SLR May 2025 Edition

UP TO THE TASK?

New £3m Retail Crime Taskforce unveiled in Scotland

DELIVER WITH SCOOT Booker’s new low-cost delivery solution LEONARD RETURNS TO UWS Veteran rejoins as Symbol Director LOCAL SOURCING BOOST

NEWS

06 Economy Scottish trade bodies urge the Scottish and UK governments to prioritise retail growth.

07 Crime Police Scotland’s newly established Retail Crime Taskforce makes its first arrests.

08 Local Sourcing The Scottish Government greenlights phase six of SGF’s popular Go Local Programme.

09 News Extra Crime SLR and the SGF want you to reach out to your local MSPs requesting a store visit and a chance to share your views.

18 Product News ‘Share a Coke’ campaign returns and Walkers marks the new Minecraft movie launch.

20 Off-Trade News CCEP unveils two new RTDs while Knights Cider is named the convenience channel’s top booze brand.

INSIDE BUSINESS

11 Advertising Feature InPost Delivery lockers offer retailers a simple way to grow footfall, sales and profits.

16 Shop Theft A Met officer explains how his team worked with retailers to achieve a long-term reduction in shoplifting.

22 SLR Awards The entries are in. The judges have agonised. Now it’s time to see which stores will contest the SLR Awards 2025!

24 Competition SLR has 10 pairs of tickets to GroceryAid Scotland’s Checkout music festival up for grabs.

26 Two Minutes Of Your Time Zoe Colman DoubleCOOL’s Business Development Manager explains how convenience retailers can benefit from retrofitted chiller doors.

28 Advertising Feature SPAR Scotland Is it time you joined the hundreds of independent retailers already growing their business with SPAR Scotland?

30 Advertising Feature Scoot Booker’s new rapid response delivery service can help you reach new customers and power up your sales and profits.

32 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.

54 Under The Counter The Auld Boy’s trousers come off second best in a run-in with a labradoodle.

FEATURES

34 Sports & Energy With a host of new flavour launches and athletes queuing up to endorse brands, there’s everything to play for in Sports & Energy Drinks.

42 Smoking Alternatives As the single use vapes ban looms, retailers have a big opportunity to transition consumers over to rechargeables and nicotine pouches.

50 Breakfast Bowl over your breakfast customers by providing them with the perfect balance of treat options and healthier varieties.

Cover image by Saurabh Sinha from Pixabay

Nisa now Co-op Wholesale, but fascia remains The Co-op Group has rebranded Nisa as Co-op Wholesale, although the Nisa fascia will be retained as part of a suite of services available to Co-op’s independent partners.

Katie Secretan has also been appointed as the Managing Director for Co-op Wholesale, having previously held the position of Retail & Sales Director after joining Nisa in January 2024.

Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group relaunches

Counterfeit crime in Scotland is set to be tackled head-on following the relaunch of The Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group (SAITG). Supported by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the group brings Police Scotland and Trading Standards together with The Scotch Whisky Association, The Wine & Spirit Trade Association, and The AntiCounterfeiting Group. According to IPO research, almost one in three of those asked (29%) across the UK have purchased counterfeit goods in the past.

Royal Mail joins C-Store Collective

C-Store Collective has announced a new partnership with Royal Mail, focused on expanding Royal Mail’s parcel locker network into convenience retail. The partnership aims to give local retailers a new way to increase footfall, serve their communities, and earn additional income – without any extra hassle.

Win with GroceryAid

GroceryAid has announced its first ever industry-wide raffle, set to launch on Thursday 8 May, coinciding with its annual awareness event, GroceryAid Day. The raffle provides a chance for grocery colleagues to ‘win their summer’. Tickets will be priced at £1.50 each. Prizes include £1,000 in grocery vouchers, theme park trips, heritage days out and spa days.

Scottish trade bodies urge governments to prioritise retail growth

e Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has called on First Minister John Swinney to make economic growth the “preeminent priority” in his upcoming Programme for Government, with every measure tested against the simple benchmark of whether it will improve Scotland’s economy and business competitiveness.

In a letter to the First Minister, the group said an expanding economy was a prerequisite for providing well-paid jobs, raising living standards, and the revenues to allow Government to enact social and environmental change.

SRC warned that any further statutory measures in the Programme for Government

RETAILERS

“which compound the costs crunch retailers face are almost certainly going to be passed onto consumers through higher prices or reduced choice or convenience”.

e Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has also predicted price hikes following a study conducted with the University of Stirling. eir research shows that the true cost of rising sta costs in the Scottish convenience sector is as much as £16.72 per hour. is is a jump of £1.33 on the previous year.

If the current trend continues the National Living Wage is on course to almost double within a decade (£7.20 in 2016 to £12.21 in 2025). As a result, additional sta costs will inevitably be passed on

to customers, many of whom are also struggling to manage their household budgets, and stores will be open for fewer hours or will have to consider whether they can continue to trade, stated SGF.

Chief Executive, Dr Pete Cheema OBE, said: “It beggars belief that our governments, both desperate to promote economic stability and business investment, are doggedly adding to the cost of employment and crippling any potential growth.”

e True Cost of Employment 2025 paper will form part of SGF’s annual submission to the Low Pay Commission, for inclusion in its report and recommendations to the Prime Minister later this year.

Above & Beyond winner nominated for Holyrood recognition

Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East Constituency, has put forward a parliamentary motion to congratulate SLR’s Above & Beyond Awards’ Astonishing Act winner, Salman Javed of A&J Stores in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk.

Thomson asked that the Scottish Parliament recognise how the Above & Beyond Awards look to celebrate staff at convenience stores who make a positive contribution within their own store and the wider community. The motion suggested that Parliament thank Salman for the “hard work and extra effort that he puts into delivering a stellar service to his local community”.

Salman’s astonishing act took place last summer when he noticed a man suffering with chest pains in the road outside the store. As Salman raced

over to assist, the man then collapsed. Quickthinking Salman called an ambulance and put the man into the recovery position, before using the community defibrillator to bring him back to consciousness.

Salman’s mother, Asiyah, who runs the store with husband Jawad, told SLR that the family were delighted to hear of the motion and were waiting to hear back from their local MSP with any further updates.

Thomson was already familiar with the good work of A&J stores after Asiyah and Jawad helped vulnerable locals during the pandemic. The MSP previously nominated the couple to attend a Scottish Parliament event for Local Heroes where they got to meet King Charles.

Mike Leonard named United Wholesale (Scotland) Symbol Director

Former Costcutter Regional Controller, Mike Leonard has returned to United Wholesale (Scotland) as Symbol Director.

Leonard has extensive experience in the industry, with previous roles including Interim Head of Retail at Green’s Retail, Head of Retail at Eddy’s Food Station, Sales Director at CJ Lang, and Head of Symbol Retail at United Wholesale (Scotland).

e company said: “We’re delighted to welcome Mike Leonard as our new Symbol Director. Mike will be leading our Day-Today and USave groups, driving sales growth and strengthening our symbol stores. With his wealth of experience and leadership, we’re con dent he will play a key role in taking our group to new heights.”

Retail Crime Taskforce leaps into action

Police Scotland’s newly established Retail Crime Taskforce has wasted no time in tackling the problem, making its rst arrests in Edinburgh last month.

Two women are due to appear in court on multiple charges, following their arrests in central Edinburgh by the East Retail Crime Taskforce.

e women, both aged 42, have been arrested in connection with separate incidents and face a combined total of 25 charges, which include the , police assault, breach of bail conditions, and o ences against retail workers.

Police Scotland Edinburgh said: “We encourage retailers to continue reporting incidents promptly so we can take swi and appropriate action.”

e Taskforce was launched at the end of March using the Scottish Government’s allocation of £3m worth of additional funding and will work with a range of key stakeholders, including Retailers Against Crime (RAC).

e Stirling-based national retail crime partnership recently highlighted the enormity of retail crime at an intelligence brie ng for retailers in Edinburgh. It revealed that overall losses for its retailer members increased by 26% to £1.85m during the last year.

RAC also told attendees that while the total number of o ences reported had dropped 5% to 11,890, the

DEVELOPMENT Store undergoes major refit

New Elgin Service Station gets the wow factor

number of violent incidents had surged to 14% of that number, with 1,674 reported to the organisation during 2024.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, who launched the Retail Crime Taskforce, said: “ ere is no justi cation for retail crime and the the of goods from stores, or the harassment and intimidation of employees, is certainly not victimless.

“When such o ences take place, it can have a signi cant impact on retail workers, who then feel unsafe at their place of work. is is not acceptable.”

For more information on the Taskforce and other measures being taken to crack down on retail crime in Scotland, read our cover feature on p12.

VAPES

JW Filshill issues vape guidance

e Premier store at New Elgin Service Station in Moray, on the north-east coast of Scotland, has reopened following a major re t.

e site, owned by Arul Palaniappan, was given a complete overhaul over an eight-week phased programme, with project management, design and t out completed by Vertex.

Previously a Family Shopper, the newly re tted outlet now boasts dedicated 800sq so drinks and beer caves,.

A long counter area houses vape and spirits displays and the area is highlighted with halo lights hanging from a striking, wavy-edged, suspended ceiling.

Food to go is a strong focus for the store, which houses Costa Co ee, Rollover hot dog and Tango Ice Blast machines, as well as a new hot food kitchen and bakery.

e store held a grand re-opening over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Customers were o ered a free Jack’s apjack with every regular Costa Co ee purchased and 50p discounts on Rollover and Tango Ice Blast to celebrate.

Ahead of the UK-wide ban on single-use vapes on 1 June 2025, Glasgow-based wholesaler JW Filshill has published a guide for retailers to follow to ensure they are prepared.

Compiled by Filshill’s category manager responsible solely for the tobacco and vape categories, Derek Cowan, the guide outlines everything businesses need to know.

Cowan commented: “Any legislation that affects convenience stores is important and requires retailers to be fully compliant with all aspects of it – and the new UK-wide regulations around vapes are particularly important.

“However, government legislation can be cumbersome and complicated for busy business owners and their staff to navigate, which is why we have put together our comprehensive guide to what is required of them ahead of the 1 June deadline.”

For more information on how retailers are preparing for the disposable vapes ban pleas see our Smoking Alternatives feature on p42.

Inpost acquires Yodel

Parcel locker firm, Inpost, has acquired delivery company, Yodel, to become the thirdlargest agnostic logistics player in the country, following Royal Mail and Evri. The acquisition will enable the company to process around 300 million+ parcels annually, immediately expanding its merchant base to over 500+ e-commerce stores.

Spar Scotland campaign launches

Spar Scotland has kicked off a six-month initiative called ‘Discover Spar Scotland’ to drive awareness, engagement, and business growth opportunities among independent retailers who have yet to partner with the symbol group. To kick-start the campaign, Spar Scotland launched a new lorry livery featuring independent retailer Saleem Sadiq of Spar Renfrew.

SF Express coming to Collect+ stores

PayPoint has announced a partnership with China’s largest courier, SF Express, that aims to let customers drop off and collect parcels going to and from China at more than 7,000 Collect+ locations by the end of 2025. Collect+ locations will initially be prioritised in areas populated by the Chinese community, as well as foreign students where demand is anticipated to be highest.

Disposable vape use drops

A new study funded by Cancer Research UK has reported a substantial decline in the proportion of vapers mainly using disposable e-cigarettes after January 2024. Among 16to 24-year-olds, the proportion mainly using disposables almost halved, from 63% to 35%. The study also found that the proportion of people vaping increased by nearly a quarter each year from January 2022 to January 2024, but has since stayed constant.

Image by Aitoff from Pixabay

Post Office to move to fully franchised network

The Post Office has confirmed its last remaining 108 Directly Managed Branches, including eight sites in Scotland, will be franchised by the autumn. The affected sites are Waverley Mall, Edinburgh; West Nile St, Glasgow; Court St, Haddington in East Lothian; Queensgate, Inverness; Junction Rd, Kirkwall; Chapelwell St, Saltcoats; Springburn Way, Glasgow; and Westside Plaza, Edinburgh.

Allwyn expands Snappy Shopper partnership

National Lottery operator, Allwyn, has expanded its partnership with online home delivery platform, Snappy Shopper, with 172 independent retailers now selling Scratchcards online through the platform. The initiative has already generated £150,000+ in sales for retailers, following a successful smallscale trial in summer 2024.

Accolade Wines uncorks retailer support platform

Accolade Wines has launched Wine Advantage, a new support platform designed to help c-stores grow their wine sales. It offers category insights, planograms, POS materials, and brand updates. To celebrate the launch, Accolade Wines is also offering a free case of wine to retailers who sign up, implement and share a picture of the POS materials in-store.

Morrisons to close two c-stores in Scotland

Morrisons has announced plans to close two of its convenience stores in Scotland, in addition to 13 Scottish cafés. Morrisons Daily outlets in Peebles in the Scottish Borders, and in Stewarton, East Ayrshire, are set to close their doors over the coming months. The move is part of an “optimisation strategy,” whereby the group is set to close 52 cafés, all 18 Market Kitchens, 17 c-stores, florists, meat and fish counters and four pharmacies across the UK.

ScotGov greenlights phase six of Go Local Programme

e Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has been given approval by Cabinet Secretary for Rural A airs Mairi Gougeon to extend its Go Local Programme until the end of May 2026.

e project, which launched in December 2020, champions locally sourced Scottish produce and enters phase six with 158 stores now ying the ‘Go Local’ banner.

A report published earlier this year showed that taking part in the programme results in an average growth in sales of goods sourced from local producers of 44%. e report also provided evidence of a signi cant multiplier impact and boost for the local economy, with expected increases of around £169,000 per store per annum.

