346 containers recycled the following week, a 91% decrease on the trial’s weekly average.

recycling a convenient, quick, clean, enjoyable experience and you’ll automatically be creating return visits.

Indeed, that’s the experience of Truls Haug of TOMRA, the global leader in RVMs. He comments: “ e successful retailers in Ireland are those who’ve embraced DRS as an opportunity to o er a simple, convenient service that keeps shoppers coming back. Stores that planned early and chose a solution that suited their unique store became the go-to return point for their local area.”

WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HEROES ON YOUR TEAM!

THE ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARDS 2026

Your team going above and beyond the call of duty is what makes local retailing unique – so please take a few minutes to tell us about the stars in your business.

We all know what’s so special about our sector: it’s the people. It’s the superstars on your team who build and maintain amazing and deep relationships with your customers and the communities you serve.

ose relationships are unique. It doesn’t happen in supermarkets or discounters or even pubs and clubs. Your team sees the same customers two and three times a day and special things happen as a result.

And this is precisely why we launched the SLR Above & Beyond Awards. To provide a platform where your shop oor heroes could be recognised and rewarded publicly. Most of the time these acts of heroism go unnoticed – and that’s just not right. Yes, we’re a modest people by nature, but if we can’t celebrate the people that make our communities so vibrant and rich and strong, what can we celebrate?

CELEBRATORY LUNCH 18 MARCH 2026 THE CORINTHIAN CLUB, GLASGOW

Over the years, we’ve learned of countless instances of shop oor sta going well above and beyond the call of duty to help colleagues, customers or local communities.

ey deserve to be recognised and celebrated – and that surely merits ve minutes of your time to get in touch with us to make sure their unbelievable e orts are rewarded. It literally takes just a few minutes. We don’t need much from you: just the names of your shop oor heroes and a brief outline of what makes them so special. We’ll do the rest. We literally call every single entrant to hear their story – and then we share it with the wider retailing community.

at’s got to be worth ve minutes of your time, hasn’t it? And anyone in the store can nominate anyone else in the store. We just want to hear your stories, and we don’t much care who ags them up to us.

So why not grab a co ee today and drop us a line. Your nominated colleague will appreciate it and show them that you do notice and you do care about all the amazing stu they do. We’re an amazing sector so let’s demonstrate just how amazing we are.

HOW TO NOMINATE A COLLEAGUE…

It couldn’t be quicker or easier:

Q Find the simple nomination form online: www.slrmag.co.uk/aboveandbeyond

Q All we need from you is some very basic information like: the nominee’s name, job title and contact telephone number.

Q one or two bullet points on why you believe your nominee should be considered for an award.

Q Complete and return to events@55north.com

Q Contact Cara with any questions: cbegley@55north.com

Q Our judging panel will then personally call every nominee to find out a little more from them. It’s a very informal and relaxed call and allows us to gather the information we need to share your nominee’s story with the world.

AWARDS CATEGORIES

INDEPENDENT STORE COLLEAGUE

Sponsored by Mondelez International

Open to all colleagues working in independently owned local retailing stores in Scotland that are unaffiliated or members of any symbol group, fascia or franchise.

COMPANY-OWNED STORE COLLEAGUE

Sponsored by CJ Lang / Spar Scotland

Open to all colleagues working in CJ Lang company-owned stores in Scotland.

BUSINESS BOOSTER

Open to all colleagues who have materially improved their store’s performance by suggesting or introducing a new concept, product, service, communication method or a change in operational process.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Open to all in-store teams which have pulled together to make a positive difference to their store’s performance and/or to their community.

UP & COMING STAR

Sponsored by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Open to all colleagues aged 25 or under working in any of the store formats detailed above who have shown themselves to be outstanding colleagues with a bright future in the sector ahead of them.

LONG SERVICE AWARD

Sponsored by Mondelez International

Open to all colleagues working in any of the store formats detailed above who have worked in the sector, or a single store or chain, for an extended period of time.

ASTONISHING ACT

Open to all colleagues working in any of the store formats detailed above who truly went Above & Beyond to perform an astonishing act that had a massive positive impact on a customer, colleague or the community.

TO NOMINATE STORE COLLEAGUES, PLEASE VISIT SLRMAG.CO.UK/ABOVEANDBEYOND OR SCAN THE QR CODE OPPOSITE

THE ORIGINAL… AND STILL THE BEST

David’s Kitchen Glenrothes was the first store ever to bear the David’s Kitchen name, and the store remains as visionary and progressive as ever, as highlighted by its double win at this year’s SLR Awards.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

Food-to-Go of the Year

W INNE R

Fresh & Chille d Retaile r of the Year

W INNE R

It’s di cult these days to imagine just how visionary the David’s Kitchen concept was just over a decade ago when it rst burst onto the scene with its rst store in Glenrothes. e brainchild of legendary retailer David Sands, the new business boldly announced that it would be setting its sights squarely on the food-to-go market and e ectively taking convenience retailing in an entirely new direction. It was, to all intents and purposes, a food-to-go business with a convenience store tacked on.

