The Week In Retail Issue 52

RETAIL

THE WEEK IN

GRAZE DEBUTS ON TV RUSTLERS UNVEILS ‘COOK IN BOX’ ALDI IN COPYCATERPILLAR BATTLE

...MORE IF YOU PLEASE

GROCERY

COULD AMAZON STEAL CO-OP’S 6TH SPOT?

TWC SAYS AMAZON COULD BECOME SIXTHLARGEST GROCER

COVID-19

SCOTLAND STEPS UP EASING

HOSPITALITY AND RETAIL TO RE-OPEN ON MONDAY

SUSTAINABILITY

MOLSON COORS RINGS THE CHANGES

BREWER DUMPS RINGS FOR CARDBOARD

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THE WEEK IN RETAIL

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

COULD AMAZON REPLACE THE CO-OP AS THE UK’S SIXTH-BIGGEST GROCER? TWC Development Director Tom Fender is no stranger to taking an offbeat view of apparently mundane retailing issues and coming up with an eye-catching angle – or headline. After all, in his previous business with Mike Greene – HIM – they made a very healthy living by developing a canny knack of seeing convenience retail from a fresh and challenging perspective, one that made us all look at things we all thought we understood just a little differently.

So his latest prediction in TWC’s first Trends Report that Amazon could become the UK’s sixth largest grocer is very much in character. Leftfield clickbait, but with more than an element of the plausible, the more you think about it. Yes, the logic used to get to that prediction is certainly up for debate, but it’s hardly an impossible scenario.

Basically, it runs like this: according to TWC research, around 72% of the UK population has an Amazon account and around 61% of those customers claim to “regularly buy from Amazon”.

Fender’s argument has it that, if just 60% of that 61% did one big grocery shop a week with Amazon, it would make Amazon the sixth largest grocer in the UK. Hey presto.

OK, there’s a lot of ifs in there, but the scenario Fender describes is hardly off-the-chart unlikely.

Yes, the vast majority of purchases made by those Amazon loyalists will be non-food – but with the mammoth growth we’ve seen in home delivery of food and drink, it’s not inconceivable that Amazon could start converting more of those ‘traditional’ non-food Amazon customers into food buyers too. Particularly if it keeps growing its bricks and mortar Amazon Fresh estate as quickly as it’s been doing; its third UK store in just over a month recently opened.

And, as you’d expect from a data and tech company, Fender also reiterates the importance of data to Amazon, a factor that seems to be entirely missing from most industry observers’ analysis of the potential threat of Amazon Fresh in the UK. For my money, Fender is bang on there. The shopping experience, the range, the pricing – all that conventional retail stuff – is all beside the point when discussing the threat of Amazon. Data is the four letter word we should all be using when discussing Amazon.

Customer data is what makes Amazon such a fearsome opponent.

ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY ANTONYBEGLEY

ANTONY BEGLEY, EDITOR

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 3

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CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

6

19

20

THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF

STORE PROFILE: NISA WILLENHALL RD

TWC TRENDS SPRING REPORT

Politicians agree more robust policing is needed to combat retail crime and Booker sees sales spike by over 18%.

Harry Dhillon sees 40% growth after transforming a former McColl’s store into an modern, attractive Nisa.

New research suggests that Amazon could be in line to become the sixth biggest grocer in the UK.

9 COVID-19 UPDATE

17 RETAILER COMPETITIONS

35 OUT THE BOX: MOLSON COORS

10 MEDIA: #SHOPKIND CAMPAIGN

THE FULL SWAN FILTER AND FUSION

BREWER REMOVES PLASTIC RINGS ON

CUSTOMERS ARE URGED TO #SHOPKIND

CARDS RANGE AS WELL AS £300-WORTH OF

ALL ITS BRANDS IN FAVOUR OF FULLY

AS THEY RETURN TO THE HIGH STREET.

AMBER LEAF STOCK IS UP FOR GRABS!

RECYCLABLE CARDBOARD SLEEVES.

13 SUSTAINABILITY: SODASTREAM

25 PICKS OF THE WEEK

37 BEFORE YOU GO...

SODASTREAM LAUNCHES A NEW ‘DON’T JUST SHARE, CARE’ CAMPAIGN.

TWITTER.COM/SLRMAG

A LOOK AT THE LATEST NEW PRODUCTS AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SLRMAG

M&S THINKS ALDI’S CATERPILLAR CAKE LOOKS STRANGELY FAMILIAR.

WWW.SLRMAG.CO.UK

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 5

NEWS DIGEST

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

OCADO GOES DRIVERLESS

RETAIL CRIME

teamed up with autonomous

MORE ROBUST POLICING REQUIRED, SAY POLITICIANS

driving software company

FIVE LEADING SCOTTISH POLITICIANS AGREE MORE ROBUST

Oxbotica to build self-driving

POLICING IS REQUIRED TO TACKLE RETAIL CRIME.

Online grocer Ocado has

vehicles that could include selfdriving forklifts and delivery vans, as well as robots to take deliveries to front doors.

Ocado bought a £10m stake in Oxbotica as part of the deal.

PORTMAN CBD GUIDE Alcohol watchdog The Portman Group has released new guidance on the naming, packaging and promotion of alcohol products containing CBD. The guidance is designed to aid producers in complying with the Code, should they choose to market a CBD-infused product.