Phase six will see a further allocation of £195,000 for the programme and the selection of at least 40 geographically and

REFIT Skye store is

demographically diverse stores, to secure increased display space for Scottish products. Available Scottish supplier databases will also be used to grow the number of suppliers and improve customer choice.

Rural A airs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Since 2020, we have been working with the Scottish Grocers Federation to get more Scottish products on the shelves in local convenience stores.

Portree’s Bank Street Co-op on the Isle of Skye has reopened a er an eight-week re t.

Checkout queues are kept to a minimum thanks to self-scan tills, while energy e cient refrigeration supports Co-op’s work to continue to cut its carbon footprint.

A so plastic recycling service has been installed, enabling shoppers to return harder-torecycle materials such as crisp packets and bread bags, as well as lids from ready meals, biscuit wrappers and pet food pouches.

e new-look store has welcomed an instore bakery, and is strong on fresh and healthy produce, food-to-go and meal deals, as well as Fairtrade products and owers.

Joan Harkiss, Co-op’s Store Manager, said: “ e whole team is delighted to invest in Portree and relaunch Co-op’s Bank Street store. It looks fantastic, transformed with a bright and fresh new look. We pride ourselves on being able to deliver the quality, choice and value which can be enjoyed by everyone, and really look forward to welcoming our members and customers back into their local Co-op. We’re here to contribute to local life and conveniently serve and support our community.”

“It’s great to see the impact the programme has made in the last ve years, with over 130 stores supported by ‘Go Local’, 103 local producers participating in meet the buyer events, and participating stores on average stocking 36% more Scottish local produce. I look forward to seeing rst-hand the work being done in the coming months.”

Jamie Buchanan, Go Local Programme Director, added: “Working together with both Scotland Food & Drink and the Scottish Government, the SGF Go Local Programme has truly brought about a sea change in how participating stores source their produce. Shi ing the focus toward local suppliers and delivering a substantial bene t for both businesses and the community.” Visit sgfscot.co.uk/go-local for more information.

FORECOURTS

Scottish forecourts charge ahead with ultra-rapid EV

e Cooper Brothers Jet forecourt and Keystore in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, has recorded a signi cant increase in footfall since installing the fuel brand’s ultra-rapid EV o er, Jet Charge. Two more Scottish Jet forecourts are set to follow suit.

Garry Gibson, Operations Director, Jet Cooper Brothers, said: “EV customers have all been complimentary about how easy to use and accessible the chargers are, with many taking the opportunity to use the shop – which is good to see.”

Meanwhile, dealer-owned forecourts on Forfar Road in Dundee and Hillside Terrace in the Scottish Borders, are in the process of installing Jet Charge.

Launched in February 2023, the units o er 360kWh ultrarapid charging, pay-as-you-go payment, and no minimum charge.

“Jet Charge is bringing new customers to the Jet brand every day, many of whom shop while waiting to power up,” said Rupert Turner, Managing Director, UK Marketing, Phillips 66. “Add increased footfall and a commitment from us to meet the costs of installation, and it’s a compelling o er more and more of our dealers are looking to explore.”

Electric charging boosts footfall

NewsExtra Have your voice heard

SLR and the SGF want you to reach out to your local MSPs requesting a store visit and a chance to share your views.

Here at SLR, if we aren’t writing about crime, we’re writing about cost increases or upcoming legislation. ere’s no doubt about it, local retailers of Scotland have been having an incredibly tough time of late, with rocketing wage increases, reams of red tape and spiralling levels of shopli ing and violence.

While SLR is, of course, always on your side, championing your cause and venting your frustrations, we need your help to get the message across loud and clear to the powers that be that things have to change.

So we’ve teamed up with our friends at the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) to encourage you to contact your local Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) and invite them to your store, to let them see what it’s really like at the coalface.

SGF Chief Exec, Dr Pete Cheema OBE, says: “Just a few short years ago, we were applauded as the fourth emergency service, keeping the doors open and helping to protect the most vulnerable in our communities during the Covid pandemic.

“However, many stores are now struggling to keep the lights on. Alongside issues such as higher energy costs, in ation, and the costof-living crisis, our governments are piling on the pressure with hugely increased employment costs, restrictions across a range of product areas and reduced support with business rates.

“On top of that is the most important issue of our members, retail crime. Crime in stores, abuse of shop workers, and illicit trade, is now endemic in every city, town, and village in Scotland. Costing convenience businesses an average of £19,600 per year and threatening

the safety and wellbeing of our hard-working sta .

“ is joint campaign, delivered with the support of Scottish Local Retailer magazine, is designed to encourage MSPs to visit and support their local retailers and take their cause back to parliament.”

Invite your local MSP to visit your store using our simple letter template. Go to slrmag.co.uk/msp-letter for more information and to download the file.

important, or just ll in your personal details and send it o . If your MSP accepts the invite, an SGF representative will be happy to join you, if possible, to discuss the wider challenges facing the sector.

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF

Offering a good deal on a ‘full basket’ of products and services is essential for local stores. Restrictions on in-demand items, however, could encourage customers to search out harmful or illicit products – undermining both the wellbeing of the community and many local businesses.

The ban on disposable vapes that comes into force on 1 June, and further potential restrictions in the UK Tobacco & Vapes Bill, will inevitably fuel illicit trade in cheap and unregulated products that already account for a significant proportion of the UK market. This will exacerbate the surge in retail and organised crime. Illicit trade is already a major factor contributing to youth vaping and environmental impacts. What makes matters worse is that the regulations already in place are hardly enforced.

If you’d like to get involved, but aren’t sure how to get started, don’t worry, we’ve made it super easy.

You won’t need to waste precious time composing a letter because the SGF has already cra ed the perfect template, summarising all of the major concerns retailers are facing and inviting them to meet you in your store to discuss them in person.

Head to slrmag.co.uk/msp-letter and follow the simple instructions to locate your MSP’s contact details and download the template letter in MS Word format, ready to either post or email.

You can tailor it to make it individual to your store, adding extra points you consider

SLR is keen to report on the visit too if you’d like to share your experience with us.

One store that has already hosted a successful visit is Spar Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. Rachael Hamilton, the Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, visited the CJ Langowned shop at the end of March.

e SGF was also in attendance and claimed that the meeting led to a very engaging discussion on issues impacting the sector, including the cost of doing business and retail crime.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to our website to access the MSP letter template and make sure you have your say on these crucial matters.

Balancing the potential harms of vaping for underage people against the benefits of vaping for smokers who wish to quit, is an exceptionally difficult public policy issue.

SGF’s Healthier Choices, Healthier Communities twoyaer campaign has a clear message: If you smoke and want to quit, then consider vaping, but if you don’t smoke, don’t vape. Alongside calls to prevent marketing directly aimed at children.

The vast majority of convenience retailers have robust measures to prevent underage sales. This will not be the case after these products move onto the illegal market, potentially risking harm to users of all ages.

SGF thinks that government and enforcement bodies must take a more proactive approach to clamping down on illicit trade and calling out the impacts and scale of the problem – before additional restrictions are introduced.

RETAIL CRIME: LET’S FACE THE TRUTH

As I write this I’m approaching the halfway stage of the on-the-road judging for this year’s SLR Awards. It’s a fantastic, if gruelling, opportunity to tour the highways and byways of Scotland visiting literally every store on the shortlist and covering thousands of miles in the process.

It’s always a rewarding month or so and it’s great to see what the sector is up to, speak to dozens of retailers and find out a juicy bit of gossip here and there. Several things have already struck me so far but two things in particular stand out: first, the level of investment in stores is clearly huge once again, which is hugely encouraging. With the world seemingly collapsing around our ears, retailers are still bold enough and farsighted enough to realise that local retailing can’t stand still. The standards so far have been nothing short of exceptional.

The second thing that has struck me, however, is less heartening. Literally every retailer I’ve spoken to has mentioned retail crime, usually without having to be asked. Retail crime has been a plague since we first started publishing SLR almost a quarter of a century ago, but it seems crystal clear that in the last few years it has moved up a gear. There’s lots of theories about why that might be – Covid and the cost of living, for instance – but the reality is that retail crime in all its ugly guises has become pretty much a daily occurrence in just about every store I’ve visited. That’s soul-destroying in itself but what’s worse, in some senses, is the palpable frustration etched on the faces of retailers who simply have no means of effectively combatting it.

Once upon a time, thieves were fly, sleight-of-hand merchants who could slip a can into their pocket unnoticed. These days the thieves are just as likely to fill a bag and brazenly walk out, fully aware they are being watched. So how are we meant to cope with that as a sector? Short of taking the law into our own hands – which is probably inadvisable and certainly risky – there’s not a lot that can practically be done. You certainly can’t rely on a police response.

So, with all this in mind, we’ve decided to start seeking out solutions that retailers can implement in the real world, and we’ll be running a series of articles over the coming months. They’re not going to end retail crime overnight and they may not all have dramatic impacts, but we’ve got to try something, anything. Nothing has really changed in 25 years in the way retail crime is treated so I wouldn’t hold my breath for drastic measures from the government or the police any time soon. We need to unite as a sector and share our ideas for how to tackle crime. It’s that simple.

We kick off in this issue with a fascinating project down south (p16) that took an eminently sensible and pragmatic approach to tackling shoplifting – and it worked. And we’ll be presenting more ideas in the future that hopefully you can learn from or be inspired by. And if you have any great ideas yourself that you’ve used, please do let us know so that we can share them with the entire sector in these pages.

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).

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©55NorthLtd.2024 ISSN1740-2409.

TURN INCREASED FOOTFALL INTO SALES WITH INPOST LOCKERS

ABOUT INPOST

Consumer demand for out-of-home delivery has skyrocketed and the rise of delivery lockers is revolutionising the way we send and receive parcels. ere’s a massive opportunity for retailers to capitalise on this trend, drive shopper footfall and increase their income with InPost Lockers.

Today’s shoppers crave convenience and having a parcel taken from your doorstep or missing a delivery is anything but. As a result, we’re seeing huge demand for InPost Lockers – one of the quickest, cheapest and most convenient forms of out-of-home (OOH) delivery.

With their self-service convenience, parcels can be collected by consumers 24/7. Over half of UK consumers have used them for online purchases, rising to 71% for Gen Zs and 68% for Millennials1. Nearly twothirds of users (64%) also say their visit to a store was more convenient thanks to the locker2. It’s no big surprise then that convenience is the top reason for choosing a locker.

ese convenience-loving locker users are more a uent too, with 31% having an income over £50k and 39% shopping once a week or more – they spend more and shop more, making them a valuable audience to attract3 e demand being seen for lockers is also driven by shopper concerns around sustainability. Delivering to a locker means fewer deliveries, which means fewer vans on the road – and 84% of shoppers believe lockers o er a greener solution4

But the bene ts go far beyond consumer preference – InPost

Lockers drive real results for retailers. In fact, gures show that 98% of InPost users visit a convenience store because the locker is there, and over half say it made them more likely to return5. Also, nearly 3 in 4 go into a nearby store before or a er using a locker, with a third spending up to £15 during their visit6. So, not only do InPost Lockers help retailers attract new shoppers and drive footfall, but they can also boost store sales too.

at’s not to mention the guaranteed rent that we pay landlords, providing them with an additional income stream. With installation and maintenance handled by us and no sta intervention needed, InPost Lockers o er zero hassle and maximum bene ts. Minimal space requirements also mean it’s a strategic move that can really set a business apart – it’s a no brainer.

rough our InPost parcel lockers, we o er a low-cost way for consumers to collect, send and return parcels quickly and with ease. We have the largest locker network in the UK, with almost 9,300 parcel lockers nationwide. anks to our growing network of lockers and PUDO points, millions of consumers can now choose anytime, anywhere delivery options.

To capitalise on the rising demand for innovative OOH delivery services, get in touch with InPost at https://info.inpost.co.uk/host-alocker-slr to provide a seamless and convenient parcel collection solution that meets the evolving needs of your customers.

InPost (AEX: INPST) is a leader in logistics solutions for the e-commerce industry in Europe. Founded by Rafał Brzoska, In Post is now a leading delivery platform for e-commerce, which has revolutionised the parcel market in Poland. The first Parcel Locker appeared in Kraków in 2009 and quickly became an indispensable part of online shopping and guaranteed speed and convenience.

Today, the InPost network is Europe’s largest and most convenient automated parcel collection and delivery system, with over 46,000 modern APMs and over 34,000 PUDO points in 9 countries (UK, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands). InPost has almost 9,300 lockers across the UK.

InPost also provides courier and fulfillment services to e-commerce sellers, working with around 100,000 e-tailers. During 2024 alone, the company handled 1.1 billion parcels.

For years, one of InPost’s priorities has been environmental concern. InPost Group’s Decarbonisation Strategy is an integral complement to its business strategy. InPost was one of the first in the Polish market to join the SBTi initiative, which aims to achieve NET – ZERO by 2040.

For more information visit our website https://info.inpost.co.uk/host-a-locker-slr or follow us on LinkedIn @inpost-uk

A FORCE FOR GOOD

SLR speaks to Police Scotland partner Retailers Against Crime about the new Retail Crime Taskforce, and the measures being taken to fight crime.

Police Scotland has begun the national rollout of body worn cameras, which will help to further assist with cracking down on crime

Image courtesy of Police Scotland

Despite the thousands of people being greeted, served and upli ed every day; a continual stream of passionate community support; and the plethora of delicious products and exciting innovations that make convenience such a unique and engaging industry to be part of, the sector is permanently overshadowed by the spectre of retail crime.