But remember that this was in 2014. David Cameron was Prime Minister. e Scottish Referendum was going on. It was a long time ago. And back then, food-to-go just wasn’t a thing. Many considered the entire concept, frankly, a bit nuts.

Hindsight, however, demonstrates that David Sands was a visionary. Years of touring the globe with a notebook in hand had convinced him that Scotland was ready for the food-to-go revolution. He knew it would take time, and he knew it would take money – but fortunately he had plenty of both following the sale of his 28-strong eponymous chain of stores to the Coop in 2012.

e result was a business like no other in Scotland. His concept was way ahead of its time and, indeed, it did take a little time to gain proper traction but his commitment to the highest of standards right across the store –every minute it was open – was undoubtedly key in ensuring that the business ourished.

Doing food-to-go well, as anyone that has tried it will tell you, is a demanding and expensive business. Lots of people, lots of hours and lots of investment are required to keep a food-to-go store well stocked, pristine, fully manned and spotlessly clean. Customers don’t like buying hot or chilled food-to-go from dirty or three-quarters empty hot holds or chillers. So the journey to building enough volume to rstly justify the investment and then turn it into pro t is a challenging one that requires both money and nerve.

David’s hunch was correct, however, and Glenrothes took o . A year later in 2015, a second store opened in Falkirk before a third was added in Kirkcaldy in 2019. Most recently, the Bo’ness store opened in August this year.

STANDARD BEARER

Despite all the fantastic new stores joining the fold, Glenrothes remains an absolutely banging store and is rightly viewed by many in the sector as a standard bearer for food-to-go. at was also the view of our judges for this year’s SLR Awards who awarded the store not one but two shiny gongs: Food-To Go Retailer of the Year and Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year.

It’s an impressive feat for a store that started this whole ball rolling to still be leading the pack more than a decade later. So what makes Glenrothes stand out so vividly?

Well, where do we start? e store retains that classic David’s Kitchen ethos of being immaculate at all times. Our judging visits are unannounced, so the stores don’t know we’re coming. In other words, they haven’t had the chance to go about tittyfying the store, putting their uniforms on and brushing their hair ahead of the judges’ visit.

We visited Glenrothes on maybe four or ve occasions and the wider store just always looked that good: impressively tidy, expertly merchandised and fully stocked. When it comes to the food-to-go sections of the store, which is a lot of the footprint, it’s the same story.

With today’s customers all too familiar with the slick lines and minimalist modern t-outs of the likes of Prêt and M&S Simply Food, creating the right environment is critical in making sure they don’t feel like they’re dropping down a level when they visit a convenience store. For my money, David’s Kitchen blows Prêt and the likes clean out of the water.

Granted, the store has had a lot of years to build footfall and loyalty which means that they can con dently ram metre upon metre upon metre of chilled space with a truly outstanding range of food-to-go without fear of having to throw a lot of it in the bin. It’s a luxury position to nd themselves in but it’s a position they have earned over years of gra and commitment.

It’s possibly the biggest challenge in food-togo: building volumes to a level where you can keep chillers and hot holds packed all day long – which makes them look inviting – but without worrying about astronomical waste. And there’s no shortcut available. You couldn’t simply replicate Glenrothes’s layout and range in any other store and expect the same results because you would indeed end up throwing most of it in the bin at the end of the day. It takes time and nerve to get to the level on show in Glenrothes.

But it’s not just the enticing packed chillers and mouth-watering hot section that’s impressive. What’s actually in the chillers and hot holds is just as inspiring. e vast majority of what you’ll nd has been made fresh by hand that day. No pre-pack wholesale sandwiches or rubber baguettes. Yes, we’re talking lunchtime kitchen shi s, back shi s and night shi s and largescale production in the central kitchen to ensure everything in those chillers is home-made daily using great quality ingredients. Baguettes, wraps, salads, ready meals, pizzas, sandwiches, you name it. e menu is regularly tweaked and tracked to see what’s selling and what’s not and the kitchen team regularly refreshes the menu to keep customers engaged.

e store also never stands still. A new range of Chinese ready meals was added early this year, an expanded range of desserts and treat options was added, a Barista co ee machine was installed.

None of this is rocket science – but it requires a level of commitment and passion that isn’t easily replicated.

