Issuu

ENERGY CRISIS Action required as costs rocket

THOMPSON’S TRIO

SEPTEMBER 2022 | ISSUE 233

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Stephen Thompson adds third store

SPAR SPENDS

MANDI DUNCAN

Biggest-ever single store investment

£80k a month in home delivery

DRS COUNTDOWN GETS UNDERWAY

With less than a year until DRS, retailers urged to start planning

JENNIFER KOLONKO

CCEP apprentice shares her story

Fancy a new fascia? Turn to p42 SLR September.indd 1

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born to mix.

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Stock up now ENJOY RESPONSIBLY

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September 2022

Contents

Contents ISSUE 233

NEWS p4 p5 p6 p7 p8 p10 p11 p12

p22 p24

Business Costs The ACS calls for urgent action over rocketing energy prices. Grocery Sales Convenience stores experience sales boost. Cost Of Living Grocery price inflation hits 11.6% in the past four weeks, its highest level since 2008. Sustainability Snappy Shopper partners with Gander to cut waste and drive sales. Community A new PayPoint and Love2shop partnership helps support the financially vulnerable. Payments Debit cards accounted for almost half of all payments last year. Electric Vehicles MFG’s ultra-rapid charging network goes live on the Zap-Pay payment platform. News Extra Legislation One year after the Protection of Workers Act came into law, the convenience industry assesses its impact. Product News Tango teams up with the Prince’s Trust and Cadbury kicks off Christmas. Off-Trade News Rapper Snoop Dogg swaps gin and juice for a drop of red in a partnership with Treasury Wine Estates.

INSIDE BUSINESS p26 Research Digest Essential spending in July increases by 7% as fuel and food prices climb. p29 Two Minutes Of Your Time Jennifer Kolonko The Apprentice of the Year takes a break from maintaining the production lines at CCEP’s East Kilbride site. p30 New Stores Eddy’s Food Station Stephen Thompson’s convenience chain opens a third store in Larbert. p32 Store Refits Spar Crosshouse CJ Lang invests a “recordbreaking” sum in a full refurb of a company-owned store. p34 Advertising Feature Snappy Shoppper Working with Snappy Shopper, Mandi Duncan and Ross Macpherson now generate home delivery sales in excess of £80,000 a month. p36 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns. p54 Under The Counter Lifelong Hamilton Accies fan UTC suddenly finds himself pining for a Falkirk strip.

FEATURES p38 Bonfire Night This year’s Guy Fawkes celebrations will offer plenty of opportunities for retailers to light up their sales. p40 Breakfast Healthy and on-the-go innovations are helping to kick start the key breakfast opportunity. p42 Fascia Focus Many local retailers may be looking for a new symbol partner that better meets their specific needs as they continue to emerge from the long shadow of Covid. p52 Big Night In The Big Night In opportunity offers local stores a wealth of opportunities to bag extra sales and profits. ON THE COVER p16 With less than a year until the implementation of Scotland’s new Deposit Return Scheme, local retailers are urged to embrace the scheme and to begin preparing in good time.

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SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

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News ENERGY PRICES Some retailers have seen their costs more than double

GroceryAid reveals surge in demand for support GroceryAid, experienced a 61% increase in instances of welfare support for colleagues last year, according to its Impact Report. The report also details a 98% increase in the number of Relate counselling sessions delivered in 2021 and a 101% increase in legal advice referrals. Its Welfare Team also dealt with an average of 744 financial support applications per month, up more than 150% year-on-year.

Record high for cash withdrawals Post Offices handled a record £801m in personal cash withdrawals in July, up almost 8% month-on-month, as Brits increasingly relied on cash to manage their budgets and large numbers took staycations. Post office data reveals that in total, a record £3.32bn in cash deposits and withdrawals were handled at Post Office’s 11,500 branches –

ACS calls for urgent action over energy costs ACS has written to the Chancellor, calling on the government to take emergency action to deal with the spiralling cost of energy, which will cost convenience stores at least £2.5bn this year. For an average small convenience store at around 1,000sq ft, energy costs have skyrocketed to over £45,000 a year, more than doubling for many retailers that have renewed their contracts in recent months. For larger stores around 3,000sq ft, these costs can be in excess of £100,000 a year. ACS is calling for urgent action to help retailers keep the lights on this winter, urging the government to introduce a £570m rescue package made up of the following interventions: Q Introduce a price cap on electricity for small businesses in

line with the cap that is already in place in the domestic market. Q Scrap business rates bills for all convenience stores from 1 October until the end of the financial year. Q Freeze the business rates multipliers in 2023/24. ACS Chief Executive, James Lowman, said: “The government needs to understand that this is an emergency. Thousands of convenience stores will be forced to make extremely difficult decisions in the face of tens of thousands of pounds of additional energy costs in the coming months, which at best will include cancelled investments, reduced staff hours and increased prices in stores, pushing up inflation even further. For some however, the cost of

energy will make the business unviable, and so they will be forced to close unless action is taken to provide meaningful support.” He added: “We have been calling on Ofgem for years to ensure that small businesses are treated in the same way as domestic consumers when it comes to their energy. A small business energy cap would take a huge step toward this goal and protect thousands of retailers from the biggest annual cost increases in living memory.”

£100m higher than in June. COST OF LIVING Scots cut back on treats

SWA unveils partnerships to drive fleet sustainability

Scottish consumers cutting back as cost of living bites

The Scottish Wholesale

Two-thirds of Scottish consumers are having to reduce their spending to pay their bills, according to new research from digital and data consultancy TWC and the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA). The TWC Trends research shows that 66% of Scottish consumers agreed that they were having to reduce their spending to pay their bills, with consumers aged 35-54 and households with children most likely to be feeling the pinch. The research shows the top tactic for reducing grocery and discretionary spending was

Association has unveiled two new affiliate members. The Algorithm People is offering SWA members access to its My Transport Planner optimisation platform, with selected members also getting free access to trial the platform. Carbon and cost management company Auditel is working with SWA members to help them achieve sustainable change on their carbon and cost reduction journey.

Selkirk supermarket demolition back on cards Plans to demolish a former Sainsbury’s store in Selkirk in favour of a new supermarket have been resubmitted to Scottish Borders Council. The original proposals for the relocation of Selkirk’s Co-op first surfaced at the start of the year, but were withdrawn in March, with no further details being

reducing treats (63%), followed by trading down by buying cheaper groceries (57%). Overall, 81% of Scottish consumers were using one or more tactics to reduce their grocery spending. In addition, 58% of consumers said they are reducing the frequency

of eating out occasions, a quarter are spending less when eating out, and almost half of consumers are having fewer takeaways. Colin Smith, Chief Executive, SWA, said: “Scotland has always had different consumer purchasing habits and trading patterns to the rest of the UK.” Smith added: “It’s important that SWA, as the industry trade body for wholesale, continues to help our members and the sector understand what’s happening in the trade and with wider consumer behaviour.”

LOGISTICS

CJ Lang & Son strengthens its fleet CJ Lang & Son has added four vehicles to its distribution fleet. The bespoke Gray and Adams refrigerated boxes are combined with Scania P320 vehicles and Dhollandia underslung tail-lifts. In addition, CJ Lang is the first company in the UK to incorporate the latest Thermo-King V-1000 engineless refrigeration units as part of its continued drive to reduce its impact on the environment. Ian Fleming, Transport Operations Manager at C J Lang & Son, said: “Reducing our emissions is a key part of our Transport Strategy and these new vehicles and refrigeration units will help us take another step forward on that journey.”

given for the reasoning behind the decision.

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31/08/2022 13:01:52

News GROCERY SALES Shoppers made extra visits to their local stores during the heatwave

Convenience stores experience sales boost UK shoppers spent £3.6bn on groceries at convenience stores in the four weeks ending 13 August, with the channel accounting for 28.9% of sales within this period, according to new data from NielsenIQ. The data reveals that over the four-week period, total till grocery sales remained strong, increasing by a healthy 4.5%. However, this was exceeded by growth of sales at convenience stores, which rose 5.4%. Convenience stores also experienced an uplift in volume sales (2.7%) compared with volume sales at the grocery multiples, which declined by 3.8%. The data shows that 21% of the total sales within convenience stores were on fresh foods, where value sales increased by 13%. Sales of frozen foods jumped by a massive 29%, as did produce (+8%) within this channel. Shoppers also purchased more as they sought to socialise and celebrate the warm weather and shop locally. Key category volume growths included ice cubes (+44%), ice cream (+31%), and frozen desserts and cakes (+31%). However, the boost to in-store visits came at the expense of online sales, which fell by 8.7%. Mike Watkins, NielsenIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, said: “Shoppers made extra visits to their local stores when the sun came out and sales at

Co-ops increased 9% in the last four weeks, making them the fastest-growing retailer during the recent hot weather.” Watkins added: “As inflation continues to bite, retailers that focus on saving shoppers’ money will be the ones that maintain sales momentum and it will those who are most agile and are able to adapt to another change in shopper behaviour that will be able to weather the storm. “The battle for loyalty is not going away, especially in a time where basket spends are falling and shopper promiscuity is up.”

Reach increases Daily Record price Publisher Reach has increased the cover price of the weekday and Saturday issues of the Daily Record. The Monday-Friday edition increases by 10p to £1.10 and the retail profit per copy sold increases pro rata to 21.45p. In addition, the Daily Record Saturday edition has increased by 10p to £1.70 and the retail profit per copy sold increased pro rata to 32.30p.

TUC says minimum wage should rise for all workers The National Minimum Wage should rise to £15 an hour “as soon as possible”, according to the Trades Union Congress. The TUC also believes the minimum wage rate should apply to workers of all ages. In response, the government told the BBC that it was “determined to make work pay” and that setting the National Minimum Wage too high or increasing it too quickly could lead to higher unemployment.

VPZ to open 10 more stores by end of year Vaping firm VPZ has unveiled

COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS Postmasters get remuneration improvements

FOOD TO GO

Post Office reveals postmaster support

Irvine c-store unveils takeaway plans

Post Office has announced a oneoff payment and a package of remuneration improvements to help support postmasters during the cost-of-living crisis. At a Postmaster conference, Chief Executive Nick Read revealed that Post Office will: Q Pay Postmasters a one-off lump sum in September worth 7% of

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their Mails and Travel Money remuneration based on the five months of trading already this financial year. Q Double the per transaction payment for banking deposits and also pay Postmasters for balance enquiries and failed banking transactions. Q Double the payment Postmasters receive for all Payout transactions for the rest of the financial year, backdated to 1 April 2022, meaning Postmasters receive a full year’s worth of this 100% uplift. Read said: “We have developed a package of remuneration improvements and some operational changes based on issues that Postmasters have asked us to address – and will get more money to them as quickly as possible.”

The owners of an Irvine convenience store have been given the green light to expand into the sale of takeaway food. Lashman Singh owns the site, at 40-42 Caldon Road, which is currently home to a Premier-branded store and an empty unit formerly used as a bookmakers. The adjacent shop units would be merged into one under the plans, increasing the general store, as well as including the hot food facilities. The approval conditions state that the hot food takeaway part of the store can only be operational between 7am and 5pm Monday to Saturday and between 8am and 4pm on Sundays.

plans to open 10 more stores by the end of the year. The business will increase its portfolio to 160 sites across Scotland and England. It opened a new store in Baillieston in August. The company also plans to take its mobile vape clinic on the road throughout the country.

Store workers speak out about cost-of-living crisis Union Usdaw has campaigned on the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow calling for the government to tackle the costof-living crisis. Usdaw research shows nearly 50% of retail staff say petrol prices and travel costs impact their ability to get to work; 70% have relied on insecure borrowing and 60% of these are struggling with repayments; 25% are missing meals to pay bills; and nearly 75% say their mental health is being impacted.

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News COST OF LIVING Inflation hits highest level since 2008

GroceryAid partners with Business Debtline GroceryAid has partnered with Business Debtline to raise awareness of free business money advice and support available for independent retailers and business owners. The move comes as GroceryAid experiences an increase in demand from independent retailers seeking guidance on business-related issues.

Collect+ sees surge in parcel traffic There was a huge surge in Amazon parcel collections at convenience stores as shoppers took advantage of Amazon Prime Day (12-13 July) sales, according to new Collect+ data. The week of the deal saw the number of parcels collected by consumers across 10,000 Collect+ stores nationwide reach 49,956, a 20% increase on the week before, and 13.3% year-on-year increase.

Nisa retailers focus on store investment Nisa retailers have undertaken more than 100 store developments in the first half of the year. A total of 106 stores were completed between January and June 2022, which generated an average uplift in sales of more than 17% post conversion and included more than 60 Nisa Local Evolution symbol store formats. The symbol group says that the volume of new recruits has resulted in the number of new store developments increasing by 40% year-on-year.

Consumers want more local investment Around 70% of consumers would prefer to see investment in their local neighbourhood, compared to just 30% who would prefer investment in their nearest town or city centre. The poll, commissioned by the ACS as part of its 2022 Community Barometer report, reveals consumers believe that convenience stores have the most positive impact locally.

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Grocery price inflation hits 11.6% in past four weeks Grocery price inflation has jumped to 11.6% over the past four weeks, Kantar has found, marking the highest level since the analyst first started tracking the data this way in 2008. Products like butter, milk and poultry, in particular, have seen some of the biggest jumps, meaning that the cost of the average annual shop is set to rise by £533, or £10.25 every week, if consumers buy the same products as they did last year. As a result, own-label ranges are at record levels of popularity, with sales rising by 7.3% and holding 51.6% of the market compared with branded products, the biggest share Kantar has ever recorded. The analyst added that people are shopping around between retailers to find the best-value products.

In comparison, during the 2008 recession, there was a much greater reliance on promotions. In addition, own-label value products increased by 19.7% this month. “It’s harder to hunt out these deals in 2022 – the number of products sold on promotion is at 24.7% for the four weeks to 7 August 2022, while 14 years ago it was at 30%,” Fraser McKevitt Head of Retail and Consumer Insight, Worldpanel Division, UK, said. “Instead, supermarkets are currently pointing shoppers towards their everyday low prices, value ranges and price matches instead.” Overall, supermarket sales rose by 2.2% in the 12 weeks to 7 August, the fastest growth the industry has seen since April 2021.

WHOLESALE There are many synergies between the two businesses

JW Filshill snaps up rival wholesaler Iain Hill Paisley-based food and drink wholesaler JW Filshill has acquired the independent Iain Hill wholesale business, located just a few miles away in Linwood, for an undisclosed sum. Iain Hill is a delivered wholesaler that specialises in soft drinks, confectionery, snacks and other impulse products. The buyout comes as Filshill prepares to relocate in the autumn to a new 123,034sq ft distribution centre in Westway Park near Glasgow Airport. The acquisition also means that Filshill is looking to recruit locally for additional drivers and warehouse operatives. Iain Hill launched his business from his parents’ garage 32 years ago. He said: “The most important thing for me is that my staff will be moving to a like-minded independent, family-owned business that takes a people-first approach. “For my customers, the number of food and drink lines available to them increases from 1,200 to 6,500 overnight, so it’s a great opportunity for them to reassess their businesses and plan for growth.” Filshill boss Simon Hannah added: “Iain Hill Ltd is a perfect fit for Filshill given the many synergies between the two businesses – both independent family-owned companies with the same values and people-focused culture. Both Filshill and Iain Hill use the same IT and app suppliers which will make the transition easier.”

