DON’T MISS...
Booker Retail Trade Shows 2025!
Set your sales alight this cold season.
Spring clean your store for success.
Vol 38 Issue 1 February 2025
WAY TO STOCK THE DELICIOUS NEW
Hot picks
Set your sales alight with Londis’ range of Winter Essentials.
Show business Register now for Booker’s Retail Trade Shows 2025 which are set to be better than ever!
9 LOCAL HEROES
Londis stores celebrated for community efforts.
11 COMMUNITY NEWS
A round up of news from the Londis community.
13 INDUSTRY NEWS
Booker donates more than 20 million meals to charity.
15 INDUSTRY NEWS
Low and no alcohol alternatives boom..
19 GROCERYAID UPDATE
The latest news from the industry charity.
20 UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE
Leicester’s students are giving full marks to brand-new Londis Opal Court.
28 POSTING SUCCESS
Ambika Kajanthan has restored vital products and services to her Wiltshire town, following the opening of Londis Westbury.
39 WINTER WARMERS
Stoke up your sales with Londis’ range of winter essentials.
42 RETAIL TRADE SHOWS
Booker’s 2025 Retail Trade Shows are set to be the best yet!
51 NEW PRODUCT UPDATE
Our pick of the hottest new products to hit the shelves.
57 SPRING CLEAN
Now’s the perfect time to give your store a spruce up.
63 COLD COMFORT
The OTC winter medicines market offers an opportunity that’s not to be sniffed at.
67 GET DIGITAL
Londis retailers have access to a fully customised digital shelf edge label solution.
71 ACS UPDATE
The ACS sets out what a DRS could mean for stores.
Booker Retail Partners
Tel: 0870 050 0158
Opening hours: 8am–5:30pm Monday to Friday
IT and Customer Services
Opening hours:
For customer services: 6am–9pm (Monday to Friday)
For IT: 7am–9pm (Monday to Friday)
Email: For customer services: londis.claims@bookerretail.co.uk or enquiries@londis.co.uk
Helpdesk: 0800 298 0758
Londis News team: Email: londisnews@ londis.co.uk
Welcome to our February issue of Londis News!
Tuck in
to 2025!
Londis has everything you need to get your year off to a great start.
Hello and welcome to your first issue of Londis News for 2025!
The beginning of a new year always delivers a fresh serving of opportunities to tuck into and the year ahead will certainly prove no exception.
Helping you make the most of the months to come will be our Retail Trade Shows which are promising to be the best yet!
Taking place at Sandown and Doncaster racecourses on 6 and 13 March respectively, the trade shows will showcase the latest innovations, services, range updates and new products that will help retailers drive that all-important footfall, sales and profits into their stores.
Retailers will also be able to take advantage of multiple Exclusive Trade Show WOW deals, so don’t delay, register for your place today!
With a series of seasonal opportunities on the horizon, there will also be plenty of chances to boost your business and as usual, Londis has put together an exceptional package of support to help you make the most of the coming spring season.
Now is also a great time of year to get in on the springcleaning act and prime your store for success in 2025. Check out our Spring Cleaning feature to arm yourself
with quick, easy and cost-effective housekeeping hacks, checks and changes.
As the cold weather continues to bite, we’ve also taken the opportunity to remind you of Londis’s fantastic range of winter essentials, including OTC medicines and winter fuels - all of which also offer great value for money.
Don’t forget to also cast your eye over our NPD pages, which are awash with top new products and Group Exclusives that are sure to help your shelves and sales sizzle.
This issue of Londis News also includes a marvellous mix of profiles and news about Londis retailers, including inspiring examples of award-winning community support.
I wish you all strong trading throughout this important early spring period.
Look forward to seeing you in-store!
Stewart Fenn Sales Director, Booker Retail Partners
CALORIES 100% WIIINGS.
Londis Solo wins big at new national awards event
Allwyn’s firstever Local Retail Champions Awards rewarded retailers who go above and beyond to support their communities.
Londis Solo Convenience Store in Glasgow has been crowned as a National Winner of Allwyn’s first ever Local Retail Champions Awards.
The store beat thousands of others to become one of the only two winners of the high-profile accolade at the National Lottery operator’s inaugural event, held at the Hilton Wembley in December 2024.
Store owners Natalie and Martin Lightfoot were awarded £5,000 cash and a Social Value store makeover worth up to £20,000.
They were also handed bespoke Local Retail Champions trophies – made from recycled National Lottery Scratchcards.
The event also saw 16 regional winners awarded £5,000 cash each, while 102 runnersup each received a £100 cash prize.
Launched in September 2024, Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions campaign – funded by Allwyn’s Social Value Fund – asked the UK public to nominate National Lottery retailers who go above and beyond to support their local community.
Judges said that Londis Solo Convenience Store had gone “that extra mile for their community, including organising charity
fundraising events and local litter-picking activities, and providing a home delivery service for those who needed it”.
Natalie Lightfoot said: “I’m so proud of my shop, I joke that it’s my fourth child. It’s lovely when other people recognise something you’re so passionate about.”
Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford, added: “Congratulations to all of our Local Retail Champions winners. You’re all doing such incredible work in your local communities and, as National Lottery retailers, we’re delighted to be able to recognise and reward you for this.
“National Lottery retailers already do so much for communities around the UK simply by selling lottery tickets that help fund Good Causes to the tune of around £30 million each week. So our Local Retail Champions really are doubling up on efforts to help their communities with the work they’ve been nominated and awarded for through this initiative. Thank you for all your wonderful work.”
Allwyn hopes that the Social Value store makeover will help Londis Solo Convenience Store “to do even more for their customers, community or environment”.
Key issues of interest to you
A tasty serving
Family-run Londis N16 has held another of its much-hyped ‘Supper Club’ events in collaboration with local wine supplier TopCuvée
Launched in April 2023, ‘Anju’s Supper Club’ has become a smash hit – with tickets for the December 2024 event selling out in minutes.
The event provides a spectacular showcase of the store’s renowned home-made meals, all of which are cooked fresh by store owner Anju, with the help of her family.
The event featured a flavour-packed three course menu, including starters such as Pani Puri, mains such as Temper of Kashmiri Chilli, Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves – served with Roti and a dessert of Cardamon Churros.