WELSH WEEKLY WIN News retailers have welcomed the launch of a new weekly printed title. The National launched in Wales on St David’s Day as a digital news service and with a special launch print edition. Now publisher Newsquest has decided to take the print title weekly from 17 April.

As part of NFRN’s digital hustings on Monday, ahead of the Scottish elections on 6 May, five leading politicians agreed more robust policing is required to tackle the scourge of retail crime.

Taking part in the debate were Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar; SNP Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham; Conservative candidate in West Scotland region Maurice Golden; MP for Edinburgh West and the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson for the Treasury and Trade Christine Jardine; and the Scottish Greens’ Anne Thomas.

Admitting that retail crime was “a massive issue”, Sarwar said this was exacerbated by police failing to engage when small value items were stolen. He

described policing efforts as “not good enough”, adding that too many women and BAME shopkeepers felt targeted.

“Too many people have to live in fear at work because of the colour of their skin, accent or sex,” he said.

Denham called for more education and more reporting of incidents to raise awareness of the scale of the issue.

Citing poverty as one of the factors behind retail crime, Thomas called for “better, more responsive policing”.

ISMAIL AND JACOBS ELECTED TO POST OFFICE BOARD Two serving Postmasters have been elected to the Post Office Board as NonExecutive Directors for the first time in the Post Office’s 360-year history. Saf Ismail who operates six post offices in Lancashire and Manchester, and Elliot Jacobs who runs seven post offices in London and Hertfordshire received the most votes.

The appointments are a key milestone in the sustained reset of the relationship between Post Office and Postmasters that places them front and centre of the business. Following approval by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Saf Ismail and Elliott Jacobs will formally join the Post Office board after an induction and training programme.

6 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 52 / WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021

NEWS DIGEST

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

SPAR VIRTUAL TRADESHOW

WHOLESALERS

BOOKER RECORDS 18.5% SALES GROWTH

Spar Scotland will host its second annual virtual tradeshow on 23 September.

WHOLESALE GIANT BOOKER HAS SEEN SALES SPIKE BY OVER 18%

The 2021 virtual tradeshow

AS SHOPPERS TURNED TO CONVENIENCE OVER THE LAST YEAR.

is themed ‘One Family, One Vision’ and the retailer and

Preliminary figures released by Booker owner Tesco show that the wholesaling giant saw retail sales rise by 18.5% over the last year.

The results reflect the growth in popularity of convenience stores

during the Covid pandemic and helped soften the blow of an enormous 40.8% drop in sales in Booker’s foodservice division, Best Food Logistics.

Booker’s total sales rose by 10.5% in the year to the end of February.

wholesaler expects it to be bigger and better than last year’s virtual event.

ALDI TRIALS LOOSE Aldi is trialling a range of

POUNDLAND EXPANDS CHILLED AND FROZEN

packaging-free products in a store in Ulverston in Cumbria that lets shoppers buy loose rice and pasta. The discounter is providing customers with free recyclable paper bags and, if the trial proves successful, Aldi will look to develop its refillable options in other shops.

ASDA AXES 1,200 Asda is set to shed up to 1,200 jobs at its in-store bakeries as demand for traditional loaves declines in favour of speciality products. The

Poundland is in the process of rolling out chilled and frozen food to 46 more of its stores, taking the total offering of the ‘store within a store’ concept to 175.

The retailer intends to offer the new range in 250 shops by the end of September with 500 stores offering chilled and frozen within two years.

Six stores will have the range in May with another be added to the programme in 70 being added from July.

supermarket intends to move to a central bakery model and says it hopes to “move as many colleagues as possible into alternative roles with redundancy the last option”.

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NEWS SPECIAL

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

SCOTTISH EASING MOVES UP A GEAR ON MONDAY

THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED SIGNIFICANT COVID

S

RESTRICTIONS EASING ACROSS RETAIL, HOSPITALITY AND TRAVEL FROM MONDAY.

travel within the UK will be permitted for any purpose. If everyone continues to follow the rules, it is expected that all of Scotland will move to Level 2 on Monday 17 May. Sturgeon said: “The changes that come into force next week have been hard earned by all of us. I know that many will be looking forward to their first drink in a beer garden, to catching up with a friend in a café, or to going on holiday somewhere in Scotland.

“But even as we enjoy those moments, we still need to be careful.

We must remember the virus is more infectious now than it was when bars and cafés were last open, so we must still stick to the rules.”

BESTWAY DONATES 80 TONNES OF FLOUR Bestway Wholesale has donated over 80 tonnes of self-raising flour to The Felix Project, a London based charity that uses surplus food to help people in poverty and need. The flour has been sent to hundreds of charities across London.

Dawood Pervez, MD at Bestway Wholesale said, “We chose to donate the flour to this wonderful charity because as we know it will help many other charities across London right in the communities that Bestway serves. Frighteningly, 1.5 million adults and 400,000 children go hungry and we need to do everything we can to help make this change.”

Temperature-controlled logistics specialist Gist is trialling the UK’s first fully autonomous, all-electric engineless refrigerated trailer system.

The unit uses a battery to power the fridge system which gets recharged using kinetic energy fom the trailer’s axle when the vehicle is moving.

TECH SOLUTIONS

cotland’s faster-thanexpected journey out of Covid restrictions has continued with an announcement from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this week that there will be “significant easing of restrictions across retail, hospitality and travel” from Monday.