Meanwhile, internet shopping has continued to decline, with online grocery shopping down to 11.8%. This is the first time online’s share has dipped below 12% since the early days of the pandemic in May 2020, Kantar noted. Despite this, 19% of the UK population still made an online order during the past four weeks, the equivalent to 5.4 million households.

CONSUMER SPENDING

Brits using smaller basket sizes to keep track of budget Almost two-fifths (37%) of Brits are purchasing on a ‘need-tobuy’ basis to help limit their spend at the supermarket till, according to new data from Barclaycard. The latest insights from Barclaycard’s monthly Consumer Spending Index show the average value of a supermarket transaction has dropped from £23.67 in January 2021 to £19.33 in July 2022, while the average number of monthly supermarket purchases per person increased from 8.70 to 11.91 over the same period. The research shows 37% are purchasing certain items on a need-to-buy basis to save money and avoid waste, resulting in an emerging trend for smaller baskets and more frequent trips to the supermarket.

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News SUSTAINABILITY App enables retailers to support their local communities

Snappy Shopper partners with Gander to cut waste and drive sales Snappy Shopper has teamed up with Gander, an app that provides real-time information on reduced item goods, to enable independent retailers to decrease waste, increase revenue, and support their local communities. Gander will integrate into product menus on the Snappy Shopper app, highlighting reduced products that would otherwise go to waste, increasing impulse purchases, and boosting overall basket spend. Snappy Shopper says the feature will improve convenience stores’ bottom lines with an average 90% of reduced items sold instead of becoming surplus and 77% of shoppers buying a full price item as well as reduced stock. Retailers can offer an average 50% discount, motivating shoppers to purchase before products go to waste. Gander has already empowered customers to save more than 15 million food items, save a collective £20.6m on their food shop bill, and has saved over 14,500 tonnes of CO2.

Dael Links, Head of B2B Marketing at Snappy Shopper, said: “Snappy Shopper’s partnership with Gander will mean that independent retailers can grow their sales, while reducing food wastage. We believe that Gander’s product enables convenience stores to improve their environmental impact and support their communities during the tough economic times ahead.”

COMMUNITY

One Stop continues partnership with FareShare One Stop worked with charity FareShare, which fights hunger and tackles food waste, over the summer holidays in a bid to help vulnerable families. The symbol group launched its partnership with FareShare at the end of last year, with an £80,000 donation that supported vulnerable families over the festive season and February this half-term. To further support these fundraising activities, One Stop launched a Summer Holiday activity book that was available to purchase in-store for £1. All profits from the sale of the books will go towards helping FareShare provide food to struggling families. In addition, One Stop donated 2p to FareShare from every individual and multipack of fresh fruit and vegetables sold, helping to increase fundraising and provide food to people going hungry across the UK. Neil Thomas, Head of Transformation at One Stop, said: “With the popularity of the activity books at both Christmas and Easter, we believe that the Summer activity book will be no different.”

MORE MULTIPACKS. MORE SALES.

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News COMMUNITY Local authorities have more options to provide immediate access to funds

Co-op acts to safeguard easy access to cash The Co-op has launched a charter aiming to safeguard easy access to cash, which includes protecting the use of cash in

PayPoint and Love2shop help support financially vulnerable

stores; offering free-to-use cash machines while also retaining free-to-use cashback facilities at stores without ATMs; and supporting community access to cash through banking services provided through its post office counter network and One Banks in-store services.

UK consumer confidence hits new record low Consumer confidence fell to a new record low in August in the face of soaring cost of living and bleak economic prospects, according to new figures from GfK. The data and intelligence company’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased three points in August to -44. All five measures of

PayPoint is expanding its range of solutions available to help local authorities financially support the most vulnerable people in their communities. The Love2shop Essentials Range was developed in partnership with Appreciate Business Services, the home of Love2shop. The addition of the Love2shop Essentials Range to the PayPoint emergency funds proposition means local authorities have even

more options to provide immediate access to funds for food, clothing, and electrical goods. More than 20 household brands are available to Love2shop Essentials Range beneficiaries, including Argos, Asda, Currys, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Sports Direct, and Tesco. Local authorities apply for the funding online on behalf of a resident which will be delivered as an e-code via SMS, email or in the post. Once the e-code is activated by the recipient it can be redeemed at any of the partnering brands. Danny Vant, Client Services Director for PayPoint, said: “This new scheme is simple for both the local authority and for the recipient of the funds. If a resident needs

urgent help purchasing a new fridge, for example, the council will set up the e-code to be used in one of four high street electrical retailers. “However, if they need help buying food the e-code can be allocated for use in any one of five main supermarkets. With the cost-of-living crisis deepening, this type of flexible support is more important than ever.” Frank Creighton, Director of Business Development at Appreciate, added: “By enabling vulnerable communities to receive critical funding to support them at a time when they need it most, local authorities can rely on the Love2shop Essentials Range to deliver funds quickly, securely, and safely.”

confidence were down in August in comparison to the previous announcement on 22 July.

Spar Scotland marks Commonwealth Games

FUEL PRICES Study focuses on main factors affecting price rises

ACS submits evidence to CMA on fuel market pricing

STORES FOR SALE

Pitlochry newsagents put on the market

Spar Scotland has continued its promotion of SGF’s Healthy Living Programme by operating a Commonwealth Games Roadshow for primary school children. Kids participated in sporting activities outside of stores, as well as taste-testing some exotic fruit. Spar Scotland also gave away fresh fruit and bottles of Spar Still Water from the stores in Mastrick, Glamis, Blantyre, Abronhill and Alloa.

ACS outlines weights and measures concerns The ACS has responded to a consultation reviewing the current law on selling in imperial and metric units. In the submission, ACS said the introduction of a voluntary measure could dilute the metric system, leading businesses to de facto use of both measurements; will cause confusion; and will create an additional regulatory burden on trading standards.

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The Association of Convenience Stores has submitted evidence to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) detailed market study into fuel pricing, highlighting the competitive nature of fuel pricing and the limited impact that retailers can have on the overall fuel price. The market study follows a review ordered by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng in June, which was requested after the price of petrol and diesel increased by more than 60p per litre in the previous 12 months. The market study is focusing on what the CMA sees as the two main factors affecting the increase in the fuel price: Q The crude oil price, including the fall of the value of sterling against the dollar. Q A growing gap between the crude price and the wholesale price – the refining spread.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We welcome this follow up review into the fuel market, which is examining the key drivers of price changes that are ultimately outside of retailers’ control. We will continue to engage with the CMA through the process of their formal market study into the fuel market.” The CMA’s initial findings are expected in the autumn, with a decision due to be taken on whether to make a further market investigation by 7 January 2023. The deadline for the final review report is 7 July 2023.

The Paper Shop, a newsagent situated in Pitlochry, has been put on the market. The store, on the main commercial thoroughfare in Pitlochry, is close to the town’s central car and coach parking, and the nearby train station. The current owners of the Paper Shop have moved away from the typical ‘newsagents’ with only one small paper round remaining. However, the hospital and hotels still place orders daily. The outlet also sells gifting confectionery, soft toys, books, Scottish confectionery, and coffee.

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£1 TRIAL PRICE

CANS

+VAT

* *40% POR assumes cans sold at RRP of £1 (inc VAT) per can. Actual POR will depend on retailer's chosen resale price.

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PHENOMENAL CONSUMER CAMPAIGN FROM SEPTEMBER

MASSIVE SAMPLING CAMPAIGN 31/08/2022 13:01:54

News PAYMENTS Cash remains second-most-popular payment method

E L B A L I A V A NOW 30ML IN 3 AN C K E E SL

Debit cards ‘most used’ payment method Debit cards were the most used payment method in 2021, accounting for 48% of all payments, according to data published by UK Finance. UK Finance’s latest Payment Markets Report shows the number of cash payments fell by 1.7% in 2021, although it remained the second-mostcommonly-used payment method, used for 15% of all payments in the UK. A total of 40.4 billion payments were made by consumers and businesses in the UK during 2021, which represented a return to prepandemic levels. The number of debit card and credit card payments, which declined in 2020, rose again in 2021 to 22.9 billion payments – 57% of all payments in the UK were made using cards. Debit cards remained the most-common payment method, growing by over 23% to reach a total of 19.5 billion payments. The research shows contactless payments continue to grow in popularity. Almost a third of all payments in the UK were made via contactless methods in 2021, up 36% compared

with 2020. The number of cash payments decreased by 1.7% to six billion, although it remained the second-most-commonly-used payment method, accounting for 15% of all payments made in the UK last year. During 2021 there were 23.1 million consumers who used cash only once a month or not at all, a significant increase from 13.7 million consumers the previous year. At the same time, there were 1.1 million consumers who mainly used cash when doing their day-today shopping. Adrian Buckle, Head of Research at UK Finance, said: “Contactless continued to be popular, accounting for almost a third of all payments. Cash usage fell slightly, although remained the second-most-commonly-used payment method. “These are trends we expect to continue over the next decade, alongside a continued decline in cheque use, and an increase in the number of people using remote banking.”

HIGH STREET Smaller towns driving growth

Scotland leads way on high street spending

UNLOCK ADDITIONAL SALES

Scotland leads the way on high street spending recovery, according to new data from Takepayments. The insights from the card payments provider’s bi-annual research into high street spending reveals the places that are showing the strongest year-on-year growth are Kirkwall (22%), Inverness (10%), and Paisley (7%). Across the board, it is the smaller towns and cities that are outpacing the rest of the UK in terms of growth in high street spending. Sandra Rowley, Head of Marketing, said: “Consumer spending is firmly in the spotlight at the moment amid the current cost of living crisis. Naturally, spending is down yearon-year as millions are cutting back to save money where they can. It comes as no surprise in that case that our report found overall spending is down 1% year-on-year and 3% over the past six months. “While things are back to some sense of normality, the after-effects of lockdowns and restrictions are likely to be felt for a long time to come. Workers continue to reduce the amount of time spent in offices, for example, which means less footfall through busy city centres. This goes some way towards explaining why smaller towns and cities are outpacing the giants when it comes to spending power.”

COMMUNITY

One O One teams up with McGhee’s One O One customers will be able to help reduce food waste and raise funds for Radio Clyde’s Cash for Kids by buying ‘Bits & Pieces’, made up of offcuts from McGhee’s Traybakes, which were going to waste before. Sold exclusively at One O One Stores, 50p from every pack sold will go straight to Clyde’s Cash for Kids appeal. One O One’s Graeme Thomson said: “We are delighted to be exclusively bringing this product to market in One O One Convenience Stores with our partners at McGhees Family Bakers – supporting a local Scottish supplier to reduce food waste, whilst supporting our charity partner.”

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News ELECTRIC VEHICLES Integration means that more than 3,000 charging devices across the UK are Zap-Pay enabled.

MFG’s ultra-rapid charging network goes live on Zap-Pay

Spar Scotland extends Too Good To Go partnership Spar Scotland has expanded its partnership with food waste app Too Good To Go.

MFG’s EV Power ultra-rapid charging network has become the latest to go live on Zap-Pay, the simple way to pay for EV charging across networks from within the Zap-Map app. Zap-Pay is a single-app payment system that uses a credit or debit card to pay for charging. It enables users to avoid the hassle of using different payment methods across all the various networks. The MFG integration means that more than 3,000 charging devices across the UK are Zap-Pay enabled. As a result, Zap-Map users can now pay quickly and easily for their EV charging, as well as being able to search for charge points, plan longer journeys, and share updates with other EV drivers. MFG’s network currently has more than 200 rapid and ultrarapid charging devices at service stations across the UK. By 2030,

Too Good To Go is now available in all Spar companyowned stores after the conclusion of a successful trial. The Too Good To Go app lets users search for a participating shop, connecting Spar stores with customers passionate about preventing food waste. Spar Scotland has saved more than 7,200 meals going to waste and saved over 17 tonnes of

MFG is planning to invest around £400m in 3,000 ultra-rapid 150kW and 350kW EV charging devices across its network. Ed Chadwick, Director, EV at MFG, said: “At MFG we are committed to making the charging experience as simple and seamless as possible. All our chargers are contactless card payment enabled and with the addition of ZapPay we are pleased to add more convenient payment methods for

drivers, particularly as they mix and match across networks.” Alex Earl, Commercial Director at Zap-Map, added: “I’m delighted to see the MFG’s EV Power network come online with Zap-Pay. Not only is MFG a fantastic addition to the Zap-Pay partner network, but as a dynamic and expanding network with strategically placed ultra-rapid charge points, one that will make charging EVs that much easier for Zap-Map users.”

CO2e in its trial stores. Central Operations Director, Sonya Harper, said: “As part of our fight against food waste and in alliance with our digital strategy, we are delighted to be in partnership with Too Good to Go to reduce food wastage across all our company-owned stores. Be sure to download the app and buy a magic bag from your local Spar Scotland store.”

BOOST YOUR SALES WITH LIPTON,

THE NO. 1 ICE TEA BRAND IN GB

Ready to drink tea is the fastest growing soft drinks category* Lipton is driving this with

39% growth**

*NielsenIQ RMS, Total GB Coverage, Value % Change, RTD Tea in Soft Drink Sub-Segments, Britvic Defined, 52 weeks, w.e 25th June 2022 vs YA **NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Value % Change- £14.5m, RTD Tea in Soft Drink Sub-Segments, Britvic Defined, MAT w.e 25.6.2022 vs YA

Time to

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22/08/2022 12:19

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

31/08/2022 13:01:57

News Extra

Protection of Workers Act

NewsExtra LIGHT UP YOUR BONFIRE NIGHT SALES – P38 LEGISLATION Landmark law is one year old

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF The UK economy is characterised by soaring inflation and rising interest rates and there is no light at the end of the tunnel, at least for now. If that wasn’t enough, add eye-watering energy and fuel prices, the implications of Brexit and the war in Ukraine, and the impact this has had on the supply chain and the cost of sourcing products. The Scottish convenience sector has a long and proud history and has supported the country through many challenges over the decades, be that the war from 1939 to 1945 or more recently the Covid-19 pandemic – where the sector wasn’t just characterised as being the local corner shop but rather was seen as a cornerstone in providing essential groceries to communities. If the key contribution that the convenience sector provides is to continue, it requires help now. Retailers are faced with huge energy bills that are jeopardising their ability to trade at all. Even if they can keep shelves and freezers are fully stocked, can they literally afford to keep the shop lights on? Of course, they are not alone in this, as their loyal customers are also facing a cost-of-living crisis. Household budgets are in effect reduced by inflationary pressures and some customers have a tough decision to make: heat or eat. When they do spend, it is to a much lesser extent and understandably focuses on essentials. This then impacts the retailer who sees shop turnover fall exponentially and brings into sharp focus their ongoing survival. Our decision makers in government need to address this situation while we still can avoid deepening further the challenges faced by the economy and country at large.