Baked beauties
Londis Preston has introduced a new range of indulgent Halal cupcakes and boxed cakes from Raeesah’s Homebakes.
The beautifully iced, ribbon-wrapped cakes are great for gifting or as indulgent self treats.
They are also a perfect complement to the store’s Costa Coffee offer.
The store has made a name for itself with its home-made food-to-go offer and picked up several high-profile industry awards in 2024.
Glorious gifting
Londis Carstairs Junction in South Lanarkshire generously donated multiple cases of Cadbury Selection Boxes to the Carstairs Junction ‘Welcome All Hub’ in time for Christmas.
The sweet treats were handed out to children from Carstairs Junction Primary School who attended a special Santa’s Grotto event held at The Hub.
Owned by Harry Singh Hallan, Londis Carstairs Junction is a staunch supporter of local good causes and community events.
Thanking Harry for his support, a representative from The Hub said: “All at the Hub greatly appreciate Harry’s donations as always.”
Key issues of interest to you
Booker donates more than 20 million meals
More
than 5,000 charities and community groups have benefited from Booker’s partnership with FareShare and Olio.
Booker has donated the equivalent of more than 20 million meals to charities and local communities as part of its ongoing partnership with FareShare and Olio.
Donations are delivered or collected direct from Booker’s 190 branches, 11 distribution depots and Best Food Logistics business.
In 2024 alone, Booker donated more than seven million meals to FareShare charities in local communities.
More than 5,000 charities and community groups have benefited from donations throughout the partnership.
Booker works with the charities and Olio across the UK through the FareshareGo programme - with Booker sites matched to local charities and community groups, who then collect products and turn them into food parcels or hot meals for people in need.
Donations include fresh produce, meat and packaged goods.
The success of the partnership has resulted in Booker and Best Food Logistics being named as one of FareShare’s 2025 Leading Food Partners for a fourth consecutive year.
Katie Sadler, Head of FareShare Go, said: “We’re really grateful to Booker for redistributing an incredible 20 million meals’ worth of surplus food through FareShare Go - providing meals to bring people together over food and strengthening communities across the UK.”
Saasha Celestial-One, Co-Founder and COO of Olio said: “20 million meals is a staggering achievement, and we’re very proud that Olio and FareShare’s partnership with Booker has delivered such amazing results.”
GUINNESS TIME
Low and no alcohol alternatives growing in popularity
More people are drinking low- and no-alcohol alternatives than ever before, The Portman Group’s seventh annual survey of the nation’s drinking habits reveals.
Conducted in partnership with YouGov, the survey found that well over a third (38%) of UK drinkers are now consuming low- and no-alcohol alternatives semi-regularly (12% regularly and 26% occasionally) – compared to 35% in 2023 and 29% in 2022, with a notable increase in regular consumption from 8% in 2023 to 12% in 2024.
Young adults continue to drive the trend as the biggest consumers of low- and noalcohol alternatives, with close to half (46%) of 25–34-year-olds surveyed considering themselves either an occasional or regular drinker of alcohol alternatives, compared to 37% in 2023. Forty per cent of 18–24-yearolds also drink these products semiregularly.
Trends show that the younger generation also continue to be the most sober age group overall, with 39% of 18–24-year-olds
not drinking alcohol at all.
Almost a quarter (24%) of current alcohol drinkers said that their weekly consumption has fallen due to the availability of low- and no-alcohol products, up from 23% in 2023 and 21% in 2022.
Londis retailers now have access to a vast range of low and no alcohol products, helping them to offer outstanding choice in this important and growing market. Speak to your RDM for more info.
Allwyn launches ‘Set For 5 Years’ scratchcard with retailer competition
Allwyn has unveiled a brand-new annuitystyle scratchcard based on its Set For Life draw game.
The ‘Set For 5 Years’ scratchcard costs £2 and gives players the chance to win a top prize of £5,000 every month for five years.
In-store support for the new scratcher –which works by players having to match key numbers on the card to mimic that of a Set For Life draw – includes both Set For Life and Set For 5 Years POS.
To celebrate its launch, Allwyn gave eligible National Lottery retailers the chance to win an annuity-style prize of £100 every month for a year.
To be in with a chance of winning one of the five top prizes up for grabs, National Lottery retailers had to upload a picture of the ‘Set For 5 Years’ scratchcard in their dispenser to the National Lottery Retailer Hub by Sunday 19 January 2025.
Treat purchases prove popular as card spend grows
While significantly lower than 2023’s 4.1% growth, consumer card spending increased in 2024, up 1.6% compared to the previous year, according to Barclays, which has highlighted a rise in affordable treat purchases.
The report identified that many Brits adopted a “treat yourself” attitude in 2024 with nearly half (46%) saying they prioritise spending on small, affordable, mood-boosting luxuries such as pastries, even while tightening budgets. Baked goods were a particularly popular ‘pick-me-up’, chosen by 43% at an average monthly spend of £22 each, with crookies (a croissant and cookie hybrid) and pistachio desserts among the year’s top trending treats.
Almost two thirds (64%) of costconscious Brits noticed ‘double-dip’ shrinkflation in 2024.
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31.9% TASTY WEIRDNESS WITH A CHERRY ON TOP. STOCK UP ON WEIRD. WITH TASTY TASTY TASTY WEIRD. CHERRY UP WEIRD. WEIRDNESS STOCK TASTY A TOP. WEIRD. ON STOCK UP ON ON WEIRDNESS ON WITH ON CHERRY WEIRD. WEIRDNESS A CHERRY A TASTY WITHON WEIRD. WEIRDNESS UP STOCK WITH TASTY STOCK TOP. UP TASTY A TOP. WEIRD. WITH CHERRY TOP. STOCK UP ON TOP. ON ON ON WITH UP ON A CHERRY ON TOP. STOCKWEIRD. TASTY A CHERRY CHERRY TASTY WITH WEIRDNESS UP WEIRD. WEIRDNESS STOCK TASTY A TOP. WEIRD. WEIRDNESS ON STOCK UP ON ON ON WEIRD. ON WITH ON CHERRYWEIRDNESS A ON A CHERRY TASTY WITH WEIRD. WEIRDNESS WITH UP STOCK UP TASTY STOCK CHERRY TASTY WITH TASTY A TOP. WEIRD. TOP. ON TOP.
