Cash & Carry Management Jan 22

p.1 Front Cover Jan 22 no ad_Layout 1 19/01/2022 14:20 Page 1

SPOTLIGHT: MARK AYLWIN OF UNITAS WHOLESALE

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR CASH & CARRY/DELIVERED WHOLESALERS

Exclusive!

Women behind the wheel: A Bidfood lorry driver on why she loves her job

CHAIN REACTION

Wholesalers feel forced to pass price rises on

After nearly 170 years EFG is sold for £1

JANUARY 2022

p.3 Contents Jan 22_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 19/01/2022 14:15 Page 1

Contents

January 2022

This month don’t miss...

06 16

07

10

A new Portsmouth depot will become the 11th for T.Quality.

Succession planning results in the sale of SOS Wholesale

SPAR UK focuses on value, neighbourhoods and local food.

ESSENTIALS 05 06 33

14

Editor’s Comment Industry News Products & Promotions

FEATURES 12

News Extra Michael Spinks, chairman and MD of EFG Foodservice, tells Cash & Carry Management why he decided to sell the firm for £1 to Savona.

14

Spotlight Mark Aylwin, non-executive chairman of Unitas Wholesale.

16

Talking Point Quayside Wholesale, DeeBee, Youings Wholesale, KP Snacks and CCEP discuss their response to price rises across the supply chain.

19

In Focus

Unitas chairman Mark Aylwin has held top posts in many wholesale and retail businesses, including Carrefour in the Middle East.

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24

Bidfood’s Abbie Welsh on pursuing her childhood ambition to become a lorry driver.

Promotio n of the month

CATEGORY INSIGHT 20 24

Seasonal Information Technology Specialist IT suppliers are helping wholesalers to adapt and thrive in the rapidly changing market place.

34

Price-Marked Packs Update

Meeting customers’ needs while they are on the move is essential.

Mondelez kicks off 2022 with two hard-hitting promotions.

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January 2022

03

® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

p.5 Editor s Comment Jan 22_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 19/01/2022 14:18 Page 1

[ EDITOR’S COMMENT ]

Offering a path to the top

E

ven though wholesaling hit the headlines several times during the Covid pandemic, the industry still isn’t understood by a lot of people (including those in the corridors of power) and still isn’t widely regarded as a top career choice, particularly among young people moving into the world of work.

That’s a real shame as wholesaling offers fantastic opportunities and is known to be a friendly, if fiercely competitive, industry.

As Mark Aylwin, non-executive chairman of Unitas, who appears in Spotlight (page 14), says: “The great thing about our industry is that it offers such an amazing career route. Hard work, dedication and the ability to connect with people on all levels can bring great rewards, both personal and financial.”

There are so many examples of people who started in junior roles in wholesaling and worked their way right up to the top: Stuart Hyslop, MD of Booker, Gary Mullineux, MD of Caterforce, and Chris Gallacher, MD of United Wholesale Scotland, immediately spring to mind.

They have followed in the footsteps of industry legends like Rodney Hunt, whose death we sadly report on page 7.

He started his career with former wholesaler Nurdin & Peacock in the early 1970s and was Nisa-Today’s first managing director when the organisation was formed in 1987. He served in that

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR CASH & CARRY/DELIVERED WHOLESALERS

Women behind the wheel: A Bidfood lorry driver on why she loves her job

CHAIN REACTION

Kirsti Sharratt Managing Editor

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SPOTLIGHT: MARK AYLWIN OF UNITAS WHOLESALE

Exclusive!

role for more than two decades before being appointed non-executive chairman, a post he held until 2013.

Hunt was highly regarded by suppliers as well as fellow wholesalers, and I still recall the first words he uttered to me – ‘It’s like Piccadilly Circus in this office’ – when I spent a fascinating ‘Day in the Life’ with him in the ’90s.

For Neil Turton, now MD of Sugro, Hunt was his first boss at Nisa-Today’s.

“I will always appreciate the time spent with Rodney who taught me lots and will be hugely missed,” says Turton.

There are long and fulfilling careers to be had in wholesaling, and businesses nowadays are doing more to promote the valuable career opportunities available in the industry.

Just a few months ago we ran a feature about firms including Wing Yip, Brakes and Pricecheck providing placements and jobs for school leavers and graduates. And now Parfetts has launched a management development scheme (page 8) to support the next generation of talent.

The first four trainees on the programme will spend two years working in different departments. Will any of them become a wholesale leader? Only time will tell but, for now, Parfetts is putting them on the right path.

JANUARY 2022

Cash & Carry Management is free to cash & carry and delivered wholesale directors, buyers and managers.

The magazine is available to other subscribers for just £74 a year or £7 per copy. Overseas yearly subscriptions are priced at £95. Back issues dating back to 2011 are available online.

Wholesalers feel forced to pass price rises on

After nearly 170 years EFG is sold for £1

Email mail.winlove@btconnect.com or call (01342) 712100 for more information.

Address Winlove Publications Ltd PO Box 366 East Grinstead RH19 4ZE Tel (01342) 712100 Email mail.winlove@btconnect.com Publisher Winlove Publications Ltd EDITORIAL Managing Editor Kirsti Sharratt ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Publishing Director Martin Lovell Media Sales Manager Clare Phillips 4,448 July 2018 – June 2019 Audit Bureau of Circulations Printed by Bishops Printers ISSN 1352-254X All media rates, feature lists and deadlines can be accessed online by visiting: cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

THREE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED THIS MONTH 1. ONLINE Catch up on all the latest news via our website, including developments from wholesalers and suppliers, and view our current online magazine edition, as well as back issues. cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

2. LINKEDIN Join our official page for latest events, announcements and forum discussions.

3. TWITTER Follow us to receive breaking news, plus live updates from industry conferences. @CandCManagement

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January 2022

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

OBE for Harrison Debbie Harrison, joint MD of Pricecheck, was awarded an OBE for services to international trade in the New Year Honours list.

“I’m incredibly humbled and proud to be awarded an OBE,” said Harrison (left).

“Pricecheck has evolved so much since my parents started the business as a retail outlet some 40 years ago, but we’ve always made sure we keep the family values we were founded on.

“It’s these values which have enabled us to create a truly international business, and for me to take on additional positions raising awareness of the industry, supporting the next generation of talent and encouraging other businesses to look at the endless possibilities of exporting.”

Portsmouth site

National fast-food wholesaler T.Quality is to open its 11th depot – in Portsmouth – by the beginning of April.

T.Quality currently operates from branches in Swindon, where its head office is based, and Bovey Tracey, Darlington, Swansea, Avonmouth, Peterborough, Birmingham, Bridlington, Leeds and Staplehurst.

The new site, which will be just off the M27 in Fareham, Portsmouth, will increase the company’s delivery capacity, enhance customer service levels and

free up resources at other depots. The site will also operate a Trade Counter for call/click & collect customers and will create 15 jobs in the local area.

T.Quality, which has been trading for over 100 years, supplies the fish & chip and fast-food industry with a wide range of products.

Mike Crees, managing director of T.Quality, said: “Investment in our depot network will continue to be a major focus this year as we continue to drive the business forward.”

Updated Unitas Wholesale has updated its Plan for Profit website.

A new planogram layout makes the plans easier to navigate and view online.

Retailers can search for their chosen store planogram by region, product type and shelf size, with options to print and download.

The updated website also features a new category insights section, with top tips for retailers on how to get the most out of key product categories, seasonal events and shopper missions.

In addition, the introduction of a new search facility has made it easier to find information on brands, products and seasonal activities.

New leader of Tiger Foodservice Tiger Foodservice, the delivered foodservice business owned by Hyperama, has promoted Steve Davison from commercial director to managing director.

Before joining Hyperama in 2020, Davison spent 15 years with Aldi, latterly as category director.

A Caterforce member, Tiger Foodservice has also made three other senior appointments.

Bob Hughes joins the business as head of trading from food importer 4 Corners UAE where he was purchasing director. His previous roles also include senior buyer of Oliver Kay 06

January 2022

The new senior team (left to right): Greg Saunders, Gavin Jones, Bob Hughes and Steve Davison.

Produce and procurement category manager of Makro UK. In addition, he has

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worked for Compass Group and Peter’s Food Service.

Greg Saunders has been

appointed as head of operations. He has worked in warehousing and logistics for several companies, including Rennies Logistics, DHL and Imperial.

Completing the new senior team is Gavin Jones, who becomes head of sales. He previously spent 11 years with Jones Food Solutions, latterly as commercial director, before joining Lomond Fine Foods as commercial director. He has spent the last three years as a consultant.

Commenting on the appointments, Davison said: “We’re delighted to usher in 2022 with such a strong team.”

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

SOS Wholesale sold Derby-based SOS Wholesale has been acquired by London-based investment firm RDCP Group.

SOS Wholesale, a familyrun business founded in 1996 by Norman Beckett and his two sons Mark and Steven, employs 120 staff at its 70,000 sq ft distribution centre in Derby and sales office in Barnsley.

It supplies 4,500 lines to customers in the UK and also exports worldwide.

Mark and Steven Beckett decided two years ago to create a succession plan to facilitate their retirement.

The acquisition of SOS Wholesale by RDCP means that Steven will retire immediately and Mark (managing director) will work alongside trading director Vipin Patara for a period of time. They will work closely with RDCP founders Sameer Rizvi and Iryna Dubylovska on SOS Wholesale’s growth strategy.