It is destroying the physical and mental wellbeing of shop workers and customers, wreaking nancial havoc, causing people to leave their jobs and deterring people from joining the sector. Heartbreakingly, almost twothirds (62.5%) of Scottish convenience retailers surveyed by the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) have at least one member of sta who has experienced mental health and wellbeing issues as a result of the impact of retail crime.

e situation has become so deplorably desperate – 99.5% of Scottish convenience retailers report that shopli ing is a daily occurrence, according to the SGF – that the Scottish Government has been forced into action, stepping up its commitment to crack down on retail crime. But dare we dream this could sow the seeds of change, marking a shi in the approach to the tidal wave of retail crime that is strangling our sector?

When ScotGov allocated £3m to tackling retail crime in the Scottish Budget in December, there was a mixed response from the retail industry, with David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, stating that retailers would “warmly welcome” this support, while SGF Chief Executive, Dr Pete Cheema, warned it may be “too little, too late”, noting that “£3 million will only go so far”.

SGF Head of Policy & Public A airs, Luke McGarty, has since called on the government to make a lasting commitment to retail crime. “For a positive step like that to work… that kind of money has to be sustained year-on-year,” he told the Economy and Fair Work Committee. He also highlighted that reducing crime would help the mental health of those in the retail industry. “If retailers have the retail crime aspect more suitably addressed, you’ll have retailers that are not in fear of their own health and wellbeing in terms of their safety.”

Stephanie Karté, National Operations Manager at Stirling-based retail crime

partnership, Retailers Against Crime (RAC), concurs that further funding is needed, but she is feeling decidedly positive. “£3m is a drop in the ocean in terms of what they need… we want this £3m to be an annual amount,” she says. “But it’s a great starting point.”

DEDICATED UNIT

At the end of March, Police Scotland announced that the funding had been used to create the Retail Crime Taskforce, with the aim of addressing a rise in o ences, such as shopli ing. e team is made up of 14 uniformed o cers and detectives, as well as four civilian sta , including specialist analysts and an Architectural Liaison O cer.

DOING IT FOR THE KIDS

Another way that Retailers Against Crime is helping to reduce retail crime is through its Educating Youth programme, which educates children at primary and high school age on the impact and consequences of retail crime.

Karté explains that in extreme circumstances, some children are being exploited by their own parents and encouraged to steal on their behalf because they’re under 16 and it won’t go on their criminal record.

“If kids are not getting told or taught right from wrong at home, especially when it comes to such an important issue as this, then they need to be taught when they are safe at school,” she says.

Part of the presentation is a film, which uses a sliding doors technique to show the consequences of different decisions. “Because of peer pressure a girl does something to prove herself to friends,” says Karté, “and then there’s an alternative version where she realises life isn’t all about that.”

Afterwards, RAC breaks the children up into groups to discuss who they think are the victims of retail crime. “People need to stop being scared of retail crime and talk about it,” she says.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels

e uniformed o cers will operate within Edinburgh, Glasgow and Lanarkshire, as crime gures show these areas experience the highest levels of retail crime.

On a daily basis the Taskforce will target repeat o enders of retail crime by using analytical data and intelligence to carry out proactive enforcement activities in areas most heavily impacted.

Police Scotland states that other divisions requiring support with delivering prevention activities and assisting stores to protect their premises can request the assistance of specialist Taskforce resources.

e Taskforce’s Architectural Liaison O cer will also be engaging with retail premises to identify ways in which they can enhance security and crime prevention measures in place and reduce incidents occurring.

Alongside the Taskforce, the funding will be used to develop diversionary programmes aimed at reducing re-o ending and youth o ending, and focus on enforcement in relation to repeat o enders and organised crime.

At the launch of the Taskforce, Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: “ e establishment of the Retail Crime Taskforce demonstrates our commitment to working alongside key partners and the retail sector to both prevent retail crime occurring, but to conduct thorough and professional enforcement activity to identify those responsible whenever it does arise.

“We know that enforcement alone cannot successfully reduce retail crime and so the partnership approach to safeguarding stores and exploring opportunities to work collaboratively to address the root causes of such o ences

will play a signi cant role in the work of the Taskforce.”

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

RAC is one such organisation involved in supporting the Taskforce. e police will use the organisation’s SentrySIS crime- ghting tool, which allows users to share real-time information about the s and carries information on more than 16,000 o enders UK-wide.

In fact, Karté just had a video call about the Taskforce before speaking to SLR. “We were talking about what it looks like with the four Ps – prevent, pursue, protect and prepare. ey’re going to bring various di erent o cers in and police sta and we’re a key part of that process as well.

“It’s all about everybody coming together because this problem’s not going to go away. But what we can also see is it’s not just going to be recti ed using just one area of expertise – the police can’t do it all themselves, they need to use various di erent methods, for example, crime partnerships. e knowledge that gets circulated, that’s worth its weight in gold.”

She claims that RAC’s intelligence is also shared with crime partnerships in other countries so that they can build a picture of what’s happening across borders with travelling criminals, as well as those local to retailers. “ ere’s not just one type of criminal when it comes to retail crime, it’s right across the board.”

She is con dent that the Taskforce will make a strong impact. “I’m feeling positive,” she says. “ ey’ve certainly put some legwork into it already and it is o to a running start. It looks like they’ve got a lot of great plans in place, and

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENTS

I think there will be a lot of results to come out of this.”

Of course, the Taskforce isn’t the only measure being taken to tackle retail crime. RAC holds regular Days of Action where the group teams up with Police Scotland for a concentrated e ort to take a stand against shopli ers. “It gives the police an insight into what retailers are going through on a daily basis,” she says. e police and RAC gather intelligence on proli c shopli ers o ending within a particular area and they can be arrested on the day.

Prior to the action days, all retailers in the area are invited to a brie ng to prepare them. A day of action in Glasgow is planned for 8 May when 29 police o cers will take part.

Another Day of Action is planned for Edinburgh on 17 June. “It’s only one day, but it builds up relationships between the police, so retailers know exactly who their town centre Sergeant is, and obviously they can liaise with them going forward,” says Karté.

Although many convenience retailers have become despondent when it comes to reporting crime – SGF gures show 48.2% are unlikely or very unlikely to report shopli ing incidents to the police – Karté implores retailers to do so. “You’ve got to keep reporting! With the Taskforce coming in we’re going to start seeing results. You need to report incidents to the police. If they don’t know there’s a problem, they can’t help. It’s not about standing back and seeing if the police solve the issue, that’s not it. I really, really believe that everybody’s got their part to play, including retailers.”

For more information on Retailers Against Crime, contact info@retailersagainstcrime.org.

A Scottish Government initiative for sharing digital evidence from crime scene to courtroom is being rolled out across Scotland.

Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) allows police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges to access a secure, unified system to collect, store, process and manage evidence digitally.

During a pilot of the programme in Dundee, around 19,500 pieces of evidence were handled through DESC, with almost 550 hours of police officers’ time freed up.

DESC handles evidence including CCTV footage, photographs, and data and other materials from computers and mobile devices, enabling retailers to submit digital evidence more easily by email when sent a link by a police officer. DESC will be used wherever possible to secure earlier criminal justice outcomes for those charged with retail crimes.

What’s more, in Fife, a number of retailers are trialling a self-reporting pilot scheme whereby they can send a crime report to the police in under 15 minutes. Utilising RAC’s SentrySIS system, they can provide statements and images of potential suspects direct to Police Scotland, saving valuable police resource and retailers’ precious time.

A full evaluation of the pilot will be completed in 2025 before the next steps are decided.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

CRACKING CRIME WITH JOINED-UP THINKING

A Met officer explains how his team worked with retailers to achieve a long-term reduction in shop theft.

Retailers in the London Borough of Bromley in England have seen the plummet, thanks to the work of Superintendent Luke Baldock and his team.

As the lead on neighbourhood policing, Baldock was frustrated to see retail crime increases of up to 40% across the borough and determined to take action. He spoke to Business Improvement Districts, Business Crime Reduction partnerships, heads of security for shopping centres and national representatives, such as Risk and Loss Prevention at the big multiples, to get an idea of where things were going wrong and what could be done to help.

20 o ences at the same store and it had been screened to 18 di erent o cers in the case on di erent teams who didn’t know each other and didn’t know that there was a linked series.”

saying the police don’t help, and the us

“ ere was a collective cycle of apathy where the security in the stores was saying the police don’t help, and the police were saying every time we do come you never give us a statement, you never give us CCTV,” he explains. “It was all people-based stu .”

It quickly became obvious that the process for reporting crime was a big part of the problem. “We realised that our standard reporting systems for retail crime weren’t up to scratch,” says Baldock. “For instance, we had one o ender who had committed

So taking a new tack, the police honed in on one town, Orpington, and ran a data dive on a group of shops. ey found that three stores in particular were driving a huge amount of the crime report volume for the whole area. “Why that was we didn’t know – was it because they were good at reporting? Was it because there was loads of crime? Was it because some stores weren’t reporting at all?” questions Baldock. “We put forward a hypothesis – it’s probably a proli c group of o enders who are o ending at a good amount of the stores so if we look at the o enders in those three stores that are already reporting, we thought that’s a good start.” O cers approached the stores and made it clear that they wanted to work with them to help tackle retail crime and struck up a relationship with teams in-store, as well as more senior management.

“What we’d nd is that retailers actually have really good internal systems tracking who’s done the crime and the CCTV linking it all together,” he says. e police compared their own data to that of the retailers’ and identi ed 13 o enders that were committing about 80% of all the crime in those stores.

“I put a team of six on it, so they had roughly two o enders each, and I said: ‘Go to the [store] managers, get all the statements for the last 20 times they’ve o ended there’,” he says.

With all the paperwork in place, the police then carried out an operational phase where the criminals were arrested in the act. “It’s quite persuasive to a judge to show that there is a committed thief, but what we’ve already done is we’ve gone back in time and got 20 o ences ready for them,” explains Baldock.

REMARKABLE RESULTS

With multiple o ences recorded for each shopli er, alongside CCTV footage, the police were able to push for stronger charges, resulting in prison sentences for several of the o enders. “It wasn’t just a case of he’s nicked £50 worth of stock and the judge kicks him out with another conviction and a £50 ne that he can’t pay,” says Baldock. “We could say: ‘ is guy’s done 20 o ences of stealing £50 to £100 a time – that amounts to thousands of pounds.’

“[ e criminals] thought they were going to go in and out of the system as usual, but they were actually hit with a really well researched, well evidenced catalogue of o ences.”

With so many of the highest o ending shopli ers being held to account, the retailers involved in the operation have seen extraordinary results. Reported retail crime in the focus stores dropped by 70% for the four weeks following the operation, while there was an average reduction in stock shrinkage of 80%. In fact, within a fortnight of the operation, one store went from losing £7,000 worth of stock a week to just £400 as a result of the interventions – that’s a 94% reduction!

e project has also had a positive impact on police morale. “It’s been really invigorating for the police o cers involved to be getting stuck into local crime,” says Baldock. “ ey feel like they’re doing really good coppering again.”

To ensure that the action taken had lasting results, when the shopli ers went to court, an o cer went with them with a Criminal Behaviour Order application (similar to an Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO) in Scotland). is meant that because the o ender was so proli c, they would have court-ordered restrictions on their behaviour. is could result in being banned from certain shops or chains, meaning that even stepping foot in the stores a erwards would be an arrestable o ence. In some instances, o enders could even be banned from an entire geographic area.

Baldock states that shopli ing is the tip of the iceberg for many of these proli c o enders. “ ey’re not homogeneous o enders, they don’t only steal from a shop in Orpington, they are

o en violent people because they live chaotic lives centred around drug use,” he says. “ ese are dangerous, harmful people.” He believes that the same people committing these types of crimes are also involved with domestic abuse to a much greater degree, as well as car break-ins and house the s.

He thinks it is no coincidence that motor vehicle crime across the whole borough went down by 30% in the four weeks a er the operation.

In a bid to curb the problem, the police also strive to help o enders with their addictions. “We worked with the local authority and with our own in-house teams to make sure that when these people were entering the prison systems that we were working with them on their drug and alcohol addictions really intensively, realising that in one of our operations 100% [of criminals] tested positive for Class A drugs in custody,” says Baldock.

“We then monitor when people are missing their mandatory drug and alcohol appointments, so they feel our presence all the time.”

ROLL OUT POTENTIAL

e model has since been rolled out to other areas in the borough, including Penge and Beckenham, and Baldock claims that a few other boroughs have started taking a similar approach.

So, could such an operation be replicated in Scotland? Baldock seems to think so, claiming that it doesn’t require much resource, just a bit of data digging. “ e beauty of it really is the simplicity … It was elbow grease, but it’s not genius police work, it’s not Sherlock Holmes stu ,” he says. “ is is just smart, precise policing.”

While essentially the handling of crime lies in the hands of Police Scotland, retailers can certainly make the process as straightforward as possible. “Learn who your local team is and report crime,” says Baldock. “If you report it regularly, your store will start glowing up. Having CCTV and getting your sta to willingly give statements is important.”

Retailers could even go as far as to build up les on their most proli c shopli ers, with CCTV and statements for multiple incidents, he suggests. “How can the police say no to that when you’ve given them all the evidence they could ever need?” he says.

Baldock claims that there is a tendency for some police to feel they are too busy, underresourced or time poor to deal with shopli ing. “But the reason we don’t have time is because we let the demand get out of control by not dealing with it in the rst place,” he says. “All you have to do is take a conscious decision to step ahead of it.”

Mentos fizzes up Fortnite

Mentos has made its debut on the Fortnite Creative gaming platform in a bid to become more attractive to a younger audience. For a fortnight last month, Mentos Fizzookas were dropped into some of the most popular Fortnite Creative maps, with an average combined audience of more than a million players per day. The activity was backed by a global online influencer and social media campaign.

Rylan all smiles after signing up with Waken Oral care challenger brand Waken has named toothy TV presenter Rylan Clark as its new brand ambassador.

Renowned for his ultra-white and cosmetically enhanced smile, Clark also joins the brand as an investor and Creative Director, in what is his first business venture. This will see him actively involved in new product development, marketing campaigns and retail strategy.