WSP: £9.19
Cash usage in stores grows for second year in a row
Cash usage in shops has risen for the second year in a row, a new study by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed.
As more shoppers turn to coins and notes amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the research found that one in five transactions last year were made using cash with shoppers citing it as an effective budgeting tool.
The rise in cash usage follows recent data from major surveys, including one from payments platform Paysafe, which confirms that payment choice remains a key factor for UK shoppers, with many valuing the availability of cash.
This is further supported by new laws
introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to protect access to cash through an increase in banking hubs and Post Office facilities.
Mike Severs, Sales & Marketing Director at Volumatic, said: “The latest BRC findings highlight the surge in cash usage over the past two years. It’s a trend that businesses need to pay attention to. Despite tough times, cash remains a vital payment option for many consumers, and we can help businesses process it more efficiently.
InPost's UK parcel deliveries up 58% YoY in Q4 2024
Rapid network expansion, coupled with improvement in logistics has enabled InPost to end its Q4 UK trading on a high with 27.2 million parcels delivered, a year-onyear increase of 58%.
In 2024, InPost delivered 93.2 million parcels in the UK, doubling 2023 volumes, while globally, it surpassed one billion parcel deliveries and added over 11.500 automated parcel machines (APMs).
The group claimed that its network in the UK was currently operating at over 100% capacity on average.
Post Office unveils wellbeing platform for postmasters
The Post Office has launched a centralised platform offering postmasters simplified access to wellbeing resources to help them cope with the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents.
Formed in partnership with the National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP) and Voice of the Postmaster, the initiative features a new centralised repository on the Branch Hub app — a single point of access to a wide range of resources.
The resources are organised into three key areas:
l “I Need Help Right Now”: Immediate support for
Postmasters in crisis, offering quick access to emergency services, mental health first aiders, area and business support managers, and organisations like Samaritans.
l “More Support and Guidance”: Practical resources, including security advice, social media abuse help, guidance documents, and links to external organisations such as Citizens Advice and Mind.
l “Access Community Support”: Opportunities for Postmasters to connect with peers through WhatsApp and Facebook groups, as well as in-person meetings organised by the Post Office.
£2 2 FOR
* Peach: superstar flavour +154% in stimulants 1
* Rockstar Peach: #1 flavour preference across the range 2
* New festival themed packs: fantastic on shelf visibility
Contains Vitamins B3 & B6, which contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Ready for GroceryAid Day 2025?
GroceryAid Day takes place on Thursday 8th May and is the annual awareness day for our industry charity GroceryAid. It’s the ideal opportunity to let your colleagues know about the free, confidential support that is available.
Thursday 8th May will see this year’s annual GroceryAid Day help elevate the awareness of our industry charity in stores and businesses across the UK – and GroceryAid wants your business to be one of them.
The special day offers you the chance to join hundreds of organisations in letting your colleagues know about the charity’s free and confidential financial, emotional and practical services available to them 24/7, 365 days a year.
call GroceryAid’s FREE and confidential Helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 08088 021122. Their call will be answered by a trained counsellor who can either give them immediate support or signpost them to another GroceryAid service that may help. More than 200 languages are also supported through the Helpline, on request.
Support and further advice are also available through the website, groceryaid.org.uk/get-help. The website has an accessibility toolbar which translates the content into more than 100 different languages, as well as text to speech in 60 languages.
For regular updates about the support available and the latest information on financial support such as School Essentials Grant, follow the charity on Facebook @ groceryaid or Instagram @groceryaid_uk.
Colleagues can access GroceryAid’s services and support from the first day of their employment. After just six months of continuous employment, if colleagues have experienced a drop in income, they may be eligible for a non-repayable financial grant.
If they need immediate emotional support, they can
Order
All of GroceryAid’s services are completely free and confidential and they do not disclose any details back to the charity. Their emotional and practical support is also available to spouses, partners and dependants.
GroceryAid Day is a great way to help you ensure that your colleagues can reach out to GroceryAid for support.
RETAILER PROFILE
Marks
University challenge
Leicester’s students are giving full marks to brand-new Londis Opal Court.
When opportunity knocks, you’ve got to open that door – and that’s something that seasoned convenience operator Kumar Dhanabel knows only too well.
However, Kumar didn’t just open a door – he opened a 1,300sq ft showstopper of a store that’s been tailored to meet the very specific needs of its student demographic.
Located on the ground floor of the Opal Court IQ Student Accommodation building – and a mere pen’s throw from
the University of Leicester and its many colleges – the store is a magnet for hungry students in need of quality onthe-go options and convenient meal and snacking solutions.
“The space used to be occupied by a Subway and when it came up for rent, the opportunity was just too good to resist,” says Kumar, who has seven other stores and last graced the pages of Londis News in February 2023, following the opening of his Londis Wynall Lane store in Stourbridge.
Choose a bottle made from recycled plastic*
“Opal Court is a very busy site – students are the main demographic but it also serves local office workers and university staff,” he explains.
Given its location and demographic, Kumar and his team settled upon a plan to focus the 1,300sq ft store’s offer around the food-to-go opportunity – with a diverse range of hot and chilled ‘on the go’ choice – perfect for picking up en-route to lectures, bagging at break times and devouring at the day’s end.
“We wanted to create a store that could offer a huge range of food-to-go choice throughout the day and into the evenings when students are looking for quick and tasty snacks and meal solutions,” Kumar adds.
Following a full store refit, including all-new floors, ceilings, lighting, fixtures and fittings, Londis Opal Court opened for business at the end of September 2024 – just in time for the start of the new academic year – and it’s been knocking students’ socks off ever since.
One of the first things that they see upon entering is a dedicated chiller for Londis’ amazing-value £4.50 Meal Deal.
The chiller also features an array of ready-to-heat products, such as Ginsters Chicken Tikka Slices – with students able to use the free microwave available in the adjacent ‘Treat Stop’ zone.
The vibrant new Treat Stop concept also features a Rollover Hot Dogs offer, including cheeseburgers, original and chilli-cheese hotdog options, plus Costa Coffee.
Further temping takeaways can also be found within a smart chilled cabinet that forms part of the new store’s striking counter area.
