Cash & Carry Management

OCTOBER 2011

New name, location and staff for Today’s Cash & carry fares far better than delivered New sites for Brakes, P&H and Bestway FWD makes voice heard on wages and beer

The business magazine for cash & carry/delivered wholesalers

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contents Openness can be rewarding More than 20 years ago, an incident occurred in the course of my work that I still recall with embarrassment.

There I was, sitting among 250 delegates at the annual conference of ICCG (now Sterling Supergroup), when the then chief executive Nick Luton moved to the microphone and announced: “Would Mervyn Gilbert please leave the hall”.

I did as I was told because I didn’t want to be escorted off the premises by two of the group’s ‘heavies’.

The reason for my dismissal was that the next part of the proceedings were not meant to be heard by the trade press, and as I was the only journalist attending it was my name that was blasted over the airwaves.

As soon as the hush-hush discussion was over, I was called back into the hall, whereupon I hid myself, and my notebook, away at the back.

The IGD has been doing something like this for some time, albeit in a more orderly fashion.

A series of trade conferences in recent years, on all aspects of the grocery trade, have come and gone with only those willing to cough up the purse-breaking price, and the speakers, being invited.

Some might think it’s because hacks like me don’t pay a bean to attend, but really it allows the presenters to address only those who are there, without worrying about seeing contentious comments in the trade press.

Last month, at a high powered event focusing on the C&C/wholesale channel, the IGD relented and invited the ‘journos’. Surely the resultant publicity will ensure its relaxed stance continues.

Significant support for Calpol ... see p.22

Enjoying themselves at the Country Range Group exhibition ... see p.18

news delivered in focus

12–13 14

country range conference

18

achievers

20–21

otc medicines

22–24

innovation & education

26

supplier strategy

28

employment law

33

biscuits update

34

hot beverages

36–46

products & promotions

48–49

confectionery

50–58

Mervyn Gilbert

Managing Editor

Kirsti Sharratt

Media Sales Manager

Clare Phillips

Business Development Manager David Ford Publishing Director

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

10

IGD conference

Editor

Mervyn Gilbert editor

4–8

Martin Lovell

4,555 July 2010–June 2011

Published by Winlove Publications Ltd PO Box 366 EAST GRINSTEAD RH19 4ZE Tel (01342) 712100 Fax (01342) 712101 Email mail.winlove@btconnect.com ISSN 1352-254X

Cash & Carry Management is available on subscription of £46 per year (single copies £5).

Cash & Carry Management

• October 2011 • 3

news IN BRIEF 25th birthday Today’s member Imperial Cash & Carry, the Edmonton, north London, operator specialising in beers, wines & spirits and confectionery, is making plans for its 25th anniversary in 2012 to coincide with the group’s own 25th birthday. An Olympics theme is being proposed and the £50 million-plus business, headed by John and Kali Mulchandani, will also be holding a charity ball next November. The company was founded by the brothers’ father Ganshamdas Mulchandani.

Rugby deal Premier, the Booker retail group with around 2,600 members, is sponsoring rugby league. Its name will appear on pitch side advertisements at all Super League matches shown by Sky Sports and BBC. Head of Premier Martin Swadling commented: “This is an ideal way to reach hundreds of thousands of shoppers, covering a whole crosssection of consumers.”

The group generates sales of £680m – 11% up on last year.

Heinz post Andy Sellick, formerly marketing manager for coffee at Kraft Foodservice, has become sales director for Heinz Foodservice, reporting to commercial director Craig Hughes.

4

TWS makes its bow As generally anticipated, the separation of retail-led Nisa and C&C/wholesale group Today’s has been given the go-ahead.

The final meeting to ratify the split was held before the Nisa-Today’s AGM at the end of last month.

An ‘overwhelming majority’ of votes was received in favour of the move, which is likely to Laird: ‘Not the end of all existing take place in the first relationships.’ quarter of next year.

The cash & carry/ wholesale group, which has the end of all existing been renamed Today’s relationships between Nisa Wholesale Services, has and Today’s as this separate decided on Doncaster for its head office location once its staff and operations move from the Scunthorpe premises it presently shares with Nisa.

Data from the Institute of After the meeting, TWS’s Grocery Distribution shows managing director Bill Laird that cash & carry continues said: “The separation will to make up ground lost to allow both companies to delivered wholesaling. tailor their individual strateLast year, the grocery gies and change their and foodservice wholesaling resources and direction for sector grew by 21.9% to the future success of both £26.5bn, with the market companies. forecast to reach £31bn by ”However, this agreed 2016. transaction does not mean Cash & carry accounted

company will continue to trade with central distribution, and joint buying and distribution opportunities will still be pursued.”

Today’s Wholesale Services has 255 members, operating from 288 sites. Their joint buying power is £5.5bn. Around 80% of this is from C&C and delivered wholesale and the remaining 20% from foodservice.

The leading C&C affiliate is Dhamecha, trading from six branches.

Another is in the pipeline.

Tel: Today’s Wholesale Services (01724) 282028.

Further inroads by C&C

Brakes’ Reading depot to cost £19m Building work is due to start in Reading next March on a Brakes temperature-controlled distribution centre, plus offices.

The £19m project – on land once occupied by Suttons Seeds – is being undertaken by Watfordbased company Vinci Construction.

The Reading development will have a total floor

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

area of 185,000 sq ft and will include separate zones for chilled, frozen and ambient products.

The site will also include a 25,000 sq ft, three-storey, office block.

In addition to parking for 141 delivery vehicles, the location will have space for 200 cars.

Tel: Brakes Group (0845) 606 9090.

for £11.33bn in 2010/11 – a rise of 5.2%.

Delivered grocery was valued at £8.77bn (up 1.8%) while delivered foodservice was virtually static at £6.42bn (plus 0.3%).

Referring to delivered grocery, the IGD says: “Growth in sales to retailers are being significantly underpinned by high levels of inflation in tobacco products, driven by increases in duty and VAT.” It adds: “Delivered foodservice is experiencing mixed fortunes, with strong growth among some customer groups offset by weak demand in the overall market for eating out and catering.

“However, sales to caterers by C&C operators remain the fastest-growing element of the sector.”

Cash & carry concerns have also increased sales of chilled and fresh foods to both foodservice and retail customers.

Tel: IGD (01923) 857141.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

news

Brakes ‘leads with 18%’ Brakes claims to have retained its No.1 spot in UK foodservice following the announcement of its annual trading results.

It says that, with domestic turnover of nearly £1.8bn (up by 2.8% on the previous year) it has an 18% share of the market, which values the whole of the sector at around £10bn.

In the year to the end of December, total global income rose from £2.2bn to £2.55bn. However, earnings before interest, tax and depreciation dropped from £151m to £141m.

The statement from Brakes, whose holding company is Cucina Lux Investments, referred to “delight that we have retained significant customer contracts”.

In this context it points to the winning of a seven-year distribution contract for Compass Group. And after the financial year figures were posted, it announced that it had gained a £200m, seven-year deal on behalf of pubs, bars and restaurants owner Mitchell & Butlers (Cash & Carry Management: January).

On the downside, it recently lost a £4.5m a year food and drink contract for

Compass Group was a major account gain.

Surrey County Council to 3663 (Cash & Carry Management last month).

Group chief executive Philip Jansen (pictured) said that the company was pleased with returns in France, where it holds third spot in foodservice, and in its new territory, Sweden, where it claims the No.2 position.

In France, revenue rose by just under 1% to £462m, although earnings before interest, tax and depreciation fell from £17.7m to £16.1m.

Brakes entered the Swedish market in April last year when it bought into Menigo Foodservice. The company generated sales of £291m over the eight-month period.

Jansen said: “We are pleased that we had a solid year and that we continue to enjoy stable long-term prospects in the foodservice distribution industry.

“We anticipate the UK will remain challenging in the near term. However, our marketleading reputation with customers and proven track record with earnings growth, high cash conversion and high calibre management additions – as shown by the appointment (in November) of Stefan Barden as UK chief executive – demonstrate we are well positioned to manage the business going forward.”

Tel: Brakes Group (0845) 606 9090.

Ambitious Midlands operator Today’s Group member Soho Cash & Carry last month officially opened its 45,000 sq ft depot in Smethwick, West Midlands – a multi-million pound development on the Sandwell Business Park.

The operator previously occupied a 20,000 sq ft site in Birmingham for 10 years.

The new cash & carry, said

director Balvinder Singh Bahra, offers improved services, including a 150% increase in floor space. The product range has been greatly extended and the IT system upgraded.

Customers also have the option of a delivery service.

Soho Cash & Carry, which also operates from a 50,000 sq ft C&C in Wolverhampton,

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

has plans for four more branches. The locations have not be disclosed, but they will almost certainly be in the West Midlands.

“We are extremely proud of our Midlands roots,” said Bahra. “We are committed to the needs of our customers and suppliers.”

Tel: Soho Cash & Carry 0121-551 7831.

Freeze urged The Federation of Wholesale Distributors has asked the Government to put an immediate freeze on the National Minimum Wage and establish a ‘more considered process’ for assessing future increases.

In a submission to the Low Pay Commission, the FWD says that its members employ more than 70,000 people and that it supports the employment of many thousands of workers in the convenience retail and foodservice sectors.

It comments: “While we support the NMW in providing a minimum wage standard, we are concerned that

it has risen at a level significantly above inflation in recent years, adding to the cost base of our members at an already challenging time.

“As profit margins are currently at best static, and costs continue to rise, the NMW has significantly eroded the relative rate of pay our members are able to offer.

“At a time when some employers have to impose a wage freeze, it cannot be equitable for some staff to receive a wage increase of 2.53% through the NMW while others receive nothing.”

The FWD also points out that, as C&C/wholesalers operate on low margins, the relatively high NMW rate makes it difficult to offer and maintain a competitive difference to attract good staff.

Tel: FWD (01323) 724952.

Cash & Carry Management

• October 2011 • 5

news

Classic case of integration Classic Drinks, one of two businesses bought by Booker last year (the other was Ritter-Courivaud), has made rapid progress in being integrated into Booker Direct, the delivered wholesale side of the group.

In addition to the St Helens, Merseyside, head office site being vacated and the staff there moving to Booker’s Haydock delivered site, most of the drinks operation’s other locations have switched.

Starting with the West Bromwich depot being incorporated into Booker’s Kingswinford branch, three others have made similar moves – the Blackpool unit to Booker’s C&C in the seaside town, Rotherham to the C&C operator’s Barnsley branch and Classic’s Rotherham central distribution centre to Booker’s Chester outlet.

The three remaining Classic sites (Bridlington, Barrow and Lancaster) will remain where they are, said Booker Direct managing director Mark Aylwin. He added that all Classic staff

Aylwin: ‘Three Classic Drinks sites remain.’

are being retained.

Another development on the delivered side has resulted in spare capacity at the Brighton cash & carry being utilised to undertake local deliveries.

Some 120 Booker C&Cs are now stocking RitterCourivaud products – 40 an ‘extensive’ range and 80 a more limited selection.

Aylwin highlighted Sardinian paper bread, Provencale olives, and artichokes in jars as three of the major successes.

Booker will also open its third C&C in India in December. The Mumbai unit will join the existing depot in

Turner joins United Landmark member United Wholesale Grocers, which operates two cash & carries in Glasgow, has appointed Danny Turner (below) as senior controller – nonlicensed.

Turner previously worked at CJ Lang as senior trading controller for the wholesale division, which was sold last year to Batleys.

In his new post,

6

he reports to UWG managing director Nabeel Ramzan.

Turner commented: “The Glasgow market is different to what I am used to. It is so aggressive but there are major opportunities as well. It is an enjoyable challenge.”

UWG employs around 150 staff and has a turnover of about £114m.

Tel: UWG 0141557 2255.

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

that city, as well as the newly-opened branch in Pune.

Group sales in the 12 weeks to 9 September rose by 7.6%, with tobacco and non-tobacco both increasing by the same percentage. On a like-for-like basis, the rise was 5.6% (tobacco 7.6% and non-tobacco 4.5%).

Fresh fruit & veg business over this period was up by 34%.

The latest figures mean returns for the initial 24 weeks were up by 8.5% (6.5% like for like).

Tel: Booker Group (01933) 371000.

New md at Appleby Westward SPAR UK south-west wholesaler Appleby Westward, owned by BWG Group, has named Mark McCammond as managing director.

Currently regional md – convenience at J Sainsbury, he joins the Saltash, Cornwall, business towards the end of December.

As reported (Cash & Carry Management: August), the current Appleby Westward md John Pattison, who occupied that role for nearly three years, has left the company.

In the interim period, another former md at the wholesaler, Ian Connell, is filling the post.

McCammond’s 20 years’ experience includes working at SPAR Northern Ireland wholesaler Henderson Group as retail operations director, and at Northern Ireland Coop and Iceland Frozen Foods.

Tel: Appleby Westward (01752) 854000.

Ex-C&C men jailed Two former employees at Bestway’s Northampton cash & carry were among five people who were jailed for their part in a robbery at the C&C in January last year.

Around £500,000 worth of cigarettes was stolen in the raid, along with £18,000 in cash.

In the case, held last month at Northampton Crown Court, Mabs Zar, who was deputy manager of the branch, was sentenced to eight years and assistant manager Ravi Kumar four years.

Four-year jail terms were also handed out to three accomplices who were not Bestway employees.

Commenting on the outcome, Younus Sheikh, Bestway C&C managing director, said: “Any crime like this is very upsetting to the company and all our very loyal staff.

“We pride ourselves on having employees who feel part of a family and, like all big families, we have found one or two bad apples. They have been fairly convicted and, hopefully, will reflect on their ill-gotten deeds.

“We hope the police will continue to adopt a tough approach to securing convictions for these types of heinous crimes.”

Tel: Bestway Group 0208453 1234.

Brakes role Newly-appointed chief financial officer at Brakes Group is Phil Wieland. He was previously with the General Healthcare Group.

Tel: Brakes Group (0845) 606 9090.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

news

P&H to open in Herts Palmer & Harvey is to open a distribution centre in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, in the spring next year.

Recruitment for the new 168,000 sq ft site – a refurbished building on the G Park estate – will start in December.

Julian Streeter, md – operations, said the opening was in response to increased demand for the wholesaler’s

services in the south-east, particularly London.

“This development will provide a significant improvement to our infrastructure and give us the opportunity to significantly increase our sales and customer base in this strategically important area.”

Until now, independents in this location have had to rely on deliveries from the

Today’s appointments Nisa-Today’s chief financial officer John Schofield will join the new Today’s Wholesale Services as financial director on completion of the recent Nisa-Today’s separation (see News p.4).

He has worked for the group for 21 years, prior to which he ran his own accountancy practice.

Also joining TWS are Matthew Oxley, as foodservice trading director, and Dev Dhillon, retail director.

Oxley, who joins this month, has worked as group buying controller for Parfetts C&C and as head of foodservice at Makro. He also spent some time with Booker.

Dhillon, who switches jobs on 14 November, is currently marketing director,

defence & offshore, at Compass Group. He also spent three years as head of promotions for SPAR UK. In another TWS appointment, David Sabin, impulse trading director for Today’s, becomes senior trading controller, foodservice.

He retains responsibility for a number of sub-categories increasingly relevant to the foodservice sector.

TWS managing director Bill Laird said: “These appointments underline our commitment to recruit the best individuals across wider industry and blend them with our own home-grown talent in order to maintain our competitive edge.”

Tel: Today’s Group (01724) 282028.

‘Double’ for JJ For the second year running, JJ Food Service won the ‘Catering Supplier of the Year’ title at the World Food Awards held in London.

The judges said they recognised the efforts the wholesaler had made over the previous year, including substantially expanding its

product ranges, which are suitable for ethnic customers such as Asian, Oriental and Mediterranean restaurateurs.

The citation also referred to JJ Food Service as being an established supplier of Halal foods.

Tel: JJ Food Service (0871) 973 0999.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Julian Streeter

branch in Medway, stretching resources at this site.

When the new depot is open, the wholesaler will be operating from 14 sites.