Worcester Sauce returns to Walkers fold

Bowing to public demand, Walkers has teamed up with Lea & Perrins to bring back its popular Worcester Sauce flavour. Packs feature a graphic of the iconic Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce bottle to highlight the partnership and catch the eye of shoppers. The new flavour is available in a range of formats, including a 45g grab bag (RSP £1.10), 70g PMP (RSP £1.25) and 6-pack multipack (RSP £2).

Strathmore no more AG Barr plans to pull the plug on its Strathmore bottled water brand. The company said the brand has struggled to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive market, leading to a proposal that could see its production site in Forfar shut, putting 24 jobs at risk. The news follows the closure of three sites in England last year as the company integrated its Boost energy drink brand more closely with its core soft drink business.

SNACKS Trip to Tinseltown up for grabs

New Walkers promo marks Minecraft Movie launch

Walkers has teamed up with Warner Brothers to mark the release of A Minecra Movie with an on-pack promo and limited-edition themed packaging across its Wotsits, Quavers and Monster Munch brands.

Running until 18 May, the promo gives shoppers the chance to win prizes including A Minecra Movie cinema tickets, hoodies, t-shirts and backpacks every hour between 6am and midnight. A grand prize draw gives

all entrants the chance to win a trip for two to Hollywood.

e partnership spans a variety of SKUs and formats, from PMPs, to sharing, grab bags and multipacks.

Volvic piles into Women’s Rugby World Cup scrum

A Minecra Movie is exclusively in cinemas now.

than with biggest movie launches of 2025?”

Senior Marketing Manager for Walkers, Rachael Smith, said: “We are on a mission to bring even more excitement to the savoury snacking category this year, so what better way to achieve this by partnering with one of the biggest movie launches of 2025?” Smith said the promo aims to boost retailers’ sales by giving their shoppers “the chance to win epic prizes and experiences”.

Volvic has been named as the Official Water Supplier for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 – with England’s Natasha

unveiled as new brand ambassador.

The tournament runs from 22 August to 27 September.

Volvic will provide water for eight venues and fan zones, backed by a comprehensive marketing campaign and onpack competitions offering exclusive prizes.

World of Sweets has teamed up with Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir to help fund support, equipment and transport for choir members.

Ten per cent of profits from a new Bonds share bag range will go to the charity. The range includes lemon sherberts, pear drops, butter mintoes, and rhubarb & custard, with new bag designs showcasing the Our Dementia Choir logo. Bags are available in both plain and price-marked packs, with an RSP of £1.25.

Manager for Walkers, year,

Hunt

‘Share a Coke’ returns for a new generation

Coca-Cola is bringing back its ‘Share a Coke’ campaign in a bid to tap into Gen Z’s desire for authentic experiences.

e original campaign, which swapped the Coca-Cola logo for personalised names on cans, has been updated with a bigger focus on shareability and customisation.

A new customisation platform o ers even more names to choose from, with the ability to add personal touches. If shoppers can’t nd their name in store, they can scan an on-can QR code to take them to the ‘Share a Coke’ digital hub.

To celebrate the relaunch,

READY MEALS New look for Kepak brand Rustlers refreshed

Coca-Cola has created

‘Share a Coke Memory Maker,’ a digital experience that allows users to create personalised videos from their own content.

e global campaign also includes ‘ e Magic of Sharing,’ a short lm about how sharing a Coke can bring people together, and new outof-home advertising.

Galaxy campaign aids Young Women’s Trust Chocolate brand Galaxy has kicked off the third year of its global ‘Your Pleasure Has Promise’ campaign with a donation of £150,000 to the Young Women’s Trust, which brings the three-year donation total to £350,000. Also, every purchase of a promotional Galaxy bar in Co-op stores will trigger another donation to the charity, supporting the ambition to raise a further £15,000.

Kenco partners parkrun

Vice-President,

Rob Yeomans, Vice-President, Commercial Development at Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners GB, said: “Our iconic ‘Share a Coke’ campaign is back, celebrating connections and shared moments.

Rustlers has been given a brand refresh, with new pack designs to boost the on-shelf appeal of its core range.

New-look packs more clearly di erentiate between the brand’s various burgers, sandwiches and subs.

Key elements of the packaging refresh include new product names and imagery. Consistent colouring for Rustlers’ di erent types of protein (i.e. meat, chicken etc.) has been introduced. With shoppers increasingly looking for products to air fry, the brand has introduced a cooking method sticker on packs, highlighting several cooking options. e new packs also feature a ame grilled and source of protein sticker, with the breakfast/meatless products having their own standout look but staying consistent to the overall range.

To support the brand refresh, a new campaign rolls out this month across social and digital channels with the message: “Lose yourself in ame-grilled taste.”

Retailers can visit kepaktrade.co.uk/marketing to order free POS kits that support the campaign.

“ is time, we’re taking it to the next Saturday. help for parkrun

taking it to the next level with even more personalised experiences, giving consumers the chance to create and share memories with friends, family, or as a treat for themselves.”

CONFECTIONERY

Toffifee launches movie night promotion

Toffifee has announced a new promotion that gives shoppers the chance to win an at-home movie night.

Running from 1 May to 25 June, a series of prize draws will see 1,000 Ratuken vouchers worth £5.50 up for grabs weekly.

To enter, shoppers simply need to purchase a 125g promotional pack of Toffifee and scan the QR code, then enter the unique code found inside the pack.

POS material is available to help retailers drive awareness of the promotion.

The brand said retailers can maximise sales by stocking up ahead of peak weekend demand.

Instant coffee brand Kenco has teamed up with the parkrun charity, which organises 5k runs across the UK and Ireland every Saturday. Kenco funding will help keep the weekly events free for participants and introduce parkrun to new audiences. The partnership kicks off with a £5m media campaign, in-store activities and on-pack promos across a number of products including the Millicano range.

SBF powers up charity drive with Blucozade Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I has partnered with independent c-stores, wholesalers and foodservice teams to donate 112 pallets of its Lucozade Blue Energy Burst to good causes. The charity drive sees more than 60 retailers and 10 out-of-home operators sharing 177,000 drinks with local community groups of their choosing in time for any upcoming spring or summer events.

Robinsons launches new PMPs with 33% extra free Squash brand Robinsons has launched new 750ml £1.59 pricemarked packs plus 33% extra free. The packs are available exclusively in the wholesale, convenience and impulse channels, in both Orange and Apple & Blackcurrant single concentrate flavours. Retailers can visit atyourconvenience. com/extrafree to bag a free point of sale kit.

SOFT DRINKS Campaign returns with more customisation options

Funkin unveils new Apple

Sour Martini variant

RTD brand Funkin Cocktails has added a new Apple Sour Martini flavour to its range of nitro cocktails. The new 5% ABV variant comes in 200ml cans and has a £2.25 RSP. It is available from wholesalers, including Bestway and Booker, now. The launch taps into the growing popularity of apple flavours, which has grown by a third across the soft drinks category in the last year.

Punk IPA marks 18 years with on-pack promo

BrewDog’s flagship craft beer brand, Punk IPA, is celebrating its milestone 18th year by offering consumers a £10 meal and pint. The on-pack promotion, which runs until the end of June, features on Punk IPA multipacks and entitles the shopper to claim a burger and chips or a pizza and pint of one of BrewDog’s headline beers for just £10 at any BrewDog bar and other participating outlets.

Menabrea now in cans

Menabrea Birra has launched its lager in a new canned format, a first for the premium beer brand. The new cans come in 4 x 440ml (RSP £6.50) and 10 x 440ml (RSP £13.73) pack sizes. Until now the beer has only been available to in 330ml and 660ml glass bottles. To celebrate the launch, Menabrea has kicked off a sixfigure national campaign which will support retailers across the UK right through the summer with a range of activities planned.

Black

Tot updated

Elixir Distillers has relaunched its flagship Black Tot Finest Caribbean rum (RSP £42.95) with “a brighter, more versatile blend” that combines single-origin rums from across the Caribbean, including a new Trinidadian element alongside rums from Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica. Bottled at 46.2% ABV with no added sugar or chill filtration, the rum features a new label and sustainable packaging.

CIDER Aston Manor brand leads the charge

Knights Cider named top alcohol brand in c-stores

Knights Cider is the number one alcohol brand driving volume growth in the UK’s convenience channel, according to TWC data.

e news comes as Knights wraps up an exceptional rst quarter, showing 69% volume growth in the last 12 weeks.

e brand, rooted in Herefordshire’s cider tradition, has seen 72% growth year-on-year, with a signi cant 67% increase in volume growth for its 500ml can.

Natalie Marshall, Trade Marketing Manager at Aston

LIQUEURS ‘Clock off!’ says Cox and Malibu

Malibu has teamed up with legendary Scottish actor Brian Cox to encourage people to stop overworking.

This follows a new survey revealing that more than three-quarters (79%) of workers across the UK, US, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain regularly work unpaid overtime.

Part of Malibu’s ‘Do Whatever Tastes Good’ campaign, a new advert sees Cox sport a bold pink suit and vintage roller skates.

He finishes work at exactly 5.01pm and skates away, inviting passersby to clock off with him. The ad ends with the Succession star chilling out in a recliner on the beach, with a Malibu Piña Colada in hand.

Manor, commented: “It is truly remarkable to see Knights Cider driving such unprecedented growth in UK convenience stores.

“Despite challenging market conditions, our team’s dedication to quality and innovation has made Knights a trailblazer in the industry.

“Consumers are seeking great taste and exceptional value, and Knights delivers on both.”

Retailers can visit astonmanor. co.uk to nd out more about Knights.

FLAVOURED SPIRITS

Cîroc Strawberry Limonade offers a taste of the Riviera

Cîroc has unveiled a brandnew limited-edition spirit drink: Cîroc Strawberry Limonade.

The launch marks the brand’s first coloured liquid, giving consumers “a taste of the sun-kissed coastline of the French Riviera”.

It is supported with social and digital out-of-home media from now to September, as well as terrace takeovers and cultural partnerships.

Cîroc Strawberry Limonade (ABV 30%) is available now in a 70cl bottle with an RSP of £35.50.

CCEP unveils two new RTDs

SLR Awards sponsor Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) has expanded its range of alcoholic RTDs with the launch of two new variants.

A collaboration with Bacardi brings one of the world’s most iconic bar calls – Bacardi & Coke – into the RTD category for the rst time in the UK.

Launching in sleek 250ml cans with an RSP of £2.30, Bacardi & Coca-Cola ready-to-drink combines the light, smooth avour of Bacardi rum with Coke’s signature taste.

Point-of-sale materials including chiller dump bins, gondola ends and digital shelf strips is available via My.CCEP.com.

CCEP is also building on the success of its Absolut Vodka & Sprite RTD with the launch of a new watermelon variant.

Also coming in sleek 250ml cans, Absolut Vodka & Sprite

Watermelon combines, unsurprisingly, Absolut Vodka and Sprite along with a refreshing burst of watermelon.

Both new products will be supported by multi-channel channel summer marketing campaigns.

WINE Country star’s two-strong range comes to convenience channel

Dolly pops into c-stores

Dolly Wines, the wine range from country music legend Dolly Parton, has landed in convenience following last year’s launch in Asda.

Produced in collaboration with Accolade Wines and available now through Booker and Nisa, the UK range features a Rosé (RSP £9.50) and Prosecco (RSP £11).

Dolly Prosecco has a crisp, zesty nish with a touch of sweetness. e avour pro le includes stonefruit aromas such as peach and apricot with hints of apple and pears.

Meanwhile, Dolly Rosé is a delicate and romantic French Rosé. e wine’s so , round palate features strawberry, citrus, and a touch of dried sage and is underscored by a subtle saline character, nishing with a gentle acid line and lingering white strawberry avours. Both can be enjoyed through a multitude of occasions and with food.

Prosecco is the most popular sparkling wine in the UK, with annual sales of £629m. Meanwhile, UK rosé consumption has risen faster than in any other country over the past two decades.

RTDs

Aperol Spritz is now ready to drink

Campari Group has unveiled Aperol Spritz Ready to Serve, a pre-mixed version of the classic spritz drink made using its Aperol orange bittersweet aperitif.

Aperol Spritz Ready to Serve (ABV 9%) is available in packs of four 200ml glass bottles.

It is on shelves now in Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, with a Coop roll out scheduled for 12 May.

Made with Aperol’s secret recipe, which blends citrus oil infused with herbs and roots, the drink is balanced with sparkling wine and soda.

Peroni reveals rewards programme

Peroni Nastro Azzurro has launched Club Peroni, a new rewards programme to incentivise customers and support the trade in driving sales of premium beer. Consumers can collect points by buying Peroni in the off-trade, which can then be exchanged for a raft of prizes. There are opportunities available for retailers to integrate their own loyalty programmes and offer exclusive tailored promotions.

Low/no beer brand

joins Portman

Group

Alcohol-free beer brand Lucky Saint has joined drinks industry watchdog The Portman Group as an associate member – the first alcohol alternative company to do so. Lucky Saint launched in the UK in 2018 with a 0.5% unfiltered lager. It added a 0.5% hazy IPA to its range last January. It joins Coca-Cola GB and Punch Pubs as associate members. Suntory Global Spirits has moved to full membership.

Westons unveils luxury holiday giveaway

Westons Cider has launched an on-pack promotion across its Henry Westons range giving shoppers the chance to win a luxury holiday for up to four people to either Iceland, Hanoi, Kenya or Marrakesh. In honour of the cider maker’s 145th anniversary, there will also be more than 145 summer-themed prizes up for grabs including bottle coolers, beach towels and speakers.

