Cash & Carry Management

JUNE 2012

Booker plans strategic direction with Makro Long list of creditors after DBC closure

To maximise your category growth stock up on Cidre s Cidre is already a huge success. In less than a year Stella Artois Cidre has become the No.2 premium apple cider in the Off Trade1

Five join wholesale board of Bestway

s It is driving category growth. 47% of Cidre spend was incremental to the total Beer & Cider category2 s Consumers love it. Repeat purchase rates are higher than any other cider launch in the last 5 years3

1 AC Nielsen 04.02.12, Off Trade MAT Value Sales 2 Kantar World panel March 2012 3 Kantar World panel March 2012

Following last year’s biggest cider launch, Stella Artois now introduces NEW Cidre Pear 1 AC Nielsen 04.02.12, Off Trade MAT Value Sales 2 Kantar World panel March 2012 3 Kantar World panel March 2012

David Grimes on Parfetts’ business opportunities

Please drink responsibly. © 2012 AB InBev UK Limited, all rights reserved.

The business magazine for cash & carry/delivered wholesalers

What have they all got in common?

Ask Next time you pick up a successful brand in household and personal care products it’s a fair bet it came from Robert Mcbride Ltd. That’s because we are the clear leader in the sector at over twice the size of our nearest rival.

We supply over 90% of Europe’s leading retailers with our products; we have our own portfolio of brands; and we contract manufacture. We fill 100 million bottles of bleach a year from our Middleton factory alone. Any brand can claim to be a top seller, but nobody knows the market quite like we do. So if you want to know what’s real value and what isn’t, what will sell and what won’t, ask Mcbride. www.mcbride.co.uk

contents Almost over the line Well, we’re half way there. So will it be a game of two halves, or will the second period be similar to the first – whatever the outcome of that has been?

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee has passed and we are midway through the European football championship.

Now the Olympic Games beckon.

How many Union Jacks and umbrellas did your cash & carry or delivered business sell for the benefit of all those patriotic Brits lining the route of the royal procession?

Did you manage to shift all the fold-up chairs that fanatical onlookers needed while they waited for hours for a glimpse of the Queen?

How many packs of lager and burger buns were cleared from the shelves (paid for, of course), destined for the stomachs of screaming football supporters watching the Euros from the comfort of their lounge?

As the figures are being counted and many operators are doubtless banging their heads against the wall in frustration as to why they didn’t stock up with more of this and less of that, we await the world’s major sporting event.

Of the leading manufacturers, Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola Enterprises, by virtue of their official link with the Olympics organisers, can be virtually guaranteed of mounting the winners’ podium.

But what of all the cash & carries and wholesale outlets scattered around the Games’ east London circuit? Will they, by the end of it all, be cursing the fact that the logistics have stymied their planning? Or will their takings break all the records?

New variant from AB InBev ... see p.35

news

Changing the formulation ... see p.33

4–8 Makro UK under Booker control ...

Full extent of DBC debts ... Musgrave C&Cs in profit ... Five join Bestway wholesale board ... Near 10% sales rise for Henderson Group ... West Midlands C&C arrests ... Diageo whisky expansion ... John Wood appointed contributing editor ...

Second airport smoking lounge.

delivered

10

interview

12–14

special report

16

in focus

18

top 25 suppliers awards

20–21

olympics

22–30

employment law products & promotions

Editor

Mervyn Gilbert

Managing Editor

Kirsti Sharratt

Contributing Editor Media Sales Manager

John Wood Clare Phillips

Business Development Manager David Ford Publishing Director

Mervyn Gilbert editor

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Martin Lovell

4,555 July 2010–June 2011

32 33–35

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

• June 2012 • 3

news

IN BRIEF Wine awards SPAR UK won nine silver medals and 22 bronze in the Decanter World Wine awards and the International Wine Challenge awards announced at last month’s London International Wine Fair. The nine silvers were for French Marquis Belrive Champagne (two medals), Chablis and Sancerre Chene St Louis, Spanish Valencia medium white and Ursa Major Rioja Reserva, and Italian Valley Vento Barolo (two medals) and Viottolo Nero d’Avola Shiraz.

Athletics post Cerebral palsy athlete Sophia Warner, 37, who is competing in the forthcoming Paralympic Games, is leaving her job as category marketing controller at Palmer & Harvey to become the new commercial director of UK Athletics.

Tea distributor Afro-Caribbean food and drink wholesaler Wanis has been appointed sole European distributor for Dalgety teas from Georgetown, Guyana.

Sales role SHS Sales & Marketing is undertaking sales on behalf of the £5m-plus business of Oatly oat drinks and ‘cream alternative’ products.

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Booker market share up to 12% Trail of debts How will the concept change?

In taking over Makro UK in a £140m shares and cash transaction, Booker will increase its share of the near-£30bn C&C/wholesale trade by 2% to 12%.

Booker chief executive Charles Wilson insisted that there are no plans to reduce the 3,000-strong Makro workforce or close the Eccles, Manchester, headquarters or any of the 30 branches. Booker itself has a payroll of more than 10,000.

However, he hinted that, in areas where there are overlapping premises and where leases are up for renewal, changes could be made.

Wilson said that Booker and Makro first began talks as long ago as 2000, “but they went nowhere”. He added that “serious conversations” started in March.

Wilson also admitted that, over the past seven years, of Booker’s increased turnover of around £900m, less than £100m had been snatched from Makro.

The takeover, which gives Makro parent Metro Group in Dusseldorf a 10% stake in Booker, creates a joint business with UK turnover of £4.7bn (Booker £3.9bn, Makro £800m). But whereas

• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

Booker is profitable – and has been for some time – Makro has been loss-making for several years; £63.2m was the deficit in 2011.

For Makro, the willingness of Booker to take over the ailing business comes at a time when Metro must have been considering pulling out of the UK. Indeed, the step was taken three years ago to close three branches within the then 33-unit estate – the first time the shutters had gone up on a Makro depot since the chain started trading in the UK in 1972.

Two years ago, Makro announced a joint buying arrangement with Palmer & Harvey. But that deal will end with the Booker acquisition.

Booker will use the new sites (Makro’s gross asset value is £350m) to expand its product range, particularly in catering, and to develop the SME (small and mediumsized enterprises) sector.

The delivered side will also be greatly enlarged, with the Makro sites giving Booker the option of more localised distribution.

Tel: Booker Group (01933) 371000.

Tel: Makro UK (0844) 445 7445.

The collapse of DBC Foodservice has left secured and unsecured creditors with a mountain of debt.

Among the suppliers out of pocket are vehicle operator Petit Forestier, owed nearly £340,000; Vestey (which has taken on the Ministry of Defence contract), £2.6 million; and the Dunbia meat business with £1.2 million.

More than 700 members of staff have been left unpaid to the tune of over £3 million, while a list of 1,247 trade creditors issued by administrator Baker Tilly has a bottom line of nearly £50 million.

Unsecured creditors are owed £92 million and the DBC pension scheme had a £40 million shortfall, although under government rules those entitled to DBC pensions will not lose out.

The Baker Tilly statement also shows that Brakes paid £300,000 to take over some of DBC’s leading national accounts and that Vestey was charged £188,000 to step into the MoD breach.

They were among 23 companies which were interviewed in the DBC disposal process.

Negotiations are ongoing for the sale of four freehold sites.

The wholesaler recorded a loss of £6 million in the 11 months to 24 February on sales of £286 million.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

news

Irish C&Cs turn the corner Musgrave Group last year invested 1.5m euros in its MarketPlace cash & carries, of which there are 13 operating in the north and south of Ireland.

However, the annual report for the year to end of December gives no returns for this side of the business, although chief executive Chris Martin said that the

C&C chain “has moved from loss-making to a profit in 18 months”.

A pilot online ordering service for C&C and foodservice customers is being extended to three branches this year.

Last year MarketPlace launched own-brands under the Butcher’s Select, Simply Meat and Fastfood labels.

In N Ireland, a branch was opened in Lurgan and improvements were made at the Belfast and Derry C&Cs. Said Martin: “Combined sales through the delivered and C&C channels make us the largest player in the Irish foodservice market.”

Total group turnover rose by 1.6% to around 4.5bn euros (Ireland 2.7bn euros, the UK 1.5bn euros and Spain 200m euros), while pre-tax profit dropped by 1% to 71m euros.

Tel: Musgrave Group (003531) 452 2100.

On board

Today’s quartet Group 3, the upper stream of the Today’s Group structure, has recruited four new members: Compass Supply Solutions, of Chichester, West Sussex; Residual Brand Management, of Barking, Essex; Sian Trading Co, of Dorking, Surrey; and Sam 99p, of Ilford, Essex.

Compass Supply Solutions distributes snacks and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to the travel and leisure industry.

Founded in 1996, it handles around 3,000 product lines through two warehouses with a combined area of 80,000 sq ft of space.

CSS chairman Doug Clydesdale has held management posts with United Biscuits and Carlsberg.

Residual Brand Management specialises in the

‘discreet disposal’ of branded products, listing such names as Kimberly-Clark, Reckitt Benckiser and Colgate Palmolive on its website.

It has more than 165,000 sq ft of warehouse capacity and a turnover of around £20 million.

Sian Trading is a wholesaler of branded and generic toiletries, health & beauty products and pharmaceuticals. It also enables companies to market their products in Africa.

Sam 99p, which deals in non-food, toiletries, impulse lines and groceries, has been in business for seven years.

The delivered wholesaler has a turnover of £9 million and uses four vehicles delivering to all parts of London.

Tel: Today’s Group (0844) 247070.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Five senior executives within Bestway Group have been appointed to the wholesale board.

They are: Martin Race, Batleys operations director; David Gilroy, Bestway operations director; Kaiser Yousaf, trading director; Naser Khan, finance director; and James Hall, symbol group director.

