ShelfLife Magazine December 2021

LARGEST INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED GROCERY TRADE CIRCULATION IN IRELAND

December 2021

A stellar performance Karl Fitzgerald of Applegreen Rathcoole crowned Supreme Champion at the ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards 2021

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Marketing Christmas cheer New entrants join the Christmas ads hall of fame

Greencore dilemma Dan White takes an unflinching look at the convenience producer’s performance to date

CONVENIENCE RETAILING • OFF-TRADE • SUPERMARKETS • NEWSAGENCY • FORECOURT

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OPINION 3

ShelfLife December 2021 Vol. 28 No.12

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our hard-working readers!

Editor GILLIAN HAMILL (01) 294 7776 gillian.hamill@mediateam.ie Staff journalist JULIA O’REILLY (01) 294 7709 julia.oreilly@mediateam.ie

Publisher JOHN McDONALD (01) 294 7744 john.mcdonald@mediateam.ie

As another busy year draws to a close, this month’s cover story perfectly sums up our sector’s efforts to maintain excellent standards for customers throughout all the challenges posed by Covid-19.

Whereas last year, we held a digital ceremony, ShelfLife was delighted to once again be able to hold our Grocery Management Awards in-person, with all the excitement and anticipation that the night entails – not to mention a great reason to get the glad rags on once more!

Unfortunately, our relative return to normality was somewhat short-lived, and last month we decided to postpone the ShelfLife C-Store Awards to ensure the safety of all involved.

As ShelfLife publisher John McDonald said at the time: “Although we have all been looking forward to a great night out, the safe and right thing to do is to run the event at a later date when the Covid-19 outbreak is less prevalent.”

On the plus side though, we now have another fun event to look forward to next year with a fantastic opportunity to catch up with colleagues when it is safe to do so.

At this time of year, our readers are busier than ever and disruption to Christmas supplies is the last thing any retailer wants to face. We therefore sincerely hope that the reported potential strike threats in the UK at Tesco and Asda will be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction – and hopefully by the time you hold this very issue in your hands. For more on this developing story, turn to page 25.

In the meantime, on behalf of all the team at ShelfLife, I would like to wish you all a most merry Christmas and prosperous New Year – you certainly deserve it!

Printing W & G Baird Ltd

Gillian Hamill, editor, ShelfLife magazine

Contributors CAROLINE REIDY FIONNUALA CAROLAN BARRY WHELAN COLIN GORDON Head of business IAN MULVANEY (01) 294 7766 ian.mulvaney@mediateam.ie Account manager MARK MORGAN (01) 294 7767 mark.morgan@mediateam.ie Circulation subs@mediateam.ie

ShelfLife is a controlled circulation magazine, available to selected individuals with interests in the retail and wholesale grocery trade, who fall within the publisher’s terms of control.

For those outside these terms, annual subscription is €98.00 including postage & packing.

Contents December 18

16

20

42

COVER STORY 27

ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards 2021: Featuring all the winning managers from this year’s gala GMA’s ceremony

NEWS&ANALYSIS Managing Director JOHN McDONALD; Sales Director PAUL BYRNE Operations Director BILLY HUGGARD Published monthly by Mediateam Ltd., 55 Spruce Avenue, Sandyford, Dublin 18.

A94 RP22 Telephone (01) 294 7776 Fax (01) 294 7799 ISSN: 1393 0753

4 6 10 26 60

News grid Seen and heard CSNA news Food focus NOffLA news

FEATURES&REPORTS 14 Dan White: With Greencore’s

Circulation audited by Audit Bureau of Circulations.

ShelfLife is a member of Magazines Ireland

chief executive Patrick Coveney set to leave at the end of March, Dan White takes an unflinching look at the company’s performance to date

16 Spar store profile: Julia O’Reilly caught up with Padraig Broderick, owner of Broderick’s Spar in Croom, Co. Limerick, to discuss revamps, social media, and the importance of a good team

18 Christmas classics: Fionnuala Carolan looks at the new entrants in the Christmas ads hall of fame

20 Mace store profile: Retailer Donnchadh McCarthy is basking in the success of his impressive store redesign in north Cork

ADVISOR 12 Recruitment 22 HR 24 Marketing

MARKETING& CATEGORY FOCUS 42 Best of the Year 52 Vaping 56 Weight Management

4

NEWS

NEWSGRID The top news stories in FMCG Tesco Ireland to buy 10 Joyce’s supermarkets stores in Galway

and retail from across Ireland

Aldi to open 30 new stores in multi-million expansion

Pat Joyce, Tesco Ireland has signed a MD of Joyce’s deal to buy ten Joyce’s Supermarkets Supermarkets outlets in Galway for an undisclosed sum. The ten supermarkets, which currently operate under the Joyce’s independent family brand, will be rebranded and designed as Tesco stores on a phased basis during 2020. Currently, the deal is subject to approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). If approved, the supermarket staff will become Tesco Ireland employees when the deal is complete. Pat Joyce, managing director of Joyce’s Supermarkets, said the deal was a historic moment for his business.

Dunnes Stores continues c-store expansion within Dublin area Dunnes Stores is continuing to roll out smaller suburban stores in Dublin. The company is believed to have paid around €9 million for the Magic Carpet pub site, where its new c-store is based, nearby its flagship Cornelscourt store. The Irish Times reports that market sources have suggested this could be a blocking strategy against the arrival of a competing supermarket.

Fresh The Good Food Market launches new ‘Select’ format Fresh The Good Food Market has opened the doors to its latest store in Dublin named ‘Select’. The premium convenience retailer has taken over the former M&S Simply Food in Dublin’s Heuston station, after being invited by CIE to create a store that suited the station’s commercial mix.

Gerry Dalton, assistant station master and Noel Smith, founder and MD of Fresh The Good Food Market

Aldi has pledged to invest €320 million over the next three years in a bid to grow its share of the Irish grocery market. The investment drive will see the retailer open 30 new stores across the country. Aldi has already invested in its 149 Irish stores and distribution network but is set to increase its investment in Ireland by more than 75% over the next three years compared to 2019-2021.

New Aldi stores will open in Cahersiveen, Ballina, Clonakilty Castlecomer, Ardee, Athenry and Tuam.

Deliveroo pilots expansion of late night service in Dublin Leading food-delivery company Deliveroo has responded to an increase in demand for late night food orders by piloting the expansion of late-night delivery at weekends from popular restaurants in Dublin.

Customers can now have food delivered to their door via Deliveroo riders until as late as 4am.

According to Deliveroo data, late night ordering has grown on average 140% between 2020 and 2021.

Nearly half of people surveyed intend to shop online for Christmas dinner In Ireland 46% of people plan to purchase at least part of their food for Christmas dinners online this year, according to a new PayPal Grocery Trends Study 2021. The survey of 1,000 Irish consumers found that half (53%) do not feel comfortable shopping in a crowd of people and 36% do not feel comfortable using cash or touching a keypad to enter their PIN going forward. According to the research, 35% are shopping for groceries online for home delivery more often and 92% say they intend to continue ordering food online in the future.

61% not planning to socialise in other households this Christmas Aldi, Dunnes and Tesco are the top three grocery retailers Irish people plan to visit for their big food shop this Christmas. This is according to content marketing agency Zahra’s end-of-year consumer sentiment report of 6,017 Irish consumers. The research also found that 61% of participants are not planning to socialise in other households over the festive break due to Covid 19.

Paul Dixon, senior director retail operations; Edel Hogan, site manager; Paula Raleigh, area manager

Deposit Return Scheme expected to be operational

by Q3 next year

Circle K opens new service station in Newcastle West

Minister Eamon Ryan has signed the legislative regulations for a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Ireland for plastic bottles and aluminium cans, which will come into force next year. Further engagement is required with stakeholders, to decide on the operating body and to fix the rate of the deposit to be paid on in-scope bottles and cans. The scheme is expected to become operational in Quarter 3 of 2022.

Circle K recently opened the newest station in its nationwide company-owned network, Circle K Newcastle West, Co. Limerick. The official opening celebration took place on 25 November. The new site is situated on the N21 Limerick to Kerry Road and will cater for significant volumes of people travelling on this route daily. The opening of Circle K Newcastle West brings the total number of Circle K’s company owned stores to 170 nationwide. ■

For more details on all the above and the latest grocery-related news as it happens, visit www.shelflife.ie.

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

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6

SEEN AND HEARD

Bushmills unveils new dedicated bottle and packaging for iconic single malts

As long-standing leaders in Irish whiskey, Bushmills has the most awarded Irish single malt portfolio

Bushmills Irish Whiskey has unveiled a new bottle and pack for its iconic single malts. The range includes 10, 16, and 21 Year Old references which are now available across the island of Ireland.

In an era of unprecedented global growth for the premium single malt category, the new pack provides a distinctive platform to showcase Bushmills single malts’ timeless excellence and underlines Bushmills’ pre-eminence as the original single malt Irish whiskey from the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.

A stone’s throw from the Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, the Giant’s Causeway has been a source of inspiration to Bushmills for centuries. The new bottle, designed by New York agency Stranger and Stranger, is broad-shouldered and angular, taking inspiration from the legendary columns and integrates subtle features such as its hexagonal punt mirroring the Causeway stones.

Vibrant colours across the range bring a contemporary elegance while discrete embossing on the side panels honours Bushmills’ 1608 heritage and iconic pot still. Quality crafted parchment labels are complemented by varnished wooden cork closures for the 10 and 16 Year Old while a bold matt black zamac cap sets off the gunmetal label and gold features of the iconic 21 Year Old. Bushmills’ master distiller Colum Egan is proud to put his signature to the new single malt bottles

SuperValu’s Deermuid the Deer encourages the nation to ‘Share the Magic’ this Christmas

SuperValu’s new heart-warming Christmas advertisement features Deermuid the Deer and little Aoife

SuperValu’s new 2021 Christmas advertisement, ‘Share the Magic’, featuring Deermuid the Deer and nine-year-old Aoife, is sure to warm hearts across the country this festive period and gives a subtle nod to the country’s resilience over the past 18 months.

This year’s advert captures the true belief and magic of Christmas as Deermuid finds himself in unknown territory, hurt and struggling to make his way back to normal life. Little Aoife wakes up early one morning to find the wounded deer in her back garden, and nurses him back to health to resume his normal duties of helping Santa.

“We are excited to release our 2021 Christmas ad and hope that viewers across the country can connect with and find moments of belief and joy in Deermuid the Deer, little Aoife and the community of children that support them,” said SuperValu’s retail marketing manager, Shane Lynch.

“The advert demonstrates that there is always magic to share at Christmas and I’m confident that this will certainly win the hearts of the nation.”

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Nordic Spirit offers an experience to savour Fika. Have you heard of it?

It’s a Nordic term which translates to slowing down, taking a break, having a coffee and making time to be truly present in the moment.

With Nordic Spirit*, consumers can really enjoy that catch-up. With no smoke, no vapour and no fuss, your consumers can savour the experience.

The brand therefore advises retailers to stock up today and make the most of every moment. *(18+. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance.)

Nordic Spirit delivers “no smoke, no vapour and no fuss”

Special Olympics Ireland and Gala Retail want people to get freezin’ for a reason!

Long-term sponsor of Special Olympics Ireland, Gala Retail, has announced its support of this year’s Polar Plunge, assisting in the promotion of the event and funding branded merchandise for registered participants to help make this year’s event bigger and better than ever. The event will help to raise muchneeded funds for Special Olympics athletes to help them get back to the clubs and sport they love.

Gala Retail joined international soccer player and Special Olympics ambassador, Stephanie Roche, to help launch the Polar Plunge supported by Gala Retail which will take place at Sandycove Pier on 4 December at 11am, as well as taking place virtually from 10 – 12 December, allowing participants to take on the challenge at their own local pool, beach or lake.

“As a platinum sponsor of Special Olympics Ireland, Gala Retail is thrilled to extend our partnership to support the Polar Plunge this year,” said CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond.

Those who think they are brave enough to take the Polar Plunge can register at www.specialolympics.ie/polarplunge. A donation of €25 will gain you access to the ‘coolest’ event of the year, as well as an exclusive Polar Plunge T-shirt. People can also take part virtually, by signing up online, sharing their plunges and nominating friends to take part on social media.

International striker and Peamont United footballer Stephanie Roche, second from left, alongside ‘Bear Chillis’ and CEO of Gala Retail Gary Desmond and Special Olympics athletes, from left, Lorcan Tully, Eoin Tully and Edel Armstrong

SEEN AND HEARD

Kerrygold expands range with two new products Ornua, the owner of Kerrygold has launched two new products, Kerrygold Spreadable and Kerrygold Unsalted Irish Butter, as part of its aim to further its market share and strengthen its position in the butter and spreads category in Ireland.

Kerrygold Spreadable targets consumers who trust the great taste of Kerrygold products and are looking for the convenience of being spreadable straight from the fridge.

Kerrygold Unsalted Irish Butter is expertly churned to offer a premium quality option for home baking enthusiasts.

To support the launch of both products, a fully integrated marketing campaign including TVC, digital, social, print, out-ofhome advertising and shopper marketing took place throughout the year, reaching 1.4 million Irish consumers.

Further information on Kerrygold’s new products can be found at ShelfLife.ie.

7

Bewley’s barista is one of world’s best

Bewley’s barista and 2019 Irish Barista Champion, Wojciech Tysler, placed sixth at the World Barista Championships in Milan, Italy.

Wojciech competed against champions from all around the world to get to the final event, which saw the top baristas make espressos, milk drinks and original signature drinks to exacting standards.

Wojciech’s signature beverage was Fruity Coffee IPA, which blended passion fruit, Galia melon, pink grapefruit, and pink peppercorn flavours with six shots of espresso to create a truly unique coffee expression.

“The fact that we have produced one of the world’s greatest baristas validates all the time, effort and investment we put into helping our customers and staff to be the best they can be, which results in consumers enjoying a world-class Bewley’s coffee experience,” said Jason Doyle, managing director of Bewley’s. “We look forward to welcoming Wojciech home and celebrating with him in style.”

The launch of new products further strengthens Kerrygold’s status in Ireland

SuperValu makes big changes to sustainable packaging in the fruit and veg aisle SuperValu’s own-brand bananas have moved to 100% recyclable packaging. The bananas, which were previously packaged in plastic bags, can now be found in simple paper bands made from white Kraft paper which consists entirely of primary fibres.

The new packaging bands, which can be disposed of in the household green bin, will see a significant reduction of single use plastic across all 223 Supervalu stores, diverting a massive 5.61 tonnes of plastic from landfill annually.

Along with own-brand bananas, SuperValu introduced sustainable packaging changes to Signature Taste potatoes and own-brand organic Irish carrots as part of its sustainable packaging strategy to make 100% of its own-brand and fresh fruit and vegetable packaging recyclable, Own-brand bananas, Signature Taste reusable or compostable potatoes and organic carrots have moved by 2025. to sustainable packaging

Irish shoppers plan to shop local this Christmas, research finds Supporting local businesses this Christmas is a top priority for Irish consumers, as 80% consider shopping local more important now than ever before. This comes from SuperValu, which commissioned Red C and Shoptalk to examine consumer trends ahead of Christmas.

The survey found 82% of consumers intend to buy more local and Irish produce this Christmas, while 66% feel better about their purchasing decisions when they buy Irish and local. Another 46% said they will consciously buy more Irish groceries this year.

Over three quarters of respondents said they shop local to support the local economy, local jobs, Irish brands, and businesses. What’s more, 87% look out for Guaranteed Irish labels when shopping.

63% of respondents cite turkey as their essential dish for the Christmas dinner main

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife December 2021

8

SEEN AND HEARD

Meade Farm triumphs at Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards The Meade family’s passion for potatoes in all shapes and forms was evident at the recent Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards; the company scooped three Gold Awards for its Meade Farm Fresh Skinny Chips, Fresh Chunky Chips and Potato Starch, as well as a Silver Award for its White Potatoes. In addition, its Potato Starch won Foodservice Product of the Year. This new product offers Irish customers the opportunity to use an Irish-made, gluten-free thickening, binding and baking agent for the first time. It is more efficient than corn starch when used as a thickener and gives fried foods a light, crispy texture and baked goods a light, fluffy texture. This product is one of the most versatile gluten free additions to the pantry.

Sustainability is a driving force behind new product development at Meade Farm as the team seeks to utilise their potato crops as fully as possible. Between offering fresh potatoes for the table, chipped ones and starch extracted from them, they have all forms of the humble spud covered. Now, in addition to sustainability credentials, these four products have top drawer Irish Quality Food Awards taste credentials as well.

SuperValu and Centra stores spearhead environmental change For the tenth consecutive year, SuperValu and Centra stores have joined forces with the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) to lead the way in terms of environmental change in the Irish retail sector and beyond.

Through their ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ initiative, SuperValu and Centra stores identify and upgrade areas of their own operations which can be made more energy efficient, in keeping with the priority to deliver high standards of energy efficiency and encourage renewable energy usage. The updates installed throughout the SuperValu and Centra stores this year will save an average of 150,000 KWH of energy per year, an average energy reduction of 35% per store involved.

The retailers also nominate community buildings in their areas to donate funds to, and in turn, these organisations utilise the money by upgrading their own buildings and facilities in a similar manner.

This year’s clubs and organisations included Ballyphehane Community Association, Cork, Glanmire Community College, Cork, Cobh GAA Club, Cork, Dingle GAA Club, Ballygunner GAA, Waterford, Waterpark Rugby Club, Mervue UTD, Galway and Beagh GAA Club, Galway.