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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The Protection of Workers Act hits milestone

Daniel Johnson’s legislation to protect shopworkers came into force a year ago and those working in or around the sector have been discussing its impact. The Protection of Workers Act has been in force for one year and to mark its first anniversary retailers, representative organisations, and politicians have been discussing its impact. The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021, promoted by Daniel Johnson MSP (Labour, Edinburgh Southern) came into force on 24 August 2021. It provides a new specific offence for assaulting, threatening or abusing a shopworker and a harsher sentence if they were enforcing a statutory age restriction, resulting in a fine with penalties escalating to a prison sentence. Aleem Farooqi, Scottish President of the NFRN, used the anniversary to highlight the abuse and violence independent retailers face every day. Writing in The Herald on the first anniversary of the Protection of Workers Act, he said: “Fellow retailers who have caught shoplifters have been called ‘P*** bastards/bitches’, ‘Black bastards’, and invited to ‘Have a bath, ya black bastards’. “We have been followed to our cars late at night, threatened with being stabbed and our shops burned down. “We ask for the law to protect us not least because the flashpoint for abuse and violence is often our enforcement of the laws on shoplifting and sales of alcohol and cigarettes.” Farooqi said he is “grateful” for the new law, instigated by Labour MSP Daniel Johnson, adding: “I would like to hope that one day it makes a real impact on the stress, fear and financial impact of retail crime.” Meanwhile, retail trade union Usdaw marked the first anniversary of the Protection of Workers Act in Scotland coming into force by urging retail staff to report incidents. The union held a campaign event at a Tesco superstore in Leith and participated in a lunchtime roundtable discussion at the Scottish Parliament. Police Scotland reported that by the end of March this year 1,924 crimes have been recorded under the Act. Most of these (1,130) were crimes of threatening or abusive behaviour of a retail worker. A further 786 involved common assault of a retail worker. There

have also been eight serious assaults. No figures on prosecutions or convictions are available yet. Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw Regional Secretary for Scotland, said: “Our surveying shows that nine in 10 are suffering abuse from customers, two-thirds were threatened and 12% assaulted. So it is extremely worrying that nearly two-thirds are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference. “The ground-breaking protection of workers legislation that came into force in Scotland last year was an important step forward, but we still need to encourage incident reporting. Usdaw has been working with employers to make it easier for staff to report attacks and abuse, highlighting the legislation to improve confidence, backed up with training, and promoting the importance of reporting all incidents.” She added: “Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and too many shopworkers suffer all too often. We still need better coordination to ensure that retail employers, police, and the courts work together to make stores safer and give staff the support and confidence they need.” The act’s first anniversary was also marked by Richard McCready, Political Officer (Scotland) of Scottish Co-operative Party, who said: “We will also ensure that our elected representatives at Holyrood and in local councils across Scotland raise the issue of violence against shop workers with their local police commanders and to ask that the issue is taken seriously.” www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:01:57

A DAY IN THE LIFE

JTI has evolved its salesforce and transitioned its awardwinning team into JTI Business Advisers to offer its valued trade partners unrivalled, best-in-class support.

JTI’s Business Advisers are now allocated smaller, dedicated catchment areas where they are responsible for every trading channel within it – from Independent to Key Multiple Grocers and Wholesale. But what does a day look like for these total category experts? And how do they support trade partners? We ask Jade Johnson…

Q&A What is the role of a JTI Business Adviser? We help to identify commercial opportunities and advise retailers on what JTI products to stock to maximise sales and respond to consumer demand. We can also provide additional information, such as tackling illicit trade in the local area or advice on youth access prevention.

What’s the benefit of working across mutliple channels? Working across various channels means that we have a birds-eye view of what is happening at every transaction point within a specific geographical location. Having this level of visibilty means we can implement multi-channel strategies that benefit both retailers and wholesalers.

supporting with merchandising. We also educate staff on new products and support them to maximise the opportunity and drive sales.

How do you work with retailers? With legislation changing regularly in the industry, we’re on hand to offer expert support whenever challenges arise. We also work closely with retailers to ensure they’re following current guidance on retailing responsibly – from tackling illicit tobacco to following age verification checks. We also have incentives in place as a thank you for working with us.

How can retailers make the most of the support available to them? We work collaboratively with retailers so they have the knowledge and tools they need to be successful. We encourage retailers to visit our trade website, JTI Advance, which provides a wealth of information on responsible retailing, including staff training guides.

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? For me, it’s showing retailers a brand-new product and then seeing the success it brings them once they stock it. It shows that there is a high level of trust in the relationship.

If a retailer isn’t sure who their JTI Business Advisor is, how can they find out?

What does a typical day look like for you?

We already regularly visit most retailers across the UK market but it’s easy to find out by calling JTI’s Customer Care line on 0800 163503*.

We visit around eight partners per day and activities can range from checking a retailer’s gantry and identifying what products are performing well, to

*Calls to these telephone numbers may be recorded.

Jade gives three top tips for retailers: 1

Knowledge is key: Having up-to-date knowledge on the latest products and innovations within the category, such as heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, helps to add extra-value to customer relationships.

SLR September.indd JTI_A Day in the Life13of a JTI BA 297x210mm advertorial AW.indd 1

Ensure consistent product availability: Retailers should always maintain good stock levels so they can meet customer needs, otherwise retailers could be losing out on valuable sales.

Use us, your Business Advisers: We’re an extension of your team and are here to help with any question, big or small. We offer personalised advice for you and can assist you in making the most of the tools and resources that JTI offers.

31/08/2022 13:01:58 19/08/2022 09:14

Comment

THE DRS COUNTDOWN IS UNDERWAY... Scotland, as we are all very well aware, has a long and often unenviable history of being the guinea pigs when it comes to new legislation. Anyone old enough to remember the infamous Poll Tax in 1989? Since then, Scotland has led the way (usually unwillingly) on everything from the tobacco display ban to Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP). The latest bit of legislation set to land north of border before it hits England is the new-fangled and much misunderstood Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Last month saw an important day on that front as it marked the start of the ‘year to go’ countdown for DRS in Scotland, with the new scheme set to go live on 16 August 2023. As most retailers will be aware, it hasn’t been an easy journey. The introduction date has been subject to lengthy delays and, to be honest, the initial interest in DRS among retailers has long since waned in Scotland. But with a year to go, it’s time to start firing up some enthusiasm and start viewing DRS as a real opportunity for independent retailers, rather than viewing it as just another bit of costly, irritating legislation that won’t achieve what it was created to bring about. It’s fairly clear – unlike the tobacco display ban or even MUP – that DRS will have an instant and long-term significant, positive effect and will probably achieve the aims set out for it. The same cannot be said of the tobacco display ban or of MUP. Broadly speaking, DRS is likely to rapidly double the current rate of recycling which is currently achieved largely through kerbside systems. Every country around the globe with a DRS has seen an instant and huge effect. Scotland will be no different. The benefits of the system are obvious, but some benefits are less obvious. As producers scrabble to make all of their drinks containers recyclable and, increasingly, recycled, the major problem is a dearth of materials. There’s not enough recyclable plastic around to meet the demand from producers keen to move to rPet containers. DRS will go a long way to sorting that in very short order. Yes, it’s more hassle for retailers but surely as a sector we should be embracing something with such obvious and clear benefit not only to our own communities but to the entire planet? Sustainability is a massive issue, particularly among younger shoppers, and it isn’t going away. Neither is DRS. So it’s time to grasp the thistle and make DRS a huge success that delivers community, sustainability and commercial benefits for local retailers.

EDITORIAL Publishing Director & Editor Antony Begley abegley@55north.com News Editor Liz Wells lwells@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 222 5381. Other readers can obtain copies by annual subscription at £50 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail), £99 (Worldwide airmail). 55 North Ltd, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6AY Tel: 0141 22 22 100 Fax: 0141 22 22 177 Website: www.55north.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/slrmag DISCLAIMER The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of 55 North Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endevoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. Scottish Local Retailer is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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31/08/2022 13:02:01

Simple pleasures... Simple profits Stock a favourite for your pipe smoking customers and they’ll stay loyal to your business. There aren’t many categories that are as simple to profit from as that.

FOR THE INFORMATION OF TOBACCO TRADERS ONLY

SLR September.indd 15

31/08/2022 13:02:01

Cover Story

DRS Countdown

DRS COUNTDOWN GETS UNDERWAY IN EARNEST

With less than a year until the implementation of Scotland’s new Deposit Return Scheme, local retailers are being urged to embrace the scheme and to begin preparing in good time. BY ANTONY BEGLEY

AIM:

90% of drinks containers to be recycled

WHAT IS THE DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME? Q Scotland’s deposit return scheme will add a refundable deposit of 20p to single use drinks containers to encourage high quality recycling and reduce litter. Q The scheme includes soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, including PET plastic bottles, metal cans, and glass bottles ranging from 50ml to three litres. Q The scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland will arrange for regular collections to stores and can arrange extra one-off collections if required.

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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DRS Countdown

Cover Story

fter more false starts than Lewis Hamilton, Scotland’s groundbreaking Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has entered the final lap of a tortuous journey towards its implementation on 16 August next year. With less than a year to go until the big day, scheme administrator Circularity Scotland (CSL) is calling on retailers and producers to begin getting their preparations in gear if they haven’t already done so. Scotland’s DRS, the first in the UK, has the goal of ensuring that 90% of drinks containers are recycled and aims to drive the country’s move to a circular economy. Every business that makes or sells drinks in single-use glass or plastic bottles or cans will be impacted by the scheme. Formal registration for the scheme will open in December and those who will operate return points across Scotland are being encouraged to sign up to the Circularity Scotland website now to receive all the information they will need to help them prepare. “Of course, there is plenty more to do before 16 August 2023,” said CSL Chief Executive David Harris, “and we know that both drinks producers and those who will act as return point operators will need to make changes to how they operate. “We’re here to support them in their preparations and would encourage them to sign up with us now at circularityscotland.com to access all the information they need. We know that by working together we can make a huge difference in tackling climate change and support the growth of the circular economy in Scotland.” In recent months CSL has secured £18m in commercial loans to support the set-up phase of the scheme and in July it appointed sustainable waste management firm Biffa as the official logistics service provider. Biffa will have responsibility for collecting and processing the recycling of the billions of drinks containers purchased by Scottish consumers each year and the move is expected to create 500 jobs in Scotland.

TIME TO START There’s no question that DRS will mark a huge change for the local retailing sector as retailers are obliged to take a greater role in the collection and recycling of empty drinks bottles and cans. A year may seem like a long time, but it will fly by and it’s definitely a good idea to start your preparations now. By preparing early, retailers www.slrmag.co.uk

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“With one year to go until the scheme goes live for consumers, I would encourage all businesses and organisations that produce, ship or sell drinks to get involved with the scheme now.” CIRCULAR ECONOMY MINISTER LORNA SLATER

WHAT PART WILL RETAILERS PLAY? Retailers will collect and store returned bottles and cans and pay out consumer deposits. In return for making this valuable contribution to your community and the environment, you’ll receive a handling fee: Q 3.55p per container for the first 8,000 containers returned each week using a reverse vending machine and 1.35p for each additional container. Q 2.69p per container for manual returns.

David Harris, Chief Executive, Circularity Scotland

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Cover Story

DRS Countdown

will have enough time to make a success of the scheme in their stores. There are very few exemptions available, so DRS will affect the vast majority of retailers in Scotland. Mark Brill, VP Sales & Marketing at Tomra Collection UK & Ireland, commented: “Under the scheme, all retailers will have a legal obligation to offer a return point for people to return their bottles and receive their deposit back. There are some exemptions, including if there is a store nearby who agrees to run a return point on another’s behalf, some locations such as train stations where a public return point may operate instead, or if running a return point would breach health and safety regulations.”

RVM OR MANUAL?

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme Is your business ready?

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme launches in August 2023. If your business sells drinks in Scotland, you may have retailer obligations to comply with as part of the scheme. Find out what your business needs to do at sepa.org.uk/DRS

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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THE GREEN BENEFITS According to Zero Waste Scotland, Scotland’s new DRS will have a range of benefits to the environment, including: Q 34,000 fewer plastic bottles littered every day. Q The equivalent of an estimated four million tonnes of CO2 emissions eliminated over 25 years.

Perhaps the key question facing local retailers who are starting to line their ducks up for next August is whether to commit to a reverse vending machine (RVM) or to manually handle returns. There are both commercial and practical elements at play in this decision. Retailers with an RVM can claim a fee of 3.55p per container for the first 8,000 containers returned each week and 1.35p for each additional container. Manual handling offers an enhanced fee of 2.69p per container but brings a world of practical problems for you, your team and your customers. Handling large volumes of containers manually is, to all intents and purposes, entirely impractical for many stores. Brill commented: “A reverse vending machine will help stores who sell a high volume of containers and expect their consumers to return those containers to them. A machine can increase efficiency and save store staff time. It will also be important for those who want to serve the community and promote recycling in their store.”

OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE? Brill’s comment about serving the community and promoting recycling lies at the heart of a debate that has plagued the introduction of the DRS concept from day one. For a long time, retailers viewed DRS as nothing more than a new bit of legislation that would be hard to implement, take up space and not make much money. But does our sector really want to be seen standing in the way of an enormous step towards important sustainability goals in Scotland purely because we can’t make money out of it? What signal does that send to shoppers and www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:02

Let’s create a great recycling experience. The deposit return scheme (DRS) is coming to Scotland. Make it easy with TOMRA.

The global leader in reverse vending technology tomra.com/uk | Get in touch to find out more: tcs.uk@tomra.com

SLR September.indd 19

31/08/2022 13:02:03

Cover Story

DRS Countdown

SPAR GETS IN EARLY Spar Scotland has installed a Tomra reverse vending machine into its company-owned Crosshouse store as part of the company’s biggest ever investment in a single store. The machine accepts aluminium cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles and customers are being offered a 5p incentive to recycle at the store over the next few months. Spar Scotland hopes running this trial in-store will help both customers and staff to prepare for the introduction of DRS next August.

“Formal registration for the scheme will open in December and retailers are being encouraged to sign up to the Circularity Scotland website now to receive all the information they will need to help them prepare.”

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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communities across the country? As community retailers, surely DRS and sustainability are issues that we would want to ‘own’, and where we would certainly want to outperform our supermarket cousins. The reality probably is that retailers won’t make money from running an RVM but the likelihood is that, for most retailers, it won’t cost them much money either. Brill commented: “Variables such as whether there is another return point nearby are likely to affect the number of bottles that a store gets back, but this should be balanced with the opportunity that DRS offers to engage with shoppers. The handling fee per container from Circularity Scotland will go towards some of the costs of running a return point.”

SPACE RACE Retailer concerns over the space required for a machine in-store, or outside, have also been addressed by the RVM manufacturers. Tomra, for example, offers a machine that is fully compliant, accepts all container types and measures just 0.61sq m. Is all this that too high a price to pay to help ensure 34,000 fewer plastic bottles are littered every day and to cut emissions by an average of nearly 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of 109,000 return flights from Edinburgh to New York? Those are Zero Waste Scotland estimates but there’s also the benefits that will come from reduced littering. When a number of trials were run in stores Scotland a couple of years ago, one of the most obvious benefits was that the areas around stores were absolutely devoid of cans and bottles because people were collecting them and returning them to the store for the deposit. This is what happens in every country with a DRS. Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Scotland is leading the way in the UK on delivering a circular economy. By putting in place a deposit return scheme, we are delivering on the public’s desire to see action on plastic and other waste and making an important contribution to the response to the climate emergency. “This scheme is being delivered by the industry for the industry. By putting businesses in charge, we are making sure that it works for them. With one year to go until the scheme goes live for consumers, I would encourage all businesses and organisations that produce, ship or sell drinks to get involved with the scheme now.” Visit circularityscotland.com to discover more information. www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:04

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31/08/2022 13:02:04

News

Products

Bobby’s Ice Snapper tops lolly chart A 39p ice pole has been named as the bestselling summer treat sold in Britain’s c-stores. PayPoint looked at sales across 28,000 stores throughout the UK, finding a 242% increase in ice cream and ice lolly sales overall, with Bobby’s Ice Snapper the top freezer pick. Exclusive to the convenience channel, the Ice Snapper held off eight Walls products and one from Nestlé to claim the top spot.