Main board directors Arshad Chaudhary and Rizwan Pervez also have new roles. Chaudhary switches from Bestway operations director to logistics director, responsible for the Coventry distribution centre and the central ordering division, and Pervez assumes the new role of marketing director.

Dawood Pervez retains his present responsibilities, which include online and property.

Richard Booth has been promoted from senior negotiator to deputy trading controller, wholesale, and Jason Baker has joined as marketing controller.

Tel: Bestway Group 0208453 1234.

Local support Dunns Food and Drinks, the Blantyre-based food and drink wholesaler, is to showcase local products through a new initiative called ‘Scottish Roots’.

The family-owned concern has teamed up with some of the best producers in Scotland, including Ramsay of Carluke, the St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Co, Burnside Farm in the Scottish Borders and the Isle of Ewe Smokehouse, to help them increase sales.

Products such as venison, seafood, oatcakes and ice cream will be featured in a brochure produced by the wholesaler and they will be channelled through leading restaurants and bars.

Jim Rowan, managing director of Dunns, said: “The recession is hard enough, so it’s important to find new ways to boost the economy.

Customers want and deserve quality at the very best price – and that’s what’s on offer.

“I’m not only confident that this is going to take off, I’m also enthusiastic that this new venture could create jobs for all concerned.”

Tel: Dunns Food and Drinks (01698) 727700.

Own-label leap Landmark Wholesale ownlabel sales rose by 27% in the year to April, with No 3 tobacco, Lifestyle Value, LSV energy drinks, licensed and Caterers Kitchen products all making sizeable contributions. For the second year running, BA in Cardiff was the group’s leading ownlabel branch.

Tel: Landmark Wholesale (01908) 255300.

Cash & Carry Management

• June 2012 • 5

news

Turnover nearly 10% up SPAR Northern Ireland wholesaler and retailer Henderson Group increased turnover last year by 9.6% to £583.2m. Pre-tax profit, however, dipped marginally to £13.6m following an outlay of £17m on 27 store acquisitions, plus refurbishments and other projects.

The family-run company, based at Mallusk, delivers to more than 400 stores in the province.

Over the 12 months, employee numbers rose by 250 to over 2,400.

Among the new stores were five purchased from Heathcotes Fine Foods. More than 50 outlets were refurbished to introduce new product ranges and services.

Improvement work will continue in the current financial year, with another £12 million being invested in infrastructure and refurbishments.

Ron Whitten, group finance director, said: “We are very pleased with the continued like-for-like growth in sales, despite the very difficult trading climate.”

Paddy Doody, sales & marketing director of the wholesale business, which supplies stores carrying the SPAR, EuroSPAR and Vivo

Landmark post Aileen Wilson has become Landmark Wholesale’s trading controller for branded non-food, household & paper goods, covering both the retail and catering channels.

She was with the group between 2000 and 2005, rejoining three years later, initially as part of the accounts team.

Tel: Landmark Wholesale (01908) 255300.

6

Paddy Doody (left), Henderson Wholesale sales & marketing director, with Ron Whitten, group finance director.

fascias and includes a foodservice business, said: “Due to the current challenging economic conditions, we are more focused than ever on continuing to provide the best customer service, value for money, operational efficiency and management of our cost base.”

In recent years, the group has enjoyed continued growth at both wholesale

and retail level.

As part of its strategic plan, it has pursued a ‘Famous for Fresh’ strategy under fresh food director, Neal Kelly.

Last year over 75% of its local fresh produce was grown, packed and distributed in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Tel: Henderson Group (028) 9034 2733.

SPAR Scotland role CJ Lang & Son, which holds the SPAR franchise in Scotland, has appointed Bill Mair (right) sales director for SPAR Scotland’s independent retailer division.

Mair’s career with the Dundee firm has included working as a business development manager, supporting independent symbol retailers, followed by a stint as sales & marketing director of SPAR multi-site operator, A J Gillespie.

After leaving CJ Lang for a brief period, he rejoined in

• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

2004 when the company acquired Gillespie, and he became stores controller (south) with the own stores division, managing 51 symbol outlets.

Commenting on the appointment, CJ Lang’s managing director Scott Malcolm said: “Bill’s vast experience and intimate knowledge of SPAR retailing from differing perspectives is unique and a huge asset. He is a highly respected figure within the sector.”

Tel: CJ Lang & Son (01382) 512000.

Letter to the editor Sir, In the face of recent growth and profit figures released by some of the retail multiples, it is clear that something is afoot when their data is compared with that of the convenience trade.

Fascia groups’ annual growth is at 9.2% while Sainsbury’s only achieved 5.6%. Morrisons managed just 1.5% like-for-like growth.

Figures in the c-store sector will have the multiples reeling! Convenience stores have greatly improved their product offering and range, particularly in fresh, chilled and bakery goods.

There has also been a big shift in consumer perception towards c-stores. For example, Budgens now price matches large retailers and has been advertising the top 800 lines at the same price as Tesco.

Marketing has also improved, such as Nisa’s recent national television advertising campaign. Additionally, shoppers have been visiting local stores four to five times a week, spending less but more often.

The convenience channel is also getting savvy. The quality and quantity of sales performance information now available at store level is allowing operators to use data insight into product performance by range, brand, geography and outlet type.

This growth in convenience has also encouraged manufacturers to increase their investment, offering bespoke promotional brand activity, such as new product variants and pack sizes.

Roger Suddaby, Head of Sales, SalesOut.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

news

Major Diageo project Leading drinks business Diageo, whose whisky portfolio alone extends to more than 100 Scotch, Irish, Canadian and American styles, is investing in excess of £1bn on Scotch whisky production over the next five years.

The development includes a new malt distillery, expansion at existing locations and a possible second distillery if demand warrants.

Chief executive Paul Walsh said that at this stage no definite locations have been found, although he has three options in Scotland in mind.

The company, whose best known UK whisky brands are Bell’s, Johnnie Walker, J&B Rare and VAT 69, also plans to invest in substantial new warehousing to accommodate ‘millions of additional litres’ of Scotch whisky.

Hat-trick SPAR International has recorded a third consecutive 12 months of growth, with 2011 retail sales increasing by 4.6% to 31.1bn euros in the calendar year and by 16% over the three-year period.

Developments in the Middle East saw the opening of the group’s first symbol store in Abu Dhabi. And Qatar will be SPAR’s 37th territory when a store opens there later this year.

In Europe, among the countries on the move were Italy (up 6.2%), Austria (4.5%), Belgium (3.9%) and Spain (3%).

Elsewhere, SPAR South Africa achieved 8% growth.

Tel: SPAR UK 020-8426 3700.

Off the ‘assembly line’: one of the major brands.

The announcement came three years after Diageo’s decision to close its drinks packaging plant in Kilmarnock and 200-year-old Port Dundas distillery, with the loss of about 900 staff.

Walsh said the project would create over 100 new jobs and employment for

around 250 construction workers for each year of the investment.

In the past five years, sales of Diageo’s Scotch brands rose by 50%, with total net sales of nearly £3bn in the last financial year.

Tel: Diageo GB 020-8978 6000.

Digital service The Scottish Wholesale Association has launched a digital library which will store publications and information for members and their customers, and be available to iPhone and iPad users.

The first publication is an interactive version of ‘The Alcohol Act Explained – A Guide to the Legislation’, produced by the SWA and Scottish Grocers’ Federation last year. It is now available as an App on iTunes.

SWA president George Benson said: “The way we communicate is evolving.

We have a duty to respond by relaying information to members and their customers using up-to-date technology.”

Tel: SWA 0131-556 8753.

Imperial ‘flies’ to Birmingham Imperial Tobacco has opened a 51 sq metre ‘airside’ smoking area at Birmingham Airport.

Travellers can enjoy their chosen tobacco product in the dedicated building, which is accessible from the airport’s new departure lounge bar.

The purpose-built facility provides lighting, shelter,

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hand gel and litter bins.

There is also a departures board to ensure passengers can keep track of their flights.

It joins Imperial Tobacco’s first designated smoking area at Bristol Airport (24 sq m), which opened last year.

The supplier’s general manager Amal Pramanik said: “We are hugely committed to supporting those

12 million UK adults who choose to smoke tobacco.

“In November last year we launched ‘Smoking Allowed’, a long-term programme of projects and activities to support smokers when they are travelling, working and enjoying their leisure time.”

Tel: Imperial Tobacco (0117) 963 6636.

Relaxing before taking off for sunnier climes.

Cash & Carry Management

• June 2012 • 7

news

‘Good growth’ in delivered Of all the major elements of Booker Group, only the delivered wholesale side gives little away about its performance in the 53 weeks to 30 March.

At the results presentation last month, when chief executive Charles Wilson announced that pre-tax profit grew by 27% to £90.8m, on sales up 9.4% to £3.9bn, Mark Aylwin said of Booker Direct, where he is md: “We achieved good growth.

“One of our major wins was the Cineworld cinema chain six months ago, but we have gained new business which these customers do not want us to divulge.”

The new Chef Direct operation at Didcot, Oxon, secured its first big client – worth £3 million – when Revolution vodka bars switched from DBC Foodservice (Cash & Carry Management: April), while the Classic licensed side is being rolled out to five more sites this year and the RitterCourivaud format is being extended to 30 locations.

Some £2.8bn of sales came through customers at the 172 cash & carries, while £1.1bn was from deliveries – both from the C&C network

‘Cineworld was a major recent win’ – Aylwin.

and through the delivered wholesale business.

Tobacco accounts for £1.5bn of the turnover and non-tobacco £2.4bn.

Internet sales rose by

21% to £635m and Booker C&C md Guy Farrant said the total number of customers rose by 22,000 to 481,000.

Tel: Booker Group (01933) 371000.

