DON’T MISS...
New Snappy Shopper deal revealed
Get set for Christmas
New vape products and prices
Vol 37 Issue 5 September 2024
M284156
SUMMON THE FLAVOUR they WANTA
Booker unveils a new agreement with Snappy Shopper
13 COMMUNITY NEWS
A round-up of the latest community news from Londis stores
21 GROCERYAID UPDATE
Industry charity’s flagship Barcode event moves to new home.
24 MAGIC TOUCH
Local shoppers are spellbound by new store Londis Fairfax.
32 TURNING HEADS
Deptford’s shoppers are seeing Londis Evelyn Street anew following a top to bottom refit.
40 GET SET FOR CHRISTMAS
Londis has everything you need to make the most of Christmas.
47 HALLOWEEN & BONFIRE NIGHT
Set your sales alight this season.
Bigger Barcode
53 NEW VAPE PRICING
New products and new prices offer new opportunities
61 NEW PRODUCT DIGEST
Some of the latest new products to hit the shelves
63 MEET THE TEAM: AMY LEAHY
Say hello to Category Planning Manager Amy Leahy.
71 CMA PRICING GUIDANCE
CMA reminds retailers of pricing requirements.
77 SOCIAL MADE EASY
The easiest way to uprate your social media activity.
83 JACK’S UPDATE
Booker’s Jack’s own brand range continues to grow.
91 ACS VIEWPOINT
Opportunities abound under new government.
Spooky season
Save on waste
Booker is helping Londis retailers to save on waste management fees. 21 47 87
Grocery Aid’s Barcode festival moves to a bigger new home for 2025.
Secure frightfully good sales and profits this Halloween.
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
STRENGTH COMES FROM WITHIN
Welcome to our September issue of Londis
An autumn of
News!
opportunity
As autumn descends, along with it comes a whole new array of opportunities to grow sales and profits.
After what has been a mixed summer in many respects, it’s time to look forward to an autumn full of opportunities as we begin the slow wind up to the crucial festive period once more.
Before Christmas arrives however, we have a wealth of occasions and events to cash in on that can help us drive up footfall, sales and profits. Key among them is Halloween, a festival which is grown in importance over the last five or 10 years. This presents a great chance for Londis retailers to really leverage the interest and excitement that now abounds around the annual scary season – and it’s not just kids that enjoy Halloween these days!
We have a bumper package of promotions, NPD and POS support to help you and your team ensure your store is ready to make the most of Halloween and, of course, Bonfire Night, which follows hot on its heels.
Despite the various legislative challenges that lie ahead for the category, vaping remains critical for Londis retailers. It drives big sales in many stores and offers very strong PORs, which is why Londis is offering a new improved pricing package for retailers, all the way through to next April when the disposables ban is likely to come in. We’re also bringing plenty of NPD to market, including rechargeable options that can help you get ahead of the game.
With social media more important than ever, you’ll find a great piece in this issue on the fantastic SocioConnect solution we have which helps you manage all your social media networks quicker and more efficiently than ever before. It also gives you access to professionally created content that you can reshare instantly to help grow awareness and sales.
And, naturally, we have a feature inside to help you begin your Christmas preparations and ensure that the festive period is a cracker this year.
I wish you all fantastic trading over the next couple of months.
Look forward to seeing you in-store!
Stewart Fenn Sales Director, Booker Retail Partners
YOUR LONDIS
Booker secures powerful new shopping insights with TWC deal
SmartView Convenience provides the most representative EPOS mark read for independent and wholesalersupplied symbol stores.
Booker has signed up to TWC’s SmartView Convenience Market read - a move which will allow it to glean a superior understanding of shopping habits in independent stores.
Using a sample of around 5,000 independent stores to represent the 30,000 stores in the sector, SmartView Convenience provides the most representative EPOS mark read for independent retail and wholesaler-supplied symbol stores in Great Britain.
Commenting on the development, Booker’s Retail Managing Director Colm Johnson, said: “Working with SmartView Convenience will allow us to better understand the shopping habits of customers in our Budgens, Londis and Premier stores, as we work to ensure we always have the right range of great value products available to support our independent retailers and their business.”
Sarah Coleman, Product Director for SmartView Convenience at data consultancy TWC added:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Booker as a new client. Signing up another major wholesaler to SmartView Convenience is a huge milestone for us and supports our ambition to make SmartView Convenience the de-facto source of market data for the independent convenience sector.”
“We hope this endorsement by such a significant operator will encourage even more suppliers to make the leap and come on board. Those that have already done so have unanimously told us that the data from SmartView Convenience is telling them things they knew were happening in this part of the market but had previously been unable to see in other data sets due to the way those samples were built and their size.”
Booker agrees new delivery partnership with Snappy Shopper
Londis retailers are set to benefit from a new strategic partnership agreed between Booker and Snappy Shopper to help drive home delivery trade.
With home delivery remaining a vital growth opportunity, Londis retailers are in line to benefit from a new strategic partnership between Booker and leading home delivery service Snappy Shopper.
The new partnership has been created to help drive trade for retailers in an increasingly important market and will further enhance the home delivery options available to Londis retailers, helping to drive sales and cash profit.
The quick delivery market is thriving in the UK with nearly 70% of the population able to take advantage of fast deliveries online. The food category, particularly snacking, dominates this market, presenting a
significant growth opportunity for Londis retailers.
Retailers sign up to the delivery service online and local shoppers simply choose their store via the Snappy Shopper website. Items can be delivered in as little as 30 minutes. The new agreement between Booker and Snappy Shopper will further enhance the home delivery options available to Booker retailers.
Natalie Lightfoot of Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston, Glasgow, which was one of the trial stores, said: “Since introducing scratchcards through Snappy Shopper, we’ve received a positive response from our customers, providing them with an additional reason to place orders. Notably, three of our Scratchcards have ranked among the top 100 products sold through Snappy Shopper in the past three weeks, indicating that our customers appreciate the freedom of choice and convenience of purchasing online.”
Colm Johnson, Managing Director of Booker Group, said: “We are delighted to be enhancing our offering with Snappy Shopper. To offer our retailers a brilliant partnership alongside helping them grow is another fantastic step for us.
“This partnership forms part of our continued focus to deliver the best choice, price and service for our retailers.”
Jisp offers up white label loyalty platform
After three years of developing its Scan & Save loyalty and rewards platform, Jisp has announced its plans to provide a white label version of the proposition.
The technology company said it “felt the time was right to open the solution up to other businesses who wished to run a loyalty scheme but did not have the technology or resources to do so themselves.”
Data shows shoppers are becoming savvier, with 80% of consumers in the UK now regularly using smartphones to access loyalty cards and vouchers.
Jisp’s white label opportunity allows businesses to utilise the technology and solutions developed through Scan & Save, while aligning it to their own brand.
The platform also comes with an established retail media proposition including in-app advertising and competitions.
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COMMUNITY
Key issues of interest to you Londis Bexley Park celebrates 20 years
Londis Bexley Park marks two decades of trading.
Londis Bexley Park in Kent has marked its 20th year of successful trading with a fun day for the whole community.
Shoppers turned up in their droves to enjoy a host of fun activities, including face painting, a raffle, giveaways, product tastings and much more.
An array of tasty street food was also on offer, including beef, pork and halloumi tacos, as well as loaded nachos. Shoppers could also enjoy a BBQ, with meats supplied and cooked by local premium butcher Dennis of Bexley.
Shoppers were also treated to a taste of authentic Indian cuisine thanks to chef Praveen Kumar who cooked up samples of some of his bestselling dishes, many of which are also available frozen, in-store.