KP Snacks expands £1 PMP range KP Snacks has launched two new £1 price-marked pack SKUs – Nik Naks Scampi ‘N’ Lemon (75g) and Butterkist Crunchy Orange Chocolate Flavour Toffee popcorn (70g). Nik Naks Scampi ‘N’ Lemon has been absent from singles since 2008 and multipacks since 2019. KP said the Crunchy Orange Chocolate

Product News TAKE A BIGGER BITE OF THE BREAKFAST MARKET – P40 SOFT DRINKS Partnership sees 5p from every pack donated to the youth charity

Tango teams up with Prince’s Trust Britvic’s flavoured fruit carbonates brand Tango has agreed a longterm partnership with The Prince’s Trust, the UK’s largest youth charity, to support young people with employment and education opportunities. The partnership is part of Britvic’s broader People and Culture strategy, which includes learning and development for young people alongside supporting healthier communities. The activity leads with an on-pack takeover across Tango Orange and Dark Berry Sugar Free flavours, with 5p from every pack sold donated to The Prince’s Trust – up to £100,000 in the first year. An

on-pack QR code leads to further information about the partnership, as well as a referral button to sign up to a Prince’s Trust course, or to donate. The partnership is live until 30 September and is supported by paid digital, influencers, PR, and POS to drive awareness and encourage young people to “find their fearless”. Young people are among the hardest hit coming out of the pandemic, and as a key target audience for Tango, the partnership will support youth

culture. With £3.1m spent on Tango by under-28s, the collaboration aims to inspire shoppers and support in driving purchase among those who want to make an impact on young people in the UK. Britvic said the credibility of The Prince’s Trust charity and the fame of the Tango brand will support in making a difference among the one-in-three young people who say more self-confidence would help with achieving their goals in work or education.

popcorn “bridges the gap between popcorn and chocolate confectionery”.

Domestos recycles bottles Domestos has re-launched its core 750ml bleach range in new bottles made with 50% post-consumer recycled plastic. The move is set to save 1,505 tonnes of virgin plastic per year. The new bottles are available in Original, Citrus and Pink with an RSP of £1.25. All products also include an On-Pack Recycling Label logo to encourage more consumers to recycle their empty bleach bottles.

Shoppers can ‘Win a Worldie’ with Cadbury Cadbury has launched a new onpack promotion to engage with football fans. Win a Worldie is appearing on packs of Cadbury chocolate – as well as selected Maynards Bassetts, Trebor and Cadbury Biscuits products – through to November. Prizes up for grabs include meet and greet experiences with some of football’s biggest names. The

CONFECTIONERY

Perfetti Van Melle’s Chupa Chups lollipop brand has partnered with lastminute. com for a competition to win a £1,000 holiday voucher and Chupa Chups holiday merchandise, including beach towels, beach balls and a branded suitcase filled with lollies. The brand has also launched a burst of TikTok activity to promote its ‘How to open’ campaign. Influencers from the world of beauty, comedy, and fashion will ‘educate’ Chupa Chups fans on the easiest way to remove the wrappers from lollies. Both activities will also promote the introduction of new paper sticks for Chupa Chups, which will replace most plastic sticks in the UK market by the end of the year. Perfetti Van Melle expects to eliminate around 5,000 tonnes of plastic annually with the switch. The move is the next step in the confectionery giant’s ‘Reduce, Recycle, Recover’ programme.

Mondelez has unveiled its Halloween range for 2022, as it bids to repeat last year’s success, when the confectionery giant’s seasonal portfolio saw 42% year-onyear growth. Fondant-filled Cadbury Goo Heads make a return for this year’s season in both five-pack and mini sharing bag formats. New for this year, however, Cadbury Goo Heads are available in a clip strip format to help drive impulse and incremental sales. Treatsize chocolate bags – like Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons, Cadbury Fudge, and Cadbury Crunchie – are also back, as are Cadbury Skeleton Fingers: a combination of Cadbury White chocolate and crispy biscuit in a sharing box. Also returning are Oreo Spooky Biscuits. The vanillaflavoured biscuits have orange-coloured creme middles and a special spider-web embossed detail. The Maynard Bassetts sharing range rounds off the Mondelez Halloween offer, with Wine Gums, Jelly Babies and Liquorice Allsorts available in 400g packs.

Chupa Chups sends shoppers packing

Mondelez reveals eerie-sistible Halloween line-up

promotion is supported by a “significant” marketing spend.

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST NEWS AS IT HAPPENS – FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SLRMAG

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31/08/2022 13:02:04

Products

News

Perfetti Van Melle hits £100m UK sales landmark Confectionery giant Perfetti Van Melle has just hit the major trading milestone of achieving £100m in UK sales.

CONFECTIONERY Mondelez launches raft of festive NPD

Cadbury kicks-off Christmas

The family-owned business

Cadbury has unveiled a sleigh-ful of new products ahead of the Christmas, as well as a brand-new look across its seasonal range. The new lines include the Cadbury Favourites selection box that offers several Dairy Milk treats including a sharing bag of Buttons, a box of Fingers, a Twirl bar and a 100g tablet. RSP £5.95. It joins the Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Bar, which is sectioned into 25 individually numbered chunks that can be broken off and consumed each day in the leadup to Christmas. RSP £3.49. A new chocolate Santa, made from Cadbury White, also debuts. It features a design of Santa wearing a white, rather than his traditional red, outfit. RSP £2.99. There’s also something new in boxed chocolates with the Cadbury Chunk Collection, which contains individually wrapped chunks of Dairy Milk, Dairy Milk Caramel and Dairy Milk Wholenut. RSP £5. Furthermore, the new Cadbury Mini Snowballs Bar combines the #1 Christmas sharing novelty product,

gum, candy, and sugar-free

Mini Snowballs with the nation’s #1 chocolate, Cadbury. RSP £1.49. Other new seasonal products from the confectionery giant include a 360g block format for Cadbury Dairy Milk Winter Mint Crisp (RSP £3.99); Cadbury White Jingly Bells (RSP £1.49); two new Dairy Milk Tins filled with Cadbury Chunks (small tin: RSP £5.99 and big tin: RSP £12); and a Cadbury Heroes tin that features a built-in version of the game Who Am I? RSP £12.

is also celebrating its status as the current fastest-growing manufacturer of mints, confectionery. Perfetti Van Melle is also the largest supplier of sugar-free sweets in the UK.

Walkers pairs up with Paramount+ To celebrate the launch of the Paramount+ streaming service, Walkers has rolled out limitededition packs across its Walkers Max, Sensations, Wotsits, Squares, Monster Munch and Quavers ranges, to offer a free month-long subscription. The packs feature some of the films and series available, with Mission Impossible, Star Trek and First Lady all highlighted.

RE-ENERGISE YOUR STORE WITH IRN-BRU ENERGY GIVEAWAY To celebrate the launch of its attention-grabbing new campaign for IRN-BRU Energy, Barr Soft Drinks is offering retailers the chance to get involved with a bundle of IRN-BRU Energy branded merchandise, plus 4 cases of product. The campaign is set to boost incremental sales for retailers in the fast-growing £177 million Scottish energy drinks market*1. Starting this month, the activity includes an exciting consumer competition giving shoppers the chance to instantly win over 200 gaming prizes as well as being entered into a grand prize draw to win their ultimate gaming set up. In addition, there will be student sampling at every college and university in Scotland, putting over 100,000 cans into the hands of energy consumers. This giveaway is the perfect opportunity to get involved with the new campaign, with lots of IRN-BRU Energy merch of their own to use for staff or shopper giveaways, plus 4 cases of 500ml £1 PMP IRN-BRU Energy cans. “IRN-BRU Energy is currently growing 3 x faster than the total market*2, bringing in new shoppers to the brand and driving sales with existing energy consumers. We are extending availability of the 500ml £1 PMP can as the previous burst of this price-marked pack increased sales by almost 50%*3.,” says Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at Barr Soft Drinks. Email barr@mtjpr.co.uk with your store details to enter.

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Sources: *1 IRI Marketplace, Value Sales, MAT to 23.07.22, Total Scotland *2 IRI Marketplace, Value Sales, MAT to 09.07.22, Total Scotland *3 IRI Marketplace, Value Sales, 8 weeks to 26.02.22, S&I Scotland

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

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News

Off-Trade

Pils proves popular PayPoint has revealed what the nation’s top-trending tipples were on International Beer Day (Friday 5 August). Based on data from the PayPoint’s network of 28,000 convenience stores, there was an explosion in demand, no doubt helped by the extremely warm weather, for Holsten Pils Lager (+39%), Kestrel Super (+36%), Heineken NRB (+31%), Corona Extra (+23%) and Stella Artois (+23%) compared to the previous four Fridays.

Belhaven scoops Gold at World Beer Awards The team at Scotland’s oldest working brewery, Belhaven, is celebrating its success after one of its beers was named the ‘UK’s best Oat Stout’ at a prestigious global competition. Its muchloved Scottish Oat Stout wowed the judges at the recent World

Off-TradeNews FOCUS ON FASCIAS – P42 WINE TWE brand launches major marketing campaign

Wolf Blass keeps soaring Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has started another burst of activity for its ‘Why Settle When You Can Soar?’ marketing campaign, which launched last year to promote the Wolf Blass brand. The latest phase started on 22 August with the brand’s first move into live television advertising, reaching 4.5 million consumers across the advert’s 10-week run time. The ad debuted during the opening episode of the new Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragon, to align with the release of the brand’s limited-edition wine, Fire & Blood Cabernet Shiraz.

This is followed by an out-ofhome campaign launching on 19 September, supported with shopper campaigns in-store as well as across PR, digital and events. Meanwhile, a partnership with luxury travel deals company Secret Escapes kicked-off on 1 September. The Secret Escapes promotion, which last year generated 50,000 entries, sees 750,000 bottles across the UK tagged with QR codes which consumers can scan to be in with a chance of winning a share of over £1m in instant prizes and credits including a trip to either Lapland or Mauritius.

Beer Awards, who crowned it ‘country winner’ in the Oat Stout category, whilst the brewery’s Scottish Ale received a bronze medal in the Amber Ale category.

Stay-at-home drinkers in no rush to go out Celebrating and socialising at home is showing no signs of waning, despite the end of lockdowns, according to new research from IRI. On the contrary, the data analytics specialist reported an increase in at-home alcohol consumption, because of rising prices and supply chain challenges. It also found increased demand for better-for-you drinks.

Pig squeals with Pride Treasury Wine Estate’s Squealing Pig wine brand was on the road last month to celebrate and show support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Squealing Pig appeared at Brighton & Hove Pride as the event’s official wine sponsor, showcasing its Italian Pinot Grigio Rosé, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Australian Chardonnay and Italian Primitivo. It then travelled north to Leeds Pride where the Squealing Pig van offered samples to revellers.

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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BEER

Brewdog launches biggest-ever giveaway BrewDog is giving away over 13,000 prizes with its latest cross-channel promotion, Access All Areas. To enter a free prize draw, shoppers need to scan the QR code on-pack or on promotional POS then sign up to Planet BrewDog. Entrants will be notified immediately if they have won. Prizes include bar tabs at BrewDog bars, free beer, subscriptions to BrewDog and Friends, vouchers, t-shirts and glassware. The competition runs until 31 October across 4-packs of Punk IPA, Lost Lager, Hazy Jane and Punk AF, 10-packs of Lost Lager, 12-packs of Punk IPA and Hazy Jane and Mixed 8-pack. The campaign is supported by in-store, digital and outof-home activities. Alex Dullard, Head of Customer Marketing at BrewDog, commented: “We want to reward our customers for their continued loyalty, whilst also driving trial with new shoppers. That’s why we are launching Access All Areas – the biggest giveaway we have ever done. “With a simple entry mechanic, thousands of great prizes on offer and a widespread marketing campaign, we’re hoping the promotion will help drive overall footfall and beer sales for our customers, throughout the remainder of the summer and into the autumn.”

RTDs New line-up taps into latest flavour trends

JJ Whitley unveils RTD quartet

Flavoured vodka brand JJ Whitley has announced the launch of a new ready to drink line-up which includes Vodka Lime & Soda, Blue Raspberry Vodka & Lemonade, London Dry Gin & Tonic and Pink Gin & Lemonade. All variants are available to order now in a 330ml can format, 5% ABV, RSP £1.99. With vodka and gin the top two contributors of value growth in the rapidly growing RTD market, brand owner Halewood Artisanal Spirits said the new launches provide retailers with an innovative product range to tap into this significant sales opportunity. Halewood’s boss, James Stocker, added: “Our award-winning JJ Whitley range offers quality, British-made vodkas and gins that tap into the latest flavour trends. In addition to the popular Vodka Lime & Soda and Gin & Tonic serves, we’ve also added our Blue Raspberry Vodka and Pink Gin offerings, bring additional flavour diversity into RTDs and driving further recruitment into the category.”

KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST NEWS AS IT HAPPENS – FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SLRMAG

www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:07

Off-Trade

News

WINE Rapper collaboration seeks to attract non-traditional wine drinkers

Cork it like it’s hot: TWE teams-up with Snoop Dogg US rapper Snoop Dogg has swapped gin and juice for red wine, partnering with Treasury Wine Estates to bring a new wine brand, Cali by Snoop, to the UK. The move is a bid to recruit non-traditional wine drinkers to the category and TWE is backing the launch with a substantial marketing campaign that includes in-store display and promotion; out-of-home advertising; PR; digital, social and influencer engagement; and an in-person event. The bottle design includes Snoop Dogg’s profile on the label and there are five collectable corks, which each feature a different image of the rapper. Using augmented reality technology, consumers can also ‘Ask the Doggfather’ by following a QR code on the back label whereby Snoop will respond to their questions. A rosé wine variant launches in February 2023, with further new product development in the pipeline. “I didn’t grow up a wine drinker,” said Snoop Dogg. “Wine was foreign to me in my neighbourhood, but I love it now and the community, so I wanted to create a wine that cut away all the noise, and looked and tasted like something people who don’t usually drink wine would want to try. I was involved in the tasting process and just knew from the first sip, everyone was gonna love it. I’m excited to be bringing Cali by Snoop to the UK and share this experience with my fans.” Ben Blake, Head of Marketing EMEA at Treasury Wine Estates, commented: “No doubt, Cali Red, the first wine to launch in the portfolio will be a hit with fans of Snoop Dogg and we’re excited to see how this brand grows over the coming years.” Cali by Snoop Cali Red has an RSP of £9 to £11.

GIN

Greenall’s says goodbye to glass Greenall’s, The Original London Dry Gin, has launched in a paper bottle format (70cl, RSP £15.50) which is available now for customers across all channels to order. The launch marks a significant step in the brand’s journey to reduce its carbon emissions to net zero and is part of its new Greener Greenall’s campaign. Made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food-grade pouch to contain the gin, the paper bottle is five times lighter than a normal glass bottle, with a carbon footprint six times lower and a water footprint four times lower. The bottle is also fully recyclable, with the outer paper casing and cap recycled kerbside and the soft plastic liner at supermarkets and recycling centres.