Left to right: Roy Farmer of Dains (financial advisers), Steven and Mark Beckett of SOS, and Sameer Rizvi of RDCP.

Commenting on the takeover, Mark Beckett said: “It is very much business as usual for our staff, customers and suppliers. We have worked hard to build an excellent reputation of delivering exceptional service and this will continue to be a focus for SOS Wholesale moving forward.”

Rizvi added: “We were

extremely impressed by SOS Wholesale and their track record of success and varied customer base which includes major national retailers as well as independents. We have plans to expand SOS Wholesale organically via increased sales channels, but also by bringing bolt-on acquisitions of smaller competitors.”

All own-label wines vegan-friendly

SPAR has become the first UK grocer to make its full range of own-label wines suitable for vegans.

“People are increasingly looking for vegan products, regardless of their eating habits or lifestyles. As a result we decided that the

time had come to create more inclusive ranges that tap into what our shoppers are looking for,” explained Adam Georgiou, brand manager for own-label beers, wines & spirits.

The selection of over 70 wines, which have won more than 190 awards over the past three years, will be supported with digital communications, PoS, consumer PR, influencer activity, media and celebrity outreach. The support campaign is predicted to reach five million people.

All wines featured in the consumer PR programme are award winners and will be on promotion until 9 February. For example, SPAR

Vine & Bloom Rosé is down from £6.49 to £4.99, and SPAR Regional Selection Languedoc Red is reduced from £7.49 to £6.49.

In other news, SPAR UK has launched a new ownbrand petfood range under the SPAR International label SPAR N°1 to meet the increased demand for pet food.

The new range consists of five wet cat food lines and five wet dog food SKUs, and these will support the five current pet products in the SPAR range.

Rodney Hunt Cash & Carry Management regrets to report that Rodney Hunt, the former long-serving managing director of Nisa-Today’s, has died.

Hunt (pictured) was NisaToday’s first managing director when the organisation was formed in 1987 and he served in that role until 2009.

He was then appointed non-executive chairman, a post he held until 2013, and he was instrumental in the transitional process when Today’s separated from Nisa in January 2012.

Tributes flooded in on social media after news of his death was announced.

Steve Parfett, former MD and chairman of Parfetts, said: “Terribly sad loss to wholesaling. Rodney was a great trader, a formidable competitor but also an inspirational but modest gentleman. We competed fiercely, but worked extremely well together on industry matters on the FWD Council.

“I had the greatest respect for Rodney and enormous liking for him as a man.”

Sugro’s MD Neil Turton said: “My first boss at NisaToday’s...Rodney was a lovely person, a proper oldschool wholesaler with strong values and time for everyone. Rodney taught me lots and will be hugely missed.”

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Objection dropped A ‘David and Goliath’ battle between Morrisons and Barnsley-based wholesaler Morris & Son over a new logo ended after the supermarket giant dropped the case.

Andy Needham, managing director of Morris & Son, explained: “Nearly 60 years ago Morris Jacobs went into business with his son Stephen Jacobs. That was a bit of a mouthful so he shortened it to Morris & Son.

“Fast forward to [the beginning of December] and the legal bods at Wm Morrisons Supermarkets decided to object to a trademark application for a new logo for Morris & Son. “I understand that people have jobs to do but found this one puzzling to say the least. We invested a smallish sum in a professionally designed logo for the first time ever. It’s not that similar to the supermarket giant’s own name or logo.”

On hearing that the dispute had been resolved, Needham said: “Thanks for using common sense!”

Bike Bosnia The annual grocery wholesale & convenience retail charity bike ride, set up in 2015 by Sugro’s Neil Turton and TWC’s Tom Fender to raise money for the landmine clearance charity Mines Advisory Group (MAG), is returning as an overseas trip this year. It will take place across the Western Balkans from 10-15 June.

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January 2022

Jackson replaces Mahoney

Peter Jackson

Hugo Mahoney

Peter Jackson, formerly CEO of Sysco Ireland, has been appointed as CEO of Sysco GB, which encompasses Brakes and Sysco Speciality Group.

Brakes’ current CEO Hugo Mahoney is leaving the wholesaler to become group chief executive designate of British food manufacturer Samworth Brothers. He is

likely to join the firm in April.

Sysco Speciality Group’s current CEO Raj Tugnait will also be leaving to take up a role outside of Sysco.

A spokesperson for Sysco GB said: “We will be announcing specific reporting lines in the coming weeks, but for now it’s business as usual for both businesses.

“Both Hugo and Raj have chosen to leave after having made successful contributions over many years and we wish them well in their new roles.”

Jackson’s successor at Sysco Ireland is Mark Lee. He joined the business in 2018 as commercial director, and previously held senior roles at Brook Foods, Compass Group and the Doyle Collection.

Mahoney’s appointment

by Samworth Brothers follows the decision by its current group chief executive Flor Healy to retire this year.

Mark Samworth, group holdings board chairman, said: “Hugo has an impressive track record of leading and growing businesses.”

Management development Parfetts has launched a management development scheme to support the next generation of talent in the business.

The first cohort will undertake a structured development programme that will see them complete 16 weeks in key departments over two years.

Joint managing director Guy Swindell said: “Parfetts’ growth is driven by its people and culture. Traditionally, we have always promoted from within where possible and provided training to ensure people are equipped to do well.

“As the business continues to grow, it is clear that we need to diversify our talent pool and develop the next generation of talent, and I’m confident that we’ve developed a scheme that will provide a best-in-class

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The first four trainees (left to right): Jonathan Webb, Jack Seddon, Denxel Osarenmwinda and Michael Whalley.

experience for these young people. We’ve called the scheme the Limitless Programme because we believe the depth and breadth of the training will equip the participants for a thriving career in the wholesale sector.”

The first four trainees come from backgrounds that

range from law to construction and hospitality.

Louise Slater, head of HR and compliance at Parfetts, said: “We’ve put a lot of thought into structuring the programme. The selection process was rigorous and workshop-based to ensure that we are recruiting the right set of skills.”

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

CRG team boost

Country Range Group has bolstered its buying team with the appointment of Viki Moores as a category buyer.

Moores (above) joins the group from a wholesale business, Oak Tyres UK, where she was purchasing supervisor for six-and-a-half years.

Commenting on her new role, Moores said: “I’m delighted to have joined the Country Range Group. The

Slush deal SPAR Scotland is installing Calippo Slush machines in all of its company-owned stores by mid-February. The equipment will also be offered to SPAR independent retailers in Scotland.

The slush contains zero sugar and natural flavours and is free from additives.

The machines will offer three flavours – strawberry, orange and lime – and a cup will retail at £1.50.

Stephen Brown, head of foodservice at SPAR Scotland, said: “Calippo Slush is a big brand. It is not only an extension of the Calippo brand but it also delivers on quality and flavour and is compliant in all future HFSS legislation.”

SPAR Scotland’s 2022 trade show will take place on 22 September in Aviemore.

•

way the group provides innovative solutions and support to its members to stay on-trend, sustainable and profitable is amazing.”

Moores’ appointment is part of an ongoing plan by Country Range to invest in and develop its central team following a positive finish to 2021 – it is looking to recruit another buyer in the coming weeks.

Mission-led marketing Nisa has updated the design of its marketing materials.

A new-look leaflet is personalised to the retailers’ stores and showcases the services they offer.

The leaflet content is focusing more on meals and missions that drive greater basket size and spend per trip. Also included are key offers such as The Big Deal, Freezer Deal and a new allyear-round offer called MidWeek Meal.

Nisa is also working with a new leaflet distribution partner, Whistl, giving retailers more control of the distribution using a tailored consumer targeting tool.

In other news, Nisa Retail has appointed Nigel Maxwell to head up its Northern Ireland operation. He takes over from Pat Leneghan who left the business last summer

Driver pay review

As Cash & Carry Management went to press, a review into pay was being conducted

by Booker Retail Partners in an attempt to avoid industrial action by delivery drivers at its Thamesmead site.

A strike that was planned for 23-24 December was suspended so that a review into pay – previously reneged on by the management – could go ahead.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The

Booker management has seen sense and an in-depth review of pay will now happen that will take into account the recent pay rises across the sector. Of course, we wait to see what happens.”

Unite regional officer Paul Travers added: “The review, which was part of the pay deal agreed in October, means we have suspended the strike action until 31 January to enable it to take place in a constructive spirit.”

after eleven-and-a-half years.

Maxwell joins the organisation from Supervalu and Centra – part of the Musgrave retail and wholesale group – where he was sales director.

In total, he has more than 30 years’ experience in grocery retailing, and 20 years of his career have been spent working with independent retailers.

Consumer website Confex is launching Confex Direct, a direct-to-consumer website, later this month.

Confex Direct (www.confexdirect.com) will give consumers the opportunity to buy snacks, crisps and drinks at up to 20% less than supermarket prices and promises to offer new products before they are available in the shops.

There will be no minimum order value, and the service will be promoted on social media with monthly themes including St Patrick’s Day (March) and Back to School (September).

A total of 34% of Confex members are already selling direct to consumers, and D2C selling is projected to account for 22% of Confex member turnover by 2025.

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[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

NPD with comfort factor Brakes and Nisa have introduced new vegan products to meet consumer demand and tap into Veganuary.

Brakes’ new vegan range of classic hot puddings are for out-of-home operators.