P&H, the UK’s largest full range wholesaler, has a turnover of £4.3bn, delivers to 63,600 customers, has a staff of 3,250 and a transport fleet of 850 vehicles.

It also claims to handle between 6% and 7% of the UK’s total grocery business.

Tel: Palmer & Harvey (01273) 222100.

Fighting on the beaches Booker’s 100,000 sq ft branch in Brighton, which is undergoing significant changes, will have a battle on its hands when Bestway opens its new 80,000 sq ft cash & carry at the south coast resort.

The Bestway unit, which is scheduled to start trading at the end of next month in the Hollingsbury area, is a former bookshop warehouse.

All the usual Bestway offerings will be incorporated, including fresh foods and butchery.

The depot, which will offer a delivered service, will be under the managership of Peter Curtis, who was previously with Booker and Makro. He heads a staff of more than 70.

Tel: Bestway Group 0208453 1234.

Birchall acquisition Burnley-based Birchall Foodservice is expanding its operation in Wales with the acquisition of Willow Foods.

The wholesaler already has depots in Llandudno, Burnley, Durham, Sheffield and Stafford.

Willow Foods, set up by Malcolm Acott in 1992, distributes quality chilled and fresh foods – an area Birchall is keen to develop.

The Willow identity is being retained and the company will continue to operate out of its purpose-built premises in Wrexham. Acott, who was managing director, will maintain his involvement and interest in the business.

Colin Birchall, md of Birchall Foodservice, commented: “We already supply

Acott (left) and Birchall

customers in Wales on a foodservice basis and this is a natural expansion.

“Willow customers will now get immediate access to our extensive product range and service delivery, as well as all of the benefits that come from being a Country Range Group member.”

Birchall’s goal is to hit £20m turnover this year.

Tel: Birchall Foodservice (01707) 323421.

Cash & Carry Management

• October 2011 • 7

news

FWD’s beer proposal The FWD has responded to last month’s publication of government statistics which reveal a 45% increase in the illicit supply of UK beer.

It has called for a series of measures to disrupt the illegal supply chain, including the introduction of duty stamps on beer cans and bottles to protect retailers from unintentionally buying non-duty-paid stock. This would reassure the public that the products they buy are legitimately sourced.

The recommendation is one of several put forward by the FWD to disrupt the illegal sale of beer, which rose by 45% in 2009-10 and now amounts to 14% of the market.

Chief executive James Bielby said: “We always recommend that retailers buy their alcohol products from known and trusted sources.

Duty stamps on beer would be a clear signal that they are operating within the law when sourcing stock.”

He added: “Small businesses which put non-dutypaid stock on their shelves, even unintentionally, could

16% uplift Landmark Wholesale’s sales from depots rose by over 16% in August compared with the previous corresponding month. This brought the year-to-date performance to plus 11.5%.

The group’s managing director Martin Williams highlighted monthly growth in licensed (16%) and cigarettes (over 9%).

Own-brand sales for the year so far have risen by 27%.

Tel: Landmark Wholesale (01908) 255300.

8

Bielby: Making things better for shopkeepers.

find themselves facing closure as a result.”

Meanwhile, the FWD has congratulated HM Revenue & Customs on the successful prosecution of a gang who supplied non-duty-paid alcohol to retailers.

Six men were jailed for a total of more than 19 years for their part in the £1.8m duty fraud, which saw beer, wine and spirits intended for

export ending up on sale in the north-west, Scotland and the Midlands.

Bielby said: “Operational successes are to be applauded, but if HMRC wants to address this kind of fraud it should look at some bold policy responses to the problem, like the introduction of duty stamps.”

Tel: Federation of Wholesale Distributors (01323) 724952.

Litherland Britvic md Britvic’s new managing director is Simon Litherland.

He has joined the soft drinks supplier from Diageo, where he was, until recently, md of the GB business, the second largest global market for the alcohol giant.

In that role, he had responsibility for a range of brands, including Guinness, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker

and Baileys.

Paul Moody, Britvic chief executive, said the creation of the post of a GB md gave the company a tighter focus, allowing the group executive committee to concentrate on its strategy of growing internationally through acquisitions and extending franchises.

Tel: Britvic (01245) 261871.

Landmark campaign Landmark Wholesale is working with Insight Offsite, which provides consultancy services and products to the wholesale industry, on a targeted marketing campaign in order to help it increase the distribution and penetration of major products through independent retailers and caterers.

The ‘On Target’ drive is based on sales data provided

by SalesOut and interpreted

by Insight Offsite – an analysis which has given Landmark evidential data of where gaps are in distribution.

Using this analysis, Insight Offsite and the group have developed ‘On Target’ to promote those products to customers who previously did not stock them.

Chris Doyle, business development director for Landmark Wholesale, said: “The analysis carried out by Insight Offsite of our sales data showed the detail behind the headline that we already knew, that penetration was only just over 50%.

“Critically, though, we were also able to see exactly which products were being stocked where and consequently where logical gaps existed.”

Tel: Inside Offsite (0870) 860 8700.

Tel: Landmark Wholesale (01908) 255300.

Best wholesaler award In addition to JJ Food Service, which won the Catering Supplier of the Year title in the World Food Awards held in London (see p.7), winner of the Best

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

Wholesaler category was Elbrook C&C, of Mitcham.

The Today’s member last year had sales of £110m.

The judges said they were impressed by Elbrook’s

range, layout, service levels and customer satisfaction.

Founder & managing director is Fukhera Khalid.

Tel: Elbrook C&C 020-8646 6502.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

delivered

Kiamil: ‘Customers recognise the genuine benefits.’

Three-month surge A steep rise in turnover in each of the three months of its third quarter has produced an impressive 43% increase for JJ Food Service.

Returns for July went up from £11.7m to £15.5m; in August they rose from £10.2m to £14.2m; and in

September they soared from £10m to £15.9m. This produced a three-month total of £45.6m (£31.9m).

Mustafa Kiamil, chief executive of the Enfieldbased business, commented: “By providing our customers with a wider choice of

products and greater flexibility on how and when they place their orders, we have managed to take a greater share of the market place.

“Our customers, both old and new, recognise the genuine benefits of our customer collection service, which not only saves them money, but also valuable time.”

Kiamil added that most of the growth had come from independent customers, not contracts.

The final quarter is not expected to produce such growth because of the school holidays, although the addition of alcohol to the range earlier this year will offset this.

Tel: JJ Food Service (0871) 973 0999.

The wholesaler’s seventh branch – a £3.2m near36,000 sq ft depot in Bristol (Cash & Carry Management: August) – opens this month.

•

Celebratory food selection DBC Foodservice has launched a ‘Food for Celebrations’ range to help caterers prepare for the party season – Halloween, Guy Fawkes Night, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The selection is featured in a newly-published Party Season 2011 brochure, available from the company’s 12

Winter deals Creed Foodservice, of Staverton, Glos, has introduced a winter promotion called ‘Now That’s What We Call Winter’, featuring a range of Christmas products.

The activity runs until 30 December.

Tel: Creed Foodservice (01452) 858190.

10

national depots, or it can be downloaded from the website.

Buying & marketing director Sue Cronin-Jones said the selection has been created with all tastes, budgets and party sizes in mind.

“In previous years we have launched a Christmas range as well as additional ranges for other party occasions. However, the feedback from customers was that events such as New Year’s Eve are often equally as busy as Christmas, requiring just as much planning and often similar food solutions.

“We therefore created one brochure to enable caterers to plan for the busy party season all at once.”

The range includes meat and poultry finger foods, and

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

vegetarian and pastry finger foods.

As well as a wide choice of turkey products, DBC is offering duckling, goose and ham together with Christmas accompaniments.

There is also an extensive list of desserts and cheeses, plus partyware.

Tel: DBC Foodservice (01707) 323421.

Foodservice dip Peter Backman, managing director of the Horizons consultancy, told an industry meeting that foodservice accounts for sales of £42bn, which means its share of food spending has dropped to below 30%.

Tel: Horizons 020-8349 0162.

Young chefs challenge Brakes is encouraging teams of young chefs to enter its annual Student Team Chef Challenge 2012.

The competition, a firm fixture on the catering industry’s calendar, aims to encourage the next generation of chefs to develop ‘real life’ catering skills.

For the first time since it started in 1993, this year’s national event will be fully supported by a dedicated website (www.brakesstudentchef.co.uk) where contestants can enter online. There is also an interactive Twitter page, Facebook page and You Tube channel featuring an interview with head judge Christopher Basten, last year’s winning team from Ayr College and other interactive features.

To enter, lecturers must submit on behalf of their college teams a menu, list of ingredients, accurate costings and state how the menu will be prepared.

Tel: Brakes Group (0845) 606 9090.

CRG additions Dairy vanilla ice cream, plus non-dairy mint choc ripple and raspberry ripple, have joined the range of ice cream available from Country Range Group. All come in four-litre tubs.

Also new in the frozen section from CRG members is a mini cake assortment, each case containing five varieties of chocolate eclairs, finger doughnuts, fruit scones, Black Forest muffins, carrot cakes, chocolate brownies, custard slices and cream slices.

Tel: Country Range Group (0845) 519 6181.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

No.

You don’t become

staying happy being No.2

• Russia’s best-selling premium vodka,

distilled and bottled in St Petersburg.

• New distribution partnership with

Whyte & Mackay from 1st January 2012.

• £1m UK investment in new

‘Vodka As It Should Be’ TV advertising in December 2011.

• £10m UK consumer marketing investment in 2012.

• UK’s No.2 Premium vodka brand*.

• Awarded Hot Prospect Brand by IMPACT 2010.

• 2.5m cases after only 5 years of global expansion.

Enjoy responsibly

*Source: Nielsen Data MAT w/e 06.08.11 and CGA Brand Index w/e 09/07/11

in focus

Creeds have the belief Mervyn Gilbert visits one of the UK’s largest independent foodservice operators.

Woolworth might be no more in the UK, but it can claim to have nurtured at least two employees who went on to bigger and better things in the food trade.

The more high profile of the pair, Malcolm Walker, is the man who owned, sold, now owns again, the Iceland freezer combine. He started with the variety chain store before setting up his own mega frozen foods business.

Far less well known is Terry Creed, the retired Cheltenham businessman who cut his teeth with Woolworth and, with his family, built up one of the leading privately-owned foodservice operations, with a forecast turnover this year of £43m (up from £35.8m).

The company is now headed by son Chris, 47, managing director, with three other sons also holding senior positions: Paul, 49, IT director; Philip, 43, sustainability director; and Philip’s twin Steven, fresh foods director.

What happens to the company when this generation of Creeds retires is unclear. Certainly, Chris’s children have sidestepped the opportunity, with son Adam working for an investment management concern, and daughter Lauren practising as an osteopath.

For Chris, however, as a young man there was never any option. After an elementary school education, he joined dad Terry in a fledgling company which began as a grocery retailer and then moved into C&C/wholesale.

What started as one shop developed into a chain of seven

outlets, most of them in Gloucestershire.

“At that time,” says Chris, “dad was in partnership with a butcher friend, Reg Pitt, whom he later bought out. The shops traded as Linbar, named after the butcher’s wife Linda and my mum Barbara.”

Terry then bought a warehouse in Cheltenham, enabling distribution to be made to the shops. The former Budgetts cash & carry was situated in the same area as a Linfood C&C, part of a major chain that was later taken over by Booker.

A section of the building was used to service the company-owned retail business and the rest operated as a cash & carry.

When, in 1989, the shops were sold to the local co-operative society, the Creeds put all their efforts into foodservice and set themselves up as Creed Wholesale Catering Supplies. But the 20,000 sq ft Cheltenham depot was not ideal, with only limited height.

Opportunistic move

The opportunity came to move to a taller, 20,000 sq ft building in Tewkesbury, and the family grabbed it.

“We remained there until 1992,” says Chris. “That was when land became available at Staverton, near to our original base in Cheltenham. So we moved back.”

Creed has been growing regularly over the years, not just by increasing its number of customers, but also by widening its product range and bringing more expertise on board.

Three years ago it bought a 51,000 sq ft former DBC Foodservice depot in Ilkeston, Derbys. “It’s now our main hub,” says Chris, “and it holds our whole product range. We trunk product between Staverton and Ilkeston overnight – a distance of 100 miles.”

The foodservice operator also purchased fresh foods specialist Mise en Place three years ago.

“That business has a fleet of nine multi-temp vehicles operating within a 30-mile radius of Staverton for top-ofthe-range restaurants which want more than mainstream food. Turnover of that operation has doubled in the past year.”

Four years ago, Creed Foodservice, as it is now known, recruited Karl Goodwin as commercial director – the first non-Creed, or non-financial, director on Chris Creed believes the Ilkeston depot (pictured) was a shrewd purchase. the executive board.

12

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

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in focus He and the company were no strangers. Goodwin had been in regular contact with the wholesaler when he was general sales manager, cash & carry/wholesale, at Kraft Foodservice.

Goodwin was with Kraft for 21 years, the last three in his foodservice role.

Also on the executive board as operations director is Philip de Ternant, formerly with 3663, where he was Ministry of Defence and international supply director. Chris Creed credits him as “giving us the logistical expertise to deliver great customer service for our national account business”.

Stephen Whiting, the wholesaler’s finance director, is another relative newcomer, joining three years ago. At one time he worked for Nurdin & Peacock, then Booker, and also Dalgety.

Creed also last year signed Andrew Stedman, ex-national accounts controller, foodservice, at McCain Foods. He is the company’s sales director.

Chris with his younger twin brothers, Philip (left) and Steven.

National accounts Major national accounts include the Garden Centre Group (formerly Wyevale Garden Centres), which was won by the wholesaler four years ago. Creed delivers all types of food (except fish) to 93 of the Garden Centre Group sites.

Another company that has enlisted the wholesaler’s services is Dunelm, the homeware and soft furnishings chain.

Deliveries of chilled, frozen and ambient products are made to more than 60 stores.

And yet another major account is the National Trust, with 160 sites. The business is headed by Creed, supported by six fellow members of the Country Range Group.

CRG developed after it merged in 2000 with the eightyear-old CDA (Catering Distributors Alliance), of which Creed was one of three founders, the others being Birchall Catering Supplies and Ilfracombe Wholesale.

Creed has grown to the point where it operates from three sites in the Staverton area, including a 14,000 sq ft depot occupied by Mise en Place, as well as some of the frozen food operation, and a 10,000 sq ft site which houses telesales and the butchery/fresh meat cutting plant which Creed bought in 2005.

In the overall business, drops are made by 58 vehicles to more than 3,000 customers around the UK. They include restaurants/instore restaurants (38% of the total) healthcare (22%), education (13%), travel & leisure (9%), fast food outlets/cafés (7%), pubs (4%), hotels (3%) and others (4%).

The fastest-growing categories in fresh food are meat, sourced from abattoirs and specialist packers in the south-

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west, and produce, much of it from local growers, such as apples and pears from Hales Fruit Farm, and squash and brassica from Primrose Vale, both in Gloucestershire.

Creed even takes two truckloads a week from the prestigious Rungis market in Paris, while fresh milk was added to the range 18 months ago through Cotswold Dairy.

So ambitious is the wholesaler that it is sticking its neck out about where it hopes to be in 2016. Its five-year plan projects sales of £49m next year, £57m a year later, £66m in 2014, £77m in 2015 and then £90m.

The company has a staff of 240, of whom 65 are based at Ilkeston and the remainder at the three Staverton units.

Higher profile Meanwhile, the foodservice specialist continues to gain a higher profile by having speakers at some of the major trade conferences.

Three years ago Goodwin spoke at the Federation of Wholesale Distributors’ Catersummit event, and this month he will do so once again. And Stedman last month presented a paper on Creed’s behalf at an IGD wholesale seminar in London, which unfortunately fell on the same day as CRG’s annual conference, so preventing him and Chris Creed from attending that event.

With such a strong personnel line-up, a sales force of 20 to bring in more independent business and national accounts, together with those achievable turnover targets and widening product range, the company, in the flight path of Gloucestershire Airport, is certainly flying high.

Cash & Carry Management

• October 2011 • 13

IGD conference

As 2020 app-roaches...