Store owner Nishi Patel said: “I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who turned up on the day and supported us on our 20th anniversary. It was an absolutely fantastic day and so wonderful to be able to celebrate with great friends, family and all of our loyal customers. Thank you also to all our amazing suppliers who also turned up on the day and supplied us with free stock to give out. Here’s to the next 20 years!”
Riding high
Londis Eastbourne got behind local charities Inspire Sussex and Eastbourne Wheels to support their Inspire 4 All 500 Mile Challenge. Inspire Sussex has been making a difference to the lives of those with a learning disability for over 70 years, while Wheels For All embraces people with disabilities, differing needs and those that would otherwise not be able to cycle by providing a fun and friendly activity.
The fundraising event saw participants of all abilities pedal as many laps as they could to reach the 500-mile goal and Londis Eastbourne ensured that everyone was kept well hydrated by donating cases of bottled water. It took place on Saturday 27 July and saw the community complete an impressive 2,000 laps – totaling
500 miles – around the Eastbourne Sports Park in Cross Levels Way.
The activity raised funds for adaptive bikes and the Inspire Social Hub in Old Town to support people with disabilities.
Londis Eastbourne also donated £200 to Inspire Sussex earlier this summer, following a fundraising drive at its official Grand Opening Day.
Owned by independent retailer Dennis Silva, Londis Eastbourne is seeking to become a key part of its local community. The show-stopping new store also offers Free Fruit For Kids and is seeking to help support local schools.
POP YOUR TANGY CHERRY
GET TANGO’D
YOUR TANGY CHERRY
Key issues of interest to you Independent retail enjoys ‘biggest growth since January’
The latest Barclays Consumer Spend report shows sales in independent retail grew at their fastest rate since the start of the year while supermarket sales remained flat.
Sales in independent retailing outlets in July grew at their fastest rate since January, up 3.5% year-on-year (YOY), according to the latest Barclays Consumer Spend report which combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending.
This improved performance was in stark contrast to sales in supermarkets which flatlined at 0.0% YOY in the same month.
Much of the increased spend in convenience stores was attributed to BBQ-related purchases as shoppers made the most of the infrequent sunny days this summer although fast food and foodto-go sales also grew, up 2.2%.
Shoppers remain discerning when doing their weekly shop with the majority (63%)
Confusion over DRS timetable
Nature Minister Mary Creagh made a surprise announcement last month by confirming that the new Labour government intends to roll out a UKwide deposit return scheme (DRS) ahead of the October 2027 date originally proposed in March by the previous Conservative government.
However, Defra has since said that it has no plans to implement the new DRS ahead of schedule.
The scheme will include PET bottles and steel and aluminium drinks cans but is not expected to include glass. It is also expected that the scheme will be harmonised across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
continuing to look for ways to cut back on grocery spending. Shoppers’ confidence in their household finances and their ability to live within their means fell by 2% and 3% respectively. Some 45% of shoppers continue to focus on own-brand products and promotions to help them save money.
Total shopper card spend did, however, fall once again in July, down 0.3% YOY which was a slight improvement on June’s figure of 0.6%. This was largely driven by poor weather.
Too Good To Go hits 40 million
Londis retailers helped food waste company Too Good To Go hit a new milestone recently as the initiative announced that 40 million Surprise Bags have now been saved from going to waste.
Around 10.7 million tonnes of food are wasted every year in the UK, costing the nation an estimated £21.8bn. The 40 million Surprise Bags equates to a C02e saving of the equivalent of 18,770 flights around the world.
UK Convenience sector investment hits £1bn for first time
Retailers have invested more than ever in their stores this year, the ACS 2024 Local Shop Report reveals.
Investment in local stores has hit a record high over the last year as UK convenience retailers strive to futureproof their businesses, the ACS 2024 Local Shop Report reveals.
Convenience retailers spent a combined £1bn in the past year, refitting their stores, installing new energy efficient refrigeration and lighting, and detecting and preventing crime.
The astonishing new figure is up from the £646m invested by convenience retailers in the previous 12 months.
The investment figure is the highest on record since the report’s inception in 2012.
Other key headlines from the ACS 2024 Local Shop Report include:
More than half of independent retailers (56%) fund investment from their own reserves.
More than one in six convenience stores (17%) now has a self-service till,
up from just 3% in 2019.
Almost half of independent retailers (47%) offer some form of home delivery/click and collect service.
80% of independent retailers were actively involved in their community over the last year.
Commenting on the launch of the report, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said:
“The investment figures we’ve seen this year are not surprising, as retailers tell us that they’re futureproofing their stores in two main ways. Firstly through hardware like efficient refrigeration, self-service tills and electronic shelf edge labels to increase the productivity of the business, and secondly through an increasingly diverse range of services like cash machines, banking services, Post Offices, prescription collections and dry cleaning – all services that previously would have taken their own place on the high street but are being brought under one roof to ensure that local people still have access to them.”
New PayPoint partnership lets businesses bank cash in stores
Paypoint has announced a partnership with Teya, a provider of card payment solutions for businesses.
Teya customers can now access a cash payment service where they can add funds directly into their business accounts at over 29,000 PayPoint stores across the UK.
The process works via the Teya app where customers can put in cash for a specified amount by generating a unique barcode. The PayPoint agent then scans the barcode to complete the transaction.
With the number of bank branch closures increasing, the service lets customers make cash deposits conveniently at a location close to their premises.
Jo Toolan, Managing Director of Payments at PayPoint, said: “The new cash service offers an accessible financial solution to the needs of many local businesses and busy entrepreneurs across the UK.”
Barcode goes big for 2025
GroceryAid’s flagship festival moves to a new, bigger location for 2025 as the event continues to grow.
Now well established as the largest single-day event in the UK retailing sector, GroceryAid’s Barcode Festival continues to go from strength to strength. In response to huge demand, GroceryAid has decided to move Barcode to a new, larger site for 2025 with the festival set to take place on 3rd July 2025 at Kenwood House in London.
spreads awareness of GroceryAid and its welfare offer. This means more people in the independent and grocery retailing sectors are able to learn about how the charity can help, and find out how to access its services.
The new venue means more people, more brands, and more ways to get involved. As well as raising vital funds, the event
Whether you want to reward and recognise your team for their hard work, provide hospitality for industry connections or simply network and have a great day out, Barcode Festival 2025 provides the perfect opportunity.
RETAILER PROFILE
Sparkling sales
Magic touch
Local shoppers are spellbound by what’s on offer at new store, Londis Fairfax.
Kanagasaban Jeyaruban can perform magic tricks. And his latest show of retail wizardry is on full display in the Oxfordshire village of Kidlington, where he’s transforming residents’ shopping bags from orange to white.
There is, however, a large Sainsbury’s supermarket about a mile down the road.”
Ruban, as he likes to be known, bought his newest store on the Oxford Road on 27 March 2024. Located on a small parade of shops known as the Fairfax Centre and just across from Thames Valley Police’s headquarters, the site had formerly traded as a mortgage advisor.
“It’s a nice area on a small parade of shops, including a pet shop, beauty salon, café and a takeaway,” he explains. “There’s lots of surrounding houses and other businesses and there isn’t another convenience store on this parade.
“When I first got the keys to the store, all I could see were shoppers walking past with their orange Sainsbury’s bags. I ordered some Jack’s-branded carrier bags just before we opened and now, I’m delighted to say that when I look outside, most shoppers are walking past with white Jack’s bags from my store.”
And it’s abundantly clear why. Every millimetre of Londis Fairfax’s shop floor is working to the fullest extent – offering local shoppers a comprehensive new range of quality choice at great value prices – and all presented to the very highest standards.