These community buildings saw numerous works carried out over the last year including the installation of solar PV panels, cavity Auveen Lynch, SEAI, Liam Ryan, Ryan’s insulation, fitting of new energy SuperValu owner, Jason O’Callaghan, Ryan’s efficient windows and doors, roof SuperValu operations director and Daniel insulation, heat pumps and fitting Murphy, Musgrave SuperValu and Centra of new light fixtures. n sustainability manager

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2022

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10

CSNA NEWS

CSNA NEWS CSNA president’s Christmas message

JOHN PAUL LONERGAN, national president, CSNA

Christmas is upon us once again; in our industry it seems to be a trend that this busy retail period is arriving earlier every year. As national president of the association, I am looking forward to the new year ahead although it is sure to bring some new challenges for retailers.

We want to remind all retailers that CSNA is an independent association run by retailers for retailers where every member has a voice, someone to call on for help and advice and a community of fellow retailers behind them when it matters most.

As an association, our collective New Year’s resolution is to engage even more with our members in 2022, offering greater resources and

more support than ever before. We also want to hear from you. If you have any issues we can help with, industry insights that need attention or indeed a personal interest in getting more involved in your association at national level, please let us know.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their assistance to the association this year and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy and successful New Year.

The Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) over the past year has helped hundreds of our members with individual queries, Repak audits, requests for information and HR assistance. We have represented members to government departments on issues such as sick pay, tobacco licencing, minimum unit pricing, the Deposit Return Scheme, industry related Covid regulations and so much more.

Throughout 2021 we kept regular communication with all members to keep them

updated on all Covid matters as they affected our stores. 2021 will be remembered as the year of Covid; it has affected all our members in many ways, some have had to close, some are stretched to breaking point; either way it has been a hard time on all retailers without exception. We also welcomed three new members to the National Executive Committee.

As an association we are very proud of the way that the local retailers in Ireland stood up to the challenge and made sure that the more vulnerable in our society were looked after.

John Paul Lonergan, CSNA national president

Increase in minimum wage from January 2022 onwards

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath at the launch of Budget 2022

It was announced in Budget 2022, that minimum rates of pay will increase from 1 January 2022. The national minimum wage for people aged 20 and over will increase by 30c to €10.50.

Age group:

Minimum wage from 1 January 2022:

20 years and over

€10.50 per hour

19 years

€9.45 per hour

18 years

€8.40 per hour

Under 18 years

€7.35 per hour

Keep updated on the Covid-19 situation on the CSNA website: www.csna.ie ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

CSNA Stockbook 2022 to arrive with you shortly

Public holiday pay: Christmas 2021

The CSNA Stockbook arrives in stores during the week beginning 20 December.

The CSNA Stockbook is designed to review and track the sales of your newspapers and magazines. The 2022 CSNA Stockbook includes tips on managing your newspapers and magazines, a list of top-selling magazines, CSNA deals, CSNA store signage, insurance tips, CSNA training video information and so much more. This is an invaluable resource for your newspaper and magazine department!

If you do not receive your Stockbook by 23 December, please contact Laura in the office on 045-535050 to arrange for your copy to be delivered.

This year Christmas falls on a Saturday and St. Stephens day is on a Sunday. If a public holiday falls on a weekend, employees do not have any automatic legal entitlement to have the next working day off work. When this happens, some employers might treat the following Monday as a public holiday but an employer can require employees to attend work on that day.

If a public holiday falls on a day that is not a normal working day for a business (for example, on Saturday or Sunday), employees are still entitled to the benefit for that public holiday.

When this happens, employees are entitled to one of the following:

The CSNA Stockbook 2022 is an invaluable resource for your newspaper and magazine department

CSNA CONTACT DETAILS

• A paid day off within a month of the public holiday • An additional day of annual leave • An additional day’s pay Which benefit is given is at the discretion of the employer. n

Christmas Day falls on a Saturday this year

If you have any queries regarding CSNA services or membership please contact the office in Naas, Co. Kildare on 045-535050 or by email to info@csna.ie/www.csna.ie

HEALTHY

SWAPS!

12

ADVISOR: Recruitment

‘The Great Resignation’ misses the point BARRY WHELAN managing director of Excel Recruitment

www.excelrecruitment.com

The phrase, ‘The Great Resignation’, has become synonymous with describing record levels of job turnover. However, according to Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan, it overlooks the bigger story which is a fundamental rethinking of our relationship to work and our priorities in life

D

uring an interview with Bloomberg in May 2021, Anthony Klotz, an associate professor of management at Texas A&M University, spoke about a possible spike in job turnover. He called this ‘The Great Resignation’.

Several weeks later his forewarning was confirmed, with a record 4 million Americans leaving their jobs that April. This mass exodus became a global trend, Klotz’s terminology fit the bill perfectly and a phrase was coined.

The Great Resignation is a useful phrase to describe the rise in people quitting their jobs, but it doesn’t capture the full reality of what’s happening in today’s jobs market, writes Barry Whelan

Staff crisis The dog on the street knows that the Irish economy is in the grip of a ‘staff crisis’ with employees leaving their jobs in unprecedented numbers, changing employers, or taking time away from the workforce entirely. Anyone can see the unprecedented demand for workers, whether it is the amount of job creation announcements or a simple walk down a main street, with signs in the windows of most hospitality outlets and retail stores. Many

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

people have stepped away from difficult frontline jobs made even harder by the pandemic, while others are forgoing opportunities for money and status in exchange for greater flexibility or work-life balance and many employees have simply left the workforce altogether, hence the phrase we have now started seeing; The Great Resignation.

Missing the bigger picture Why are people leaving their jobs in the first place? Rampant stress?

A forced self-reflection on what really matters considering the pandemic? The shift to work remotely and a disconnect from their companies? The Great Resignation centres around the language of job status, but arguably misses the bigger picture: a radical realignment of values that is driving people to reassess their relationship to life at home, with family, with friends and their lives beyond the workforce. In many ways, this is a mental health conversation. Burnout is now more widely acknowledged; workers also feel a sense of belonging in the workplace. For some employees, this is an opportunity to question what their workplace requires of them to do their jobs.

Perhaps, even more broadly, now is the time to call into question the overall current situation in the workplace. How does work bring meaning to our lives? How can we build a different relationship to it?

These questions transcend just the workplace and responding to them means we would have to expand

the conversation to include friends, family, personal development, etc, but in referring to this era as The Great Resignation, we are collectively reducing the importance of the issues that matter most.

Examining work evolution The Great Resignation is a concise phrase that works well to name an evolving era around people quitting their jobs, but it’s important that we do not stop here in thinking about how to conceive of this period. We should question other ways of characterising this movement, according to the people that have found themselves in it and the topics at the core of their shifts. For example, terms like The Great Reshuffle, focus on what happens after someone has resigned, specifically the mobility of transitioning to new work. Perhaps this is not the Great Resignation or indeed the Great Retirement, but it is actually the Great Reprioritization due to the shift in values that occurs as workers weigh up what is important to them. As journalist Kathryn Hymes recently wrote in a Wired article, each of these names has its own set of uses, pros and cons.

But at the same time, they all attempt to seed important, deeper reflections about work that may lead to different ends.

As its primary title, the Great Resignation does not do this period justice. We need to develop a larger vocabulary for how work is evolving in light of the pandemic. Embracing an era of description, even if it isn’t tidy, is vital for us to find meaning in work while life is in upheaval. ■

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14

ANALYSIS

Dan’s Digest

With Dan White VieWs on the latest eConomiC & politiCal neWs

Going round in circles at Greencore Following the announcement that chief executive Patrick Coveney is set to leave Greencore at the end of March, Dan White takes an unflinching look at the company’s performance to date

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which would have transformed Greencore into the largest own-label supplier in the UK, was the one that got away.

Its ambitions thwarted on this side of the Atlantic, Greencore turned its attention to the United States. In November 2016 it agreed to pay $745m for US food company Peacock Foods. At the time Greencore said that the Peacock acquisition, which quadrupled its sales in the United States, would give it “real scale” in the American market.

he departure of chief executive Patrick Coveney once more raises questions about the future of Greencore with the company struggling to devise a sustainable growth strategy.

On 25 November, Greencore announced that chief executive Patrick Coveney would be leaving at the end of March, after 14 years as boss. Coveney, a brother of Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon, had been Greencore’s chief financial officer for two years before becoming chief executive.

While Coveney wasn’t pushed, he is leaving to become chief executive of airport catering company SSP; his exit should serve as a longoverdue opportunity to reassess Greencore’s strategy. What, not to put too fine a point on it, is Greencore for?

Volte face

Jinxed Ever since the former Irish Sugar was privatised in 1991, Greencore has seemed jinxed. The company was barely a wet day on the Stock Exchange when then chief executive Chris Comerford was forced to resign when it emerged that he was claiming to be a shareholder of a company, Sugar Distributors, for which Greencore had paid £8.9m for the 49% it didn’t already own.

Then in 1993 the Irish Government blocked Greencore’s plans for a strategic partnership with US food company Archer Daniels Midland.

In June 2008, Coveney was lucky to keep his job when it was discovered that Greencore’s Scottish bottled water subsidiary had deliberately hidden €20m of costs over a threeyear period. While he wasn’t chief executive when this happened, he was chief financial officer for most of the period during which this was happening and, arguably, should have ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Chief executive Patrick Coveney will leave Greencore at the end of March, after 14 years at the head of the company

spotted what was happening much earlier.

If he had been in situ as chief executive for longer - he had been boss for only three months when the concealment came to light events might have taken a very different turn.

Merger In November 2010, Coveney made his big move when Greencore unveiled a proposed merger with UK food company Northern Foods. With Northern’s board supporting the deal, what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, quite a lot. The deal was hijacked by “chicken king” Ranjit Boparan, who submitted a higher, cash, bid for Northern Foods. While Greencore subsequently acquired a smaller UK food company, Uniq, in 2012, Northern Foods,

Imagine the surprise then when just 23 months later, in October 2018, Greencore announced that it was selling its American business for $1.075bn. Justifying the volte face, Coveney said: “We believe that the proposed sale of our US operation represents a compelling and immediate realisation of value for Greencore’s shareholders.”

If there was a strategy underlying Greencore’s entry and exit from the United States then it was straight out of Lanigan’s Ball - she stepped out, I stepped in again!

Greencore sweetened the pill for its shareholders, at what was on the face of it an opportunistic transaction, by paying out a special dividend of Stg72p a share following the sale of its US business.

Brutal market reaction Greencore’s zig-zagging under Coveney’s leadership hasn’t delivered the goods for shareholders.

Greencore recorded sales of €1.26bn and operating (pre-interest) profits of €91m in the year to the end of September 2007, the last full year before Coveney took over as boss. By the time Coveney delivered his valedictory set of results for the year to the end of September

ANALYSIS

2021 last month, Greencore’s sales had risen to £1.32bn (€1.54bn) – Greencore now reports its results in sterling - while operating profits had fallen to £43m (€50m).

The market’s verdict on this mediocre performance has been brutal. The Greencore share price, which had been trading at about Stg225p at the time of the announcement of the 2007 results, was down to just Stg132p (Greencore switched its listing to London in 2012) at the start of this month. Even when the Stg72p special dividend is added, that’s a 10% decline in the Greencore share price over the past 14 years.

Curtains for Greencore?

Compare this anaemic share price performance to those of Kerry and Glanbia (of whose board Coveney is a member).

Kerry’s share price has risen five-and-a-half fold since November 2007 while Glanbia shares have almost tripled in value over the same period.

Unless Coveney’s replacement, whoever he or she may be, can quickly convince investors that they can devise a strategy that puts Greencore on a sustainable growth path, then it will be time to bring down the curtain on the company’s 30-year career as a Stock Exchange-listed company and take Greencore private.

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M&S next on the block Now that Asda, the UK’s third largest food retailer, and Morrisons, the fourth largest, have fallen prey to the asset strippers, who will be next major retailer to succumb to the dubious charms of private equity?

As regular readers of this column already know, I have long believed that Marks & Spencer, once the quintessential UK retailer, was among the most vulnerable.

As recently as last September I wrote in these pages that: “If I was a betting man, I would be punting on the next major takeover action being a break-up bid for Marks & Spencer.”

Quicker than expected Things are beginning to happen even more quickly than I had expected. Last month the Sunday Times reported that US investment fund Apollo, which had been one of the potential bidders in the battle for Morrisons earlier this year, was “running the slide rule” over M&S. With its clothing business having been clobbered by online and, most recently, Covid-19, M&S’ most valuable asset is its half-share in online retailer Ocado’s food

M&S has a market value of £4.7bn while Ocado is valued at £12.5bn

business. However, despite the recent increase in the share price, M&S has a market value of just £4.7bn while Ocado is valued at £12.5bn.

The only logical conclusion one can draw from this apparent mismatch is that the market is massively under-valuing M&S’ share of the joint venture with Ocado.

It is this under-valuation that is attracting the predators. If Apollo does make a move for M&S then Ocado will have to either respond with a competing offer or put itself up for sale.

Stand by for ructions in the New Year.

This battle is only beginning. n

OV E R 400 Y E A R S O L D A N D W E H AV E N EV E R LOOKED BETTER P U R S U I N G P E R F E CT I O N S I N C E 1608

D I S C OV E R M O R E AT B US H M I L L S.C OM

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife December 2021

16

STORE PROFILE

A jewel in the crown

Owner of Broderick’s Spar in Croom, Co. Limerick, Padraig Broderick caught up with Julia O’Reilly to discuss revamps, social media, and the importance of a good team

P

adraig Broderick is the proud owner of Spar Croom in Co. Limerick.

Known as a shop ‘full of character and characters’, the Spar has stood on the main street of Croom village for the past 40 years.

Broderick has been there for 18 of those years.

“The shop has always been a community hub in Croom,” says Broderick. “It’s got a long history. A lot of our team were there well before me, and they’re still here. They bring a wealth of experience and loyalty – something that is often overlooked nowadays.”

Loyal team Broderick is certainly not one to overlook loyalty. When ShelfLife recently caught up with Broderick to discuss his store’s revamp, what immediately became apparent was how much he appreciates his team.

“I wouldn’t have been able to make such a big investment into the shop if I didn’t have such a strong team working with me,” says Broderick. “I’m really lucky to have them.

The knowledge they have, the loyalty, you can’t buy that.”

Led by manager Micheal Mackessy, the 47 strong team has approximately 20-full time members of staff. Following the store’s expansion, twelve more team members were welcomed into the fold.

Throughout Covid-19, retailer Padraig Broderick says he’s been impressed by how well the team at Spar Croom has looked out for each other

STORE PROFILE

Address: Broderick’s Spar, Croom Main Street, Tooreen, Croom, Co. Limerick Staff: 47 staff with approximately 20-full time members Size: 6,725sq ft Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 7.30am – 10pm

Wealth of experience

Seamless process

“We have a huge wealth of experience in our fresh team,” says Broderick. “Our whole team has been a huge part of the success of the store. Their positivity is infectious. It can be felt once you come into the shop. Micheal himself is a qualified butcher and has a real love of fresh food.”

Throughout Covid-19, Broderick says he’s been impressed by how well the team has looked out for each other. “We were so busy,

While the revamp of the 6,725sq ft site was a year in the making, Broderick says it was a relatively seamless process. “We’re a very busy store, and we only got busier during Covid-19.

We were conscious not to interfere with that business too much. Our solution was to do the work on just one section of the store at a time.

It was a very clean process and ultimately, there was no interruption to customers. It may have taken a bit longer to do the renovation

The extensive in-store bakery has received an overwhelmingly positive response from customers

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

but there was obviously a lot of uncertainty.

Thankfully our team worked so well together that we were able to get through those really tough times and go straight into the renovation.”

Broderick’s team had an active role in the store’s recent renovation process. “A lot of them brought ideas forward in the planning stage. It was a full team-effort and they’ve loved seeing the results now that it’s complete.

Really, the new store is testament to how valuable the Croom team are.”

Retailer Padraig Broderick describes the store as having “a fresh, modern, new look, with sweeping high ceilings and exposed steelwork”

STORE PROFILE

Following the revamp, the Spar has been able to significantly enhance its range to include more oven-ready ‘Fresh For You Later’ products

the way we did it, but I’m so glad we did.”

Working on the project was builder and Croom local, Matthew Daly, who “was so meticulous in his work. He really got involved in every aspect of the job,” and architect Ken Keays, who Broderick says is “an absolute magician. The way he engaged with the team and took on board everyone’s ideas was phenomenal. Between them, they really created what I believe is the best store of its size in the country.”

Broderick also thanks his Spar area manager Colin Power “who we consider to be part of our team”, for his support, as well as “Aoife and Linda from the BWG Fresh food team, who have made their mark all over this store.”

Fresh, new look In Broderick’s words, the new shop features “a fresh, modern, new look, with sweeping high ceilings and exposed steelwork. It creates a look more reminiscent of an artisan deli in New York than your average store. Every day I walk into the shop and am amazed with how it turned out.”

Through the years, the butcher counter has been the backbone of the business. With the revamp, they have been able to significantly enhance the range to include more oven-ready products. They also fully revamped and expanded the deli to offer more fresh offerings.