The NPD follows research which showed that, while consumers increasingly want vegan products, they also want familiar, nostalgic comfort food – a trend that has been driven by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The British-made range of classic hot puddings comprises Syrup Sponge Pudding, Raspberry Jam Pudding and Sticky Toffee Pudding. The desserts are pre-cut rather than from an individual mould.

Matt Lake, Brakes’ senior

Space planner JW Filshill has appointed its first dedicated space planner for its KeyStore customers.

Iain Main (below) joins the Glasgow-based wholesaler from Trespass where he was a space planner.

Before that, he worked with food retailers for over 20 years, beginning his career on the Safeway management training programme and then working for Somerfield and the Co-op.

He also managed a BP forecourt store.

Filshill has also appointed Rory Galbraith as a category buyer. He previously worked at bus builder Alexander Dennis in various roles, including commodity buyer and commercial contract manager.

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January 2022

product development manager – innovation lead, said: “It’s important, particularly in these difficult times, that we help our customers to capitalise on as many opportunities as possible, and having a range that exceeds expectations of vegans and non-vegans alike is an important part of that.”

Over at Nisa, the group’s retailers have access to seven more vegan products under the Co-op’s GRO label.

The NPD includes comfort-food favourites No Beef Pie, Fishless Fillet & Chips and Gunpowder Potato Masala.

Jonny Lambert, wholesale category lead for Co-op, said: “Meat alternatives and ready meals are amongst the most popular vegan products that shoppers try during January.

“The bold, eye-catching packaging makes GRO products easy to spot in store and the imaginative recipes will keep shoppers coming back for more.”

Brand positioning SPAR has unveiled a new UK-wide brand positioning designed to celebrate the unique characteristics of SPAR convenience stores.

‘The Joy Of Living Locally’ is being launched in SPAR stores and across the group’s digital communication channels this month.

SPAR is using three pillars to bring the positioning to life in-store: Value On Your Doorstep, Nurture Our Neighbourhoods, and Passionate About Local.

Each pillar has its own distinctive badge, which will also be incorporated into future store designs and across marketing collateral.

The pillars will communicate to shoppers how SPAR adds value through promotional activity or everyday pricing; nurtures neighbourhoods by employing people from local communities,

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supports local causes, and celebrates neighbourliness; and showcases local food and producers.

All five SPAR wholesalers in the UK are sharing the new positioning and creative expression with independent retailers and companyowned stores. Brand guidelines and a retailer video and toolkit have been produced to aid with execution.

Sweet additions Hancocks has introduced a selection of new products.

These include Vimto Giant Cables, Kingsway Fizzy Rolls, Hancocks’ Marshmallow Cupcakes and Crazy Candy Factory Dancing Duck – a fruit-flavoured novelty in three different colours.

Other new novelty sweets are Sweet Bandit Ooze Tubes and Vidal Chicken Feet Sweet Tub, which is full of bright chicken-feet shaped sweets.

Hancocks is also exclusively stocking Haribo Sour Sparks in 2.75kg pick-and-mix format.

Investing in service JJ Foodservice has taken several steps to enhance its customer service this year.

The wholesaler’s customers will soon be able to ‘Live Chat’ directly with customer services from the JJ website or app, and new roles focusing on digital customer care will support the Live Chat feature.

Payments will also become easier with the introduction of Apple Pay and Google Pay. In other news, JJ Foodservice has introduced an exclusive range of frozen prawn appetisers, priced from just 20p per prawn.

Targeted at restaurants, pubs and takeaways, the new range comprises 500g packs of Butterfly Prawns, Filo Wrapped Prawns, PreFried Tempura Prawns and Torpedo Prawns.

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USE p.12 News Extra Jan 22.qxp_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 19/01/2022 16:33 Page 1

[ NEWS EXTRA ]

EFG sold for £1 so that the Spinks family can ‘depart with honour intact’

E

ssex Flour & Grain Co, which was founded in 1853 and now trades as EFG Foodservice from Hackney, has been sold to Oxford-based Savona Foodservice.

Chairman and managing director Michael Spinks told Cash & Carry Management why he and his fellow family-member directors decided to sell: “The business lost money in our financial years to April 2019, April 2020 and April 2021. And we have lost money in months since then.

“In May 2020, I took the difficult decision, having invested some £1.75 million in a new Stevenage site, to shut down and sell off that site, and that sale was accomplished in October 2020.

“Without that sale, I believe this business would have gone bust during 2020. However it left us chronically short of freezer capacity. It bought time but it didn’t solve the problem.

“The foodservice and hospitality industry has been hammered since the start of the pandemic back in January 2020, which escalated to the first lockdown in March 2020 and to a form of wipe-out since then.

“Our business could hardly have survived without furlough money. We cut back from 70 to 35 staff as sales slumped by some 70% at its worst.”

Spinks acknowledged that there has been “some kind of recovery since

then” but the “life-choking combination” of a hard Brexit, the direct and indirect effects of the Covid pandemic, a massive shortage of HGV drivers, shortages of staff in hospitality, agriculture, manufacturing and elsewhere, have for most of that time left him “close to despair”.

Spinks added that, since late Spring 2021, EFG Foodservice has been significantly compromised by weaknesses in the supply chain. “We have done our very best and I know our staff have been magnificent, but for me the unpromising writing was on the wall,” he said.

“After a long, hard, uncompromising look at all the options and alternatives,

Essex Flour & Grain Co dates back to 1853, and the Spinks family took over the business in 1936. This photo was taken in the late 1970s.

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January 2022

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the directors concluded that the risks of continuing to try to operate fully independently into 2022 were outweighed by the seeming wisdom of seeking a ‘white knight’ with a stronger management team.

“I could conceivably have sold the business for a seven-figure sum to one of the ‘barons’ of our industry, but that would likely have meant an immediate closure and sale of the site, the culling of jobs, and a service proposition that I rather doubt would enable me to maintain my self-respect.

“Instead I have attempted to seek out the best possible (in my and my colleagues’ eyes) guardian/white knight for the business by selling them the business for £1, whilst realising EFG assets.”

Spinks continued: “It really wasn’t difficult to make the decision because so few companies share my business approach and ethics.

“Savona is a long-established fellow member of the Country Range Group, so the whole product portfolio to customers is protected and there are established links in an industry that is fiercely competitive. Also, I have long greatly respected Ken Knowland, the principal of Savona Foodservice.

“I have an agreement that defends virtually all current roles inside EFG, with offers of continuing employment for the great majority of the staff, with my family departing the field of battle with honour intact – at least in my eyes.”

Suppliers will be also fully protected, said Spinks: “On that score I offer an unconditional warranty.”

Spinks started at EFG at its historic Liverpool Road, London N1, site in the late 1960s. “At that time I watched burly blokes lift two-hundredweight sacks of rice, and virtually everything was done by hand. I worked there in school holidays as assistant to the van-boy.

“I joined full-time in summer 1975, which meant – having graduated from Cambridge University – going back to being a van-boy again.”

Spinks was fast-tracked through the business and became managing direcCCM tor in 1987.

USE p.14 Spotlight Jan 22.qxp_Ivan Durkin feature 1 real 19/01/2022 16:31 Page 1

[ SPOTLIGHT ] Mark Aylwin, non-executive chairman, Unitas Wholesale supply chain teams. We would then jump in the car and go to see Charlton [Athletic FC] or go out for the day.

One thing I do insist on is taking my holidays. Even when money was tight, we’d go on The Sun’s £5 holidays!

How would you describe your personality and what approach do you take in business (and in life)?

I’m driven, but supportive. I tend to be full-on when I join a new business, but once I have confidence in the team to deliver, I tend to let them get on with it.

Driven but supportive What have been your biggest achievements in work and outside work?

I’ve been fortunate to have had a relatively successful career with many highlights. The things I am most proud of would be going from the shopfloor to the board of Safeway, the turnaround and sale of Blueheath (my biggest but most rewarding challenge), and playing a role in the transformation of Booker, in particular the growth of its delivered business. Outside of work it has to be being happily married for 35 years and having two great sons – although they are now adults, we still spend a good deal of time in each other’s company.

Who has been the biggest inspiration to you?

I’ve been fortunate to work for and with some great people. My first real inspiration at work was Dave Smith, who owned a chain of greengrocers – he gave me my market stall on Eltham high street in South London and gave me one of his stores to manage when I was only 18. The things Dave taught me about buying, merchandising and customer service then still resonate with me now.

Later in my career it was Lawrence Christensen at Safeway – he was a real visionary in logistics and a great personal mentor.

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January 2022

Charles Wilson was, for me, the complete CEO. What he has achieved in his career and particularly at Booker is exceptional. Despite having a fierce intellect, Charles had a remarkable ability to communicate in a clear and simple way to a wide audience.

What were your ambitions when you were growing up?

I have always had a love of retail. Both sets of grandparents owned and ran shops and one of my uncles was a wholesaler, so you could say it’s in my blood. I’ve worked in retail since I was 12 (at one-point juggling four part-time jobs, when I really should have been focused on my schoolwork!).

What are your interests outside work?

I love reading, mainly history, business and finance – never fiction! I travel a lot and have visited over 80 countries. I love exploring local cuisine (a highlight was an evening eating the potentially fatal, but delicious, pufferfish in Japan).

I always ensured that I made time for important family events and that my sons were involved in what I was doing.