Spar own-brand wine win Spar is celebrating after one of its own-label wines picked up two awards at the 2022 International Wine Challenge. The Spar Regional Selection South African Fairtrade Chenin Blanc 2021, from Breede River Valley producer Uniwines, not only picked up the IWC Fairtrade Award but also won a Silver medal. The £6.79 “incredibly smooth” Chenin Blanc is filled with peach and ripe pear flavours, and is best paired with creamy pasta sauces, fried fish or chicken dishes.

Sharp’s unveils new Atlantic Pale Ale multipacks Sharp’s Brewery has launched multipacks of its Atlantic Pale Ale in the UK off-trade. The new 4 x 500ml packs cater to the increasing number of consumers looking to explore different beer options at home. The cans are encased in a recyclable cardboard sleeve, meaning it is completely plastic free. The beer is the number one Modern Keg Ale, accounting for one-third of all value sales in the category and picked up a bronze medal at the recent World Beer Awards.

www.slrmag.co.uk

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SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

31/08/2022 13:02:07

Inside Business

Research Digest

SUMMER STAYCATION SURGE The latest results from the quarterly Scottish Tourism Index from 56 Degree Insight reveal that almost three-quarters of Scots are taking holidays this year, with the Highlands & Islands and Edinburgh the most popular destinations. A representative sample of over 1,000 Scottish residents was surveyed about their holiday choices for 2022 with those holidaying in Scotland saying they book their accommodation in advance, with self-catering accommodation the most popular choice amongst Scots. The cost of living crisis is having a clear impact, with more than 50% of the population stating that the nature, type and destination of their trip is being impacted to a major extent by cost constraints. Petrol and diesel costs and rail disruption are also having an impact, which are especially important for domestic holidays where travelling by car or train are likely.

ESSENTIAL SPENDING UP 7% IN JULY AS FUEL AND FOOD PRICES CLIMB Barclaycard’s latest monthly report shows that card spend rose 7.7% in July with a 7% increase in ‘essential’ spend on items like food and fuel.

arclaycard has revealed that consumer card spending grew 7.7% in July compared to the same period in 2021 – and 1.6% up on the June figures – as consumers cut back on overseas travel and eating and drinking out and opted instead for staycations, as disposable income continues to fall and wage growth continues to be outpaced by inflation. Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, says spending on ‘essential’ items rose 7.0% year-on-year, greater than the 4.0% rise recorded in June, driven by fuel and grocery shopping as prices 26

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continue to climb. Spending on utilities per customer grew a whopping 43.9% YoY while nine-in-10 shoppers report seeing increases in the prices of everyday items including butter and milk. The average value of a supermarket transaction dropped from £23.67 in January 2021 to £19.33 in July 2022, indicating a shopper preference for smaller basket sizes to save money. In addition, nearly two-fifths (37%) are purchasing certain items on a need-tobuy basis to save money and avoid waste, resulting in an emerging trend for smaller basket sizes, and more frequent trips to the shops to restock when items run out.

AMAZON ‘POWERING AHEAD’ WITH GROCERY PLAY

New research from digital and data experts, TWC, has revealed high awareness for Amazon Fresh at 55% nationally, rising to 68% in London. Just over one in 10 shoppers has already shopped at an Amazon Fresh store, famous for its ‘Just Walk Out’ technology via the Amazon app. Amazon now operates 19 stores, mostly in and around London, with its latest opening in commuter town, Sevenoaks, in Kent. The retailer has previously expressed an intention to open 260 physical stores by the end of 2025. Latest TWC Trends figures suggest that total online grocery penetration is plateauing following rapid growth through the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. The research was conducted in June 2022 and showed that whilst 14% of shoppers claim to have used the online channel more in the last six months, a higher proportion (16%) have used it less – and the majority are using it the same amount. The research also suggests there is little loyalty in online grocery, with only 18% of consumers saying that they always use the same retailer and 13% saying they use an online delivery subscription such as Tesco Delivery Saver or Ocado Smart Pass. www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:07

VUSE GO DISPOSABLES INTENSE FLAVOURS ON THE GO AVAILABLE IN 20 & 10MG/ML Our latest edition to the Vuse family is our modern disposable device; Vuse GO. Vuse GO is available in both 20 & 10mg/ml and has 6 flavours which are in line with the most popular flavours with adult nicotine consumers today, Creamy Tobacco, Mint Ice, Watermelon Ice, Mango Ice, Strawberry Ice & Blueberry Ice. Currently, in the UK, Vuse GO is in multiple wholesale, independent & grocery stores with plans to expand this further. We are always striving to bring new innovative flavours to the market across Vuse GO and ePod so keep an eye out for new flavours across different nicotine strengths. We have also developed the same 6 flavours as Vuse Go in the ePod flavours, now available in both 18 & 12mg/ml nicotine strengths.

WATERMELON ICE

CREAMY TOBACCO

A cooling blend of ripe and juicy watermelon flavour with an icy cool finish.

A smooth blend of rich and creamy tobacco flavour with hints of caramel and vanilla.

MINT ICE

BLUEBERRY ICE

Classic peppermint flavour with an icy cool finish.

Bright blueberry flavour with an icy cool finish.

MANGO ICE

STRAWBERRY ICE

Ripe juicy mango flavour with an icy cool finish.

Sweet ripe strawberry with an icy cool finish.

VUSE GO FLAVOURS ALSO AVAILABLE IN ePOD AVAILABLE IN 18 & 12MG/ML

Both products, Vuse Go and ePod Vivid ranges are available online at vapermarket.co.uk and by speaking to your local BAT Sales Representative.

Dispose of responsibly.

18+ only. This product contains nicotine and is addictive. For adult nicotine consumers only. For trade use only.

SLR September.indd 27

Contact your local sales representative

31/08/2022 13:02:09

SLR Awards 22 - Ticket Sales.pdf 6 19/08/2022 14:05:11

BOO K NO W ! THE SLR AWARDS ARE BACK AND THEY’RE LIVE FOR OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY!

CMY

LIVE EVENT :

7 SEPT 2022 R ADISSON, GLASGOW

TICK ETS AVAILABLE NOW TAB LE OF 10 £ 125 0 EX VAT TICKET £ 14 0 EX VAT

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

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31/08/2022 13:02:09

Jennifer Kolonko | 2 Minutes

Inside Business

JENNIFER KOLONKO SLR catches up with Apprentice of the Year Jennifer Kolonko, engineering apprentice at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.

SO, YOU’RE APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR JENNIFER! HOW DOES IT FEEL? I can’t quite believe it, but feel incredibly proud, and it makes me want to promote apprenticeships to others even more! My Modern Apprenticeship has given me the knowledge I need to fix any issues on the lines in the factory and keep them running efficiently, as well as find better ways to problem solve, and that’s improved my confidence a lot. More than anything, I want to prove to other young women that it’s a great career option and inspire women to embark on a successful engineering career.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO AN APPRENTICESHIP? I’d always been interested in engineering but had never fully considered it as a career. An apprenticeship meant I could earn money while learning on the job. CCEP’s engineering course appealed most as it covered electrical and mechanical aspects.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TIME WITH CCEP I’m responsible for the maintenance of the six manufacturing lines at CCEP’s East Kilbride site, which produce over 32 million cases of drinks a year. I www.slrmag.co.uk

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help fix any issues that arise with the machinery, ensuring all product lines run as efficiently, safely and sustainably as possible. I take great pride in the fact that all of this contributes to CCEP’s wider This is Forward sustainability objectives: fewer disruptions to the lines means less packaging waste. This is Forward targets six key social and environmental areas where CCEP can have a significant impact and forms part of everything I do.

YOU HELPED INCREASE EFFICIENCIES ACROSS THE CAPRI-SUN PRODUCTION LINES? During the third year of my apprenticeship, I led a project to improve mechanical efficiency across the East Kilbride site on the Capri-Sun line. I spotted an opportunity to reduce the number of jams that occurred, which would impact the volume of product the line could produce. I designed and implemented a system guide to support colleagues in establishing the quickest routes to resolve issues, something all my colleagues now use daily. It has drastically improved mechanical efficiency on site, reducing waste by 30% and producing up to 10% more product. It’s something that I’m very proud of!

HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED ANY CHALLENGES PROGRESSING YOUR CAREER? I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to really push myself, but I am keen to help change the narrative around engineering within the industry at large – an industry that is traditionally dominated by men. I have volunteered to talk in schools and to young people in the community about the different roles and responsibilities the sector offers, as well as the progression opportunities available. I also accompanied senior members of staff at a Scottish Parliament open day to promote the importance of apprenticeships as an alternative career path. So many people think university is the only route for school leavers, but it’s not the case.

WHAT LIES AHEAD? My apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to experience all aspects of engineering and has enabled me to realise that my passion lies specifically within mechanical engineering. Eventually, I’d like to qualify as a Reliability Engineer, a role that would expand my responsibilities and knowledge even further, building on the work I was involved in on the site’s Capri-Sun line.

FACTFILE Jennifer began her career as a personal trainer but struggled to find a job in the fitness sector. She then decided to pursue her passion for engineering through an apprenticeship, something she’d always been interested but had never fully considered as a career. An apprenticeship meant she could earn while learning on the job with CCEP.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

31/08/2022 13:02:10

Inside Business

Eddy’s Food Station

THOMPSON OPENS THIRD STORE AND CHOOSES COSTCUTTER Stephen Thompson’s Eddy’s Food Station chain snaps up Billy Kay’s Greenock store and a third store in Larbert while selecting Costcutter as its main supply partner. BY LIZ WELLS

ddy’s Food Station, the convenience store chain launched by Morning, Noon & Night veteran Stephen Thompson, has opened its third store in Larbert. The chain launched its inaugural Alloa store in May and its Greenock shop earlier in August, the store formerly owned by Spar veteran Billy Kay. The Larbert outlet, which has created 15 jobs, is set to see significant renovations in the coming months to transform it into a “bright, modernday convenience store”. The renovation will also see a food-to-go offering introduced. Stephen said: “When we launched in May we stated we planned to open 30 stores within five 30

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years. With two additional stores already added to the roster and more in the pipeline, we are very much on track to meet that target.” Mike Leonard, new Head of Retail at Eddy’s Food Station, added: “The quick development of the Eddy’s Food Station group is an indication of how strong the convenience sector is. It’s brilliant to see the beginning of the Eddy’s Food Station journey progress so quickly with many other exciting launches imminent.”

NEW SUPPLIER In addition, the chain has revealed that it has selected Costcutter as its main supply partner. Eddy’s Food Station stores will have access to

Costcutter’s 14,000-strong range and will be able to stock up to 2,000 Co-op own-brand products. The stores will also benefit from Costcutter’s loyalty scheme rewards, the Shopper First growth programme, and marketing support alongside additional rebate rewards on qualifying Bestway delivered purchases. Jamie Davison, Business Development Director at Bestway Retail, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Costcutter will be the main supply partner for the three Eddy’s Food Station stores that have opened in Scotland and we very much looking forward to supplying the further 30 stores that they plan to open over the next five years.” www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:11

THE DREAM TEAM

THIS SEASON, GET YOUR SQUAD TOGETHER OVER A JAMESON.

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.

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31/08/2022 13:02:11

Inside Business

Spar Crosshouse

CJ LANG’S ‘RECORDBREAKING’ INVESTMENT IN SPAR CROSSHOUSE The Spar Scotland wholesaler and retailer has invested a “recordbreaking” sum in a full refurb of its company-owned Ayrshire store. BY ANTONY BEGLEY

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he Spar Scotland wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang has unveiled its fully refurbished Crosshouse store following the biggest investment that the company has ever made in a single company-owned store. Sited in East Ayrshire, two miles from Kilmarnock, the refresh of the store forms part of the company’s ongoing refurbishment programme that has already seen Spar stores in Gatehouse of Fleet, Spean Bridge and Balmacara undergo major renovation programmes. The entire refurbishment programme for the 3,216sq ft store took 13 weeks to complete and the small local community of Crosshouse had their first chance to see the new showcase store late last month when it re-opened. Investment included new refrigeration, freezers, flooring, ceiling and LED lighting. The store has installed new efficient energy-saving www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:15

Spar Crosshouse

refrigeration in line with Spar Scotland’s green strategy, allowing them to expand and highlight the best of the Spar Scotland chilled and produce offer. The windows have been opened to create a welcoming environment and the store displays the very latest Spar internal and external graphics design package as well as other retail technologies. There are 12 digital screens around the store which help navigate shoppers and promote special offers. Two new self-scan checkouts allow the store to differentiate itself from competitors in the area, improve the checkout process, and attract more customers. The food-to-go offer has seen been transformed with Spar Scotland’s food-to-go brand CJ’s and the addition of four cabinets as well as a new energy-efficient oven. Alongside CJ’s is a wide range of other food-to-go products including Chicago Town Pizza, Costa Coffee, Calippo, Fanta and Rollover Hotdogs as well as bread, morning rolls, savouries, sweet treats, and pre-packed goods from local bakers Browning’s of Kilmarnock. The store stocks produce from local butchers, Pollok Williamson, and award-winning frozen meals from COOK. Stock trollies have been introduced to the warehouse to help staff transport products into the store much more easily and help save www.slrmag.co.uk

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space, streamlining the process. There is also a dedicated screen in the staff room to highlight staff news and incentives. The store will also feature a TOMRA reverse vending machine which accepts aluminium cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles. Customers are being offered a 5p incentive to recycle at Spar Crosshouse over the next few months. Running this trial in-store will help both customers and staff to prepare for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland next August, says the company. Colin McLean, CEO of CJ Lang & Son, said: “We are delighted to offer the village of Crosshouse a fantastic new Spar store. Along with local residents and shoppers, close by is the University Hospital Crosshouse and Crosshouse Primary School, which we know we can support with excellent customer service. “We have made a significant investment in the development of this store to give it a brand-new feel and it now exceeds all other stores in the area. The refurbishment is the largest we have undertaken this year and meets an exceptional standard. We are enormously proud of how the store design, format, energy-efficiency, and the introduction of key retail technology solutions such as the addition of a self-checkout solution, electronic shelf edge labels and a trial reverse vending machine are key to our retail success,” he added.

Inside Business

“We are enormously proud of how the store design, format, energyefficiency, and the introduction of key retail technology solutions are key to our retail success.”

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

31/08/2022 13:02:18

Advertising Feature

Home Delivery

‘WE’RE DOING OVER £80K A MONTH’

Working with Snappy Shopper, Ayrshire Day Today retailers Mandi Duncan and Ross Macpherson were among the earliest adopters of home delivery and now generate sales in excess of £80,000 a month.

ome delivery is an enormous opportunity for local retailers in Scotland and among the first to spot that opportunity were Mandi Duncan and Ross Macpherson, who now run a small chain of Day Today stores in Ayrshire. The pair first embraced home delivery way before the pandemic but their early experiences helped them evolve and develop their offer in time for the Covid years – and they duly saw home delivery sales rocket. “We got into home delivery very early,” says Mandi. “Ross and I both felt that it was a big opportunity and thankfully we were proved correct. We made plenty of mistakes along the way, particularly at the beginning, but by the time of the pandemic the home delivery operation was robust and efficient enough to allow us to cope. “We started using the Snappy Shopper platform and it’s been really good. It fits in with our business ethos and it has helped us take the stores to a new level.” Working with Snappy Shopper, the pair have continued to make home delivery a core part of their business and these days the chain typically tops £80,000 a month in sales across three stores: Barrassie, Coylton and Doonfoot. “We do around 1,250 deliveries a month out of Barrassie, around 1,000 a month out of Coylton and around 720 out Doonfoot, which has the fiercest competition,” says Mandi.