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“I wouldn’t have been able to make such a big investment into the shop if I didn’t have such a strong team working with me,” says retailer Padraig Broderick

Customer response But it’s the new bakery that Broderick says is the real jewel in the crown. “Every day we see people come through the door and they’re just hit with the scent of fresh baking. It’s changed the whole dynamic of the shop. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Across the board, Broderick says the response from customers has been phenomenal. “They’ve been so supportive throughout the whole redevelopment process, and we couldn’t be happier with the way they responded to the finished product.”

Social media The team at Spar Croom have developed something of a reputation for posting playful videos on social media. While social media can be a valuable tool for promoting in-store deals, Broderick takes a different approach: “We’ve been putting out these videos and it’s a great way to put a smile on people’s faces. For us,

there’s no real selling in it. We put out a lot of feel-good videos. There’s a bit of humour, a bit of fun, and a lot of our videos indirectly show off our shop, which is a nice plus.

“During lockdown, we did a lot of our videos outdoors, so were showing off a lot of Croom,” he says. “We’d get customers telling us how their children who had emigrated were watching the videos and loved seeing the beauty of Croom in the background. It was great to hear and that encouraged us to keep going with the videos.”

After working for many years in the business, what does Broderick consider to be the secret to running a successful store?

“The people,” he says. “It’s all about the people. And the team we’ve got here at Croom are second to none. It’s been a long journey to get the store to where it is today, but I can say for certain that none of it could have happened without our team.” ■

“Every day we see people come through the door and they’re just hit with the scent of fresh baking.

It’s changed the whole dynamic of the shop. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

The store offers excellent value-for-money throughout its departments, but this is particularly visible at the ‘Red Value’ aisle ends

The impressive off-licence department is a strong performer at Broderick’s Spar

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife December 2021

18

FEATURE

Marketing the Christmas cheer The release of the big retailers’ Christmas ads has become a big part of the Christmas season, with each trying to outdo the others by pulling at the heart strings with emotionally charged Christmas messages of family, hope and love. The best compliment the makers of the ads can receive is that the ad brings tears to peoples’ eyes. Fionnuala Carolan takes a look at some of the ads released this year to see if they’ve got what it takes to become a classic

T

he budgets have increased year-on-year and the ads are more akin to short films as the retailers endeavour to outdo each other on sentimentality and Christmas spirit overriding all else. We all love a good emotionally charged Christmas ad showing families coming together amid adversity or a child experiencing Christmas magic at its best with of course a killer sound track.

The most well-known Christmas ad worldwide has to be Coca-Cola, Holidays are Coming released in 1995. For many people, the arrival of the Coca-Cola truck on our television screens is the first sign that Christmas has arrived and the jingle tends to linger in your head all day. A much-loved Irish Christmas ad from the archives is the ESB’s

SuperValu: Share the Magic Top of the charts this year has to be SuperValu’s Share the Magic Christmas ad, featuring Deermuid the Deer and nine-yearold Penny Lynch as Aoife. It had a lot to live up to after last year’s tearjerker where the little boy wished for his grandfather to visit for Christmas. Musgrave has certainly upped the ante in recent years.

This year’s ad captures the true belief and magic of Christmas. Aoife wakes up early one morning to find a wounded deer in her back garden. She sees the importance and urgency in getting the deer nursed back to health so that he can resume his normal duties of helping Santa.

Deermuid is finally able to magically take flight with the encouragement of Aoife and

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Drivin’ Home for Christmas featuring Alan Hughes with his mammy rushing around baking bread and putting on the emersion in anticipation of her son’s arrival home for Christmas.

And we can’t forget to mention the timeless classic that is the Guinness Festive Snowflakes ad. In 2011 they produced this gem where a man walking his dog on Christmas Eve encounters the first festive snowflake. The music was produced specially for the commercial by composer Kevin Sargent and is instantly recognisable and associated with the most wonderful time of the year.

So are any of this year’s newcomers worthy of a place in the Christmas ad hall of fame?

Let’s have a look at the contenders.

the neighbouring children and make his way back to Santa while the adults watch all agog.

According to SuperValu’s retail marketing manager, Shane Lynch, the ad is sure to make an impression. “We hope that viewers across the country can connect with and find moments of belief and joy in Deermuid the Deer, little Aoife and the community of children that support them. The advert demonstrates that there is always magic to share at Christmas and I’m confident that this will certainly win the hearts of the nation.”

The ad was made in Wicklow town in October and directed by Ben Liam Jones, who has worked on ads for Cadbury, Land Rover and Centerparcs. Jones said: “It is a dream of mine to make an Xmas movie one day and I suspect this is the closest I’ll ever get!”

Lidl: Big on a Christmas you can Always Believe In Lidl GB’s futuristic Christmas advert for 2021 shows what our future Christmases could look like in decades to come. Lidl has gone for funny over sentimental this year and has done it well by encouraging people to look forward rather than dwell on the past.

It begins in the present day, showing a family sitting down for a traditional Christmas roast with the sounds of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree in the background.

The advert then cuts to show exactly the same Christmas scene – but this time it’s set in the future. With the same dining table set-up, we see a carving laser knife being used to cut the turkey and find out one family has moved to the moon.

Then, in the third scene, we see an even more futuristic Christmas dinner with the same family. From talking dogs to levitating plates, it highlights that no matter the decade, Lidl will ‘always be great on prices’.

It features Lidl’s festive food range, including Christmas turkey, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, and bottles of champagne.

According to Claire Farrant, marketing director at Lidl GB: “After a challenging couple of years, the nation wants to look forward not back, which is why we’ve set our light-hearted ad decades in the future.

“Given our commitment to always be big on quality, Lidl on price this year we wanted our Christmas advert to show that we really do mean always, no matter what the future has in store for us!’

FEATURE

Marks & Spencer: Percy Pig comes to life Much loved and infamous pig Percy takes centre stage in this year’s Marks & Spencer Christmas advert in a light hearted ad with comedian Dawn French as a fairy Christmas tree decoration (who comes to life) and Spiderman actor Tom Holland as Percy Pig. The fairy drops her magic wand, landing on a gift box that Percy was in - bringing the little pig to life. But of course, Percy has never experienced Christmas before; he has only been ‘alive’ for a few seconds. So he explores a Marks & Spencer shop, checking out the fancy festive food on offer.

Experts from across the industry worked together on creating the advert – from the composer for the bespoke track, to creatives at Grey London, to leading animators at MPC. As part of the biggest campaign for several years, the team has also created a further seven adverts showing Percy exploring different food products, meaning new content will be released from now until New Year. The campaign will also engage in its first TikTok takeover.

Sharry Cramond, director of marketing for M&S Food, said: “The M&S Christmas Food range this year is better than ever and who better to tell customers about our delicious Christmas food range than the national treasure and much-loved M&S icon himself, Percy Pig!”

Tesco: This Christmas, Nothing’s Stopping Us Tesco’s Christmas advert, which features Santa showing his Covid vaccine passport, has divided opinion with some shoppers going as far to say that are boycotting the brand because of it.

The advert, which is titled This Christmas, Nothing’s Stopping Us, and to the tune of Freddie Mercury, Don’t Stop Me Now is themed around the impact Covid had on families over the last year. At the launch, BBH, the ad agency behind the campaign, described it as a “rallying cry to show we’re made of harder stuff this year”.

It features Tesco customers that are determined to enjoy a fun Christmas with their friends and family, after all of the restrictions last year. However, a TV reporter tells people the ‘breaking news’ that Santa could be ‘quarantined’. Santa is then shown presenting his Covid pass at border control, proving he has been vaccinated to a customs officer so he can enter the country without restriction. Not surprisingly, this has annoyed those who are involved with the anti-vaccination movement.

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Aldi: A Christmas Carrot by Charles Chickens Family favourite Kevin the Carrot is back on screens this Christmas with a new nemesis Ebanana Scrooge! Aldi has brought the pair together for its Christmas TV ad A Christmas Carrot by Charles Chickens and highlights charity partner Barnardos, who Aldi teamed up with in October 2020 with a goal of raising €1 million across a two year partnership.

The Christmas Carrot TV ad, which premiered on 11 November in Emmerdale on Virgin Media One, is a charming Dickensianstyle take on A Christmas Carol, and follows the story of Christmas loathing Ebanana Scrooge, who is reminded of the joys of the festive season by Kevin the Carrot.

The animated Yuletide story is voiced by chef Catherine Fulvio, features the wellknown Irish folk-style ballad Fairytale of New York and introduces viewers to a medley of fruit and vegetable characters - including Marcus Radishford, which is voiced by the England striker, Marcus Rashford, as well as Tiny Tom, Peas and Goodwill and Kevin’s Dickensian family.

This is the sixth successive year that Aldi’s

Christmas ad campaign has featured Kevin the Carrot, with last year’s ad campaign racking up over 3.2 million views online.

Rita Kirwan, marketing director at Aldi Ireland, said: “We hope the campaign will remind everyone of the true meaning of Christmas and how important it is to be kind over the festive period. We are committed to achieving our proposed target of €1 million for our charity partner Barnardos and would encourage everyone to support by texting ‘KIDS’ to 50300 to donate €4 to help support a vulnerable child this Christmas!”

John Lewis: The Unexpected Guest We can’t talk about Christmas ads and not mention John Lewis despite the fact the stores are UK-based only. However it might be fair to say that a lot of inspiration for the big Christmas ad tradition has been taken from John Lewis after a string of absolute smashers including the Man on the Moon in 2015.

This year’s John Lewis festive advert is called The Unexpected Guest and features a teenage boy called Nathan who meets an alien named Skye who has crash landed on earth.

Through friendship Nathan shows Skye a series of festive family traditions. But the advert has a bittersweet ending, as Skye has fixed her ship and must return home. It shows the joy of experiencing Christmas for the first time.

This year’s soundtrack to the advert is performed by songwriter Lola Young, to the track Together in Electric Dreams. The Unexpected Guest story was created in partnership with agency adam&eveDDB.

Gala Retail: The Recipe Gala Retail made its first foray into the highly competitive Christmas ad arena this year with the launch of its first ever Christmas advertisement, a heart-warming glimpse of a family’s determination to uphold a sentimental Christmas tradition.

Titled The Recipe, the ad’s story centres around a young girl, who with the help of her father, tries over and over again to recreate her late mother’s famous Christmas cake recipe. Each new baking attempt brings another disappointing result - and another trip to Gala - until she receives a very special surprise gift on Christmas eve.

CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond said the group is thrilled to launch its first Christmas ad.

“Christmas is often a time where old

family traditions are upheld,” Desmond said, “and we feel that ‘The Recipe’ perfectly captures the importance that traditions, such as an old family recipe, hold for Irish families at this time of year.”

The ad was written and created by agency Verve|Showrunner, produced by 2021 Kinsale Sharks Production Company of the year, Banjoman, and directed by Claire Byrne, with original music from Video Blue.

The new ads this year are an eclectic mix of funny, emotional and on-brand and most have honed in on the current struggles people are living with during the pandemic. However, will we be writing about any of these in 10 years’ time? It’s hard to tell. The old classics seem to be the ones with the most simple of messages accompanied by a catchy original jingle yet the ads seem to get more elaborate as the years go on. One thing is for sure, the ads are now an integral part of the Christmas season and require a massive chunk of the retailers’ marketing budgets. The bar has been raised so the public expect to be wowed. No pressure on the marketing departments so! ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife December 2021

20 STORE PROFILE

A family operation over 20 years in business with an excellent reputation for both quality produce and friendly customer service in its local area, Mace Fermoy has witnessed impressive sales growth following a revamp in July of this year

Ace at Mace!

F

ive months on from the completion of an impressive redesign, Mace Fermoy manager and owner, Donnchadh McCarthy, is very pleased with the positive response from customers and the effect it has had on business. After changing to a Mace in 2000, the family-owned store, which has a forecourt attached, has been serving the needs of the North Cork town enthusiastically.

Donnchadh took over management of the store over 10 years ago, after his father Pat McCarthy retired.

Store redesign proving popular Donnchadh is always looking for ways to connect more with his customers’ wants and needs and undergoing a redesign of his Mace store has proven to do just that. The refit took just under one year, 10 months to be precise. The store traded throughout the redesign without any issues, which was fantastic.

“I really have to hand it to Kevin Donnelly, Colin Brady and Liam Attridge from BWG, they were an incredible support,” said Donnchadh. “Kevin looked after the design and Colin and Liam were there throughout helping with any queries we had.”

A new seating area, full off-licence, new

STORE PROFILE

Retailer: Mace Fermoy Address: Dublin Rd, Ballynamona, Fermoy, Co. Cork Staff: 10 Size: 1,800sq ft Opening hours: Monday – Saturday: 7am – 11pm, Sunday: 8am – 11pm

Insomnia unit and For Food’s Sake deli are just some of the new additions to the store.

All of the scones are baked freshly in-store and Mace Fermoy has also introduced new hot carvery dinners. The full off-licence came about after noticing an increase in customers purchasing alcohol and Donnchadh realised the opportunity presented.

Similarly, the staff noticed that customers would purchase hot drinks or food and then return to eat it in their cars, which gave Donnchadh further food for thought and, ultimately, he wanted to offer his customers better options, thus came the idea to introduce a seating area to his store.

“The seating area has only been open for a few weeks and it has taken off hugely. I think

On 5 July, the doors of Mace Fermoy opened with a whole new look

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Retailer Donnchadh McCarthy took over management of Mace Fermoy over 10 years ago, after his father Pat McCarthy retired

due to Covid-19 there is still some hesitation using communal areas due to the everevolving nature of the pandemic, but our store has implemented and adapted to any covid-related legalisation that has come out and we hope to see it get even more use when the numbers ease,” said Donnchadh.

Effects of Covid-19 When Covid-19 hit, it had a very negative impact on the store. Fuel sales dropped significantly, which had a knock-on effect on the shop.

“Once restrictions eased, we saw a return to normality as much as anyone else did,” noted Donnchadh. Store sales are mainly impulse items like minerals and food from the deli.

“Our main customer base is locals that come in and on foot, and the other half are people working nearby like the builders at the local farm, from the local co-op, nearby ESB staff or the local lady coming in to get her cup of tea and a lotto ticket.

“Footfall was down naturally due to people working from home and only leaving for essential journeys so suffice to say it was a tough time for the store.”

Despite the hardships that Covid-19 brought, the Mace Fermoy team powered ahead and took this time as an opportunity to

STORE PROFILE

Mace Fermoy’s full off-licence was developed after noticing an increase in customers purchasing alcohol

complete the store redesign and it worked out incredibly in their favour. On 5 July, the doors were open with a whole new Mace look.

“Customers have commented on their delight at our new store look which has been really affirming,” noted Donnchadh, “and we are pleased to report that there has been a significant increase in sales too.”

The store is also seeing an increase in footfall in recent weeks.

Loyal employees Having studied engineering at college, Donnchadh didn’t have his eyes set on retail.

His father Pat McCarthy owned a Nissan car dealership where Donnchadh worked in a sales position alongside his brother Sean.

Attached to the car dealership was a small unbranded store that sold small items like minerals and Mars bars.

When the store grew to the point of needing a manager Donnchadh was happy to take on the challenge. The store eventually

21

The store’s seating area has taken off hugely since opening several weeks ago

became a Mace store in 2000 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today the store boasts 1,800 sq. foot and has 10 staff members, with Donnchadh being the manager and running the day-to-day operations.

There are typically three staff working at any one time. In the mornings, there is one person on the till with two people on the deli, in the evenings this is then reduced to one person on the deli and one person on the till.

Recruitment has undoubtedly been a challenge for businesses all across Ireland this year, so Donnchadh is cognisant of how fortunate he has been.

“I’ve been very lucky that my core group of staff have been with me a while and we don’t have a high turnover,” he says. “I attribute that that to our friendly team and working environment.”

That also seems to be the main reason for their loyal customers.

Repeat customers “Myself and my staff know most of our customers by name,” asserts Donnchadh.

“We have a good friendly bunch of staff, and everyone has a friendly demeanour. We find it a good way to ensure repeat business.”

Aside from having something different to offer their customer with the refit, Mace Fermoy aim to provide their customers with a warm welcome and friendly chat when they shop in-store. This is in fact Donnchadh’s favourite part about the job – “I thrive on interacting with and meeting new people and working with great staff. I love the friendly nature of my job!” ■

“I’ve been very lucky that my core group of staff have been with me a while and we don’t have a high turnover,” he says. “I attribute that that to our friendly team and working environment.”

The For Food’s Sake deli offers an appetising selection of choices such as a California sub, flatbread and pizzas, to name just a few of its options

“Customers have commented on their delight at our new store look which has been really affirming,” says retailer Donnchadh McCarthy

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22

ADVISOR: HR

End of year performance With many employees having worked remotely for a significant part of the past year, it is particularly important to hold an end of year performance review so that all staff members have clear direction and motivation as we head into 2022, writes The HR Suite’s Caroline Reidy

CAROLINE REIDY

managing director, The HR Suite

A

s the end of the year approaches, it is important that employers put steps in place to review performance.

In reviewing performance, this process benefits the staff, management and the business as it enables a transparent two-way communication process for both parties. It allows both parties an equal opportunity to discuss the role, their performance, objectives and future goals of the employee and the business. The end of year performance meeting is particularly important this year as many workers have worked remotely for a significant part of the year. In conducting this meeting, it will also provide an understanding of how remote working may have negatively or positively impacted employee performance.

Prior to the meeting

Key points from the performance review should be written up along with objectives discussed and agreed in the meeting, writes Caroline Reidy

CONTACT THE HR SUITE:

If you require further information or advice on HR, please do not hesitate to contact The HR Suite’s consultants on (01) 9014335 or (066) 7102887 or email the company at info@thehrsuiteonline.com.