Hospitality venues such as cafés, pubs and restaurants can reopen, along with tourist accommodation as all parts of the country will move to Level 3. Non-essential retail outlets and close contact services such as beauty salons can also reopen, in addition to indoor attractions and public buildings.

The remaining travel restrictions within Scotland will be lifted and

GIST TRIALS ENGINELESS ELECTRIC REFRIGERATED TRAILERS

Unlike current setups, this loop creates a fully autonomous system that produces no direct carbon dioxide or particulate emissions.

The fridge is lighter than a standard fridge and associated red diesel fuel tank, and very quiet.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 9

MEDIA

SHOPKIND CAMPAIGN CRIMESTOPPERS

CUSTOMERS URGED TO #SHOPKIND A NEW CAMPAIGN FROM CRIMESTOPPERS, THE HOME OFFICE AND RETAILERS IS URGING CUSTOMERS TO #SHOPKIND AS THEY BEGIN TO RETURN TO THE HIGH STREET.

R

Kevin Tindall, MD, Tesco Convenience “Our colleagues and those across retail work hard to serve customers every day and the vast majority of customers

etailers, the Home Office and independent charity Crimestoppers have come together to launch a new campaign that urges the public to ShopKind after the reopening of more shops.

The #ShopKind campaign encourages the public to be mindful of shopworkers’ essential role in supporting people during these difficult times, and emphasises that they should treat workers and also other customers with respect, kindness and gratitude.

are very appreciative. Our stores should be safe places to work and shop, and any form of antisocial behaviour is unacceptable. We support the ShopKind campaign in reminding shoppers of the vital role that those working in retail have played during the pandemic and the amazing job they continue to do in keeping customers safe and feeding the nation.”

10 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 52 / WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021

The campaign is backed by the Home Office and supported by major high street retailers, supermarkets and the local retailing sector, as well as trade associations and shopworkers union Usdaw.

The Association of Convenience Stores’ 2021 Crime Report, which was published last month, shows that over the past year there have been over 1.2 million incidents of verbal abuse, and around 40,000 incidents of violence against people working in convenience stores. Of these, more than a quarter

MEDIA

SHOPKIND CAMPAIGN CRIMESTOPPERS

James Lowman, Chief Executive at the Association of Convenience Stores “Convenience stores have been open throughout the pandemic, keeping communities going and being first to adapt to keep customers and colleagues safe through Covid-secure measures. While the majority of customers have been incredibly supportive and embody the messages of the ShopKind campaign, there are still too many people being abusive and violent to retailers and their colleagues. We fully support ShopKind, which serves as an important reminder of the essential work that convenience stores have done over the last year and continue to do to as the rest of retail

involved a weapon, such as a knife, hammer, axe, or syringe.

Two-thirds of retailers (65%) had experienced Covid-related threats, with the most common causes of abuse being reminding customers to wear face coverings, reminding customers of social distancing measures and queueing outside stores.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Throughout the pandemic, shop staff have been the lifeline for many in our communities, and I am grateful for their vital service. Violence and abuse towards shop workers is utterly despicable and unacceptable, everyone has the right to feel safe at work.

“As the daughter of shopkeepers, I fully support ShopKind, a reminder to customers to consider their behaviour towards shop staff, and I encourage all retailers to fully support it.”

If you have any information about someone who is abusive or violent

reopens.”

Paul Gerrard, Co-op Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs “No one should have to face violence and abuse just for doing their job, and nothing is more important to us than the safety and wellbeing of shopworkers who work tirelessly within communities – they deserve thanks, not abuse, threats and violence. They also deserve for the law to better protect them as they go about their daily working lives. It does now in Scotland, but not in the rest of the UK and so we continue to call for Government to show that it is listening and to send out a clear message that anti-social behaviour and attacks on shopworkers is not acceptable.”

towards retail and shop staff, please let Crimestoppers know. You can contact them 100% anonymously on

freephone 0800 555 111 or through its untraceable Anonymous Online Form.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 11

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SUSTAINABILITY

SODASTREAM EARTH DAY

SODASTREAM RECRUITS ZUCKERBERG FOR GREEN PUSH

SODASTREAM HAS PARTNERED WITH MARK ZUCKERBERG’S SISTER TO LAUNCH A ‘DON’T JUST SHARE,

T

CARE’ CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF EARTH DAY TOMORROW.

omorrow is official Earth Day and to mark the occasion, SodaStream has hooked up with Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Facebook’s famous CEO, to launch its environmental campaign video, ‘Don’t just share, care’. The tongue in cheek video sees Randi stress the importance of not just simply sharing posts about the environment on social media but of taking a stand and transforming social concern into real action for the planet.

The campaign comes as SodaStream announces a massive increase in its ambitions to rid the world of plastic waste, committing to save the use of 78 billion single-use plastic bottles by 2025, a 16% increase on its 2020 goals.

SodaStream, which was bought by PepsiCo for $3.2bn in 2018, claims to be the world’s leading sparkling water brand and is targeting growth in the UK with Asda and Sainsbury’s as well as its first foray into the convenience market with Nisa.

To support the campaign SodaStream has released new research which shows that 30% of people in the UK are sick of people ‘green-washing’ on social media, sharing posts about the environment when they know they don’t live sustainably themselves.