The cabinet features a store-made range of hand-topped cakes and sweet eats, including Lotus Biscoff and Smarties brownies – which shoppers can also ask to be topped with fresh cream for indulgent desserts.
The counter has also been designed with built-in vape displays at the front.
Bold POS highlights the store’s many multibuy deals on
STORE INFO
Store name: Londis Opal Court
Location: Leicester
Retailer: Kumar Dhanabal
Store size: 1,300sq ft
Key categories: Food to go, fresh and chilled, soft drinks, BWS
Opening hours: 7ammidnight
Staff: 5
leading vape products, although as Kumar explains –when it comes to nicotine alternatives – the big sellers at Londis Opal Court are nicotine pouches – which are proving preferable to its student demographic.
As such, a wide range of nicotine pouch products are prominently located in a smart countertop unit.
Above the counter, shoppers are wowed by an eyecatching bank of digital media screens which call out the store’s many special offers, meal deals and food-to-go options.
Gracing those screens in the very near future will also be mouthwatering images of juicy burgers, loaded nachos and crispy chicken – when Kumar supercharges the store’s already impressive food-to-go proposition with a new
A lucky Londis retailer has won a trip to Sevilla, the home of Cruzcampo –
HEINEKEN
HEINEKEN UK creates excitement for shoppers through beer & cider innovation, tapping into market trends and driving sales. Cruzcampo®, has performed incredibly well since its UK launch in 2023, generating £88m in retail sales across the market1 and owning a 1.8%2 share of beer sales in the Impulse channel.
A £10m marketing campaign, ‘Choose to Cruz’, made the brand unmissable last summer – reaching more than 24m consumers. The advert featured an intriguing character blissfully rolling on a keg across the streets of Sevilla in Spain, embodying the ‘Sevillian way of life’ and laid-back, relaxed vibe of the brand.
This latest activation with Booker gave retailers the opportunity to win a trip to Sevilla. The rules were simple – every 20 cases of Cruzcampo® purchased between 11th September and 8th October resulted in an automatic entry into the prize draw.
The lucky winner is Nick Patel, owner of Londis Kenyon Street in London, who has won flights, transfers, accommodation, activities and spending money for this phenomenal trip.
With growing demand for more premium continental lagers that still offer value for money, Cruzcampo® is set to continue driving sales into 2025 and beyond!
UK’s new premium lager brand.
Category success with Star Retailer
“I was so excited when I got the call. Spanish beer does really well in our store, and Cruzcampo® is by far the most popular. We have a mix of formats including the bottles, 4-pack and 10-pack, which does particularly well. Retailers work really hard – there are a lot of things we have to sacrifice to keep our businesses running and this is a massive privilege. I’m looking forward to getting that break away and enjoying some beers in the sun!”
“We are thrilled for Nick Patel. We are always looking at ways to engage and reward our retailer partners, and what a joy it is to be able to offer as exciting a prize as a trip to Sevilla with Cruzcampo®. This activation with Booker gave us an opportunity to give something back and create some real excitement with those customers, and we’re delighted with the result.”
Cruzcampo® is included as a key product within HEINEKEN UK’s Star Retailer scheme. Star Retailer is an acclaimed, industry-acknowledged loyalty scheme providing beer and cider category guidance tailored for convenience stores. Dedicated to the success of your store, and retailers nationwide, please visit www.starretailer.co.uk/ for more information.
Nick Patel, owner of Londis Kenyon Street, London SW6 6LB
Paul Gordon, Head of Marketing Activation at HEINEKEN UK
Drink Cruzcampo® Responsibly. Brewed in the UK.
cooked-to-order offer.
As a former Subway, the store boasts ample space at the back for a high-tech kitchen – which was being readied for launch as Londis News went to press.
Once open, the new in-store kitchen will allow Londis Opal Court to offer a truly diverse range of food-to-go choice, from English breakfasts, to burgers, wraps, rice boxes, chicken, chips and much more.
“We’ll be sourcing all the products through Booker and making the very most of the fantastic new space we have at the back,” Kumar adds. “We’re really excited to launch this new offer as we know that it’s going to be a big hit.”
The new food-to-go offer will also be complemented by home-made Bubble Tea and Milkshakes – both of which
are already popular picks in Kumar’s Stourbridge store.
But, of course, it’s not all about food to go.
“We have a huge amount of student accommodation right above us, so there’s also a sizeable opportunity for us to offer a good range of convenient meal solutions for those who like to cook at home,” Kumar says.
As such, Londis Opal Court also features 7.5 metres of chilled foods, including ready meals, deli items and even fresh meat and fish.
“Fresh and chilled products are selling very well,” Kumar explains, “especially the Jack’s-branded pastas and pizzas.”
Quick, tasty and filling foods, such as
Top tips!
We’ve extended our opening hours to midnight to harness the key evening meal and top-up opportunities.
Nicotine pouches are a strong seller with our student demographic. 1 2 3
A range of homemade cakes and brownies provides us with an unmatchable USP.
Jack’s fresh Tortellini, also offer great value for money at just ‘2 for £4’.
The store is also scoring success with its range of ready-to-cook products, such as TGI Fridays BBQ Pulled Pork and Beef Brisket and Chicken Wings.
“We’re also seeing pleasing sales of deli meats, especially chicken products that can be eaten hot or cold,” Kumar says. “Grocery sales are strong too and led by products such as noodles, rice, oils and canned vegetables, such as baked beans.”
Six doors of frozen foods also house a comprehensive range of frozen choice, including Londis’ £6 Frozen Meal Deal.
The store also features Londis’ beer cave concept, The Cooler, a perfectly chilled haven for its wide range of beers and
English Mu ns are a growth sector having sold more than 32 million packs in the last year. New Hovis® English Mu ns have been developed with the distinctive quality and taste you would expect from Hovis® but with the 'stay fresh' technology for a longer shelf
ciders, including large multipacks.
The Cooler’s outer wall also features a range of RTD products – popular with its student audience.
Soft drinks are also “especially popular” with the student body, particularly American brands and Londis Opal Court devotes five metres of space to soft drinks.
Interestingly, students’ love of American soft drinks doesn’t translate quite as fully to the confectionery aisle – where mainstream hanging bags, including Jack’s-branded SKUs, are the hottest picks.
Other star sellers include homewares and household products.