Staropramen launches new fridge pack

Staropramen has rolled out a new 10 x 440ml can fridge pack in response to rising demand for multi-pack can formats in the world beer category. The new cans come in a recyclable cardboard sleeve that includes an easy-to-carry handle and quick tear-open fold. The launch is supported by in-store POS, digital assets and a paid social media campaign.

RTDs Bacardi & Coke comes to off-trade and Absolut’s Sprite collaboration continues

SLR AWARDS 2025 SHORTLIST REVEALED

The entries are in. The judges have agonised. Now it’s time to see which stores will contest the SLR Awards 2025!

We’re pleased to announce the shortlist for the SLR Awards 2025 a er the successful completion of the rst phase of judging. is year saw yet another bumper crop of entries which – once again – have been of an extremely high standard.

With the entries whittled down, on-the-road judging is well under way, with our judges travelling the length and breadth of Scotland to visit every store on the shortlist.

Our winners will be unveiled on Wednesday 4 June at a glittering ceremony in the Radisson blu Hotel, Glasgow. Visit SLRawards.com to book your tickets.

BREAD & BAKERY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier Grantown on Spey Spar Erskine

The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

CONFECTIONERY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Golden Lion (Premier)

Premier Lochore

Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

Spar Renfrew

Spar Stenhousemuir

FOOD TO GO RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Glenrothes (Spar)

David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy (Spar)

Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

FORECOURT CONVENIENCE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Ascona Refinery Service Station (Nisa)

Balfron Filling Station (Morrisons Daily)

Londis Dumfries

Westend Filling Station (Costcutter)

FRESH & CHILLED RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Glenrothes (Spar)

Premier Grantown on Spey

Spar Renfrew

The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

NEWSTRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier Turriff

Spar Hillfoot

Spar Kilwinning

OFF-TRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier Dunbar

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch

Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

Spar Renfrew

SCOTTISH BRANDS RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy (Spar)

Premier Dunbar

Premier Watson’s Grocers

SOFT DRINKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy Premier DUSA Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

VAPING RETAILER OF THE YEAR Day-Today Drylaw

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch

Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

COMMUNITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Londis Solo Convenience Store One Stop Partick Spar Jedburgh

Premier Watson’s Grocers

NEW STORE OF THE YEAR

Costcutter CNS Scot Premier Dunbar Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

REFIT OF THE YEAR

D&M Fraser, Thurso (Nisa) Spar Leuchars

The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

SUSTAINABILITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier DUSA

Premier Early til Late Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

#THINKSMART INNOVATION AWARD

Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy (Spar) One Stop Partick Spar Drummers Corner

KEY DATES

WEDNESDAY 4 JUNE 2025, RADISSON BLU, GLASGOW FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT EVENTS@ 55NORTH.COM

OUR SPONSORS

WIN TICKETS TO CHECKOUT 2025!

SLR is offering 10 pairs of tickets to GroceryAid Scotland’s flagship Checkout Scotland music festival in August!

Checkout Scotland, the agship music festival from the Scottish Committee of industry charity GroceryAid, is back on 28 August – and SLR has 20 tickets to give away to readers in Scotland.

We will be o ering 10 pairs of tickets to independent retailers in Scotland and all you have to do us email us your name, store name and phone number. It’s that simple. All entries will be placed into SLR’s magic hat and the rst 10 names to be drawn will receive a pair of tickets

to attend a unique highlight of the Scottish local retailing calendar.

Back for a fourth consecutive year, Checkout Scotland 2025 will be held in Glasgow once again and promises to be another epic day out for the trade and a fantastic chance to let your hair down with industry colleagues and friends.

Checkout will once again give retailers the chance to enjoy a fantastic day of music and socialising with industry colleagues while also helping raise much-needed funds for GroceryAid.

HOW TO ENTER

Entry is open to all local retailers in Scotland and to enter, all you have to do is email events@55north.com with:

Q YOUR NAME

Q YOUR STORE NAME

Q YOUR CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER

It couldn’t be simpler. So get involved! Entries close on at 5pm on 31 May 2025.

10 PAIRS OF TICKETS UP FOR GRABS!

As well as generating a big cash boost for GroceryAid, the event also helps raise awareness of the charity and how it can o er free and con dential nancial, emotional and practical support to everyone working in our industry. More than 800 people are expected to attend. If you would like to discuss sponsorship, please contact Antony Begley at abegley@55north.com or call 07788 923 177.

To nd out more about Checkout Scotland, email checkout@groceryaid.org.uk or visit groceryaid.org.uk/events/checkout-scotland.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

There are a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available for Checkout, one of the largest events in the Scottish retail calendar.

If you would like to put your brand in front of more than 800 retailers and industry colleagues, get in touch!

Email Antony Begley at abegley@55north.com or call 07788 923 177.

Bringing together the best of Scotland’s grocery, CONVENIENCE AND WHOLESALE BUSINESSES for a unique music event

Network with the industry and raise money to help colleagues in need. for

28.08.2025 4pm - Midnight

Scotland

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

£3,000 + VAT

£10,000 + VAT

To find out more: Scan the QR Code Visit groceryaid.org.uk/events/checkout-scotland Email checkout@groceryaid.org.uk

ZOE COLMAN

With sustainability driving national and global agendas – chiller door expert DoubleCOOL stands at the forefront of exciting developments in the world of convenience retail. We caught up with Business Development Manager Zoe Colman to find out more.

FACTFILE

Zoe has been at DoubleCOOL for two years. Her role is to grow the brand across all areas that have openfronted fridges. She previously worked as Sales Manager for a company that made tools to compress powder into tablet form. This involved meeting with customers across the world from Colombia to Turkey, Russia to South Africa and many in between.

HOW BIG IS THE ENERGY SAVING OPPORTUNITY FOR SCOTTISH CONVENIENCE RETAILERS?

It’s a huge opportunity – sustainability is such a big issue for Scotland and beyond and refrigeration accounts for by far the biggest energy consumption within the convenience channel. Adding doors to chillers is an immediate way to curb energy usage, saving power –and money.

WHY IS IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR RETAILERS TO CONSIDER RETROFITTING DOORS TO THEIR OPEN CHILLERS?

Energy costs are constantly rising, and since 1 April, retailers also have the UK National Living Wage increases and a hike in employer’s National Insurance (NI) contributions to contend with. So anything retailers can do to cut down on energy usage and bring costs down is a plus.

HOW MUCH MONEY CAN RETAILERS SAVE BY ADDING DOORS TO THEIR CHILLERS?

Obviously the saving depends on how many chillers are retro tted with doors, but we have documented proof of a customer who saved 50% on their energy, and one Boots site saw a 63% saving!

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND PAYBACK PERIOD FOR CONVENIENCE STORES WHO INVEST IN CHILLER DOORS?

It very much depends on the length of the run, the per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate, etc. We installed doors along an 18m run of chillers at a Nisa Local in Blackpool, Lancashire, which was forecast to pay back in well

under two years. Whereas we added 14 DoubleCOOL Swing 1 doors to chillers at a forecourt in Derbyshire and the installation paid for itself well within a year, and will continue to keep paying back, year upon year.

ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS TO RETROFITTING CHILLER DOORS?

ere are numerous extra bene ts beyond the energy and cost savings. Retro tting chiller doors enables retailers to keep their fridges clean for longer. It also helps to reduce food waste because products have a longer shelf life when they are kept at optimum temperature. Another major plus is that the is reduced because doors act as a barrier to would-be shopli ers. In addition, keeping the cold air in the fridge means that the chiller aisle isn’t too cold. A more comfortable shopping environment encourages customers to browse and increases the chances of them buying more products.

WHAT MAKES DOUBLECOOL CHILLER DOORS SUITABLE FOR A CONVENIENCE STORE ENVIRONMENT?

Our lightweight chillers are made with shatter-proof, double-pane cast acrylic doors and guaranteed to be condensation free.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR REFRIGERATION WITHIN THE SCOTTISH CONVENIENCE CHANNEL?

It’s hard to say what the future holds, but sustainability will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of people’s minds, so it is crucial that retailers’ consider their energy consumption and consider di erent ways to minimise their carbon footprint.

DoubleCOOL fridge doors for

Retrofit double pane acrylic doors on fridges

Transparent, robust and shatterproof

50% lighter than glass and zero maintenance

Doors open to 170o and feature soft close hinges

We are giving away up to 16 DoubleCOOL doors, to a retailer who is currently operating open chillers.

Simply scan the QR code, complete and submit the form to be in with a chance of winning!

From our very first communication with Zoe through to the final installation with Dallas, we cannot fault DoubleCOOL – the whole experience has been faultless. We were looking for an energy saving solution and to help our shop chillers hold their temperature – the doors we had fitted have far exceeded our expectations, and we can already feel the benefits both in our energy bills and in temperature control. We cannot thank the DoubleCOOL team enough, and highly recommend their services.

Megan Stacpoole Cheerbrook Farm Shop

IT’S TIME TO DISCOVER SPAR SCOTLAND

Is it time you joined the hundreds of independent retailers already growing their business with SPAR Scotland?

SPAR Scotland is unique in the Scottish local retailing sector and, a er years of heavyweight investment and huge growth, is perfectly placed to help you grow your business, just like hundreds of other independent retailers in Scotland.

Our o er is unmatched – which helps explain why SPAR Scotland has been named SWA Symbol Group of the Year for three consecutive years.

So, why is the time right to Discover SPAR Scotland for yourself?

COME SEE FOR YOURSELF…

We have a limited number of fully funded places available for our 2025 Tradeshow in Aviemore for retailers interested in joining SPAR. Simply call 01382 512 000 or email

DISCOVER WHAT YOU CAN ONLY ACCESS WITH SPAR SCOTLAND

Q Award-winning SPAR own-label range – a unique point of di erence

Q Exclusive partnership with Barista Bar hot drinks

Q First-to-market access to NPD – like Prime, Feastables and MAS+

Q e only Scottish wholesaler to regularly advertise on STV

Q Not just a wholesale partner, we’re a retailer with stores across Scotland

Q SWA Symbol Group of the Year – for three consecutive years

DISCOVER THE BEST SUPPORT NETWORK IN SCOTLAND

Q A one stop shop from the moment you onboard to the SPAR family of retailers

Q A local brand with a national and global support network

Q Market-leading business development team

Q Regular multi-temp deliveries – ensuring stock when you need it most

Q Championing Scottish produce, with over 50% of our lines sourced in Scotland

Q Retailer-speci c website

DISCOVER FANTASTIC PROMOTIONS, PROFITS AND EVERYDAY VALUE

Q Up to 6% rebate

Q ree-weekly promotions

Q Make more and save more with our installation package

Q Seasonal event activity driving additional footfall

Q Digital and gami cation activities

Q Strong value package on everyday staples – bread, milk, eggs, bacon and more

• A one stop shop from the moment you on board to the SPAR family of retailers

• Not just a wholesale partner, we’re a retailer with stores across Scotland

• Make more and save more with our installation package

• Access to NPD – Prime, Feastables, MAS+

• Up to 6% rebate

Brown SPAR Retailer for 2 years

We’ve a limited number of fully funded places available for our 2025 Tradeshow in Aviemore, for retailers interested in joining SPAR.

Dan

TIME TO SCOOT?

Booker’s new rapid response delivery service can help you reach new customers and power up your sales and profits.

DID YOU KNOW?

Q Average delivered basket transaction is £27 – that’s three times more than in store!

Q One in three shoppers is interested in using Rapid Grocery Delivery

Q Key times for your shoppers to order are Dinner, Lunch and Evening snack and treats.

Q The market is set to grow to £2.6bn by 2029 from £2bn.

Q 80% of orders are delivered within a mile radius.

Q The busiest days for shoppers to order are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Q The top three categories are Treats and Snacks – 68% (including crisps, chocolate & sweets), Cold Drinks (including soft and alcoholic) – 62%, and General Food (top-up shop) – 48%.

[SOURCE: TWS]

Shoppers: they want it all – and they want it now – evidenced by the soaring demand for rapid response delivery services in recent years.

A staggering one in every three shoppers is now interested in using rapid grocery delivery services according to TWS data, with the market expected to hit £2.6bn by 2029.

Today, rapid response home delivery services are widely regarded as a ‘must’ by successful convenience store owners – helping them to reach new customers and ignite sales and pro ts.

Did you know that the average delivered basket transaction is £27? at’s a marginmaxing three times more than in-store!

Helping retailers to make the most of the redhot rapid response delivery opportunity is Scoot – Booker’s brand-new app that facilitates home deliveries to shoppers in as little as 30 minutes.

Designed by retailers, for retailers, Scoot promises to help you make more and save more – an estimated £34,000 more pro t each year to be precise!*

With only 1% commission charged up to £4,999 of weekly in-app sales – and zero commission once you hit £5,000 a week, Scoot o ers an outstanding low-cost proposition.

ere are also no shopper charges – giving you the exibility to o er the service for free, should you wish – or set your own delivery, service or minimum order fees.

e app connects shoppers with participating stores, enabling them to order from a range of products, curated by you, the retailer.

e secure platform also facilitates the ordering, payment, and picking processes, so all you need to do is organise the delivery.

Retailers who sign up to Scoot will receive support from a dedicated Business Development Manager (BDM) and their existing RDM, who together will assist with on-boarding, including product le set up, training and live support.

In addition, your dedicated BDM and RDM will help you to develop a plan to grow sales to £5,000 and increase your pro tability.

Retailers also receive an exceptional launch support package – including point of sale, digital assets and thermal delivery bags.

What’s more, they bene t from upweighted marketing support, including targeted social media adverts, and a contribution towards a full promotional wrap for their delivery vehicles.

Colm Johnson, Managing Director for Booker Retail, said: “We’re always looking for new and

innovative ways to help our customers grow their business, so we are incredibly proud to announce the launch of Scoot, to support them in doing just that.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for our retailers to increase their basket spend, store sales, and connect with new and existing shoppers in their local communities.