To help consumers make sustainable choices from their

own home, SodaStream has gone greener than ever for Earth Day with the launch of a new Country Green colourway.

The new machine, and the entire SodaStream Spirit range, has been certified as reducing carbon by the Carbon Trust.

SodaStream will also begin developing its sparkling water makers from recycled or plant-based material for the first time in the brand’s history and will also switch all its flavour bottles from plastic to metal before the end of the year, saving another 200 million single-use plastic bottles.

Finally, SodaStream offices across the globe will close tomorrow as the brand calls employees to join clean-up activities in their local areas, and where possible as allowed

by Covid-19 restrictions.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 13

£1.25M

sales generated by our top retailer in 12 months (1)

17.6K

av. weekly delivery sales by top 10 stores in January (2)

£27.74

average basket spend vs £7.60 industry average (3)

Fully supported onboarding, sales ramp up and dedicated Account Manager to help you succeed call: 0333 900 1250 email: contact@snappyshopper.co.uk web: retailers.snappyshopper.co.uk

(1)

12 Months to 31st January 21 /

(2)

Sources: Lumina UK Convenience Market Report 2020 /

(3)

Sales W/C 31st January 21.

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RETAILER OFFERS

COMPETITIONS AMBER LEAF / SWAN

WIN £300-WORTH OF AMBER LEAF STOCK! To celebrate Amber Leaf turning 30 years old, and being the No. 1 RYO brand in the UK for 10 of those, the brand and The Week In Retail have teamed up to give away over £600 of Amber Leaf stock.

The Virginia blend tobacco launched in 1991. The Original is available in a 30g pouch with an RSP of £15.85, 50g pouch with an RSP of £26.25 and a 3-in-1 30g box format with an RSP of £15.95. Premium quality tobacco all at an affordable price point.

Each includes hand stripped, fine cut Virginia blend tobacco, 100 premium quality cigarette papers and 77 filter tips. Alongside the Original, the Amber Leaf range also includes the Blonde 30g Box: a smoother tasting version with an RSP of £15.85.

To share the celebrations, JTI is launching a competition in which two lucky retailers will win £300 worth of Amber

Leaf stock in the form of Amber Leaf Outers. Entries close on Friday 23 April, and JTI will select and announce the two lucky winners later in the month.

To enter, simply answer the following question: How many years has Amber Leaf been the No. 1 RYO brand in the UK? Q 5 years Q 10 years Q 30 years Send your answer, along with your store and contact details to raitken@55north.com by Friday 23 April.

WIN THE FULL SWAN FILTER AND FUSION CARDS RANGE! The Week In Retail has hooked up with Swan to offer five retailers the opportunity to win the entire Swan accessories range, including filters and Fusion Cards.

Republic Technologies UK launched its biggest ever programme of NPD last year, with the introduction of six innovative filters from the iconic Swan brand, allowing retailers to build a tobacco accessories range that suits every shopper while also helping

them to increase their sales within the category.

Republic Technologies is giving five retailers the chance to win the full range plus its brand new innovation, Swan Flavour Fusion Cards. 1 x outer

of each product: Swan Fresh Burst Crushball, Swan Cool Burst Crushball, Swan Cool Menthol, Swan Graphite, Swan Eco Loose and Swan Long Extra Slim, Swan Flavour Fusion Cards Menthol and Swan Flavour Fusion Cards Fresh Burst, worth more than £60 RSP. To enter, simply email your name, store name and contact telephone number to raitken@55north.com by Friday 23 April.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 17

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STORE PROFILE

NISA WILLENHALL RD, WOLVERHAMPTON HARRY DHILLON

RIP IT UP AND START AGAIN WEST MIDLANDS NISA RETAILER HARRY DHILLON HAS SEEN 40% GROWTH AFTER

A

TRANSFORMING A FORMER MCCOLL’S STORE INTO AN UNRECOGNISABLE MODERN, ATTRACTIVE NISA IN WOLVERHAMPTON.

West Midlands retailer is reaping the rewards of his newlydeveloped store, with customers wowed by the shop that is unrecognisable from the store it was previously.

Harry Dhillon bought the former McColl’s store in Willenhall Road, Wolverhampton last autumn, seeing the potential with its prime location just off a busy road, close to the city centre and good parking outside for passing trade.

Closing the store for a fortnight to carry out a full refit, Harry removed all interior fixtures and fittings to provide a blank canvas enabling him to start the refurbishment from scratch and the result is a new-look store that is delighting shoppers.

Since launching the store in October sales have increased by almost 40% in the six months to April and Harry believes, now he is embedded into the community and shoppers know what they can get from his store, sales will continue to grow.

“It’s a great-looking store and my customers have all been really impressed with the shop as well as what we’re stocking,” says Harry. “They love the promotions and are spending well.”

The refit included the replacement of all existing chilled refrigeration, allowing for a new layout to be introduced. This changed the flow of the store and improved the shopping experience.

At just over 2,500sq ft the store now offers nearly 9m of chilled products and a further 10.5m of chilled BWS.

Fresh meat and fruit and vegetables sell well although it took a few weeks to establish the range.

“When we first opened there was a bit of waste with fresh stuff going out of date, but it didn’t take long for customers to realise what was available to them and now we sell everything very well,” says Harry. “The new offer is really working. Every day we are seeing new faces coming in and shopping with us. People who have not been in for a while are coming in and they are really impressed.”