“Non-food is another important category in this store and we rotate
our range throughout the year to meet students’ needs,” Kumar explains.
“For example, in September we opened with a large range of buckets, mops, mats and other homewares that students required when they first moved into their flats. Then in November we cut those products back and expanded personal care lines such as hand soaps, body washes and hair products – we have four whole shelves just for haircare products which are very important to our student shoppers! Students are so much more conscious of their appearance and health than in years gone by.”
As the year rolls on, Londis Opal Court will offer a wide range of promotions and special offers on other key nonfood products, such as stationery, cleaning and laundry lines, to help students top up without breaking
the bank. “Offering value for money with strong EDLP on key products and Special Offers is key in any store but especially here, given our student demographic,” Kumar says.
“A compelling own-label proposition, thanks to Jack’s and Euroshopper, strengthens our offer even further.
“All in all, we’re so proud of our newest store. We knew that Opal Court would provide us with a massive opportunity and that’s certainly proving to be the case.
“Lunchtimes and evenings are already incredibly busy and we’re expecting that to boom when we launch our expanded food-to-go offer in the coming weeks.
“ There’s certainly a lot to look forward to in 2025!”
We wanted to create a store that could offer a huge range of food to go choice throughout the day and into the evenings when students are looking for quick and tasty snacks and meal solutions after a days’ studying or before heading out. Kumar Dhanabal
RETAILER PROFILE
Store
Posting success
Ambika Kajanthan has restored vital products and services to her Wiltshire town, following the opening of Londis Westbury.
Heroes come in all manner of different shapes, sizes and guises – a fact that the residents of the market town of Westbury in Wiltshire know only too well.
Because, while she might not wear a cape, Londis retailer Ambika Kajanthan is certainly a hero in their eyes.
With no banks left in Westbury either, the problem worsened even further when the nearby Dilton Marsh Post Office also closed – leaving residents with a service and banking black hole.
Wednesday 9 October 2024 saw Ambika heroically restore vital products and services to the town after she took it upon herself to open a brand-new Londis store with a Post Office.
Westbury’s residents, of which Ambika is one, had been cut adrift from essential products and services after the town’s only Post Office, located in a former McColl’s store, closed down back in January 2023.
Witnessing the plight of Westbury’s shoppers, Ambika, who operates two nearby forecourts with Rontec, was driven to act – making a bold plan to open her own store with a Post Office in the town centre.
Fortunately, her proposal was backed by both the local MP and mayor, as well as swathes of local shoppers, all of whom were desperate for a quality convenience offering and the re-establishment of essential services in the town.
Having heard “great things” about the
Londis brand and seen its new concept at nearby Londis Box, Ambika was in no doubt that Londis would make a perfect partner for her brave venture – a feeling that was compounded when she first met her Londis RDM Rachel Drake, who has been a significant source of support ever since.
After taking on the old vacant store in September 2024, Ambika and the Londis team set to work on a comprehensive store refit, designed to offer Westbury’s shoppers a standout new convenience offer, alongside key Post Office services.
The work encompassed the fitting of all new floors, ceilings, counters and equipment – including energy efficient lighting, chillers and freezers.
The store was also merchandised in accordance with the Londis space matrix for a 650sq ft store, ‘wowing’ shoppers from the very first step.
Greeting them upon entry is Londis’ new concept ‘Treat Stop’ zone which features quality hot drinks to go from the Costa Coffee brand, as
STORE INFO
Store name: Londis Westbury
Location: Wiltshire
Retailer: Ambika Kajanthan
Store size: 650sq ft
well as slush.
A new Rollover Hot Dogs offer also provides shoppers with a hot ‘to go’ option which is further complemented by a selection of chilled to go products and the Londis £xxx Meal Deal.
In total, fresh and chilled produce has been allocated 3.75m of space, with ready meals, including Jack’sbranded products such as pizzas, pasta dishes and curries, proving to be smash hits with local shoppers.
“We’ve given a lot of focus to other shoppers who would use the store rather than just Post Office customers,” Londis RDM Rachel Drake explains. “There is a large secondary school in Westbury, so American confectionery, pocket money sweets and drinks have also been added to the mix.
“We’ve given a one metre bay to American sweets, which hadn’t really been done in the town before, so there is a lot of novelty factor. Already we can see us outgrowing this space as it’s so popular.”
Top tips!
We have invested in space for American confectionery, snacks and soft drinks which remain key footfall drivers.
2
3
The Londis Sandwich Meal Deal offers irresistible quality, value for money and convenience all in one!
We keep the shop floor as clear as possible to allow shoppers to manoeuvre pushchairs around and better manage queues at the Post Office counter.
Key categories: BWS, Impulse, Food to go
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10pm, Sun 8am-8pm
Staff: 4
The store also features a 3.75 metre chiller for Beer, Cider and Wine – a significant improvement on the single upright door that the category was allocated in the previous store – with BWS now accounting for around 40% of sales.
Vape has also been granted its own dedicated bay behind the till, where Ambika makes full use of Londis-supplied POS to drive awareness of its many multibuy deals.
The new layout and a keen focus on maintaining clutter-free aisles, has created a far more spacious and easily navigable shop floor – and the illusion that the store has been extended, when in fact not a millimetre has changed.
“We’ve made a conscious decision to keep the shop clear as much as possible to allow customers to manoeuvre pushchairs around. It also helps to manage the queues that the Post Office can generate, without blocking the store till,” Drake adds.
Local touches add to the new store’s already strong community feel, including striking images of the local White Horse landmark – the photographic rights for which were granted by a local photographer.
Ambika is also planning to introduce a wider spread of local products, including honey and ham, in the near future and has been actively supporting local raffles and initiatives with donations and prizes.
Londis Westbury’s ribbon was cut on 11 October by Mayor Cllr Jane Russ. Local shoppers flocked to the new store for the Grand Opening, with
free goody bags given out to the first 50 shoppers through its doors.
Speaking at the opening Mayor Russ said: “I really want to thank Ambika Kajanthan for investing in her new business.
“It will make a huge difference to the lives of residents and businesses in Westbury and the surrounding area.”
And while it’s only been open a matter of weeks, Londis Westbury is clearly already making that “huge difference” to local lives.