In advance of the meeting, the manager conducting the performance meeting should inform the employee that they will be conducting a review with them approximately one week in advance. The manager should provide the employee with the correct template paperwork and ask them to prepare a review of their own performance prior to the meeting.

Performance should be assessed by the manager prior to the meeting also; this will allow for an accurate reflection of performance from both parties. Ensuring adequate preparation prior to the meeting, will allow for a concise and transparent meeting to be conducted and done so in a timely manner.

During the meeting During the performance meeting, it is important that both parties are fair and honest in their feedback and there is an open communication channel between both parties. In conducting the meeting in this manner, it allows for an impartial and coherent understanding on both parts.

By assessing the form, it allows for open comparison on how the employee perceived aspects of their performance versus how the manager viewed the employee’s performance in the same areas. In order to conduct a successful end of year performance meeting and allow for constructive feedback, it is important that the manager while conducting the performance meeting uses the following skills: • Review past performance and focus on the future – In conducting the meeting it is important that performance is reviewed from both the business and the employee’s perspective. However, the focus of the meeting should be largely focused on the future and how future success can be achieved.

• Actively listening – When conducting an end of year performance review, it is important that the manager

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conducting the meeting is actively listening to what the employee is saying. In conducting the meeting, it also enables the manager to gauge the body language, help people to clarify or respond, or expand on the conversation to enhance the conversation and the feedback.

• Asking the right questions – It is important when conducting a performance meeting that the manager knows when to use open-ended or closed questions and acknowledge when an answer can be probed further to encourage the employee to elaborate on their own feelings, experiences or views relating to this.

• Constructive feedback – In conducting the performance meeting in the correct manner, it allows for the meeting to be focused objectively on evidence and actual examples rather than be based on a subjective opinion. Supporting this culture allows for reinforcement of achievement and allows for past performance to be reviewed.

• End the conversation with agreed upon next steps - It is important that any required follow-up meeting is arranged or an estimated time given as to when the next meeting will be. This provides clarity for the employee and highlights to the employee that what was discussed will be followed up on.

After the meeting The key points from the meeting should be written up along with objectives discussed and agreed in the meeting. A copy of the notes should be given to the employee and a copy kept on their employee file. Having this paper trail acts as a guide when measuring how performance is aligning with the business and personal goals at the next performance meeting. It also allows for clear identification at the next meeting as to where improvements have occurred or where they are required in the future.

Positive impacts Conducting an end of year performance review can have a positive effect for both the business and the employee; the meeting can lead to increased motivation, performance and commitment to the company. These reviews also ensure transparency regarding where the business hopes to go and how the employee can help in achieving this in the coming year.

End of year performance reviews are key for all employees this year as some employees may have worked largely remotely based or continue to work remotely within the past 12 months. Having this meeting promotes engagement and gives all employees a clear perspective and agenda of the business goals, regardless of where they are working from.

If you are an organisation based in the Republic of Ireland and require further information or advice relating to HR, please do not hesitate to contact The HR Suite’s office on (066)7102887. ■

THANK YOU AND ALL THE BEST For many reasons, 2021 will be a year that will live long in the memory.

From lockdowns to re-openings, the last 12 months have been hugely challenging for the country, its people and its businesses.

Through all of these ups and downs, however, Ireland’s retail sector has once again risen to the challenge. From clerks to deli staff, store owners to head offices, you have played a fundamental role in keeping the country going through even the darkest of times. On behalf of everyone at JTI Ireland, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your hard work and commitment in extremely difficult circumstances.

Recent events have served to highlight the vital importance of the retail trade to the country, but this has been clearly evident to me over the course of my career. As I retire at the end of 2021, I want to pay tribute to JTI’s customers for your support and collaboration through the years.

The strong working relationships we have established are central to our mutual success now and into the future.

As I hand over the reins to Garin Murphy as JTI Ireland Sales Director, I know that he will bring absolute dedication and commitment to the role, along with extensive experience and knowledge of the Irish tobacco category and wider retail environment, continuing to work closely with our customers to achieve long term mutual success.

Thank you and all the best.

Derek Mooney, Sales Director

WWW.JTI.COM This communication is for tobacco retailers only and should not be made available to the public nor should it be displayed in any area where it is visible to the public.

24 ADVISOR: Marketing

Beware of sharp objects!

While the transaction as the sharp endpoint of business is usually the key focus for neuromarketing, it’s important that we continue to gain a better understanding of how consumers behave and react, writes Colin Gordon

COLIN GORDON

marketing expert

M

arketing as a function within an organisation could be said to have been around formally for approximately 80 years with the introduction of the ‘marketing mix’ to the business community in the early 1940s. Since then, there have been many new elements introduced into the general topic of marketing, but I would argue that the fundamentals have not changed nor did they need to change it’s still all about finding and retaining consumers; it’s all about the transaction. Some of these additions are essentially operational (e.g., direct mail), some more core to the essence of how business operates.

One particular development however is worth some attention: neuromarketing. Certainly, the whole topic of neuroscience and consumer psychology – and their merging into neuromarketing – has become a considerable focus across a range of geographies, institutes and specialisms within marketing.

Relatively unknown Even though it’s nearly 20 years old, neuromarketing is still relatively unknown. It aims to understand how the brain - and by some assumed extension, the consumer - reacts to certain marketing stimuli. It’s the ‘science of consumer decisions’; trying to understand the whys and the motivations and then to influence both. MRI scanners, EEG machines, eye trackers, motion recorders, advertising test software, AI and big data are involved. Neuromarketing is,

Neuromarketing is, in essence, trying to develop the ‘total understanding of the consumer’, combining behavioural science and psychology with other more recognised forms of market research, writes Colin Gordon

in essence, trying to develop the ‘total understanding of the consumer’, combining behavioural science and psychology with other more recognised forms of market research.

Various branding stimuli such as price, but more obviously and more regularly brand identity (mostly by way of advertising and packaging), are used to gauge the strength of response by the brain to knowing (or being told) the identity of certain brands or alterations to components of the brand personality versus what the consumer might have thought was the situation.

This can also reveal what elements should be dialled up or down in the process of product development. The highly regarded and influential business publication Harvard Business

A boss of mine once gave me advice when we were discussing a particular operational strategy to do with ‘route to market’ options. “Don’t forget,” he advised (or directed!), “you’ll pick a particular choice now but in some years’ time you’ll go back to where you are today. There’s little new in business and even then, things go in circles, always coming back, even if in a disguised or renamed form.”

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Review has written a detailed paper on the subject (see Eben Harrell, 23 January 2019) and Roger Dooley is a good example of a real evangelist on the whole area (see his website neurosciencemarketing.com) so it’s getting a fair amount of serious attention. It has even been picked up locally with irishtechnews.ie (12 March 2019) bringing it all back home (so to speak).

The growth in social media and the vast amount of data resulting from this, has opened up a whole area of predictive behaviours with the much talked about ‘algorithms’ at the centre of the attention. So much so, that it would be easy to conflate neuromarketing with algorithm management.

Little new in business But let’s back up a little. A boss of mine once gave me advice when we were discussing a particular operational strategy to do with ‘route to market’ options. “Don’t forget,” he advised (or directed!), “you’ll pick a particular choice now but in some years’ time, you’ll go back to where you are today. There’s little new in business and even then, things go in

ADVISOR: Marketing

circles, always coming back, even if in a disguised or renamed form.” What is new and what is repurposed?

And so too with consumer behaviour analysis. Some of you may have heard of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Ries and Trout. Or Vance Packard’s The Hidden Persuaders. The former was first published in 1980 and the latter in 1957. Thaler wrote Nudge in 2008 which went on to be a strong influence in the area of politics, setting out to show how to design the environment to help make better decisions.

These books and many more over the years explicitly or implicitly recognise the highly complex mind of the consumer and try to identify ways to predict consumer reactions and behaviours and to direct the consumer in particular directions. But I recall using eye tracker analysis on pack design alternatives over 30 years ago. What the new discipline seeks to add is more rigour and more data with a lot of new machinery and diagnostics. It’s not wholly new, it’s just got a lot more fuel in the engine.

Drawbacks Whether it’s new or reengineered, it has several drawbacks as a tool for the wider area of marketing. For a starter it can’t

really cope at this point with on-the-go and multi-tasking consumers and (their) purchase occasions; it has a particular bias towards creativity – especially advertising testing, further reinforcing the communications/advertising bias there is in today’s marketing rather than how it can influence the whole of the business. It also has a limited role in services and businessto-business marketing; some people fear that too much neuro influencing will reduce the consumer’s ‘free choice’ and cause excess manipulation.

Neuromarketing certainly has a role to play in today’s marketing function, much as positioning had all that time ago, and it’s important that we continue to gain a better understanding of how consumers behave and react. As I’ve said elsewhere, however, marketing is a series of connected elements within the business all working seamlessly.

Often the point of decision and purchase is the culmination of how the marketing function can influence the way the business is set up. The transaction is obviously core to success. It’s the sharp point of the business, but there’s a lot of bulk behind the sharp end. Neuromarketing focuses too sharply on the sharp end! ■

25

‘Marketing is in trouble: How we got here and 10 steps to get us out’ by Colin Gordon is now available to purchase, published by Orpen Press. To get your hands on a copy, visit the following: www.orpenpress.com UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08M9XY6HF US: www.amazon.com/dp/B08M9XY6HF Ireland: Marketing is in trouble eBook by Colin Gordon - 9781786051127.

Rakuten Kobo Ireland - www.kobo.com/ie/en/ ebook/marketing-is-in-trouble.

NEWS

Tesco faces potential Christmas strike threat in Britain Up until earlier this month, Tesco had faced the threat of strike action by thousands of distribution staff at more than half of its depots in the UK and Northern Ireland in the weeks leading up to Christmas and on into the new year.

The potential disruption was due to workers at 13 out of 22 Tesco regional distribution centres across the UK and Northern Ireland voting in favour of strike action over pay.

4% pay rise Tesco had offered workers who are members of the Unite and Usdaw unions a 4% pay rise, which they had both rejected. Unite said the pay rise offered by the firm was “well below” the 6% rate of inflation.

At the time of going to print Unite said it had since decided to recommend that its members accept the supermarket group’s new offer of a minimum of a 5.5% pay increase backdated to July 2021 and an additional 0.5% from February 2022.

If the deal is rejected in a ballot of members then fresh strike action will be announced, but that is unlikely to be before January 2022, the union said.

If the strikes had gone ahead, Unite members at the Antrim and Belfast Tesco distribution centres would have begun an all-out continuous strike from 7am on 16 December.

‘Above and beyond’ Sharon Graham, secretary-general at Unite, said her members “have gone above and

beyond the call of duty to keep Tesco’s shelves filled throughout the pandemic”.

“At the very least, the UK’s largest and wealthiest retailer should be making our members a decent pay offer,” she said.

The 5,000 staff represented by Usdaw union, at nine distribution centres in the UK had said they would also take industrial action from 20 December until Christmas Eve. Usdaw said its members had voted to take action at sites in Daventry, Goole, Hinckley, Lichfield, Livingston, Magor in south Wales Peterborough and Southampton.

Joanne McGuinness, national officer of Usdaw, said: “Industrial action and possible stock shortages in stores in the week before Christmas can be avoided. It needs the company to engage positively in talks with Usdaw and we stand ready to reopen negotiations.”

not face delays on online orders.

Talks reopened

Ballot at Asda

Fortunately, on 8 December, Tesco agreed to reopen talks with Usdaw.

At the time, Usdaw welcomed the supermarket’s offer of further talks but said at that stage, the planned industrial action, starting on Monday, 20 December and concluding on Christmas Eve, was still set to go ahead.

According to a report in The Mirror, an employee said Tesco had since tabled a 5.5% rise – a move the union is likely to back. This would mean the strikes would be unlikely to press ahead and Christmas shoppers would

Labour shortage The labour shortage in the distribution sector has been acute since many workers returned to Eastern Europe during the pandemic, meaning retailers have had to pay more to attract and retain warehouse staff and drivers especially.

Many of these staff are making more than the £9.55 per hour benchmark paid to store staff which is the basis of several major equal-pay lawsuits ongoing in the UK. With regard to the 4% rise, Tesco said that the pay offer it had made was one of the highest in the past 25 years. It added that it was “disappointed” by the votes for strike action but had “contingency plans in place to help mitigate any impacts. We have worked hard to deliver Christmas for our customers and are confident we will be able to fulfil our plans.”

Meanwhile, Asda has also joined Tesco in facing the prospect of strike action ahead of the key Christmas trading season.

The GMB union said it was launching a consultative ballot - due to close on 20 December - over the supermarket chain’s decision not to give distribution staff a “meaningful” pay offer.

It added that with inflation “rampant”, the situation was a “kick in the teeth” for its key workers.

The ballot would go to a full vote with any resounding indication of support for strikes, meaning there is no prospect of disruption at Asda until the New Year. ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife December 2021

26 FOOD FOCUS

Donnybrook Fair announces 120 jobs as part of €8m investment and expansion strategy Gourmet food retailer Donnybrook Fair has announced the creation of 120 jobs as part of a €8m investment and expansion strategy for the business.

The announcement comes as Donnybrook Fair launches its new flagship store at Dundrum Town Centre, which will employ approximately 70 people following a €4.5m investment in the new location.

Meanwhile, an additional €3.5m investment in Donnybrook Fair’s gourmet food production facility – Donnybrook Fair Central Kitchen – will lead to the creation of a further 50 jobs at the company. The production facility, which is located in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, produces high quality artisan readymade food products for Donnybrook Fair’s retail estate and a selection of businesses.

“Since acquisition by Musgrave, the company has continued to grow and after much hard work by the team, we are delighted to be able to share these exciting and positive developments,” said Donnybrook Fair managing director, Des O’Mahony.

The Dundrum store joins Donnybrook Fair’s five premium food stores – Donnybrook, Stillorgan, Malahide, Greystones, and Baggot Street – situated in Dublin and Wicklow as well as a gourmet food production facility.

Donnybrook Fair was acquired by Musgrave in 2018 and has recently launched its exclusive ‘DF in SV’ concept at a number of SuperValu stores as part of a significant expansion phase for the business.

Fresh The Good Food Market has begun a collaboration with Michelin trained chef and recent winner of RTE’s Food Truck of the year, Kwanghi Chan.

Fresh invited Kwanghi to take up ‘residency’ at its Capital Dock store in

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Christmas just got even Christmassier, thanks to Heinz and Terry’s an intriguing new Chocolate Orange have combination from Heinz teamed up to create an [Seriously] Good unusual new taste this festive season Mayonnaise and Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

To create this unique concoction, the boffins at Heinz blended Heinz [Seriously] Good Mayonnaise – made with free-range eggs – with melted velvety Terry’s Chocolate Orange segments, Crème Patissière and an extra dose of Terry’s Chocolate Orange’s signature real orange oil for good measure.

The result, according to the brands, is a smooth and delicious spread that works perfectly dolloped onto festive desserts or spread onto brioche, scones, pancakes, or croissants. Sounds like a perfect option for an at-home taste test to us!

Tesco Ireland partners with Olio to further redistribute surplus food from stores

70 jobs have been created at Donnybrook Fair’s new flagship Dundrum store following €4.5m investment

Fresh announces ‘residency’ project with chef Kwanghi Chan

Austin McGinley of Fresh The Good Food Market with chef Kwanghi Chan

Heinz dreaming of an OrangeChoc-Mayo Christmas

Dublin 2 to take his hugely popular street food truck offer ‘Bites by Kwanghi’ and bring it into its first retail environment.

The idea was to create a new food foodie destination in Dublin which showcases the talented chef’s food within the prestigious Fresh store.

The new concept is now live and trading, with the entire in-store dining space given over to the Bites concept which is branded and has its own entrance. There is seating for up to 100 customers which includes the covered exterior dining area.

The Bites menu features authentic Asian-style street food with a wide variety of options available from dumplings, ramen bowls, tacos, bao buns, wings and sides.

Kwanghi has applied his own creative touches to the space, introducing new planting, music, street food packaging, and a collaboration with artists Jill & Gill for the space’s new art installation.

Tesco Ireland has partnered with food sharing app Olio to help reduce food waste in stores in Dublin. The pilot programme involves nine Dublin stores, with 250 volunteers already signed up to Olio in Ireland.

A global initiative, the Olio scheme works with over 35,000 volunteer ‘Food Waste Heroes’, who visit stores to collect surplus food nearing its best before or use-by date and redistribute it to the local community. Tesco is the first major Irish grocery retailer to join the movement, which builds on the retailer’s existing surplus food donations programme, powered by FoodCloud.

Olio will operate where food related charitable organisations are unable to collect food

DropChef set on further expansion with new corporate wellness offering

Ireland’s largest and fastest growing home recipe kit company, DropChef, is currently embarking on a further expansion of the business with a new corporate wellness offering, following a period of sustained growth by the company’s direct to consumer service.

Founded in 2015, DropChef is an Irish food-tech business that delivers tailored healthy meal kits with measured, locally sourced ingredients to homes throughout Ireland. As part of the expansion, Gary Scott has been appointed as the new head of corporate wellness.

In late 2020, a €2 million investment was DropChef CEO Ryan Scott, announced in DropChef Becca Stark, dietician at

by VentureWave Capital’s DropChef; and Gary Scott, Impact Ireland Fund. ■ head of corporate wellness

GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021 27

Not all heroes wear capes!