And with housing as well as local businesses neighbouring the store along with passing traffic on the nearby main road, the footfall is strong and growing. Average basket spend is also creeping up since opening day and now sitting at £10 to £12.

“Our shoppers know us now, they know what they can get from us, and so we are going to make the most of it and push on to improve our sales,” concludes Harry.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 19

RESEARCH

TWC TRENDS SPRING 2021 REPORT TWC

AMAZON SET TO BECOME SIXTH BIGGEST SUPERMARKET? THE INAUGURAL TWC TRENDS REPORT SUGGESTS THAT AMAZON COULD BE IN LINE TO BECOME THE

I

SIXTH BIGGEST GROCER IN THE UK.

ntelligence and technology consultancy TWC launched a new series of planned regular reports last week with the headline-grabbing prediction that Amazon could become the sixth largest supermarket in the UK. All it would take for that to happen, said TWC Development Director Tom Fender, is for existing, committed Amazon customers to do just one big grocery shop with Amazon a month.

The inaugural TWC Trends Spring 2021 Report also suggests that supermarkets may start to lose their dominance in the future, especially with the younger generation and more affluent shoppers. It also highlights that the online delivery trend that is here to stay and will only get bigger with convenience stores needing to increase their participation in order to combat Amazon growth.

20 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 52 / WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021

The report, which is available to buy here reveals the very latest perceptions, thoughts and behaviours of 1,200 consumers in convenience retail, hospitality, foodservice and wholesale. The company says it responds to a market gap for straightforward sentiment research and opinion mining on current and future trends, and that the research has been overlaid with incisive interpretation and calls to action.

Fender said the report digs into what is happening in the market – and most importantly why – and identifies emerging future trends.

“We believe that although Amazon is discussed a lot as a threat to our channel, the fact that 72% of the population has an account really emphasises that threat. And now, it is now a double threat with the launch of Amazon Fresh and a triple threat with its investment in Deliveroo.

“Their online platform may not impress Gen Z but their food-to-go and delivery solutions are sure to be winning hearts and minds in this consumer cohort. What we are

RESEARCH

TWC TRENDS SPRING 2021 REPORT TWC

“What we are most impressed with is the knowledge Amazon has on its customers which all comes from an obsession to gather, analyse and interpret data. It is the fuel of their engine.”

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 21

RESEARCH

TWC TRENDS SPRING 2021 REPORT TWC

most impressed with is the knowledge Amazon has on its customers which all comes from an obsession to gather, analyse and interpret data. This is something which many people in retail overlook. It is the fuel of their engine!”

In the report TWC has segmented shifting trends into five themes that operators must focus on and gives clear indicators of what the future holds and explores how retailers, wholesalers and the supply chain can adapt to thrive. The five themes are:

1. ONLINE EXPLOSION The Digitalisation and Delivery of Food and Drink and the impact on Convenience and Foodservice

2. EXPERIENTIAL HOSPITALITY & ‘RETAILTAINMENT’ Re-thinking the role of bricks and mortar as customers seek personalised, engaging experiences out of home.

3. DO GOOD FEEL GOOD Working for a Better World. Social Impact and wellbeing influences consumer choices.

22 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 52 / WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021

4. DATA & PERSONALISATION Data is the new oil, one size does not fit all.

5. SAVE V SPLURGE Balancing value as well as premiumisation to meet divergent customer needs.

“This report deliberately focusses on the long-term impacts on consumer behaviour” says Fender. “We believe that the immediate aftershocks of Covid-19 have been copiously covered and the industry has a firm grasp of the likely sales patterns for 2021.

“Meanwhile, there is a paucity of analysis of the seismic shifts that are taking place beneath the surface that will fundamentally and irrevocably change our sector. We predicted that this period of uncertainty would change the way consumers and shoppers will behave for years to come.

The changes have important implications for our industry and our report highlights some of the opportunities that will help prepare you for this new normal.”

A further report will be published in October 2021 as part of TWC Trends twice yearly tracker study.

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NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – NEW YORK BAKERY CO. TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

IT’S NEW YORK OR NOTHIN’

THE NEW YORK BAKERY CO. DECLARES ‘THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO BAGEL’ IN ITS NEW £2M MULTI-CHANNEL CAMPAIGN: ‘NEW YORK OR NOTHIN’.

The New York Bakery Co. bagel range: Q The Original Q Cinnamon & Raisin Q Sesame Q Red Onion & Chive Q Wholemeal Q Original Bagel Thins New York Bakery Co., the UK’s biggest bagel brand* , has unveiled a new £2m campaign by claiming to define the gold standard in bagels: it’s ‘New York or Nothin’.

The multi-channel campaign includes a 30" TV ad that debuted on Monday and features a New Yorker called George who reckons that anything other than a New York style bagel is a “lousy imitation”.

Over the past year, over 1.1 million new shoppers bought the New York Bakery Co. brand, bringing the highest share of incremental shoppers to the category*. Consumers of the New York Bakery Co. brand also buy 33% more frequently than those who buy any other bagel brand*.

The new campaign aims to tell the story of the brand whilst emphatically setting them apart from any other bagel.