The new store has been welcomed with open arms by the community, with local shoppers thrilled by the breadth of its new range, strong promotional focus and quality products, including own brands.
Customers are also delighted with the wide array of essential services that
have now been reinstated following the opening of the Post Office in store.
The Post Office has been busy since day one, driving high volumes of footfall into the store itself where shoppers can’t fail to fill their baskets.
BWS is currently one of the store’s strongest-selling categories, closely followed by food to go, confectionery, soft drinks and chilled.
Looking ahead, Ambika plans to explore the launch of a new home delivery solution that would service local shoppers and also support the residents of some of Westbury’s newer housing developments on the outskirts of town.
Given her heroic track record, we have every confidence that her plans will soon take flight.
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Winter warmers
Snap, crackle and shop
As the cold snap bites, stoke up your sales with Londis’ range of winter essentials.
Baby it’s cold outside! But while tumbling winer temperatures may be undesirable to some, they certainly provide a sizzling opportunity for retailers to post toasty sales and profits.
The rising cost of energy has promoted a leap in the number of UK consumers using open fires and wood burning stoves in recent years – a fact which has driven a boom in sales of logs and kindling - with chimney sweeps reporting a surge in the number of people calling them to re-instate old boarded up fireplaces and stoves back into use.
The cold and freezing conditions experienced by large swathes of the UK in
The cold and freezing conditions experienced by large swathes of the UK in January has undoubtably added more fuel to the fire, with Londis retailers reporting “strong sales” of solid fuels and heightened demand for firelighting aids.
From kindling wood to firelighters, logs, smokeless fuel and more, Londis offers retailers a sizzling range of products to help shoppers heat their hearths and homes.
Even more warming is the fact that most of these products offer strong margins of more than 40%, with Jack’s Firelighters offering a POR of 46%, 10kg bags of Fuel Express Smokeless Fuel offering a hot 42.7%, and Fuel Express Kiln Dried Logs 39.9%.
The Londis range also includes a host of other winter essentials for cold and frosty mornings, including De-Icers, Screen Washes and an array of Rock Salt products.
Available in a case of 12, 600ml cans of Holts Professional De-Icer offers retailers a POR of more than 40%, while the Concentated Screen wash offers a POR of 38.9%.
Winter Essentials
Jack's Safety Matches
Case size: 100x10pk
RETAIIL TRADE SHOWS
Showstopping!
Booker’s Retail Trade Shows 2025 are promising to be the best yet, so don’t delay, register today.
With the new year well and truly underway, now is the perfect time to plan ahead and prime your store for profit in the months to come.
From innovative new products to on-trend food to go solutions, business-boosting services, own brand developments and much more, the year ahead promises a wealth of trends and opportunities for retailers to explore.
And there’s no place better to do just that, than at the Booker Retail Trade Shows 2025.
Taking place at Sandown Racecourse on Thursday 6 March and Doncaster Racecourse on Thursday 13 March, the Booker Retail Trade Shows 2025 are promising to be the best yet!
Both shows will showcase Booker’s exceptional choice, price and service offer, including cutting-edge innovations, brand updates and Exclusive Trade
Show WOW deals.
With more than 100 exhibitors from across all the key convenience categories, retailers will also be able to meet and greet leading suppliers and get a taste of the new products sure to set their shelves alight in 2025.
Retailers will also have the opportunity to interact with food-to-go areas and take in the sights and smells of live cookery demonstrations.
And with hundreds of store owners from across the country flocking to them, the Booker Retail Trade Shows will also provide the perfect platform for networking and catching up with fellow retailers and friends, as-well as key members of the Booker team.
Entry is free, and so is parking, so what are you waiting for? Register on the link below or scan the QR code. You won’t regret it!
“The
show always offers a fantastic chance to see where fresh opportunities may lie, particularly when it comes to the food to go category and to speak with management. I’ve had some great conversations with key Booker team members and other Londis retailers too.”
Dave Hiscutt, Londis Abbotsbury Road, Dorset
“The show is always such a nice opportunity to get out of the store and see all the fantastic new products that are available to us. It’s also a great chance to meet with suppliers and of course to take advantage of the many exclusive trade show only deals.”
Marian Power, Powers Londis, Homefield, Sutton, Surrey
Register today for Booker Trade Shows 2025, our best shows Offering you great CHOICE PRICE
SANDOWN RACECOURSE
• Exclusive Trade Show only WOW deals
KT10 9AJ Thursday 6 March 2024
RETAIL TRADE SHOWS
• See the latest initiatives & brand updates
DONCASTER RACECOURSE
DN2 6BB Thursday 13 March 2025
• Meet our top suppliers showcasing their latest ranges & NPD
Shows open 09.30hrs - 16.00hrs
Sandown Racecourse 6th March
Doncaster Racecourse 13th March
• Opportunity to interact food-to-go areas
BOOKER’S BEST SHOWS YET!
Shows Open from 9.30am to 4.00pm
l Exclusive Trade Show only WOW deals.
• Cooking demos, sampling, free products & competitions
l New initiatives and brand updates.
l Top suppliers showcasing latest ranges & NPD.
l Opportunity to interact with food-to-go areas.
• FREE entry & parking
l Cooking demonstrations and sampling.
l Free products and competitions.
l Free entry and parking
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Clean up this spring
Now’s the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and give your store a spruce up for spring.
For retailers and shoppers alike, the beginning of a new year has always been a prime time to clear out the cobwebs, drive out the dust and start afresh.
While the annual spring-cleaning season tends to send shoppers surging for their mops and buckets – now is also an ideal time for retailers to brush up their businesses and get things shipshape for the year ahead. A mop and bucket may come in useful too, so keep them handy!
Following the festive frenzy, the start of a new year is generally a quieter trading time for stores, making it the perfect period for retailers to take some time to regroup, refresh and refocus.
One great way to do that is by taking a step back and trying to see your store the way your shoppers do. Spending every day in your store, it’s easy to stop seeing the little issues and problems that you’ve been meaning to get round to but have never quite found the time for.
EXTERIOR
The best place to start is outside, as that’s the first thing new and existing shoppers see when they visit your store – and first impressions count:
l Is the signage neat, tidy and clean?
l Are all posters up to date and in good condition?
l Has the exterior been swept and is it litter-free?
l Why not organise a community litter pick around the local area?
l Do your exterior walls need fresh paint or professional cleaning?
l Are the windows clean, tidy and free of clutter?
l Do you have a bin available for shoppers?