Held on 27 October 2021, this year’s Grocery Management Awards were full of excitement and joy to celebrate the dedication, perseverance and commitment to excellence demonstrated by the country’s leading grocery retail managers

Now in their 16th year, the ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards have once again recognised individual management excellence in the grocery sector. A total of 20 awards were presented at the prestigious ceremony held on Wednesday, 27 October 2021 at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Led by RTÉ presenter, MC Shay Byrne, the ceremony honoured the best in the many departments that make up local convenience stores and supermarkets, culminating in the grand prize of ShelfLife National Grocery Retail Manager of the Year.

Supported by platinum sponsor Bank of

Ireland and carried out in association with Excel Recruitment, the National Grocery Management Awards scheme is independently judged and seeks out best management practice among those who carry responsibility without ownership in the grocery retail sector. >>

Guests enjoying this year’s ceremony

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

28 GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021 Karl on pages 30 - 31.

On behalf of all the team at ShelfLife, we would like to thank everyone who entered the awards this year and say a huge congratulations to all 20 deserving winners. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our platinum sponsor Bank of Ireland and all the sponsors of this year’s awards programme, without whom the ceremony simply would not have been possible.

>> ‘Heroes of Retail: Not all heroes wear capes’ was the theme of this year’s event, which recognised the tremendous dedication to customers and colleagues demonstrated by retail managers across the country, as they navigated a second year of the Covid-19 crisis and the myriad challenges presented for the retail sector.

In recognition of this outstanding commitment, this year’s ceremony included a special ‘Müller Hero of the Year’ Award, presented to a store that during the

pandemic has consistently gone the extra mile for its local community. Turn to page 39 to learn more about the winner, Daybreak Williamstown in Co. Galway.

Our Supreme Champion for 2021, Karl Fitzgerald of Applegreen Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, likewise stood out in the judges’ minds for the way in which he has supported his colleagues and local community throughout challenging times, boosting morale through his positive mindset. Check out our interview with

Guests congratulating their colleague on a well-deserved win

Donnie Christian, founder of Albyn Retail Consultancy, on stage with MC Shay Byrne

ShelfLife publisher John McDonald got the evening off to a great start

Guests were kept refreshed courtesy of Britvic Ireland with treats from Butlers Chocolates

ShelfLife’s Julia O’Reilly assisting guests with the table plan

The Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire had a great atmosphere throughout the night

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector at Bank of Ireland, the platinum sponsor of the Grocery Management Awards 2021

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

RTÉ presenter, MC Shay Byrne, ensured everyone was kept in fine fettle throughout the evening

GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021 29

Social Diary 1

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10 1. Edel Carton, Louise O’Reilly, David O’Reilly, Lisa Roche, Graham O’Connell and John Nolan of O’Reilly’s SuperValu Bunclody 2. Pierce Gordon of Value Centre Castlebar, with Ann Reilly and James Reilly of Value Centre Cavan 3. Martina Bozic and Mantas Ambraziejus, Applegreen 4. Ailish and Kieran Barron, BWG Value Centre, Letterkenny 5. Tony Rochford and Siobhan Power, Musgrave 6. Alison Donican, Andrew McDonnell, Myra Walsh, Will Hanley, Suzanne Donican and Lorraine Ellis; Hanley’s SuperValu

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7. Catherine Deasley, Martin Rodgers and Susan Doherty of Kelly’s Centra, Letterkenny 8. Pierce and Lorraine Gordon, Value Centre Castlebar 9. Adriana Pacurariu, Daniel Gherca and Liliana Gherca of Daybreak Ballinalack 10. Philip Campbell, Kevin Fitzgerald, Zarinah Berkery, Eric Nolan and Keith Bradshaw, of Aryzta Food Solutions Ireland / Seattle’s Best Coffee 11. Orla Brady, Ashleigh Mulhall and Ciara Moore, Valeo Foods 12. Noel and Elaine Willis, Tesco Claremorris 13. Patricia Collins and Gráinne Keating of Scully’s XL Foodstore Daingean 14. Alan Coates and Robbie Kelly, Tesco Extra, Liffey Valley 15. Peter Dwan and Alan Doolaghty, BWG

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16. Brian Joyce of The Galway Plaza, with Alan Doolaghty, Spar retail operations advisor (ROA)

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

30 INTERVIEW

Running the show It’s been a pretty special year for Karl Fitzgerald, the manager of Applegreen Rathcoole. After representing Ireland in longdistance running, he was also crowned Supreme Champion of the SheflLife Grocery Management Awards 2021. Fionnuala Carolan caught up with him to find out the secret to his success

J

ust fresh from his win at the ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards 2021, Karl Fitzgerald says he is still genuinely shocked that his name was called on the night, expecting that only the managers from the big supermarkets would be in the running for the top award. “I still can’t believe it,” he says. “I presumed the main award was for the big boys in the SuperValus and Tescos so as they were reading the script I wasn’t really paying attention as I was distracted. As it got closer people beside me were nudging me and saying that that sounds like you. Then I was starting to panic. Good panic though! I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest. I’ll never forget that moment. Never in a million years would I have expected it. I’m still pinching myself.”

Despite his surprise, the judges thought him an extremely worthy winner. According to the judges’ evaluations they said he was a “handson manager, who builds rapport, has patience with his team and has a clear focus on promoting excellent customer service. He has really demonstrated the importance of togetherness, health, and the wellbeing of his team particularly during the lockdown periods to keep up morale.”

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Fitzgerald says he’s been to the awards before and looked at people winning and thought they were on another level to him.

“It’s made me look at myself differently and given me a lot of confidence,” he admits.

Applegreen Rathcoole Fitzgerald has been the manager of Applegreen Rathcoole for the past two years.

Located on the busy M7 just outside Dublin, it’s a popular choice for motorists heading off on long journeys south and it would be considered one of the most prominent motorway sites in the country.

He has been with Applegreen about 12 years in total and had already done a five year stint in Rathcoole before moving around to different sites to gain experience. His returned to Rathcoole two years ago on the back of a major redevelopment of the whole site in 2018. “It’s a lot bigger than it was but it’s still tiny for what it does,” he explains. “It takes a particular person to work here because we don’t have back stores and the food department’s kitchens are tiny for the volumes of food going through.”

“There’s no more land to expand and the important thing for the remodel was to get

more cars in as the cars used to be backed up out on the motorway,” he adds.

During the busy summer months there could be up to 100 staff on the roster so it takes a shrewd operator to keep this site running smoothly and to its full capacity.

Revamped shop The revamped shop has a number of concessions including Burger King, Chopstix and new ice-cream venture, Bueno. There are four coffee carts but he says they could easily do with two more if space allowed. The Applegreen Bakewell serves everything from sandwiches, hot dinners to fresh pastries and there is a seating area for 80 people and external seating pods brought in since the beginning of the pandemic.

A small change implemented by Fitzgerald

INTERVIEW

31

during this pandemic has made a big impact.

He introduced a forecourt customer service attendant. He chose a staff member called David Williams who Fitzgerald says has the gift of the gab and describes him as “an invaluable member of the team. He has really helped with security as drive offs are so common on motorway sites. When it’s raining he’ll be out with the umbrella for customers. It has made a difference to the return customer.

We’re lucky to have him,” he says.

Early career Despite his success in this field, a career in retail was never in the plan for Fitzgerald. At the age of 18 he was training to be a fitness instructor. His course had finished and he wanted to save for a holiday with his friends and needed a stop gap job. “I went into Superquinn one day with my friend who was looking for a job and I remember the manager asking if I was there for a job too and I said no. He asked if I wanted one and I thought if there’s one going I’ll take it and that’s how I ended up there,” he laughs.

He had left school early as he felt like “school just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t sit still or concentrate very well.” He found he got sucked into Superquinn and became part of the family very quickly. “I realised that I was learning more there than I did in school because it was practical and they were really good at honing in on your strengths and giving you opportunities where you could blossom. You were given proper training so you felt confident in what you were doing,” he explains.

Fitzgerald spent ten years with Superquinn in a number of different departments and different stores like Ballinteer and the flagship store in Lucan. “I had a fear of leaving Superquinn but I knew after ten years that I needed to move,” he explains. “This was at a time when Superquinn was changing as Feargal Quinn was leaving so I knew it was time for something new.”

Moving on His next move was to manage Spar Grand Canal Dock in Dublin owned by another ex Superquinn manager Ray Clarke. He was a manager there for two years until Applegreen came knocking – again through an old colleague from Superquinn.

He found that Applegreen offered him a lot of autonomy and he liked the model. “With Applegreen, you are your own boss, you make your own decisions. You make your life work around it and you can earn money through hard work,” he says.

His 12 years in Applegreen have included stints in Goldenbridge, Clonskeagh, Enfield East and his two stints in Applegreen Rathcoole. He learned a lot from each move as every location was a very different experience and brought its own challenges and opportunities.

Before he took over in Rathcoole he did his homework to ensure it would be a successful venture for him. “I started coming in and having a coffee to watch what was right and what was wrong. I had done my homework so I knew what needed to be done when I took over,” Fitzgerald explains.

Sports background His ShelfLife Grocery Management Award this year was not his first time to win at the GMAs. A few years ago, he won the Sports and Nutrition Award. With his strong sporting background it was an obvious one for him. He once held a sports and nutrition open day on site – he describes it as like a mini trade show.

“We got all the sports suppliers in and invited David Gillick, ex Irish athlete, to give a talk,” he says. “I closed off the food court and I invited in a women’s running group and 100 turned up and we taught them all about sports nutrition. The forecourt was full of stands for all the health and wellness brands. We were doing around €4,000 a week in sales for just sports nutrition at the time.”

Despite taking a different career path than originally planned, he still harboured ambitions for success in sport and these ambitions were realised when he represented Ireland this year in long-distance running. He believes that training hard helps the day job too. “What I do outside of work has a massive impact on what I do in work. It defines who I am,” he says. “I am an endurance runner so I entered a race called the Anglo Celtic Plate, a 100km race held in Mondello. I was on the Irish team so training for that was either going to make or break me because training is not easy. I always wanted to represent my country

at something and I knew I was good at running and had the mental strength to do it.

“For that to work, things have to be working well in the background: you have to have a happy family at home and work has to be operating for you. The last thing I want is for my running to be a distraction. I get to really switch off. It’s like a jigsaw. I can function better at work when I’ve done my run.”

To fit his training in, he has to get up around 4am at the weekends to go for a six hour run, demonstrating his sheer focus and determination. “When you are training like that it makes you mentally strong. You can mentally absorb stressful situations in work and it helps you keep a cool head. You learn how to control yourself,” he says.

Work/life balance He believes in work/life balance not just for himself but also for his staff. “I think it’s vital to take time for yourself. I encourage them to go home early if it’s quiet or to go for a walk.

I’ve friends who work seven days a week but you need to pull away from that. I try to bring that family environment to my store as it makes a difference to the staff and customers.”

He says that his wife Heidi and kids Max and Isla are what keeps him motivated.

“Everything I do is for them,” he says. “I want to be a role model and my motivation stems from that.”

What is blatantly obvious from talking to Fitzgerald is his abundance of energy and enthusiasm for family, work, sport and life in general. He’s the type of person that would probably succeed at whatever he put his mind to. Applegreen is certainly lucky to have someone like this in their ranks. n www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife December 2021

32 GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021

Cash and Carry Manager of the Year WINNER: Kieran Barron, BWG Value Centre Letterkenny, Co. Donegal What the judges said:

David Melinn, head of key accounts at BAT Ireland and Vuse, presents the Cash and Carry Manager of the Year Award to winner Kieran Barron of BWG’s Value Centre Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

Kieran Barron, the winner of the Cash and Carry Manager of the Year 2021, manages a substantial business of which he has been at the heart, for over two decades.

The judges noted that his ability to manage his direct team and customer relationships in an increasingly competitive market while delivering consistently on KPIs sets Kieran Barron apart.

Award sponsored

by BAT Ireland and Vuse

Customer Service Manager of the Year WINNER: Emer Rave, SuperValu Sutton, Dublin 13 What the judges said: Emer Rave, the winner of the Customer Service Manager of the Year 2021 Award, has been with her store for over 20 years, joining as a customer assistant and growing within the business. Now managing a team of 35 within one of Dublin’s most recognised supermarkets, Rave consistently strives to achieve an excellent customer experience.

Cash & Carry Manager of the Year Sponsored by Vuse Winner: Kieran Barron, Value Centre, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Finalists: • Pierce Gordon, Value Centre Castlebar, Moneen Industrial Estate, Castlebar, Co. Mayo • Ann Reilly, Value Centre, Century Business Park Dublin Road, Co. Cavan • Gary Moriarty, Value Centre Listowel, Bridge Road, Listowel, Co. Kerry • Ian Cousins, Value Centre Kilkenny, Hebron Road Industrial Estate, Co. Kilkenny • Fintan Smyth, Value Centre, Value Centre, Ecco Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth

Customer Service Manager of the Year Sponsored by Excel Recruitment

Nikki Murran, director of grocery retail recruitment at Excel Recruitment, presents the Customer Service Manager of the Year to winner Emer Rave of SuperValu Sutton, Dublin 13

Award sponsored by Excel Recruitment

Winner: Emer Rave, SuperValu Sutton, Dublin 13 Finalist: • Crona Kenny, Spar Garrycastle, Athlone, Co. Westmeath

Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year WINNER: Ger Keenan, Masterson’s Centra, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim What the judges said:

Brian Lavelle, sales manager Northern Europe, UK & Ireland for Xpress Chef, presents the Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year Award to winner Ger Keenan of Masterson’s Centra, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year Sponsored XpressChef

Ger Kennan, the winner of the Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year 2021 Award, didn’t let the pandemic slow her down. She worked in tandem with the store manager to revamp the store’s entire fresh food department, introducing new and exciting concepts which saw a massive increase in sales and profits. The judges noted that this fresh food manager is a team player that supports her team to deliver exceptional quality and customer service on a daily basis.

Winner: Ger Keenan, Masterson’s Centra, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim

Award sponsored by XpressChef

• Jasmin Kerr, Mace Blackbull, Drogheda, Co. Louth

Finalists: • Susan Lennon, SuperValu Kilbarry, Tramore Road, Co. Waterford • Theresa Byrne, SuperValu Swords, The Pavilions Shopping Centre, Dublin • Alan O’Donnell, Daybreak, Cahir, Co. Tipperary

GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021 33

Forecourt Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year

Forecourt Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year Sponsored XpressChef

WINNER: Emma Sinclair, Applegreen, 17 Malahide Road, St. Doolaghs, Dublin 13 What the judges said: Emma Sinclair, the winner of the Forecourt Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year 2021 Award, made a very notable submission. This dedicated fresh food manager pushes her team to go above and beyond with delivering fresh quality products and exceptional service through leading by example making Emma Sinclair a very worthy winner.

Brian Lavelle, sales manager Northern Europe, UK & Ireland for Xpress Chef, presents the Forecourt Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year Award to winner Emma Sinclair of Applegreen, Malahide Road, St. Doolaghs, Dublin 13

Winner: Emma Sinclair, Applegreen, 17 Malahide Road St. Doolaghs, Dublin 13 Finalists: • Fay Gardiner, Applegreen, Youghal, Co. Cork • Egle Valaviciute, Applegreen, Naas Road, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin • Jo Deasy, Southlink Service Station, Daybreak, South Link Road, Cork City • Adrian Amborski, Applegreen Listowel, Co. Kerry • Agnieszka Pilocik, Kinsale Spar, Co. Cork

Award sponsored by XpressChef

• Agnieska Holdowicz, Applegreen, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Your Local Wholesaler For Over 50 Years

For a fourth year in a row the Value Centre team took home the Cash and Carry Manager of the Year Award!

Congratulations to Kieran Barron, Value Centre Letterkenny.

David Melinn (R), Head of Key Accounts at BAT Ireland and Vuse, presents the Cash and Carry Manager of the Year Award to winner Kieran Barron (L) of Value Centre Letterkenny, Co. Donegal ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

34 GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021

Off-Licence Manager of the Year WINNER: Michael Molloy, SuperValu Ranelagh, Dublin 6 What the judges said: Michael Molloy, the winner of the OffLicence Manager of the Year 2021 Award has seen his department go from strength to strength, with increases across sales through the last year.

He strives to ensure his customers’ loyalty through engagement and ensuring the team offers a pleasant shopping experience for all.

Siobhan Casey, customer marketing manager, Bibendum Ireland, presents the Off-Licence Manager of the Year Award, to winner Michael Molloy of SuperValu Ranelagh, Dublin 6

Award sponsored

by Bibendum Ireland

Off-Licence Manager of the Year Sponsored by Bibendum Ireland Winner: Michael Molloy, SuperValu Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Finalists: • Craig Swift, Mace Blackbull, Drogheda, Co. Louth • Shane McNulty, SuperValu Ballinteer, Dublin 16

Small C-Store Manager of the Year Sponsored by Albyn Retail Consultancy Winner: Arthur McGuire, Daybreak Ravens Terrace, Co. Galway Finalists:

Small C-Store Manager of the Year WINNER: Arthur McGuire, Daybreak Ravens Terrace, Co. Galway What the judges said:

Donnie Christian, director, Albyn Retail Consultancy, presents the Small C-Store Manager of the Year Award to winner Arthur McGuire of Daybreak Ravens Terrace, Co. Galway

Arthur McGuire, the winner of the Small C-Store Manager of the Year 2021 Award, recently completed an impressive renovation of his store. The judges noted his real efforts to uphold staff moral through setting achievable goals and really taking staff members’ opinions on board with regard to the renovation.