Mervyn Gilbert reports from an event attracting some of the leading figures in C&C/wholesale.

Be left behind by technology at your peril! That was one of the major alerts to a gathering of around 150 delegates attending what was the first ‘open’ conference to be held by the Institute of Grocery Distribution – where the trade press were in attendance rather than being left to pick up scraps after the event.

Speakers stressed the importance of being abreast of new styles of communication, with apps being frequently used as a means of keeping tabs on customers.

Commenting on the cash & carry/wholesale market, the IGD’s chief economist James Walton described it as “not the most dynamic channel to follow. But in the past couple of years we have seen plenty of change”.

In this context he focused on JJ Food Service, which is offering three ways of purchasing (online, telesales and order & collect), Blakemore, which had acquired fellow SPAR wholesaler Capper, and Booker, with its purchase of Classic Drinks and Ritter Courivaud.

Walton gave an update on the total sector (see figures on p.4) which showed that cash & carry had returned to its former dominance, increasing sales last year by over 5%, while delivered grocery had made less progress and delivered foodservice was virtually static.

“Restaurants have become more expensive in real terms,” Walton told delegates, “and the number of meals eaten out has fallen sharply.”

He added that foodservice wholesalers had also been hit by the effect of dearer fuel on distribution costs and this had given a fillip to C&C operators with a foodservice option.

“When money’s hard to come by, independents go back to cash & carry.”

Booker managing director, cash & carry, Guy Farrant was making his second major public appearance in that role, having already spoken at a recent FWD conference.

He said that “staying close to customers is at the heart of what we do, so we know what we do well and what we do badly”.

Farrant commented: “Many suppliers are enjoying doubledigit growth with us – between 10% and 30% – and all our own labels are showing significantly better than 10% growth.

“There is now a Booker branch within 15 minutes of 90% of the population.”

Stefan Barden (below), UK chief executive of Brakes, cited the situation affecting the company’s operation in France, where out-ofhome sales have been overtaken by those of domestic food, although he forecast that out-of-home food expenditure across the Channel would rise.

Using the analogy of top FTSE companies which were no longer operating he said: “No-one here can be sure of our own businesses being around in the next

14

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

generation. The winning companies in the next 10-20 years will be those with a fantastic food offering.”

After showing a list of awards won by Brakes in recent years, including those for frozen food, cheese, best practice and sustainability, the relative newcomer to Brakes said: “I can’t claim the credit for these!”

Turning to technology, Barden remarked: “The winning food companies will be those who have mastered IT. A lot of concerns are now making information free, with a vast number of apps on i-phones.”

And with this, he displayed to delegates the RedLaser app. “With this, I can see where I can get a product at the lowest price and can be directed to the nearest shop where I can buy that item. I can also receive information on nutrition.

“The combination of these facilities for the food industry can be game changing.”

In between references to his beloved Luton Town FC, Landmark Wholesale md Martin Williams (left) said the group was achieving 11% like-for-like sterling growth.

The growing foodservice side had a turnover of more than £1bn, making it “No.3 in the market”.

Williams commented: “Too many suppliers treat it (foodservice) as a black hole and don’t pay it enough time or attention.”

He highlighted Unilever Foodsolutions as a supplier with which Landmark has established a close rapport.

“They have won our supplier of the year award for four consecutive years. That’s absolutely unheard of! They’re very, very good, and there have been no complaints from our members about them. That’s so unusual.

“They have added £1m turnover with us for each of the past three years. So if Unilever can do it, why can’t you?” said Williams, staring at the many suppliers in the conference hall.

Bill Laird, md of Today’s Group and of its soon-to-be successor Today’s Wholesale Services, outlined the £5.5bn buying power of the group, split 80% C&C/wholesale and 20% foodservice.

And commenting on the foodservice side, he said: “Our members have invested £50m in their businesses over the past year, so they have confidence in the future.”

Palmer & Harvey group strategy & development director Paul Hagon (right) posed the question: “Who are our competition? In some ways nobody, in others everybody.”

Telling delegates that the wholesaler’s customers included big retailers such as Tesco and Shell, he said: “We have a vehicle in every postcode every day and offer over 6,500 products.”

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EXCLUSIVE LUNCH 2 December 2011 Dorney Lake, Windsor Rowing venue for 2012 Olympics

Pre-lunch drinks reception in the Lake View Room Business session: ‘MAXIMISING THE 2012 OLYMPIC OPPORTUNITY’ Speakers include: • Pradip Dhamecha (left), chief executive, Dhamecha Foods • Darren Tse, London Organising Committee, 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) • Terry Hunter, head rowing coach and father of world rowing champion Mark Hunter MBE Cash & Carry Management AWARDS winners and research findings Lunch in the Lake View Room

Pictured at Dorney Lake: head rowing coach Terry Hunter (centre) with Mark Hunter (right) and Zac Purchase, who together won the men’s lightweight double sculls in the 2008 Olympics.

To book your place, phone 01342 712100 or email mail.winlove@btconnect.com

Landmark Wholesale – The Group of choice for Independent Wholesalers

Don’t just thin think tomorro As one of the UK’s largest Wholesale Groups, Landmark Wholesale wields massive buying power and we negotiate excellent terms for our Members. With 31 Members, Landmark Wholesale is a lean, manageable Group which can really focus on its Members’ needs and provide the very best to each and every one of them.

Landmark Wholesale Members share a vision for the future of the Independent Sector; a powerful marketing programme, quality promotions, great Own Brands, sophisticated data/IT systems and excellent terms support our vision and ensure our Members achieve more sales and profit.

The benefits of being a Landmark Wholesale Member are numerous. Not only does it afford greater buying power and a stronger voice within the Industry, we are able to offer competitive prices and a wide range of promotions to our Customers. So, if you are an Independent Wholesaler with a turnover or potential turnover of £10m or more, you should be joining us!

Our Members benefit from: the best terms and overriders from our multi-billion pound combined Group turnover; great Own Brand ranges which are growing at +27% this year*; the leading Wholesaling Information Technology package; Central Distribution on Chilled and Frozen Foods, selected Toiletries and Ambient Goods; and an annual Conference which is widely recognised as the best in our Sector.

Central Office invoicing drives efficiencies with our key Suppliers and central invoicing saves time and money. We have a no-nonsense open-book accounting policy and have developed IT systems which are the best in our market.

Why we joined Landmark Whol e “

William Yule has been delivering to Catering outlets in Central Scotland for over 100 years. Own Brand is an essential part of our ‘Complete Package’ for Caterers which helps them to reduce and control costs whilst providing us with healthy profit margins.

“

”

Mike Patterson Principal William Yule and Son Limited

East End Foods is a trusted Supplier of high quality ethnic foods to over 80% of Asian Independents. We have been a Landmark Wholesale Member for many years and benefit from excellent terms, prices and superb Own Brand ranges; we are also developing a number of highly successful Retailers under the Lifestyle Express banner.

Don Wouhra Principal East End Foods

”

Contact us today Scan with Smartphone to see our website

Martin Williams Managing Director Direct Dial: 01908 255313 martin.williams@lmkcc.co.uk

Andrew Thewlis Financial Director Direct Dial: 01908 255304 andrew.thewlis@lmkcc.co.uk

www.landmarkwholesale.co.uk

ink today... row Own Brand

Landmark Wholesale has been widely acknowledged as the leading operator of Own Brands in the Wholesale Sector, with ranges across all key Categories. Lifestyle is much more than a Retail Brand, it is a whole marketing umbrella under which Independent Retailers can develop their businesses. Lifestyle offers Landmark Wholesale Customers a point of difference, an opportunity to build loyalty and a high quality Own Brand alternative at a low price.

Retail Development Programme We recognise the value of Independent Retailers and the important role that they play within their communities and to our Members.

Lifestyle Express is helping to regenerate the Independent Retail Sector. Retailers typically enjoy an average sales growth of 29%

upon joining. Lifestyle Express is a professional Store Re-Development Programme offering Retailers support and impartial advice on store refits, ranging, layout, merchandising, pricing, promotions, Own Brand and technology.

Foodservice and Catering Success We have a great offering for Caterers including full range support and operational advice, national promotions and extensive Own Brand ranges. The Caterers Kitchen Brand is a range of top-quality products developed and packed specifically for Caterers. We work hard to ensure the range delivers high-quality and extremely competitive prices. Caterers Kitchen Everyday is a new range of Everyday Catering products giving Great Value Everyday prices on essential Food and Non-Food items. The range has been specifically developed for Caterers to provide guaranteed quality and low prices complementing the popular Caterers Kitchen Brand.

l esale - A Winning Team “

Being part of Landmark Wholesale helps us to develop our business and really focus on increasing profits. Having access to a range of special offers and regular promotions is crucial. Landmark Wholesale’s highly successful Own Brands are also an important part of our product portfolio going forward.

”

Sharmmila Jeganmogan Principal Hi-Line Cash & Carry

New Member

Run by its Members, for its Members.

* Figures correct as of September 2011

“

We very much look forward to our Membership of Landmark Wholesale from January 2012 and working together with the respected Foodservice operators within the Group. The fact that our views of the demands and opportunities of the marketplace concur in so many ways, gives us great confidence for the future.

”

Colin Birchall Managing Director Country Range Group

Don’t just think today... think tomorrow

New Member Jan 2012

country range conference

Onwards and upwards It was a positive message conveyed by managing director Colin Birchall when he addressed delegates at Country Range Group’s annual conference and exhibition, held recently at Kenilworth, Warks.

Not only were sales of branded products up and those of own brands too, but also stock ranges, and the number of people driving vehicles and working in field sales and telesales.

Other positives, Birchall added, were that CRG has a batch of progressive members, a well-organised and highly competent central office team, a raft of promotions and new product development, benefits from the K2N software programme and customer-focused marketing.

He also spoke of the advantages of being members of Landmark Wholesale, which has given it access to licensed goods and impulse, as well as a larger range of frozen foods – in which category CRG is forecasting 50% three-year growth.

On screen, Birchall highlighted words uttered by colleague Mike Watson, head of Ilfracombe Wholesale, which epitomised the enjoyment that members should feel while doing their work. They read: “Every day is a fun day, but some days are funnier than others.”

CRG’s group marketing & projects manager Coral Rose showed delegates visuals of a variety of spreads that the group has launched, using them as an analogy for wholesalers to ‘spread the word’, just as the group is doing through its publication Stir It Up.

CRG managing director Colin Birchall in typically animated pose during the conference session.

The selection includes 2kg sunflower spread at £2.59, buttery spread (£2.99), soft spread (£2.20) and cooking & baking spread, which comes in both a 2kg (£2.59) size and a 4 x 250g pack (£13.50).

Rose also showed the familiar First World War poster of Lord Kitchener, but with the words ‘We want brands’ instead of the usual clarion call ‘Your country needs you’.

She then presented a series of illustrations demonstrating the effectiveness of category management for tea, impulse foods, soups, stocks and sauces.

The audience were amused when a poster appeared above the speaker, ostensibly promoting the A-Team, but superimposed with some of the central office personnel.

Turning to the importance of nutrition, Rose said: “Caterers in all channels are required to be able to calculate and provide the nutritional values of the food they serve, yet a third of all schools are still failing to comply with nutritional guidelines, according to schools watchdog Ofsted.

“One in 10 elderly Britons are at risk of malnutrition,” she added.

“Now calorie counts on menus have been introduced with effect from September 2011.”

Did they stop to watch how spaghetti should be cooked at the exhibition, or did they just want to pasta time?

18

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

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CHRISTMAS DRINKS The November 2011 issue of Cash & Carry Management will include a feature on Christmas Drinks

To advertise in this issue, contact David Ford on (01342) 712100

FREE JOB ADS Struggling to get the right candidate for your job vacancy?

Reach every cash & carry and delivered wholesaler in the UK free of charge

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Visit the website or contact Martin Lovell at mail.winlove@btconnect.com or 01342 712100

achievers

Round one results

AUGUST PERFORMANCE

The league table below features those suppliers in the running for the Scottish Wholesale Achievers ‘Best Overall Service’ award. The scores relate to their performance during August.

20

POSITION

COMPANY

SCORE (max. 40)

1

AG Barr

32.74

2

Britvic Soft Drinks

32.45

3

Coca-Cola Enterprises

32.43

4

Maxxium

30.85

5

C&C Group

30.48

6

Kraft Foods

30.25

7

Heineken

30.08

8

Highland Spring

29.93

9

Tayto

29.67

10

Imperial Tobacco

29.33

11

JTI (Gallaher)

28.97

12

Diageo

28.59

13

Whyte & Mackay

28.35

14

SHS

27.85

15

GlaxoSmithKline

27.27

16

AB InBev

27.26

17

Nestlé 1st Choice

27.09

18

PepsiCo

27.06

19

Mars

26.41

20

Tata

26.37

21

Carlsberg

25.95

22

Molson Coors

25.59

23

Red Bull

25.24

24

Bacardi Brown-Forman

23.51

25

United Biscuits

23.37

26

Premier

22.93

27

Unilever

22.57

28

Unilever Foodsolutions

22.27

29

Kellogg’s

22.03

30

Heinz

21.23

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

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achievers

Second stage scores How well did these suppliers do in September? Wholesalers in Scotland are asked to award points.

SEPTEMBER PERFORMANCE

Deliveries including Admin Support (max. 15 points) write N/A if not direct

Supplier Contact (max. 15 points)

Packaging (max. 5 points)

Scottish Focus (max. 5 points)

TOTAL

AB InBev AG Barr Bacardi Brown-Forman Britvic Soft Drinks C&C Group

(inc Magners/Tennent’s)

Carlsberg Coca-Cola Enterprises Diageo GlaxoSmithKline Heineken

(S&N)

Heinz Highland Spring Imperial Tobacco JTI (Gallaher) Kellogg’s Kraft Foods

(Cadbury)

Mars Maxxium Molson Coors Nestlé 1st Choice

(retail/confec)

PepsiCo

(inc Walkers)

Premier

(inc Foodservice)

Red Bull SHS Tata

(Tetley)

Tayto

(Golden Wonder)

Unilever Unilever Foodsolutions United Biscuits Whyte & Mackay

Company.................................................. Contact name.................................................. Fax to (01334) 479695

otc medicines

Treat yourself to extra sales Often a distress purchase, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are an important category for the convenience trade. Wholesalers and retailers can benefit by focusing on the brand leaders.

Several of the key brands in OTC, including Calpol, Benylin, Sudafed, Imodium and Benadryl, are available in special pack sizes for the convenience trade and benefit from heavyweight promotions, reports Alex Keevil, senior customer development manager at McNeil Products, part of Johnson & Johnson.

Keevil explains: “For cash & carries, delivered wholesalers and their customers, we offer tight ranges with products that do the job. Maximising sales in OTC is about stocking the brand leaders and making it easy for people to shop: it’s not about having duds on the shelf or even lots of different brands that fulfil the same consumer need. A lot of retailers are not familiar with the OTC market and wholesalers have a liquid format in the grocery channel, but is now available in big part to play in product recommendation.” convenience in packs of 16 tablets (rsp £4.49), six to an outer.

He adds: “Cash & carries and retailers alike should merBacking the launch is a heavyweight package, including chandise the OTC fixture by category and flex it depending national tv and press advertising and a ‘six for the price of on the season.” four’ deal for the convenience sector.

This year, McNeil Products is backing its key winter OTC This season, Calpol and Calprofen are receiving support to brands with a total of £12 million on tv and other media the tune of £5 million, including tv advertising. exposure.

McNeil Products is also repeating the highly successful ‘six Benylin is specifically benefiting from a £2.2 million tv for the price of five’ deal in C&Cs and delivered wholesalers. campaign running from November to the end of January.

The promotion covers Calpol infant 100ml bottle, Calpol The cough remedies category is worth £103 million, of six-plus 80ml bottle, infant sugar-free sachets 12s, infant which £34 million is generated by Benylin. Not only is original sachets 12s, and six-plus sugar-free sachets 12s.