MARGIN MAKERS

e net result? Between 30% and 40% of the store’s entire turnover is accounted for by foodto-go and, as we all know, food-to-go maybe be hellish hard work but it’s also hellish worth it when you get it right. Margins can be eyewatering, and we all know how important high margins are these days.

As if that wasn’t enough, the store has a ourishing outside catering division where catering options are provided to local businesses and organisations for meetings, sta training sessions, birthdays and more.

A local factory, for example, was celebrating its 50th birthday and the store catered for a hot lunch for more than 500 people across four shi breaks! On a smaller scale, the store routinely delivers platters and hot breakfast rolls on a weekly basis.

And, of course, food-to-go can be delivered to anyone who wants to order for home delivery. All told, David’s Kitchen is unquestionably a trailblazer when it comes to food-to-go.

It’ll come as no surprise then to learn that Glenrothes is no slouch on the fresh and chilled front, another vital and growing category. e store prides itself on the close relationship it enjoys with local, regional and national suppliers across key fresh categories like meat, vegetables and sh.

Immaculately presented, as you would expect, the range is sublime and the quality on show is next level. A lot of what’s available is premium, with premium price tags, but it’s perfect for the store’s audience. Plus, the kitchen team have been doing their bit to add some value by preparing pre-sliced and packed veggies for soup or stews, all badged up with the lovely David’s Kitchen branding.

GROWING STRONGER

It’s hard to nd fault with anything in Glenrothes, as the judges agreed. It’s the epitome of a modern store and has remained ahead of the pack for well over a decade. ere’s very little to rival it in Scotland, certainly on the food-togo front, and the only obvious pretenders to its SLR Food-To-Go Retailer of e Year crown are, of course, the three other David’s Kitchen stores.

It’s the store that changed everything and it’s still as impressive as the day it rst opened way back in 2014.

Ufit Brekkie Shake Weetabix

Designed to make breakfast quick, nutritious and portable, Ufit Brekkie Shake comes in Banana and Blueberry flavours, packing 28g of protein and with added fibre and vitamins to support energy, strength and immunity. It has an RSP of £2.75 per 400ml pack, with an introductory price of £2. The launch taps into rising demand for on-the-go breakfasts, which have grown 8.5% in the past year.

Jimmy’s Caramel Waffle Carlsberg Britvic

Zone of interest

Jimmy’s latest limited-edition smooth iced coffee delivers a biscuity caramel flavour reminiscent of the centre bite of a stroopwafel. The new variant is designed to appeal to consumers seeking premium and indulgent ready-to-drink coffee options, with its rich and warming profile timed for autumn and winter. It is available now in 250ml sleek cans at an RSP of £1.70 through Jimmy’s wholesale channel.

Imperial Brands has launched a new nicotine pouch brand called Zone in the UK, aimed at meeting rising consumer demand and offering retailers a new opportunity in the growing category.

iPRO Protein Water

iPRO

The launch includes five flavours. Four – Sweet Mint, Cool Mint, Watermelon Ice and Juicy Peach –are available in a 10mg nicotine strength. Berry Blast is offered at 11mg, alongside Cool Mint.

Each Zone pack contains 20 pouches in a slimmer format for improved mouthfeel and discreet use, with an RSP of £6.50.

Imperial said the pouches deliver fast-acting nicotine release and long-lasting flavour.

Mint remains the dominant flavour in the category, accounting for 70% of purchases, but fruit flavours

are gaining traction. Products in the 9–12mg strength range currently make up 43.4% of the market.

Latest figures show 42% of nicotine pouch users plan to increase their usage in the next six months.

Andrew Malm, UK Market Manager for Imperial Brands, said: “Zone is the result of extensive research and product development to ensure our highquality nicotine product matches the expectations of consumers, as well as providing a great business building opportunity for the retail trade.

“With the roll-out of Zone in independents taking place over the next few weeks, we are providing retailers with an attractive and competitive offering for nicotine pouch customers who are seeking alternative choices on the gantry.”

Urban Eat x Teenage Cancer Trust Festive Sandwiches

Samworth Brothers

Designed for performance, recovery and everyday wellness, iPRO Protein Water comes in two flavours: Peach & Ginger and Summer Fruits. Each 500ml bottle contains 20g of collagen protein to support healthy skin, hair and joints. The drink is sugar free, naturally sweetened with stevia, contains 95 calories, and is enriched with B vitamins. It is set to launch into a number of wholesalers from this month.

Urban Eat’s 2025 festive range will see 10p from every pack sold donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust. The range includes two seasonal sandwiches in limitededition packs featuring festive artwork and Christmas cues: Festive Feast and the vegetarian Brie & Cranberry. POS materials and digital assets to highlight the range are available to retailers.