McGuire takes pride in the calibre of staff within his store and their dedication to providing top class customer service throughout the pandemic.

Congratulations on this well-deserved win.

Award sponsored

by Albyn Retail Consultancy

Medium C-Store Manager of the Year WINNER: Ger Kelly, Delaney’s Mace, Liosban Industrial Estate, Co. Galway What the judges said:

Jessie Coyle, customer business manager, PepsiCo, presents the Medium C-Store Manager of the Year Award to winner Ger Kelly of Delaney’s Mace, Liosban Industrial Estate, Co. Galway

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Ger Kelly, the winner of the Mid-Size C-Store Manager of the Year 2021 Award is an experienced manager who lives and breathes retail as it is his true passion. He loves his job and aims to give his customers the very best shopping experience in his store, always going the extra mile in customer service.

Ger Kelly was able to adapt throughout the covid pandemic from offering outdoor dining to new ranges of food-togo. He treats staff with respect and values employee suggestions that can drive business growth.

Award sponsored

by PepsiCo

• Raj Kodali, Herlihy’s Centra Grand Parade, Cork • Graham Flood, Daybreak Bective, Navan, Co. Meath • Martina Webb, Londis St James’s Hospital, Griffin Retail Group, Dublin 8 • Mohammad Hossain, Londis Parkwest, Dublin 12 • Grzegorz Stoklosa, Mace, Holborn Street, Mace, Co. Sligo • Brendan Gibney, Mace, West Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth • Rachel Ryan, Top Oil / Spar, Ennis, Co. Clare • Tony Geelan, Geelan’s XL, Co. Wexford • Stacey Payne, Elite Service Station XL, Tuam, Co. Galway • Tanya Warren, Elite Service Station XL, Co. Galway • William McCoy, McCoy’s XL, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow

Medium C-Store Manager of the Year Sponsored by PepsiCo Winner: Ger Kelly, Delaney’s Mace, Liosban Industrial Estate, Co. Galway Finalists: • Damien McCormack, Mace, Bonagee, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal • Aisling Corbally, Mace Ballyboughal, Co. Dublin • Pat Harkin, Mace Service Station, Mountrath, Co. Laois • Karl Lynch, SuperValu, Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15 • Stephen Seavers, Spar Garrycastle, Athlone, Co. Westmeath • Grainne Keati, Scully’s XL, Daingean, Co. Offaly • Colum Browne, Browne’s XL Supermarket, Clogheen, Co. Tipperary

GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021 35

Large C-Store Manager of the Year WINNER: James Brennan, SuperValu Kilmainham, Dublin 8 What the judges said: James Brennan, who has been named Large C-Store Manager of the Year, manages a busy, recently revamped store located in a very vibrant part of Dublin. He manages a team of 45 colleagues who he keeps motivated through great communication and continuous support and feedback.

Offering excellent standards, outstanding customer service and a wide food range, James Brennan is indeed a worthy winner.

Jessie Coyle, customer business manager, PepsiCo, presents the Large C-Store Manager of the Year Award to winner James Brennan of SuperValu Kilmainham, Dublin 8

Award sponsored

by PepsiCo

Large C-Store Manager of the Year Sponsored by PepsiCo Winner: James Brennan, SuperValu Kilmainham, Dublin 8 Finalists: • Susan Doherty, Kelly’s Centra, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal • Nick Ye, Londis DCU Glasnevin, Dublin City University, Dublin 9 • Tanya McGarry, SuperValu, Charlesland Shopping Centre, Greystones, Co. Wicklow

CONGRATULATIONS TO GER KELLY

DELANEY’S MACE LIOSBÁN WINNER OF C-STORE MANAGER OF THE YEAR (MEDIUM)

Jessie Coyle, Customer Business Manager, PepsiCo, presenting the Award to Ger Kelly, Delaney’s MACE Liosbán.

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

36 GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021

Small Forecourt Manager of the Year WINNER: Clare Sheehan, Applegreen Youghal, Co. Cork What the judges said:

Eric Nolan, head of retail sales, Aryzta Food Solutions Ireland / Seattle’s Best Coffee, presents the Small Forecourt Manager of the Year Award to winner Clare Sheehan of Applegreen Youghal, Co. Cork

Award sponsored by Seattle’s Best Coffee

Clare Sheehan, the winner of the Small Forecourt Manager of the Year Award, is an outstanding, passionate manager who sees her store as a social hub for the local community. Covid presented this store with several challenges but due to the dedication of both staff and management they were able to excel during this period, always providing exceptional customer service.

Clare Sheehan has put everything into her career because it genuinely makes her happy and she truly loves her job.

She has always ensured her store was a safe, secure, positive environment for staff which has allowed this store and its staff to thrive.

Small Forecourt Manager of the Year Sponsored by Seattle’s Best Coffee Winner: Clare Sheehan, Applegreen Youghal, Co. Cork Finalists: • Lisa Smyth, Applegreen Inchicore, Dublin 8 • Daniel Gherca, Geerah’s Daybreak, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath • Jane Mooney, Daybreak, Williamstown, Co. Galway • Kevin Forde, Daybreak Dungarvan, Co. Waterford • Umair Majeed, Daybreak Daybreak Ballinderreen, Co. Galway • Mark Ryan, Mace Shanagolden, Parkmore Filling Station, Co. Limerick • Ajay Velayudhan, Maxol Skehard Road, Co. Cork

Large Forecourt Manager of the Year WINNER: Karl Fitzgerald, Applegreen Rathcoole, Co. Dublin What the judges said:

Eric Nolan, head of retail sales, Aryzta Food Solutions Ireland / Seattle’s Best Coffee, presents the Large Forecourt Manager of the Year Award to winner Karl Fitzgerald of Applegreen Rathcoole, Co. Dublin

Award sponsored by Seattle’s Best Coffee

Karl Fitzgerald, the winner of the Large Forecourt Manager of the Year 2021 Award, is a manager who takes great pride in both his retail group and employees. He has been building upon his management career for the last 12 years in this organisation and has an open-door policy with all staff, taking on board both positive and negative feedback.

Covid has been a massive hurdle for all forecourt sites and this winner is grateful for the excellent team he has behind him.

Karl Fitzgerald’s mantra is to build the business around the people as opposed to building people for the business and he feels this has been integral in his career success to date.

Small Supermarket Manager of the Year WINNER: Marcin Rokosz, Brosnan’s Centra, Schull, Corkx What the judges said:

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, presents the Small Supermarket Manager of the Year Award to winner Marcin Rokosz of Brosnan’s Centra, Schull, Cork

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Marcin Rokosz, our Small Supermarket Manager of the Year 2021, is a true advocate of the brand, store, and people in his store, boasting a 20% increase over the past year in sales. This retailer strives to ensure his customers’ loyalty through continual engagement. We are thrilled to congratulate this deserving winner.

Award sponsored by Bank of Ireland

• Sean Lyons, Top Oil/Spar, Carrigaline, Co. Cork • Dainius Macijauskas, Applegreen, Kellystown, Dublin 15

Large Forecourt Manager of the Year Sponsored by Seattle’s Best Coffee Winner: Karl Fitzgerald, Applegreen Rathcoole, Co. Dublin Finalists: • Anthon Russell, Daybreak/Maxol Abbeyfeale, Limerick • Brian Joyce, The Galway Plaza Spar, Athenry, Co. Galway • Briege O’Kane, Top Oil/Spar, Naas, Co. Kildare • Robert Nortje, Applegreen, Buncrana, Co. Donegal • Rita Kareckiene, Applegreen Arklow, Co. Wicklow

Small Supermarket Manager of the Year Sponsored by Bank of Ireland Winner: Marcin Rokosz, Brosnan’s Centra, Schull, Cork Finalists: • Amanda Leech, Eurospar Drogheda, Co. Louth • Shane Mangan, Tesco Rathmines Metro, Dublin

GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021 37

HR Manager of the Year

WINNER: Adriana Pacurariu, Londis, Co. Dublin What the judges said:

Sean Thomas, senior recruitment consultant at Excel Recruitment, presents the HR Manager of the Year Award to winner Adriana Pacurariu of Londis, Co. Dublin

Award sponsored by Excel Recruitment

Adriana Pacurariu, the winner of the HR Manager of the Year 2021 Award is a dedicated professional who like many over the last two years has faced significant challenges. She was nominated for this award due to her passion for her role and her dedication to her employer during this testing time. Playing a key role in terms of decision making within her retail group, Pacurariu is responsible for maintaining strong employee engagement which during the pandemic was extremely difficult; requiring planning, research, and getting buy-in from senior business leaders.

Over her ten years being employed with this group, Pacurariu has built great relationships with team members and has worked tirelessly for the business.

Throughout her career she has helped develop the skills of all employees and has seen many of the staff evolve into senior positions within their stores. She always works with the strictest confidentiality and treats everyone with same respect and regard while always showing loyalty and kindness.

HR Manager of the Year Sponsored by Excel Recruitment Winner: Adriana Pacurariu, Londis, Co. Dublin Finalists: • Tony Rochford, SuperValu Ballinteer, Dublin 16 • Jessica Maher, SuperValu Lucan, Co. Dublin • Janine McCormack, SuperValu Sundrive, Dublin 12 • Carley Dennan, SuperValu Blackrock, Co. Dublin

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

38 GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021

Mid-Size Supermarket Manager of the Year WINNER: Goren Kierse, Aldi, Douglas, Co. Cork What the judges said:

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, presents the Mid-Size Supermarket Manager of the Year Award to winner Goren Kierse of Aldi, Douglas, Co. Cork

Goren Kierse, our Mid-Size Supermarket Manager of the Year 2021, is constantly striving for excellent customer service, highest standards and driving sales across the business. Overall, this manager is an outstanding retailer.

Kierse has worked extremely hard over the years to grow and change with the needs of his customers, delivering the highest level of customer service, store standards and stock availability.

Award sponsored by Bank of Ireland

Large Supermarket Manager of the Year WINNER: Noel Willis, Tesco Claremorris, Co. Mayo What the judges said: With some impressive achievements under his belt during the past year it is no surprise that Noel Willis is this year’s winner! His store is seen as a one-stopshop in the town and with customer and colleagues at the heart of what this retailer does on a daily basis – we are delighted to congratulate Noel Willis as this category’s winner.

Mid-sized Supermarket Manager of the Year Sponsored by Bank of Ireland Winner: Goren Kierse, Aldi, Douglas, Co. Cork Finalists: • Leanne Carberry, Aldi, Dunmore Ardkeen, Co. Waterford • Donal Smyth, Aldi, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath • Nigel Riddell Aldi, Dunlo, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway • David O’Reilly, O’Reilly’s SuperValu Bunclody, Co. Wexford • Matt Bardon, Tesco Tramore, Co. Waterford

Large Supermarket Manager of the Year Sponsored by Bank of Ireland

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, presents the Large Supermarket Manager of the Year Award to winner Noel Willis of Tesco Claremorris, Co. Mayo

Award sponsored by Bank of Ireland

Winner: Noel Willis, Tesco Claremorris, Co. Mayo Finalists:

Superstore Manager of the Year WINNER: Robbie Kelly, Tesco Liffey Valley, Lucan, Co. Dublin What the judges said: Robbie Kelly, the Superstore Manager of the Year 2021, is running one of the top ten stores in his brand. Having opened the store from 2018, he has continued to bring the store from strength to strength.

He has achieved this by working with his team, leading by example and bringing his personality to the workplace. Robbie Kelly is a very well-deserved winner in this category.

Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, presents the Superstore Manager of the Year Award to winner Robbie Kelly of Tesco Liffey Valley, Lucan, Co. Dublin

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Award sponsored by Bank of Ireland

• Jamie Caffrey, SuperValu Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 • Ger Joyce, SuperValu Swords Pavilions Shopping Centre, Dublin

Superstore Manager of the Year Sponsored by Bank of Ireland Winner: Robbie Kelly, Tesco Liffey Valley, Lucan, Co. Dublin Finalist: • Joe Rooney, Tesco Coonagh, Co. Limerick

GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021 39

Müller Hero of the Year

WINNER: Daybreak Williamstown, Galway What the judges said:

ShelfLife publisher John McDonald and editor Gillian Hamill, present the Hero of the Year Award, sponsored by Müller, to manager Jane Mooney, representing the winning team at Daybreak Williamstown

The Hero of the Year is a special award presented to a store that during the pandemic has consistently gone the extra mile for its local community.

The team at Daybreak Williamstown delivered groceries for the local community and offered personal shopping services at no additional cost to ensure the vulnerable were kept safe and protected.

They opened their deli later to provide meals for those in need within the community and they are also very active raising funds for the Irish Heart Foundation. This included hosting a spin-a-thon on the forecourt to raise awareness and funds for the Irish Heart Foundation.

Overall, they continue to go the extra mile within their community, making their store the heart of the community.

Award sponsored

by Müller

Retail Team of the Year

Müller Hero of the Year

WINNER: SuperValu Hanley Rowlagh, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 What the judges said:

ShelfLife publisher John McDonald and editor Gillian Hamill present the Retail Team of the Year Award to Will Hanley, representing the winning team at SuperValu Hanley Rowlagh, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

The Retail Team of the Year for 2021 goes to a store that is at the heart of its community with each occasion throughout the year marked by something special in-store for staff and suppliers alike. The team at SuperValu Hanley Rowlagh has worked together for a long time and this is evident in the fantastic atmosphere and in-store theatre and of course high standards that are always present in this store.

Award sponsored by ShelfLife

Brand Marketing Team of the Year WINNER: Sicín Sásta What the judges said:

Alan Crawford, trading director, BWG Foods, presents the Brand Marketing Team of the Year Award to the winning team at Sicín Sásta, including Brendan Nolan, Karen O’Connell and Hugh Goff

The nominations for this award were made by retailers and retailer managers who were asked their opinions on which marketing campaign has been most effective in driving sales this year. This covers all marketing communications including above, below and throughthe-line.

For this award we had to take notice of the wide number of positive comments from store managers about the professionalism, reliability, and consistency of Sicín Sásta’s representatives.

Award sponsored by BWG Foods

Sponsored by Müller Winner: Daybreak Williamstown, Co. Galway

Retail Team of the Year Sponsored by ShelfLife Winner: SuperValu Hanley Rowlagh, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 Finalists: • Applegreen, M1 Lisburn Southbound, Tullynacross Lisburn, Co. Down • Daybreak Dungarvan, Co. Waterford • Tarpey’s SuperValu, Lake Land Retail Park, Co. Cavan • SuperValu Sundrive, Dublin 6 • SuperValu Walkinstown, Dublin 12 • Applegreen Swords, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin

Brand Marketing Team of the Year Sponsored by BWG Foods Winner: Sicín Sásta Finalists: • Premier Lotteries Ireland • Mondelez Ireland • Fyffes • Fulfil • Valeo Foods

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

40 GROCERY MANAGEMENT AWARDS 2021

Trading Team of the Year WINNER: Tesco Ireland What the judges said: Tesco Ireland, the Trading Team of the Year 2021, continually work closely with Irish suppliers to deliver the best quality produce for Irish consumers. The wealth of new suppliers brought on board annually and willingness to engage and test new products has positive repercussions across the industry.

Trading Team of the Year Sponsored by Shopper Intelligence Winner: Tesco Ireland Finalists: • Dunnes Stores

Colm Rooney, country manager Ireland of Shopper Intelligence, presents the Trading Team of the Year Award to winner Tesco Ireland, represented by Michael Small, head of trade operations at Tesco Ireland

• Aldi Ireland

Award sponsored

by Shopper Intelligence

Supreme Champion – The National Grocery Manager of the Year WINNER: Karl Fitzgerald, Applegreen Rathcoole, Co. Dublin What the judges said: The Supreme Champion this year stood out for several reasons. Firstly, his dedication and passion for the retail industry was clear in his own submission but was also highlighted by his peers. He is a hands-on manager, who builds rapport, has patience with his team and has a clear focus on promoting excellent customer service. He has really demonstrated the importance of togetherness, health, and the wellbeing of his team particularly during the lockdown periods.

ShelfLife editor Gillian Hamill and Owen Clifford, head of retail sector, Bank of Ireland, present the National Grocery Manager of the Year Award to Karl Fitzgerald of Applegreen Rathcoole, Co. Dublin

Award sponsored by Bank of Ireland

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

The Covid-19 pandemic came as a shock to us all, but in particular, it greatly impacted the retail industry both in positive and negative ways.

This award is not based on the best sales figures and margins but on how the candidates were able to adapt and adjust to difficulties faced over the past two years. This candidate faced their fair share of difficulty along with many other motorway managers the judges interviewed this year.

Karl Fitzgerald allotted additional time to developing the staff that were heavily relied on during the lockdown, he held regular team meetings to keep the bond and positivity strong within his store, and always aimed to maintain morale during this period.

Our Supreme Champion for 2021 credits his competitive sporting background and personal achievements for having a major effect on his management style and managerial success. This has greatly influenced his overall mindset in work which affects his mood, positivity, energy, and passion for his job.

These last two years have really demonstrated the importance of Karl Fitzgerald’s mantra which is to build the business around the people as opposed to building people for the business.