W Midlands arrest Two men were arrested on suspicion of theft from cash & carry premises in the West Midlands after intelligence sharing between wholesalers led to their vehicle being tracked down by police.

They are believed to have seized tobacco products from customers in car parks, a white Peugeot van being spotted at 11 sites belonging

to five members of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors. No precise locations or C&C operators’ names were released.

FWD criminal intelligence analyst Isabel Koppel said: “We were able to piece together enough intelligence to enable the police to make these arrests.”

Tel: FWD (01323) 724952.

Wood joins leading title Cash & Carry Management is delighted to announce the appointment of John Wood as contributing editor.

Formerly editor of Wholesale News for seven years, Wood has spent the majority of his career as a journalist covering the independent retail and wholesale sectors.

He was news editor of The Grocer for five years,

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and before that he worked on Convenience Store as

• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

news editor and then deputy editor.

Wood commented: “I had been involved in a number of different sectors earlier in my career, but when I joined Convenience Store and worked closely with independent retailers and wholesalers I discovered a vibrant and engaging industry and have continued to promote their interests ever since.”

Olympics fears James Bielby (pictured), FWD chief executive, told the Transport Select Committee the effect road closures and congestion would have on small retailers on and near the Olympic Route Network.

He said thousands of small businesses in London would be relying on cash & carry/wholesalers to supply them. But they could be faced with long-term financial difficulties – or closure – if they were denied products.

Bielby said: “Small independents depend on their wholesaler as their stockroom, especially for fresh and chilled products. They are set up to expect deliveries up to five times a week.

They do not have the cash flow to survive without goods to sell.”

He asserted that borough councils should take a “sensible and pragmatic approach” to the supply chain during the event. He also expressed fear that penalty charge notices could be “tossed around like confetti”.

“Wholesalers will be operating night-time delivery schedules in order to service customers, involving extra cost in employing drivers and depot staff.

“It will also mean lorries operating at as little as 50% capacity, while C&Cs will be extending opening hours.

Retailers will also have to foot the bill for staffing deliveries in the small hours of the morning.”

Tel: FWD (01323) 724952.

Olympics feature: see pp.22–30

•

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

*Total Coverage 07.01.12. Value Sales Source: Nielsen ScanTrack. **MediaCom 2012. Please see special packs for details.

LUCOZADE, LUCOZADE SPORT and the Arc device are registered trade marks of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

delivered

Getting government vote The newly-established Batleys Foodservice, part of the Bestway Wholesale Group, has been awarded a number of local government contracts.

The business, which has a staff of 60 and utilises 25 vehicles, has been developed following the 2010 acquisition of CJ Lang & Son’s Scottish Martex business. It is headed by foodservice operations manager Frank Fraser.

The new chilled and ambient contracts – all for three years and worth a total of £8.5m – have been secured from TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation), NEPO (North East Procurement Organisation), and Scotland Excel, the collective body of virtually all Scottish local authorities.

They are serviced by sites at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Cleveland and Newcastle.

The NEPO win has led to Batleys Foodservice being nominated as the official supplier, for the next three years, to local councils in Stockton, Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Hartlepool and Redcar.

The work with Scotland Excel has earned the wholesaler supplier status with several Scottish local authorities, including East Lothian

Eco drive Following a successful trial, 3663 has teamed up with Delphis Eco, which makes ecological chemicals, to encourage schools across the country to re-evaluate the way they use chemicals and make a switch to ecological products.

Tel: 3663 (0370) 3663 000.

10

and North Lanarkshire, and Fife and Stirling councils.

Batleys Group operations director Martin Race said: “These great contract successes for our relatively new business strongly suggests that what we have to offer, as the ‘new boys on the block’, is of great interest to a whole range of organisations who have, until now, had to contend with being just another customer with some of the big players who have been around for a long time in the business.

“Our approach to foodservice is completely different. We have the infrastructure, via our network of UK depots, to deliver nationwide, and that has great appeal.

“Our immediate business plan is geared to significant development with additional vehicles and personnel to enable us to continue to serve our customer base to a high level of customer satisfaction.”

Tel: Batleys Foodservice (01484) 481150.

Ice cream advice Palmer & Harvey has issued a brochure focusing on the impulse ice cream category.

It includes freezer deals which enable retailers to take advantage of free stock of the top selling impulse skus, plus an exclusive end-ofseason bonus scheme which can generate an extra 8% discount on all impulse lines purchased through the wholesaler.

The ice cream publication also contains details of P&H’s ice cream range and advice from category experts on the six major steps to selling the product, including cabinet location in store and merchandising advice.

Additionally, the brochure informs retailers how they can improve their range with the latest NPD. Tel: Palmer & Harvey (01273) 222100.

Free information service Erudus, an online foodservice information system for suppliers and foodservice operators, set up in 2006 solely for members of Fairway Foodservice, is now being made available throughout the trade and at no cost to users.

The site covers case dimensions, packaging waste, pallet configurations, nutritional information, ingredient details and intolerance/alergen data.

The system is claimed to provide wholesalers with instant information on 6,000 products – a number that is growing.

Suppliers can upload data on their goods, while foodservice wholesalers and

• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

groups can list own-brand products, but in such a way that it will only be viewable by members of their group.

After it was established six years ago, Erudus was extended as a paid service to non-Fairway operators, with concerns such as the Caterforce buying and marketing group, Kent Frozen Foods and Nottingham-based Hopwells coming on board.

Phil Holman, operations director of Hopwells, which has been using the system for three years, said: “It gives us easy access to product specifications and enables us to forward the information

quickly and efficiently to customers in a standard, stylish format.”

Cez Chmiel, administration manager for Erudus, said: “As the system evolves it will be rolled out to end users providing an essential resource for the foodservice industry as a whole.

“In making it free to other operators, we hope to reduce system duplications because of the fragmented nature of foodservice.

“This is a situation which simply adds costs to the industry as a whole, and that is foolish.”

Tel: Erudus (01422) 319105.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

IT news STL’s Self-service Vision

STL Clients are Today’s Winners

STL has partnered with NCR to bring self-service checkouts to the wholesale sector.

Congratulations to winning STL clients at the Today’s Group Stoneleigh Show.

The concept of self-service checkouts has become well known in retail and, with one operator being able to manage eight such units, the ROI argument is clear.

Elbrook Cash & Carry deservedly received ‘Member of the Year’ award, and Soho Cash & Carry was the worthy winner of the ‘Rising Star’ award.

Perhaps more crucially for long-term customer relationships, self-service can also improve the customer experience by busting queues.

In wholesale, checkout aisles can often be choked by retail customers doing multiple-trolley buys, to the frustration of a small pub or catering company manager doing a quick, top-up shop.

A self-service checkout unit from STL would allow a customer with up to 15 items to bypass the normal checkout operation, and pay by card – enhancing their experience and thereby encouraging their repeat custom.

For further information, call 0844 472 4727 ext. 2.

You’re Hired!

Microsoft Apprentice for STL Louis Davis has joined STL through the Microsoft Partner Apprenticeship Scheme – a joint initiative between Microsoft, e-skills UK and National Apprenticeship Service.

With the aim of driving uptake and ensuring industry relevance of apprenticeships, this scheme has been developed for Microsoft Partners such as STL.

Dhamecha Takes Tech Lead Dhamecha is leading the industry by upgrading all of its order and merchandise management systems to STL’s new suite of 64-bit powered solutions.

Operating system revolutions might not sound exciting, but there is a very tangible bottomline benefit in upgrading servers from the industry standard 32-bit operating systems to 64-bit ones.

A 64-bit operating system lifts the limited memory cap imposed by 32-bit on most wholesale systems installed today – and, among other benefits, gives wholesalers the ability to handle far more products and data, faster, by more users, and with greater virus protection.

0844 472 4727

sales@stl-solutions.com

For one day a week, Louis has technical training from Microsoft and, for the other four, gains workplacerelevant skills at STL. He started with STL’s front desk support team, and is now with its technical department.

Stax Beats July Deadline for PCI DSS Compliance STL is installing a new Chip and PIN solution across the estate of £100 million DIY wholesaler, Stax Trade Centres, to ensure it meets new Payment Card Industries Data Security Standards regulations.

PCI DSS is a set of requirements describing both the environment and the procedures any vendor must have in place to protect customer payment card data. If a wholesaler processes, stores or transmits payment card data without being PCI DSS compliant, it could be fined, face legal action, or lose its right to accept payment cards.

PCI DSS version 1.2 is already effective. European vendors must comply with PA-DSS 1.2

by July 31st 2012.

@STLTechSolution

www.stl-solutions.com

interview

Open to all options John Wood, Cash & Carry Management’s new contributing editor, talks to Parfetts’ managing director David Grimes about plans for the business following its move to employee ownership.

After an exceptional performance in the previous financial year, Parfetts’ managing director David Grimes says the business has faced a tough battle this year to keep growing, but it is set to just pass the £300m turnover mark for the first time. “We expect to be marginally up on last year, which in the current tough environment you’ve got to be pleased with.”

The previous financial year ended on a high, with weeks of record takings boosted by fantastic weather and a double bank holiday. There was even a temporary easing in duty fraud so Parfetts was selling far more alcohol.

Grimes says: “Unfortunately, since then, duty fraud has gone back to where it was and if you are comparing alcohol sales to that time, they are significantly lower. As far as we are concerned it’s worse now than it’s ever been. For every one organisation that Customs closes down, it seems that five more spring up. From talking to other Landmark members it’s not a regional problem – it’s right across the board.”

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

It’s eight years since Parfetts last opened a new depot and although it has no immediate expansion plans, Grimes is considering adding to the six it already operates in order to boost the business.

He says: “I would like to think that in a couple of years’ time we would be looking at another depot. It’s important that as a business you continue to grow. You’ve not got the option of standing still, because as a business you either go forwards or backwards. We’ve got six very mature branches so we need to do new things and one of those is taking a new depot.”