HEALTH, SAFE AND LEGAL
With the basics dealt with, it’s time to move onto more complex areas. Health, safe and legal are massively important issues and no more so than if you operate a hot food-to-go counter. Areas to pay particular attention to are those with specific hygiene challenges like milk chillers, hot and cold food storage, and preparation areas.
l Is the milk chiller spotlessly clean?
l Have any hot food storage units been deep cleaned recently?
l Have all chillers been serviced as specified by the manufacturer?
l Are your temperature checks up to date, accurate and within safe guidelines?
l Has the shelving in the soft drinks cabinet been thoroughly cleaned to remove sticky residues?
l What about your food prep areas? It is a legal requirement that these must be cleaned and sanitised then left for 30 seconds before using again.
l Is your EHO certificate displayed as it should be?
l Is your CleanPro+ manual available to staff, and are they aware of it?
l For products that you package yourself for sale, is the ingredient labelling fully compliant with Natasha’s Law?
View your store through the eyes of the shopper, however, and you’re likely to find lots of things you can do quickly, easily and cost-effectively, to improve the shopper experience.
That could be as simple as a deep clean, a re-merchandise, or a lick of paint – or it could mean instigating a new programme of online staff training or checking that all hygiene, health and safety documentation and rules are up to date.
To help you get your store tip-top for 2025, we’ve compiled a handy guide of quick and simple checks and changes that you and your team can use to set things sparkling.
Don’t forget the gloves!
STORAGE AREAS
While the shopper-facing parts of the store naturally get the most attention, it’s still vital that all storage areas are kept in good shape to avoid accidents, hygiene issues and out-of-date stock. Ask yourself:
l Are the floor areas of any store spaces clean, tidy and trip hazard-free?
l Has all shelving been checked recently to ensure it’s safe and sound?
l Has all the stock in the storage room been rotated properly to avoid out of date stock and wastage?
l Do all the lights in the storage spaces work?
l Could reconfiguring the stockroom make restocking of the shopfloor easier and quicker?
STORE TEAMS
Clearly, one of the most important factors on how shoppers judge your store is your team. Some basic questions to ask yourself include:
l Do any uniforms need replacing?
l Are all members of your team playing to their strengths?
l Is all staff training up to date or could your team do with a refresher course?
l Does your team greet every shopper with a hello and a smile?
l Are your team that handle food wearing the appropriate aprons, bibs, gloves and hair nets?
INTERIOR
Once your shoppers step inside, what is the first thing they see? Does it make a good impression and is it how you want your store to be perceived? After that, take a good walk around the store, just the way a shopper would, and make sure that everything is just as you want it. Ask yourself:
l Are the floors clean and safe with no loose or uneven surfaces?
l Are aisles easy to navigate for shoppers with mobility issues or prams?
l Do all the lights work?
l Is your counter clean and free of scuffs and clutter?
l Is the ceiling free of marks and cobwebs?
l Are the shelves clean, neat and well merchandised?
l Is there any old POS that’s dirty or no longer relevant?
l Is all in-store signage accurate and in good condition?
l Are all shelf-edge labels and price tickets clean, tidy and up to date?
l If you sell vapes, are you offering a recycling bin for vaping products and communicating this service to shoppers?
Cold comfort
The OTC winter medicines market offers an opportunity that’s not to be sniffed at.
Winter’s here and while the season certainly heralds its fair share of fun and festivities, regrettably, it’s also a boom time for bugs – and this year is certainly proving to be no exception, with cold and flu rates having surged in January and in early February.
With their extended opening hours and friendly, helpful staff, the season will prompt many shoppers to turn to their local stores as the first port of call for help with easing winter illness symptoms, as well as those of their dependants.
As a result, there really is no time better than now to ensure that your range has got their common needs covered.
The OTC healthcare market in the UK is worth just over £2.8bn annually and is growing at 4.2% year on year.
Source: Circana CPG UK 52 weeks Dec 24
The knowledge that your store can be relied upon to provide a quality range of OTC medicines will be a tonic to shoppers at this time of year and especially to the parents and carers of young children suffering with pain and fever, for whom that bottle of Calpol sitting on your shelf will be akin to gold dust – particularly at 9pm when the local chemist is shut.
The OTC healthcare market in the UK is worth just over £2.8bn annually and it’s growing at 4.2% year on year, according to Circana CPG UK data for the 52 weeks to December 2024.
That market is dominated by three ‘super categories’: pain relief; cough and cold remedies; and gastro and intestinal remedies, which together account for a stonking 68% of its total value.
COUGHS AND COLDS
Symbol and Independent stores currently have a 7.1% share of the OTC coughs, colds and respiratory market – where medicated confectionery is one of the biggest share contributors according to Circana.
When it comes to coughs and colds, the most common shopper symptoms are:
l Cough
l Sore throat
l Congestion
l Sinus discomfort
Making sure that you offer a range of products that can help your shoppers to alleviate all of the above is key – and fortunately Londis provides everything you need to do just that.
Top tips
l Ensure that your medicines range is clearly signposted so that shoppers on a mission can find what they need fast.
l If you display medicines behind the counter, make sure that all products and prices are displayed clearly.
l Offer a range of products to cover the three key ‘super categories’: pain; cough and cold; and gastrointestinal remedies.
l Ensure that your staff are familiar with your range and know the answers to basic questions about the key products that you stock – such as which products can be used in the day or at night, or which products are suitable for dry or chesty coughs.
l Always ensure that you direct shoppers with more complicated problems to a nearby pharmacy or medical professional.
For convenient ‘all in one’ solutions to help with cough, cold and flu-like symptoms, including fever, pain and congestion, retailers can offer a range of Beechams and Lemsip-branded products, including Lemsip Max Cold and Flu capsules and sachets.
Specific products for different types of cough, including Chesty and Dry and Tickly coughs, are also on offer from the Covonia brand.
To help soothe sore throats, retailers can also offer their shoppers a range of Strepsils products, including Original and Honey & Lemon lozenges, plus a range of Halls Soothers and Lockets. Strepsils Extra Triple Action Lozenges (Blackcurrant) are available to shoppers for the Every Day Low Price of just £4.50 in NP12 and 13.