“Our Grand Opening day was scheduled to start at 10am on 11 May but by 8am we already had a queue of eager shoppers waiting to come in!” Ruban recalls.
One of the first things that shoppers see when they enter their smart new store is a 7.5m run of energy efficient chillers.
“We’ve got 3.75 metres for soft drinks and a further 3.27m for fresh and chilled foods and an additional bay for ambient produce.
HAVE YOUR SAY…
When I first got the keys to the store, all I could see were shoppers walking past with their orange Sainsbury’s bags. I ordered some Jack’s-branded carrier bags just before we opened and now, I’m delighted to say that when I look outside, most shoppers are walking past with white Jack’s bags from my store.
Kanagasaban
Jeyaruban
STORE INFO
Store name: Londis Fairfax, Kidlington, Oxfordshire
Retailer: Kanagasaban Jeyaruban (Ruban)
Size: 1,300sq ft
Store type: High street
Key categories: Confectionery, BWS, chilled
Staff: 5
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 6am-11pm, Sun 7am-9pm
“Shoppers love the Jack’s products. From pizzas to ready meals, dips and deli items it’s all selling and the feedback that I get on the quality and price is very pleasing.”
Milk is also a huge seller. “All our milk is price marked and since we’ve opened, we’ve extended the space for milk from one shelf to three because of demand,” says Ruban.
“Thanks to our quality range of fresh and chilled products, local shoppers no longer need to walk further down the road to our competitors when they want to top up.”
BWS is also a key category. “I have two metres for red wine and four metres for chilled wine and beers. We’re already
Top tips!
Having a competitively priced coffee offer is key to drive footfall and sales.
American sweets and snacks can act as powerful footfall drivers and encourage additional purchases. 1 2 3
Maximise the power of Londis’ strong promotions by making use of all supporting POS.
making around £700 a day on BWS, which is very pleasing,” says Ruban.
“The Londis deals on BWS are very strong and definitely helping to give me an edge locally.
“Lots of my shoppers comment on how competitive we are on BWS. The beer deals that we had on during Euro 24 and the Olympics were excellent footfall drivers.”
Another category that’s enjoying sweet success is confectionery, which is already worth more than £400 a day with sales being driven by on-trend American brands. “I’m amazed by the success of our US lines,” Ruban says.
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“Local children and teenagers are coming in to see the range and buy products and they’re bringing their parents with them –who then can’t resist buying lots of other things.”
Another of the store’s striking new features is its hot food- and drinks- to-go offer, supported by Londis’ vibrant new pink and teal ‘Treat Stop’ branding.
The Treat Stop zone includes a coffee offer from My Coffee Station. “The quality is great, and I charge £3.15 for a cup of coffee which is very competitive,” Ruban says. “There’s a coffee shop a few doors down, but they charge £3.75. Last month we made more than £800 on coffee and that was when the weather was very hot.”
The fresh coffee offer is proving especially popular with staff from the nearby Thames Valley Police headquarters, many of whom pop in for a cup.
“We’ve also got a hot food-to-go offer from Rollover Hotdogs and freshly baked goods from Country Choice.”
However, by far the most successful part of Ruban’s new drinks-to-go offer is Snow Shock slush, which on hot days can sell at a rate of almost 100 cups a day. “On one hot Saturday in May, we did 92 cups!” he laughs. “It’s incredible.”
A one-metre vape stand at the front of the store is also a big footfall, sales and profit driver, with shoppers lapping up a ‘2 for £10’ promotion.
Other footfall drivers include Amazon parcel collection, Royal Mail, PayPoint, Payzone and the National Lottery.
“Londis’ support has been exceptional throughout, especially my RDM Rob Tumilson, who pops in very regularly and
is always on the end of the line should I need him,” says Ruban.
“Thanks to Londis, this store really does offer shoppers the whole package: it looks great and is filled with a fantastic choice of quality and great prices and promotions.
“It’s also a very efficient store to run and some of Londis’ technology solutions such as the RDP epos system is also brilliant and so easy to use.”
All in all, Ruban says he’s “thrilled” with his new Londis. “This store is only three months old but it’s already doing better than one of my other stores in Banbury town centre, which has been established for years.
“In Londis Fairfax’s first week of trading we took £13,000 and by early August that had risen to £17,000 – a fantastic result and there’s clearly even more growth to come.”
RETAILER PROFILE
Turning heads
Deptford’s shoppers are seeing Londis Evelyn Street with fresh eyes, following a top-to-bottom refit.
The positive impact that a wellexecuted store refit can have on a store’s performance and standing in the local community has certainly been well documented in the pages of Londis News over the years.
Good refits can often prompt footfall, sales and profits to hit new heights as shoppers suddenly perceive a store with fresh eyes and hungry baskets. Londis Evelyn Street is one such store.
Owned by independent retailer Rajendra Kendiah, the 2,300sq ft Deptford store has just been granted a fresh and fruitful lease of life following a top-to-bottom refit.
Rajendra has owned the large and primely located corner unit for the last two years – but as he explains, his history with the site goes back somewhat further.
“I have worked in this store since 1992, so that’s more than 32 years now!” he exclaims. “In 2014 I became the manager and then in 2022 I was able to buy it. It’s a fantastic store on a very busy road and has a pedestrianised area just outside with benches and seating. There’s also a bus stop, so there’s always been a key opportunity for strong food- and drink-
to-go sales, but we weren’t really making the most of it before.”
The store underwent a major refit back in 2018 when Rajendra was still the manager and, in the summer of 2024, it was time for him to put his own stamp on it.
“We closed for 10 days while the refit took place,” he says. “We had three skips outside that we piled high as we pulled all the old lights, ceiling panels and fixtures out. It caused quite a stir!”
Outside, the store’s old green Londis fascia was replaced with the smart new dark livery and updated graphics.
The store re-opened its doors in July 2024 with a totally new offer, including an improved shopper journey, fresh look and enhanced range.
“The impact of the changes has been incredible,” Rajendra says. “This store has been here for years but it’s as though suddenly shoppers are seeing us for the first time.
“Footfall has surged thanks to the many new shoppers we are suddenly attracting.
“So many of them have said things to me
like: ‘I’ve been living here for years but I’d never come in before!’ while others think it’s a totally new shop.”
Once inside the smart new store, shoppers at Londis Evelyn road are now treated to a significantly enhanced experience, courtesy of a much more open and bright shop floor.
“We’ve really opened up the space, that was a key change,” Rajendra says. “Wide clear aisles and clearer zoning and merchandising make the store so much easier for shoppers to navigate and see the whole range on offer.
“We also fitted new LED lighting throughout. Inside, the new lights help to display products so much better, but they also have some major advantages at night.
From the outside, the new lights give the store a striking new look. We’ve also opened up the windows so that shoppers on the street can see right in. It all looks so much more welcoming now, like a shining beacon!”
Other key changes include the addition of a Costa Coffee machine, and a new Blue Ice smoothie and milkshake offer.
“We’ve also added a new in-store bakery
offer with products supplied by Country Choice including breads and pastries to make more of the food and drinks to go opportunity,” adds Rajendra.
“The new food- and drinks-to-go zone has made a massive impact on the overall feel of the store and shoppers are constantly complementing us on it.
“There’s also been a big expansion of our fresh and chilled offer. We previously had eight metres, but we’ve added a new chiller at the front of the store exclusively for chilled food to go and we’ve also expanded our fresh produce range by a further metre to allow us to offer even more choice.”
Rajendra has been pleasantly surprised by how successful the fresh range has become.