For example, at Safeway we used to meet as a board on Saturday mornings, so whilst I was in the meeting, the boys would sit in my office and chat to the

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What is your favourite film, book and song/piece of music?

I am less into films and more into TV series. Curb your Enthusiasm and Gomorra would be my stand-out favourites. My favourite book is Sam Walton’s autobiography, Made in America. In music, it would be anything from Chris Stapleton or Luke Combs.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

When I had a market stall, I used to sell flowers but hated the high level of waste, so taught myself how to make flower arrangements. I can still put together a nice Christmas wreath! CCM

MD multiple times Mark Aylwin went straight from school into retail, initially running a greengrocers before joining Safeway. He spent 20 years there, rising from the shopfloor to the boardroom. His move to Musgrave launched an 18-year career in wholesale, where he held the roles of MD of Booker Direct, Matthew Clark, Bibendum and Budgens/Londis, as well as CEO of Blueheath. More recently Aylwin had a spell in the Middle East as chief operating officer of Carrefour Business. In April 2021, he was appointed chairman of Unitas Wholesale, and he also holds other non-exec advisory positions.

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[ TALKING POINT ]

Passing the price rises on The scale of rising costs means that suppliers and wholesalers are no longer able to absorb product price increases.

G

lobal food prices hit a 10year high in 2021, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food commodities, showed a 28.1% increase over 2020.

What’s more, the FAO’s senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian says that the consistently high cost of inputs, the ongoing pandemic, and ever more volatile climatic conditions “leave little room for optimism about a return to more stable market conditions even in 2022”.

Tanya Pepin, director of TWC, explains further that the cost of the weekly shopping basket is being impacted by a perfect storm of Brexit, inflation, increased transport costs, raw materials shortages, staff shortages and increases on variable production costs such as oil, gas and aluminium.

“Adding to the mix are sustainability efforts such as the introduction of RPET, legislative pressures including the

implementation of Natasha’s Law and the forthcoming HFSS restrictions, and the ongoing volatility caused by Covid,” she says.

Cash & Carry Management spoke to three wholesalers and two suppliers to see how they are responding to price increases across the supply chain.

“In the past you used to be able to just keep your wholesale prices the same, as any increase was minimal, but now the increases are so big you have to pass all of them on to retail customers – without exception really,” points out Graeme Gill, buyer/sales director at Quayside Wholesale.

Andy Morrison: ‘Success is in suppliers’ hands with price-marked packs.’

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Peter Youings, proprietor of fellow Sugro member Youings Wholesale, agrees: “We have had no option but to pass on these increases without exception. Fortunately, all customers read the gruesome headlines about transport costs, driver shortages and material costs, and understand the increases without too much criticism.”

Unitas member DeeBee Wholesale has taken the same approach to managing the price rises. “We have no option but to pass them on as our costs are increasing at similar levels,” reports trading director Andy Morrison.

“We have challenged where we can and continue to work on savings and efficiencies elsewhere in the business (control of all costs, better buying, energy usage, efficient delivery schedules/minimum orders, staffing, etc) to try to mitigate the level of increase.”

Morrison says that although there is no single product category that has seen a stand-out percentage rise in prices, the increases on soft drinks “feel the biggest at the moment”. Youings concurs: “I assume that – unlike other categories – they [soft drinks manufacturers] are generally unable to reduce the weight/volumes whereas crisps and confectionery just keep reducing weights.”

Food price inflation has affected not only product prices, but also promotional activity from suppliers, says Gill: “Most have withdrawn any promotions they had planned, and there is also lots of stock being short supplied from various suppliers for many reasons.” For Quayside Wholesale, this amounts to about £50,000 worth of stock per week not being delivered by suppliers.

Youings Wholesale has similarly suffered from short supply: “Inflation has not affected promotions themselves; it has been the chronic shortages that have caused suppliers such as Walkers and Haribo to pull many of the promotions,” says Youings.

For DeeBee the volume of promotional activity from suppliers “feels the same, but there has been some reduction in the value of that activity”, according to Morrison.

Gill explains Quayside Wholesale’s strategy in relation to managing its

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[ TALKING POINT ]

Peter Youings: ‘Fortunately, customers understand the increases.’

product range, including the number of price-marked packs it offers, in light of the price rises: “We’ve taken the view that the increases are so big that we’ve got to at least try to see if we can maintain the margins needed for us to continue to list the lines. If sales start to slow then that will be the time to delist lines – once we know it’s possibly going to start to cost us money by having to sell products off due to slow sales and pressures on dates, etc.”

Over at DeeBee, Morrison and his team are reviewing each new pricemarked pack from suppliers carefully. “If the shared margin is unacceptable or cash profit eroded, then we will look to stock the plain pack alternative or delist and promote another brand,” he says.

“Suppliers have to understand that while a PMP has advantages in terms of customer confidence and ease of execution in store, and drives volume, it also caps the margin available in the chain. That margin needs be sufficient for both distributors and retailers to cover costs and make a profit to stay in business and sell more of the supplier’s products. Success is in suppliers’ hands with price-marked packs.”

Youings makes the point that, financially, inflation is not a bad thing: “As long as you can maintain your percentage margin, your cash profit increases.”

He adds: “I would say that PMPs continue to be essential and that the shortages of them have not proved too big an obstacle as the retailer and public simply buy an alternative.

“We have tried to give as much information as we can to our sales team and customers, often showing them evidence of particular shortage reasons, and generally suppliers have been quite upfront with their issues.”

A spokesperson for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners explains its position: “Over the last 12 months our sector has faced significantly increased costs in haulage, packaging, ingredients and utilities, and as a business we have taken steps throughout 2021 to ensure that these cost pressures have not been passed on to our customers and shoppers. However, with these pressures

expected to continue throughout 2022 it is now necessary to increase some of our prices in line with inflation.

“We have sought to mitigate the impact of these increases where possible and will continue to provide support to our customers including through ongoing investment, insight and expertise, and innovation in our brands to help customers attract shoppers and drive sales.”

KP Snacks has also tried to mitigate the impact on its customers. “We have a balanced approach to managing inflation and have absorbed costs and driven efficiencies in our business to help offset the impact as much as possible and sustain prices,” reports trading director Matt Collins, “and we will continue to do so throughout 2022.”

He continues: “Where necessary, with careful consideration and precision, we have needed to introduce modest select price increases through a portfolio approach, whilst continuing to work collaboratively with our customers.

“In 2022, we will continue our unswerving and relentless commitment to the wholesale and convenience channels, driving growth through significant investment in our brands and key formats to generate demand and drive incremental category growth.

“This includes our market-leading PMP ranges. We will continue to offer compelling, fair and appropriate shared margins on our price-marked packs and CCM support key PMP price points.”

‘The wholesale channel is not doomed!’

“Some convenience retailers (and the odd supplier) do seem to forget that any margin built between the cost of the product leaving the manufacturer and the sell price it achieves in store must be shared between the convenience retailer and the wholesaler,” says Tanya Pepin, director of TWC. “Tesco and Sainsbury’s (and others) have it both ways by operating in both multiple retailing and convenience retailing. Effectively, they buy all their stock at the best price as a retail multiple but then sell at a higher price via their convenience stores, albeit with a higher cost to serve.

“Independent retailers do not get the same opportunity. They must trust

that the wholesaler will share as much of the available margin as possible so that they can compete on price and have enough left to invest to maintain store standards.

“Whilst Booker has a clear advantage in price negotiations as part of Tesco, the wholesale channel is not doomed – far from it! Smaller wholesalers can leverage their buying groups so that price increases are reviewed collectively and the channel as a whole can call out any obvious disparity. This was done during Covid to suppliers who did not prioritise the channel and will no doubt happen again if there is any sense of ‘foul play’ on pricing.”

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January 2022

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[ IN FOCUS ]

‘I wish I’d done this years ago’ Abbie Welsh, an HGV driver for Bidfood, explains how she came to pursue her childhood ambition and encourages other women to consider driving as a job.

W

hen Abbie Welsh (right) was made redundant from her job as a financial adviser in June 2021, she took advantage of a government scheme that paid for training towards a new career.

“I always wanted to be a lorry driver but I never had the confidence before – it was always men you saw driving, wasn’t it?” she says. “Then I saw on the news that there was a shortage of drivers, and I just thought, why not?”

‘Proud to have a diverse mix of drivers’ “Our drivers are at the very heart of our business,” says Steve Clarke, MD of wholesale at Bidfood. “They are the shop window to our customers and vital in ensuring that we deliver a great service, standards are met, and satisfaction levels are high.

“The past 12 months have highlighted the importance of HGV and LGV drivers within our industry and the shortage in talent we have all suffered from,” he continues.

“We’re incredibly proud to have a diverse mix of drivers and have for many years now been actively recruiting female drivers into these roles. Whilst historically this may not have been a stereotypical career for women, drivers just like Abbie have shown that it’s a great job to get into – regardless of gender or background.

“We really hope to continue to welcome more women into our workforce in the future.”

Welsh, 30, researched where she could do the training and signed up with Driver Training Wales in Swansea.

She studied for her theory test using a phone app that the training school gave her access to, and after a 10-week wait for a slot, she took all three parts of the test on one day. These were multiple-choice questions, hazard perception, and the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) case studies – and Welsh passed first time.

Then, after just two weeks of practical training, Welsh passed the practical test and got her HGV Class 2 licence, which permits her to drive vehicles of up to 32 tonnes.