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www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:22

Home Delivery

Advertising Feature

In other words, the business completes around 3,000 deliveries every month! “All of our drivers are self-employed and they keep the delivery fee,” explains Mandi. “We have a fleet of fully liveried vehicles, one for each store, but we’re adding another FAST FACTS: two to cope with the demand. We operate Q Home delivery services offered strict servicing and really very intuitive across three stores maintenance schedand once you get used Q Monthly home delivery sales in ules to keep the vehito it, you get into the excess of £80k cles in good condition swing of it, and it and, to be honest, the works really well. Q Around 3,000 deliveries a home delivery side “Snappy Shopper month has become someare full of good ideas Q Average basket spend of £28 thing of a business and they’ve some within a business. really interesting stuff Q Three liveried vehicles – with two more on order “Running a good that is helping our home delivery service business. It’s a really isn’t easy. It requires good platform for a fair bit of work and quite a bit of time – but retailers that want something that works straight the rewards are there if you do it well. I probably out of the box. Home delivery is a massive, spend at least an hour a day on the platform massive opportunity for local retailers. updating and tweaking things, but at the end “If you promote it well in your local area and of the day, that’s what’s required to do £80k a in-store and if you keep busy on social media, month in additional sales.” you can grow and develop a home delivery Mandi admits that she is “no IT geek” but service that could transform your business. finds the Snappy Shopper platform easy to use. We were nervous when we first set out on this “I’m just not very good with IT,” she says, “so journey but once we’d made that decision, we’ve if I can use the platform well, anybody can! It’s never looked back.” www.slrmag.co.uk

SLR September.indd 35

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

31/08/2022 13:02:25

Hotlines

Product News & Media Watch

Wine Gums Juicies Mondelez Mondelez has launched a new range, ‘Juicies,’ which comprises Maynards Bassetts Wine Gums Juicies, Sports Mix Juicies, and The Natural Confectionery Co. Juicy Snakes, each of which includes real fruit juice, natural colours and 30% less sugar than the standard equivalents. The Juicies range is available now in cases of 12 from August in 130g bags that have a £1 RSP.

Belvita expands range of healthier products

Toblerone Golden Mondelez Toblerone has expanded its range with a new limited-edition Golden variant, which combines crunchy nougat with a newly developed golden blend of caramelised white chocolate. The launch is backed by PR activity and in-store support. Mondelez said the new product is perfect as a seasonal gift that will also appeal to younger adult shoppers. It advised retailers to range the new singles in designated confectionery fixtures alongside existing Toblerones.

Oreo Festive Colours Mondelez Oreo is looking to bring a playful twist to Christmas this year with its latest launch which, for the first time across Europe, sees Oreos with red, green and white coloured crème at their centres. Despite this, the biscuits retain their Original Vanilla flavour. Packs include three 114g rolls, each with a different colour, and RSP at £2.50. They are available in cases of 6 x 462g.

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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Breakfast biscuit brand Belvita has expanded its portfolio of healthier products with two new nonHFSS additions. Belvita Fruit Crunch contains under 100 calories per biscuit, offering a lighter option for afternoon snacking and as fuel for inbetween mealtime moments. It comes in Raisin & Currant and Apple & Pear flavours and is available in cases of 10 x 225g packs with an RSP of £2.99. Each pack contains six individually wrapped servings of two biscuits. Meanwhile, Belvita Soft Bakes Filled Apricot brings a fruit flavour to the popular belVita Soft Bakes range for the first time, with an apricot jam filling. It is available now in cases of 6 x 225g five-packs. The new Belvita snacks are non-HFSS, meaning that they won’t be subject to the new restrictions on

Toffifee White Chocolate Storck UK Toffifee has launched a limitededition white chocolate flavour in 125g boxes. The limited-edition offers the brand’s usual hazelnut in caramel but with a light crème filling and topped with white chocolate. Toffifee is now the thirdfastest growing brand in the boxed chocolate category. Andy Mutton, Managing Director at Storck UK, commented: “This new launch will drive excitement within the confectionery category as well as incremental sales, making it a must stock for retailers.”

product placement coming into place in England in October. Both the new products are also low in saturated fat. “These latest tasty additions to the growing Belvita range are set to offer shoppers exciting, healthier options for their morning to mid-afternoon snack, driving incremental sales for retailers,” Amy Lucas, Brand Manager for Belvita at Mondelez International, said. “We know there is a real opportunity for retailers to drive interest and grow sales at both the morning and afternoon snacking occasions now that consumers’ routines have returned to normal, so the new Fruit Crunch and Filled Apricot biscuits will be a delicious snack for them to enjoy at home or on the move.”

Caramelised Biscuit Cre&m Filled Wafer LoveRaw Plant-based chocolate brand LoveRaw has added a Caramelised Biscuit to its Cre&m Filled Wafer range. The new biscuit is filled with a plant-based biscuit cream with a caramel layer and crunchy biscuit crumb, and is free of palm oil, dairy products or artificial ingredients. Each pack (RSP E1.69) contains two individually wrapped wafer fingers.

Salted Caramel Wispa Gold Mondelez Cadbury has launched a new limited-edition Salted Caramel Wispa Gold variant, that is available to or-der now as a single 45g bar (cases of 48, RSP 69p). The launch is supported by in-store activity, online advertising and PR. Wispa is the third-biggest brand within the Cadbury range after Dairy Milk and Twirl. Retailers can visit deliciousdisplay.co.uk for category advice and more information on the top-selling bars across chocolate confectionery.

www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:26

Product News & Media Watch Small Batch Popcorn Burts Chips



Heavenly Oats Quaker Oats

Burts says it is currently the only UK popcorn brand to produce both hand-cooked and small batch popcorn products that are all natural, and contain no artificial ingredients, flavours, colours, preservatives or sweeteners. Lightly Salted (20g) and Sweet & Salty (28g) both contain 126 calories or less per 20g and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Quaker’s new flavoured porridge range comes in two flavours: Chocolate Orange (cases of 8 x 59g) and Caramel Fudge (cases of 8 x 58g). Both have RSPs of £1.15. The range is non-high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS). The launch forms part of the brand’s wider reformulation efforts that include the recent launch of two non-HFSS Oats So Simple products.

Hotlines

Drivers not dramas JET’s new campaign takes a humorous look at how the fuel brand takes the drama out of driving. With a variety of films plus digital activity, the campaign brings an unexpected comedy twist to a series of stressful scenarios that drivers often experience. Snacks, coffee and premium fuel are among the topics covered in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

Lots of Chocomel

E600 Disposable Vape Geek Bar

Mr Kipling Deliciously Good Toffee Apple Pies Premier Foods

The E600 shares the new, soft mouthpiece seen in more sophisticated Geek Bar products but is cheaper. With a smaller battery (400mAh) and without mesh coil technology, the RSP is £5. The range comes in 20 flavours. Devices are prefilled with 20mg of nicotine as well as up to 2ml of e-liquid. Offering 600 puffs per device, they are designed for mouth-tolung vapers in particular, who want to replicate the experience of smoking.

Intended to fill a gap in the market for healthier Halloween cakes, the pies are available now in packs of six (RSP £1.75). They are made with real fruit and have 30% less sugar than standard pies. The launch aims to help retailers capitalise on demand from the 15% of shoppers – more than 10 million people – looking for healthier sweet treat options at key seasons, as well as on last year’s almost 10% growth in Halloween cakes.

Chocomel is raising brand awareness with a burst of out-of-home advertising, sampling and influencer content. A digital media campaign sees the brand work with more than 60 influencers as part of its ‘Sharing Not Required’ activity and a four-week sampling campaign will deliver 225,000 Chocomel 250ml cans to shoppers in high footfall areas.

Good deeds Kind has launched its first out-of-home campaign, to encourage kindness among Brits. The healthy snack bar brand scoured the UK to find meaningful acts of unsung kindness that might have otherwise gone unnoticed to give them the platform they deserve as part of digital and print ads seen in London, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh.

Surprising Walkers Kefir Drinks Yeo Valley

Rockstar PMPs Britvic

Yeo Valley has extended its organic kefir ‘Love Your Gut’ range into Kefir Drinks. Three flavours are available now in 500ml bottles with an RSP of £2.25: Natural; Mango & Passionfruit; and Cherry. The launch is supported by an integrated communications plan that aims to ensure more consumers become aware of kefir and its potential health benefits. The drinks boast 14 strains of live kefir cultures to help consumers improve their gut health.

Rockstar has launched two of its top-performing flavours, Juiced ElMango and Tropical Punch, in £1.29 500ml price-marked-packs (PMPs). The two flavours are available in wholesale now, with the rollout supported by in-depot activations, retailer POS and field support. The move is designed to drive impulse purchases and bring new shoppers into the category, as a growing number of soft drinks sales come from PMPs.

Walkers’ latest campaign reminds consumers that Walkers Family snacks multipacks contain fewer than 100 calories per pack. An updated tongue-in-cheek TV ad shows consumers who are surprised and delighted when they discover this. The ad is bolstered with shopper, digital, out-of-home and social media activities, alongside an influencer campaign.

Selling sunshine Soft drinks brand Rio has unveiled a new trade campaign – Sunshine Sells – which includes in-depot sampling, trade advertising, social media activity and competitions. Retailers can win bespoke prizes including a branded chiller, POS and free Rio stock. This follows a consumer sampling campaign which saw chilled cans of Rio given out on sunny days.

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

SLR September.indd 37

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

31/08/2022 13:02:26

Feature

Bonfire Night

BACK WITH A BANG

Bonfire Night 2022 will offer plenty of opportunities for retailers to light up their sales. BY GAELLE WALKER

he air is alive with the crackle of fireworks and the scent of bonfires, burgers and mulled beverages. Falling on a Saturday in 2022, this year’s Bonfire Night looks set to offer retailers an array of smoking hot opportunities to ignite their sales with a little extra sparkle too. With large community events and private garden gatherings on the cards, sharing formats of key categories are sure to win big this Bonfire season, with sugar confectionery expected to lead the charge. Within the traditional confectionery segment, sharing has continued to grow by 5.1% according to Perfetti Van Melle, with Fruittella sharing bags growing 18.3%, driven by the core range of Juicy Chew and Duo Stix bags. Chupa Chups Mini Lollipop bags are also growing, up 3.5% year on year. Perfetti Van Melle will also be hoping for sizzling sales of its new Mentos Fanta brand, following a collaboration with the beverage giant earlier this year. Available now and into 2023, Mentos Fanta Orange is available in sharing,

gifting and on-the-go formats to suit all occasions. The Bebeto brand has also strengthened its range of sweet sharing bags in time for the Bonfire Night opportunity with new bags of ‘Just Bears.’ Each 150g sharing bag contains 12 different types of bear-shaped gummies in on-trend flavours including blue raspberry, watermelon, cherry, and grape. Just Bears have launched in £1 pricemarked packs, which Bebeto describes as “the ideal format” for a sharing confectionery launch. “£1 PMP ranges are the main driver of confectionery sales growth in convenience and impulse, and represent 70% of the sharing segment,” Gabriella Egleton, Senior Brand Manager of Kervan Gida UK says. Novelty product lines are also expected to help sales go with a bang, with the category already enjoying significant success. Swizzels is already reporting “huge growth” in its many novelty product lines, in particular its Candy Whistles which

NEW RULES ON SALE OF FIREWORKS The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill was passed on the 29 June bringing into force an array of new rules governing the sale and purchase of fireworks in Scotland. The Bill specifies that certain fireworks can only be supplied to, and used by, members of the public at certain times, including: Q Vaisakhi Q Guy Fawkes Night Q Hogmanay Q Chinese New Year Q Diwali The Bill has also introduced a fireworks licensing system for people wishing to purchase and use fireworks. It is an offence for retailers to sell fireworks and other pyrotechnic articles covered under the Bill to under-18s. Visit bit.ly/3CBhTiM for more information.

grew by 94% in value in the year to 17 April 2022 while its Love Heart Lip Sticks soared in value by 114%. The brand also introduced a Minions-themed Tropical Fizz individual chew bar to its range, following an agreed licence with Universal earlier this summer. Meanwhile, shoppers looking to ignite their Bonfire celebrations with healthier cake options will also have their needs met by Premier Foods, which has just announced the launch of a new product under the Mr Kipling brand. Available this month, Mr Kipling Deliciously Good Toffee Apple Pies are made with real fruit and have 30% less sugar than standard pies. Cadbury Mini Bonfire Logs also return for the season.

TOP OF THE POPS Valeo Snackfoods just released new £1 PMPs of three of its best-selling Poppets variants – Original Toffee, Salted Caramel Fudge and Mix Ups. The new PMPs will be available exclusively to the convenience channel. Russell Tanner, Marketing Director at Valeo Snackfoods says: “We know that PMPs are set to be more important than ever in the coming months with the cost of living crisis, and we anticipate that the market for affordable treats is set to continue post lockdown. “Offering consumers the products they love at a more affordable price given current economic pressures is something we’re very keen to do. The £1 price point is critical for consumers looking for an indulgent but affordable treat.”