“Fresh produce has been one of the biggest and most surprising wins,” he says.
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STORE INFO
Store: Londis Evelyn Street
Retailer: Rajendra Kendiah
Size: 2,300sq ft
Staff: 11
Services: ATM, National Lottery, bus passes
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7am-11pm, Sun 8am-10pm
“We used to make around £100 a week on fresh and now it’s £1,500 a day – just on fruit and vegetables. It’s unbelievable!
“The store now has a 33% fresh mix. We offer every fruit and vegetable that shoppers could possibly want, and they love the Jack’s brand. The quality is excellent and the promotions are a big driver of sales, especially Jack’s Fresh 4.
“Sales volumes are so high, that since the refit we have also moved to four Londis deliveries a week to meet the demand.”
HAVE YOUR SAY…
Soft drinks have also been granted a new four metres of space and moved to a new position at the rear of the store.
Shoppers after frozen meal solutions now also have a six-metre range to choose from.
BWS has also been re-merchandised in a smart new footfall-driving zone at one end of the store.
“The impact of all these changes has been huge and what’s even better, is that
Existing shoppers are using us more than they were before and buying bigger baskets, but a large proportion of the growth is being driven by totally new shoppers who are now doing their shopping with us, as opposed to going elsewhere.
Rajendra Kendiah
Top tips!
1 2 3
Opening the store up and creating wider aisles can significantly improve the shopping experience.
New LED lights display products better and make the store so much more inviting inside and out.
In a store this busy, replenishment is a constant priority to keep shelves looking their best.
I know there’s still plenty more to come,” Rajendra says.
“Other categories where we have seen significant growth include soft drinks –sales of which are up from £400 to £900 a day.”
Confectionery is also proving to be a winner and has especially strong standout thanks to a striking Treat Street activation currently being trialled with Mars.
BWS sales are also now hitting more than £1,000 a day, up from £600.
“All categories are doing well to be honest; we’re seeing growth across the board,” adds Rajendra.
“Existing shoppers are using us more than they were before and buying bigger baskets which is wonderful to
see. However, a large proportion of the growth is being driven by totally new shoppers who are now doing their shoapping with us, as opposed to going elsewhere.
“The feedback has been wonderful. I never expected this kind of reaction so naturally I’m very happy.”
Rajendra says the Londis team have been “a great source of support” throughout the refurb, especially RDM Brian Neve.
“My team have also been wonderful,” he adds. “I have an amazing team of 11 staff, two of whom have worked with me in this store for 32 years now – one of them was even here before me! He’s in his 70s now but he still loves it, as do I.
“We’re all thrilled with the outcome, and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
CHRISTMAS IS COMING
Get set to sparkle
Making merry!
The start of the allimportant festive season is almost upon us, presenting retailers with the ultimate opportunity to delight their shoppers.
Christmas is a time for giving and sharing joy, and Londis retailers, many of whom trade at the heart of their local communities, are certainly well placed to do exactly that this year.
Festive finery
Londis retailers can deck their stores with a hoard of eye-catching POS materials guaranteed to help their seasonal lines shine.
Christmas 2024’s suite of POS materials for Londis retailers include header panels, bunting, pennants, shelf strips, posters and barker ears.
Featuring classic festive graphics against a cheery skyblue background, the striking, professionally designed materials will help to give seasonal lines maximum impact on shelf and create a warm and welcoming interior.
The season of goodwill is the perfect time for retailers to have some fun with their shoppers, support community events and spread that all-important festive cheer.
From kids’ colouring competitions to product giveaways, letters to Santa and Christmas bake sales, the list of opportunities to engage with local shoppers is almost as bottomless as St Nick’s sack.
The festive season is also of course, the biggest and brightest sales highlight of the calendar year and the big ticket to sparkling footfall, turnover and profits.
It’s a time when new product development tends to peak, with all sorts of weird and wonderful launches from across the category spectrum hitting the shelves in the run-up to the big day itself – perfect for driving those all-important impulse purchases.
It’s also a time for the return of much-loved seasonal classics – those sweet treats and merry morsels that no Christmas would be complete without.
As ever, Londis has all your Christmas needs covered – offering shoppers the very best in festive choice and prices to help the season get underway with a bang.
Some of the key seasonal products available to retailers in the NP9 period as shoppers start to get set for Christmas include Cadbury Mini Puds.
The festive favorites are available to Londis retailers in cases of 22x73g for a promotional WSP of £24 – offering them a promotional POR of 34.2%. Available on an ‘Any 2 for £3’ deal, shoppers are sure to be delighted too.
Other seasonal novelties sure to help boost basket spend in the coming weeks
include key US lines such as Kingsize Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees and Mini DJ Santas Disco Lights, both of which are available as part of an ‘Any 2 for £2.50’ deal and offer promotional PORs of 30% and 33% respectively.
Shoppers with an eye out for early festive gifting can also take advantage of fantastic prices on classic gifting lines such as Ferrero Rocher’s T24 Diamond, available for just £8.50 and offering retailers a POR of 15.3%.
Also, don’t miss Lindor Milk and Assorted cartons available in cases of eight 200g packs for a promotional WSP of £24.99. Packs are available to shoppers for an RSP of just £5, offering retailers a POR of 25%.
Christmas party season will also see Londis retailers offer their shoppers an array of great deals on big brand beer and cider multi-packs including Carlsberg
CADBURY MINI PUDS
Case size: 22x73g
Promo WSP: £24
RSP: Any 2 for £3
Promo POR: 34.2%
REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER TREES KINGSIZE
Case size: 24x68g
Promo WSP: £20.85
RSP: Any 2 for £2.50
Promo POR: 30%
KINDER JOY
Case size: 32x20g
Promo WSP: £25.99
RSP: Any 2 for £2.50
Promo POR: 34.6%
FERRERO ROCHER T24 DIAMOND
Case size: 6x300g
Promo WSP: £36
RSP: £8.50
Promo POR: 15.3%
STRONGBOW
Case size: 18x440ml
Promo WSP: £11.49
RSP: £16
Promo POR: 13.8%
Pilsner, Fosters and Strongbow.
Kicking off in NP9, Londis shoppers will be able to get their hands on 18-packs of 440ml cans of Strongbow for just £16 – offering shoppers a POR of 13.8%. What’s more, 18-packs of 440ml cans of Fosters will also be on offer to shoppers for £17, and Carlsberg Pilsner for £13.
With nine Group Exclusive lines and more than 190 new products, Londis retailers who took advantage of the 2024 Winter Pre-Sell will also be set for success this Christmas.
Some of the many new products available in the pre-sell this year included Malteser’s pre-filled mixed milk and mint Reindeer giant floor units which will give
retailers the chance to make PORs of more than 50%. Also new to the pre-sell were Nestlé Giant Tubes Units – featuring Smarties Giant Elf Tubes, Milkybar Buttons and more.
Retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers an array of fantastic prices on key branded lines thanks to a mountain of Mega Deals. Take the Group Exclusive 295g Aero Peppermint Block, for example. With an RSP of just £3.50, this giant-sized sharing bar is sure to be a hit with shoppers when it lands in store – and what’s more, it offers a tasty POR of 20%.
Other Mega Deals well worth calling out include 310g boxes of Maltesers with an RSP of just £4.50 – which will also earn retailers a POR of 20%.
Christmas crackers!
Christmas is a cracking time to have some fun in-store and liven up your social media pages. Read on for our top 10 suggestions for fun and simple activations you could try in-store and online this year.