Q Soft Seeded Bagel Thins Q Wholemeal and Rye Bagel Thins Q Gluten Free Original Bagels Q Gluten Free Seeded Bagels Q Four Cheese Deli Bagels Q Loaded Everything Deli Bagels Q Sourdough Deli Bagels

*All data Kantar Feb 2021

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 25

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – WALKERS CAMPAIGN TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

WALKERS SPARKS CRISP SARNIE DEBATE

WALKERS’ LATEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN SEES THE BRAND REVISIT THE AGE-OLD CRISP SANDWICH DEBATE.

Walkers has kicked off a marketing campaign to help retailers win at lunchtime, called #crispIN or #crispOUT. The conversational and disruptive campaign seeks to reignite the age-old British debate around the crisp sandwich across multiple channels, as the brand encourages consumers to share their opinions on their lunchtime and sandwich habits.

The

#crispIn

or

#crispOut

advertising

campaign launched on Friday and be active for nine weeks until 20 June.

Lunch is the number one snacking moment across the day and is responsible for 40% of all salty snacks consumption [Kantar, Jul 2020].

ultimately link the discussion to the Walkers brand.

“Regardless of how shoppers enjoy this

Since sandwiches and crisps go hand in hand,

lunchtime

says Walkers, this campaign will encourage

encourage them to pause and think about how

combination,

the

campaign

will

people to grab a bag of their favourite Walkers

their Walkers choice can add the flavourful

crisps with their lunch. With 78% of Brits already

crunch their sandwiches have been missing.”

enjoying the occasional bag of crisps with their

The campaign will be rolled out across TV,

sandwiches [Forge Research, Jun 2020], the

social and PR. It will feature social media content

company sees a huge category opportunity to

from A-list celebrities.

celebrate the love of the classic sandwich and crisp combination.

As well as being inspired to create their own #crispIn or #crispOut sandwiches at home,

Philippa Pennington, Marketing Manager

consumers will have the ability to experience the

at Walkers, comments: “We all know that

choice in Subway stores across England, Wales,

sandwiches and crisps are a match made in

Scotland and Northern Ireland. In a first of its kind

heaven, but there remains a very real, very

collaboration between Walkers and the sandwich

heated debate about whether you should enjoy

franchise Subway, Subway guests will be asked

your crisps in or out of your sarnie! By tapping

‘WhichWay’ they want their Sub when ordering

into the controversial (but fun!) world of the crisp

in-store until 25 May, and will able to choose to

sandwich debate, Walkers will be encouraging

add Walkers Ready Salted Crisps as a topping

the nation to voice their thoughts – whether that

on any Sub, wrap or salad from an extra 20p to

be #crispIN or #crispOUT of the sandwich – and

create a #crispIN meal.

26 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 52 / WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – GRAZE TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

GRAZE HITS SMALL SCREEN FOR FIRST TIME

UNILEVER BRAND GRAZE HAS UNVEILED ITS FIRST EVER TV AD AS PART OF A £5M CAMPAIGN AIMING TO REACH 80% OF THE UK ADULT POPULATION.

Healthy

snacking

pioneer

graze

has

launched its first ever TV ad for its retail

Pia Villa, Chief Brand Officer at graze, commented: “We’re on a mission to

range as part of a £5m media value plan for

reimagine snacking and we won’t settle for just

2021 – the brand’s biggest investment to date.

great ideas, we want graze ideas! For us it’s not

The Unilever brand aired on TV screens earlier

enough to be merely healthier than unhealthy

this month with the ad set to reach around 40

snacks, we want our snacks to be as healthy as

million shoppers, equating to 80% of UK adults,

they can possibly be, whilst never compromising

as it looks to recruit new grazers.

on taste.

The first burst will run until July and gives

“With health front of mind and more people

shoppers a behind the scenes glimpse into the

looking for healthier snacking alternatives, now

work going on at the graze HQ, hosted by graze’s

is the right time for us to be ramping up the

Chief Eating Officer (CEO) – a squirrel.

awareness of our graze retail range. This new

The ad features the brand’s Cocoa Vanilla

campaign will see us reach 80% of UK adults,

Protein Oat Bites which graze says contain 45%

helping us on our mission to grow our loyal fan

less sugar than the average cereal bar, while

base of grazers by highlighting how we can help

maintaining great taste.

them enjoy healthy living every day.”

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 27

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – ROBINSONS TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

ROBINSONS TARGETS FRUITY SUMMER WITH £6.4M CAMPAIGN ROBINSONS IS LAUNCHING A NEW DESIGN AND A ‘LET THERE BE FRUIT’ SUMMER CAMPAIGN INCLUDING TV, RADIO, DIGITAL, OUT OF HOME AND IN-STORE ACTIVATION.

Robinsons is launching a £6.4m ‘Let There

Phil Sanders, Out Of Home Commercial

Be Fruit’ campaign that will run throughout the

Director for Britvic, comments: “Research shows

summer to encourage shoppers to liven up their

that the number one need state for dilutes is

tap water.

taste [Kantar, Feb 2021]. The ‘Let There Be

The campaign includes TV, radio, digital,

Fruit’ campaign will reinforce the messaging

out-of-home and in-store activation. It runs from

that Robinsons livens up the water occasion

this month until September 2021, uniting the

with great taste and real fruit. The campaign will

full Robinsons portfolio, including Robinsons

also ensure that Robinsons is front of mind for

Squash, Minis and Fruit Creations.

shoppers when in store, and every product in the

The marketing drive will also include a

range will benefit.”

refreshed pack design across the Robinsons squash range with the depiction of fruit more prominent,

enhancing

the

brand’s

flavour

credentials. The 1L double concentrate packs will feature bolder messaging highlighting their double strength and the number of serves the liquid provides.