This is what sets him apart as a manager and the judges felt Karl Fitzgerald is a worthy winner of this year’s overall award. n

• Musgrave • Lidl Ireland • BWG Foods

Supreme Champion – The National Grocery Manager of the Year Sponsored by Bank of Ireland Winner: Karl Fitzgerald, Applegreen Rathcoole, Co. Dublin

CONGRATULATIONS Now in their 16th year, the ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards have once again recognised individual management excellence in the grocery sector.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DAYBREAK WILLIAMSTOWN AND DAYBREAK RAVENS TERRACE FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS!

HERO OF THE YEAR Daybreak Williamstown ShelfLife publisher John McDonald and editor Gillian Hamill, present the Hero of the Year Award to manager Jane Mooney, representing the winning team at Daybreak, Williamstown

SMALL C-STORE OF THE YEAR Daybreak Ravens Terrace Donnie Christian, director, Albyn Retail Consultancy, presents the Small C-Store of the Year Award to winner Arthur McGuire of Daybreak, Ravens Terrace, Co. Galway

Best of the Year

Vaping

Weight Management

42 CATEGORY FOCUS Best of the Year

2021 champions!

Despite the challenges of 2021, Ireland’s leading brands and brave newcomers have risen to the task, and through NPD, high quality standards and creative marketing have delivered excellent sales results and strengthened their brand’s bond with consumers, making them must-stock products for 2022

2

021 was another challenging year in many regards, but one thing that stayed constant was the commitment to quality and innovation demonstrated by the country’s leading brands, alongside some creative newcomers. The products displayed on the following pages have all achieved impressive sales results, which the figures readily verify, and have continued to generate excitement and renewed interest in their categories with attention-grabbing new varieties and limitededition products.

With extensive market research in many cases, these are brands which have shown they absolutely have their finger on the pulse when it comes to delivering the products

Ireland’s original and number one Ballygowan, Ireland’s number one water brand, relaunched this year taking a major step forward on its sustainability journey. All plastic bottles are now made from 100% recycled plastic and continue to be 100% recyclable.

Ballygowan’s new rPET bottles can be reused over and over again, becoming a contributor to the circular economy

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

which your shoppers are excited to try.

Likewise, their marketing has managed to successfully resonate with their target audience to pique their curiosity and maintain high consumer loyalty.

2021 has proved another uniquely challenging and unusual year for our sector, but our ‘Best of the Year’ products did not let complications deter them from their brand mission. Irish grocery market share figures from Kantar for the period ending 31 October 2021 show grocery sales dropped by 4.8% during the previous 12 weeks as restrictions eased and people spent more time eating meals on the go. However, growth remains strong compared with 2019

The shift to recycled bottles will remove 51 million virgin PET bottles (non-recycled) which is 1288 tonnes and replace it with 100% recycled and 100% recyclable rPET bottles. A further 245 tonnes of plastic will also have been removed through light weighting in 2021.

When recycled correctly, the new rPET bottles can be reused over and over again, becoming a contributor to the circular economy, and resulting in a positive impact on the planet.

Ballygowan’s home at Newcastle West, now operates on 95% renewable energy and 100% renewable electricity. That is the highest level of renewables use by any Britvic factory worldwide. The facility at Newcastle West has also achieved zero waste to landfill.

Ballygowan offers Irish consumers the opportunity to buy a locally produced brand, bottled at source in Ireland. Not only does this support Irish jobs; it also reduces the environmental impact of transporting bottles of other water brands from factories across Europe.

In addition to the launch of the new bottles, Ballygowan has launched a new brand identity.

The new Ballygowan ‘sky to land’ logo encapsulates the brand story, of Atlantic

and sales were up 8.9% versus the equivalent period pre-pandemic.

Supply chain difficulties and inflation also featured this year. As Food Drink Ireland (FDI) director Paul Kelly noted in November: “The rate of cost inflation in the sector continues to rise across all the main inputs and this is now increasingly accompanied by supply shortages of these inputs. Global food commodity prices for example are up 33% year on year according to the FAO Food Price Index.”

Despite these challenges however, the brands included here have achieved excellent results and deserve to celebrate their impressive achievements.

rainfall drifting in from the Atlantic Ocean and falling on land close to Newcastle West, Co. Limerick. It is filtered through mineral rich limestone over 750 years and then returns to the surface from a well, where it is bottled and enjoyed all over Ireland.

An eco-friendly choice A favourite brand in Irish households for many decades and associated with that magical

New Bord na Móna Eco Firelighters use only natural materials

Best of the Year CATEGORY FOCUS 43

NEW FRUITY FLAVOURS WITH ADDED VITAMIN B6 AND ZINC* *To support your immune system, not give you night vision.

( not so )

Life-changing

Goodfella’s new Mini Pizzas are sold in a multi-pack format with four stone-baked, 5” pizzas

The folks at Goodfella’s Pizza continue to prove they know how to launch in the snacking sector. The Pizza Pockets range launched earlier this year has already been a massive success. With just two products, Goodfella’s has shown how important they are to the sector’s performance - contributing to almost three-quarters of total pizza snacking growth*. Representing almost a third of the sector sales in such a short time frame, Goodfella’s is proving the consumer and trade interest around the brand and the huge potential of the segment.

Goodfella’s Mini Pizzas are available in 4 Cheese and Pepperoni varieties

Building on this success, Goodfella’s has launched its new Mini Pizzas offering this month. The concept-tested Mini Pizzas are a versatile product, perfectly positioned to deliver on several consumer drivers. Sold in a multi-pack format with four stone-baked, 5” pizzas, they are perfect for consumers looking for portion control, quick lunchtime meals, convenience, or reduction of food waste. With in-home lunch occasions skyrocketing in the wake of flexible work models and working from home, Mini Pizzas are the perfect solution: great tasting, quick to prepare, and with little clean up! They are perfect for working professionals and children alike. Mini Pizzas are available in 4 Cheese and Pepperoni varieties. *(Source for YTD YOY sales growth: Nielsen Total Scantrack data to 7 November 2021)

refreshment

Deep RiverRock is a registered trademark of Coca-Cola Hellenic Northern Ireland Limited.

Deep RiverRock’s Immune System range has achieved exceptional results, recording the highest distribution and rate of sale in the past two years

Sparkling with style Graham Norton’s Own Sparkling Frizzante Rosé wine from Italy launched in the Irish market just in time for Christmas 2020.

Graham Norton’s Own Sparkling Frizzante Rosé has been blended with Pinot Noir grapes to make a lighter, drier style of sparkling rosé wine

Best of the Year

In July 2021, the Deep RiverRock brand introduced its Immune System range, a selection of fruity flavoured water with the added benefits of Vitamin B6 and Zinc.

Variants include Forest Fruits Sparkling, Lemon & Lime Sparkling and Strawberry Still, with added benefits that support a healthy immune system and contribute to overall wellbeing.

This innovation came about by utilising market insights and responding to the changing consumer behaviour in a pandemicstricken world. This innovation is being supported with a full 360° marketing campaign titled ‘Not so life changing refreshment’. This is a refreshingly honest campaign that tells consumers as it is in a fun and disruptive way – ‘a little extra Zinc and vitamin B6 won’t give you a six-pack or mean you’re ready to climb Everest, but it all helps towards supporting your immune system in the long run’. This campaign was supported

Snacking success

Vaping

Boosting immunity

with social, influencer partnerships, digital out of home, in-store activation and direct to consumer sampling to ensure consumers could still trial this great tasting range even during lockdowns. The results have been exceptional, with the range achieving the highest distribution and rate of sale in the past two years and Deep RiverRock has grown its consumers’ flavours awareness by almost +50%.

Weight Management

feeling of comfort and sense of home, Bord na Móna has now launched an exciting new Eco Firelighter in the home heating ignition category.

A natural and sustainable fire starter, this product uses only natural materials. The sustainably sourced fine wood wool and natural candle wax means that no chemicals are used in the production making them odourless. The Eco Firelighter is easy to light, creating the perfect start to a fast-lighting fire.

It is suitable for open fires, stoves and is perfect to light up the barbecue, fire pit and garden chimenea.

“We know that consumers are looking for more eco-friendly alternatives and we are delighted to bring this new fire starter to market,” says Brian Keogh, head of sales marketing & innovation, consumer products at Bord na Móna. “Our new Eco Fire Lighters are now available to buy at many of our loyal customers’ stores nationwide.”

The pink frizzante - a collaboration between Graham Norton and Kiwi wine company Invivo & Co - has been made in response to the growing numbers of people in Ireland seeking lighter styles of quality sparkling wine and is a welcome partner to the already-popular Graham Norton’s Own Frizzante.

Graham Norton’s Own Italian Sparkling Frizzante Rosé, the fifth addition to Graham Norton’s Own award-winning range of still and sparkling wines, is made with the Glera grape (otherwise known as the ‘prosecco’ grape) and is grown and produced in the same way as prosecco. It has been blended with Pinot Noir grapes to make a lighter, drier style of sparkling rosé wine.

Television and radio personality, author and wine connoisseur, Graham Norton officially formulated his new fizz with Invivo & Co. Invivo co-founder Tim Lightbourne said at the launch: “Our customers have been very excited about the arrival of the Graham Norton sparkling frizzante rosé wine for Christmas and New Year, particularly on the back of the growth of the Graham Norton’s Own Frizzante! The rosé sparkling is made by our same Italian partners to ensure consistent quality and style.”

Like its twin, the white Prosecco, Graham Norton’s Own Italian Sparkling Frizzante Rosé is crisp, fresh and delicately structured. It has a delicate strawberry drive throughout thanks to the addition of Pinot Noir in the winemaking and is well-balanced. The light berry-fruit notes combine with sweetly scented notes of tropical flowers to make a delicious tipple, and a slightly lighter option at 11% ABV. The sparkling rosé is made sustainably with Invivo & Co’s Frizzante producer partners in Italy and is vegan friendly.

“Over the past number of years, we have seen phenomenal growth of Graham Norton’s Own Frizzante and think that the upwards trend will continue as the Irish discover light and dry styles of sparkling wine that are affordable,” Lightbourne added. “At Invivo we are always seeking to innovate and drive future trends so we’re very excited to bring one of the very first sparkling rosé wines from Italy to Ireland, made in partnership with Graham Norton.”

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A

&

with Shane O’Sullivan,

Shane O’Sullivan, director of the Off-Trade in Ireland, Molson Coors Beverage Company

director of the Off-Trade in Ireland, Molson Coors Beverage Company

Q: How will minimum unit pricing (MUP) impact the overall market?

A: In predicting the impact MUP may have on the Irish alcohol market, we have taken learnings from other markets where we operate with MUP already in place – such as Scotland and Wales. In May 2018, Scotland introduced MUP and since then we have seen a change in consumer habits. We’re seeing more consumers choosing to enjoy more premium brands and shifting away from larger packs into smaller ones across the beer and cider sector. The shift in consumer buying patterns and behaviour to more premium drinks has resulted in a growth in sales for local convenience retailers.

Q: How are Molson Coors reacting to this change?

A: In Ireland, we’ve responded to the new legislation by developing a portfolio of products designed to meet shopper preferences when MUP is introduced. With our previous experience in other markets, we have recognised that shoppers will want more choice across the medium and smaller sized packs and will require larger packs less frequently.

In response to this, we have created new packs across our portfolio of brands, to offer consumers the greatest range of choice. We are also continuing to build our premium and craft beer and cider offer – with brands including Staropramen, Franciscan Well, Blue Moon, Cobra, Aspall Cyder and Rekorderlig cider.

Q: Irish consumers have become more adventurous in their tastes in recent years, as observed through the craft beer explosion.

How are you meeting the latest consumer trends through innovation, including a greater focus on premium options across your portfolio?

Miller Genuine Draft delivers a fresh from the tap taste through its proprietary “coldfiltered four times” brewing process

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Brewed with premium barley, the choicest hops and no preservatives, Molson Canadian delivers a taste as clean, crisp and refreshing as the country it’s named for

A: Consumers have increasingly been more adventurous in their tastes as they celebrate more special occasions at home. Our Western Europe Beverages Hub responds to these changes by taking us into new places on the bar and in-store, by building and partnering with exciting brands in high growth categories.

We’ve just started out with our exciting portfolio in Ireland, kicking off with some strong listings of Lixir Mixers and Tarquin’s range in the on-trade. We’re now sharing our portfolio, which also includes Miami Cocktail Company, our hard seltzer Three Fold and Bodega Bay hard seltzer and Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, and our longer-term intent with Irish retailers and demonstrating how we can serve them and their shoppers more completely. Our Beverage Hub products have been received well by our customers and are generating real excitement amongst consumers for this category.

In the ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails category we have seen growing demand from consumers seeking more variety and experimenting with new flavours. The RTD category was the fastest growing in alcohol globally in 2020 and has continued to perform well in the UK and increasingly so in Ireland. We’ve teamed up with Miami Cocktail Company to meet this trend, rolling out its range of award-winning, hand-crafted organic cocktails in Ireland. The range – which includes Margarita Spritz, Paloma Spritz, Mimosa Spritz, Sangria Spritz and Bellini Spritz – is crafted with only premium organic ingredients, and each 250ml can contains 110 calories.

The hard seltzer category is a rapidly growing entrant to the RTD market, with consumers

and retailers embracing this latest trend. Hard seltzer sales have increased in value more than eight-fold in the space of twelve months in the UK*, and we expect this trend to be mirrored in the Irish market over time. We got into the category early last year through our exclusive distribution partnership with premium hard seltzer brand Bodega Bay, and this year we expanded our presence by launching Three Fold, a new brand with mainstream appeal which taps into the growing hard seltzer opportunity in the UK and Ireland. Three Fold, which is backed by our largest ever brand investment in a new category, comes in three fruity variants – Red Berries, Tropical and Citrus. Each 330ml can contains 4% alcohol by volume, 93 calories and is naturally vegan and gluten free.

Q: How has the business been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and how have you responded as an employer?

A: Covid has been a huge challenge for every business, there is not one business unaffected by it, but certainly the beer and pub sector is one of the hardest hit with the prolonged closure and restrictions in the on-trade.

For us throughout the pandemic our priority has been the health and wellbeing of our people. At the outset of Covid we supported everyone who could to work from home, and continue to do so in Ireland, and we asked all of our vulnerable people in operational roles to remain at home until we were confident we had implemented a comprehensive range of Covid-measures at our operational sites. This meant that, for a period of time, we operated at reduced capacity and rationalised our range. Communicating regularly with customers was paramount during this period to help them manage these changes, but we were also really gratified by the support we had from customers for the decisions we took to prioritise our people.

Q: How are you working with retailers in Ireland’s off-trade sector to drive sales in the lead-up to the vital Christmas sales period?

A: We are planning for a bigger than normal Christmas this year given all the challenges of the last 18+ months and the very muted occasion that was Christmas 2020. This means agreeing plans and forecasts earlier than ever with our customers and also getting stock on order earlier than ever. We are working with retailers this festive season to ensure they have a range of choice to meet growing trends and >>

MINIMUM UNIT PRICING

WE ARE READY

2 2 0 2 R O F P U E N I L W E N

4 x 500ml/ 4 x 440ml

6 x 330ml

4 x 500ml

8 x 500ml

6 x 440ml

8 x 500ml

12 x 330ml

18 x 330ml

12 x 330ml

18 x 330ml

What we’re doing to be ready for MUP • Utilising our experience of minimum unit pricing in the Welsh and Scottish markets • Developing a pack architecture across our core range which ensures we meet the needs of our customers and consumers • Continuing to invest in premiumisation and the convenience mission - two trends we have seen accelerate in MUP markets

To stock up, call us on 01 6294104 or contact your Customer Development Executive

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consumer demands. This should include choice in different categories, including lager, cider and ales, to catch the eye of beer and cider fans who are looking for something different during the festive season. Our advice to customers this Christmas is to plan early and ensure you flag your forecasts as soon as possible for your Christmas requirements.

Christmas is a time for treating yourself, so retailers should consider how they can cater to those looking for more premium options.

From our experience in the UK, we have seen that nearly half (46%) of shoppers are more inclined to trade-up to premium food and drink options when dining at home** and, as a result, premium brands are gaining more and more traction. World beers are a popular choice in the premium beer category and the category has remained a key driver of growth in the off-trade, where it continues to track ahead of the overall lager category, seeing a 16% sales increase in Ireland in the last year.*** As a result, brands like Staropramen are increasingly popular, giving people a chance to experiment and explore new tastes.

The super-premium cider category continues to grow; we’ve seen from our experience in the UK that it has increased by 16% compared to last year****, and we expect to see this replicated in the Irish market over time. The Aspall Cyder range is an ideal choice for retailers looking to make the most of this growing opportunity. It has been produced at the original Aspall Cyder House for almost 300 years and the brand’s provenance, crisp taste and sleek, sophisticated packaging all combine to create an offering that fits the bill for shoppers looking for something a bit special.

Multipack formats are ideal for social occasions at home and are likely to become even more important in the coming weeks and months as more consumers plan gatherings with friends and family. To tap into this growing demand

The UK’s number one lager, Carling is brewed to have the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness

we launched a 6x330ml can multipack for our Staropramen range to help retailers drive sales.

The packs are encased in a recyclable cardboard sleeve, making them entirely plastic free.

Q: Sustainability is increasingly important for many consumers. How have you worked to improve your environmental credentials across the organisation?