1 Elf on the shelf
2 Staff fancy dress
3 Your pick of the best festive NPD
4 Christmas competitions
5 Festive windows
6 Christmas bake sales
7 Christmas in-store displays
8 Letters to Santa
9 In-store sampling: mince pies, pigs in blankets, Christmas cake
10 Festive products from local suppliers
SEASONAL UPDATE
Carve up pleasing sales and profits this Halloween
Londis has everything you need to make the most of the 2024 Halloween opportunity.
THE TOTAL UK SUGAR CONFECTIONERY MARKET IS WORTH £1.6BN
[IRI UNIFY]
CONFECTIONERY IS ONE OF THE TOP FIVE CATEGORIES PURCHASED ON IMPULSE IN CONVENIENCE STORES
[EUROMONITOR]
2023 WAS A RECORD YEAR FOR CONSUMER SPENDING ON HALLOWEEN, WITH EXPENDITURE TOPPING £1BN
[MINTEL]
Halloween has long since become a frightfully good opportunity to unearth additional footfall, sales and profits.
And that opportunity just keeps on getting bigger and better.
In fact, 2023 was a record year for consumer spending on Halloween, with expenditure topping £1bn, according to Mintel UK’s Halloween and Bonfire Night Report.
The rise, Mintel says, was driven by “a significant uptick” in spending from younger generations, with 16 to 34-year-olds the highest spending age group.
Offering your shoppers a broad range of SKUs that appeal to a range of different Halloween occasions is key to making the absolute most of the opportunity.
From ‘trick or treat’ offerings, to cakes and biscuits for Halloween parties, drinks, snacks and simple meal solutions for scary movie
CREATE JAW-DROPPING IMPACT
The Halloween season presents a cauldron of opportunities for retailers to brew up additional impulse sales, so good visibility, and wellpositioned, high-quality POS are key to make the most of it.
Perfetti Van Melle says that shoppers respond well to cross merchandised fixtures and clearly signposted sections in store that target specific occasions:
Counter-top units should ideally sit at arm’s reach from the main till point to drive impulse sales.
Front of store POS that sits at eye level can capture attention and increase impulse purchases.
Londis’ POS package for retailers this Halloween includes a raft of materials including posters, header cards, bunting, shelf strips, hanging panels and more.
The striking orange and yellow materials feature the ‘Happy Halloween!’ strapline along with eyeballs, pumpkins and cobwebs for added impact!
nights at home, the Halloween season offers a wealth of different shopper missions to profit from.
You also need to make sure that you offer broad range of SKUs that appeal to all shoppers – from sugar-free, to full sugar, vegan, nut-free, to wrapped, sharing and individual portions.
Fortunately for independent retailers, Halloween is also a key highlight on manufacturers’ new product development calendars – with a flood of innovative new lines launched in the runup to 31 October.
These new products are also ideal for making the most of the sizable impulse sales opportunity that Halloween always dishes up.
From novelty self-treats to ghoulish gifts and spooky sharing formats, Halloween products offer a wickedly good way to
boost footfall, sales and profits and also craft excitement in-store and online.
Londis retailers will be able to offer their shoppers a vast range of choice this Halloween season with a host of spooktacular themed products at headturning prices.
Look out for amazing value ‘2 for £2.50’ deals on McVities Jaffaween Cherry Cake Bars – the perfect addition to any Halloween tea party – and offering a POR of 32.9%!
Other teatime treats include Cadbury Goo Head Cake Bars for an RSP of just £1.50 and Cadbury Pumpkin Patch Cakes for £2.50, which offer PORs of 20.6% and 20% respectively.
Offering a terrific POR of 43.6% are also Mr Kipling Toffee Terror Whirls – available in cases of 10x6packs for a promotional WSP of £12.69.
#1 SHOT BRAND* THE UK’S
Trick or treaters can also get their claws on 650g Swizzles Sweet Shop tubs for just £5.99, offering retailers a treat of a POR at 29.9%.
The spooky season is also one of the best times of the year to brew up high-impact in-store theatre by showcasing new and novelty products and making the best use of all available POS.
Pumpkins also offer a great way to create high-impact shop floor or storefront displays. Londis retailers who made the most of the pre-sell will soon be taking delivery of their large Monster Pumpkin
Cages containing 36 units and offering PORs of 25%.
The spooky season also offers retailers a winning opportunity to engage with shoppers by putting on memorable themed events and competitions.
Why not run a kids’ fancy dress competition? It can work really well instore, or, if you don’t fancy flooding your floor with a hoard of little monsters, why not create a post on social media asking your shoppers to upload their Halloween pictures in the comments? The picture with the most likes gets a prize.
Frightful fun
Halloween is a cracking time to have some fun in-store and liven up your social media pages too! Here are our top suggestions for fun and simple activations you could try instore this Halloween:
Kids’ fancy dress competition
Staff fancy dress
Kids’ Halloween colouring competition
Face painting and Halloween tattoos.
Spooky dip
Halloween bake sale
Pumpkin carving and decorating
Product Code
Tassimo Costa American M293056
Tassimo Costa Cappuccino M293058
Tassimo Costa Latte M293062
Londis is offering retailers fantastic opportunities to maximise profits from the critical vaping category with long-term promotions delivering improved WSPs and PORs.
200+ vaping products
Fully compliant with all UK legislation
THE UK’S NO.1 CHILLED COFFEE*
*Nielsen 15/06/2024
RECHARGE YOUR VAPE SALES!
IVG Air 2 in 1 Starter Kit – Fully Rechargeable Device
NEW TO LONDIS!
Flavours: 3
WSP: £23.22
RSP: £9.99
POR: 44.2%
IVG Air 4 in 1 Starter Kit – Fully Rechargeable Device
NEW TO LONDIS!
Flavours: 3
WSP: £27.76
RSP: £12.99
Promo POR: 48.7%
IVG Air Refill Pods
NEW TO LONDIS!
Flavours: 12
WSP: £22.21
RSP: £4.95
POR: 46.2%
SKE Crystal 4-in-1 Starter Kit –Fully Rechargeable Device
NEW TO LONDIS!
Flavours: 10
WSP: £30.29
RSP: £12.99
POR: 44.0%
SKE Crystal Refill Pods
NEW TO LONDIS!
Flavours: 5
WSP: £40.39
RSP: £8.99
POR: 46.1%
Coming Soon!
Due in September – Vuse reload – two flavours
Due in September – Vuse EPOD 20mg – four new flavours
Due in September – Lost Mary BM6000 – nine flavours
Due in September – Zyn – three new flavours
Due in October – Nordic Spirit – two new flavours
Due in November – Vuse Go 1000 – five new flavours
I have a one-metre vape stand at the front of the store which is also a big footfall sales and profit driver. I run a ‘2 for £10’ promotion which shoppers respond very well to. It’s definitely a powerful promotional mechanic. Vape remains a key footfall driver, much more so than tobacco these days. Disposable products remain the biggest sellers by far.
Kanagasaban Jeyaruban
Londis Fairfax, Kidlington, Oxfordshire
No Londis retailer needs to be reminded of the importance of the vaping category after the last few years of stellar category performance.
While the vaping category took quite a few years to get into its stride, recent times have seen the category explode thanks to the success of key brands like Crystal, Lost Mary, Elf Bar and Gold Bar.
The category is also continuing to develop. New entrants are coming into the market and the existing key brands continue to innovate and offer exciting new options to retailers and their shoppers.
To help retailers meet demand, Londis has also put in place a long-term promotional package that delivers improved WSPs and enhanced PORs.
Take the New Lower price on SKE Crystal for example. Londis retailers can now snap up cases for a WSP of just £19.99 and sell them for an RSP of just £5.99 - making them a POR of 56.9%.