He says the business is always on the lookout for opportunities and would be comfortable either developing a new depot or buying an existing one. “We’ve acquired new premises like our most recent one in Sheffield but prior to that we took on Halifax and Somercotes which were existing depots we got from other people.”

Parfetts is also examining new ways to generate extra business out of its existing sites, and a new role has just been

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interview created within the business which will be key to this. Andy “You’ve got to be open to all options, and if you close Whitworth, who has been with Parfetts for 14 years and was yourself to various ideas then you are potentially missing out general manager of the Halifax depot, has been appointed on opportunities. The world is constantly changing and head of customer development. something that might not have been right for us several Grimes explains: “It’s about co-ordinating what we offer years ago or even today might be right for us tomorrow.” to customers in terms of our Go Local retail club, and what With retailers making up about 95% of the business, we do regarding customer development and any other servParfetts’ Go Local retail club, which has around 800 memices we offer to customers, such as bers, is a key part. Grimes says: “It’s our ‘click and collect’ online ordering hugely successful for us, and it’s system. something customers and suppliers “For us it is an exciting developlove. There are no joining fees or costs ment. There are a lot of opportunities for customers, they simply have to that we are not taking advantage of agree to run the promotions – they and by having someone in this new have to buy the products in the prorole it will help us to put more focus motions, they have to sell them at the David Grimes, Parfetts’ on those areas, and that will generate agreed price and they have to display more business. the point-of-sale material.” managing director “Andy’s only been in the job for Grimes hints that Go Local could about four weeks but already the amount of progress we be developed further, saying: “We do support Landmark’s have made has been immense. We’ve made more progress Lifestyle fascia but we have the Go Local retail promotion than we did in the previous 12 months with nobody in the and it would make sense somewhere along the line to have role.” a fascia that goes with that.

Grimes states that a number of initiatives are currently “Our customers have been asking us to provide that for a being finalised and they will be launched at the company’s long time. It’s not something we have done to date but comtrade show on 17 July at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. mon sense would suggest that is the way it would go in the While many cash & carry operators have expanded into future.” delivered wholesale, Parfetts has always stuck to its roots He adds: “You are trying to link a promotion name with a and Grimes says there is no current intention to change this, store. If you get a Co-op leaflet through your door you know but he adds: “We’ve always said ‘never’ in the past. We’ve no where to go, and it would make sense that if someone gets plans to move into delivery but I think the ‘never’ has a Go Local leaflet they can go to their nearest Go Local changed to ‘It’s something we need to keep in mind’. store.”

‘I would like to think that in a couple of years’ time we would be looking at another depot’

Parfetts is looking at new ways to generate extra business out of its existing depots.

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Cash & Carry Management

• June 2012 • 13

interview Grimes has been in charge at Parfetts as it has undergone a period of transition to employee ownership and as his predecessor Steve Parfett has taken the role of chairman prior to his retirement from day-to-day involvement in the business in October.

Grimes admits that it has taken time to adjust to the new way of working. “It’s a matter of getting employees used to the new culture. I’m far more accountable to employees than in a family company. We have depot branch councils which are elected members of staff and we will run through the company’s performance with them and our aims for the future and they have the opportunity to ask us questions about anything.”

Parfetts has always had a strong reputation for friendly staff and customer service and Grimes believes this helps to make employee ownership a good fit. He explains: “Customer service is the key selling point of the business and something we put a massive focus on. Everyone says that, but I’m not sure they all do it. A big part of that is if you have staff who enjoy working and they are very helpful.

“We felt we had characteristics that would easily transfer into employee ownership. I don’t think employee ownership is for every business but we felt we had certain fundamentals in place which would help us.”

Taking over from a high-profile figure like Steve Parfett could be seen as daunting but Grimes says he has a different style. “I’m not trying to replicate what Steve’s done. Our approaches will be a little bit different.

“In profile terms I don’t expect to have the same sort of roles that Steve has because I feel my time is best spent within the company itself, although I will be on the Landmark board. From my point of view it is important to be happy with the business first and then look at the industry side.”

Grimes: ‘I’m far more accountable to employees than in a family company.’

Although Parfetts has always focused on cash & carry, Grimes will not rule out delivered wholesale as a future development.

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

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PRICE-MARKED PACKS The July 2012 issue of Cash & Carry Management will include a feature on Price-marked Packs

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

Consultation Preparing responses to Government consultation documents

Lobbying Representation at the Scottish Parliament

Legal Updates Easy-to-read trading law compliance updates for directors Drafting of ‘good compliance’ guides for field staff

The Law Looking ahead for sector-specific guidance: food, drink and allied products

Contact: Scott Brady LLB MBA ecos limited Radio Tay Buildings 6 North Isla Street Dundee Office: 01382 423286 Mobile: 07879 448404

special report

Makro’s saviour Mervyn Gilbert examines the rise and fall of one of the UK’s largest C&C businesses.

Forget for a moment the grandeur of the recent Queen’s Diamond Jubilee event. The C&C/wholesale trade has been marking several anniversaries of its own this year – Landmark Wholesale (40th), Today’s Group (25th) and Imperial Cash & Carry (25th) to name but three.

A year earlier it was Makro, which was celebrating the pinnacle of 40 years in business in the UK. However, internally, it must have been a low-key affair, given the scale of losses in recent years.

Indeed, if Booker had not come along when it did, its continued existence would have been highly doubtful.

Ironically, Booker itself was an inveterate under-performer – that was until Charles Wilson arrived in 2005 and soon proved to be a steadying influence.

The Makro name made its bow on the UK stage in 1971 when the company was then owned by the giant Dutch SHV Holdings group, based in Utrecht.

In those days there was no UK managing director, just a general manager, whose nationality tended to be Dutch, although some English-born executives followed.

The company established a niche for itself in the domestic market, even though there was always the stigma that it was not really a cash & carry operator in the same sense as the much-missed Nurdin & Peacock (later acquired by Booker).

In those days, the odds of spotting a non-bona fide customer in an N&P branch were remote, but shoppers in a Makro outlet could have just as easily been your friends next door as the owners of the Bognor B&B you had visited the previous weekend.

Nonetheless, the company thrived. Walking round a Makro branch was an experience to be enjoyed at a time when most ‘trade only’ C&C operators spent little money on decor and comfort.

Then came the news in 1998 that SHV Holdings was reducing its involvement in the by now global operation that was Makro. It announced that it was selling most of its C&C interests to the Dusseldorf-based Metro Group.

Although the Dutch concern retained the Makro businesses in South America and Thailand, it sold the others, notably in Europe (including the UK), to the German combine.

While it can be argued that Makro in the UK, which was operating from 33 sites, each of around 100,000 sq ft, started

Selling online is also a growing aspect of Booker’s business.

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

Makro has always boasted of its expertise in fish (and fruit & veg).

to decline after the change of ownership, it is only in recent years that the real demise of a company that had lost its way was there for all to see.

Apart from sales diving by £110m to £787m in the past three years, in 2009 there was a pre-tax loss of nearly £36m.

Measures were introduced to stem the tide – largely aimed at HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and catering) customers. That resulted in the deficit being trimmed to £12.5m a year later.

But in 2011 losses soared to over £63m and something like 500 staff cuts were made. Makro was losing swathes of business, particularly in electricals, where people were ‘shopping around’ online.

The company is presently led by md Juergen Schwarze and a board which has seen regular newcomers, including operations director Stephen Blan and commercial director Huw Edwards. Until recently, Makro UK was being supervised by restructuring specialist Alix Partners.

So what happens now to the Eccles, Manchester, head office, to the 3,000 staff and, more importantly to the 30 freehold branches (three ceased trading in 2009)?

While Booker chief executive Charles Wilson insists that there are no plans to make staff cuts or close any of the depots, there are thought to be some Booker branches where the lease is due for renewal and which overlap with Makro sites.

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in focus

Distinctive proposition Wine Importers has nearly doubled its turnover since the Murray family took a majority stake in the business.

Wine Importers, based at Livingston in West Lothian, claims to offer the most extensive portfolio of wines in the UK – 1,200 lines from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Portugal and Germany.

It also has the distinction of being the only wholesaler with a direct interest in sizeable vineyards in Provence (Chateau Routas) and Burgundy (Domaine Jessiaume) through its involvement with wine enthusiast Sir David Murray.

Established in 1975, Wine Importers was given a new lease of life in 2006 when the Murray family invested in the business. They took a majority stake, with the remaining shares acquired by three existing executives: managing director Billy Bell, administrative director Gordon White and sales director Neil Renton. Sir David is now the company’s chairman while his son, Keith, is non-executive director.

Soon after the change in ownership, Wine Importers spent £1 million on moving from its 11,000 sq ft premises in Leith, Edinburgh, to a more modern 18,000 sq ft base in Livingston, next to the M8.

Wine Importers has 20 employees, nine of whom are sales executives. Its turnover has increased from £3 million to in excess of £5.5 million in the past six years. Sales are divided equally between the on-trade (mainly hotels and restaurants) and independent retailers – a ratio that has remained steady over the years. Because of the agencies it holds, Wine Importers also supplies fellow wholesalers like Filshill, Gordon & MacPhail and Wm Morton.

Billy Bell: ‘Our challenge is to convince consumers of the value of quality wine.’

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

The company has five vans that deliver to the central belt and Aberdeen; carriers are used for other areas of Scotland and the Border counties of England. The minimum order is one case.

“We are positioned to appeal to middle to higher end customers,” says Bell. “Our USP is our agency portfolio of top wine producers from around the world. Many are exclusive to us in Scotland, such as Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Joseph Perrier, W&J Graham’s and Torres.”

To complement its wines, the company offers a choice of glassware. And, earlier this year, it branched out into the burgeoning category of craft ales by listing Archerfield Ales and Fyne Ales from Argyll.