She applied for driver jobs at Bidfood in Chepstow and Brakes at Avonmouth. “I got interviews with both but I had the Bidfood interview first and they offered me the job within two days.”

She adds: “I didn’t want a job where I would drive all day to one place and then drive back; I wanted a job where I would drive for a little while, do a delivery, and then drive to the next place. I’m a people person so I like face-to-face customer service as well.”

After three weeks of working with an experienced Bidfood driver and completing in-house training courses covering aspects such as health & safety and vehicle care, Welsh started making deliveries on her own.

“I love driving,” she says. “I put the radio on and I’m in my own zone.

There’s nothing I don’t like about it. I wish I’d done this years ago. I absolutely love it!

“In a way, you’re your own boss,” she continues. “Your vehicle is already loaded when you get to work and nobody bothers you all day as long as you do your job.”

Welsh works Monday to Friday, starting at around 5am and usually finishing by 2pm. “The early mornings were a bit difficult at the start,” she admits, “but once my body clock was into a routine, it was all right.”

The response to her being an HGV driver – from her family, friends, colleagues and customers – has been overwhelmingly positive, she says.

“A few customers were quite shocked when I first delivered to them but I didn’t get any negative comments,” Welsh reports. “Some women customers were buzzing about it – saying that we can be just as good as the men.”

She adds that one of Bidfood’s female van drivers has told Welsh that she is now looking to get her HGV licence too.

Welsh has no hesitation in recommending HGV driving to women as a career choice: “Don’t worry about what CCM anybody thinks – just go for it!”

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

January 2022

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[ SEASONAL ]

Ready for seasonal sales lifts?

From self-treats to gifts, there is a wide selection of products that are ideal for special occasions during the Spring, and consumers’ desire to mark the events offers the potential for extra sales.

K

ey upcoming seasonal events, including Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter, are likely to be bigger occasions than last year because of fewer Covid restrictions. That’s the general consensus of suppliers, who urge wholesalers and their customers to stock up early.

Ferrero’s customer development director Levi Boorer advises retailers to treat each spring event separately to maximise visibility. “We would also recommend that retailers showcase the occasions like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day in-store up to three to four weeks before they take place. For example, using in-store PoS displays that showcase the specific date of Mother’s Day is a great way to remind people as they don’t often recall the date,” he points out.

Other advice that wholesalers can give to their customers is to prepare for Easter even earlier, says Boorer: “Retailers should aim to begin Easter activation around six weeks before the big day to provide enough time to generate interest and highlight any limited-edition range offers to regular shoppers.

“During the early build-up to Easter, retailers should begin stocking smaller, self-treating products relevant to the season, such as the bags of Ferrero Collection Crispy Eggs. Then, close to the time, stock up on larger Easter eggs for gifting.”

According to Boorer, each spring event also presents an opportunity to maximise in-store basket spend through cross-category promotions and focal displays – for example, displaying floral bouquets alongside boxed confectionery for Valentine’s Day. “The core ranges from the Ferrero portfolio are not restricted to one time of year or occasion, so it is an ideal option for small stores as it remains relevant all year round.

We expect the growth across our core ranges to continue into this year, as shoppers exchange gifts once again.”

He adds that when consumers are gifting, they tend to choose brands they know and love such as Ferrero Rocher, Raffaello, and Thorntons.

Easter sales grew by 11% last year in independent and symbol stores (Snackchat), and Susan Nash, trade communications manager at Mondelez International, emphasises the need to be prepared: “Timing is particularly important this year, with Easter falling two weeks later [than in 2021], meaning there is a real opportunity to grow sales over the longer season. However, over half of Easter confectionery is 20

January 2022

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consumed before Easter, showing just how important it is to capture consumers right at the beginning of the season.”

She suggests that retailers split Easter into three phases: getting off to a quick start, building momentum, and then gearing up for a ‘gifting finish’. The first of these phases runs from January until Valentine’s Day and focuses on shoppers looking for small treats for themselves, such as Cadbury Creme Egg and Mini Eggs.

Cadbury Creme Egg will appear in a new promotion this season. Consumers that find one of 200 half-white-chocolate eggs have the chance to win £10,000. The strapline ‘How do you NOT eat yours?’ will feature on PoS and online and outdoor advertising. When a shopper wins, so too does the retailer, who will get an Amazon voucher of up to £1,000.

New for this year is a mixed gift pack (rsp £3.14) containing five filled eggs – two Cadbury Creme Eggs, two Caramel eggs and one Oreo egg.

Another innovation for this spring is Cadbury Dairy Milk Hot Cross Bun Bar, featuring a Peter Rabbit pack design. The 110g cinnamon-crunch flavoured bar has an rsp of £1.40 and comes in cases of 18.

NPD in the shell eggs category includes Cadbury Twirl Orange Large Egg, Cadbury Creme Egg and Cadbury Fingers Gesture Eggs, and Daim Heritage Egg. New from Mars Wrigley for Easter this year are Galaxy Creamy Truffle Mini Eggs, comprising foil-wrapped mini treats targeted at older consumers. These join Galaxy Enchanted Eggs and Galaxy Caramel Mini Eggs, which are returning this Easter following their success last year.

Small sharing and novelty confectionery make up 40% of early Easter sales (Kantar), and Maltesers Bunny is the UK’s most successful chocolate product in the novelty shapes category in both value share and sales, claims the company. Last year, value sales of Maltesers Bunny grew by 53.6% (Nielsen). “We feel that this product is the signpost of the season, officially signalling to consumers that Easter is coming,” says Sophia Padt, senior brand manager for Easter.

Customer favourites from last year, including the Maltesers Orange Bunny and White Mini Bunnies pouches, will be back this season. The Maltesers Bunny national campaign is also returning, with a chance for shoppers to win £25,000. “This impactful campaign helps drive foot traffic to the shops and in turn drives sales,” says Padt.

*Source: Nielsen; Celebrating and Entertaining Confectionery; Total Impulse; 17wks to 01.05.21

Visit www.yourperfectstore.co.uk for more information and POS ideas

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[ SEASONAL ] Headlining Nestlé Confectionery’s spring range is KitKat Bunny. Launched in 2020, it quickly became the No.2 impulse novelty on the market and retained that position during Easter 2021 (IRI). The product comes in various pack formats, from the impulse bar to a giant Easter egg containing a KitKat Bunny impulse bar and Mini Bunnies bag.

Other products back by popular demand this year include Milkybar Bunny and the Smarties Bunnies range.

New for 2022 are After Eight Mint Chocolate Foiled Mini Eggs, which comprise dark chocolate eggs filled with the minty After Eight centre.

They join several other brands in mini egg format, including KitKat, Milkybar, Aero, Smarties and Orange Smarties, all with an rsp of £1.

Another addition to Nestlé’s spring range is Quality Street Spring Edition pouch (rsp £4.99), containing an additional sweet variant, the Lemon Zing.

In the gift egg category, the company has introduced KitKat Chunky Salted Caramel Popcorn Incredible Egg (rsp £12), comprising a milk chocolate shell egg with salted caramel flavour and popcorn inclusions and three KitKat Chunky Salted Caramel Popcorn bars.

Nestle’s large, giant and Incredible Easter eggs have been redesigned to create strong differentiation between the pack sizes and capture shoppers’ attention.

Sales for Valentine’s Day are growing year on year (IRI), and Swizzels’ Love Hearts are “synonymous with the occasion”, according to sales director Mark Walker. “Perfect for gifting, the Love Hearts tin contains 100g of mini Love Hearts rolls, whilst our 142g Love Heart PMP £1 bag and 35p rolls are ideal products to display endof-aisle for any impulse buys,” he says.

New for 2022 are Love Hearts Candy Sticks. Each pack includes a temporary tattoo featuring a ‘feel good’ message that reinforces the brand’s commitment to ‘sharing the love with consumers’.

For Easter, Swizzels is highlighting its Sweet Shop Favourites Pouch. “These variety bags are perfect for consumers looking to please the whole family, as well as those looking for other sweet treats aside from chocolate,” says Walker.

Drumchick Squashies is another ‘must stock’ confectionery product for the occasion, he says. These chickshaped Squashies have an orange and pineapple flavour.

Walker comments: “With Covid restrictions most likely to be eased, we will see more footfall instore – so it’s a great opportunity for retailers to create seasonal displays and fixtures to highlight their products and attract consumers.”

Although confectionery is traditionally the key focus at Easter, soft drinks have an important role to play too, points out Amy Burgess, senior trade communications manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).

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“Having celebrated Easter under restrictions in 2021, this year we expect families and friends to come together to mark the occasion,” she says. “Soft drinks from leading trusted brands bring a sense of sparkle to a special get-together and will be an essential purchase for many, so retailers should make sure they offer a wide range of sharing formats for shoppers to choose from.”

According to Burgess, it is important to focus on key soft drink segments including cola, lemonade, flavoured carbonates and mixers.

Coca-Cola remains the biggest soft drinks brand in GB and Coca-Coca Zero Sugar was the fastest growing cola brand last year (Nielsen).

Mixers also play a key role as people enjoy more mixed drinks at home, points out Burgess.

Schweppes accounts for 86% of lemonade mixing occasions in the home and 52% of tonic mixing occasions (Kantar). Adult soft drinks like Appletiser also have a role as an alternative to alcohol.