The brand’s highest-strength pouch yet – 17mg – carries an RSP of £6.50 per can and is available now via the JTI360 trade website. Frosty Mint Max debuts Nordic Spirit’s refreshed brand identity, featuring bold, darker tones designed to stand out on shelf and communicate strength. Max is the fastest-growing strength segment in indies and symbols, accounting for 16% of nicotine pouch sales.

Vegan-friendly, the new cooking paste (RSP £3.75, 270g) combines a smooth, creamy tomato base with a balance of aromatic spices and subtle sweetness. The result, Aagrah says, is “an authentic, restaurant-quality dish that can be prepared at home in minutes”. The launch comes as the UK ambient cooking sauce category continues to expand, valued at more than £1bn.

Nordic Spirit Frosty Mint Max JTI UK

Butter Chicken Tarka Paste Aagrah Foods

SKE Bar 15K SKE

Radnor Spring Radnor Hills

SKE’s first 15,000-puff vape device features a 2ml pod and 10ml e-liquid container, and is available in 16 flavours from the brand’s existing range. The rechargeable format includes a smart display, transparent pods for e-liquid visibility, and a battery that lasts up to 48 hours on one charge. It is designed to deliver consistent flavour quality throughout use. The SKE Bar 15K has a £12.99 RSP, with 12ml refills priced at £7.99.

Marie Curie Christmas Sandwiches SPAR

Spar’s limited-edition own-label Christmas sandwiches – Festive Meat Feast and Brie & Cranberry –are back with an RSP of £3.99. Each sandwich sold contributes 10p to Marie Curie, helping fund nursing care and support for people living with a terminal illness. The initiative is part of a long-running partnership that has seen nearly one million sandwiches sold in over a decade.

XQS Cola Lime/Fizzy Peach STG UK

XQS Cola Lime and Fizzy Peach nicotine pouches are available now, exclusively through the Vape Supplier website, with a strength of 8mg and an RSP of £5.50. Both new variants are beverage-inspired, a trend currently popular with consumers. Fizzy Peach combines a peach-forward flavour with a sparkling twist, while Cola Lime brings together two fan favourites for a bold, fizzy profile with zingy lime notes.

Radnor Hills’ new carbonated soft drink range, Radnor Spring, features sparkling spring water with added B vitamins in four fruity flavours: Black Cherry & Blackcurrant, Mango & Passion Fruit, Pineapple & Grapefruit, and Strawberry & Raspberry. Available from January, the low-calorie drinks come in 500ml bottles price-marked at £1 that are made from 30% recycled plastic and are fully recyclable.

VK Squashka Global Brands

VK’s latest RTD taps into the latest student trend of mixing vodka with diluting juice. It marks the brand’s first non-carbonated RTD and comes in a resealable 500ml Tetra Pak format with an RSP of £3.49. The range includes three flavours: Apple & Blackcurrant, Orange & Pineapple and Cherries & Berries. To support the launch, VK’s student ambassador teams will visit university halls during the ‘refreshers’ period in January.

Biona Hot & Chunky Organic Kimchi Windmill Organics

Hot serve

Albert Bartlett’s first campaign starring Scottish tennis legend Andy Murray runs until the end of December across TV, broadcaster video on demand, digital, outdoor and social channels. It aims to inspire consumers to ‘Bring Out Their Best Side’. A new TV ad highlights the relatable panic of serving up tasty and nutritious meals for the family.

Skoosh push

Président has launched a new advertising campaign for its Président Spray Cream. Building on July’s activity, which featured four videos showcasing summer usage occasions, this latest push spotlights indulgent autumn moments. Running nationally across digital and social media, it will reach over half of the UK’s cream-loving foodies.

Holidays rebooted

It’s December, so Coca-Cola’s ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ad is back on screens, with a new AI-generated version airing on UK TV, video on demand, and social platforms. It features the classic truck convoy reimagined with AI, festive animals, and an AI Santa. The rollout coincides with the brand’s annual 15-stop truck tour around the UK.

Fake news

BrewDog has launched a nationwide campaign called ‘What have BrewDog done now?’ to highlight its bestselling beers. The activity uses outdoor and digital ads featuring fake headlines that parody the brewer’s history of controversial stunts. Each ad pivots from the headline to showcase beers such as Punk IPA, Hazy Jane, Lost Lager and Elvis Juice.

Available now, Biona’s Hot and Chunky Organic Kimchi builds on the success of its existing line. Made with organic napa cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger and spices, it offers a bolder flavour and heartier texture, with an RSP of £5.39. It is free from preservatives, artificial flavourings and added sugar. It launches alongside new Italian Spelt Piadinas and Italian Spelt Pizza Bases.