Customers include Gleneagles Hotel, with which it has had an association for over 30 years. Gleneagles credits Wine Importers for helping it to “break new ground“ in wine tasting through the launch of the Epicurean Event, which marries food and wine in a market-style emporium.

“The Epicurean Event is regarded as the most interesting and innovative wine tasting event in Scotland and it is one of the main interfaces with the trade, attracting 350 people,” says Bell.

It has been held every two years for a decade. In alternate years, Wine Importers hosts a roadshow that takes in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

In 2009 and 2010, Wine Importers acquired the names and customers of Scotland’s oldest wine merchant, Cockburns of Leith; Irvine Robertson Wines (also of Leith); Harris Fine Wine of Glasgow; and Edinburgh-based TM Robertson. All now operate under the Wine Importers umbrella, with the Cockburns brand used to promote the business to private customers, who account for 5% of sales.

Events like the Scottish Game Fair and Loch Fyne Festival are important for the company in reaching out to consumers.

“We make quite a feature of our wine range with Scottish connections,” says Bell. “For example, Capercaillie winery of Australia was created in the mid ’90s by an ex-pat Scot, the late Alasdair Sutherland, and it is now run by his wife and sons. The wines have fabulous Celtic designs and names such as The Clan, Ceilidh and Cuillins.

“The wine market is mature and has become ever more competitive,” Bell adds. “We recognise that we are in a discretionary market, and our challenge is to convince consumers of the value of quality wine. We are meeting that challenge through tasting, promoting and educating.”

Wine Importers’ best-sellers correspond to UK wine trends. “The UK is the perfect market because if a wine is not up to scratch, it won’t sell. At the moment our most popular wines are from Chile, closely followed by Italy. And since we can guarantee the quality of the source, 5% of our sales are of wines from the Murray family’s vineyards.”

Last year was Wine Importers’ first year without any acquisitions and it is now in a period of consolidation. It aims to drive forward with its umbrella businesses while retaining its focus on being the ‘personal wine merchant for quality wines and quality service’.

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Cash & Carry Management’s Top 25 Suppliers awards for 2012 begin soon

Not your usual awards lunch Comments on last year’s event...

“I really did enjoy the awards at Dorney Lake and found the day very worthwhile. The awards themselves were swift and the Dhamecha presentation highlighted information that we will pass on to our members. It was a great venue and good to learn about the planning going into hosting an Olympic venue. I gained the most benefit from listening to the speaker from the Olympics organising committee who was very interesting from both a personal and business perspective.�

Tom Gittins, business development manager, Confex

was really “The event welcomed good and I e we had the free tim holesalers with the w rs to and supplie ns and discuss pla sight. The market fore ere also speakers w cha.� dip Dhame ra P y rl la u c good, par ti gbin, o r, Richard H ent manage m p lo e v e d r custome Drinks Britvic Soft

“Your awards are genuinely one of the best around and I think this is down to the intimate nature of a relatively small gathering, the informal but professional tone, and the special location – certainly not the norm. Also, the ambience is friendly and approachable, it is a good networking opportunity, the speakers are really excellent, and the time of day (lunch) makes it much more manageable than another evening gig.�

Stephen Moodie, customer director convenience, Unilever

“Great ven ue, great speakers, w ith a passion an d message .I thoroughly enjoyed the balance be tween awards and speakers.

Good news stor y in hard times .�

Nigel Milwa rd, C&C – im pulse mana ger, PLB Group

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TOP 25 SUPPLIERS

Last year’s AWARDS winners pictured at Dorney Lake, the rowing venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For the ninth year running, Cash & Carry Management incorporating Delivered Wholesaler is recognising and rewarding the efforts of the best suppliers to the wholesale trade by publishing a league table of the Top 25 Suppliers in England, Wales and Ireland.

To start the process, wholesalers are asked to nominate their Top 25 Suppliers by emailing a list to mail.winlove@btconnect.com or by completing the form opposite and posting it to Winlove Publications Ltd, FREEPOST NAT 15060, PO Box 366, East Grinstead, RH19 4BR.

Comment from last year’s winner, Coca-Cola Enterprises: “We are honoured to have received the Cash & Carry Management Top 25 Suppliers award 2011, in addition to being the proud winners of the ‘Best Promotions for Long-Term Growth’ and ‘Best Sales Development Support’ awards. It’s a fantastic result, and we would like to thank our customers. We are committed to working in partnership with our cash & carry and delivered wholesale customers and greatly appreciate these awards.”

Selena Taylor (left), Coca-Cola Enterprises’ associate director external communications, who accepted the top award – and the company’s two other accolades – from Martin Lovell, managing director of Cash & Carry Management.

TOP 25 SUPPLIERS

Please email a list of your Top 25 Suppliers – in no particular order – to mail.winlove@btconnect.com or post this page to: Winlove Publications Ltd FREEPOST NAT 15060 PO Box 366 East Grinstead RH19 4BR

your nominations Top 25 Suppliers

Simply list your Top 25 Suppliers and post the entire page to the address above (no stamp needed) or email a list to mail.winlove@btconnect.com

Guidelines Please consider the following when assessing your Top 25 Suppliers:

• • •

Operations: deliveries, supplier contact, admin support, complaint handling Support: marketing and promotional activity, advice on merchandising and ranging, customer development Wholesale focus: right products, competitive pricing, appropriate packaging, understanding of wholesale marketplace

NB The judging guidelines have been drawn up in such a way that wholesalers with central distribution can still participate. Simply assess your own relationship with each supplier.

Any queries, please contact managing editor Kirsti Sharratt on (01342) 712100

Name ............................................................................

Company ......................................................................

Address ........................................................................ ...................................................................................... ......................................................................................

Date ..............................................................................

olympics

Confident of Olympic success With just a few weeks to go before the start of one of the greatest sporting spectaculars the UK will have ever seen, Darren Tse (right), manager – operational readiness of the London Organising Committee of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), who spoke at Cash & Carry Management’s AWARDS lunch last November, provides an exclusive update on preparations for the Games.

Now that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are nearly with us, what challenges have you yet to face?

I believe the most important challenge we are going to overcome in the few weeks and days we have left is training. The catering, cleaning & waste function alone has over 40,000 accredited personnel comprising paid staff, volunteers, contractors and partners.

Being at the front line and doing a great job for the millions of spectators visiting the Games, as well as the athletes, workforce, Olympic & Paralympic family, and media is absolutely essential to the overall success of the Games.

Communicating our goals and message to this group is important to us, with the aim of making them feel part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to have them bring their very best work to support the event.

How has the testing programme gone?

It has gone very well. There has been a deliberate progression in terms of how we have been preparing over the past months.

Sport test events have gone very well, ranging from smaller closed-door events focusing on things like broadcast lighting and field of play to larger scale events hosting thousands of spectators at new stadia.

In addition to the London Prepares series of sport events, we’ve completed three ‘Command Post Exercises’, the latest of which concluded on 26 April and involved 3,500 people

across 120 agencies, including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, the Mayor’s office, police forces from the Met and Dorset, ‘blue light’ services, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and LOCOG personnel.

Further to that, we are now conducting a range of venue simulations for our operational managers so they can test the venue communication structure and train in live action scenarios.

How are you seeking feedback from the testing programmes and responding to it in the remaining weeks?

The first important note is that, while we are focused on delivering successful test events they are not to be confused with the Olympic or Paralympic Games in terms of the service levels we will offer for those visiting the Games.

We use a mix of formal and informal feedback in assessing our position coming out of events. Three key tools for us would be: a tracker where we evaluate successful testing against dozens of individual criteria, debriefing reports from

Dorney Lake, one of the venues outside London that will generate business in the local area.

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

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olympics our managers, and specific testing plans for particular elements of our operation that we are examining.

In terms of responding to findings, we measure all of our feedback carefully but it is essential that we keep it within context of the overall plans for the main event. This means while we collect this information, taking a view on what needs to be acted on in response is critical.

For example, someone attending our stadium test event ‘2012 Hours to Go’ in May would find that queues to concessions were longer than expected. However, what isn’t clear to all parties is that the ratio of concessions open to the number of spectators was 50% lower in the testing event as compared to what will be seen in the Games. In cases like this, the feedback validates our Games time preparations and is a positive that we are planning on the right track.

During the Torch Relay, the Flame will have been carried through more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages in the UK.

At this stage, how pleased are you with the preparations?

I believe at this stage the organisation has performed well in its move towards being Games-ready. It’s a significant challenge considering that to test effectively there is a productivity trade off, so the balance is also important.

Further to that, the design of the testing programme has succeeded on two levels: by both identifying areas where additional testing needs to be done and building on success.

Are you confident that the Games will be a success?

Absolutely. It’s not to say that there isn’t work to be done in the days remaining and we must expect the unexpected. The thought and effort have been put in to ensure that London delivers excellent Olympic and Paralympic Games to the public, the athletes and everyone who takes part or watches the events unfold.

Consultation FREE JOB ADS FOR C&C/WHOLESALERS Preparing responses to Government consultation documents

Struggling to get the right candidate for your job vacancy?

Lobbying Reach every cash & carry and delivered wholesaler in the UK free of charge Representation at the Scottish Parliament

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk Legal Updates

i

Easy-to-read trading law compliance updates for directors ‘good compliance’ - A single solution forDrafting all yourofbusiness issues guides for field staff

The Law

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Contact: Scott Brady

LLB MBA

for sector-specific Looking

ahead

guidance:

ecos limited

Radio Tay Buildings

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Dundee

Visit the website or contact Martin Lovell at Office: 01382 423286 Mobile: 07879 448404

or 01342 712100 mail.winlove@btconnect.com

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Cash & Carry Management

• June 2012 • 23

olympics

Who will be breaking records?