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

SLR September.indd 38

www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:27

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31/08/2022 13:02:29 23/08/2022 14:36

Feature

Breakfast

TOP OF THE POTS

RISE AND SHINE

Healthy and on-the-go innovations are helping to kick start the key breakfast opportunity. BY GAELLE WALKER

reakfast: it’s one of the most important meals of the day, and as shoppers’ early-morning eating habits continue to evolve, retailers are being served up an increasingly appetising menu of opportunities to profit. The relentless shopper drive towards healthier living continues to influence the breakfast category agenda – shaping many of the new products that have launched in the market of late. Andrew Bradshaw, UK Sales Director at Dole Sunshine Company explains: “There’s no doubt that consumers have become even more health aware since the start of the pandemic and unsurprisingly this has translated into being more health conscious with their food choices. A recent survey by StreetBees of nearly 50,000 consumers showed that the number one attribute sought when deciding on what to eat and drink was ‘no added or low sugar’ content.” The emergence of today’s new hybrid working environment is also raising the importance of other factors, such as convenience and on-the-go formats, Bradshaw continues. 40

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“Consumers are now looking for breakfast items that are not only easy to prepare and healthy, but also convenient and can be consumed on the go. “At Dole we’ve recently announced two new additions to our Fruit in Juice range: Mango in juice and Pear in juice which are now available to the grocery and convenience channels in convenient packs of four to be consumed either on the go or kept in the fridge or cupboard for a later date.” The trend towards healthier breakfast products is also playing out in the bread aisles where, according to Hovis, unit sales of healthier packaged breads with seeds and grains are “holding up better than other categories in the market”. Responding to this trend, Hovis launched a new Granary Cob that is baked with malted wheat flakes as part of its Hovis Bakers Since 1886 range earlier this year. Breakfast biscuits are also feeling the healthy heat. “The healthier biscuit category is growing by 4.5% following the pandemic, with more consumers showing a renewed interest in their well-being,” Susan Nash, Trade

Communications Manager at Mondelez International says. BelVita is a key driver of this category growth – currently growing at 10% and leading the way in terms of both frequency 4% MAT and penetration 11% MAT. BelVita recently released three brand-new low fat, salt and sugar additions to its belVita Fruit Crunch range in the form of Raisin & Currant and Apple & Pear flavours, and belVita Soft Bakes Filled Apricot. Arguably the most convenient breakfast on-the-go format, the breakfast drinks category also offers retailers a key way to invigorate their sales with breakfast and dairy drinks continuing “to perform strongly in the impulse channel,” Darryl Burgess, Head of Sales for Weetabix says. “Although we see a lot of our consumption taking place in the

Premier Foods has expanded its portfolio into the on-thego breakfast market with the launch of Ambrosia readyto-eat porridge pots. The pots, which can be eaten ambient or hot are available in Original, Raspberry, and Golden Syrup flavours and have an RSP of £1. Daniel Jalalpour, Brand Director for desserts at Premier Foods, comments: “Porridge has become a hugely popular breakfast choice with consumers, especially over the past 18 months as we have all spent more time at home. Ambrosia’s ready-to-eat porridge pots are being supported with a ‘Wake Up to Breakfast’ in-store and online campaign, including branded POS materials and digital advertising.

home, the return of more on the move behaviours and more hectic mornings post-lockdown has helped to boost breakfast drink sales in the past few months,” he adds. In a bid to drive further growth for its Weetabix On The Go brand, the company launched a limitededition Café Latte breakfast drink earlier this summer. With a similar caffeine content to a cup of coffee, the product is designed to offer the ultimate in breakfast convenience, providing shoppers with their breakfast and coffee needs in one gulp.

www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:31

Hovis Soft White is the fastest growing major white bread brand*

Soft

Hovis® is Britain’s favourite branded wholemeal loaf**

Hovis® Seed Sensations® is the fastest selling major branded seeded loaf * * *

Hovis® Best of Both® is the No.1 Half & Half product within Impulse****

*Source data: Nielsen Scantrack Epos, Total Coverage/GB, Unit % Chg YOY, 52 wks to 16th July 2022, Major Bread Brand defined as greater than 3% of Pre Packed Bread Category Unit % share for same time period as analysis. Analysis across all white breads available in Pre Packed Bread category. Excluding Private Label. ** Source data: Nielsen Scantrack Epos, Total Coverage/GB, Unit Sales, 52 wks to 16th July 2022 analysis across all brown/wholemeal breads available in Pre Packed Bread category. Excluding Private Label. ***Source data: Nielsen Scantrack Epos, Total Coverage/GB, Unit Rate Of Sale. 52 wks to 16th July 2022, analysis across all branded Bread with Bits products available in Pre Packed Bread category. Major Brand defined as greater than 3% of pre-packaged bread Unit % share for the same time period as analysis. Excluding Private Label. ****Source data: Nielsen Scantrack Epos, Total Impulse, Unit Sales, 52 wks to 16th July 2022 analysis across all half & half breads available in Pre Packed Bread category. Excluding Private Label.

SLR September.indd 41

31/08/2022 13:02:32

READER OFFER £250 Prize Value With the rising cost of living squeezing household budgets nationwide, shopper demand for value is driving sales across the tobacco category. To help retailers cater to this demand, Imperial Tobacco has partnered with SLR to give five lucky readers the chance to win £50 worth of Rizla stock for their store, including its popular Rizla Combi range, which offers both papers and tips in one place for the ultimate in convenience. As more adult smokers move into the roll your own category to get greater value for money, many are also looking for accessories like Rizla Combi that cater for this growing appetite for value. The majority of consumers who use standard king size papers, also use paper filters, so prefer the convenience of combi packs, as they get both papers and tips in one pack. Thanks to its added convenience format and its higher RRP at £1.20*, Rizla Combi makes 28% more revenue than Rizla’s standard King Size Silver and offers retailers better margins . Rizla Combi also benefits from an extensive brand heritage, with its King Size format originally invented way back in 1977. Since then, its grown to become the No.1 fastest selling format from Rizla . With Rizla Combi offering customers great value from an iconic and established brand, and great profit potential for retailers, it is a must stock product. So, make sure you enter the competition now to be in with a chance of winning free stock to help you tap into this rising demand for value in your store.

TIME F DIRECT After a few of the most remarkable and challenging years in living memory, many local retailers may be looking for a new symbol partner that better meets their specific needs as they continue to emerge from the long shadow of Covid.

he last few years have changed everything. The world of local retailing has been turned on its head, shaken to within an inch of its life and spun round in circles until retailers are dizzy and exhausted after a period unlike any they’ve ever known. It hasn’t all been downsides, of course. Most retailers probably saw sales and profits hit levels they’ve never hit before – but all that financial success has come at a cost. As the Covid-era continues to recede into the distance, the world of local retailing has been left unrecognisable. What retailers could really be doing with now is a period of calm, measured normality to help them steady the ship, but that’s clearly not going to happen any time soon. The energy crisis is set to take an enormous bite out of all retailers’ bottom lines; staffing challenges are getting worse rather than better; availability remains a huge problem; inflation and the rising cost of living are likely to soften consumer spending; DRS is on the horizon; the list goes on and on and on.

NEW DIRECTION

*Based on ITUK RRP as at August 2022. RRP: For the avoidance of doubt, customers are free at all times to determine the selling price of their products.

For many retailers, the time has come where they have reached a crossroads. They have had some successful if challenging years, so they may have some money in the bank even if they have no gas in the tank. The big question on the lips of many at this point is: would my business www.slrmag.co.uk

SLR September.indd 42

31/08/2022 13:02:33

Fascia Focus

Feature

FOR A NEW CTION? be better, stronger and more profitable with a different symbol or franchise partner? This a fundamentally critical question to ask, but it’s a very difficult one to answer. The last few years have been just as hard for wholesalers as they have been for retailers. It’s tempting to think that your specific wholesaler hasn’t given you the service you needed over the last few years, but it’s worth remembering that the issues facing the entire supply chain have been industry wide. Yes, some symbol groups and wholesalers may have faced the onslaught of challenges better than others, but nobody escaped the pandemic unscathed. Nobody. So it will take a very clear eye and a very dispassionate analytical approach to decide whether the grass is greener and moving to another symbol group would put you in a better position to achieve your aims. Comparing one symbol group with another is a daunting and complex task. Some would say that there is no completely reliable way to analyse how good a symbol group is until you’ve signed on the dotted line and started trading. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting. But if you are keen to test the waters, we have produced a brief guide to some of the leading symbol groups in Scotland and across the UK. There are some very clear differences between the groups and Covid has served to accentuate some of those differences. The key however, is not to judge a symbol group on just one or two www.slrmag.co.uk

SLR September.indd 43

factors like delivery charges, promotional pricing or claimed availability levels. Try to judge each group in the round and try to establish what each group could bring to your specific store with your particular customer base. What’s right for a 1,000sq ft store in Glasgow city centre might not be right for a 2,000sq ft store in Dumfries.

BUSY YEAR It has, as everyone will have noticed, been a busy year for the symbol groups. Recruitment activity is, arguably, more aggressive than it’s ever been. The major UK groups like Costcutter, Nisa, Premier and Londis have been pushing harder and harder into Scotland, with some noticeable high profile successes for some of them. The Scotland-focused groups have also been busy on the recruitment (and retention) front, but one thing is for sure: if you are looking to change group, you’ll have a long line of suitors at your door. That said, it would be foolish to expect too many sweetheart deals. Times are tough for wholesalers and all groups appear to be focusing more on quality than quantity. In return for the enormous support that symbol groups can offer local retailers, they will be looking for commitment and drive from their retail partners. There are very few quick wins in this game and only be forging a strong, positive partnership with your symbol group can you maximise your returns over the longer term.

So have a look through the guide and start lining your ducks up – and, of course, talk to some other retailers who have experience of any groups you might be shortlisting. Inside information is invaluable. But probably don’t take absolutely everything at face value. If another retailer feels like they had a bad time with a particular group, that doesn’t mean you will too. There are countless factors that affect how well a partnership works and in these incredibly trying times, never forget the old adage: it takes two to tango.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SLR

31/08/2022 13:02:33

Feature

Fascia Focus | Premier

PREMIER: DELIVERING BIGGER PROFITS The UK’s leading symbol group continues to grow and example with almost 4,000 stores nationwide thanks to a relentless focus on delivering profit for retailers

remier is the UK’s number one symbol group with almost 4,000 stores nationwide. The group is committed to delivering more profits for retailers and a better shopping experience for consumers. Premier has seen nineteen years of consecutive growth. Premier continues to advertise on TV. Premier is advertised every day, which will be seen over 100 million times annually. The TV advert features Premier’s famous Mega Deal promotions along with retailers to emphasise the local aspect of Premier Store. As well as this, retailers also benefit from a full promotional programme covering all categories of fresh, frozen, grocery and impulse to ensure great value for shoppers to drive footfall into stores. This leading promotional package, along with own-label and price-mark-packs, really drives the value message to help Premier retailers grow their business. Premier works hard to ensure that retailers have the best choice of products to suit their individual store. This includes both Euro Shopper, Booker’s entry level exclusive ownbrand and Happy Shopper, the mid-tier option. This is complimented by working closely with branded suppliers to ensure the best choice so shoppers can clearly see the great value available. Backed by Booker, the UK’s leading food & drink wholesaler, Premier retailers can take advantage of delivery at cash & carry prices, as well as having the ease and convenience of shopping at any Booker branch. ‘Spend & Save,’ where retailers can save up to 5% on their non-tobacco purchases, is also proving popular with Premier members as this delivers real savings and adds to their bottom lines. 44

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

SLR September.indd 44

Premier does not operate any membership or joining fees and installs the fascia and imagery free of charge. A wide range of additional services such as energy savings, free Epos and central billing are also available that have been specifically created to add value and keep operating costs low for Premier members. The group continues to go from strength to strength and its relentless focus in increasing choice, lowering prices and improving service has helped Premier members deliver fantastic convenience stores. www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:34

ASIAN TRADER OF THE YEAR

Mandeep Singh - Singh’s Premier, Sheffield

R E TA I L E R w i n n e r

MORE FOOTFALL MORE CASH PROFIT It’s absolutely FREE to join us! • 5% Spend & Save discount • Free store layout plans and merchandising support • Free fascia and window imagery • Free POS and personalised leaflets

£1.99 and are subject to availability. The

higher price shown is the Premier

each Incl. PM £3/£3.50 RRP and may differ in some stores.

ONLY

Lucozade: Energy Orange/Sport Raspberry 4x380ml/500ml

PM £1 400ml

P5 ENDS - 03/08/21. 105416 - Premier

P5 Rebrand WOW

Some offers may not

& MEGA Posters

ALL.indd 1

be available in all stores

and are subject to availability.

BUY 1 GET 1 FREE£6.99 LY

The higher price shown

£1.9£109 ONLY

ON SELECTED I HEART WINES

is the Premier RRP and

See Shelf Edge for Details

P5 ENDS - 03/08/21. Some

may differ in some stores.

P5 MEGA DEAL

Large Shelf Cards

- ENG.indd 1

28/06/2021 14:45

24x330ml

WAS £10

YAZOO MILK: CHOC ORANGE/ STRAWBERRY/ CHOCOLATE/ BANANA

P5 ENDS: 03/08/21. Some The higher price shown offers may not be available in all stores is the Premier RRP and and are subject to availability. may differ in some stores.

104877 Premier

SOCIAL MEDIA

£5.99 each

75cl

subject to availability. in all stores and are offers may not be available some stores. RRP and may differ in some stores. P5 ENDS: 03/08/21. Someis the Premier RRP and may differ in The higher price shown is the Premier stores and are subject to availability. The higher price shown offers may not be available in all

104877 Premier

P05 Offer ends: 03/08/2

VA P I N G

ENG

ANY 2 FOR

each Incl. PM £3/£3.50

MEGA DEAL

Pepsi Max

BEER CAVE

may not be available in all stores

• Enhanced fresh range • Food to Go solutions

Mandeep Singh, Singh’s Premier, Sheffield

FOOD TO GO

P5 ENDS - 03/08/21. Some offers

“We have been Premier retailers for 27 years and this is something that I am really proud of. The support from the whole team at Premier and Booker has been phenomenal and I’m absolutely delighted with our new store. We work in partnership together and I’d really encourage other retailers to join Premier to help you grow sales and profits.”

P5 MEGA DEAL

Large Shelf Cards

400ml

01/06/2021 16:13

ALL

BUY ONE

GET ONE

FREE PM £1

- ALL.indd 1

MEGA DEALS 105416 - Premier P5 Rebrand

A5 WOW & MEGA DEAL

Tent Cards ALL.indd 2

28/06/2021 14:45

01/06/2021 16:16

EURO SHOPPER

Become a part of the Number 1 Symbol Group

Call us today! 0808 178 8644 Terms and conditions apply.

SLR September.indd 45 110400 - Premier Recruitment Ad - Fascia Feature A4 Advert.indd 1

31/08/2022 13:02:36 17/06/2022 11:26

Feature

Fascia Focus | Londis

GET THE LONDIS LOOK As one of the fastest-growing symbol groups, Londis offers retailers channel exclusives, great quality and a fantastic promotional package with strong retail margins.

ondis is one of the fastest-growing symbol groups in the UK with over 2,200 members. Londis works in partnership with independent retailers, regional groups and large multiple site operators to help them increase cash profit, sales and footfall. Backed by Booker, this guarantees access to group and channel exclusives, great quality and a fantastic promotional package with strong retail margins. At Londis we are committed to maximising on-trend growth areas such as home delivery, food-to-go and meal solutions to ensure our retailers are best placed to benefit from these trends. In 2022, Londis continues to focus on how we can help retailers Make More and Save More with a multitude of opportunities to make over £100k extra profit through our Fit for the Future programme. This initiative ensures our retailers understand the opportunities to help them to maximise footfall, sales and profits in

their stores. It is the focus on areas of growth whilst not forgetting the basics like choice, price and service that helps Londis stand out from the competition in today’s convenience market. Our new own-label brand, Jack’s, is proving extremely popular with Londis retailers. The Jack’s range has over 500 lines with a minimum 30% POR (excluding some chilled & fresh lines) and – with Tesco quality equating to consumer reassurance – it is delivering great sales already. Londis operates a zero-cost model and is a flexible symbol partner that has a fully delivered service and support package to suit all. Members do not incur any membership, joining or delivery fees and also receive their fascia and imagery free of charge. With smart planning and local area knowledge, our experienced Retail and Forecourt Development Teams are committed to helping our members grow their business ensuring their store is well equipped and fit for the future.

THE BENEFITS OF THE LONDIS OFFER INCLUDE: Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q

100% cost free model Free fascia and installation package Earn up to 5% Spend & Save discount* Unrivalled buying power and Group exclusives Fantastic promotional package offering strong retailer margins FREE marketing support Every day lower prices on milk and bread Extensive own-brand ranges Tri-temperature fleet delivering all ambient, fresh and frozen together

* Terms and conditions apply

DETAILS: LONDIS, EQUITY HOUSE, IRTHLINGBOROUGH ROAD, WELLINGBOROUGH, NORTHANTS NN8 1LT TEL: 0808 178 8644 KEY CONTACTS: STEWART FENN, SALES DIRECTOR – BRP KEY BRANDS: LONDIS

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

SLR September.indd 46

www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:38

“

Our profits are up since joining Londis. Margins are much better than our previous symbol group and they keep improving.