The TV ad kicked off earlier this month and saw Robinsons squash back on screens for the first time in four years. Three versions of the ad will look at the day-to-day routines of people and the situations they encounter. The first ad features 1L Orange, Apple & Blackcurrant and Summer Fruits squash, while the second will hero Robinsons Fruit Creations Peach & Raspberry and the third will focus on Minis. Throughout the ads the Robinsons range and the ‘Let there be Fruit’ slogan is championed by children to liven up everyday occurrences.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 29

SUMMER CHOICES. SUMMER SALES. 5M

£

TO

R E C AT E G O

T

H

Y*

RED

ADDED

NGE RA

LL 250ml BU

*SPORTS & ENERGY CATEGORY. SOURCE: NIELSEN SCANTRACK, SPORTS & ENERGY, LATEST 26 WEEKS TO W.E. 16.01.21).

NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK SPECIAL – RUSTLERS COOK IN BOX TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

RUSTLERS DEBUTS ‘COOK IN BOX’ CONCEPT

RUSTLERS HAS LAUNCHED A ‘COOK IN BOX’ CONCEPT THAT LETS CONSUMERS HEAT THE BURGER WITHOUT EVEN OPENING THE BOX, ELIMINATING MESSY PREP.

Following the successful launch of its new range

Rustlers All Day Breakfast Sausage Muffin,

of food-to-go equipment solutions, Rustlers is

worth almost £2m in convenience and with

aiming to help retailers grow their hot food to

22.2% growth YoY across independents and

go sales with an innovative new ‘Cook in Box’

37.5% total market [Nielsen, Mar 2021], will be

solution.

available in the innovative format, served with

Rolling out this month across the convenience channel, Rustlers Cook in Box lets shoppers heat

cheese and brown sauce (RSP £2.50), aimed at the breakfast occasion.

a fully assembled burger without even opening

New to the Rustlers range, and available

the pack, eliminating any messy preparation

exclusively as ‘Cook in Box’, the Supreme Cheese

whilst also acting as a product carrier to enable

Melt burger topped with Rustlers’ signature sauce

easy consumption on the go.

(RSP £2.50) will cater for lunchtime and evening shoppers.

Retailers interested in Rustlers’ food to go solutions can book a consultation by emailing foodtogo@kepak.com.

Cook In Box Range Q Rustlers All Day Breakfast Sausage Muffin (RSP £2.50) Q Supreme Cheese Melt Burger (RSP £2.50) - NEW

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 31

Give your customers control EDGEPoS Self-Checkout gives retailers more choice to utilise space and staff throughout the store, enhancing the customer shopping experience.

Beat the queues No additional counter or floor space required Reduce overhead costs Satisfy customer demands Increase store productivity Now over 100,000 customer transactions via EDGEPoS Self-Checkout on a weekly basis across the UK

EDGEPoS Self-Checkout works seamlessly with:

Fully integrated with BP, Texaco, JET and other leading fuel brands.

Keep your shelves talking with EDGEPoS ESELs The EDGEPoS Electronic Shelf Edge Label (ESEL) System is a tool used by retailers to display specific product pricing on shelves.

Electronic display modules are fixed to the front edge of the retail shelving.

Accurate pricing Shelf edge influence Enhance your shopper experience Increase margin instantly Utilise assistant hours in different areas of the store Reduce wrong pricing customer complaints Instant promotion changeovers and price changes

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NPD AND MEDIA

PICKS OF THE WEEK TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM

UNBORING CHOICE

BEEFEATER GOES RTD

SUMMER BLOSSOM

Rubicon is launching two new

Beefeater is unveiling three

Treasury Wine Estates is

products, Rubicon Raspberry

new RTD cans: Beefeater

launching a new pack design

& Pineapple Sparkling and

London Dry Gin & Tonic,

for its Blossom Hill varietals

Rubicon Spring Pineapple

Beefeater Pink Strawberry Gin

portfolio next month to recruit

Passion in 330ml, 500ml and

& Tonic and Beefeater Blood

new and younger consumers

2l. The launch is supported by

Orange & Tonic. The 25cl

into the wine category and

a ‘Make The Unboring Choice’

slimline cans have an ABV of

attract new audiences to the

comms investment strategy.

4.9% and are available now.

Blossom Hill brand.

RSPs: 69p to £1.49

RSP: £2

RSP: £6

GOOD NEW LOOK

HANCOCK’S MIX

POUCH PERFECT

Goodfella’s is rolling-out

Confectionery wholesaler

Ritter Sport has launched

updated packaging across its

Hancocks has expanded

the brand’s first ever sharing

entire pizza portfolio, as the

its pick and mix range in

pouch. The Mini Chocolate

brand looks to reinforce its

preparation for the relaxation

Mix Pouch features nine

‘Made With Respect’ platform.

of Covid regulations. The

individually–wrapped mini bars

Packs embed the Italian-

new confectionery includes

(150g) in a variety of flavours,

American brand positioning

something for all ages with

while Mini Nut Selection Pouch

with a strong, block design and

gummy fruits, mallow treats

has seven mini bars (116g).

put product imagery to the fore.

and vegetarian sweets.