On paper, the world’s greatest sporting occasion should provide a never-to-be-repeated sales opportunity for suppliers, C&C/wholesalers and retailers. But will targets be achieved?

Booker might not be as close to the London Olympics action as, say, Bestway or Dhamecha, but it is still leaving nothing to chance.

Of the 14 branches in the London area, four have been designated as being ‘in the zone’ and, as such, they will remain open for 24 hours during the fortnight of the Games. They are: St Pancras, Nine Elms, Acton and Tottenham.

“That will enable customers to visit these branches overnight if they want to,” said stores director Andrew Muldoon (pictured).

“The other 10 will be subject to change if the situation warrants. And we might also adjust despatch times for our delivered customers.”

At JJ Food Service, whose Enfield site is the only one of eight locations close to the Olympics east London site, general manager Terry Larkin said: “We don’t foresee any problems with deliveries and arrivals during the Games.

“We don’t plan any adjustments to our trading hours and will only be running vehicles at different times if necessary.”

Although Imperial Cash & Carry in Edmonton has not yet published an adjusted set of trading times while the Games are in operation, trade marketing & retail club manager Nikkita Mulchandani commented: “We have a contingency plan to be open earlier and close later should we find that customers and suppliers require us to do so.

“Our business is extremely flexible and agile, and we can adapt our strategy very quickly to keep ahead of the game.”

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

She added that the 30 members of staff – some of whom are part-timers – have been made aware that they might be required to work longer than normal hours during the fortnight.

“Since we do not own delivery vans, we are not able to offer a delivered service over this period. However, we will increase efficiency of our pre-order system, so there will be an instant turnaround time for telesales/email orders if necessary.”

Mulchandani (pictured) added: “We do not charge anything for our preorder system. We place customer convenience at the heart of our business and work hard to ensure that we can provide this service efficiently, from both a time and cost perspective.”

Imperial, which will be holding an Olympics themed day during the Games fortnight, will be involving itself with some of the leading manufacturers, including Heineken, Coca-Cola and Cadbury.

“The Olympics – and the Paralympics – represent an incredible sales opportunity for all brands and traders.

Everyone, from our suppliers to our retailers, will want a piece of the action.

“We also launched a mixed media marketing campaign to raise awareness of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. We envisage our Oympics activity will be even bigger and better than this.”

Like Booker, Bestway will be trading all day, selectively, at just one branch – Hackney, which is the nearest one to the main Olympics site.

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olympics Said a company spokesman: “Other key branches close to the east London site will open later to 10pm, Monday to Friday, and operate extended hours at the weekend. This will apply from 25 July to 14 August.”

Bestway has also produced a brochure for independent customers, listing information such as branch opening hours, transport details, road closures and advice from Transport for London.

As far as its products are concerned, Bestway is offering a range of more than 100 items suitable for the Olympics (many of which were available for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee).

Non-food negotiator Salim Setra said: “This is probably the biggest selection of souvenirs and celebratory items we have ever stocked.

“Consumers will want to make a splash with at least some bunting or flags and balloons.

“There are very good margins to be made from the many Information for Bestway customers. items available.

They are ideal for those who are planning parties at home or street parties.”

The range includes the Union Jack, celebration bunting, balloons and flags, baseball hats and souvenir pencil sharpeners and mugs.

Southall-based TRS Cash & Carry, whose Walthamstow branch could be affected by the influx of traffic to the Olympics site, has decided against staying open later than normal. A spokesperson at the company told Cash & Carry Management: “We will be operating our usual hours during the Games.”

Dhamecha Cash & Carry will keep its Wembley branch manned 24 hours daily during the Games, with deliveries accepted from 11pm-6am, Monday to Friday.

Chief executive Pradip Dhamecha said: “While nobody really knows what the outcome will be, we have nevertheless decided to make this change at Wembley, which will be the C&C most affected by the upheaval.

“We are also extending trading hours at that branch.

Instead of operating from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, we will open there at 6am and close at 10pm. Weekend opening at Wembley will also change – from 7am to 4pm on both days, instead of 9am to 4pm on Saturday and 9am to 3pm on Sunday.”

“As regards times at our Barking C&C, we are being more open minded on this. We’ll wait and see. We might also alter times at our four other branches (Croydon, Enfield, Watford and Hayes).”

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Dhamecha added that staff have been asked to be flexible and that some who normally work in the daytime might be required to work overnight.

“Key managerial staff have agreed with this proposal. We will, of course, compensate employees 24-hour manning at Wembley who are asked to change branch – Pradip Dhamecha. their working hours during the Games.”

Another leading operator which has decided to change operating times is Afro-Caribbean specialist Wanis, based at Leyton.

Business development manager Kapil Wadwhani told Cash & Carry Management: “We are shifting our opening times for goods inwards and also customer opening times.

“The cash & carry will open at 3am and close at 4pm to enable customers and suppliers to visit us outside of the operational times of the Olympic route network (6am to midnight).

“Our office hours will also change – starting at 7am and finishing at 4pm, with office staff having the option to come in earlier if they wish.”

Wadwhani added: “We feel that the overspill of visitors after the last event each day could go on beyond midnight, so the early hours represent a better opportunity for most traders to travel around London.

“There is an air of uncertainty around the extent of the congestion and no amount of information from LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) has cleared that up. Our vehicles will definitely be affected, and we anticipate that each driver may incur two or three hours’ extra work each day due to the congestion.

“All our domestic suppliers are also aware they will be asked to assist us by delivering between 6am and midday.”

When pressed, Wadwhani said he anticipates that the Games could have an adverse effect on business.

“The congestion will cause more hassle for customers, unless they change their opening hours.

“If they feel it is too difficult to come to us due to our proximity to the main site, then, no matter what our opening hours, we will suffer a downturn in trade. It will affect business in all neighbouring boroughs, particularly Barking, Hackney, Newham and Waltham Forest.”

Not too optimistic about Games outcome.

Cash & Carry Management

• June 2012 • 25

olympics

Cleanliness is paramount One of the leading suppliers of cleaning products has been in strict training for the Games.

Major brands within P&G Professional’s cleaning solutions range.

P&G Professional is the official cleaning provider for the cleaning solutions and demonstrate how they can help indeLondon 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. pendent hospitality operators deliver a great first impression With thousands of elite athletes and 500,000 people in their own businesses. expected to visit the Olympic Park each day, the company’s “We are 100% committed to doing what we can to help broad range of cleaning solutions – ensure Britain remains fresh and clean including Flash, Fairy, Ariel and Lenor throughout London 2012.”

– will be put to the test over 30 days According to LOCOG, this sumby the LOCOG cleaning, catering & mer’s Games aim to set new stanwaste team. dards for UK hospitality, catering and Over the past year, P&G events, demonstrating the country’s Professional has run a variety of initiaexcellence in cleaning standards. tives to drive excitement about the With a cleaning team of approxiPim Groeningen, P&G’s Games among independent hospitalmately 9,000, the London Games has sales & supply manager ity operators. the manpower it needs to make sure This included organising instore Britain is able to put its best foot preparedness pods providing practical forward. cleaning advice for independent busiLOCOG’S head of catering, cleannesses and running a range of instore ing & waste Jan Matthews says: “The promotions to give away Games cleaning products that we use need to merchandise. get the job done first time.

The company’s Olympic Games “P&G’s high performing cleaning sales & supply manager Pim products deliver the results my team Groeningen says: “It is a great honour need to make sure everyone has a to have been selected as the trusted positive Games experience.” cleaning provider for the London 2012 By the end of London 2012 the Olympic and Paralympic Games. catering, cleaning & waste team “High performance is the hallmark expect to have used around 38,000 of every Olympic and Paralympic litres of sanitizer and washroom Games and this is as true for cleanlicleaner, 114,000 litres of hand soap, ness standards as for performances at 67,200 rolls of toilet paper and two the venues. million bin liners, 30% of which are “This appointment gives us the compostable. unique opportunity to showcase our Tel: Procter & Gamble (0800) 597 3388.

‘This appointment gives us the unique opportunity to showcase our cleaning solutions’

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

P&G Professional products trusted cleaning to the London 2012 Olympic Games

Proud supplier to the London 2012 Olympic Games

olympics

‘Billion pound opportunity’ The London 2012 Olympic Games is described by Susan Nash, trade communications manager of Kraft Foods, as “a billion pound opportunity that is unlike anything any of us has ever dealt with before”.

As an example of the general retail interest that has been created, she says that five airport stores, three train station shops and two floors of John Lewis in Oxford Street, central London, are dedicated just to London 2012 merchandise.

“Some 10,000 types of consumer products have been developed and 2.5 million mascot toys have been produced and shipped.”

As the official treat provider of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, two years ago Cadbury began a two-year campaign called Spots v Stripes to enthuse the public.

Says Nash: “It’s an ‘always on’ campaign that retailers can tap into at any time they wish, with the confidence that it’s a long-running activity, so there’s no danger of missing out.”

The latest Kraft Foods activity is a Cadbury ‘You Win if GB Wins’ on-pack promotion, which runs from this month until September. It is being featured on five countlines: Wispa, Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel, Crunchie, Boost and Starbar.

Consumers receive an Olympics or Paralympics athlete’s name, and if that sportsman wins then the shopper is entitled to £20 if it is a gold medal, £10 for a silver and £5 for bronze.

In another promotion, ‘Keep Singing’, Cadbury is urging consumers to get behind Team GB in the lead-up to London 2012 with inspirational power training songs as they prepare for the Games.

After its limited-edition comeback in 2009, Wispa Gold has made a permanent return as part of the ‘Keep Team GB Pumped’ activity.

The new pack includes a limited-edition design, emphasising the word ‘Gold’. The relaunch is being supported by an incremental £1.5m marketing spend across in-store and outdoor sites.

In autumn last year, Cadbury also launched four innovative Olympic and Paralympic mascots.