“ e feedback from our pilot test has been really positive and we look forward to welcoming more retailers to the platform over the next few months.”

One retailer who is already reaping the bene ts of having done just that is Faraz Iqbal, of Premier Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Faraz became the rst Scottish retailer to launch Scoot – a er transitioning over to the service at the beginning of March 2025. And he’s been singing its praises ever since – as have his shoppers.

“I’ve had loads of messages from customers telling me the new app is really easy to use and there’s been a good upli on all the o ers we’ve put on,” he said.

He claims that Scoot is much quicker for Booker retailers to set up, because products don’t need to be input manually, and he is con dent that the group will continue to invest in the app. “ ere has to be continuous development with these technologies, and we know with Booker that will happen.”

[*based on weekly app sales of £2,500 and 26% gross margin]

MAKE MORE SAVE MORE WITH SCOOT!

Q Make an estimated £34,000 additional profit per year (based on weekly app sales of £2,500).**

Q Only 1% commission charged up to £4,999 of weekly retailer sales.

Q Zero commission once you reach £5,000 of weekly sales on the app.

Q 0.7% card transaction fee.*

Q Next banking day settlement at no additional charge (not included Saturday/Sunday) .

Q Zero consumer charges giving you the ability to offer the service for free.

* 0.7% is the average transaction fee.

** Based on 26% gross margin.

Sales every year with... generate over £130k*

• Fully flexible model

• Make an estimated £34,000 additional profit per year (based on weekly app sales of £2,500)**

• Zero commission once you reach £5,000 of weekly sales† on the app

• Zero consumer charges giving you the ability to offer the service for free

• Save up to £16,000 per year with scoot vs other Rapid delivery platforms based on weekly sales of £4,999

• Want to get to the next band of Spend and Save? – Scoot can help you

* Based on £2,500 of weekly RSP sales through the scoot app

** Based on 26% gross margin

† Product Sales + VAT per store

• Dedicated onboarding & set up support, including PoS package

Walkers Heinz Tomato Ketchup PepsiCo

Walkers has joined forces with Heinz to launch a new Tomato Ketchup variant, which is available now in a range of formats, including a 45g grab bag (RSP £1.10), 70g PMP (RSP £1.25) and 6-pack multipack (RSP £2). The collaboration kick starts Walkers’ #GoAllCrispIn campaign, inspired by debate around crisp sandwiches among consumers.

Irn-Bru Xtra unveils new Legends Editions

Pwr-Bru Dynamo Fruit Punch Barr Soft Drinks

The latest flavour in AG Barr’s energy drink range is available now in cases of 12 x 500ml cans, price-marked at £1. A full range of impactful and eye-catching PoS is available for retailers to drive sales around launch and throughout summer. In taste testing, 93% of consumers said they would buy Dynamo Fruit Punch, with 81% of shoppers loving the taste.

McVitie’s Penguin Milkshake Cake Bars pladis

McVitie’s Penguin Strawberry Milkshake Cake Bar is a chocolatey cake bar topped with a smooth strawberry milkshake-flavoured cream covered in milk chocolate. The Chocolate Milkshake Cake Bar is much the same, except for a chocolate milkshake-flavoured cream topping. Both are available in packs of five individually wrapped bars (RSP £1.75).

Barr Soft Drinks is adding two new limited editions to its Irn-Bru Xtra range, with the socalled ‘Legends Editions’ hitting shelves this month for eight weeks.

The range features two mystery flavours, Nessie Nectar and Unicorn Tears, and will be backed by a £2m out-of-home and social campaign, reaching 70% of all 16 to 34-yearolds across the UK.

Both flavours will be available in cases of 24 x 330ml plain (RSP £1.09) and 79p price-marked packs, as well as 8 x 330ml multipacks (RSP £4.50).

A full range of POS materials will be available for retailers to drive sales.

Kenny Nicholson, Head of Irn-Bru Brand, said: “Innovation plays a really important role in the success of the soft drinks category. In fact, without NPD, the category would have lost out on £228m worth of sales – which is a 3.4% share of the total market.

“Irn-Bru Xtra has a proven track record in delivering flavours that appeal to shoppers. Our Wild Berry Slush and Raspberry Ripple, which launched in April last year became one of the top five take home and drink now soft drinks innovations, despite only being available in market for eight weeks. They also added incremental sales, with just over a third (34%) of people who purchased them being new to the category.

Cheddar & Caramelised Onion Chutney Ridges Burts Snacks

“We’re aiming for even bigger and better with this launch. We want to grab shoppers’ attention, create fun in store and get shoppers, and retailers, talking about the category. Our two Legend Edition flavours will definitely do that.

“The flavours, Nessie Nectar and Unicorn Tears, are both genuine consumer descriptions of the taste of our iconic Irn-Bru, but we’ll be leaving shoppers guessing on what the flavours of these new limited editions actually are, as shoppers tell us they like the intrigue. Rest assured, the essence of Irn-Bru is there, with a legendary flavour twist. And we’ll be launching these in a way only Irn-Bru would, so they’ll be sure to get people talking as we head into summer.”

Available in 40g packs, the new flavour blends rich, savoury cheddar sourced locally from Quicke’s Cheese Shop with the sweet tang of caramelised onion chutney. Alongside the new flavour, updated packaging has been designed with enhanced flavour cues to highlight the brand’s rich, distinctive tastes and make it easier to identify variants.

Designed as an accessible entry point to open pod vaping systems, the new refillable device features a colour screen and 1200mAh battery. It can also alternate between economy and turbo performance modes. A sliding switch for airflow adjustment provides further customisation. The kit includes two 2ml refillable pod cartridges that feature Elfbar’s QUAQ dual mesh technology to double the coil’s lifespan.

Smoothie brand Innocent has teamed up with CCEP to launch Innocent Kids Juicy Water, available now in two flavours: Apples & Strawberries, and Apples & Mangoes. The launch is supported by out-of-home advertising urging parents to give their kids a refreshing drink that’s one of their ‘5-a-day’. Retailers can request POS materials and download digital assets from My.CCEP.com.

ELFX Pro Classic Edition Elfbar

Innocent Kids Juicy Water CCEP

Cadbury Dairy Milk Happy Birthday Gifting Bar Mondelez

The 360g bar has an RSP of £5.85 and is set to capitalise on birthdays, which account for a massive 25% of all gifting occasions. The firm advised retailers to merchandise the bars adjacent to other gifting opportunities, such as flowers, cards and other gifting categories, to help drive incremental sales and inspire shoppers. The bar is available all year round.

XQS Fruit Flavours STG UK

Scandinavian Tobacco Group has launched three fresh new flavours into its growing XQS nicotine pouch portfolio, which now offers a total of eight flavours. Raspberry Blackcurrant, Strawberry Kiwi and Berrynana Twist are all available now, priced at an RSP of £5.50. All three new SKUs match the growing consumer trend for fruity flavours and are 8mg in strength.

Nik Naks Tangy ‘N’ Cheesy KP Snacks

The latest addition to Nik Naks range is available now in a 45g Grab Bag (RSP £1.15) and a £1.25 PMP. With 78% of consumers saying the flavours of crisps they enjoyed as a child are still their favourites today, the new product taps into the demand for nostalgic and familiar flavours. The Nik Naks’ singles portfolio is currently growing at +15.9%, well ahead of the overall singles segment (+2%).

Fridge Raiders Chicken Grills Pilgrim’s Europe

Good times

Sausage brand Richmond has become the official teatime partner of Channel 5, with a new campaign, ‘Good Times at Tea Times’. Running until the end of September as part of a £6.8m marketing investment, a series of nine mini-ads will air daily between 5.50pm and 8.30pm. The campaign aims to reach 23 million consumers over a seven-month period.

Gripping stuff

In a new £1m campaign running until 19 July, Butterkist is appearing on video-on-demand services ITVX, Sky Cinema, and Disney Plus. Featuring the tagline, ‘For every movie moment, Go Grab The Butterkist,’ 10- and 20-second ads show a film opening being interrupted by characters commenting on the movie from a red sofa while sharing Butterkist.

The Chicken Grills range consists of Tandoori Mini Fillets and Roast Chicken Mini Fillets. Both flavours come in three-fillet multipacks (105g, RSP £2), with Roast Chicken also available in singles (35g, RSP £1.30). The launch is backed by a £2.7m campaign that includes outof-home, social media, influencer and sampling activities.

Twister Mallow Unilever

Twister’s new HFSS-compliant ice cream combines sour raspberry and juicy grape flavours with a sweet creamy marshmallow swirl. By combining ice cream with confectionery, the NPD aims to recruit a wider shopper demographic and make ice cream a go-to sweet snacking option. Twister is currently seeing value growth of +17%, driven by its HFSS-compliant pipeline of innovation.

Robinsons Orange & Mango RTD Carlsberg Britvic

Bowled over

Weetabix Crispy Minis is hitting the ramps with a new £400,000 campaign featuring Team GB Olympic skateboarder Lola Tambling. The campaign includes a 30-second advert where the 16-year-old Olympian showcases her skills by dropping into a cereal bowl with her skateboard, before navigating her way through a deluge of Crispy Minis.

Spring chicken

KP Snacks is driving awareness of its Tyrrells brand, with a new spring marketing campaign. Running until the end of May, the campaign includes TV, video-on-demand, out of home, and social media activities. Adverts highlight Tyrrells’ quality and flavour credentials, and showcase the brand’s new Roasted Chicken & Sage flavour.

Robinsons’ latest RTD is available now in 500ml single bottles (RSP £1.79) and £1.15 price-marked packs. The launch will be supported by a £1m+ advertising campaign across the brand’s RTD portfolio, as well as product sampling. Retailers can visit Britvic’s At Your Convenience platform to claim a free case of the new drink, as well as point of sale materials.

Respect is due

St Pierre is back on screens with its updated ‘Eat Avec Respect’ campaign. Running until the end of June, the tongue-in-cheek TV ad has been updated to increase brand visibility throughout and is accompanied with a new raft of social media activity, video on demand, consumer PR, out-of-home advertising and in-store execution.

CREATING A BUZZ

With a host of new flavour launches and athletes queuing up to endorse brands, there’s everything to play for in Sports & Energy Drinks.

Retailers won’t need reminding that Sports & Energy is a crucial category all year round, but when the sun makes an appearance, it really gets a chance to shine. “Scotland’s energy drinks market is the nation’s fastest-growing category [Circana Scotland – 52 wks to 4th Jan 25], adding the most value for retailers and selling an additional ve million units per month during summer [Circana Scotland – Jan vs Aug F24],” states Kenny Nicholson, Head of Irn-Bru Brand at AG Barr.

Since its launch two years ago, Barr’s Pwr-Bru has become the third-highest repeat purchase in stimulant energy [Kantar World Panel, Total

Energy, Shopper Demographics & Key Measures, Scotland, 52 W.E. 04/08/24]. “We’re attracting three times the amount of ‘young shoppers’ vs. the rest of the category [Kantar World Panel, Total Energy, Shopper Demographics, Scotland, 52 W.E. 26/01/25],” adds Nicholson.

e rm claims that avours are powering the market. “Data shows avoured SKUs are 60% incremental to the market [Circana, Scotland, Energy drinks, Flavoured Unit Sales 52 w.e. 04/08/24],” says Nicholson.

Barr is hoping to drive sales further with the launch of Dynamo Fruit Punch. e company claims that the drink performed “incredibly well” in consumer research with 93% saying

they would buy it and 81% of shoppers who loved the taste.

Although core SKUs are important, there’s no denying that much of the energy market’s growth comes from new avours, highlights Red Bull, noting that 96% of all NPD growth came from avoured energy over the last 12 months [NIQ Discover S&E Single Serve NPD Total Indies & Symbols Sales Value L52W W.E. 18/01/25].

For Red Bull, limited editions and NPD have been largely incremental, with nearly half of shoppers that bought into the Editions avour range new to the brand [Kantar combined panel, buyer numbers vs YA, MAT 21.01.2024], acting as a gateway to the core range.

Image from Vecteezy.com

NEW ICE KICK

BY JUDE BELLINGHAM

A PUNCH OF PWR FOR YOUR SALES

RETAILERS POWER UP THEIR COMMUNITIES WITH BLUCOZADE

Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I partnered with leading independent convenience retailers, wholesalers and foodservice teams to support them with stock donations of its popular Lucozade Energy Blue Burst.

The charity drive saw over 60 retailers and 10 out-of-home operators sharing 112 pallets – equivalent to 177,000 drinks – with those directly in touch with their local communities to support great causes.

Nathalie Fullerton, owner of One Stop Dumbarton Road in Glasgow, was delighted to take part, distributing Blucozade to NHS workers, police officers, the fire brigade, the local church, nursery workers and a men’s mental health charity. “These initiatives are amazing,” she told SLR. “They help us spread the love in our community. It’s good for suppliers and it’s so good for us to use the donation to better our stance in the community. The only way for local retailers to thrive is to nurture that relationship and make it as strong as it can be.”

A PUNCH OF PWR FOR YOUR SALES NEW

FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH

e brand’s latest avour innovation, Summer Edition White Peach, received positive feedback in testing, with many saying they would be likely to purchase a white peach- avoured Energy Drink, particularly younger shoppers [Vypr | N = 278 Energy Drink Consumers | Likelihood to Purchase | Sept 2024].

Many of the shoppers that buy into the avoured Editions range are new to the brand [Kantar combined panel, buyer numbers vs YA, MAT 21.01.2024], states Red Bull.