Festive fizz

Schweppes has unveiled ‘Fizz it up’, a new campaign for that runs through to Christmas and spans cinema, video on demand, outof-home advertising, social media and digital partnerships. The campaing centres on friends and family enjoying festive moments together – whether going out or staying in –and showcases the brand’s new look.

BE PREPARED

With a raft of new regulations on the way, retailers must look forwards and get ready to face their challenges head on 2026.

The colossal rise in employee costs, the disposable vape ban, and the ongoing nightmare of retail crime made 2025 a turbulent year for the Scottish convenience sector. But will 2026 o er any glimmers of hope?

e Scottish budget being delayed until 13 January as a result of the late Autumn Budget (which will have been released a er SLR’s December issue goes to press) certainly isn’t the best of starts to the new year.

“I’m dreading the budget and what’s going to be announced,” says Wendy Stephen, owner of Spar Condorrat in Cumbernauld, who has already been forced to reduce sta ng levels to keep her business viable. “ at’s the biggest thing hanging over your head.”

e Employment Rights Bill, which has just been in the “ping pong” stage in the UK Parliament could well give retailers a new sta ng headache. From April 2026, it is expected that statutory sick pay will become payable from the rst day of illness, instead of the fourth day, and the lower earnings limit is set to be removed – currently, workers must earn a minimum amount to be eligible for statutory sick pay.

Unfair dismissal rules will also be overhauled, although these won’t come into force until 2027. e House of Commons wants employees to have the right to claim unfair dismissal from their rst day of work, whereas the Lords have been pushing for the current two-year qualifying period to be reduced to six months.

“If I’m being brutally honest, I don’t think this new Labour government is helping small businesses,” says Jamie Wood, Company Director at St

Imagecourtesyof KristófVizyonUnsplash

Image courtesy of Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

The system behind successful retail

Take control of all your stores from one central location.

Award Winning Convenience, Forecourt and Retail EPOS system.

Link Uber Eats, Just Eats, Deliveroo and many more. Pay@The Pump and other solutions available.

Trusted by:

Fully integrated Digital Labels solution in partnership with SOLUM.

Our ecosystem integrates EPOS hardware, software and 3rd party apps.

Cloud Hosted Analytical Package – Single or Multi-Site.

Hybrid and Stand-Alone Kiosk Options.

Seamlessly Integrated Closed Loop Cash Management Solution.

PETE CHEEMA OBE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SCOTTISH GROCERS’ FEDERATION

As we wait with bated breath for a very late Autumn budget and look forward to a busy and abundant festive season, 2026 looks likely to be another challenging year for the sector… and retail in general.

While this year has highlighted remarkable progress bringing new technology and innovation into stores, there is no shortage of issues to contend with. Inflation may have levelled out, but food inflation remains a key factor driving up living costs. Employment and business costs are now higher than ever, exacerbated by the hugely damaging impacts of retail crime.

We also expect new regulation from the Scottish Government in 2026 on the sale of less healthy food & drink, and at a UK Government level, new packaging obligations, and tighter controls on the sale of nicotine products. Despite a lack of resource to enforce new restrictions or clamp down on the growing illicit market. Local convenience has once again proved that it is the beating heart of our communities and, as always, SGF will be here to promote and represent our wonderful sector through 2026 and beyond.

Michael’s Services in Dumfries. “Obviously, their rst port of call is to raise taxes when they need more money and they’re always looking to so en employment law in favour of employees. Some of the proposals they’ve got coming forward are going to make it more di cult to hire and retain good sta and sack sta that aren’t performing. I wouldn’t object to [the] unfair dismissal [qualifying period] being reduced to one year, but day one is a recipe for disaster.”

HFSS ON HORIZON

Of course, it’s not just back-o ce issues that will impact retailers in the coming year. Having been laid before the Scottish Parliament as part of e Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025, legislation surrounding restrictions on products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) will come into force on 1 October 2026.

e restrictions will a ect businesses with 50 or more employees, but symbol group retailers are not exempt. Promotions on pre-packed HFSS products will be restricted and there will be no multi-buy o ers allowed.

e legislation also includes restrictions on where HFSS products are located in store, although stores measuring under 2,000sq will be exempt from this.

e good news is that similar restrictions are already in place in England and Wales, so there are plenty of learning opportunities from south of the border, and national symbol groups and wholesalers are already clued up on how to handle the new rules. Many manufacturers are equally well prepared with healthier o erings. “In 2025, the latest trends include

the growth in popularity of healthier biscuits,” claims Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International. “As shoppers are increasingly looking for healthier snacks while out, we’ve seen a 6% yearon-year increase in on-the-go missions within healthier biscuits [Nielsen Discover, Total Coverage inc. Discounters, Total Biscuits, Healthier, 52 w/e 11.07.25].