Meanwhile, in the alcohol category, 39% of spirits and beer shoppers are willing to spend more over Easter (Nielsen).

“Easter is expected to be a time where people will be stocking up on best-loved brands to help them create memorable experiences or gift to loved ones,” says Lauren Priestley, head of category development off-trade at Diageo.

“In fact, one in four spirits are bought as gifts (Nielsen).”

Alongside Baileys Original Cream, the Baileys portfolio boasts a range of alternative flavours as well as limitededition variants that are “perfect for the Easter treat moment and also gifting options,” says Priestley.

Vodka and gin take larger shares over the 12 weeks of Easter (Kantar). Diageo’s Smirnoff and Gordon’s brands not only features the classic lines but also flavoured variants, the pre-mix cocktail RTDs Smirnoff Passion Fruit Martini and Gordon’s Pink Martini, and the Smirnoff Ice range.

With shoppers often using the Easter season to enjoy traditional meal occasions with their families, it is important for retailers to highlight roast dinner essentials, says Courtney Lewis, customer director, independent convenience & wholesale at Premier Foods. “Retailers can meet shopper needs by stocking branded products they rely on at this time, such as Bisto Gravy, Paxo Stuffing, Oxo Stock Cubes, Mr Kipling, CCM Cadbury Cakes, and Ambrosia Custard,” he advises.

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[ INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ]

Out with the old, in with the new Leading technology suppliers are investing in their products and services to help wholesalers adapt to the changing market place and evolving customer needs.

A

s wholesalers last year began navigating an as-yet undefined ‘new normal’, STL claims to have emerged as ‘King of the Wholesale IT Jungle’.

Throughout the pandemic, the company continued to invest not only in new modules for its next-generation flagship solution MMS Evo, but also in service initiatives and new customer-facing talent.

MMS Evo is “the most advanced and fastest-adopted next-generation merchandise management solution”, according to STL. Designed by wholesalers for wholesalers, it is accessible from any device, intuitive to use and ultradynamic with real-time key performance graphs for swift, confident decision-making. Its role-based access and automatic updates keep operators secure and compliant.

95% of STL’s customers – with combined revenues of £3 billion – committed to Evo migration within 18 months of its launch. This charge caught the industry’s attention, and four new large wholesalers have now joined the ‘Evo pride’.

To help users of legacy systems who are seeking a more contemporary IT platform, STL has established a team of wholesale-sector ‘heavyweights’. These include former Aptean sales director Jackie Fieldhouse, technical director Martin Beatty and senior support analyst Gordon Mackinnon.

Meanwhile, STL has continued to invest in functionality and fully-integrated optional modules to meet emerging business needs right across the wholesale spectrum. These include the very agile Android-based STL Handheld, a Supplier Claims module that ensures all promotional bonuses are collected, and STL Fast Pay which enables cash & carry operators to alleviate the traditional checkout bottleneck by accepting payments by card or mobile phone direct from their standard scanning unit.

STL’s partnership with PODFather has produced two more modules: a proof-of-delivery app and Cage Tracker.

A partnership with b2b.store has extended Evo with a sophisticated omni-channel ecommerce app, and another partnership with PODFather has produced two more modules: A proof-of-delivery app which automates the point-ofdelivery process to save time, money and paperwork hassle.

It tracks asset movements, captures signatures and photos, then updates head office in real time – all through an Android or iOS smartphone app. This means no more waiting for paperwork, so wholesalers can invoice more quickly and will always know where their materials are.

Cage Tracker – which does exactly as its name suggests: provides a simple cage out/in logging system tied to the delivery process so that operators never lose their cages or associated investment.

On the service front, STL recently installed a sophisticated and secure cloud-based Service Desk solution to simplify the service request process and increase resolution efficiency.

The new STL Service Portal incorporates an extensive library of ‘help sheets’ that enable users to quickly resolve simple issues themselves.

Ivan Durkin, STL’s managing director, says: “Now, more than ever, wholesalers need an IT partner and technology they can trust to help them keep adapting to a brave new world. We’re determined that, no matter how tough times get, we’ll keep investing in our technology, our services and our people so that we can keep helping our customers to adapt, survive and thrive.”

•

•

Series of upgrades

STL claims to be ‘King of the Wholesale IT Jungle’.

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Wholesale ecommerce platform b2b.store has released a series of upgrades to help wholesalers make the most of ecommerce opportunities during 2022.

New functionality includes invoicing and stock management; in-app targeted adverts based on customer profile and location; a live chat function; and account management capability that allows business development teams to place orders on behalf of customers when visiting stores.

Rob Mannion, founder and CEO, says: “Digital technology opens up a world of opportunities for wholesalers to

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

‘TWC understand what we need’

Having already seen the benefits of its long-running partnership with TWC, Country Range Group plans to ‘take data to the next level’.

Investing in the TWC platform almost four years ago, Country Range Group was the first independent foodservice buying group to get behind data. This early investment has yielded multiple benefits, including a deep understanding of the customer and ensuring the business makes the right decisions – based on intelligence.

“Buyers are now using the TWC SmartView platform every day to support decision making,” said Martin Ward (above), Commercial Director of Country Range Group. This includes using the data to help suppliers with forecasting, as well as identifying top performing products across categories and by the different customer channels served by the group’s twelve member wholesalers.

The data also has a huge role to play in compliance processes, which is critical for Country Range Group, which prides itself on its unparalleled discipline and structure.

With data now firmly embedded in the central office, Ward has a vision for all interactions with suppliers to be data-led. To this end, the business introduced a new ‘Data Insight Champion’ award at its annual supplier event in early December, to encourage proactive use of data to drive joint business plans.

The inaugural winner of this award was Nestlé Professional due to its continuous utilisation of data on a category-by-category basis, driving incremental sales to the Country Range Group members.

For Ward, ‘taking data to the next level’ is an ongoing process and that was part of the attraction of working with a progressive and flexible provider.

Following four years of successful collaboration, TWC and the Country Range Group have renewed and strengthened their relationship with an exclusive partnership for a further three years.

Ward explains: “Our continued commitment to working in partnership with TWC has been driven by their expertise and ideas around how to further develop our data provision. We are currently

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ADVERTISING FEATURE will just need to make them quicker, which is why a robust and easy-to-use system is imperative.”

L to r: Ton Christiaanse, Country Range Group Chairman; Malcolm Doy, Nestlé Professional Senior National Account Manager (winner of Data Insight Champion award); awards host Russell Kane; Martin Ward, Country Range Group MD.

working on a number of new ideas to roll out with our suppliers during 2022.”

Tanya Pepin (right), Managing Director of TWC, commented: “I was introduced to Coral Rose four years ago because CRG had been searching for an effective reporting platform for internal use by buyers as well as to share data with some suppliers. The CRG team were very clear that they wanted to manage who and how data was shared and TWC’s commercial model is set up in such a way that this was no problem at all.

“We were delighted to share our technology and give CRG the freedom and flexibility to manage the way it was shared externally. I am really delighted that CRG’s data journey has gone so well over the first four years and that they want to continue and deepen their relationship with TWC.” Talking about his vision for an increasingly dataled future, Ward explains his motivation: “It’s really quite simple: business intelligence. We can make better informed decisions and the need to make good decisions is not going to go away – in fact we

Ward goes on to explain: “We have been seeing some really impressive implementation of digital solutions amongst our members and an increasing number are working with online marketplaces, a trend that has been accelerated through the pandemic. As a Group, we recognise that great digital execution must be underpinned by a firstrate data management and reporting process.

“This pivot to online makes data even more important to the Group – having a forensic understanding of our members’ selling patterns and customer behaviour will set us apart. Our members have invested heavily in digital development and we see a key role for us as a central office to support them with data analytics, which will enable them to maximise their return on investment from digital applications.”

He continues: “Our primary reason for selecting TWC as our data partner is that we were really impressed with the system. It is easy to use, which removes a huge barrier. TWC also cleanse all our data to get it into a consistent format. Foodservice data is complex compared to retail data, due to the quantity of unbranded and tertiary lines, as well as large amounts of specialist chilled and frozen products.

“The level of detail we require in our reporting means data integrity is essential – if the data isn’t accurately cleansed, our sales reporting will be wrong. TWC did a really good job of sifting our member data and making sense of it. It’s really not taken too much of our time as we know TWC are the experts and understand what we need, which means we have been able to focus on the day job of running a buying group.”

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[ INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ]

Ecommerce allows wholesalers to adapt campaigns based on real-time data.

increase operational efficiencies, personalise their customer’s experience and maximise sales. When we launched b2b.store, we committed to ensuring wholesalers of all sizes were able to access the latest technology and also to developing the platform in response to customer feedback. This new release is the latest realisation of that promise.”

Through b2b.store’s strategic partnership with Odoo Cloud, wholesalers will also now be able to manage the entire ordering process through the platform. Where previously customers had to create the order and send it to the wholesaler, then the wholesaler would check whether or not it could fulfil the order, create an invoice in separate accounting software and then send it to the customer, the whole process can now be managed through b2b.store.

A new ‘live desk’ feature also provides live chat functionality, while the integration of a special customer engagement platform, powered by Klaviyo, will help wholesalers deliver targeted adverts to customers or run automated marketing based on a customer’s in-app activity – for example, following up abandoned baskets above a certain value.

Mannion says: “The last couple of years have been some of the most challenging the sector has ever seen but those wholesalers that took the opportunity to adopt new technology are really beginning to see the benefits.