“With 86% of energy drinkers open to experimenting with avours [Appinio | N = 909 | March 2024], the sub-category has been vital to total Energy Drinks growth,” says a Red Bull spokesperson. is is even more relevant during the summer months, where shoppers look to avoured Energy Drinks to deliver refreshment, as well as functional boost, states Red Bull.

Everything is just peachy over at Rockstar headquarters too, where the brand introduced Rockstar Energy Zero Sugar Peach in February. Peach avours have already seen a +153% sales value increase within stimulants over the last year [NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Sales Value % Chg YA, Total Stimulants, Carlsberg Britvic De ned Peach vs Non Peach avours MAT to w/e 18.01.25]. “Rockstar Energy Zero Sugar Peach is strongly placed to allow retailers to tap into this trend, with the brand worth £15 million and with 93% of sales driven by avours over the last

of consumers prefer to purchase energy drinks cold, so keeping chillers stocked up should be front of mind.

Source: Shopper behaviour intervention test 2023

year [NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Value, All Flavours exc. Original Rockstar MAT w/e 18.01.25],” says Ben Parker, Carlsberg Britvic’s Vice President of Commercial O Trade.

“With the stimulant energy segment outperforming the wider market in 2024 [NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Value % Change vs YA, Total Stimulants vs Total So Drinks, MAT to w/e 18.01.25], this year we want to continue the momentum through our Rockstar Energy brand. However, we also want to ensure that we are recruiting new people into the market and appealing to a wider group of shoppers, to really maximise retailers’ energy sales success in 2025. We know that avours such as peach are favoured by lighter versus heavy energy drink buyers [PepsiCo Turf Analysis n=800 UK Energy Drink Users SKUs selected to maximise ‘reach’ 2024; PepsiCo Conjoint Analysis, 2024], so we can make stimulant products more accessible with this launch.”

Boost is also aiming to attract new customers with its new Blue Raspberry limited-edition variant. “40% of consumers are looking for new avours within energy [Tastepoint 2024 Trends], and Blue Raspberry is an established and visually appealing avour pro le that appeals to both Millennial and Gen Z demographics, through nostalgia and modern relevance,” says Adrian 67%

Hipkiss, Head of Energy Brands at AG Barr, adding that 90% of consumers who have tried Boost’s Blue Raspberry Energy love the avour [Vypr, Boost Energy Drinks, May 2024].

FAMOUS FACES

Another way Sports & Energy Drinks suppliers are building their brand following is with athlete endorsements.

Lucozade Alert and long-term brand ambassador Anthony Joshua have just collaborated on special-edition cans of Mango Peachade Zero Sugar. e 250ml and 500ml cans feature images of the boxer and will be backed by a social media campaign and in-store POS.

campaign and in-store POS.

Joshua said: “Lucozade has been in my

corner for nine years now, giving me support throughout my career, which has played a big part in my success. is latest launch marks another huge moment in our journey together – I couldn’t be more excited to bring this new product to the world and hope everyone loves it as much as I do.”

Over on Lucozade Sport, its new Ice Kick variant has the backing of England football legend Jude Bellingham. Not only is the mid elder fronting the bottles, he also stars in video content for the brand.

But Jude isn’t the only soccer star energising the category. March saw the UK launch of Más+ by Messi from the Argentina national football team’s most capped player, Lionel Messi. e Prime-esque bottles were exclusive to Spar for a month before rolling out further a eld.

One of the rst retailers to stock the drink in Scotland was Dan Brown, who owns Pinkie Farm in Musselburgh, who claimed it was “ ying o the shelves”. e retailer drove even more excitement in store with a special launch event where one lucky fan won a signed bottle. e hydration drink boasts a “breakthrough blend” of electrolytes, vitamins and antioxidants, boasting just 1g of sugar and 10 calories per 500ml bottle. “I believe everyone, not just

elite athletes, deserves Positive Hydration: amazing taste, with natural avours, no arti cial sweeteners or colours. No ca eine,” says Messi.

Another UK newbie hoping to make waves is Celsius, which ags up high ca eine, natural avours and seven vitamins to support the body’s natural functions while limiting fatigue. “We’re di erent from other energy drinks because we focus on movement,” claims the brand. “When combined with exercise, our formula is clinically proven to boost your metabolism.”

Already established in America, the drink onboarded boxer Jake Paul as a brand ambassador in 2023 and was the o cial energy drinks sponsor of the Net ix Live Event heavyweight ght between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson last November.

Meanwhile, the £706m Monster brand is using its impressive roster of UFC athletes to help retailers tap into energy drinkers’ thirst for live Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) entertainment. An on-pack promotion is giving consumers the chance to win two tickets to see their favourite ghters up close and personal.

Helen Kerr, Associate Director of Commercial Development at Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners GB, says: “Monster and the UFC are the fastest-growing brands in their respective elds. is latest promotion gives our brand fans the incredible opportunity to get up close and personal with the action – which we know they love.”

It seems there’s no stopping the Sports & Energy category as it appeals to growing numbers of consumers through new avour combinations and athlete endorsements. So make sure your range is in top shape so you can fully capitalise on the opportunity to give your sales a boost.

RED BULL’S MERCHANDISING TIPS

1 Start by getting the right amount of space per category. Sports and Energy accounts for 51% of the single serve soft drink value sales in impulse [Nielsen Discover Indies & Symbols (Single Serve Soft Drinks) – 52 WE 25th Jan 2025], so therefore should make up 51% of the space on the fixture – so take a look – have you given it half of the chiller?

2 A 360° approach to visibility is the key to maximising sales of Functional and Energy Drinks. With 30% of soft drinks sales unplanned, visibility and placement are essential to driving impulse purchases. This decision will generally be made on entry into the store, at the food-to-go fixture, or at the till point, therefore, front of store promotions can help to drive an increase in sales, but also secondary placed chillers by the cashier or meal deals with food to go will continue to keep core lines top of mind and drive incremental sales.

3 For the 70% of soft drinks sales that are planned, shoppers usually head for the main chiller, so it is crucial their favourite brand is available and easy to find. Use core lines to sign post each category (for Energy that is Red Bull), stocked at eye-level, brand blocked and multi-faced to ease findability. However, it is important to also consider secondary placement opportunities to drive incremental sales across the store.

FOR ADULT NICOTINE CONSUMERS ONLY.

*Based on NielsenIQ RMS data for the Nicotine Pouches category for the 18-month period ending 31/10/2024 for the UK total retail market (Copyright © 2024, Nielsen IQ).

For more info, please visit velo.com

**This product is not risk-free and contains nicotine, which is addictive. You should not use this product if you do not already use nicotine. For trade use only and not to be left within sight of consumers.

SWITCH THINGS UP

As the single use vapes ban looms, retailers have a big opportunity to transition consumers over to rechargeables and nicotine pouches.

With just a month le until the disposable vapes ban kicks in on 1 June, retailers should be clearing out the very last of their single use vape stock.

e ban will a ect all products that are intended for one use, typically providing around 600-650 pu s in a single device. e only products that will be legal for sale from 1 June must be both rechargeable and re llable, with a maximum tank size of 10ml.

So if you nd yourself le with any excess disposable stock at the end of May, it must be removed from sale and stored away from customers, clearly labelled as not for sale.

But with single use vapes accounting for the vast majority of c-store vape sales over the past few years, retailers are now le with the quandary of what on earth to ll the space with and how to get consumers to transition over to a product they may not have tried before.

One retailer who is well prepared for the ban is Zahid Iqbal of Day-Today Drylaw in northwest Edinburgh, who is shortlisted for Vaping Retailer of the Year at the 2025 SLR Awards. Vapes is a huge part of his business and he has dedicated 4m to the category.

can deliver high strength nicotine, but with a smooth throat hit. “ ey go into portable devices and we’re focussing on that as well,” he says. “We’ve converted a lot of customers onto that because:

l Customers are saving a lot of money;

l It is a unique thing to do and a lot of people don’t know about it;

l It means a far better margin for us;

l We get more loyalty because the customer has to come back to us to replace the liquid or when the coil burns out.”

It isn’t just a case of one size ts all. “We try to understand what the customer wants to achieve – ‘I want to stop smoking’, ‘I just want to cut down’, ‘I just want an occasional vape for a night out’.” His o er covers a wide range of budgets. “We have devices starting from £10 all the way up to £300. We have the knowledge and the customers have the trust.”

Zahid also o ers exchanges and repairs when products fail. “If something is faulty a lot of retailers won’t take it back, but we do. Nine times out of 10 they’ve not connected the pod properly or charged it properly.”

“We’re quite ready,” he tells SLR. “I’m not waiting until 1 June.” He set a deadline in his head for the end of April for clearing nearly all of his disposable stock and by this time he had already converted 70% of regulars over to non-disposables, having spent the last few months focused on the task. e number of disposable consumers switching to alternatives is growing all the time as he and his sta explain the ban to customers and discuss their options.

He has been converting the majority of these customers over to nic salts, which

is additional service gives the business a USP and keeps people coming back to the store. “You need to do something di erent from what everyone else is doing,” he says. “ ey’ll go elsewhere otherwise.”

He claims that product knowledge is also what gives him the edge. “Anyone can go to a cash and carry or a vape supplier and put it onshelf, but it’s about having the knowledge and knowing what the customer needs.”

Zahid has attended various vape events organised by the Scottish Grocers’ Federation and United Wholesale, as well as courses organised by vape suppliers, to help him keep on top of trends and legislation.

FLAVOUR BEHAVIOUR

According to recent research, the top 10 most popular flavours amongst UK users of disposable vapes are fruit based [Nielsen/Syndicated Data with Nov 24 Actuals] – with Lemon Lime, Pineapple Ice and Strawberry Ice coming in as the top three. Imperial Brand’s latest launch will therefore be welcome news to disposable vape users seeking a similar flavour experience as they make the transition to rechargeable vaping systems.

Fruity flavours were also popular with existing users of pod-based devices, followed by mint flavours. The top three flavours for users of pod-based vaping systems were Mixed Fruit, Blue Raspberry Ice, and Peppermint Tobacco [ibid].

This research is also backed-up by a recent VapeHub study, which surveyed 450 UK vape users between July 2024 and January 2025. When asked for their three most preferred flavours, 64% mentioned fruit – more than double that of any other flavour type.

Knowing that many current users of disposable vape products will be looking to get their flavour fix from an alternative source in light of the ban, Imperial Brands is tapping into consumers’ love of flavours with 11 new pod flavours to its rechargeable blu bar kit vape line and three new kit flavours, each comprising a rechargeable blu bar device and flavoured pod.

The three new kit flavours are Watermelon Ice, Blueberry Ice, and Blueberry Sour Razz, whilst the replaceable packs of two pods are available in Blueberry Ice, Lemon Lime, Strawberry Ice, Berry Mix, Kiwi Passionfruit, Mint, Apple, Grape, Banana Ice, Blueberry Cherry, and Triple Melon. The blu pod packs and blu bar kits both carry an RSP of £5.99.

The blu pod packs each contain two pods allowing a total of 2,000 puffs, and the blu bar kit utilises blu Flavour Tech mesh coil technology to deliver intense flavour from the first puff to the last.

Yawer Rasool, Consumer Marketing Director UK & Ireland at Imperial Brands, says: “The vape market in the UK is being driven by two key factors – flavour choice and ease of use. As the availability of disposable vapes comes to an end in the UK, our extended blu bar range has been designed to be just as easy to use as a disposable vape product, while offering the most popular flavours in a reusable pod format.

“Given that the overall pod market nearly doubled in the last year [Nielsen/Syndicated Data with Nov 24 Actuals], mainly due to growth in the availability of products which offer the same convenience as disposable vapes, it is clear that the new blu bar kit and pods are a ‘must stock’ item for retailers.”

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“We’ve been educating customers for several months now on the benefits of switching.”

GUNA SUD, RACETRACK PITSTOP

His bestsellers are Elux nic salts in Watermelon, Strawberry, Bubblegum, Cherry Ice and Lemon & Lime avours. ey are on o er at three for £10, as are nic salts from El iq, SKE Crystal and Gold Bar.

“We’ve o ered the device free so that the customers can just buy the liquid – we’re playing the long game,” he explains. “If they have a device, they’ll come in two or three times a week for liquid.”

He runs promotions on big pu devices, noting that they are an easy way to help people transition. “One weekend in March we had IVG Smart 5500 on o er at three for £20 (Usually they are £12.99 each),” he says. “It gets customers in the shop, then we explain about the ban and explain what they can do. Our goals are to get them over to the next thing – moving them to pods and nic salts.”

Guna Sud, who runs the RaceTrack Pitstop chain, including Racetrack Wishaw, which is also shortlisted for SLR’s Vaping Retailer of the Year, is equally unperturbed about the disposable ban. “ e simple answer is no, we aren’t worried about it,” he says. “Our preparations were made several months before the ban was o cially announced.”

Similarly to Zahid, Guna has focused on encouraging consumers to trade up to a device and nic salts.

“As part of our partnership with El ar, we set up a unique promotion for our customers. Reps were placed in all 11 of our stores, o ering customers an opportunity to get an ELFX Kit (worth £20) free of charge, when purchasing three nicotine salts. e promotion went down a treat, and we managed to ‘give away’ hundreds of devices across the stores in just one day.”

Guna claims that most of these customers were on disposables and, while aware of nicotine salts, hadn’t yet committed to trying them. e main barrier to trial had been the initial cost of the device and the guidance needed to set it up. “ is promotion alleviated that problem and has already led to a sharp increase of nicotine salt sales. It’s been most impactful in some of our smaller stores that don’t have the space to carry a large enough range,” he says.

Communicating with consumers has also proved crucial to making vape customers feel comfortable with transitioning. “ e ban is fast approaching, but we’ve been educating customers for several months now on the bene ts of switching to a re llable kit or replaceable pod solution, and do our best to highlight the cost saving,” says Guna, who is also the founder of vape rm Vaped4U. “Working with key brands like El ar, allows us to push non-disposable sales just that bit more. We are already working on the next lot of Vaped4U exclusive promotions that we can run in-store with El ar and other key brands.”