“In 2026, we expect the healthier food & drinks category to expand further as brands look to meet the growing demand for healthier alternatives from consumers.”

e entire Belvita So Bakes range is now nonHFSS, a er transitioning the rm’s bestselling Choc Chip and Choco Hazelnut SKUs to non-HFSS formulas at the end of 2024. e rm has also launched a Cadbury Brunch Light non-HFSS range.

DRS DECISIONS

Whilst it doesn’t come into force until 2027, e Deposit Return Scheme will also demand retailers’ attention over the coming year as decisions are made on how to handle returns of single-use plastic and metal drinks containers. ere’s a lot to consider, but if you read last issue’s DRS feature, you’ll see we’re already learning lots from Irish retailers who implemented the scheme in February 2024.

e 2024 Annual Report from Re-turn, the Irish scheme administrator, revealed that Ireland’s recycling rate for plastic bottles and aluminium and steel cans has jumped from 49% to 91% since the introduction of DRS. Of this, around 76% is directly captured by the DRS – a true nod to the scheme’s success.

And retailers who are ready to embrace the changes are likely to reap the bene ts. Mo Razzaq, former President of the Federation of Independent Retailers and owner of Premier Mo’s Blantyre in South Lanarkshire, will be trialling Tomra’s new reverse vending machine (RVM) next year. “We’ll have retailers come out and have a look at it and ask questions,” he says. Mo urges other retailers to use the coming months to research and prepare for the changes ahead. “In all honesty, I don’t think retailers have awareness of it, it’s not on their radar and I’m a bit worried about that. ey need to pull their nger out! ey’re doing refurbishments without factoring in an RVM, so that’s where I’m a bit concerned that they’re spending a lot of money and then they’ll need to retro t them a erwards. ey need to start doing some homework, because if they don’t, they’ll come a cropper!”

POUCH PUSH

Planning ahead was the key to navigating this year’s single use vape ban, as far as Racetrack Retail Manager Guna Sud was concerned. He was quick to introduce new eligible products into his store and transition customers over to non-disposables ahead of time. While new restrictions loom with the forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will come into e ect in 2027, he plans to make hay while the sun shines in 2026 and capitalise on the smoking alternatives category. He has already been working closely on promotions with a range of di erent vape brands and has just invested in a new chilled display cabinet to o er customers a di erent way to enjoy oral nicotine pouches. Guna claims to have plenty up his sleeve to keep momentum going in the new year. “From what we’ve seen in the past, retail sales tend to dip in January, but I’ve got a lot in the pipeline to push momentum and make sure we see some sort of growth in the next few months,” he says.

e next 12 months will undoubtedly hold numerous challenges for the convenience sector, but those who remain open-minded, innovative and quick to adapt will survive and thrive in 2026.

IGD’S SEVEN GLOBAL RETAIL TRENDS FOR 2026

1. Cybersecurity becomes retail’s frontline: we expect cybersecurity to shift from a siloed IT function to a board-level strategy priority.

2 AI as the engine of the retail revolution: retailers will continue to use AI to drive profitability and efficiency through advanced strategies.

3 Retail media comes of age: the next five years will see certain retailers in certain markets reach a level of retail media maturity.

4. Retailers race to capture the world on their shelves: globalised flavours going further, with clearer segmentation; strategies that reflect diverse communities; and curating more authentic ranges supported by storytelling and seasonal events.

5 The convenience revolution: specialist convenience operators will increasingly focus on food and drink to be consumed in minutes, not days, gradually eroding take-home grocery assortments.

6 Playing a meaningful role for more health missions: retailers will serve a broader span of health missions, and do so in deeper and more meaningful ways.

7 The war on waste: in the coming years, we expect retailers to increasingly prioritise reducing food and packaging waste both in the supply chain and within stores.

Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner at IGD, added: “Retailers around the world face evolving consumer preferences, technological advances, and market disruptions, and they are responding to these shared challenges with bold, relevant solutions. The seven trends we have identified show how global forces are reshaping strategy, and why agility, relevance, and execution will define the leaders of tomorrow.”

IGD’s Retail Futures team helps businesses prepare for what’s next, navigate challenges, and identify opportunities. Retailers can email igdconsulting@igd. com for a free consultation about specific circumstances.

Image courtesy of Jakub Zerdzicki on Unsplash

Image courtesy of Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Image courtesy of Pete Linforth from Pixabay

SPRING INTO ACTION

Learn which Easter segments perform best in Scottish c-stores and what NPD will help you crack seasonal sales.

BY SARAH BRITTON

Christmas may be in full ow, but with Easter 2026 falling on Sunday 5 April – a full two weeks earlier than in 2025 – hatching a plan ahead of time is vital.