Benylin No.1 in the total cough remedies market, but it is also Calprofen, which has the same strawberry taste as Calpol growing ahead of the market – up 13% compared to total but contains ibuprofen rather than paracetamol, is available growth of 9.1%. in the standard 100ml bottle but with An aggressive ‘six for the price of four’ 25% off the usual trade price. offer is running on all Benylin lines in Furthermore, a free-standing display convenience during the winter season. unit featuring the promotional packs of The key Benylin SKUs are Benylin Non Calpol infant 100ml bottle, Calpol sixDrowsy Chesty Cough and Tickly Cough plus 80ml bottle and Calprofen 100ml (both 125ml and rsp £3.77), and Cold & bottle is available to cash & carries.

Flu Max Strength Capsules 16s (rsp Children’s pain relief is worth £77 £3.26). million, a rise of 9.4%. The convenience A free-standing display unit featuring sector is also growing, with Calpol and all three of these lines is available to cash Calprofen up by 10%. & carries. “This is a very good promo“Calpol is a must-stock line. I would tion,” says Keevil. “Because we had prourge wholesalers and retailers to put it in duction issues on some of our brands a prominent position and ensure they last year due to high spikes in demand, stock the three key variants: infant, sixdeep-cut deals like these are designed to plus and Calprofen,” says Keevil. “Offerreward the trade for bearing with us.” ing one SKU is not enough – shoppers He adds: “OTC is not a particularly need pain relief suitable for the age of busy aisle so the display unit should be the child.” put in a different area with higher footfall Brand leader in the £83 million – if possible by the checkouts. The more decongestant sector with a 27% share is exposure cash & carries can give to the Sudafed, which is represented by deal, the more customers will pick it up.”

Blocked Nose & Headache in the conThe Benylin range has been extended venience channel. with the launch of Benylin Mucus Cough The product is being backed with a & Cold All in One Relief Tablets. The Free-standing display units are available for Benylin and Calpol & Calprofen. £4 million package this season, product had previously been offered in

22

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

otc medicines including a ‘six for the price of four’ deal for cash & carries and delivered wholesalers – improving on last year’s ‘six for five’ offer.

Sudafed comes in packs of 16 tablets, six to an outer, and as a nasal spray, in 10s. Both formats have an rsp of £4.07.

By far the leading brand in the £45 million anti-diarrhoea category is Imodium, which featured in a ‘six for the price of five’ promotion in the summer.

There are three key variants: Original Capsules (rsp £3.36), Instants (£4.38) and Plus (£4.07). Each comes in a pack of six capsules, with six packs to an outer.

Says Keevil: “Imodium is a product that everyone should be stocking – it is the ultimate distress purchase.”

Benadryl is the biggest brand in the £85.7 million allergy remedy market. Benadryl comes in two formats: One A Day Relief, in packs of seven tablets (rsp £4.99), and Allergy Relief, in packs of 12 tablets (rsp £4.44). Both are supplied in outers of six.

All data IRI w/e 21.8.11

McNeil Products uses Ceuta Healthcare and SHS to distribute its products in the wholesale channel.

Fisherman’s Friend, which is distributed by Ceuta Healthcare, will be backed by a new TV advertisement in January. The new creative will roll out across multiple platforms, including digital, social media, PoS materials for retailers, and bespoke shippers.

Specifically for the independent trade and back by popular demand, the company is offering ‘24 for 20’ price-marked packs for Original Extra Strong, Aniseed, Cherry and Blackcurrant flavours.

Promotional stock is available now and will last until February 2012.

Martin Stimson, area business manager for the UK, says: “Sales of Fisherman’s Friend over the last few years have benefited from consumers reaching for a medicated sweet that packs a real punch. Britons spend more than £200 million a year on medical confectionery for cold cures and remedies (Nielsen May 2011), which means that it is an extremely lucrative opportunity for retailers.

“The original is still our best seller with a stellar performance but the introduction of fruit flavours has also broadened our consumer base.”

Nearly 150 years after the first Original Extra Strong lozenge was produced, the flavour is experiencing growth at 7.7%. The total Fisherman’s Friend brand is also growing ahead of the category average, with volume up by 4.3% and value by 6.2% (Nielsen May 2011). UK awareness stands at 94% (GFK survey 2010).

The first tv campaign for the brand in 14 years was screened during the 2009-10 winter season and repeated earlier this year. The company spent more than £750,000 on the national tv campaign and sponsored Rory and Paddy’s Great British Adventure and Extreme Fishing with Robson Green on Channel 5, reaching around 18 million consumers.

24

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

Fisherman’s Friend is sold in more than 100 countries.

Variants include Original Extra Strong, Aniseed, Sugar Free Blackcurrant, Sugar Free Cherry, Sugar Free Mint, Sugar Free Original and Sugar Free Lemon. Fisherman’s Friend has an rsp of 73p for a 25g packet and £1.39 for a 45g box.

According to Kraft Foods, Halls has maintained the UK’s No.1 position in the medicated confectionery sector and has also been the key growth driver – up 9.4%.

In the impulse retail channel, Halls accounts for more than one in two purchases made in the medicated confectionery category, reflecting the brand’s popularity with consumers.

Halls Soothers Blackcurrant is the best-selling SKU within the medicated confectionery category, with a 13% unit share. The product is available in Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Peach & Raspberry, and Cherry flavours.

The Halls Mentholyptus range consists of Extra Strong, Original, Sugar Free Original, Ice Cool, Blackcurrant and Sugar Free Cherry.

Kraft Foods advises retailers to place Halls on or close to the counter with mints and gum in order to maximise impulse purchases. It also stresses the importance of keeping medicated confectionery ranges fully stocked, particularly for shoppers who have planned their purchase.

Trade communications manager Susan Nash says: “Medicated confectionery products are regularly bought as a comforter alongside stronger over-thecounter (OTC) medicines, so it’s essential to site Halls Soothers and Halls Mentholyptus alongside OTC medicines as well as in impulse locations like till points to drive incremental purchase.”

All data: Nielsen MAT 6.8.11.

For further information: Ceuta Healthcare (01202) 780558 Kraft Foods (01242) 236101 SHS (01452) 378500

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Display Hotline 01752 752 094 | www.wrigley.com/uk Source: *Nielsen Independents and Symbols MAT w.e. 26/03/11 **Nielsen Total Coverage MAT w.e. 26/03/11 ***Johnston S, Holgate S. Epidemiology of viral respiration infections In: Myint S, Taylor-Robinson D, eds Viral and other infections of the human respiritary tract. London: Chapman & Hall. 1996:1-38

innovation & education

Wholesale support for linked deal PepsiCo and Britvic have launched their first-ever UK cross promotion – ‘Fire & Ice’ – with support for wholesalers to help drive sales through to retailers.

Fire & Ice centres on the introduction of Jalapeno Fire flavoured Doritos and lime flavoured Pepsi Max Citrus Freeze.

The new Doritos variety is available in a permanent 250g take-home format (rsp £2.37) and limited-edition 175g (£1.77) and 40g formats (45p), while the limited-edition Pepsi Max Citrus Freeze comes in two-litre (£1.89) and 600ml formats (£1.05). Doritos 175g bags will also be offered on price promotion with Pepsi Max two-litre at ‘2 for £2’. Stocks of the non-permanent lines are likely to last until around Christmastime.

Marketing support for Fire & Ice includes tv advertising and an extensive digital campaign. An on-pack promotion will also run across all Doritos and Pepsi Max products offering consumers the chance to enter a daily prize draw to win a trip to ’hot‘ Las Vegas or ‘cool‘ Iceland.

Outlining the specific support available to cash & carries, Kieran South, wholesale director at PepsiCo, says: “We really value the support of our wholesale partners and will be helping them to drive their sales by running joint promotions in depot across the entire Doritos and Pepsi Max ranges throughout October.

“Additionally, the Doritos Jalapeno Fire NPD will be available in a pre-filled stacker that can be sited in-store by the drinks chiller. We are encouraging wholesalers to take advantage of this opportunity in good time, as initial feedback from

Fire & Ice is the first-ever UK linked deal by PepsiCo & Britvic.

26

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

A wholesale poster promoting Fire & Ice.

depots suggests that the new lines are proving incredibly popular.”

South adds: “Our Fire & Ice campaign will help wholesalers to maximise the under-developed opportunity presented by linked purchases of Doritos and Pepsi Max, particularly as they are consumed together 57% of the time, but only bought together in 13% of cases.” (Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 8th Feb 2011.)

Clare Bocking, business unit controller wholesale at Britvic, comments: “The wholesale channel is integral to ensuring the success of our ‘Fire and Ice’ venture and we are working closely with our wholesale partners to make sure they have a strong, value-led proposition to offer their retail customers.

“We plan to help wholesalers maximise the incremental sales opportunity by engaging as many retailers as possible across the country. In particular, we are advising wholesalers on the best way to cross promote in depot, dual siting Doritos and Pepsi Max at key areas such as front of depot or at rack end.

“Both the PepsiCo and Britvic sales teams will be visiting depot managers and stock controllers, helping them to create great fixture displays with striking PoS materials, and ensuring that wholesalers know how best to sell the proposition to retailers.”

At retail level, ‘highly visual‘ PoS materials and merchandising units, including a three case stacker, are available.

Tel: Britvic Soft Drinks (01245) 261871.

Tel: PepsiCo (0118) 930 6666.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

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supplier strategy

Will Princes be kings?

While own-label accounts for a sizeable share of the canned fish market, the sector is dominated by two brands that mean business.

While it’s not a case of harpoons at the ready, the two leading suppliers of canned fish are squaring up to each other in a battle for the UK consumer’s purse.

On the one side is Princes Foods, owned by the giant Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation, and on the other John West, the former Unilever canning business now part of the Thai Union Group. Waiting in the wings is the third player, own-label.

John West has made its intentions known by rebranding its range and making a greater pitch for those whose buying intentions are influenced by sustainability.

With shortages of red salmon, the £539m UK canned fish business is dominated by tuna – a commodity which includes chunks in brine, spring water, sunflower oil and olive oil. But just as meaningful to the green consumer is how the fish is caught.

This is why John West has been making noises about its ‘pole & line’ range, developed after consultation with experts such as Greenpeace.

Managing director Paul Reenan says that by the end of 2012, the canner will have sourced at least 25% of its UK supply by this method, a percentage expected to rise to 35% a year later and at least 50% by the end of 2014.

As an interim measure for the other 50%, Reenan adds that John West will only buy tuna purse seined, where the boats are able to provide year-on-year best practice qualified audits.

The pole & line commitment will then gradually be increased so that by the end of 2016 it will account for the greater part of John West’s output.

A full range is available for C&C operators.

28

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

Concentrating on the sustainability issue.

A newly-launched pole & line range includes 185g tuna chunks (rsp £1.59) and 3 x 80g chunks (£2.09). Both are available in brine, sunflower oil and spring water.

The manufacturer, which claims a 30.4% share of the total canned fish category and nearly 33% for tuna alone (IRI 12 weeks to 3 September), has also introduced a redesign across its entire tuna range, with each style identified by its own colour, and it is spending over £6m on a major marketing campaign.

Commercial director Mick Wain says: “Our extensive shopper research shows that canned fish is complicated, the fixture is difficult to navigate and there is a lack of consumer understanding about what it available.”

While only 10% of John West’s tuna tonnage is through independents, this share could conceivably grow.

Tuna accounts for nearly 74% of its canned fish volume, red salmon 9.7%, pink salmon 2.8% and mackerel 1.5%.

At Princes, convenience sector marketing manager Graham Breed says that in value terms the canned fish category is up on last year.

“Sales of tuna have shown a marginal increase, with other species, such as mackerel and sardines, also experiencing sales growth.

“We have a full range of canned fish products available to C&C operators to meet the wide range of consumer needs.”

The Liverpool-based company, whose manor tuna sku is chunks in brine (12 x 4 x 185g), sources most of its fish from the Indian Ocean, with the rest coming from the Pacific and Atlantic.

Breed adds: “The majority of tuna that we buy is skipjack, due to it being fast growing and highly fertile: it is also widely considered to be abundant and has sustainable stock levels.

“Small quantities of yellowfin are sourced from the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans and a small amount of bigeye tuna also comes from the Indian Ocean.”

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

New Thinking

New Solutions

Issue 18 – October 2011

£250k STL Solution Spices up East End Foods STL Technology Solutions, the leading developer of IT systems for the wholesale industry, has secured a £250,000 contract with East End Foods, one of the largest importers of Indian foods into the UK. Under the contract, STL will supply East End with its flagship software STL Merchandise Management System (STL MMS) and its Warehouse Management System (STL WMS) in a phased rollout across its four-depot estate. When completed, these systems will support all of East End’s cash & carry, delivered wholesale and third-party distribution operations.

Quality Information is Key Ingredient for Success Over four decades, East End Foods has built up a £100 million household brand comprising 1,250 lines that today are sold through some 80% of Asian independent retailers, and all the major UK multiples.

This success is founded on a trusted reputation for top quality yet value-for-money products; fast, accurate and reliable

deliveries; and consistently high availability (upwards of 98%).

This has been achieved through incisive, proactive decisionmaking, customer-oriented investments, a commitment to rigorous procedure and internal efficiencies, and an ability to anticipate market trends.

However, the company is growing fast. It recently invested in a £6 million state-of-the-art production facility and has now broken ground on a £35 million development on the site of the

former HP Sauce factory in Aston Cross. As well as housing a 100,000ft2 cash & carry depot, this site will incorporate a 20,000ft2 bonded warehouse, a pioneering urban farm promoting sustainability, and an Asian cookery school.

The company felt that its aging IT systems could not keep up with its information requirements as it expanded and explored new opportunities and innovations.

Continued on next page

STL Technology Solutions

New Thinking. New Solutions.

Harsh Kumar, General Manager & IT Manager, East End Foods, said, ‘It’s not only quality food that our company reputation relies on: quality information and control are also key ingredients.

• be robust enough to support multiple operations and

‘Above all, we need an IT system that will:

‘When we investigated our options, only STL provided the modern, future-proofed solution we needed. With a strong, Microsoft-backed roadmap,

• provide us with a detailed insight across our business in real time,

• have the scalability to grow with us and agility to help us adapt to changing customer demands.

web-enabled modules and proven track record, we knew STL would not only give us the functionality we needed now, but support us into the future.’ www.stl-solutions.com

Edinburgh Expansion Stax up with STL Hot off the press! On 10th October, Stax Trade Centres, the UK’s leading DIY and household trade wholesaler, opened doors on its latest depot, in Edinburgh.

The successful launch was facilitated by STL’s end-to-end Merchandise Management System (STL MMS).

Stax carries some 40,000 product lines and the new branch will join its others in Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and Birmingham to make these available to customers nationwide.

The wholesaler prides itself on its ability to consistently provide the best range of trade products at the best trade prices, with the best level of service.

To achieve this, its executive team relies heavily on timely updates from its depots to shape tactical programmes and strategic decisions. However, with its old system, cross-organisational communications were often delayed or restricted, which meant its decision-makers didn’t always have an accurate or full view of all their operations.

So, in 2009, when the company moved into its new, purpose-built headquarters and depot in Manchester, it undertook a major review of its IT systems.

Stax wanted to establish a more fluent, centralised control of its organisation. Its primary goals were to achieve greater operational efficiency and buying power.

After painstakingly reviewing its options, Stax chose STL as the most modern head office and

Stax’s Manchester depot and head office

multi-site management system in the industry.

Importantly, by providing a centralised head office application, STL MMS automatically gives executives an up-to-the-minute and analysable view of the entire Stax business, which has improved reaction times, and facilitated sharper strategic planning.

Della Butler, IT Director at Stax, said, ‘With its combination of

easy-to-use functions, scalability and strong analytics, STL has helped us to respond more swiftly and consistently to customer demands. It has also given us the information we need to make confident decisions and pragmatic plans for growth.’

Key Benefits of STL • Centralised information • Clearer, real-time executive view of operations • Sharper strategic decisions • Ability to easily add new facilities • Improved operational efficiency • Greater purchasing power

STL Technology Solutions

New Thinking. New Solutions.

As Smooth as 007: UWS Goes Live with Bond Solution The premier cash & carry operator in Scotland, United Wholesale (Scotland), has gone live with its new Duty Management and Warehouse Management solution from STL, a pioneering developer of IT systems for the wholesale industry.