The new Cadbury London 2012 mascots twinpack consists of two aerated chocolates – perfect as a token gift or a personal treat – while Bassetts jelly mascots contain various fruit flavoured, mascot shaped jelly sweets.

Cadbury is also marketing a solid chocolate mascot lolly, in a variety of collectable designs.

Olympics tie-up is clearly displayed.

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

‘Our You Win if GB Wins promotion allows everyone to feel part of the Games’ Susan Nash, Kraft Foods’ trade communications manager Nash says: “We have launched these products to help further increase awareness of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games and build excitement for consumers.”

To kick off the year of the London 2012 Games, Cadbury Dairy Milk (CDM), launched a limited-edition pack and on-pack promotion to support Great Britain’s Olympic athletes.

The cardboard box pack was used for the 120g and 230g CDM milk chocolate variants, as well as the £1 price-marked pack.

Each box contained a prepaid postcard for consumers to write their words of encouragement to Team GB’s athletes.

Every consumer submitting a postcard was entered into a prize draw to win one of 150 pairs of tickets to the Team GB launch concert at the Royal Albert Hall last month.

Cadbury Daily Milk also launched a Medal Egg, the box including a CDM egg and a novelty gold CDM chocolate medal with Cadbury indented on one side and the Union Jack on the other.

Not to be outdone, Trebor offered 19 consumers the chance to win a trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games ‘in style’. The prizes were offered through an on-pack competition called the ‘Trebor Baton of Sweet Success’, which ran on both single and multi-pack varieties, including the Trebor Mint Pot. Eighteen of the entrants won a two-day VIP experience, including a five-star hotel stay, Games tickets and tickets to a top event. The 19th contestant – top prizewinner – received a seven-night stay in a fivestar hotel and tickets to the Games on each day, as well as a ‘money can’t buy’ VIP experience on every day of the trip.

Tel: Kraft Foods (0870) 240 0861.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Your Customers Win, If GB Wins

Every pack contains a unique code for your customer to enter by text or online to receive an athlete’s name. If their athlete wins their event final, the consumer wins a cash prize*

Stock, Display, Sell

For category advice and Cadbury news go to www.deliciousdisplay.co.uk

*Cash prize linked to medal won by the athlete, Gold £20, Silver £10, Bronze £5.

Terms and conditions apply. See pack for details.

olympics

Cash & carries are cerealised A major sales offensive is being launched by Nature Valley in the build-up to the Games.

Nature Valley, part of General Mills, is the official cereal bar supplier to the London 2012 Games. As such, it is launching a major distribution drive, targeting wholesalers, distributors, cash & carry operators and independent retailers across the UK to boost brand awareness and penetration in the lead-up to the event.

The brand’s experiential teams have been hosting promotional days at C&Cs across the UK, offering retailers exclusive Nature Valley stock deals and providing eye-catching Nature Valley has tripled growth in the last three years (IRI point-of-sale material. value sales 24/12/11) and the excitement surrounding the As part of the distribution drive, the brand has also been sponsorship of the Games is expected to result in the brand targeting over 25,000 independent retailers with stock-up achieving further impressive sales and growth figures for support and London 2012 Games branded PoS material, 2012. including window posters, barkers, Neil Barker, General Mills’ sales hook-overs and counter-top units. director, says: “Nature Valley’s distriAs the official choice for the bution drive is the first part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, brand’s commitment to delivering Nature Valley is expecting a massive ambitious growth plans. increase in consumer demand for its “We want to ensure that retailers range of cereal bars. are fully supported and prepared in Last month it conducted a series of Neil Barker, sales director, order to capitalise on the huge investconsumer sampling campaigns aimed ment we have made to become the at raising brand awareness and driving General Mills official cereal bar supplier to the product trial.

London 2012 Games. We also want to drive an unpreceWhile the brand already enjoys one of the highest repeat dented number of new consumers to cereal bar fixtures to purchase rates (Kantar week ended 27/11/11) in the category, pick up one of our delicious Nature Valley bars. the mass consumer sampling campaign helped to drive even “And we have invested in bringing the London 2012 more first-time consumers to cereal bar fixtures.

Games spirit to life in-store by making available eye-catching PoS and merchandising material.

“Retailers can leverage the brand’s association with the London 2012 Games to convert the buzz on the street into sales in-store by maximising brand visibility and exploiting the PoS material.”

Each Nature Valley 42g pack contains two snack bars.

The range includes: Crunchy Granola Bars (rsp £2.39 for a pack of six (containing 12 bars) or 55p for a single (two bars) in these styles – Oats & Honey, Ginger Nut Crunch and Canadian Maple Syrup (18 to an outer).

There are also Granola Bars Variety Packs (two of each flavour); Crunchy & More Granola Bars (rsp £2.39 for a pack of five (containing 10 bars) in the following styles: Oats & Chocolate, Oats & Hazelnut and Oats & Berries; and Chewy Trail Mix Granola Bars, rsp £2.39 for a pack of six (containing 12 bars) in these flavours: Fruit & Nut and Mixed Berry.

Official cereal bar supplier for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tel: General Mills (01895) 201367.

‘We want to drive an unprecedented number of new consumers to cereal bar fixtures’

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Price marked packs and non price marked packs available. Price marked packs are a recommendation only.

Resale price is at the sole discretion of the retailer.

employment law

Mental health in the workplace Human resources expert Cate Ritchie (right) advises on dealing with mental health issues.

Mental health problems cost employers in the UK £30 billion a year through lost production, recruitment and absence, so why aren’t we doing more about it?

The answer is straightforward. Despite the fact that it is very common – one in four of us will suffer mental health problems during our lives – we find it difficult to talk about.

However, if we can’t talk about it, it may be equally difficult for employers to listen and that could prove costly – to the individual and to business. The Centre for Mental Health charity estimates that employers should be able to cut the cost of mental health (in lost production and replacing staff) by about a third by improving their management of mental health at work.

121 HR Solutions’ top tips: 1. Spot the signs Common symptoms could be: an increase in unexplained absences or sick leave poor performance or timekeeping poor decision-making lack of energy uncommunicative or moody behaviour.

Start by having a quiet word. You may discover that something at home is troubling the member of staff and you just need to show understanding and patience.

• • • • •

2. Focus on what you can control Mental health is complex and many of the factors causing problems are out of your control but you can influence: workload and work variety quality of working relationships employee confidence in being able to talk to you about their problems bullying employee involvement in decision-making.

• • • • •

3. Keep talking If the employee is absent or returning from sickness absence, try to: keep in touch while they are away hold a return to work interview on their first day back check on how they are coping within themselves and monitor their behaviour and performance.

• • •

4. Help employees to cope You do not need to be an expert/counsellor. For example, helping an employee to manage depression may include: specialist medical treatment following diagnosis of the illness managing interactions with colleagues and avoiding stressors that may trigger symptoms getting line management support/understanding working flexibly.

• • • •

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• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

5. Tackle the causes of stress There are six common causes of stress at work. Employees may feel: overloaded by demands placed on them fed up by the lack of control they have over the work they do that line managers fail to give them enough support that they are not sure what their role is at work or what is expected of them very anxious and uncertain by the way change is being managed that relationships at work are not based on trust and good behaviour.

• • • • • •

6. Make reasonable adjustments Under the Equality Act 2010 you may be expected to make reasonable adjustments to help an employee stay in work or get back to work.

7. Keep informed about mental health Education about mental health issues will help to fight the misconceptions people have. Try to keep up to date with sources of help, such as occupational health and charities.

Some forms of mental ill health may be classed as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if they have “a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. The Act makes it unlawful for an employer to treat a disabled person less favourably for a reason relating to their disability, without a justifiable reason. As such, mental illness needs to be covered in an employer’s equality policies.

If you wish to talk to Cate about mental health at work or any other HR issue, contact her at cate@121hrsolutions.co.uk or phone (0792) 121 3890.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

products & promotions Trio for cats

Fresh experience NEW COVENT GARDEN SOUP CO – The chilled food specialist has launched Fresh Bowls, a range of chilled soups in a microwaveable pack format.

The range comprises a ‘high quality’ soup base and a separated selection of fresh vegetables, which are cooked by the steam from the soup before the two are combined.

“Fresh Bowls presents a unique soup eating experience, with new levels of freshness and quality,” said group marketing director Nigel Parrott.

The two varieties are: Smokey Tomato & Red Pepper and Red Thai Sweet Potato & Coconut. They come in outers of four with an rsp of £2.99.

Parrott added: “Thanks to the unique pack format, the product is ideal as a filling lunchtime solution which can be microwaved and then eaten straight from the bowl. But it’s equally suited to families as part of a wholesome evening meal.”

Tel: New Covent Garden Soup Co (0113) 248 0606.

Reformulation KRAFT FOODS – The recipe of Dairylea has changed to include skimmed milk, cheese, butter, concentrated lemon juice and sodium carbonate (baking powder).

The packs have also been given ‘a more natural looking’ design.

The reformulation begins with tubs and triangles, with Dairylea Dunkers following by the start of the autumn school term. Slices and Strip Cheese will feature the new style next year.

Promotional 140g and 280g packs of portions and triangles, plus 160g and 300g tubs, are available until mid-July.

Tel: Kraft Foods (08702) 400861.

NESTLÉ PURINA PETCARE – New Felix Goody Bag is a mix of three treats in three styles: Original (with chicken, liver and turkey), Seaside (salmon, trout and pollock) and Mixed Grill (beef, chicken and salmon).

All come in 60g pouches, with Seaside also in pre-filled clipstrips.

Market development organisation director Andrew Harding commented: “The cat treats market is the fastest growing pet category – up by 42% during the past year (IRI total market year to 25/2/12).”

The launch is being backed by a £3 million marketing drive, comprising tv, press and online advertising, as well as sampling.