RSP £2.50 (£2 at launch)

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 33

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NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…

OUT THE BOX MOLSON COORS

MOLSON COORS RINGS THE CHANGES

Molson Coors’ sustainability strategy In 2019, Molson Coors joined the New Plastics Economy

MOLSON COORS IS REMOVING PLASTIC RINGS ON ALL ITS BRANDS

Global Commitment, an

IN FAVOUR OF FULLY RECYCLABLE CARDBOARD SLEEVES FOR CAN

initiative led by the Ellen

MULTIPACKS.

MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with UN

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Molson Coors Beverage Company is ditching plastic rings on can multipacks in the UK.

AND REPLACING THEM WITH WHAT? Fully recyclable and cardboard sleeves.

sustainable

ON WHICH PRODUCTS? All of its major brands, including Carling and Coors.

WHY NOW? The company had previously committed to removing all singleuse plastic from Carling and Coors packaging by the end of this month, following the introduction of recyclable cardboard large-format multipacks in 2020.

GO ON... HOW MUCH PLASTIC HAS IT SAVED? 700 tonnes, apparently.

WHAT’S THE NEW PACKAGING LIKE? Produced by the American paper-

Environment, and set out a

based solutions supplier Graphic Packaging International, the one-piece cartonboard wrap features a shaped interior design that securely holds the cans, as well as a locking mechanism so that adhesive isn’t required to keep the box closed. It’s made from renewable wood fibres from certified sources and includes “up to 17% recycled cartonboard, alongside virgin fibre for increased strength, improved machineability and stability in the supply chain”.

global sustainable packaging strategy, including four clear 2025 goals: Q Make 100% of plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable Q Incorporate at least 30% recycled content in plastic packaging Q Improve recycling infrastructure and support a better recycling system for communities, government and industries

NICE. ANY OTHER INITIATIVES?

Q Reduce carbon emissions from packaging by 26%.

In March, the firm began trialling low-carbon, circular-economy glass beer bottles for its Staropramen brand. The trial produced two million bottles, manufactured using biofuel and made entirely from cullet – that’s recycled or waste glass to you and me.

This reduces the carbon impact of bottle production by up to 90%. The company also recently announced that it has become the first major brewer in the UK to produce all of its beers and ciders using 100% renewable electricity.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 35

SUPPORTING GROCERY COLLEAGUES The GroceryAid Covid-19 Fund is designed to help colleagues who need support now and throughout the full impact of the pandemic.

Grocery colleagues have access to:

“Amid the huge challenge of Covid-19 our trade has done a great job of keeping the nation fed. GroceryAid has raised a special Covid-19 fund to help our industry colleagues at this time of need. The 24/7 Helpline will deal with concerns and assist with financial stress caused by this terrible virus.”

- Charles Wilson, GroceryAid President

Mental Health Support Offering ‘in the moment’ emotional and practical support for colleagues dealing with shock, anxiety and stress through BACP trained counsellors, our Health and Wellbeing portal and Woebot, our AI Robot App. Bereavement Financial Assistance Providing financial assistance for the loss of a loved one through Covid-19. Available to colleagues who lose a partner or the immediate family of a colleague who has passed away as a result of Covid-19 whilst working in our industry.

Crisis Grants Non-repayable grants, designed to help with financial emergencies. This is available for colleagues experiencing unexpected financial difficulties due to Covid-19 with a year’s industry service.

GroceryAid Helpline: 08088 021 122 Visit: www.groceryaid.org.uk Follow us:

BEFORE YOU GO...

RETAIL RANDOMS #FREECUTHBERT

ALDI’S COPYCAT-ERPILLAR GETS IT TIGHT FROM M&S The discounter’s timehonoured habit of making blatant copycat versions of big brand products seems to have done them very little harm so far – and even sometimes turns into something positive, as happened during the whole Aldi/BrewDog fiasco a while back.

But M&S doesn’t appear to share the same sense of humour as BrewDog and has spat the dummy over Aldi’s Cuthbert The Caterpillar cake – which bears more than a passing resemblance to M&S’s Colin The Caterpillar cake. M&S has begun legal action, lodging an intellectual property claim with the High Court.

Naturally Aldi took to Twitter with some proper ‘ouch’ Tweets and the spat has rolled on. The latest development

sees Aldi challenging M&S to drop the case and instead donate the money it will save by not hiring expensive lawyers to charity.

IN THE LINE OF COLIN

Maintaining the Aldi/M&S battle theme and aimed at all the Lie of Duty Fans out there, here’s what actually happened at the end of last week’s cliff-hanger episode. Apparently.

WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 52 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 37

More than meets the eye!

B awarrand eness Our delicious snowballs and teacakes have been family favourites for 90 years. Following 2019's TV campaign, awareness is at its highest level ever, with 76% of Scots surveyed saying they liked Lees Snowballs and 44% buying Lees products every month.

There’s never been a better time to stock up.

Scotland loves Lees 01236 441 600

sales@leesofscotland.co.uk *Source: JLral. Post TV Campaign Evaluation- Sept 2019 **Refers to Scots who viewed the 2019 TV ad

76%

**

of Scots like Lees Snowballs