Combined, these systems have enabled UW(S) to establish an authorised bonded warehouse in compliance with Customs & Excise regulations.

Cashflow & Buying Advantages With more than 170 branded retailers in its customer base, UW(S) has established a strong reputation for supporting the independent retail sector through competitive pricing and attractive promotions as well as knowledgeable advice.

By establishing an efficient bonded warehouse, the wholesaler will gain valuable cashflow and buying advantages that it can pass onto its customers.

Stephen Gray, Finance Director of UW(S), said, ‘By enabling us to legally hold back duty payments until we’ve sold stock, our STL

processes for us, ensuring that we comply with regulations without the usual associated headaches.’

And More

“Importantly, the

system will also automate many of the duty processes for us, ensuring that we comply with regulations without the usual associated headaches.

Stephen Gray,

”

Finance Director of UW(S)

solution will give us greater buying power. This means we can better capitalise on attractive supplier offers – buying in greater volume and holding stock longer – without negatively impacting our cashflow position. And that will filter through as better deals for our customers.

‘Importantly, the system will also automate many of the duty

UW(S) is also installing STL’s Merchandise Management System (MMS) and Sales Order Processing (SOP) solution.

Mr Gray concluded, ‘Combined, we believe our new STL solution will establish for us a robust, scalable and flexible platform which will not only bring us efficiencies and performance improvements, but enable us to gain greater purchasing clout, and take advantage of exciting new digital initiatives in the future – from RF in our warehouse to automatic ordering from handhelds for shopkeepers.

All this will enable us to continue to deliver terrific value to our customers, and sustain our pole market position.’

STL: 0844 472 4727 www.stl-solutions.com

STL Video

£3k Raised in Charity Ride

STL has been working hard on a new promotional video. It will be completed this month and then posted on our website (www.stl-solutions.com) as well as on YouTube and Vimeo.

STL’s Tim Dobie and Niall McConachie completed the 140 mile ‘C2C Cycle Challenge’ and raised a fantastic £3,000 in aid of Charities @ SAMS. A big ‘Thank-

you’ to all those who donated, including A.G. Parfett and Sons, Bestway Cash & Carry Group and United Wholesale Grocers. www.stl-solutions.com

The preliminary cut looks great, and we’re really excited about it – so do look out for it!

Niall McConachie and Tim Dobie

STL Technology Solutions

New Thinking. New Solutions.

Venus Thinks STL Handhelds ‘Out of this World’ London-based Venus Wine Spirit Merchants, which operates an 85,000 ft2 cash & carry centre as well as distributed wholesale service, stocks one of the largest range of wines, beers and spirits in the country.

It has significantly improved the efficiency of both its picking and stock taking activities through the use of 12 handheld terminals from STL, the leading developer of modern IT solutions for wholesalers.

Laki Christoforou, Venus’ Chairman, said, ‘Reliable, accurate and fast deliveries, along with consistent availability, are what distinguish us from our competitors. Therefore, having a really slick process in our warehouse is business-critical.

We knew we could depend on STL to provide the right solution.’

Venus’ confidence in STL stems from the benefits it has already gained from using STL’s Merchandise Management System (MMS), Sales Order Processing (SOP) system, online ordering facility Order Wizard and

Point of View: a Virtual Future?

Ivan Durkin, Managing Director of STL A small number of cutting-edge independent cash & carry operators are saving money with a ‘virtual’ solution from STL Technology Solutions.

The solution comprises a secure STL Merchandise Management System (STL MMS) and STL Sales Order Processing system (STL SOP) hosted externally, at a data centre. Only authorised employees can access these systems via a secure Internet connection.

Because STL’s applications are all based on the latest .NET

tills. Because they are built on an open platform, Venus has also been able to integrate STL’s systems with its customers’, and this enabled the wholesaler to offer electronic invoicing and ordering.

Mr Christoforou, said, ‘STL solutions are clearly developed by people who have been in this business: they understand how complex our pricing structures and order processes are, and how critical it is to get stock and service levels right. Their industry knowledge has been invaluable.

‘Now, in this final piece of our IT puzzle, our streamlined warehouse processes have given us a “joined-up” operation from our own suppliers right through to customer orders, deliveries and the point of sale.’

platform, they are very flexible, and easily adapt to a ‘virtual’ environment. When the operators log on, they exclusively access their own software as if it is running on-site: there is no perceivable difference to the user.

The big upside of this set-up is that STL’s virtualisation technology enables you to consolidate all your operating systems and applications onto a single server at the data centre – or a virtual machine. Most operators have multiple servers running their different systems, but with each of them typically only running at a fifth of capacity. The consolidation you can achieve with STL represents a huge saving: you not only reduce your hardware and maintenance costs, but save on

Product in Profile STL’s easy-to-use handheld terminals/scanners offer high speed data transfer over wireless (RF), 3G and USB, using XML over HTTP. They are helping to increase the productivity of pickers and shelf-stackers nationwide, who can now handle Product Enquiry, Goods In, Stock Take, Order Picking, Barcode Capture, Sales Order and Merchandising requests direct from the warehouse or the shop floor.

The embedded SQL mobile technology also makes it much easier to query stock and order information on the spot.

This year, STL re-developed all of its mobile terminals (including its in-store picking devices, and its field-based ordering system for sales reps on the road) with .NET on Windows Mobile.

This made them hardware independent, giving users the flexibility to mix and match the best-of-breed systems in the wholesale arena, to suit their specific requirements. storage space, and also cooling and power which can cost up to £450 a year per server.

Scaling-up is also simple and cost-effective. And, with the savings that can be achieved through this cost-efficient solution, an operator can invest in a second depot and in real terms can be up and running in a matter of hours – without the headaches, hardware investment and timeframe typically associated with on-site installations. In this way, STL has already delivered cost savings, along with performance, security and back-up advantages to a small number of operators. www.stl-solutions.com

Produced by Lathwell & Associates for: STL Technology Solutions Ltd, Systems House (Unit 7) Arkwright Court, Commercial Road, Darwen, Lancashire BB3 0FG Tel: 0844 472 4727 info@stl-solutions.com www.stl-solutions.com

employment law

Follow proper procedure HR expert Cate Ritchie (below) answers your questions on employment law.

The Acas code does not apply to some other substantial reason dismissals, but the client should ensure that they conduct a full and thorough investigation, followed by the basic three-step process if they have to dismiss (ie written invitation, meeting with the right to be accompanied, right of appeal) to meet the test of reasonableness in the Employment Rights Act.

Q:

We are currently reviewing the notice periods within our contracts of employment. Can a contractual notice override the statutory notice period?

A:

Q:

We have just made a group of people redundant and have offered to pay them in lieu of notice. Will annual leave entitlement accrue up to the termination date, or the end of what would have been the notice period?

You are free to provide contractual notice terms that are more generous than the statutory minimum. The statutory minimum notice would however replace any shorter notice period provided for in the contract. Should you terminate an employee’s contract after one month but before two years’ service has been completed, then statutory notice is one week. After two years of service and up to 12 years’ service, the statutory notice period is one week for each completed year of continuous service. For employees with more than 12 years’ service, the minimum notice period is 12 weeks.

A:

The employee is entitled to receive holiday pay based on accrual up to the end of the notice period rather than up to the termination date. This is unless there is something very specifically worded to the contrary in the contract of employment.

Q:

We are currently reviewing our provision of first-aid within the workplace. Can you please advise as to the minimum level we must provide?

A: Q:

I run a small business and do not have a company disciplinary procedure. I have an employee who has potentially committed an act of gross misconduct and has been thrown off a site by a contractor for his actions. This is not the first time it has happened. When there is no documentation, is the best way forward to follow the Acas Code of Practice?

A:

In the absence of company disciplinary procedures, you should follow the Acas Code of Practice as you have identified. If you are looking to dismiss for gross misconduct, you should make sure that you have not condoned this sort of behaviour previously (ie if it is a repeat of previous conduct that has resulted in your employee’s removal from site) as this will undermine the seriousness of the alleged offence.

Alternatively, or if a dismissal for gross misconduct would be unsafe, you could have the option to dismiss for some other substantial reason — namely third-party pressure — as the client will not have the employee back on site. Ideally the third-party client will confirm this is in writing. Furthermore, in order to justify this dismissal you should also be able to demonstrate that there are no other sites available for this employee, nor can you swap personnel around to accommodate this employee.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

The minimum first-aid provision for a worksite is a suitably stocked first-aid container; a person appointed to take charge of first-aid arrangements; and information for employees on first-aid arrangements. The employer must assess whether it needs any additional provision, and the checklist in the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, Appendix 1, will assist with this requirement.

You do not have to ensure that each and every employee has first-aid training. However, under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, you must inform employees of the first-aid arrangements, including the location of equipment, facilities and personnel responsible for health and safety. 121 HR Solutions recommends that this type of information is included as part of your induction training given to new employees and that a Health and Safety Policy is included within your employee handbook.

If you would like to talk to Cate about a particular HR issue in your business, contact her at cate@121hrsolutions.co.uk or telephone (0792) 121 3890.

Cash & Carry Management

• October 2011 • 33

biscuits update

New and restyled ranges “However, the key thing to note is that 75% of those who bought early, bought again in the run-up to Christmas, which really highlights the benefit of getting Christmas ranges on display early.

“We know that consumers respond well to early birdstyle promotions and we expect the deals that traditionally help to launch Christmas ranges in-store will prove as attractive this year as last.”

The new ‘deeply indulgent’ product from Burton’s Foods.

McVitie’s Temptations is a new assortment of bite-size Burton’s Foods, the UK’s second largest biscuit supplier, is ‘indulgent’ biscuits in milk, white and dark Belgian chocolate. unveiling a ‘totally new experience’ to the category with the The 280g carton has an rsp of £8. launch of Cadbury Fingers’ first ever sub-brand – ‘deeply McVitie’s Classic Collection Biscuit Assortment is being indulgent’ Cadbury Fabulous Fingers. launched following the response last year to a limited-edition The product, in a 110g pack, combines a thick outer layer Heritage tin. This is also a limited edition, featuring an of Cadbury milk chocolate with an inner section of white improved selection of McVitie’s classic biscuits. The 600g tin chocolate and crunchy biscuit finger. has an rsp of £8.80.

With an rsp of £1.99 (outers of 24), the biscuit is being McVitie’s Victoria Tin will be seen in a new design. The introduced at a promotional price ranging from £1 to £1.35 collection was worth £15m during the last festive period for a limited period.

(Nielsen 20 weeks to 1 January 2011). The rsp for the 725g The sub-brand is being backed by a £2m launch package, tin is £13.19 and £6.59 for the 400g carton. spearheaded by a £1m tv campaign next month.

Crawfords Family Circle everyday assortment features a “Cadbury Fabulous Fingers are a real chocolatey treat, new design and improved selection. There are 12 varieties. providing an eating experience that’s unexpected and really The 800g tin has an rsp of £8.80 and the 400g carton is priced rewarding,” says David Costello, Burton’s Foods’ category at £2.75. and activation controller.

Stuart says: “With cheese and biscuits playing an integral “As Cadbury Fabulous Fingers are geared towards more part of any good Christmas celebration or party, UB is ‘treaty’ evening and weekend sharing than Cadbury Fingers, launching some savoury biscuit assortments. we’re confident they will attract new consumers to the brand “The Carr’s Selection, a premium savoury biscuit range, is and significantly broaden the usage occasion.” back in a new format to cater for those looking for a fine Burton’s is targeting the newcomer at ‘chocolate biscuit selection of biscuits to share with family and friends. lovers’. Research shows that consumers’ intent to purchase “It has been specially created to complement the finest is a significant 73% – almost 20% higher than a category cheese and wine and will be available in a 200g carton with average for new launches. an rsp of £2.69. In addition to the 200g carton, the 500g tin Support will also be in the form of instore point-of-sale (£7.39) has a new design to draw in the shopper’s eye and material featuring the strapline ‘If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It’. increase demand through C&C/wholesalers.”

Imagery showing the inside of this indulgent milk and white Also available is a Jacob’s Savours Flavour Assortment, chocolate covered biscuit finger will also be featured. featuring a new design and pack format for 2011. The range The company manufactures Cadbury biscuits under comprises Rosemary & Sea Salt Thins, Salt & Cracked Black licence from Cadbury UK, including Fingers, Animals and Pepper Bakes, Sweet Chilli Thins, and Sesame & Roasted Digestives. It also owns and bakes Maryland Cookies, Onion Thins (rsp £4 for 250g).

Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels.

“These crackers are flavoured with tasty seasonings for an everyday snack that’s perfect for sharing,” comments Stuart.

Additional selections

United Biscuits is supporting its festive range with several new biscuit selections.

Nick Stuart, commercial manager, says: “Some 25% of people who bought sweet seasonal biscuit assortments last year did so in August and September.

34

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

For further information: Burton’s Foods (01727) 899700 United Biscuits UK 020-8234 5000

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

W E ITS N U C IS B N I

WATCH OUT FOR THEM

ON TV!

- Stock NEW Cadbury Fabulous Fingers ★ £2 million support ★ Drive your share of the incremental £14m RSV indulgent opportunity ★ Brings in new buyers - 63% of non Cadbury Fingers buyers would purchase* *Brainjuicer, 2011

All trade marks and copyright owned by Cadbury UK Ltd and used under licence.

hot beverages

Tea volume static but coffee up While the retail value of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cocoa is growing, only coffee and hot chocolate are up in volume terms.

The leading tea brand, PG tips, from Unilever UK, is claimed to be growing at a much faster rate than the category, with a 10.2% advance in value sales (IRI July 2011).

Earlier this year the manufacturer introduced three ‘fresh tasting’ blends under the overall ‘New Ones’ banner. They were backed by a £6 million, three-month, marketing campaign.

The varieties are: The Fresh One – pressed within hours of picking to give a ‘uniquely clean, smooth, golden and fresh-tasting tea’ and described as ‘a refreshing pick-me-up’.

The Strong One – ‘a full flavour blend with extra-pressed leaves and a rich, rounded character. For those times when you need a kick start’.

• •

Take-home sales Value

Volume (packs)

Coffee Tea Hot Chocolate Malted Cocoa

£887.1m (+3.3%) £633.3m (+8.3%) £106.2m (+6.7%) £51.4m (-2.6%) £15m (+9.7%)

373.8m (+3.3%) 314.8m (-0.2%) 101.9m (+8%) 36.3m (-5.5%) 8.6m (-1.3%)

Total

£1.693bn (+5.2)

835.5m (+2%)

Kantar Worldpanel 12/6/11

• The Delicate One – ‘a delicate tasting blend with lightly

pressed leaves and decaffeinated; ‘a gentle, mellow cup for those moments of relaxation’.

Silvia Grattieri, PG tips brand manager, says: “The launch of the ‘New Ones’ was one of the most significant innovations in black tea in recent years.

“It offers consumers fresh-tasting products and greater choice within black tea, to suit different moments and needs throughout the day. We have created real excitement in the category and expect to see existing consumers trade up and enjoy more cups of tea during the day.

“Thanks to Unilever’s pressing technology, we are confident that the product will offer a unique fresh taste that will appeal to consumers.”

The launch campaign included a tv commercial featuring Jonny Vegas and Monkey. As well as this heavy investment, the products are being supported by a £12m marketing drive across the first three years. In addition to further tv, the package will include press ads, sampling and instore activity.

Now, three months after launch, the ‘New Ones’ has achieved a 1.2% value share of the total black tea market.

Additionally, PG tips has this month unveiled an onpack promotion for a free three-month magazine subscription.

It runs across PG’s core pack 80s, 160s, 240s and decaf 80s and 160s and is available through all trade channels stocking these lines. Promotional packs, which are available for eight weeks, are being supported by a significant marketing investment, mainly on television advertising.

A Unilever UK spokesman says it is expected that the promotional packs will drive value back into the tea category by giving consumers an added value promotion at full price.

Larger packs in overdrive Activity in retail multiples has resulted in market growth of 240s tea bags, says Simon Attfield, customer marketing controller for Tetley.