“Digital wholesaling isn’t just about providing customers with an online ordering platform but about improving wholesalers’ understanding of their customers to improve customer service, strengthen engagement and increase sales.

“As well as making it easy to accept and process orders any time, any place, it opens up a raft of different ways to improve business performance. This could be as simple as communicating more effectively and enabling electronic account management, or improving digital marketing, creating new revenue streams and increasing operational efficiency.“

Series of upgrades According to Oporteo, the era of providing siloed ecommerce via a single website may be dead. “Instead, enabling your customers to trade with you seamlessly across all channels is the way forward,” says Andy Pratt, business development executive.

“Legacy solutions lack the vital functionality needed to compete in today’s omnichannel world – a world where the online customer experience will make or break a sale,” he 28

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continues. “Wholesalers that fail to upgrade their ecommerce platforms to meet the omnichannel challenge risk jeopardising their brand and falling behind their competitors.”

Wholesalers operate on a diverse range of online channels to meet customer needs, and Pratt says that upgrading to a digital-first ecommerce system that connects all platforms is essential to support this. “The ultimate goal for wholesalers today is to integrate all back-office systems with customer-facing platforms to provide a single, seamless customer experience,” he maintains.

Integration between systems is something that legacy ecommerce systems are unable to support. “Simple integration boosts your business capabilities by extending the business logic of your back-office systems to other platforms,” he explains. “Take pricing: instead of manually updating various back-office and customer-facing systems separately, the digital integration approach delivers pricing information direct from your ERP system to multiple sales channels.”

Meeting customers’ needs while they are on the move is also essential for omnichannel success, and Andy Pratt: ‘The goal for this is something that wholesalers is to integrate all back-office systems with legacy systems struggle customer-facing platforms.’ with, says Pratt. Apps have long been a solution to this but, unfortunately, apps can be just as much of an inconvenience for customers as a slow-loading website. They also require ongoing investment to keep them up to date.

According to Pratt, there is a better solution – Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). “Don’t be confused by the name: a Progressive Web App is not a traditional mobile app that customers have to download and it doesn’t require the same costly and time-consuming processes,” he explains.

“Instead, when customers access your site via a mobile device, it adapts itself into an app-like design which they can save to their home screen and even receive push notifications.”

PWAs are a unique feature of digital-first ecommerce solutions, and Google describes them as a new way to deliver amazing customer experiences across multiple devices.

“At Oporteo, our goal is to help wholesalers embrace the power of digital technology so they can thrive in today’s online world,” concludes Pratt. “Our solutions provide limitless digital opportunities and have enabled our customers to expand to new markets, increase sales and ensure higher CCM customer retention.”

Wholesale IT Express Powered by STL MMS Evo

£3 billion can’t be wrong!

95% of STL customers, with £3b of combined revenues, have committed to MMS Evo within 18 months of its launch.

And no wonder. Designed by wholesalers for wholesalers, MMS Evo is the most advanced, usable and agile merchandise management platform. It offers a wide range of options specifically for foodservice, delivered and cash & carry operators, and its open architecture enables STL to continuously evolve the Evo portfolio to address emerging business and regulatory needs.

Read inside for some of STL’s latest innovations.

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*HZOÅV^ JVUJLYUZ& While diligent bookkeeping is vital for controlling cashflow, wholesalers can also strengthen their financial pipeline by ensuring they are collecting everything that is due as swiftly and cheaply as possible.

Two new STL modules are designed to help...

Supplier claims management Netted one operator £1m The sheer variety of incentives can be difficult to manage, which results in many going unclaimed.

STL’s Supplier Claims Management module proved the answer for one wholesaler who used it to reel in £1m in previously untracked claims.

How it works The module automatically collates relevant purchase, stock and promotional data from a wholesaler’s backoffice system, before emailing claims to their suppliers in line with agreed terms.

It then tracks the status of each claim, enabling operators to manage overdue payments more vigorously to prevent profits escaping through the net

EchoPay Cut card fees The EchoPay app and web app create faster payments directly from ‘Bank To Bank’ using ‘Open Banking’. This reduces merchant fees while transferring payments faster and more securely.

Now integrated with STL MMS Evo, wholesalers can capitalise on this multi-faceted advantage to improve their cashflow and profitability.

How it works The wholesaler enters a customer’s account number and invoice value into the EchoPos terminal.This generates a QR Code which the customer scans using the EchoPay app on their smartphone and authorises in their mobile banking app.

EchoPos then confirms payment and, if required, prints a receipt.

STL customer United Wholesale (Scotland) is impressed with its STL/EchoPay solution.

‘Since using EchoPay we’ve been able to reduce the costs involved in taking payment from our customers. ;OPZ JVTIPULK ^P[O [OL JHZOÅV^ improvement from instant settlement of funds makes EchoPay a must for any business taking a large volume of card payments from their customers.’

Chris Gallacher, Managing Director, United Wholesale (Scotland)

Venus loves STL The hospitality, events and retail sectors have been some of the hardest hit by the erratic economy of the pandemic.

The company seamlessly integrated Evo with the STL SOP sales order processing system, a mobile ordering app and the Tableau business intelligence solution and, combined, these have increased its productivity, responsiveness and ability to anticipate trends.

This made it particularly tricky for delivered wholesalers like London-based Venus Wine & Spirit Merchants to cost-effectively manage stock levels and their 40-strong fleet, let alone the business itself.

However, the company has retained its exemplary reputation for service, pricing and efficiency – thanks in part to its foresight in being one of the first to upgrade to STL’s next-generation merchandise management solution STL MMS Evo.

01204 808008

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‘We love the fact that STL’s open platform is always evolving. This puts us ahead of the curve whatever direction the market moves in next.’

Laki Christoforou, Chairman, Venus

info@stl-solutions.com

www.stl-solutions.com

07/01/2022 06:30

Android handhelds The new STL Handheld is a wireless and standalone scanning solution that improves the efficiency, control and accuracy of key stock processes.

The system holds all the data it needs in the device, so it can operate even when not connected to the Internet to prevent delays and workarounds.

Running on Android, it allows users to quickly benefit from new apps and features, while extending their customer base and service satisfaction.

The solution is ideal for: • • • • • • • •

Goods inwards Product enquiry Order picking Barcode capture Stock taking Creating a sales order Merchandising Queue busting

STL has also upgraded its premium handheld units to the Datalogic Skorpio X5: a superfast, superlight and superior performing stock checking terminal.

It balances elegantly in the hand and has the largest, brightest multi-touch display in the sector, making it quick and easy to use in any light condition. Yet it is also tough, with Gorilla Glass display, additional bumpers and an optional rubber boot enabling it to withstand multiple drops up to 1.8m (6 ft), and hermetically sealed with an IP65 rating. Its state-ofthe-art charging and battery management gives it extra endurance for extended use.

Further, its new-generation near/far scanners can immediately read any barcode even when labels are damaged, scratched or under a plastic wrap, so requiring less time-consuming intervention from warehouse staff.

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Joined-up eCommerce STL has joined forces with b2b.store to deliver the first truly seamless and real-time omni-channel eCommerce solution.

The product has an impressive wholesale pedigree, comprising STL’s incomparable next-generation merchandise management platform MMS Evo with b2b.store’s sector-leading eCommerce solution.

Ivan Durkin, Managing Director of STL said, ‘Wholesaling is a demanding sector and, increasingly, customers expect operators to be open for business 24/7 through multiple channels. But it’s not easy to set up a modern, joined-up and responsive operation in-house using systems from different specialists. By teaming up with b2b.store, we’re making it easier for wholesalers to gain the digital edge.’

Premium terminals

01204 808008

Rob Mannion of b2b.store and Ivan Durkin of STL

Combined, this new solution will enable anytimeanywhere ordering which has proven to increase Adapt Respond loyalty and total spend, while giving wholesalers customer insights to inform a more strategic service that will further boost profits.

Created Jenie Tomboc from the by Noun Project

Thrive

Evolve

‘By teaming up with b2b.store we’re making it easier for operators to establish a seamless multi-channel commerce operation.’

info@stl-solutions.com

Ivan Durkin, Managing Director, STL

www.stl-solutions.com

07/01/2022 06:30

STL MMS Evo Cloud The innovations described here, and more, have been the result of STL’s dedicated commitment to continuous investment in technology even throughout the pandemic - and this ethos is as strong as ever.

One of the most exciting entries on the company’s 2022 Tech Roadmap is STL MMS Evo Cloud.

This next-generation, browser-based iteration of Evo will be ‘multi-tenanted’ with one primary platform supporting exclusive databases for each wholesaler. This distributed structure allows users to immediately gain from any new updates and ‘anywhere/anytime’ access while benefiting MMS Evo from the highest levels of security, integrity and resilience.

Investing in service STL is also continuously investing in customer service.

It recently installed a sophisticated and secure cloudbased Service Desk solution, Autotask, to simplify the service request process and increase resolution efficiency.

STL customers can now log service requests by phone, email or a web portal. This immediately raises a unique Enquiry Number which is automatically linked to their customer profile.

Automated notices, auto-escalation and alerts throughout the resolution process keep customers updated while helping the service team to keep live projects on track.

In addition, the new STL Service Portal incorporates an extensive library of ‘help sheets’ that enable users to quickly resolve simple issues themselves.