Join Londis today and watch your profits grow

”

- 00% Cost Free model - Earn up to 5% discount* - Dedicated Retail Development Team Jas Singh Londis Stourbridge Road, Dudley Visit the Londis 360 virtual tour at : http://360.skyeyeplus.co.uk/files/LondisLeeds/

Call us on 0808 178 8644 or visit joinlondis.co.uk * Terms and Conditions apply. SLR September.indd 47 Feature Advert.indd 2 102412 Londis Fascia

31/08/2022 13:02:38 04/12/2020 09:41

Feature

Fascia Focus | Budgens

BETTER WITH BUDGENS As the UK’s longest-standing symbol group, Budgens offers retailers vast experience combined with a thoroughly modern package.

BENEFITS OF JOINING BUDGENS: Q No joining, membership or weekly fees Q Industry leading rebate scheme* Q Extensive own brand ranges from entry level to premium Q Expert fresh food support Q Over 100 promotional offers every four weeks including the new ‘WOW’ footfall driving deals Q Free marketing support Q Industry-leading symbol brand on Facebook with over 230,000 followers Q Up to six day multi-temperature deliveries plus top-up at your local Booker branch Q Free collection of waste cardboard and clear polythene wrap

udgens is the UK’s oldest grocery symbol retailer and whilst we remain true to our heritage, focusing on serving local communities with quality fresh produce and great value own brands, we are also continuing to develop our offer to cater for food-to-go, chilled meals, vegetarian and vegan options. Budgens is available nationwide and has a flexible format suitable for neighbourhood centres, forecourts, suburban shopping parades, towns or villages of between 1,000 and 5,000sq ft. It is a great source of pride that in the 2021 Lumina symbol track report Budgens had the highest “likely to recommend” score of all symbol groups. At Budgens we have focused on developing our chilled ranges to meet the needs of retailers who value their independence, recognising the enormous benefit that longer shelf life and smaller pack sizes bring to retailers in optimising availability and minimising wastage. We have also enhanced our offer by introducing additional fresh and chilled meal solutions such as ‘evening meal for tonight’ and ‘lunch time meal deal’ which now include healthier low calorie options, as well as increased vegetarian and vegan options. To meet the shoppers’ rapidly increasing appetite for eating on the move, Budgens ahs partnered up with the likes of Cook, Laithwaite’s, F’real, Stone Willy’s and more. By introducing an improved hot ‘on the go’ solution we have

also introduced new bakery ranges, iced drinks and a dessert offer to meet shopper needs in the fast growing ‘treat’ sector. Backed by Booker, this guarantees access to group and channel exclusives, great quality and a fantastic promotional package with strong retail margins. Budgens runs over 100 promotional offers every four weeks, including the new ‘WOW’ footfall-driving deals and – whilst focusing on every day lower prices on key lines such as bread, milk, fruit and vegetables – our marketing team provides free support all year round with personalised leaflets, point of sale, and seasonal kits to help retailers bring a seamless shopper experience. Budgens also supports retailers on all mainstream social media platforms and is the industry-leading symbol brand on Facebook with over 230,000 followers. Our dedicated team creates content to help drive footfall and interest around the brand which is advertised with geo targeting to store locations, sharing everything from fun offers and animations to delicious recipes for inspiration. Budgens operates a zero cost model meaning there are no joining, membership or weekly fees. This includes a free fascia and installation package. Our mission is to support independent retailers to ensure continued supply, counter cost pressures and to help our retailers grow their business through expertise advice on fresh through our committed Retail and Forecourt Development Teams.

* Terms and conditions apply.

DETAILS: BUDGENS, EQUITY HOUSE, IRTHLINGBOROUGH ROAD, WELLINGBOROUGH, NORTHANTS NN8 1LT TEL: 0808 178 8644 KEY CONTACTS: STEWART FENN, SALES DIRECTOR – BRP KEY BRANDS: BUDGENS

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

SLR September.indd 48

www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:39

UNITED FOR BETTER PROFITS “Since moving to Budgens our turnover has doubled, and our margins have improved.” Goran Raven, Budgens Abridge

At Budgens our team support you all the way. With our Regional Development Managers, fresh food team and expert marketing advice your store will be up and running with growing profits in no time. Which is why in the 2020 Lumina symbol track report Budgens has the highest “likely to recommend” score of all symbol groups*.

Join us now!

call 0808 178 8644 or visit joinbudgens.co.uk

*Lumina Intelligence Wholesaler Ratings 2020.

SLR September.indd 49 Trader Recruitment Advert.indd 1 103481 BUD Forecourt

31/08/2022 13:02:40 16/04/2021 09:33

Open a One Stop Franchise One Stop is a brand with strong heritage and represents the very best in convenience store retailing. With over 300 years of retail and expertise we operate a network of over 700 stores and partner with over 280 franchise stores and growing. At One Stop we give our franchisees an unbeatable combination of benefits to build your business. These include state-of-the-art store design, time saving technology, business planning and management tools. It’s a partnership that delivers huge benefits for you – It’ll always be our aim to help you achieve your business goals and make it easier to run a franchise so you get a better work-life balance. As part of Tesco, we have ambitious goals, we’re forward-thinking and constantly innovating. We’re dedicated to growing One Stop Franchise and recognise we can’t do that without our valued franchisees.

Six ways One Stop can transform your business. More cash in your pocket

£50,000 store investment

Dedicated support team

Our franchisees commonly see year on year growth, with fully re-fitted stores increasing their weekly sales by an average of more than 14% in the first 13 weeks alone.

When you join One Stop, we’ll give your store a fully-managed refresh up to the value of £50,000. New layout, new fixtures and new fittings inside and out, plus a special store launch celebration.

Join us and your dedicated Business Development Manager will visit you every month. Plus our Franchise Action Line will also support you.

Supporting the future of your store

Time-saving technology

Market-leading promotions

It’s good to know that whatever’s happening in the world, you’ll always be able to react and adapt – to any retail situation. We’ll ensure you’re resilient enough to respond to challenges, whatever they may be.

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Our state-of-the-art EPOS system manages everything from transactions to sales reporting, whilst our auto-replenishment system ensures you always have a well-stocked store. The scale of our supply chain and our sophisticated merchandising system, ensures that you’ll always get the right products.

We offer supermarket value deals, with margins which will add to your profits. Our amazing point of sale helps spread the word to customers both in-store and online.

31/08/2022 13:02:40

Join the One Stop family. We’ll support on your journey to building a successful franchise business

Get in touch today to find out about more about One Stop!

01543 363003 One Stop Franchise

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openaonestop.co.uk 1stopfranchise

JoinUs@onestop.co.uk OneStopFranchise

31/08/2022 13:02:41

Feature

Big Night In

SITTING PRETTY The Big Night In opportunity offers local stores a wealth of opportunities to bag extra sales and profits. BY GAELLE WALKER

chool is back, the nights are drawing in and Scotland’s sofas are beckoning behinds to sit and share big nights in with friends and family. Fortunately for local retailers, the trend towards cosy nights in can also result in toasty profits, with sharing formats key to driving sales. According to Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks, 49% of shoppers see snacks as a “must have” for an evening in, and with a current value of £1.4bn, sharing is the largest segment in CSN “and growing strongly at 8.3% MAT”. “Taste,” Collins says, “is a critical element of this ‘Together Time’ as the number one influence for shoppers buying crisps or snacks.” One key Big Night In category certainly hitting the mark with shoppers at the moment is popcorn, which, thanks to a raft of recent developments, is not only ticking the box when it comes to taste, but also scoring big on price and health. In fact, sharing occasions of the popped corn snack are currently growing at 21% according to KP Snacks, which recently launched Butterkist Crunchy Orange Chocolate popcorn in £1 PMPs in a bid to better “bridge the gap between popcorn and chocolate confectionery”. Also hoping to bag a bigger bite of the popcorn opportunity over the autumn Big Night In opportunity and beyond is Devon-based premium snack company Burts Chips, which just bolstered its range with the launch of two new vegan-friendly “small batch” popcorn products.

With the popcorn category “driving the larger snacking industry” and featuring an estimated CAGR of 11.2% by 2027, now was the perfect time for Burts to “develop the ultimate hand-cooked and small batch ready-to-eat popcorn,” Chief Executive Dave McNulty said. Burts Small Batch Popcorn is available now in two flavours: Lightly Salted and Sweet & Salty. Away from popcorn, but also playing on the key field of permissible indulgence, is Mars Wrigley’s Maltesers Balls range, which was expanded earlier this summer with the addition of Dark Maltesers. Marking the first innovation for Maltesters Balls in nearly 10 years, the launch was designed to offer shoppers “a more intense chocolate experience with less sugar”. “Research shows that the dark chocolate segment has grown 15%, with consumers increasingly looking for a more intense cocoa experience,” Maltesers Brand Director Leah Dyckes says. “The creation of Dark Maltesers is a direct response to our consumers who have voiced they would like a dark chocolate variety of their favourite treat. “Dark Maltesers retain what consumers know and love about Maltesers whilst offering a richer flavour profile, widening the consumer base of dark chocolate to younger consumers.” Available in £1 PMP treat bags, single packs, small pouches and sharing pouches, there is a Maltesers Balls format to suit all Big Night In occasions, from indulgent movie nights in alone or fun-filled evenings with a crowd.

PACKING A PUNCH Walkers has partnered with the Paramount+ streaming service by launching limited edition packs across its Walkers MAX, Sensations, Wotsits, Squares, Monster Munch and Quavers ranges. Featuring designs from hit films and series including Mission Impossible and Star Trek, packs offer consumers the chance to enjoy a free month-long subscription to the service. Jonathan Roberts, Walkers MAX Senior Brand Manager, says: “We know that screen time is the largest snacking occasion and, as the most loved crisp brand, we are perfectly placed to cater to this demand. Our partnership with Paramount+ is the ideal opportunity for retailers to tap into snacking occasions like ‘big night in’ and increase sales by offering customers a free month-long subscription to the streaming service.”

FLAVOUR PACKED Cheese, Salted, and ‘Hot & Spicy’ are the top three flavours for savoury snacks according to PepsiCo. To better meet demand for these flavour trends, PepsiCo recently expanded its Wotsits range with the launch of a brandnew addition: Wotsits Crunchy. Available now in the convenience channel, the Wotsits Crunchy brand features two flavours: Really Cheesy and Flamin’ Hot. Both come in 60g bags with an RSP of £1 and 140g sharing packs.

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:44

£1M MEDIA SPEND reaching 75% of the UK population

FRUITY GUM is now over

A QUARTER of the gum market value *

APPLE is the NO.1 fruit in the UK, whilst BLUEBERRY is a TOP 3 Fruity Confectionery flavour **

Fruity Gum is recruiting

NEW SHOPPERS, in 2021 +25% of Refreshers shoppers were new to the category ***

*Source: Nielsen Total Coverage, MAT 06.01.2021 (Mars Wrigley Insights - data collection in 2017 / 2018, pre-COVID19 pandemic). **New flavours data - Kantar 52 w/e 16.05.2021, Total Fruity Confectionery. ***Kantar penetration, 24 w/e to 28.11.2021.

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31/08/2022 13:02:47

UTC

WHAT THE TRUCK?

GET TO FALKIRK!

Under The Counter has a notoriously sweet tooth. Not literally – he’s been sporting falsers since before the last time Scotland qualified for a major football tournament. Let’s just say he enjoys a dessert. So, the Auld Boy was disconsolate to discover American brand Klondike had axed the Choco Taco. If you’ve never heard of the Choco Taco, it’s a chocolate-coated taco-shaped waffle cone packed with ice cream, peanuts and artificially flavoured fudge. Based on that description, UTC wondered why it got the chop. “It sounds a million times better than a boring Magnum,” he said. Oddly enough, both Magnum and Klondike are owned by Unilever – the world’s largest soap producer, according to the Auld Boy. This is ironic, given the lather US shoppers got into over the Choco Taco’s demise. A Twitter storm erupted, the co-founder of Reddit offered to buy the manufacturing rights, and a Senator threatened to invoke legislation to keep the frozen treat in stores. Quite right too, said UTC, standing foursquare behind his American cousins. Until he learned that Klondike had tweeted it was “working hard to find a way to bring Choco Taco back to ice cream trucks”. This got a frosty reception from the Auld Boy, who despises the American bastardisation of the mother tongue almost as much as he hates vegetables. “Ice cream trucks?” he fumed. “It’s ice cream vans. And any daft Yank who says otherwise will get my boot in their fanny.”

Two things Under The Counter can’t be bothered with are English football and online gambling. He’d rather watch Hamilton Accies and fill out betting slips in his local bookies. Mostly because both pastimes get him out from under Mrs UTC’s feet on a Saturday afternoon. So, he was underwhelmed to discover that the Premier League was thinking about banning the promotion of gambling on football shirts and that betting.com had come up with an alternative sponsorship angle for clubs. More specifically, the gambling website picked out a dozen or so British teams that play close to where famous food and drink brands were founded then kitted them out with new strips inspired by the brands. This was of no interest whatsoever to the Auld Boy until he found out one of the brands in question was none other than Irn-Bru. In case you didn’t know, Scotland’s other national drink was first made in Falkirk in 1901, roughly around the same time UTC was getting made a few miles west in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire. Irn-Bru is one the great loves of Under The Counter’s life, the others being Mrs UTC, Tennent’s Lager, Famous Grouse and Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers. Although not necessarily in that order. Now all the old galoot can be bothered with is logging onto betting.com in the vain hope of bagging himself an Irn-Bru strip. Even if does come with a Falkirk badge.

SLR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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SAYONARA SOBRIETY Under The Counter was horrified to discover that Japan’s national tax agency has launched a competition to come up with ideas to turn the nation’s younger generation onto the bevvy. Not that he’s against such a move – he was horrified that they weren’t drinking in the first place. Apparently, new habits that young adults picked up during the pandemic have caused the country’s alcohol sales to hit the floor harder than a sackful of sumo wrestlers. Now the ‘Sake Viva!’ campaign hopes to reverse this trend and halt an accompanying fall in tax revenues. Just why Japan’s generation sensible turned away from drink during lockdown is a mystery to Under The Counter, mainly because a legally enforced extended spell stuck at in the house with Mrs UTC had him speeding like a bullet train towards the nearest bottle of Famous Grouse. A booze-related story like this hasn’t shocked the Auld Boy so much since the NHS issued guidance about only drinking 14 units of alcohol. He had initially grudgingly accepted this, until someone pointed out that the figure was per week, not per day.

www.slrmag.co.uk

31/08/2022 13:02:47

CAN WE REALLY CLAIM THIS CAN IS THE MODERN WAY TO CONSUME NICOTINE?

YES WE CAN

EMPTY CAN AND RECYCLE

NICOTINE POUCHES

YOU’VE GOT VELO VELO.COM/FREE-CAN

This product contains nicotine and is addictive. For adult nicotine consumers only. For trade use only.

SLR September.indd 55

Winner Nicotine Pouch Category. Survey of 9,897 people by Kantar.

31/08/2022 13:02:49

Tech-Bar_Bar Fan_Scottish Local Retailer_Sep22.pdf

25/08/2022

10:07

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31/08/2022 13:02:50