And while a greater preoccupation with healthy living has benefited sales of green and rooibos varieties, the growth of these styles has slowed, with green up by 4.9% and rooibos 4.7%.

Attfield comments: “As consumers cut back on

36

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Relax… you already know where the big profits

When it comes to guaranteed flavour and serious profits, it has to be Tetley for your business! And with the Tea Folk back on the telly this Autumn, now is the time to make sure you’re stocked up.

www.tetley.co.uk

That’s better. That’s Tetley.

hot beverages their overall grocery spend, their focus is switched to Turning his attention to Tetley Extra Strong, Attfield says: getting value for money without compromising quality.

“It was launched to deliver a stronger cup of tea without the “In tea, consumers are sticking to brands that they trust to need to leave the bag in to brew and stew. In the five years deliver quality, with no evidence to suggest an increase in since its introduction, it has grown into a £4m-plus brand. own-label sales.”

The range now includes a 160s pack as well as original 80s.”

Examining Tetley’s performance over the year, he says it In green tea, he says the company has the top two selling has been strong and that it has been chosen by “more skus in the sector. households in Britain than any “Historically, green tea conother tea brand”. sumers were ABs, but our entry Attfield claims that Tetley is into the market has broadened the No.2 tea brand in the overall the appeal of green teas and tea market and No.1 in convenattracted mainstream consumers ience (33% volume share) and to the sector. Green teas have the leader in Scotland, with 46%. become a popular tea of choice, Looking ahead, he says: “As a particularly in Scotland. top three staple item of the shop“Although they provide the ping basket, tea is unlikely to trade with a higher margin, many face any major crisis as a result convenience stores have failed of the recession. to explore the potential.”

“The strength of the Tetley Launched in July were Tetley name and the trust consumers Pure Green and Lemon Green have in the brand is a major teas, packed in small pack sizes asset. It’s important that we of 20 bags. They are pricemaintain this link to consumers marked at £1 and are packed 4 x and keep the brand in front of 20. Their introduction followed the shopper’s mind.” that of Lemon Grass & Ginger “Marketing text books tell us and Green Honey, both of which that those who continue to marare reportedly doing well. ket strongly in a recession beneAware that consumer fit once consumer confidence response to Tetley Redbush and returns and spending increases.

Rooibos was fairly low, the “We will continue to support manufacturer made a significant sales through carefully targeted investment in promoting marketing which in the autumn Redbush. will include another round of Television advertising, poster high-profile television advertissites, sampling and the ‘Try Me ing featuring the Tetley Tea Folk,” Free’ promotion have boosted says Attfield. sales.

The supplier has been taking Says Attfield: “Tetley Redbush Simon Attfield, customer marketing the Tetley Tea Folk to the next continues to hold the No.1 spot controller of Tetley level by leveraging the appeal of while Redbush 80s are growing its ‘ambassadors’ with Tetley Tea faster than any other sku in the Folk licensed products in both food and non-food channels. sector, with sales up 19%.

The first products given this treatment are scones, which “In time all our packs will feature the Rainforest Alliance marketing manager Anand Gandesha describes as “a really Certified logo.”

Data AC Nielsen Insights year to 11 June 2011. exciting development for us. It is the first time that we have leveraged the strength of the Tetley Tea Folk in this way and it will enable us to build a stronger connection with consumers.”

Jacqueline Chapman, senior customer marketing manager at Attfield believes that tactical promotions will continue Twinings, believes there are two major factors driving the throughout the year and that these will include price-marked out-of-home tea market: choice and the demand for more packs. speciality and unusual blends.

He comments: “These are an important promotional “People pay a premium for drinks out of home – espemechanic for convenience and impulse stores, enabling cially their tea – and, as a result, Twinings is experiencing them to demonstrate value by offering transparent pricing growing demand for more unusual and adventurous blends.” from manufacturer to customer.

She adds: “Over the past 12 months, the speciality “Going forward, the winners in this market will be those market has grown in value by 3.9%, while ‘commodity’ or who continue to keep their brands front of mind and who ‘builders’ teas have continued to decline. understand and respond to what consumers want and “Sales of infusions are up by 7% and green tea, 6.2% need.“

‘In tea, consumers are sticking to brands they trust to deliver quality, with no evidence of an increase in own-label sales’

Two key factors

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

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Let’s have a proper brew

hot beverages which is an indication of just how discerning consumers have become in their tea tastes.”

Because of this, Twinings’ most important products in the C&C/wholesale channel are speciality teas, infusions and green teas.

Chapman comments: “C&C/wholesalers need to be seen to be supporting their customers and ensure they’re providing a choice to help them profit from a burgeoning market and extend beyond the core range of English Breakfast, Earl Grey, green and peppermint, which are so often found.”

With this channel in mind, the supplier recently introduced smaller pack sizes for its speciality, infusions and green tea ranges. Core blends, such as new Signature Earl Grey, Lemon & Ginger, Pure Peppermint and Camomile, are remaining in the bigger 12 x 20 packs.

“The new packaging,” says Chapman, “has been supported through a great deal of marketing activity at C&C/ wholesale and end user level to drive both awareness of the new smaller case sizes and profit opportunity.”

The company also continues to build its presence in the foodservice sector. And as a means of creating consistency between retail and foodservice products, it recently changed the name of foodservice blend Traditional English to English Breakfast and introduced a ‘sophisticated’ new look.

“By having the same name in foodservice outlets, loyal customers will be able to identify their favourite blend more easily when out of home. It will also mean that C&C/wholesalers will benefit from our substantial brand support across both press and television,” Chapman adds.

“At Twinings, we are committed to providing customers with a range of high quality ethical and sustainable teas. We work with Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade Foundation and the Ethical Tea Partnership.”

All data AC Nielsen 11/6/11.

Growing at the rate of 20% The Yorkshire Tea brand, from Taylors of Harrogate, is now worth £66m at retail sales value and is growing 20% year on year, says John Sutcliffe, convenience & foodservice channel manager. It is also claimed to be the third largest brand in the standard black teabag market with a 12.8% value share.

Within the standard black teabag segment, Yorkshire Tea 80s, 160s and 240s are its best-selling lines in the range, but Gold (premium blend) and Hard Water tea also feature in the top 20, and are all seeing strong growth.

Sutcliffe adds: “We are the only major brand to create a blend of our tea specifically for use in hard water areas, ensuring the great taste of Yorkshire Tea can be enjoyed by our consumers across the country.”

Three blends of loose tea marketed by the supplier are Yorkshire Tea Original, Hard Water and Gold.

The supplier’s tea is sourced from gardens in Assam, East Africa and Sri Lanka, the leaves being processed after picking before being transported to the UK. In Yorkshire, up to 20 different teas are blended to create the ‘perfect taste and colour’ of Yorkshire Tea. Between leaf and cup, says Sutcliffe, each tea will be tasted by blenders up to eight times to make sure everything has been done properly each step of the way.

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

A recognisable brand frequently advertised on television.

Taylors coffee comprises the Lifestyle range, Gourmet and Beans.

Sutcliffe comments: “A £26.6m brand, we are the leaders in the roast & ground coffee sector. Our coffee is growing strongly in value at 39% year on year, making it the fastest growing of the major brands in the sector.

“Six of our top-selling lines feature in the top 10 of the market, with our Rich Italian, Lazy Sunday and Decaffe being the top three.”

The company has developed long-lasting relationships with its coffee growers. Buyers regularly visit the farms and co-operatives, establishing a close rapport with workers.

Sutcliffe continues: “We pay sustainable prices for all our coffee by guaranteeing to cover costs of production and paying a premium for quality. This provides our suppliers with the stability and means to invest so they can meet independent environmental standards and improve living conditions in their communities. We source our coffee from Central America, South America and Africa.

“By collaborating with independent certifying bodies, we’re able to make a difference on the ground much more quickly and effectively.”

Tea accounts for 70% of the company’s business, with coffee the remaining 30%.

Says Sutcliffe: “The majority of our output goes through the retail channel. We have been developing our convenience and wholesale business for two years and we are now embarking on developing a broader presence in foodservice, where we work with a number of the key wholesalers, including 3663, DBC Foodservice and the Country Range Group.

“We are only just developing our foodservice presence but already have a foothold in this channel with customers including the National Trust, Hotel Du Vin, Malmaison and the rejuvenated Little Chef. We are also now bringing a proper brew to commuters on the east coast train line via Rail Gourmet.

“We have also enlisted a specialist foodservice agency, FusionFSM, to assist in building our out-of-home presence.”

All data AC Nielsen year to 11/6/11.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

The Nation’s * Favourite Tea Stock up now Stock u • Significant marketing investment • PG tips growing 7.4%**

across the brand of £7.5 million to drive consumption and increase category sales

• New promotional packs launching 3rd October supported with TV advertising

* Total tea value share IRI August 2011 ** Value sales total market MAT IRI August 2011

now

p

hot beverages For vending operators Hot beverages can be one of the biggest revenue streams for vending operators, says a spokesman for Kraft Foods.

“And when times are tough,” he adds, “it’s especially important to make sure you offer your customers the best options.”

He describes the company’s players in this sector – Kenco and Cadbury – as quality brands, which rely on sustainability and value.

“Quality is at the heart of the Kenco brand,” he comments.

“Kenco beans go through rigorous quality checks throughout their journey, from harvesting to roasting, blending and finally packing, to ensure, whichever format is purchased, the user can count on Kenco coffee being in perfect condition.”

In a recent independent survey conducted for Kraft Foods (RBI Research 2010), 69% of respondents said customers are prepared to pay more for a better tasting coffee.

This is supported by retail data, which shows that premium brands now hold the biggest proportion of the total market at 38% as consumers look for a quality cup of coffee (Nielsen total MAT to week ended 21/5/11).

The spokesman continues: “In 2009, independent research commissioned by us (Menurama) identified that 65% of consumers considered that an outlet which offers sustainably farmed or ethically sourced hot beverages created a positive impression on them.

“So choosing brands that are ethically sourced without compromise to quality is a real advantage. All beans for the Kenco range come from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and all Cadbury Highlight hot chocolate packs have been Fairtrade since October 2010.

slowing, with an estimated 70 million cups being drunk every day (British Coffee Association).

“The consumer love affair with high street coffee shops has proved unshakeable and continues to drive growth in consumer expectation. That is why the Nescafé Alegria machine was devised, so consumers can now enjoy café style coffees without having to leave their workplace.”

Webb adds: “With an estimated 2.1 million small workplaces in the UK, the trend for café style coffees at work presents a significant opportunity for cash & carries.

“However, until now there has been a gap in the market for them, with no machines meeting the appropriate requirements for this market. Larger table-top machines are too big and costly for this route to market and smaller pod machines have also proved a no-go as the range of pods required tends to tie up cash flow and fails to handle the cup throughput of an office environment.

“With Nescafé Alegria (sold through leading C&Cs with an rsp of £119, and £99 when on promotion) from just one coffee cartridge, you can create five different types of café style coffee.”

Three ‘superior’ value brands

Aimia Foods has introduced three ‘superior quality’ value coffee brands under the Café Nueva umbrella for the C&C and foodservice sectors.

Café Nueva is already a well-established catering label, with sales last year in excess of £1.5m.

Marketing controller Martin Armitt says the launch reflects what the company claims is a burgeoning demand for proprietary and tertiary brands that sit between own-label and the big brands.

“Instant coffee tins remain a staple purchase for the majority of catering businesses,” he adds, “but there is often a very significant price and quality gap between own-label According to Katrina Webb, category channel manager at and big brands. Café Nueva offers a good-looking brand Nestlé Professional, the UK coffee market shows no signs of rivalling high quality ranges of coffees at seriously sensible prices.”

The Nueva range – ‘blends for ‘every palate and every pocket’ – comprises: Essenziale, which ‘offers a great budget solution’ and comes in the modern, stylish, packaging common across the whole range.

The wholesale recommended selling price is £9.99 for 750g.

Forza, ‘a high quality’ freeze dried and aromatised blend, with a balanced rich roast taste and a character not dissimilar to some of the leading brands. It offers caterers the opportunity to choose very high quality freeze dried at a significant saving to big brands (£12.99 for 750g).

Primo, a 100% South American high quality Arabica blend.

Three of the coffee bean styles in the Kenco range.

It offers Fairtrade certified

No slowdown indicated

•

•

•

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

When was the last time you were offered value this good?

With Douwe Egberts Continental Rich Roast you don’t need to pay a higher price for a better quality coffee.

Douwe Egberts Continental Rich Roast 750g coffee granules

www.douweegbertsprofessional.co.uk

hot beverages

Part of the new coffee range from Aimia Foods.

premium quality (£18.99, 500g). The profit on return of these cans ranges from 15% to 25%.

Aimia Foods (formerly Nichols Foods) is a leading supplier of food and beverage products to the foodservice, vending, leisure, catering and retail channels. It has extensive co-packing and co-manufacturing capacity at its Haydock, Merseyside, site.

Redesigned pack Horlicks, the hot milky drink from GlaxoSmithKline Nutritional Healthcare, has redesigned its packaging to

capture both the nutritional value of the drink and its flexibility to suit a variety of usage occasions.

The revamp is part of a wider marketing campaign to encourage consumers to see the drink as a nourishing product to enjoy throughout the day.

The new packaging features the sun coming out from behind the clouds, in a move away from Horlicks’ traditional bedtime image. It also displays the drink’s nutritional values on the reverse of the pack, including its 12 essential vitamins and minerals, together with visuals of barley.

“We are returning to our nutritional heartland this winter as we kick-start our campaign to align the drink with nourishment, relaxation and renewal, whatever the time of day,” says the brand’s commercial director Stephanie Holland.

“Our packaging has been designed to appeal to a wider range of consumers, including mums, as Horlicks has a strong emotional value and is most successful when passed down through the generations.”

Holland adds that research has shown that the drink is increasingly popular as a nourishing beverage, with far fewer consumers using it as a sleeping aid.

“While we’re bringing the brand’s nutritional credentials to the fore, we’re keeping to a similar layout and colour scheme, in order to retain our longstanding, faithful audience of older consumers.

“We’re also keen to remind shoppers that the Horlicks range, particularly with its Light and Chocolate variants, is ideally suited to any occasion.”

Horlicks’ share in hot milky drinks is 18.5% (Nielsen total coverage, MAT 6/8/11), the total market being worth £135m (Nielsen, total coverage, MAT 9/7/11).

The £25.1m brand is said to be valued at £2.24m in impulse – a channel which is worth more than £14m and is growing at 9% (Nielsen MAT convenience stores less than 3,000 sq ft).

Three styles in the new packaging design.

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

All of the beans KENCO buy for its full coffee range are now 100% sourced from Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM farms, protecting the environment, the workers and their families.

We know brands are a sign of quality assurance, credibility and trust and that’s why we offer a number of coffee solutions to suit every operational situation allowing you to maximise every commercial opportunity.

Quality is at the heart of the Kenco brand.

That’s why all KENCO beans go through rigorous quality checks throughout their journey, from harvesting, roasting and blending through to packing, ensuring whatever format you need, Kenco coffee reaches you in perfect condition.

for details visit www.kencocoffeecompany.co.uk OV5368

hot beverages Hot chocolate leader Cadbury is the number one hot chocolate brand, with a 43% share of a market worth over £41m. Cadbury Highlights is valued at £9.6m, while Cadbury Drinking Chocolate is worth £16.5m and is growing by 7% year on year.

Giving a further insight into the sector, Susan Nash, trade communications manager of Kraft Foods, says: “During the key winter hot chocolate season (2010/2011), the hot chocolate and cocoa market grew by 4.7%, driven by one of the coldest November/December periods on record.

“We also supported the category by investing in marketing activity, including product sampling and advertising, unveiling new pack designs across the range and making the entire hot chocolate portfolio Fairtrade.”

Since the end of last year, all Cadbury hot chocolate packs have been Fairtrade.

At the beginning of the year, Cadbury Highlights helped the trade “Milk is often what determines a good hot beverage maximise hot chocolate sales with a six-figure consumer experience and, as a market leader in dairy, our products are marketing campaign during the key new year period. The developed to deliver a great taste to complement and activity ran across women’s press, radio and online, the enhance the offering.” campaign championing the brand’s low 40 calorie content.