Easter confectionery performed very well in Scottish convenience stores in 2025, with high value growth of +14.8% vs 2024 (January to April), according to Clarity powered by Talysis.

MINI MARVELS

Within this, the Mini Eggs segment had the largest value share at 38%, with impressive sales growth of +17.8%. e top-selling Easter SKU in Scottish c-stores this year was the 77g bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs from Mondelez International, which alone accounted for nearly two-thirds (65.4%) of Mini Egg sales and almost a quarter (24.9%) of all Easter confectionery sales.

is year, the much-loved treats are back in a slightly smaller 74g pack, which was downsized due to rising costs. But, on a more positive note, three out of ve Mini Egg SKUs are now packaged in 65% post-consumer recycled plastic made possible through advanced recycling technology.

Mondelez urges retailers to get a fast start on Easter impulse lines, ensuring they are on shelf from 1 January.

Also hoping for a taste of Mini Egg magic is Mars Wrigley, which is bringing three new lines to the fore. Maltesers Mini Eggs combine crunchy Maltesers pieces with milk chocolate, while Galaxy Minstrels Mini Eggs are launching nationally following a successful exclusive with Co-op in 2025. In addition, Maltesers Mini Eggs Butterscotch Flavour will be launched as a Coop exclusive.

TOP-SELLING SINGLES

e Singles sub-category, which incorporates lled eggs and small bunnies, had the secondbiggest value share a er the Mini Eggs subcategory at 30.1% and was the second-fastestgrowing category over Easter 2025 in Scottish convenience, up 20.6%, states Talysis. is segment is home to 2025’s number two Easter SKU in Scottish convenience – Cadbury Creme Egg. It had a 17.6% share of Easter confectionery in 2025 and accounted for well over half of sales within the Singles segment with a whopping 58.4% share. e second bestseller of 2025 in the Singles sub-category in Scottish c-stores was the White Cadbury Creme Egg, which amassed a 12.6% share of value sales. is season, the single is being joined by a multipack, which Mondelez claims will tap into the 74% of white chocolate consumers who solely purchase white chocolate. e rm is also releasing an Oreo Filled Egg 5-pack (RSP £5.82).

But the big NPD from Mondelez for 2026 is the launch of a Cadbury Bisco Filled Egg containing Bisco spread and crunchy biscuit pieces. e company claims the product has tested well with shoppers, with an 87% purchase intent.

e egg is available in a single format (RSP 99p) as well as 3-packs (RSP £3.65), which research has shown is one of the most likely pack sizes to drive trial [Creme Egg PPA Study, October 2024].

WIN BIG WITH CREME EGG

Cadbury Creme Egg’s ‘How Do You Display Yours?’ retailer competition is back for another year. The competition, which is exclusive to indies, invites retailers to share eye-catching Cadbury Creme Egg displays for the chance to win a grand prize of £1,000 in vouchers. Other prizes include two £500 vouchers and eight £100 vouchers. Retailers can visit SnackDisplay. co.uk to enter the competition.

While innovation undoubtedly adds excitement, Creme Egg and Mini Eggs remain the must-stocks, states Mondelez.

Trade Communications Manager, Susan Nash, says: “It’s absolutely key that retailers focus on the core and that they start early because the earlier they start is another selling day.”

Image courtesy of Brian Wegman on Unsplash

Burn bright

Light up sales this Christmas with a cigar selection to suit every need.

BY SARAH BRITTON

The season of celebration and extravagance is prime time to capitalise on cigars.

roughout the year, the category is largely driven by cigarillos. “Our latest data shows the total cigar category to be worth £327m in annual sales, which is a YOY growth in value terms of 2.6% [IRI MarketPlace, Value and Volume sales, w/e 06/07/2025],” says Prianka Jhingan, Head of Marketing at Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) UK. “Sales from the cigarillo segment currently account for nearly £154m of that total [ibid], while the three other segments combined (miniature, small and medium/large) account for just over £171m [ibid]. e remaining c£2m is made up of handmade cigar sales.”

A BIG OCCASION

But as the nights draw in, when wreaths start appearing on doors and the fairy lights switch on, it’s time for the big boys to come out to play.

“It’s well-known cigar sales enjoy an upward trajectory over the Christmas period when many adult smokers like to enjoy one as part of their festive celebrations,” says Jhingan. “Retailers certainly won’t need me to tell them, but it’s typically larger cigars that people will gravitate towards as a bit of a Christmas treat when they are in celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy it.”

Glasgow-based convenience retail chain, Racetrack, agrees cigar sales rocket during the

festive period. “Based o of last year’s gures, our cigar sales were at least triple from November to December just because people were buying them mostly for gi ing,” says retail manager Guna Sud. “We try and target that gi ing market with branded gi boxes.”