STL support team colleagues training on Autotask

STL’s Managing Director, Ivan Durkin, and Gordon Mackinnon

Gordon Mackinnon supports STL STL has secured former Aptean Senior Support Analyst Gordon Mackinnon as its new Project Delivery Coordinator. He will plough his extensive sector experience into helping the growing band of wholesalers who are converting to the next-generation platform, STL MMS Evo.

FREE Discovery Day! Book your free an no-obligation operational assessment with a senior STL consultant.

We will visit each of your departments and study key activities and processes including: • Telesales • Purchasing • Warehouse Management • Accounting • Reporting We will recommend practical steps you can take to improve your efficiency in these areas – both on the day, and in a follow-up custom report.

To book you FREE Discovery Day, call Jackie Fieldhouse on 01204 808008.

01204 808008

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info@stl-solutions.com

www.stl-solutions.com

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[ PRODUCTS & PROMOTIONS ]

Batman and football promos kick off 2022

Cream liqueur

Mondelez International has announced a partnership between Oreo and The Batman, which is released on 4 March.

Shoppers simply scan the QR code on special packs of Oreo for a chance to win cinema tickets daily, as well as the star prize of a VIP trip to Gotham City at Warner Bros World in Abu Dhabi.

Supporting the promotion are social, digital, PR, out-of-home and in-store activities.

In other news, all Cadbury products in tablet, multipack, bag and singles formats, as well as Heroes, are featuring a ‘Win A Day In Their Boots’ promotion, offering consumers the chance to win a host of football-themed prizes.

These include behind-the-scenes experiences with eight top football clubs: Arsenal FC, Aston Villa Women, Chelsea FC, Leeds United FC, Liverpool

FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. Instantwin prizes are also available, including more than 2,000 Love2Shop vouchers worth £5 or £10.

The campaign is being backed with out-of-home and radio advertising, as well as social media and in-store PoS. Mondelez has also introduced new portion-control packaging for Cadbury Duos. The ‘Twist Wrap’ mechanism enables consumers to twist to seal the pack and save half of the item for later.

Halewood Artisanal Spirits has expanded the Dead Man’s Fingers brand into the cream liqueur category with the launch of Raspberry Rum Cream Liqueur in 70cl bottles (rsp £17).

The pastel pink bottle is emblazoned with the distinctive Dead Man’s Fingers skull branding, bringing a ‘bolder image and personality to the more traditional cream liqueurs category’.

Rachel Adams, global marketing manager for Dead Man’s Fingers, says: “The cream liqueur category continues to see phenomenal growth, and is now adding the most absolute value year on year to the spirits category in the UK offtrade (Nielsen).

“Our delicious new rum-based liqueur is perfectly positioned to help retailers and licensees tap into this significant consumer demand, all under the strength of the Dead Man’s Fingers brand.”

Return to TV

Nutty addition

Bold new look

Accolade Wines has announced that Hardys, the UK’s biggest wine brand (Nielsen), is returning to TV in March as part of a £3 million marketing campaign.

The ‘Certainty’ campaign champions Hardys’ consistency and quality and features in-store activity, digital advertising, social media and PR, as well as an exclusive ITV partnership.

Hardys also has a new partnership with online platform Learning With Experts. Advertised on over three million neck flags from April, the promotion will invite shoppers to leave a review of Hardys wine in return for a free lesson on a subject of their choice.

Weetabix has launched Oatibix Flakes Nutty Crunch.

Featuring honeycomb pieces, honeycoated corn flakes and caramelised nuts, the cereal comes in a 450g pack with an rsp of £3.29.

Coinciding with the NPD is fresh packaging for the Oatibix range and a recipe reformulation for Original biscuits.

The packs now sport a ‘categoryunique’ green design to stand out on shelf while continuing to highlight the brand’s nutritional credentials.

A new TV advert for Oatibix will air later in the year as part of a wider £2 million marketing investment.

Pernod Ricard has unveiled a bold look for the flagship blend of Chivas Regal that seeks to capture the attention of a new style-conscious generation of Scotch whisky drinkers, aged 18-32.

Chivas 12 has undergone an extensive redesign of its bottle, label and pack. The new bottle is also lighter, saving more than 1,000 tonnes of glass annually.

To support the redesign, Chivas Regal will be focusing on celebrity and influencer endorsement, culture-driven collaborations and targeted digital media to drive high-profile online awareness among target consumers.

PROMOTION OF THE MONTH

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[ PRICE-MARKED PACKS UPDATE ]

Even more focus on value Price-marked packs are increasingly popular with consumers, and therefore wholesalers should offer their customers a choice of PMPs and non-price-marked products.

P

rice-marked packs (PMPs) will be even more important in the year ahead, offering value reassurance to shoppers, predicts Darryl Burgess, head of sales at Weetabix.

“We’ll continue to see cost pressures throughout the industry in the next few months, meaning that shoppers will be focusing on value for money more than ever,” he says.

Weetabix is backing its big brands in 2022, with new onpack campaigns for Weetabix and Ready brek, TV advertising for Weetabix, and NPD for Weetos and Oatibix. This follows the company’s investment in the category last year, with NPD such as Weetabix Melts, available as a £2.99 PMP. Weetabix is also reintroducing £1 PMPs of Weetabix On The Go for the impulse channel.

“These offer great value, with the PMP pack standing out on shelves, offering an easy breakfast option at an affordable price,” says Burgess.

For Ready brek, the company recently updated its pricepack architecture to ensure it offers different packs for different occasions – the £2.69 PMP pack is ideal for convenience retailers, advises Burgess.

He concludes: “The Weetabix PMP range covers a range of SKUs across our cereal and drinks portfolio at a range of price points. We work hard to ensure that our price-marked packs offer competitive shared margins.”

In the crisps, snacks & nuts market, £1 PMP ranges are growing in value at 7.2% ahead of overall market growth and now represent 70% of the sharing segment (Nielsen).

KP Snacks’ price-marked range includes 24 £1 PMP SKUs. “We are continuing to expand our diverse PMP portfolio, driving sales for retailers by engaging consumers with products they love in this appealing and increasingly popular format,” reports Matt Collins, trading director.

Last year, the company introduced several new £1 PMPs, including Tyrrells (three flavours), Salt & Vinegar Discos, and Barbeque and Sour Cream & Onion popchips.

Beyond its £1 PMP portfolio, KP Snacks offers a range of price-marked singles. These include Space Raiders (30p) and Skips, Discos, and Wheat Crunchies (all 39p).

Valeo Snackfoods has introduced an 80g £1 price-marked pack of Kettle Chips’ Steakhouse Barbecue variant, following the successful launch of a 150g sharing pack last year.

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demonstrate clear value for money and include pricemarked packs within their product ranges,” maintains head of impulse Michael Owens.

Kettle Chips are available in two price-marked formats – 40g (69p) and 80g (£1).

Mondelez International now offers its widest ever range of PMPs across its confectionery brands and formats.

Cadbury Twirl Orange is now available in a 60p pricemarked pack, and last year the company also introduced Cadbury Caramilk, with single and tablet PMP formats.

Almost half of all gum purchases are unplanned and most of these are prompted by seeing gum in store (Ipsos), so having a stand-out display that includes PMP formats will help visibility, maintains Mars Wrigley.

The company offers a £2 RRP PMP for Extra gum in the brand’s best-selling flavours, Peppermint and Spearmint.

Accounting for more than 60% of total soft drink sales in independent and symbol convenience stores (Nielsen), price-marked packs offer visible value. “This can help to reassure shoppers who are spending carefully but who still want to enjoy their favourite brands,” says Amy Burgess, senior trade communications manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).

The company’s most popular brands, including Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Monster, Relentless and Reign, are all available in PMPs and plain packs, so that retailers can choose the best option for their stores.

Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I also offers the option of price-marked and non-price-marked packs across its range of soft drinks, which includes Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport, Lucozade Alert and Ribena.

The company recently reduced the on-pack price to £1.50 of some of its most popular drink-later products, including Ribena 600ml squash and Lucozade Energy one-litre.

Price-marked packs of soft drinks are seeing 9.7% growth versus 7.8% growth for non-price-marked packs (IRI).

Stocking price-marked packs helps to deliver choice to shoppers, and Red Bull recommends stocking them across best-sellers at all times. Available in both PMP and non-PMP formats, the Red Bull Core range includes Red Bull Original 250ml, 355ml, 473ml and Red Bull Sugarfree 250ml.

Red Bull’s Editions range also consists of both PMP and non-PMP cans, with flavours including Tropical, Coconut & Berry, Red Edition CCM and the latest Green Edition.

Introducing our new additions to the Weetabix portion pack range

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Weetabix Weet We etab et tab abix ix Chocolate ix Cho hoco cola co late late boxe bo b xed d twin tw pack k (28x) (28x (2 8x)) 8x boxed

Weetabix is the UK’s No.1 Breakfast Cereal * Weetabix Chocolate and Crispy Minis available in portion packs for the first time Convenient, easy to prepare, hygienically packaged and portable All the new products are non-HFSS & CQUIN Compliant Visit our website for more information about our delicious Foodservice range

+20%

Crispy Cris sp py Minis Min inis is Chocolate Cho hoco cola co ola late te 40 0g portion pack ck (32x) (32 32x) x) 40g **

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£27m

*Source: Nielsen Answers May 2021 52we. **Combined wholesaler sales data w/e 18.02.21

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