The company, with such products as Millac Maid mini Last autumn, Cadbury Drinking Chocolate, Instant pots and Luxury Coffee Creamer Cafe Maid, offers a range of Chocolate, and Highlights were relaunched. one-cup long-life milk portions for caterers.

The latest design sees the deep purple colour and The mini pots are convenient, easy to use and hygienic, swirling logo that have become synonymous with Cadbury and the portions are also a popular ‘in room’ solution for Hot Chocolate emphasised through a sharper, contemporary hoteliers and hospitality trays. pack design.

Millac Cappuccino Milk has a fat content of just 1% (lower All the new packs feature a chocolate swirl on the purple than semi-skimmed at 1.7%) making it ideal for skinny lattés background in the shape of the Cadbury ‘C’, plus, for the first and cappuccinos. It is also suitable for tea and hot chocolate. time, the Fairtrade mark.

Muschamp comments: “The wholesale route to market is Says Nash: “Since the end of last year, all Cadbury Hot essential to Pritchitts in order to reach independent operaChocolate packs have been Fairtrade, showing our continutors across all channels. We have worked closely with our ing commitment to a strong partnership with the Fairtrade wholesale partners to ensure that, despite rising costs, cusFoundation to improve livelihoods for cocoa growers in tomers maintain the same level of purchasing by offering Ghana. high-quality products that benefit chefs and caterers.

“Within hot beverages specifically, the strongest perform”We recently launched ‘Pritchitts Magic Number’, which ers are Fairtrade products, with hot chocolate up 45% in offers caterers the chance to win prizes from May to volume year on year.

December simply by entering the ‘magic number’ found on “Cadbury is now the largest hot chocolate brand to carry all our branded products across the range.” the Fairtrade mark and, as Fairtrade is the most recognised ethical label in the UK, it is increasingly important for retailers to be aware of, and stock, a comprehensive range of ethically sourced hot beverage products.”

For further information:

All data Nielsen

Wide range for C&C/wholesale In hot beverage accompaniments, Simon Muschamp, head of marketing at Pritchitts, says: “We have a wide range of products in the dairy sector that are doing very well in the C&C/wholesale channel.

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

Aimia Foods (01942) 408600 Kraft Foods/Cadbury (08702) 400861 Nestlé Professional (0800) 742842 Pritchitts (0845) 130 0307 Taylors of Harrogate (01423) 814000 Tetley GB (0800) 387227 Unilever (0800) 731 1597

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Cadbury Hot Chocolate, the UK’s #1 selling brand.* It’s the 2nd most popular drink next to coffee.**

Hot chocolate.

Are you making the most of it?

To give your customers the perfect drink every time, make sure you stock Cadbury Hot Chocolate, the UK’s number one selling brand.* After all, a perfectly served Cadbury Hot Chocolate can’t fail to stir up more sales.

CDC 250g – 4653

Instant Sachet – 4656

Source: *Nielsen Value Sales MAT w.e. 21.05.11 **Allegra Strategies UK Retail Coffee Shop Market – Strategic Analysis, December 2009. Maude Roxby Associates Report December 2009.

products & promotions Crunchy variant

£20m campaign MÜLLER – Yogi Bear, Muttley and a host of Mr Men characters star in a new ‘Wünderful Stuff’ campaign for the dairy company. The first commercial appeared on 8 October on The X Factor.

The £20m multi-media package, which includes tv, outdoor, cinema and press ads, is part of an overall £30m budget this year.

Marketing director Lee Rolston said that over the nine-week period, around 94% of the population will probably have seen the tv ads eight times.

“The ‘Wünderful Stuff’ campaign is aimed at getting consumers to sit up and take notice of the yogurt category, which has increased its value sales by 2.4% (Nielsen Scantrack GB MAT value year to 3/9/11).”

Müller products include Corner, Müllerlight and Müller Rice.

Tel: Müller Dairy (01630) 692000.

Certified range GINSTERS – Palm oil used in all the manufacturer’s pasties, slices and sausage rolls now come from certified sustainable sources, with more than 100 million products a year containing sustainable palm oil.

The company claims that its decision to move to Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) makes it the UK’s first manufacturer within the category to do so.

Ginsters already uses fresh British meat, cheese and eggs in production, with 70% of vegetables and beef coming from local suppliers.

It is estimated that this approach helps to support over 500 local farms and suppliers.

Tel: Ginsters (01579) 386200.

48

GENERAL MILLS UK – Nature Valley has introduced an Oats & Chocolate variant to the Crunchy & More Granola Bar range.

To increase shopper awareness of the brand, sales teams are calling on more than 4,500 independent retailers.

The new style comes in a five-bar multipack, with an rsp of £2.39 or 55p for single bars.

The Nature Valley range, which also includes Ginger Nut Crunch, Oats & Honey and Canadian Maple Syrup, is worth over £26m and is showing 32.1% growth (IRI year to 6/8/11).

Tel: General Mills UK (01895) 201367.

Olympics offer COCA-COLA – The leading soft drinks supplier is giving consumers the chance to win Olympic Games VIP experiences.

Consumers have the opportunity to win every day, plus additional weekly chances to win a trip to the opening or closing ceremony for four people.

The on-pack promotion is available across all ‘My Coke’ packs (Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero).

The VIP experiences include travel, accommodation and full hospitality during the visit to London 2012.

Craig Smith, vicepresident marketing & strategic planning, said: “CCE is working closely with customers across GB to ensure this on-pack promotion is fully activated in-store.

“Not only is it a great opportunity for shoppers to win tickets to the Games themselves, but tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies are also particularly sought after and a genuine once in a lifetime opportunity.”

The campaign is being supported by a multi-million pound package.

Tel: Coca-Cola Enterprises (01895) 231313.

• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

Silver restyle PHILIP MORRIS – A new contemporary design has been introduced for Marlboro Silver, completing a pack upgrade for the Marlboro range which began last year.

The restyle is being phased in over two stages.

Initially, there is a printed cellophane wrap showing the new design underneath the existing pack of king size 20s.

A tear tape states: ‘New Design, Same Taste’. The follow-up pack will continue with the tear tape message, but will show the new pack in full with a logo on the cellophane stating: ‘Silver Now’.

The changes are being communicated through a mail-out to the independent trade.

Tel: Philip Morris (0117) 300 4158.

‘More powerful’ PROCTER & GAMBLE – Lenor fabric enhancer is having a restage this autumn that will see the entire range boasting seven times longer lasting freshness as the brand incorporates a more powerful scent formula across its Infusions line-up.

There are also four new scents in the ‘super sensorial’ selection: Passion Jasmine Scent Fusion, Citrus & Spice Scent Fusion, Pearl & Moonflower and Amethyst & Floral Bouquet.

An ‘Awaken Your Wardrobe’ drive supporting the range includes press, tv and sampling.

Tel: Procter & Gamble (0800) 597 3388.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

products & promotions Redesigned pack

Vodka deal

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (BAT UK) – Value-for-money brand Royals now comes in a new pack. While the current quality Virginia tobacco and taste remain the same, the pack has been redesigned ‘to help protect retailers’ margins and enhance the brand’s modern image’.

The restyle features new graphics and a metallic silver finish. In-house research showed that two in three smokers were keen to try the new pack.

Brand manager Henry Lewis said: “We wanted to develop the Royals packaging in order to maintain its relevance for today’s UK smokers.

Consistently providing retailers with good volumes and high value, Royals is still the ‘Real Deal’ even 20 years on.”

The new pack will be available from this month across all channels in all formats – both red and blue variants – in 10s (rsp £3.03), 20s kingsize (£5.93) and super kingsize (£5.99). Packs of 24s have an rsp of £7.11.

Tel: BAT UK (0800) 444236.

RUSSIAN STANDARD – The ‘No.1 premium Russian vodka brand in the UK’ (Nielsen MAT week ended 6//8/11 and CGA Brand Index 9/7/11) has signed a distribution partnership with Whyte & Mackay to manage the spirit in the UK from the start of 2012.

This follows the termination of an agreement with First Drinks Brands, effective from the end of this year. FDB handled the business for four years.

“We have been very encouraged by the significant interest shown by prospective distributors,” commented Jonathan Stody, chief executive officer of Russian Standard International.

“The distribution arrangement with Whyte & Mackay offers us an exciting chance to manage our brand more closely in the UK market.”

Brand investment for this year has been set at more than £10m.

Tel: Whyte & Mackay 0141-248-5771.

A hot addition AG BARR – IRN-BRU has launched a Fiery variant, the first limited edition in the brand’s 110-year history.

Head of marketing Adrian Troy said: “Consumers love IRN-BRU and everything about its bold, no-nonsense independent attitude. It’s a maverick, one of a kind brand.

“Fiery is going to be the hottest property on the soft drinks fixture. The new flavour shares the same unique taste of IRN-BRU but with a fiery kick.”

The support package includes poster advertising, social media and a PR campaign advising people to ‘Watch Their Mouth’.

The drink will be available until December in standard 500ml, 750ml and 330ml cans.

It will also come in a 6 x 330ml multipack. Price-marked 330ml cans and 500ml bottles are available.

Tel: AG Barr (01204) 664295.

Range of five

Raspberry CWF – The drinks supplier has added a Raspberry flavour to its LIXX Vodka Shots range, which now has five styles.

The selection is claimed to have increased its distribution ‘significantly’ over the past 12 months across the convenience retail and C&C channels.

The range also includes Sour Apple, Kola Kube, Tangy Cherry and Blackcurrant varieties, all in 70cl bottles and with a 15% abv. The average rsp in the convenience retail sector for Christmas is £6.29 per bottle.

Tel: CWF (01484) 557111.

HEINZ FOODSERVICE – The company has expanded its condensed soup range to five varieties with the launch of Chicken Noodle.

Each 830g tin provides nine servings and, costing around one-fifth of an ambient pouch soup, is said to offer excellent value for money.

Brand manager Emily Frank told Cash & Carry Management: “Our condensed soup range has proved popular with a number of outlets, particularly on the high street, as it gives operators the opportunity to offer a quality, wellloved brand.”

The range of condensed soups also includes Cream of Tomato, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom and Country Vegetable.

Tel: Heinz Foodservice (0800) 575755.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Four weeks only JTI – The tobacco supplier has introduced three limited-edition pack designs for Silk Cut, its lower tar premium cigarette brand.

The three seasonal designs, which feature acorns, leaves and an ice cube, are being rolled out nationally across packs of Silk Cut Purple, Blue and Silver 20s. They are available for four weeks only (until early next month).

The premium cigarette sector currently accounts for 24% of the total market (Nielsen MarketTrack July). Silk Cut’s share stands at 18.7% (Nielsen).

Tel: JTI (0800) 163503.

Cash & Carry Management

• October 2011 • 49

confectionery

Market value up 5.3% Figures supplied by Mars show that the total confectionery market rose in value last year by 5.3% – from £4.7 billion to £4.9 billion. Cadbury led the field with 30%, followed by Mars with 20%, Nestlé 15% and others 35%. In terms of chocolate alone, the Cadbury share was 34%, Mars 26%, Nestlé 17% and the rest 23%.

An ongoing feature of the confectionery category is sharing, according to Mars, with 70% of chocolate being eaten when consumers are in the company of others.

Trade communications manager Bep Dhaliwal says: “They identify brands and products that they know and love and return to these when they are looking for a treat.

“For this reason, successful brand renovation and new formats can only take place on top of an existing and stable brand portfolio, where they offer both a point of difference and additional benefits to the consumer.

“Simple renovation can be effective, and new and engaging packaging is a great way to add value. Retailers will be looking out for these new offerings in their cash & carry or when they make contact with their wholesaler.”

Recently introduced by the company is limited-edition Mars Triple Choc, including chocolate nougat and caramel in thick milk chocolate.

Says Dhaliwal: “The Mars Bar remains the UK’s No.1 selling chocolate bar (IRI total filled bars) and this launch looks set to build on the strength of the bars category, which has seen growth of 13% over the past three years.

“Innovation in the chocolate category is key to exciting

and engaging consumers, as evidenced by the highly successful launch of the Snickers Maximus limited edition earlier this year.”

She adds that cash & carries and wholesalers would benefit from new launches by creating tailored displays.

Another Mars introduction is Galaxy Orange & Shortcake – part of the More to Share range. More recently this variant was launched in a 45g single bar format. The company also began the national roll-out of a 120g large block size.

The Galaxy brand is being supported by a £11m media investment this year, with £4.7m set aside for the last quarter of the year alone. Orange & Shortcake is being advertised in the press and on television; there is also sampling activity.

Another development has been the introduction of pricemarked packs across the manufacturer’s top brands.

Last month, Galaxy large sharing blocks became available in £1 price-marked packs. And across the company’s core bar range, price-marked packs with a 49p flash can be seen on Mars Bars, Snickers, Twix, Bounty, and, for the first time, Galaxy standard.

Handing out advice to C&Cs and wholesalers, Dhaliwal says: “They could be losing valuable sales if they are not selective about the products they stock.

“Much like their shoppers, retailers have higher expectations than ever and there are some products that they always expect to be available. These are often the brands they recognise to provide sales return.

“Cash & carries and wholesalers should provide their customers with a core range that will drive both their sales. They should continuously evaluate which lines add value and delist poor performers. The Top 10 singles and bitesize lists should provide them with a better idea of what they should be stocking.”

Top 10 singles 1 Mars 2 Twirl 3 Kit Kat 4 Snickers 5 Wispa 6 Twix 7 Dairy Milk 8 Crunchie 9 Maltesers 10 Double Decker Sharing at home has a big impact on the category’s performance.

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

IRI impulse 52 weeks to 26/2/11

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

confectionery NPD boost for Cadbury

Flake Allure was added to the chocolate singles portfolio.

The launch is being supported by a £2 million investment, According to Susan Nash, Kraft Foods’ trade communicaincluding press, radio and outdoor advertising. tions manager, Cadbury’s developments over the past year The introduction of new Cadbury Twirl Bites last month have contributed to strong sales within the category. marked the arrival of the first Twirl advertising campaign NPD highlights include the introduction of Cadbury Flake since 1996. The product, which has an rsp of £2.03, is the Allure and the addition of Cadbury Twirl Bites to the bitesize latest brand to join the manufacturer’s bitesize sharing portfolio. line-up.

Cadbury, the official treat provider for the London 2012 Cadbury has invested £2.8m to support the launch, including television and outdoor advertising.

The drive began with a 40-second tv ad, which has been showing for four weeks.

There is also a 60-second version for cinemas and a variety of 10-second spots.

Marketing manager Jane Furze says: “As The launch of Chocos benefited from a £1 million dedicated campaign. this is our first above-the-line UK ad camOlympic and Paralympic Games, also began a two-year paign for the brand for 15 years, we wanted to mark the Spots vs Stripes campaign, through a £50m investment. introduction of Twirl Bites with an uplifting spectacle that Says Nash: “The chocolate bags sector is experiencing illustrates the magic and creativity that consumers now 13.2% growth, with Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bags alone expect from a Cadbury campaign. worth over £45.1m.

“Twirl Bites taps into a rising trend which has seen con“The bitesize range (Cadbury Clusters, Raisins, Peanuts, sumers enjoying treats at home.”

Caramel Nibbles, Crunchie Rocks, Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Another new development has seen Cadbury Eclairs Buttons and Twirl Bites) are perfect for sharing and the large, being given a new look. resealable pouches offer an array of different textures and ingredients coated in Cadbury chocolate.”

She adds that large block chocolate is also a popular The updated packaging design, which runs across bags, choice. The manufacturer generates sales of £181m in this cartons and rollpacks, features a swirling caramel and purple category. In chocolate singles, Wispa is said to have been a design that is intended to represent the ‘unique journey to great success for the company since its relaunch; it is now the centre’. worth £47.4m.