He concurs with Jhingan that bigger cigars see increased demand. “Usually, the larger cigars pick up at Christmas,” he says, noting that premium brands are popular.

Racetrack displays its cigars in a humidor for maximum impact.

“When people see the range, they like to gi a brand they know, maybe they’ve seen it in a movie – something like Romeo y Julieta or Cohiba. It’s a luxury vibe and a better gi ,” says Guna, adding that H Upmann cigars are another top seller.

STG UK claims that its Henri Wintermans brand is also a must-stock during the run up to Christmas. “My advice at this time of year is always make sure you have brands like our Henri Wintermans Half Corona in stock as it is easily the UK’s best-selling medium/large cigar and has a loyal following due to its quality blend and heritage,” says Jhingan.

CIGARILLOS SOAR

Nevertheless, there are still plenty of opportunities for cigarillos to shine this season. “ e cigarillo segment may be the smallest in terms of the actual cigar size, but it is easily the largest of the four segments in terms of volume

and not far o the other three combined in terms of value,” says Jhingan.

She claims that over the last couple of years distribution has improved and sales have really “shot up” for STG UK’s Signature Action cigarillo brand, almost doubling since last year. e rm recently announced the expansion of its Signature Action menthol capsule range with the introduction of a new 17-pack format. It also tapped into the trend for avoured cigarillos with the launch of Signature Action Mix earlier this year. Each product contains two capsules, combining the avours of Berry and Mint.

Whether it’s a fruity x or a large luxe line, stocking a range of cigar sizes and gi ing options is sure to keep Christmas cigar consumers in high spirits this festive season.

YULE SLOG WHO’S YOUR DADDY?

One unforeseen consequence of the relentless rise of German discounters Aldi and Lidl is that stollen cakes are now storming the festive shelves like it’s 1940 and they’ve got a map of Europe.

Under The Counter, squinting at some new stats from Circana, initially assumed he was reading another depressing report on shoplifting. It took a younger, less senile colleague to gently point out he wasn’t dealing with stolen cakes at all, but the Teutonic treat that’s a lighter alternative to Christmas cake but still packs a powerful marzipan punch.

According to Circana, traditional festive bakes like yule logs, Christmas cakes and mince pies are being left on the shelf like so many burst yogurts in favour of stollen and its Italian cousin, panettone.

A feather-light sponge and not, as UTC thought, the Italian pronunciation of a popular colour matching system, panettone is also galloping ahead in the festive bake stakes.

Last year, stollen and panettone together gobbled up 60% of Christmas cake sales – up from just 28% three years previously. Apparently, today’s consumer wants lighter, shareable options.

The Auld Boy loves marzipan. When he got spliced to Mrs UTC back in the black-andwhite days, he had two wedding cakes: one for the guests and one for himself.

Very much yesterday’s consumer, Under The Counter will get his festive marzipan fix by slogging his way through a traditional heavy Christmas cake. And he won’t be sharing it.

ADOBE PHOTOFLOP

UTC has no idea who snapped this notice or where the store is, although he has a sneaking suspicion it could be in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Now, while SLR’s resident professor of pedantry has no time for the sign’s carefree use of capitals, lack of punctuation and inability to spell out the word ‘you’ in full, he wholly endorses its bracing approach to problem customers. And their parents.

FRIGHTSIZE

Under The Counter nearly choked on the cheese & onion pasty he was noisily and messily consuming when he discovered that Greggs was trialling a new ‘bitesize’ format.

The Auld Boy’s panic subsided, however, on learning that this referred to a smaller store offering a reduced range, and not some sneaky shrinkflation scheme to slash the size of sausage rolls.

Under The Counter has nothing but respect for the 62 One Stop colleagues who raised £50,000 for Children in Need by completing a 12-hour hiking challenge up and down eight 3,000ft Welsh mountains. The closest UTC has come to replicating this feat was the time the lift broke in SLR Towers, and he had to climb eight flights of stairs. That also took 12 hours.

So, he doffs his bunnet to all those who conquered the Oggie 8. That’s the name of the challenge, by the way, not a gang of ramblers locked up for hogging the top of a hill taking selfies.

However, the Auld Boy thinks someone should do some jail time for the criminally bad job they made of photoshopping the intrepid One Stop bunch onto a suitably outdoorsy background for a publicity shot.

And if you’re thinking “It’s not that bad”, ask yourself why hardly anyone in the picture is dressed for a stint in Snowdonia—especially the lady front and centre sporting a rather fetching pair of light-blue Crocs. Or ponder how the woman in the white coat and white trainers is staying upright after having one of her ankles digitally removed.