Outside of vapes, Zahid claims that nicotine pouches are another big seller. “We sell Velo, Nordic and Pablo brands – Velos are the most popular,” he says. “It is a possibility people will

ELFBAR UNVEILS THE ELFX PRO CLASSIC EDITION

Consumers can have more control and more customisation options with Elfbar’s new open pod kit, the ELFX Pro Classic Edition. The second device in its ELFX series, the new launch is designed as an accessible entry point to open pod vaping systems.

move [from disposable vapes] to pouches.”

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) UK is certainly expecting pouches to see a sales boost from the disposables ban. e rm is tapping into demand for fruity avours by expanding its XQS range with Raspberry Blackcurrant, Strawberry Kiwi and Berrynana Twist avours in a bid to maximise the opportunity. Each pack has an RSP of £5.50 and pouches are 8mg in strength.

“Nicotine pouch sales continue to grow rapidly and are currently worth just under £136m (not including those made online) which represents volume growth of 79% versus the same time last year,” claims STG’s UK Head of Marketing, Prianka Jhingan. “Whilst the majority of sales are made in supermarkets, they are growing fastest in the

convenience channel. And with the disposable vape ban now imminent in June, nicotine pouch sales will receive a further boost as many vape users will look for di erent next gen nicotine options instead.”

e three fruit fusion avours bring XQS’s portfolio up to eight.

STG’s sales force will be visiting stores across the UK to talk to retailers about the growing range and o ering a new countertop merchandising display unit to house them all.

While Zahid hasn’t witnessed disposable vape consumers moving to nicotine pouches yet, he isn’t ruling it out. And as far as vapes are concerned, he thinks the only way is up. “We’re going to bene t from the ban, we’re going to increase sales,” he says. “[ e ban] will a ect a lot of retailers, but the ones who have got the right range and knowledge are the people who are going to win with this.”

The ELFX Pro Classic Edition can be refilled with nic salts, including ELFLIQ, the same e-liquids found in Elfbar single-use and prefilled pod devices, giving access to the range of the flavours the brand is recognised for. The top-fill design of the device’s pod makes it easy to fill and features a leak-proof structure, offering a mess-free experience that sets the series apart from standard open pod systems.

A standout feature of the ELFX Pro Classic Edition pod kit is its colour screen interface, providing an easy way to personalise settings, track real-time vaping usage and monitor battery life.

The device can also switch between two performance modes, Economy and Turbo, at the press of a button. Economy Mode doubles the coil’s lifespan and conserves e-liquid for extended use, while Turbo Mode boosts power for increased vapour production and richer flavour.

A sliding switch for airflow adjustment provides further customisation, allowing for a tighter, more intense draw or a smoother, airier one.

Equipped with a powerful 1200mAh battery, the device supports long-lasting vaping, recharges in 30 minutes and can be used while charging.

The open pod kit includes two 2ml refillable pod cartridges – one with 0.6Ω resistance for richer flavour and denser vapour, and another with 0.8Ω resistance for a smoother draw and longer battery life. The choice allows individuals to further tailor their vaping experience based on preference.

The 2ml pods feature Elfbar’s QUAQ DUAL MESH technology to double the coil’s lifespan.

Made from durable aluminium alloy with a premium vegan leather finish, the firm claims that the ELFX Pro Classic Edition combines a sophisticated texture with a comfortable, non-slip grip.

Chris Kader, head of PR and communications for Elfbar in the UK, said: “With advanced customisation options and enhanced performance, the newest addition to the ELFX series is designed for those who want to personalise and fully control their vaping experience.”

RISE TO THE OCCASION

Bowl over your breakfast customers by providing them with the perfect balance of treat options and healthier varieties.

When it comes to the rst meal of the day, tasty baked pastries are proving irresistible for many.

Breakfast is the largest meal occasion in the UK with bakery items being bought by 99.6% of households [Kantar: Total Market / Total Bakery / Ambient / 29 Sept ’24 vs PY], presenting a major opportunity for retailers, states St Pierre Groupe. Breaking down bakery into bread, cakes and sweet treats and products for bakery occasions, including breakfast, it’s clear that most value growth in bakery is driven by bakery occasions, the only bakery segment delivering both value and volume increases, claims the rm. Breakfast is the biggest occasion, with a 39% share of bakery occasions sales,

closely followed by lunch and evening meals, which has 35% of the subsector [ibid].

“Despite continuing economic pressures, shoppers are still looking to treat themselves well for breakfast – whether at home or on the move, making premiumisation and healthy indulgence two signi cant trends for retailers to take account of,” says Rachel Wells, Commercial Director.

“Splitting out a reliable gure for the size of the onthe-go breakfast occasion is di cult, and on-the-go sales in individual stores depend very much on retailers’ location and demographic,” she concedes. “ e home/ hybrid working trend means on some days out-of-home breakfasts are an important part of the working day for millions of us, but

on at-home days the same people enjoy an ‘upgraded’ menu with extended breakfasts, including St Pierre’s morning goods and brioche buns and hot dog rolls.”

St Pierre claims to be the fastest-growing bakery brand in breakfast, delivering almost 60% growth in value sales, and 80% in volume, adding 13% in value to the breakfast bakery category, despite only having a 2% share of the market (Circana IRI, Bakery to w/e 20th April 2024).

Within breakfast bakery, the £140m croissant segment is delivering the most value growth, growing at 17% year on year. St Pierre has just launched a two-pack of All Butter Croissants into 264 Morrisons Daily outlets.

e company suggests that breakfast bakery products be merchandised on the main bakery xture, with a further selection of individually wrapped morning goods by the co ee machine.

NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS

At the other end of the spectrum, there is strong demand for breakfasts with high nutritional credentials.

“We have seen shoppers seeking healthier breakfast options for some time now,” says Divesh Parmar, Quaker General Manager at PepsiCo, adding that oats are perceived as a nutritious breakfast option. “However, we also know that they aren’t willing to compromise on convenience or taste to achieve this – particularly with taste being the primary driver of brand choice within breakfast cereals [BOLT Data 2023 – Breakfast Occasion].”

Quaker delivers 48.2% of sales within Hot Cereals [NielsenIQ, GB Hot Cereals, Total Market, Value Sales, data 52 weeks up to 15.06.24] and aimed to drive the segment further with its recent Deliciously Ugly campaign and Oat So Simple on-pack promotion.

e brand partnered with National Trust for Scotland, giving consumers the chance to win a family day pass to a participating location. Tying into the time it takes to make a bowl of Quaker Oat So Simple porridge, the promotion saw consumers win every two minutes from 7-9am, with 2,520 passes up for grabs. Parmar says: “Ultimately, this campaign reinforces that while oats may not be the most beautiful breakfast, they are tasty, healthy, convenient and fun.”

Alpen, the UK’s number one Muesli Brand [Nielsen, Muesli Category, Volume & Value category share, 12 weeks ending 02/12/24], has also been highlighting its health and taste credentials.

Earlier this year, Alpen launched a new premium and modern brand identity, plus a new recipe with 30% more fruit – which is the number one driver of liking for Muesli lovers [Muesli Drivers of Liking Product Testing, November 2023]. e brand is now bene tting from a £2m investment across TV, video on demand and social media with a new media campaign, ‘Alpen, it’s e Grown Up ing To Do’.

Louise Vickers, Head of Brand at Alpen, says: “ is investment is a major step forward for us in reconnecting with cereal lovers across the nation who are looking for a breakfast that is nutritious but still delicious.

“Armed with new branding, new

packaging and our most delicious recipe yet, we want to show shoppers that choosing a healthier, more complete breakfast option is far from boring!”

High in bre, made with 100% natural ingredients, HFSS compliant and made with a blend of wholegrains, Alpen is backed by a revitalised message of being a tasty, but healthy choice for breakfast.

Parent company, Weetabix, has been promoting a similar message with its Crispy Minis, with a renewed emphasis on taste thanks to the recent launch of a Caramelised Biscuit variant.

As the fastest growing top 10 tasty cereal brand [Nielsen discover, L52w, total coverage, up to 15.06.2024],

Weetabix Crispy Minis continues to resonate with households across the UK for its unique appeal of both great taste and nutrition.

Caramelised biscuit is one of the fastestgrowing avour trends in the market, with +52% annual growth of avour [Its Bakery Flavours Report 2023] and 71% avour appeal [Humante 2023].

CAPITALISE ON COLD COFFEE

The ready-to-drink (RTD) chilled coffee category continues to go from strength to strength as a key breakfast choice, worth more than £323m and growing in value and volume in GB [Nielsen Total Cov Val and Vol MAT w/e 28.12.2024]. At the end of 2024, more than a quarter of UK households were purchasing RTD coffee [Kantar Combined Panel 52 w/e 29.12.2024].

Costa accounted for 7.5% of the entire RTD coffee category growth in the last quarter of 2024 [Nielsen Grocery Mults L12w until 28/12/2024]. This is thanks to the brand offering a versatile range of drinks to suit different consumer needs all year round, most notably the breakfast occasion.

Value remains a lead motivation for shoppers in convenience [Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme, data collected 13WE 17/10/21, 13WE 16/10/22 and 13WE 15/10/23], followed by the demand for quality and brands [ibid].

Kate Abbotson, Senior Trade Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners says: “Wholesalers and retailers can meet these shopper needs by stocking market-leading brands in a variety of price-marked pack (PMP) formats – including on-the-go and multipacks – to cater to multiple breakfast occasions, offering a point of difference that consumers can’t get in larger stores. Our range of PMP packs includes Costa Coffee Latte and Caramel Latte RTD.

Lorraine Rothwell, Weetabix Head of Brand, says: “Both delicious and HFSS compliant, it’s perfect for those who like the sweet taste of caramel without compromising on nutrition – making it an ideal cereal choice for families across the country.”

Caramelised Biscuit is the third permanent avour within the Crispy Minis product range, which includes Fruit & Nut and Chocolate Chip. e launch follows a recent signi cant milestone success for the Crispy Minis brand, which celebrated its position as a £33m brand per annum [Weetabix perf Nielsen 12 w/e 11 Nov 24] in September.

Whether it’s buttered croissants or a box of cereal, by o ering a strong range of healthy and indulgent options, retailers can appeal to a wide range of consumers and bag themselves some big breakfast sales.

HARD DECISION TELL IT LIKE IT IS

Under The Counter went on a study tour to Spain recently. He didn’t really; Mrs UTC dragged him to Gran Canaria in her annual fruitless bid to get a bit of colour into his wizened frame.

Given that the Auld Boy spends most of his time either in SLR Towers pretending he’s working, in a betting shop pretending he’s winning, or in a public house pretending he’s forgotten his wallet, it’s little wonder his skin is two shades paler than a pint of milk.

Indeed, this aversion to daylight combined with his hyperextended longevity have led some to speculate that his full name is Under The Counter Dracula. Which, of course, is nonsense; no self-respecting vampire sticks his teeth into a glass of water every night.

The other thing UTC sticks his teeth into regularly is confectionery. It was for this reason he found himself outside a trusty Spar store in Puerto Rico seeking out his favourite holiday treat, a big bag of Haribo Tropifrutti.

Pausing only to marvel at the cigarette machine at the store’s entrance, the Auld Boy doddered inside in search of sweeties.

He was stopped in his tracks, however, by what appeared to be big bottles of liquid Viagra gracing the store’s shelves.

Thinking – erroneously, as it transpired – that Mrs UTC would be thrilled to receive one as a wee holiday treat of her own, the Auld Boy was – as usual – confounded by the paralysis of choice. Should he plump for the Grade A Horn Syrup or go for the option with the more Ronseal approach to erectile dysfunction?

DON’T CHUTE THE MESSENGER

Under The Counter has no interest in dogs, greyhounds excepted, but he is polite.

So he had the decency to feign interest when his neighbour was showing off their new pup, an adorable labradoodle.

“What’s a labradoodle?” inquired the Auld Boy.

On discovering that the £1,000 bundle of fur trying to eat his trousers was a cross between a labrador and a poodle, UTC brought the conversation to a swift conclusion with a gruff, “We called them mongrels back in the day.” Turns out he’s not so polite after all.

He was minded of this encounter recently when news dropped of Elfbar’s new refillable vape (see Hotlines, p32). Now, Under The Counter likes a bit of marketing hyperbole as much as the next curmudgeonly geriatric, so he was instantly drawn to the trumpeting of the device’s “premium vegan leather” finish.

Premium vegan leather? Back in the day, the Auld Boy called that plastic.

Under The Counter was pleased to see that astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are safely back on terra firma after their planned eight-day mission on the International Space Station got stretched out to nine months because of technical issues with their lift home.

The Auld Boy feels their pain; he once had to spend an uncomfortable six hours in Ibiza airport when a Boeing 737 burst a tyre. Technically this wasn’t the stuff of Star Trek, but he does recall a fair few rockets and space cadets rattling around the terminal.

Staving off boredom in an airport is bad enough, so UTC couldn’t begin to imagine what two adults would do to while away nine months stuck together in zero gravity. Practise some docking manoeuvres, perhaps?

Anyway, the intrepid pair has finally splashed down, successfully managing to hit the 41 million square-mile expanse of the Atlantic Ocean bang on. An enthralled Under The Counter was glued to his computer screen (not literally – that’s a different story) watching as events, and eventually four huge parachutes, unfolded. It was at this point, for some reason he couldn’t quite put a bony finger on, that the Auld Boy was overcome with an intense desire to rush out and purchase a box of Tunnock’s Tea Cakes. What’s that all about?

Tuesday 17th June Tuesday 17th June

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