The new styling includes the Cadbury brand and empha“Twirl is the No 1 selling chocolate countline bar and the sises the elements of the product – creamy caramel and brand has a value of £54.6m and growth of 12%. Crunchie is chocolate centre. also performing well, with a value As part of the company’s of £17m.” status at the Olympics and Nash comments: “Our latest Paralympics, the new pack design price-marked promotion on the also features the LOCOG (London top four Cadbury countlines has Organising Committee of the ensured that retailers can make the Olympic Games) logo. most of their confectionery sales.

To support the redesign, In addition, retailers can continue Cadbury Eclairs will appear online to make the most of the permain the Cadbury Spots vs Stripes nent £1 price-marked packs we London 2012 website. offer, including Caramel Nibbles Brand manager Richard Marles and Giant Buttons 140g sharing says: “Cadbury Eclairs is well bags and Dairy Milk 120g/140g loved by consumers who feel that range.” the chocolate centre really gives With the rise of ‘Big Night In’ the range a unique edge. and other sharing occasions, the “Consumers view it as an indulbitesize category has grown to be gent treat, so by updating the worth £301 million, accounting for packaging to have a more sophis6.6% of confectionery sales and ticated and indulgent look, we growing at 9.8% (internal estihave ensured maximum appeal mate). and visibility on shelf.”

Earlier this year Cadbury Dairy The rsps are: 180g £1.52, 150g Milk Chocos was launched – part £1; 480g carton £3.89; rollpack of a £6.2 million Cadbury Dairy 47p. Number in outer: bags 12; Milk campaign (£1 million alone cartons six; singles 40. dedicated to Chocos).

A recent addition to the bitesize range.

All data AC Nielsen.

And in May, the limited-edition

‘Unique journey to the centre’

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

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confectionery Will customers talk with their feet?

more than £26 million and is growing at 7% year on year. The range also includes Kinder Chocolate, Happy Hippo and various seasonal products.

As reported last month, Ferrero has renewed its partnership with The X Factor. This follows the success of tic tac’s on-pack promotion with the tv show last year, which saw sales grow by 14%. Now the partnership also includes Kinder Bueno.

In an on-pack promotion, consumers have the chance to win tickets to the live shows of The X Factor each week of the series, as well as tickets to The X Factor Live Tour 2012.

Kinder Surprise, the No.1 kids confectionery line from Ferrero, has teamed up with the new film Happy Feet 2.

Now available in cash & carries, 28 million Kinder Surprise eggs are featuring the new blockbuster theme on-pack. One in five eggs in the 72-piece display unit and one of the three eggs in the three-pack contain a Happy Feet 2 movie character. Both skus are being supported by a strong instore presence, including PoS and display solutions.

Also newly launched is a limited-edition Kinder Surprise All data AC Nielsen kids confectionery, total coverage, value sales MAT to display case containing 36 eggs. Available exclusively in 11/6/11. route-to-market and C&Cs, it features the new film theme.

Additionally, an interactive roadshow is touring shopping centres in the UK and Ireland (until 27 November). The target is for more than 5,000 families to take part in the experience.

Over the Christmas season, Nestlé Confectionery will help The roadshow builds on the anticipation of the new Kinder convenience retailers make the most of the festive sales Surprise Happy Feet 2 toys and the release of the movie in opportunity through a range that offers added value. cinemas, scheduled for 2 December.

With the top 10 brands accounting for 67% of all seasonal The show is located at the Centre MK in Milton Keynes (24 sales, products such as Quality Street and After Eight are and 25 October), Manchester Arndale (26 and 27 October), described as must stocks.

Touchwood in Birmingham (28 and 29 October), St Enoch UK trade communications manager Graham Walker says: Centre, Glasgow (19 and 20 November) and the Jervis “Confectionery is key for retailers wanting to increase footfall Centre, Dublin (16 – 27 November). It will invite families to and profits at Christmas. take part in a Happy Feet 2 ‘dance experience’ with an inter“Last Christmas, confectionery sales active Kinder Surprise floor piano. The in the convenience channel increased show will conclude with an ice skating in value by 12%, worth £27m. This was event at an exclusive London venue. driven by more households, buying The overall activity is being supmore often and spending more over ported by consumer press coverage, the festive period. which will generate more than 20 mil“With a share of around 21% of lion opportunities to see.

Christmas confectionery sales, we outUK sales director Jason Sutherland performed the total market and grew says: “It’s great to have an on-pack by 13%.” theme which is linked to the Christmas Referring to the Halloween period, season, especially for those looking for Jason Sutherland, UK sales Walker says that in the past five years stocking fillers. confectionery sales at this time have “Kinder Surprise is growing at 6%. director of Ferrero increased by 25% – worth £30m.

Combine this success with one of the With this in mind, the company is launching Smarties strongest family films of the year in the run-up to Christmas Pumpkin. The foil-wrapped, hollow milk chocolate pumpkin and it really does present a fantastic opportunity for the trade is filled with mini Smarties (rsp 65p). Outers contain 24 units. to capitalise on impulse sales at this key time of year.

New for Christmas is the Aero Christmas Tree (rsp 65p) – “To make the most of the new Happy Feet 2 movie theme, a moulded novelty tree figure, filled with peppermint Aero. retailers should not only ensure they stock Kinder Surprise Since January, the brand has benefited from the launch of on the main fixture, but also take advantage of secondary Caramel, Orange block and Biscuit, which have contributed displays and dual site on the seasonal aisle to drive sales towards 12% growth for Aero in the last 12 months. further and add value to the category.”

Quality Street sales have grown by 12% to £80.7m. This Launched in the UK in 1974, Kinder Surprise is worth year, to celebrate the brand’s 75th birthday, cartons will feature an on-pack promotion giving consumers the chance to win prizes every day for 75 days. They include laptop computers, bicycles and games consoles.

Additionally, Quality Street Matchmakers is featuring an on-pack promotion across the whole Christmas period, offering a free gift to consumers with every pack. Special packs will contain a code to redeem a voucher valued at between £2 and £350.

Must-stock lines

‘Combine the growth of Kinder Surprise with one of the strongest family films of the year and it presents a fantastic opportunity for the trade’

Packs publicise the new movie.

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

All data IRI 20 weeks to 1 January 2011.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

NEW Promises RRP £2.79

Individually wrapped pieces of Galaxy chocolate with an indulgent Caramel or Smooth Truffle centre ®

• Nearly 50% of shoppers actively look out for new products* • Total sales of Galaxy® have increased by 47% in the last five years** • Set to deliver a huge sales boost to the Special Single Flavour segment, which has grown by 28% since 2006***

Stock up now for smoother sales Sources: *IGD shopper-led product & range innovation report 2010. **IRI Grocery Impulse, 19th June 2010. ***IRI Groc Impulse Outlet – Special Single Flavour segment. ©Mars 2011. GALAXY® is a registered trademark of Mars 2011.

confectionery

One of several lines in the new Swizzels Matlow range.

Scary but appealing Swizzels Matlow has launched a ‘frightful’ collection of Scooby Doo treats. It includes a Chew Bar, Gruesome Gums and Fiendish Fizzies, each free from artificial colours and flavours.

Scooby Doo, the Warner Bros cartoon character, is now more than 40 years old and is claimed to be the longest running tv animation series, with over 360 episodes.

Chew Bar, an ‘eye-catching’ apple and cherry flavoured chewy bar, uses a magenta design with illustrations of a mummy, Scooby and Shaggy. The rsp is 15p.

Gruesome Gums (rsp 35p) are fruity, jelly gums in pineapple, apple, raspberry, blackcurrant and orange flavours.

Fiendish Fizzies are embossed on the front and back with such catch phrases as ‘groovy’, ‘zoinks!’, ‘jeepers!’ and ‘let’s split up!’. Each tube contains cola, lemonade, apple, blackcurrant, orange and strawberry milkshake flavoured sweets.

The rsp is 35p.

Marketing manager Sarah-Louise Heslop says: “This fizzy, chewy collection offers grown-ups and children alike fearsome fun all year round, as well as at Halloween.”

Swizzels Matlow is the UK’s largest family-owned independent sugar confectionery business and it still makes sweets in the UK. Its range includes Love Hearts, New Refreshers, Drumstick Lollies, Rainbow Drops, Double Lollies and Fruity Pops.

Being launched specially for Halloween is a range that includes special treat bags and tubs of perennial favourites.

Among the new big bags are Trick or Treat Lolly Mix, Monster Treats and Spooky Treat or Trick Mix. Other ‘frightening fancies’ include Skulls N’ Devils, Bites and Fright Mix. Mega Drumsticks has been given a Halloween makeover

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

with a new black and orange wrapper, while Double Dip becomes Spooky Dip, with a new blackcurrant flavour.

Significant promotional activity has been supporting the range in the run-up to Halloween.

Says Heslop: “Over the past few years, Swizzels sweets have become firm trick or treat favourites, with mums and big kids alike eager to stock up on popular lines for the allimportant Halloween party. This year we’ve further extended the range to make the spooky season even more horrific.”

Relaunched range Walkers’ Nonsuch is relaunching its popular tray toffee range.

Proud of its reputation as a quality British manufacturer, the family company has made a significant improvement by adding a protective tray to each bar prior to packing in the traditional metal tray. Each tray can now be displayed standing upright, without the toffee bars suffering from ‘cold flow’ to which toffee is prone.

Another benefit is that the presentation remains in top shape at all times (no toffee sticks to the film) and each bar is easily ‘whacked’ unwrapped and broken into segments, making it easy to eat.

The new carton – branded with the Walkers’ logo and Union Jack – also couples as a display case “perfect for the C&C trade”, says export sales & marketing director Emma Walker.

Walker adds: “These toffee bars were a creation of my great-grandfather in the 1950s and have remained a true favourite over the years. Little has changed with the recipe; we continue to use whole milk and butter, and there are no artificial colours, preservatives or hydrogenated vegetable oils.”

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Great

NEW prod ucts for 201 1

SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS

SUITABLE FO R VEGETARIAN S

™ & © Hanna-Barbera. ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s11)

confectionery She describes Walkers’ toffee as “a good indulgent treat”.

The manufacturer’s range includes Original Creamy, Brazil Nut, Extra Covered Milk Chocolate Covered Toffee, Treacle, Luxury Fruit & Nut, Whole Roasted Hazelnut and Liquorice Toffee. The bars, which are packed 10 x 10 x 100g, have an rsp of 60p.

As part of the Wrigley Extra Tooth Fairy activity, the brand made its presence felt last month in the concourse of London’s Victoria Station. This giant helium filled pillow was there to raise awareness of Extra’s first on-pack promotion in five years, inviting consumers to try to win £5 from special packs of Extra and Extra Ice.

Wrigley’s Extra sugarfree chewing gum has been strengthening its oral care positioning with the recent launch of Tooth Fairy ‘win a fiver’ campaign.

The activity, which marks the manufacturer’s centenary year, includes the brand’s biggest on-pack promotion in the UK and Ireland for five years and a charitable fund to support oral health causes in the UK and Ireland.

The campaign, which rolled out in August, builds on the notion of the tooth fairy leaving gifts under pillows.

One in every 10 Extra promotional packs contains a winning code that has to be entered online at www.extratoothfairy.com for a chance to win £5.

The activity runs until 29th February 2012.

Sas Horscroft, senior marketing manager, says: “We are confident the Tooth Fairy on-pack promotion will not only help the Extra brand reinforce its oral health credentials but also engage with consumers in a fun way; we all have fond childhood memories of the tooth fairy.”

In a separate development, Wrigley’s has announced that its new general manager for the UK is Hamish Thomson. He replaces Ian Burton who is now in charge of the supplier’s European business.

Thomson, a New Zealander, has been with the company for six years, previously heading the Pacific region.

Before joining Wrigley, he was marketing director of Mars Petcare in Australia.

Halloween sweets A range of ‘scary’ themed sweets – Freaky Faces and Vampire Fangs – has been launched by Leaf Confectionery,

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• Cash & Carry Management • October 2011

whose sales are handled by SHS Sales & Marketing.

Aimed at the Halloween period, the sweets are intended to sit alongside the Chewits core stickpack range.

Trade marketing manager Jo Carr told Cash & Carry Management: “With 35% of consumers planning to buy sweets for trick or treating, Halloween is a key period for the confectionery market.

“As with all seasonal events, it offers manufacturers and retailers a massive incremental sales opportunity. Although our Chewits stick packs are firm trick or treat favourites, it is great to be able to offer consumers some themed Halloween sweets, and we are sure our Freaky Faces and Vampire Fang sweets will be a big hit.”

Freaky Faces, which has an rsp of 49p and comes in boxes of 24, four to a case, comprises individual fruit flavoured sweets – two eyes, a nose, fangs and a giant tongue. Vampire Fangs (99p, in cases of 12) is a bag of fruit flavoured gums.

Carr says that sugar confectionery sales increased by nearly 5% in the four weeks to Halloween 2010 against the same period a year earlier (Nielsen Scantrack).

Leaf has also launched a new Sweet Shop range, with prices from 2p to 5p.

Made in Switzerland Swiss confectionery manufacturer Barens Chocolate has introduced into the UK a ‘high quality, but affordable’ chocolate range called Amador.

Each 125g bag consists of individually wrapped, filled milk chocolates in three flavours: mint, hazelnut and orange.

The rsp is £1.99.

National sales manager David Williams (previously with Lindt UK) believes the chocolates will appeal to both the retail and foodservice channels.

Three varieties in the Barens Chocolate range.

For further information: Barens (07808) 645878 Cadbury (08702) 400861 Ferrero UK (01923) 690 300 Leaf Confectionery/SHS (01452) 378500 Mars Chocolate UK (01753) 550055 Nestlé Confectionery (01904) 604604 Swizzels Matlow (01663) 744144 Walkers’ Nonsuch (01782) 321525 Wrigley (01752) 752094

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Best Cash & Carry Depot

Achievers Awards Dinner

Corporate Responsibility Award

Thursday 9 February 2012 Best Licensed Wholesaler – Off-Trade

Sheraton Grand, Edinburgh

Now in its 10th year, Scottish Wholesale Achievers, operated by the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) in partnership with Cash & Carry Management

Best Retailer Development Programme

incorporating Delivered Wholesaler, continues to raise standards and reward outstanding performance across the trade in Scotland.

This unique scheme will culminate in a prestigious awards dinner, to be held on Thursday 9 February 2012 at the Sheraton Grand, Edinburgh. Dress is

Best Retail Wholesaler – Delivered

black tie.

To secure your table, complete the form below and return to Kate Salmon, SWA executive director. Please note that this event always sells out within a few weeks of tickets going on sale.

Best Licensed Wholesaler – On-Trade

BOOKING FORM Table of 10 including champagne reception and four-course dinner with wine – £2,250 plus £450.00 (VAT)

Best Foodservice Wholesaler – Delivered

Single ticket – £250 plus £50.00 (VAT) NAME OF COMPANY..................................................................................................

ADDRESS....................................................................................................................

Best Marketing Initiative

.....................................................................................................................................

PERSON DEALING WITH BOOKING...........................................................................

TEL NO..................................................... EMAIL........................................................

Employee of the Year

Number of tables

Cost at £2,700.00 per table of 10

Number of single tickets

Cost at £300.00 per single ticket

Total cost including VAT @ 20%

Champion of Champions To book accommodation at the special SWA rate, contact Yvonne Cashin at YCashin Events. E-mail: ycashinevents@aol.com

Supplier Sales Executive of the Year

Send form with remittance to Kate Salmon, Executive Director, Scottish Wholesale Association, 30 McDonald Place, Edinburgh, EH7 4NH. For office use only SWA invoice number......................................VAT registration number: 269 2437 33 Tax point – date of receipt of remittance...................................................................

£1.5m Med ia Sp

end

...this time for good and set to drive sales in your store* • Last available in 2009, where it was the No 1 chocolate single** • This year’s stock carries a special Keep Team GB Pumped campaign wrap • To maximise sales stock Wispa Gold and Wispa Original**

Team GB Lion’s head logo TM © British Olympic Association 2009. All rights reserved. *84% of Wispa Gold buyers were incremental to original Wispa. Kantar: 12 w/e 1st Nov 09 **AC Nielsen First 12 weeks value Sales to 21st Nov, total coverage