DISPOSABLE HEROES!
SKE Crystal
NEW LOWER PRICE!
Flavours: more than 23
Promo WSP: £19.99
RSP: £5.99
Promo POR: 56.9%
IVG 2400
NEW LOWER PRICE!
Flavours: more than 20
Promo WSP: £27.49
RSP: £12.49
Promo POR: 49.2%
Crystal Plus Device
NEW!
Flavours: 2
Promo WSP: £15
RSP: £6.99
Promo POR: 74.2%
SAVE £10.99
Lost Mary
Flavours: 18
Promo WSP: £22.99
RSP: £5.99
Promo POR: 53.9%
SAVE £4.50
Crystal Strip
Flavours: 10
Promo WSP: £13.99
RSP: £5.99
Promo POR: 72%
SAVE £11
Elf Bar v2
Flavours: 20
Promo WSP: £18.49
RSP: £5.99
Promo POR: 63%
SAVE £3
Gold Bar
Flavours: 12
Promo WSP: £18.99
RSP: £5.99
Promo POR: 62%
SAVE £4
Vape is a big footfall and sales driver. We display it at the front of our new service counter within two glass-fronted, rearreplenishing illuminated cabinets. It holds around nine metres of vape flavours and brands meaning that we can offer our shoppers the best choice around. I have large shelf-edge stripping branded in eyecatching yellow and black calling out the multi-buy deals which are a big driver of sales. I encourage my staff to discuss vape options with the existing vape shoppers and tobacco shoppers looking to switch. They are well trained in discussing key facts like the number of puffs, pricing, flavours, recycling and other benefits of switching.
and tobacco shoppers looking to switch. They are well trained in discussing key
Sugesh Jegasothy Londis Box, Wiltshire
Add 2% to your tobacco PORs
With all your vaping profits maximised, don’t forget that you can also add 2% to your tobacco category PORs by joining the Londis Tobacco Club.
By simply selling Tobacco Club products at or below the manufacturer’s RSP, you can add an extra 2% POR on sales of Tobacco Club products, all of which are high cash value lines.
To join the Londis Tobacco Club or to find out more, please speak to your RDM.
And with many shoppers still defaulting to the ‘Cheapest On Display’ option, Londis retailers should be aware that Lucky Strike cigarettes now carry an RSP of just £11.40, making them very attractive to shoppers, and are available at a WSP of just £89.45 which means that retailers secure improved PORs of 5.8%.
There’s also the IVG 2400 device which has a case WSP of £27.49 and an RSP of £12.49.
MARGIN MAKERS
In addition to being a strong footfall driver, the vaping category, as all Londis retailers know, also delivers exceptional PORs and cash profits.
PORs often start at around 40% or 50% – but thanks to Londis’s long-term promotional programme, these can rise to more than 70%.
Popular brands like Elf Bar and Gold Bar are also available at special promotional WSPs to help deliver PORs of over 63% while 32 flavours of Crystal are available on a deal that delivers PORs of 56.9%.
The new Crystal Plus device, for example, is a prefilled pod kit available in two flavours – Passion Guava and Blue Fusion – that both carry promotional WSPs of just £15, a saving of £10.99, which delivers PORs of 74.2% when sold at the RSP of £5.99.
FRESH CHOICE
As well as providing retailers with exceptional promotional pricing, Londis is also continuing to provide retailers with access to brand-new lines to help keep the category fresh and exciting for existing vape shoppers as-well as adult smokers who are migrating into the category.
The Crystal Plus device is new to market, while Booker has recently listed a range of new fully rechargeable devices and pods from key brands like SKE Crystal and IVG Air - ideal for beginning the journey of migrating your shoppers over to rechargeable solutions.
It’s also important to remember that all vaping products sold by Londis are also fully compliant with all relevant UK legislation.
Don’t forget too that you can now earn up to 5% Spend & Save discount on vape purchases.
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to stock up and watch those profits roll in!
A BUBBLY BOOST
FOR THOSE FESTIVE GET-TOGETHERS
new products
F'REAL NESTLE
JACK'S VAC PAC MINCE
MCVITIE'S JAFFA CAKES COLA BOTTLE
PROFIT! JAM PACKED WITH
v+20.6% alue sales YOY in the impulsechannel
new products
SNAX
MEET THE BUYER
Say ‘hello’ to...
Name: Amy Leahy
Title: Category Planning Manager
This issue we catch up with Category Planning Manager Amy Leahy to learn more about the vital role she plays in helping maximise BWS sales and profits for retailers.
AMY, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF…
I’m Amy and I’m a Category Planning Manager specialising in BWS. I’ve only been in the role for just over a month, so I’m still settling in, although I have been with Booker for over six years, working in a variety of category management and category planning roles. Before that I worked as a store supervisor in Sainsbury’s so it’s fair to say, retail is very much in my blood!
WHAT PROMPTED YOUR MOVE TO BOOKER?
I really enjoyed my job at Sainsbury’s but I was very much at the sharp end in-store. I can range and merchandise a store like nobody’s business, but I had no control over what we
were doing, how we were doing it or even why we were doing it. I saw that Booker were advertising for category staff so I sent in my CV and basically asked what jobs were going! I actually didn’t get the job I applied for but I was offered a role as a Category Assistant, so I jumped at it.
IT WAS IN BWS?
Yes, that’s right. I did that for a couple of years before being offered a job as a Category Manager Designate in Packaged Retail Food, which I really enjoyed, then about a year later I got my first full Category Manager’s job working in Retail Non Food. Then, about a month ago, I took on my new dream role of Category Planning Manager for BWS – and I’m loving it!
CIDER
WHAT DOES A CATEGORY PLANNING MANAGER DO?
Essentially, a Category Planning Manager’s job is to make sure that the right products are promoted at the right time in the right way. In reality, what that means is that my role is to liaise between everyone to make sure that we deliver a joined-up approach to managing the BWS category. We also provide a lot of support to the various members of the BWS department and the wider company in terms of sourcing and providing market research, insight, trend data and so on to make sure that the products and promotions we are offering to our customers are in line with what today’s consumers are looking for. I work with Category Managers, Category Buyers, the web team, the PR and comms team – everyone, really!
SOUNDS LIKE A BUSY AND VARIED ROLE?
It’s incredibly busy and varied and, as the cliché goes, no two days are the same. BWS is a challenging category at the moment, as everyone knows, so we need to make sure that the support we
About Amy
Amy Leahy is a Category Planning Manager and has been working at Booker for the last six years.
Prior to joining Booker, Amy started her career in retail as a supervisor in Sainsbury’s where she developed a keen interest in category planning. She then joined Booker working initially as an Assistant in the Beers, Wines and Spirits (BWS) department. Having gained a couple of years’ experience in the role, she accepted a new role as Category Manager Designate for Packaged Retail Food before moving into her first full Category Manager’s role, this time working in Retail Non Food.
Just over a month ago, Amy rejoined the BWS team as Category Planning Manager and is thoroughly enjoying her new role.
are providing is helping everyone pull in the same direction and deliver the best possible promotions on the best possible products at the right time.
AND CATEGORY PLANNING MANAGER ROLES
ARE QUITE NEW AT BOOKER?
Yes, they were only introduced for the first time about a year ago. Tesco has had Category Planning Managers for much longer and it was clear that Booker’s efficiency and performance in terms of how it serves its customers could
M296273
M296279
M296274
M296276
M296275
be enhanced by adopting a similar structure. We now have Category Planning Managers at Booker for all categories.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
At the moment I’m working on our enhanced promotional programme for our customers and also on growing awareness of the new lines we’re making available through a programme of advertising and education. Booker is able to offer an exceptional NPD programme through Group Exclusives, firstto-markets, own brand and so on, so it’s vital that we make our customers aware of these lines and deals as quickly and efficiently as possible to help them maximise the benefit they get. We also formally review the performance of activity and campaigns.