NO PAIN NO GAIN
The Symbol and Independent channel also has a 6.3% share of the OTC pain relief market and Londis retailers can also support their shoppers with a range of pain relief medicines from well-known brands, such as Panadol and Nurofen, as well as private-label paracetamol and ibuprofen products from Galpharm.
With an RSP of just £0.89 for a pack of 16 500mg Paracetamol capsules, these private-label products offer exceptional value for money to shoppers - and a POR of 49.4% for Londis retailers.
CHILDREN’S MEDICINES
Children’s medicines are another key part of the OTC medicine market and vital to any convenience offer.
Make sure your range covers children of all ages, from babies and toddlers to pre-teens and up.
Londis retailers can offer their shoppers Calpol Infant Paracetamol Suspension and Calpol Six Plus Paracetamol Suspension for £4.65 and £4.85 respectively – both of which also offer PORs of more than 30%.
Nurofen For Children Ibuprofen Suspension is also available to shoppers for the great value RSP of £4.39.
GOOD SPOT
When it comes to siting your medicines, visibility is critical. Winter medicines is a reactive product category, with a high rate of distress purchase. As a result, your range needs to be well signposted in-store and clearly merchandised on shelf, so shoppers can find an effective solution to their problem fast.
Stocking products on the shopfloor, and or in secondary display units near your counter, will allow shoppers the freedom to browse your range properly – and can also drive impulse purchases.
If you do stock medicines behind the counter, make sure that all products and prices are clearly visible so that shoppers can easily spot them from a distance.
Paper products, such as tissues and wipes, are also key at this time of year – as are on-the-go sanitisers, as shoppers look to stop those vile viruses in their tracks.
As ever, Londis has you covered here too, with a host of branded and own-label products to pick from.
With all that said and done, it’s clear that the OTC winter meds market is certainly not to be sniffed at.
ENJOY TASTY SALES THIS RAMADAN
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Get Digital
Dial up your productivity with Booker-exclusive Digital SEL package
Londis retailers now have access to a fully customised digital shelf edge label solution under a Booker-exclusive deal with Panasonic Connect.
PANASONIC CONNECT DEAL
l Agreed Booker price package
l Free store-specific customisation
l Fully Epos integrated
l Dedicated project manager
l Expert installation team
l Dedicated support
l UK-based
l Finance available (subject to credit approval)
CHOOSE YOUR SIZE
The digital SELs are available in a range of sizes, covering all use cases:
l From 1.6” to 12.2”
l High resolution up to 144 DPI
l Up to IP68 certified
As the cost of doing business continues to soar, the need for stores to operate as efficiently as possible has perhaps never been so important. In-fact, productivity looks set to be one of the biggest buzzwords in 2025 as retailers seek out solutions that can help them save time, save waste and operate to their most efficient and productive best.
One key opportunity that is already helping many retailers to operate their businesses more efficiently are digital Shelf Edge Labels (SELs)
The benefits of converting from paper price tickets to digital SELs are being felt in more and more stores, where they are helping in-store teams to ensure that on-shelf pricing is always accurate and up to date.
These nifty little gadgets can also dramatically reduce the amount of staff time required to update labels, particularly during promotional period changeovers.
This recovered staff time means that your team can be redeployed in other areas and on more productive tasks, such as engaging with shoppers, stocking and facing up, maximising NPD, or even focusing on social media.
To help retailers take advantage of the many benefits of digital SELs, Booker has secured a new exclusive agreement with Panasonic Connect.
The deal ensures retailers benefit from an agreed preferential Booker price package on the solution and the SELs themselves are fully integrated with Epos systems from key providers including Retail Data Partnership, TLM and more.
The deal features free store-specific customisation, and benefits from dedicated UK-based support. A dedicated project manager will oversee the entire process while an expert installation team will ensure the solution is up and running precisely to your requirements.
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This material is restricted to those who are involved in the business of the sale or distribution of tobacco who are aged 18 years or over. This material should not be made available to the public or sent to anyone else.
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a breeze of peppermint
a zest of citrus
a boom of blackcurrant
a breeze of peppermint
A seamless approach
Regulations that will see the introduction of a deposit return scheme in England and Northern Ireland in October 2027 are being debated in Parliament this month, with MPs considering the details of the plans that will affect – directly or indirectly – every convenience store. It’s expected that Scotland’s regulations will mirror those of England and NI, but Wales has decided to go in a different direction. This is what a deposit return scheme could mean for you, and here are some of the principles that we would like to see put in place as part of the regulations.
First of all, a deposit return scheme must at a minimum be cost neutral for retailers. Our sector is facing increase after increase in costs on all sides of the business, coupled with costs associated with new regulations, so it would be unreasonable to expect retailers to pick up the tab for DRS. We’re especially keen for the ‘handling payments’ that will be paid to retailers for the operation of the scheme to scale with the size of the business, so that smaller stores and those in rural areas handling a smaller volume of containers are not left out of pocket.
The next principle that is crucial to a successful deposit return scheme is putting the right return points in the right places. We don’t need a return point in every retail outlet in the UK – what we need is a set of return points that are strategically mapped so it’s easy for
The UK’s various deposit return schemes must mesh together smoothly – as anything else will undermine their effectiveness, ACS says.
consumers to find somewhere to return their container and get their deposit back, but there’s no unnecessary overlap and risk of return points being barely used. A blanket approach to stores that are required to be part of the scheme would result in a significant waste of resources.
If it feels like we’ve been talking about DRS in the UK in some form for over a decade now… that’s because we have! Despite this, the implementation date of October 2027 is highly ambitious. This is the biggest change in recycling infrastructure in recent years, and there are a lot of moving parts that need to be put together before the scheme has a chance at being effective. Retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and the yet to be appointed Deposit Management Organisation will all have to move quickly over the next 33 months to be ready in time.
The final issue is Wales. While it looks like England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are going to be aligned on the introduction of DRS, Wales is set on including glass and focusing on reuse as part of its own scheme, which doesn’t yet have a timetable for introduction or any real detail on how they’re going to achieve their aims. Our view is clear that an effective system is one that works across the UK seamlessly, as anything else will create confusion and undermine the effectiveness of the home nations’ individual schemes.