Tel: Nestlé Purina PetCare (0800) 141 2343.

Summer drive AG BARR – The soft drinks supplier is rolling out a heavyweight marketing campaign for its recently-launched range of Rubicon ice cream and lollies.

The summer-long activity is being spearheaded by a three-month television drive which runs until the end of August.

Posters and phone kiosks are also being used, as well as sampling, reaching 250,000 consumers.

“The products taste as good as the drinks and offer consumers a great new way to enjoy the authentic exotic flavours of Rubicon,” said Adrian Troy, head of marketing.

Tel: AG Barr (01204) 664295.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

‘Full-on’ flavour TAYTO – Golden Wonder has launched a range of 32.5g bags of ‘full-on’ flavour crisps in eight varieties, replacing the 35g size.

There are also four 39p pricemarked packs: cheese & onion, prawn cocktail, ready salted and salt & vinegar.

These flavours are also available in a non-priced bag, as well as pickled onion, spring onion, smoky bacon and sausage & tomato.

They come in cases of 48 and have an rsp of 49p.

New special-edition flavours will be added to the range throughout the year.

Group sales & marketing director John McQuaid said: “Golden Wonder is trying to offer great consumer value while ensuring healthy margins for our trade partners through C&C/wholesale and at retail. The packs are nationally available in all trade channels.”

Tel: Tayto (01536) 748344.

Sharing bag KRAFT FOODS – The manufacturer is combining popcorn with its major chocolate brand to produce Cadbury Popcorn.

As with other in-house sharing bags, the packs are reclosable.

The 130g bags (rsp £2.03) come in outers of 10.

Cadbury’s sharing range already includes CDM Giant Buttons, Twirl Bites and CDM Caramel Nibbles.

The launch is being supported by point-of-sale, sampling and outdoor advertising.

Tel: Kraft Foods (08702) 400861.

Cash & Carry Management

• June 2012 • 33

products & promotions Reaching out

Sparkling women

KRAFT FOODS – Kenco Millicano, which is claimed to be ‘revolutionising the instant coffee category in retail’, is now available out of home.

It combines a blend of premium freeze-dried instant coffee with finelymilled roast and ground coffee beans and is said to ‘deliver a taste that is closer to roast and ground, with the convenience of an instant’.

Out-of-home Kenco Millicano is available in 300g vending bags for use in free-standing and table-top dispense machines.

It comes with a support pack of branded cups.

The new coffee also forms part of the 12oz Kenco2Go portfolio.

Zoe Williams, marketing manager for Kenco Professional, said: “It offers all the benefits of our standard freeze dried instant coffee – s u s t a i n a b i l i t y, quality and convenience – and adds in more whole bean taste.”

Williams told Cash & Carry Management that Kenco Millicano is already worth more than £13 million in retail (Nielsen total value MAT week ended 28/1/12).

Tel: Kraft Foods (01895) 615000.

COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES – Women are being encouraged to ‘Sparkle On’ this year in a campaign for Appletiser.

The £3m drive, which includes PR and digital activity (Facebook), as well as national sampling, is being aimed not only at core female consumers aged 30-40 but also at a wider audience of ‘aspirational’ women between 25 and 50 years of age.

The marketing package supports the recent launch of the 350ml handbag size and 1.25-litre take-home PET packs of Appletiser and Grapetiser.

The Facebook page will feature competitions and money-off coupons for fashion and beauty brands.

In the first competition, which runs until September, consumers can enter a free prize draw to win one of four vouchers, worth £1,200 each, to buy their ‘dream handbag’.

Bruce Scott, cross-franchise brands senior marketing manager, said: “With the national sampling campaign, we will be driving trial with over 900,000 samples to demonstrate the convenience of the new handbag size pack and the new White and Red Grapetiser flavours.”

Appletiser is available in 350ml and 1.25-litre PET packs, as well as 750ml and 275ml glass bottles and 330ml cans.

Tel: Coca-Cola Enterprises (08457) 227222.

Sponge cookies WAVERLEY BAKERY – The Lees Foods owned Scottish supplier has introduced Carousel Sponge Cookies. Each contains just 107 calories and only 1.6g of saturated fat.

The cookies come in a box of six (rsp £1.49). There is also a foodservice pack, consisting of 36 pieces – six wrapped packets, each containing six cookies.

The Carousel range also includes traditional cones and wafers.

Tel: Waverley Bakery 0141-641 0203.

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British theme DAIRY CREST – British butter brand Country Life has created limited-edition Great British butter packs, adorned with the Union Jack.

They were supported by television ads during the week of the Diamond Jubilee, featuring former Sex Pistols frontman, John Lydon.

Country Life butter is currently worth £68.8m and is growing by 7% year on year (Nielsen data, week ended 31/3/12).

Tel: Dairy Crest (01372) 472200.

40th anniversary BAHLSEN – The supplier has launched a campaign to drive awareness of the brand’s 40th anniversary in the UK, with biscuits such as Choco Leibniz and Messino.

Under the title ‘Deliciously Continental World of Bahlsen’, the drive features a 10-date experiential tour around key retailer headquarters to encourage the trade to enjoy a moment at ‘Bahlsen’s Deliciously Continental Café’. There will also be commemorative items, including coffee table books exploring popular culture over the past 40 years.

Managing director Jim Tierney said: “Our 40th anniversary in the UK campaign is an opportunity to thank customers for their continued support, reinforcing our impressive biscuit heritage and commitment to excellence.

Later this year we will be making substantial investment in NPD.” Tel: Bahlsen (01753) 889822.

• Cash & Carry Management • June 2012

Recycling drive UNILEVER UK – The manufacturer is combining with Brentwood and Chelmsford councils in Essex and WRAP (Waste and Resource Action Programme) to encourage consumers to recycle their teabags.

Advertisements are now appearing on posters at bus shelters and in the local press. They feature the PG tips Monkey character advising the public that they can dispose of used teabags in their kerbside food waste collection bins.

According to WRAP, tea is the largest element of unavoidable food waste produced in the UK, accounting for 370,000 tonnes every year.

Tel: Unilever UK (0800) 731 1597.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

products & promotions New variant

Film partner

COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES – A new fruity flavour Relentless variant has been launched.

Apple & Kiwi, which comes in a 500ml can format, brings the number in the range to six.

Additionally, the whole portfolio has undergone a makeover, featuring ‘a brighter, eyecatching design for greater standout on shelf’.

The brand is now worth over £63 million, having grown by 17.1% year on year.

While Origin continues to be the best-selling variety, Sugar Free accounts for nearly £4 million of sales.

The range also includes Orange, Tropical Juiced and Berry Juiced.

Stuart Agates, head of energy at CCE, said: “We’re confident the Apple & Kiwi variant will be a big success with consumers this summer.

“Relentless is a key brand within the energy sector.”

Tel: Coca-Cola Enterprises (08457) 227222.

AIMIA FOODS – No Fear Energy is the exclusive energy drink promotional partner in the UK for The Dark Knight Rises, which is being launched in UK cinemas on 20 July.

To mark the linkup, a high definition promotional can has been introduced, with consumers having the chance to win a trip to New York.

Additional prizes include Blu-ray players and DVDs of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as limited-edition merchandise and free No Fear Energy drinks.

There will also be a targeted tv ad campaign.

Tel: Aimia Foods (01942) 408600.

Data: Nielsen total universe, value sales, year to 31/12/11.

Modernised pack JTI – A premium look pack has been introduced for B&H Silver Slide, featuring a modernised design, with textured feel and foil finish.

Available in all channels, it has an rsp of £6.93.

The slide pack format was first unveiled by the company in the UK in 2006.

Head of communications Jeremy Blackburn told Cash & Carry Management: “The modernisation, with its innovative tactile, textured design, will keep B&H Silver Slide relevant to today’s adult smokers.”

Tel: JTI (0800) 163503.

Price marking MARS – £1.99 price-marked packs have been launched through the independent channel across Maltesers, Galaxy Minstrels and M&M’s Peanut pouches.

Galaxy Smooth Milk, Caramel and Ripple single bars are also included in the activity, bearing a 55p mark.

Trade communications manager Bep Dhaliwal said: “Mars is committed to supporting retailers and helping to communicate extra value to consumers. This activity across Galaxy singles and three of Mars’ best-selling bitesize brands is part of that.”

Tel: Mars Chocolate (01844) 262517.

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

Prizes worth £50k WRIGLEY – Skittles has launched its biggest-ever on-pack promotion to find 500 golden Skittles ‘sweated out’ by the brand’s latest character, Grant Britton.

There are £50,000 worth of prizes to be won.

Available across all 55g and 174g variants, the deal is being backed by a through-the-line marketing campaign.

Fronted by the new star, it includes tv ads from this month and Facebook activity.

Matt Austin, Wrigley confections business unit director, said: “Skittles is already outperforming the category with sales up 58% on last year (Nielsen MAT week ended 24/3/12) making this promotion a golden profit opportunity for the trade.”

According to the company, more than nine million Skittles are eaten every day in the UK (Dunnhumby 13 weeks to 1/1/12).

Tel: Wrigley (01752) 752094.

Pear cider AB INBEV UK – Stella Artois Cidre, the premium cider launched in the UK just over a year ago, this month introduces the Cidre Pear variant through the on and off-trade.

In its first year in the UK, Stella Artois Cidre is said to have established itself as the second largest premium apple cider in the off-trade, with retail value sales of £50 million and volume of 39 million pints (Kantar World Panel March 2012).

It is also claimed to command a 16.8% share of off-trade premium cider volume in the UK (Nielsen 31/3/12).

The new drink is being sold in single 568ml bottles and six-bottle cases through multiple grocers, independent retailers, C&C/wholesalers and on-trade outlets.

Tel: AB InBev UK (01582) 391166.

Cash & Carry Management

• June 2012 • 35

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