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
Well, we do a lot of activity and promotions and programmes and so on and it’s critical that we understand how well they worked. If they worked really well, why? If they didn’t work as well as we’d hoped, why not? We then go back to Category Managers to share our findings and in that way we are continually learning and developing. Everything we learn – good and bad – can then be used to help drive constant improvements in performance over time.
IS CHRISTMAS KEEPING YOU BUSY?
Absolutely, and that’s a great example of what I’ve just been talking about. We have been working hard to take learnings from last year’s Christmas campaigns to make sure that we can deliver even better campaigns this year. It’s a complex challenge with lots of moving parts, but it helps us to continually improve
the offer we deliver for our customers and help them grow footfall, sales and profits.
DO YOU WORK DIRECTLY WITH SUPPLIERS?
Typically, I only deal with very large suppliers. The Category Managers deal with suppliers on a daily basis but usually I only get involved with larger suppliers and that’s generally around helping them plan their expenditure with us to help them get the biggest bang for their buck and maximise the benefit that gets delivered to retailers.
WHAT DOES 2025 HOLD IN STORE?
Being so new to the role, I’m still very much getting up to speed but for 2025 I have a lot of work ahead of me. I’m planning to bring as much structure as I can to the whole process so that I can give the Category Managers everything they need to do their job as effectively and efficiently as possible. They are extremely busy people so it’s up to me to provide them with the framework, insight, research and support they need to continue to deliver a top-quality service to our customers.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE ENJOYING YOUR NEW ROLE?
I’m loving it! It’s very satisfying to see the fruits of your hard work playing out in the real world. That’s what I like most about the job. I can see the benefit of the work and time I put in because it’s there in front of me in black and white and when I see something I’ve personally worked on delivering better products and better deals for our customers, I can’t help feeling a little bit of pride. I am so excited about the future and how we can keep delivering for our customers.
CATEGORY UPDATE
CMA Pricing Practices Update
The Competition and Markets Authority recently completed an investigation into pricing practices and has issued official correspondence to independent retailers.
You may have seen recent press coverage about consumer pricing in symbol and convenience stores. This is a result of an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) working alongside Trading Standards.
The CMA found a number of examples of poor and misleading pricing in some symbol/convenience stores. No stores were named but the CMA is clearly concerned and are expecting Trading Standards to take particular interest in the way pricing is displayed and communicated to shoppers.
We need to let you know about this because the CMA have the power to issue fines and in the worst cases bring criminal prosecutions.
Trading Standards also has wide ranging powers to issue fines. We very much want
you as our retailers to be up to speed and not accidentally running into problems like that.
We would please request that you, as the business owner, read the guidance on the following pages.
It is really important that you ensure that all of your staff and colleagues in your business also see it, read it and understand it and that new staff are fully trained. It’s very likely that the CMA will come back to this subject in a few months to see if things have improved.
Part of the strength of the Londis brand is the great standard of in-store operations by retailers.
We thank you for reading this and taking action where it might be needed.
You must clearly display the total selling price in writing. It should be obvious to your customers what the price is, without them having to get help from a member of staff. Prices should: be clearly displayed; be easy to read; be close to the relevant product; and match what the customer is charged at the till.
Do
Do
Do
Get social!
Give your social media some Christmas sparkle!
The run-up to the festive season is the perfect time to spruce up your social media output.
It looks like it’s going to be a great asset, I’m very much looking forward to using it.
Ashton Londis Promenade
BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA:
It’s FREE! Connect with your local community
Reach new customers
Drive footfall
Christmas! All retailers will surely agree that the festive season is the biggest and brightest highlight of the calendar year and the big ticket to merry footfall, sales and profits. So the Christmas lead-up is the perfect time to take your store’s social media to the next level.
Social media offers the ideal way to reach and engage with current and new customers, shout about your fantastic deals, show off your festive-looking store and have some fun!
Finding the time to manage social media networks can be challenging enough at the best of times, and even more so during busy periods, such as the run-up to Christmas.
That’s why Booker has recently relaunched a fantastic solution that can help to dial down the pressure – making
the posting of regular, high-quality content to multiple social media networks quicker and easier than ever before.
SocioConnect is an innovative solution that lets retailers manage all of their social media content across all popular networks all from a single app.
1. You can opt in to use Booker’s centrally produced posts on your own social pages – either all posts, or just cherry pick those that relate to your store!
2. Manage all your social platforms from one place – no more logging into separate networks.
3. Message customers directly and respond to their messages.
Stay social savvy
When used correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for engaging shoppers and your local community. A particularly popular promotional mechanic used by many convenience retailers these days is the ‘like and share’ competition. To be in with a chance of winning, this type of competition requires shoppers to like and share a store’s post with their friends and family and, if the prize is tempting enough, can often result in soaring page ‘likes’, heightened shopper engagement and reach.
However, the power of ‘like and share’-style competitions is sadly not being lost on the criminal fraternity.
Unfortunately, independent retailers are increasingly being plagued by scammers trying to impersonate their stores’ official social media pages with a view to scamming unwitting shoppers.
And ‘like and share’-style competitions appear to be their targets of choice.
A quick trawl of Facebook reveals numerous examples of stores impacted by the problem of fake Facebook profiles, including Natalie Lightfoot’s Londis Solo store in Glasgow.
Natalie has experienced scammers
launching fake pages imitating her store after she has posted like and share competitions. Often, these fake pages will target shoppers who have liked and shared legitimate store posts – falsely claiming that they have won the competition and asking them to provide personal or financial information.
To help fight the problem, vigilance is key – especially when posting legitimate ‘like and share’-style competitions.
It’s a good idea to always add a disclaimer to your post warning shoppers to be careful of fake accounts.
You can also add that the winner will only ever be announced on your store’s official Facebook page and the date on which the announcement will be made.
It’s also advisable to keep a close eye on your store’s Facebook page after posting any ‘like and share’-style competitions, so that should scammers try to target you, immediate action can be taken.
Posting a nice picture of your official winner in-store collecting their prize is also a great way to highlight the legitimacy of your page and your competition – and have some fun!
FAKE PAGE – WHAT TO DO?
1. Immediately report the fake account or page. For Facebook, it can be reported as a fake page or as a fraud or scam.
2. Go to the impersonating profile or page.
3. Click on the three dots below the cover photo.
4. If you’re reporting a page, select ‘Find support or report page’. If you’re reporting a profile, select ‘Find support or report profile’.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions for impersonation to file a report.
6. Inform your followers of the impersonating page/account.
7. Ask your team and shoppers to also report the fake page if possible – more reports help to get fake accounts taken down.
OTHER WAYS TO GET OUR CONTENT
Download centrally produced content from the web:
Visit booker.co.uk-> Promotions -> Digital Marketing
Like our pages @mylondis & share our content! Sign up here:
socioimplementation.com/booker-stores-signup
Jack’s range keeps on growing
Booker’s Jack’s own-brand range continues to grow, offering retailers yet more opportunities to offer shoppers great value and fantastic quality as well as delivering strong PORs.
The exclusive Jack’s own-brand range is now firmly established as a key element of any Londis store’s offer thanks to its outstanding combination of fantastic value and exceptional quality for shoppers as well as strong PORs for retailers.
The Jack’s range now features products across all major product categories and allows retailers to offer great-value, affordable alternatives to their shoppers every day of the week.
New Jack’s lines
New Euro Shopper lines
Booker continues to invest in developing the range to help retailers drive footfall, sales and profits and has recently announced the exciting launch of another eight new Jack’s lines. The new lines have been carefully considered to meet evolving shopper needs and to help retailers cash in on developing trends.
New Jack’s Ready To Top Pizza Bases, for example, allow retailers to take advantage of a growing segment of the market. Out-ofhome consumption of pizza is rising significantly so the launch of these new bases helps shoppers replicate that experience at home.
With an RSP of just £1.65, the new lines deliver fantastic value for shoppers as well as the high quality that they have come to expect of the Jack’s brand. Equally importantly, the Jack’s Ready To Top Pizza Bases deliver PORs of 30.0% for retailers.
The new Jack’s Garlic Flatbread will also help to boost basket spend among shoppers planning on replicating the Italian restaurant experience at home. Garlic bread is one of the most popular meal accompaniments, with garlic flatbreads in particular showing huge growth. The new line offers retailers excellent PORs of 30.2%.
For shoppers in the mood for a home-cooked Spaghetti Bolognese at home, one of the most popular dishes of all, the new Jack’s Beef Mince is just the job. The fully traceable beef
mince is suitable for home freezing and carries an impressive extended shelf life of nine days, helping reduce the risk of wastage for both shoppers and retailers.
At an RSP of just £2.99 for a 300g pack, it also offers outstanding value for your shoppers.
And if shoppers want to add a little extra flavour to their Bolognese – or just enjoy a classic sandwich – the new Jack’s Bacon range is just what they need. Available in both smoked and unsmoked variants, the range is very competitively priced at £2.19 per 300g pack and is available to retailers in single cases.
With Christmas looking on the horizon, Jack’s is also helping retailers cash in with the launch of new Jack’s Mince Pies. At just £1.75 for a 6-pack, the new line should help drive impulse sales in the run up to the big day.
EGGS-CITING LAUNCH
In addition to the new Jack’s lines, Booker has also unveiled a new range of Euro Shopper Mixed Weight Barn Eggs. Available in both 15- and 6-packs, the eggs deliver unbelievable value with RSPs of just £3.75 and £1.65 respectively.
Both lines provide PORs of 30.0%, ensuring that the new everyday lines will be as popular with retailers as they are with shoppers.
TOBACCO-FREE NICOTINE POUCH NO.1 NICOTINE POUCH IN THE UK*
* Based on NielsenIQ RMS data for the Nicotine Pouches category for the 18-month period ending 30/12/2023 for the UK total retail market (Copyright © 2023, NielsenIQ).
** This product is not risk-free and contains nicotine, an addictive substance. For adult nicotine consumers only. For tobacco trade use only. Not to be left in sight of consumers.
Waste not want not
Secure significant savings with Booker’s waste management deal
Working with its waste management partner Collect My Waste, Booker is helping Londis retailers save an average of 35% on waste management fees.
BENEFITS:
Instant quote showing best price for each service
Booker Group exclusive discount on every collection
Easy-to-use app that holds all your data and invoices in one place
Connected, realtime updates about your collections
Environmentallyfriendly with realtime analytics reported
FAQs
HOW DO I OBTAIN A QUOTE?
Visit collectmywaste.com and use the ‘BOOKERWASTE’ code and your Booker customer number for a free, discounted quote, and follow the quick and easy steps.
WHAT TYPES OF WASTE CAN I GET COLLECTED?
General waste, dry mixed recycling, cardboard, food waste and glass.
WHAT BINS OR CONTAINERS CAN YOU PROVIDE?
A variety of wheelie bin and front-end loader containers are available in all sizes to suit your needs. A skip hire service is also available.
ONCE I HAVE MY QUOTE AND HAVE AGREED TO PROCEED, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?
Once your services are set up and processed, you will be contacted by your Collect My Waste Account Manager to discuss any further specific requirements. A welcome email will be sent confirming all relevant details such as delivery date, collection schedule and contact details.
WHEN WILL I NEED TO MAKE MY FIRST PAYMENT?
Your first payment will be taken by credit/debit card or Direct Debit shortly before the service starts.
HOW CAN I REQUEST AN EXTRA COLLECTION OR ARRANGE FOR EXCESS WASTE TO BE CLEARED?
You can request an emergency collection or arrange for excess waste to be cleared via your online account or by contacting our customer service department on 01992 765260.
AM I ABLE TO VIEW MY ACCOUNT INFORMATION AND COLLECTION HISTORY?
Yes. All information will be readily available to you via a quick and easy-touse online portal where you can view all your important waste and recycling statistics.
HOW DO I KEEP UP TO DATE ON THE PROGRESS OF MY COLLECTIONS?
You can contact Collect My Waste at any time to discuss any issues but as soon as you’ve downloaded the app, you will receive notifications on the morning of each waste collection day indicating which collection(s) are due. Similarly, in the afternoon, notifications confirming that collection(s) were done.
Every penny that Londis retailers can save on their costs helps boost profits and build stronger businesses – and Booker is helping you do exactly that with a Group exclusive deal which will help you make significant cost savings on waste management.
Working with its waste management partner Collect My Waste, Booker has secured a deal that helps Londis retailers gain access to better prices for the collection of general waste, mixed recycling and much more.
The average saving per store is 35%, with some stores saving up to 69%.
The service is available via a simple, easy-to-use app and website – collectmywaste.com - which provides instant quotes showing the best prices for each service, including a Booker Group exclusive discount.
Simply choose the service you require and you will be kept up to date in real time on the progress of your collection, helping you organise your team and maximise efficiency.
Collections are made by professional, friendly drivers who know their way around and can ensure fast, no-fuss pick-ups to let you get back to the business of running a great store and focusing your attention on your business and your shoppers.
and conditions
Make your voice heard
Opportunities abound under reshaped government
With more new MPs at the Houses of Parliament than returning MPs, opportunities abound to engage with politicians on key subjects affecting our sector.
As the dust settles on the surprise election of July this year, there are now hundreds of new MPs getting their feet under the table and working out how to prioritise the dozens of issues and concerns that get put in front of them on a weekly basis. In fact, there are more new MPs in parliament in 2024 (335) than there are returning ones (315), so the whole face of decision making in the House of Commons has changed.
During the election campaign, we were fortunate to be able to count on dozens of retailers who arranged store visits in their constituencies with prospective parliamentary candidates, many of whom are now settling into their offices in Westminster. We were also fortunate to be able to meet with several new MPs during our Heart of the Community reception just days after the election, and the one thing that came across from everyone throughout was that there is an energy and a willingness to engage with the business community.
Once the summer recess is over and we move toward the first fiscal event of the new government, engagement with new MPs is going to be absolutely crucial. There are rumblings about widespread reform of business
rates and a sense that the nation’s finances are worse than expected, suggesting tax rises on the horizon. Labour have committed to not raising income tax, national insurance or VAT, but have said little about business taxation.
Taken together, I cannot stress enough how important it is for us and for you to be explaining in detail how the costs that affect your business can stack up. It is often the case that changes to costs like business rates, or National Living Wage, are considered in a vacuum away from product regulations – the most significant of which will be the ban on disposable vapes in April 2025 – so presenting the impact of these costs together is important in highlighting how much they can change the outlook and investment potential of a convenience store business in the future.
Our sector has a great story to tell, and with many of the same faces in power for over a decade it’s been easy to think that decision makers know all about the value that we bring in communities, as job creators, and as local investment hubs, but this is a new parliament with more than 300 new faces, so reminding MPs about why convenience stores are at the heart of their communities has to be our top priority.