A: As an organisation we set an ambitious 2025 goal to lower absolute emissions by 50% within our direct operations as part of Our Imprint 2025 goals. We have also established a target to achieve a 20% reduction in carbon emissions throughout our value chain within the same time frame. These goals have been verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SbTi), making us one of the few leading companies to align our direct emissions-reduction goal with the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature increase target recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

In March 2021, we began to produce our beers we sell in Ireland such as Carling, Molson Canadian and Miller Genuine Draft, using

*(Source: IRI, MAT 19th June, Value Sales Total Outlets) **(Source: Kantar Worldpanel Data 52we 14/06/20 ***(Source Nielsen Scantrack data to end October 2021 ****(Source: IRI, 52 weeks to 19th June, all outlets GB Value Sales)

You’ve got the power!

Birds Eye Green Cuisine successfully launched into the Chicken-Free sector this year

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

100% renewable electricity when we signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with RWE, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. We use electricity generated from the Tween Bridge wind farm in South Yorkshire, which produces the same amount of electricity as around 25,000 households a year for us.

The move puts us ahead of our target to reduce our operational emissions by 50% by 2025.

Alongside this, our investment in CO2 recovery systems mean we can also recover and reuse up to 47 tons of CO2 from the fermentation process each day. Our largest UK brewery in Burton, which produces many of the brands we sell in Ireland, has been almost entirely self-sufficient in CO2 production since 2018; removing around 2,350 tonnes of emissions from our operations each year.

We have set global packaging targets to ensure that 100% of our packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. This year we hit our target of removing all single-use plastic from across our major brands, helping us to remove more than 700 tonnes of single-use plastic from our operations through changes to packaging and minimising waste. Across our UK and Ireland territory, all of our production sites are zero waste to landfill including our Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork.

Molson Coors has also conducted a trial with Staropramen, where two million low-carbon bottles were produced that reduced the carbon footprint of each bottle by up to 90%, and significantly increased the recycled content of each bottle by using up to 100% recycled or waste glass – up from 75% previously used in our green glass bottles. We look forward to continuing to explore how we can implement this across our wider portfolio on a larger scale in the future.

Birds Eye launched the Green Cuisine brand in 2019, a plant-based brand which consists of ‘veg foods’ and ‘meat substitutes’. The perfect brand for vegans, flexitarians and consumers who simply want to reduce meat intake in their family dinners. Since launch, Birds Eye has invested increased media and trade spend for the Green Cuisine brand year-on-year.

2021 saw the launch of Green Cuisine into ‘Chicken-Free’, with a range of small pieces (dippers, strips and nuggets), and more recently, larger pieces (grills and burgers). The launch of Green Cuisine’s ‘You’ve Got The Power’ campaign in January of 2021, coupled with successful NPD launches, has resulted in a successful value share of 18%* (+55% YOY) of total frozen vegetarian, making Green Cuisine the number two brand within the sector.

With a robust pipeline in place, integrated with exciting activity plans, there is a lot more to come for the Green Cuisine brand in 2022. *(Source: Nielsen Scantrack MAT to 7 November 2021)

Perfect gifting solution To delight your shoppers this festive season, make sure to stock Lily O’Brien’s range of mouthwateringly delicious chocolates. All made in Ireland and crafted using signature Lily O’Brien’s chocolate, the range offers the perfect selection to meet all your shoppers’ gifting needs this Christmas.

Brand new this Christmas, Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Collection is the perfect gift for your customers to really impress with this festive season. This generous collection of 26 chocolates with nine recipes is strikingly stylish and sure to suit all tastes and have them reaching for more.

Best of the Year CATEGORY FOCUS 47

A little sunshine in every drop MiWadi is a truly iconic Irish brand and continues to grow from strength to strength in the marketplace. From humble beginnings in 1927, MiWadi has been a fruity and flavoursome part of childhood in Ireland for 94 years and has always remained relevant to Irish families with a wide range of flavours in the Regular, No Added Sugar, 0% Sugar and Drops ranges. MiWadi is still produced in Dublin to this day and is a proud member of Love Irish Food.

This summer, MiWadi was delighted to announce that every bottle of its 0% Sugar range is now fortified with Vitamin D which supports families’ immune system.

Vitamin D is very important in our diets to help support families’ general health, growth and development but it can be difficult to achieve the recommended daily intake of 5 µg. It has been reported that Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent in Ireland*.

27 Avonmore Pro-Oats is a perfect choice for customers who want to hit their protein goals

MiWadi says it makes the water that individuals need to drink each day extra delicious and refreshing; the 0% Sugar range contains no more than five calories per glass and is available in four fruity flavours: Orange, Apple & Pear, Apple Berry and Blackcurrant.

MiWadi continues to grow year-on-year, maintaining its number one position in the squash category**.

(Vitamin D contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system and maintenance of normal bones and teeth.) *(Source: Department of Health Article Reporting on Vitamin D Deficiency in Ireland, April 2020) **(Source: Nielsen Value Share MAT Total Squash Category November 2021)

Bring the noise

Monster Energy is the fastest growing energy brand with a +41% value growth versus 2020

MIWADI 0% SUGAR

fortified WITH

VITAMIN D FOR A LITTLE SUNSHINE IN EVERY DROP

MiWadi maintains its number one position in Ireland’s squash category

Three words that define Monster Energy Nitro Super Dry: ‘Bring The Noise’. The new product from Monster Energy, infused with a proprietary nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide gas mix, Nitro is unlike anything your customers have tried before.

Working around the clock, Monster Energy engineers created a supercharged energy drink with a unique glucose and sucrose mix, which blends citrus flavour, and a light and dry texture similar to fine champagne. Better still, Nitro provides an instant lift with 10.6g of sugar per 100ml and a punchy 32mg of caffeine per 100ml.

Nitro is ‘Unleashed’ and the timing couldn’t be better either. While the energy drink category continues to grab ever more market share and outgrow traditional non-alcoholicready-to-drink (NARTD) products, Monster Energy is leading the way. Not only is Monster Energy the fastest growing energy brand with a +41% value growth versus 2020 - but it also boasts an epic portfolio of over 20 core flavours, now headlined by Nitro Super Dry.

A force of nature

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Recipes included are Salted Caramel, Simple Chocolate, Zesty Lemon Truffle, Truffle Decadence, Coffee and Almond Biscotti, Raspberry Roulade, Sticky Toffee, Roasted Almond Square and Gianduja. Available in all major retailers nationwide (€13.95) Lily O’Brien’s chocolates are stocked in stores nationwide and you can also view the full range online at www.lilyobriens.ie.

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Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Collection contains 26 chocolates with nine delicious recipes

Avonmore Pro-Oats is the latest addition to the Avonmore Protein Milk product range. Pro-Oats, as the name suggests, contains 27g of protein and 23g of glutenfree oats per 500ml serving complemented with a smooth texture and tasty vanilla flavour.

Pro-Oats is perfect for those who exercise in the morning, look to hit their protein goals, and want the benefit of breakfast on-the-go. Protein is a building block for muscles and hardworking muscles need protein for muscle maintenance and growth. The new product is now available nationwide in all main retailers.

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A real pro!

Rubicon Raw from Barr Soft Drinks quickly made an impact on the energy drink market selling 7 million cans in the first seven months*.

The ‘big can’ energy drink meets the needs of today’s energy consumers and is an innovation built on a foundation of consumer insight, offering something new and truly different.

Made with 20% fruit juice, natural caffeine, B-Vitamins, ginseng and guarana, the range consists of three variants - Raspberry & Blueberry, Orange & Mango and Cherry & Pomegranate, with natural flavours and no artificial colours.

“Rubicon Raw has had a phenomenal response and is already the fourth largest flavoured big can energy brand in the market, in both volume and value,**” says Adrian Troy, marketing director at Barr Soft Drinks.

“82% of people who are aware of Rubicon Raw have gone on to try it with over 50% then repurchasing it more than three times, and 31% of Rubicon RAW consumers drinking it weekly***. We believe that’s because we listened and invested heavily to create a product that met their needs,” he adds.

“Not only does the brand appeal to existing shoppers, but we are bringing in new shoppers who have that energy need, but just haven’t yet found the brand that’s right for them.” *(Source: AG Barr Sales data) **(Source: IRI All Outlets, Value Sales, Energy Drinks, 13 w/e 04 Sep 2021) ***(Source: Basis Research: Brand and Comms Tracker: Energy market deep-dive. June - July 2021)

Rubicon Raw sold 7 million cans in the first seven months since launch

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Baguette beauties September 2021 saw the successful launch of a new range of baguettes from Panelto Foods.

Heat & Eat are fresh bakery baguettes, offering consumers the opportunity to refresh them at home in the oven, resulting in a delicious crusty product. Whether it is lunchtime inspiration for those working from home, or something different for the kids’ lunchboxes, Heat & Eat has your customers’ needs covered!

The baguettes are suitable for freezing, and can be baked straight from frozen, so consumers can have the highest quality, freshest bakery bread at home any time.

Available in two variants: White and Seeded, they are sold in a three-pack format.

After an exclusive launch with Tesco Ireland, Heat & Eat baguettes are now available in over 100 Tesco stores nationwide and are supported in-store with POS along with an integrated marketing campaign. Since their launch, Heat & Eat baguettes have contributed positively towards the growth of the baguette category.

Panelto Foods’ Heat & Eat baguettes are suitable for freezing, and can be baked straight from frozen

trees and millions of bees and the gin’s signature botanicals include hand-picked apple blossom, foraged elderflower and hawthorn blossom and honey from the bees that pollinate the trees.

These signature botanicals are combined with 11 other ingredients and steeped for 24 hours before slow distilling with vapour infusion in a 500-litre copper Bennett pot still in the company’s family-owned Boann Distillery in co. Meath.

This unique botanical combination and distillation technique creates a floral forward contemporary style gin with bright citrus aromas.

The name Silks is inspired by the colourful jockey silks worn at the historic Bellewstown racecourse, seen from the distillery.

Silks Gin launched in June of this year and has already been awarded Gold in the Beverage Testing Institute Awards 2021.

Silks Gin is distributed exclusively by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

For more information, follow @SilksGin on social media and visit www.silksgin.ie.

Approved by top dieticians

Signature botanicals that delight Beekeeping mother and daughter duo, Marie and Sally Anne Cooney did not have to look far for inspiration when developing the recipe for Silks Irish Dry Gin. The family orchard is home to 6,500 apple

Silks Gin is best enjoyed as a classic G&T with a slice of red apple to garnish

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Spicing up relish category YR Sauce is renowned for its sweet, blended date recipe and through the expertise of its product development team, this innovative brand developed a new YR Relish range in July to delight consumers’ taste buds and bring a burst of flavours to the relish category.

Three YR Relish flavours are available: YR Original Tomato Relish, YR Balsamic Red Onion and YR Habanero Spicy Relish

The three YR Relish flavours are YR Original Tomato Relish, YR Balsamic Red Onion and YR Habanero Spicy Relish. The products are gluten free, vegan and vegetarian friendly and have no added artificial colourings, flavours or preservatives and guaranteed to invigorate the category. The YR team have been mindful to create the relishes at the lower end of the sugar spectrum and focus on high quality natural ingredients.

Panelto Foods’ Heat & Eat baguettes are available in two variants: White and Seeded

Panelto Foods is an Irish bakery that produces a range of high-quality frozen parbaked breads for major retailers’ in-store bakeries across Ireland and the UK. With a state-of-the-art facility in Longford, Panelto Foods produces delicious breads that can be delivered fresh to the consumer every day.

For more information, visit www.paneltofoods.ie.

network of 300+ supportive weekly classes all over Ireland, there is a class near your store and Us! online for those that can’t make it to a class. Visit unislim.com for more information.

Approved by Ireland’s top dieticians, the Gorge Us range is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, low in saturated fats and contains no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings

Unislim celebrates eating delicious, nutritious food.

Its Gorge Us range uses only the finest ingredients. Gorge Us currently has two gluten-free, vegan-friendly products on the market; Unislim Gorge Us Rustic Cut Chips and deliciously Skinny Sweet Potato Fries. The Gorge Us family goal is to offer a healthy, delicious, wholesome and great-tasting option for vegans, slimmers, and health-conscious foodies.

This year, the brand added two frozen fruit products – Breakfast Berry & Tropical Mix – both of which offer a quick, convenient way to get some healthy, succulent fruit into an individual’s diet. Each juicy piece is naturally grown, picked ripe and freshly frozen to ensure they are bursting with flavour. Frozen fruit has similar levels of vitamins and minerals as fresh and 80g still counts as one of an individual’s five-a-day.

Created by Unislim’s top food experts, the Gorge Us range is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, low in saturated fats, contains no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings and has been approved by Ireland’s top dieticians.

Unislim is a family run, Irish owned company. It is Ireland’s leading slimming and healthy lifestyle club since 1972. The group offers 50,000 members a personalised and effective weight loss plan, which encourages them to make healthier food choices. With a

YR Habanero Relish won a bronze accolade in The Irish Quality Food and Drinks Awards 2021

YR Habanero Relish recently won a bronze accolade in The Irish Quality Food and Drinks Awards 2021. This Mexican inspired relish has a generous combination of ripe, spicy habanero chilli, red pepper, onion and pineapple, it’s delicious as a condiment for burgers, sandwiches, salads and amazing as a dip with tortilla crisps, to spice up any party or a night in. So if it’s not on your shelf, it’s time to stock up, the brand advises.

YR is proudly owned and distributed by Primeline Sales & Marketing. For more information contact your local sales representative or reach the company at the below: Primeline Sales & Marketing, Unit 12B, Ashbourne Business Park, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, Ireland.

Telephone: +353 (01) 835 3000.

Have it your way!

2021 went out on a high for the Irish family business Meade Farm. Amongst other awards, Meade Farm Skinny Chips and Chunky Chips both won Gold at the Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards.

The Gold Awards in the highly competitive ‘meal accompaniment’ category are a testament to the expertise that Meade Farm

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Charleville, Ireland’s number one cheese brand, has announced its next innovative initiative which saw the nationally acclaimed brand unveil fresh new packaging that will be sure to grab the attention of Irish consumers in stores nationwide.

Appearing on shelves since 17 September, the new design features a bold new Charleville logo that incorporates a Charleville town illustration and the timeless “Est. 1912” seal, which has become a stamp of quality for the brand. The logo also pays homage to Charleville’s rich dairy heritage - a brand built by generations of know-how, skill and care for over 100 years and counting.

When it comes to design, the new packaging boasts a distinctive grey slate background overlayed with delicious images

Charleville’s new packaging proudly highlights the brand’s heritage and celebrates its craftsmanship

Redefining the cocktail experience Lyre’s – the world’s most awarded nonalcoholic spirit brand has taken the market by storm, holding the number two position in the no/low spirit category, winning share from top competitors since launch in January of this year.

The total no/low category is in strong growth YTD at +24% versus last year. Spirits is the main driver of growth, growing at +180% value year-to-date (YTD).

Lyre’s launched the pre-mixed ready to drink (RTD) collection earlier this year with the Classico 200ml four-pack, which has become Lyre’s number one SKU in unit terms. The full Lyre’s RTD collection is now redefining the ready to pour cocktail experience with five elegant party accompaniments, cocktail additions or celebratory toasts that taste delicious. Now available in Classico, Classic G&T, Amalfi Spritz, American Malt & Cola and Dark ‘n Spicy, these signature drinks can be enjoyed at any time and contain the perfect ratio of ingredients to deliver a great tasting non-alcoholic cocktail.

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Rich dairy heritage

Mushroom Risotto and Tempting Tomato & Roast Red Pepper Risotto. All three options are gluten-free and the Moreish Mushroom and Tempting Tomato varieties are also suitable for vegans. However, Cully & Sully suggests serving them with a glug of olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan!

They are perfect for a light lunch or supper or as a delicious evening meal. For recipe ideas, head to cullyandsully.com/rockingrisotto.

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Double delight: Meade Farm Skinny Chips and Chunky Chips both scooped Gold accolades at the Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards

of Charleville cheese which will be sure to drive taste appeal amongst Irish cheese consumers. A boldly coloured descriptor box is also featured which aids navigation and ensures consumers can easily find their preferred variant at their local store.

A pre-campaign launch teasing the new look and feel of the packs was live in market in the lead up to the redesign. The new look packs will also be supported by a through-theline campaign including digital and social media, influencer partnerships, out of home and in-store activity.

Marketing manager Michelle Daly Lennon says Charleville was delighted to launch its new-look packs in September.

“Charleville has a rich heritage dating back to 1912 – a brand that has been built by generations of know-how, skill and care from master craftspeople and we wanted our new packaging to celebrate our Irish heritage and communicate our quality ingredients and premium product offering to consumers,” Daly Lennon said.

This latest move follows a phenomenal year for the Charleville brand which saw the launch of the Charleville Lighter range and a value market share growth of +8%.

The fresh, new design began to appear on-shelf nationwide from September and has been rolled out across multiples and independents.

Charleville is the number one brand in natural cheese and the number one brand across everyday block, slices and grated segments. Charleville caters for multiple cheese consumers’ needs with a diverse range of cheese products for all cheese moments.

Spread it, sprinkle it, dollop it, or simply slice it, Charleville cheese makes any meal or snack occasion more joyful created by master craftspeople, for 100 years and counting.

Charleville uses the highest quality ingredients available, hand-selected by skilled craftspeople to create cheese with real depth of flavour.

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brings to the fresh chip category; these are simply delicious, premium quality, chipped potatoes that let consumers make the call as to how to season and cook them – low cal, indulgent or somewhere in-between. They fill an important place in the fresh chips category for those consumers who want homemade chips, done their own way, but don’t have the time for prep and peeling.

Currently available in Skinny and Chunky variants, these chips are prepared fresh daily and shipped from the farm in County Meath, in the heart of the fertile Boyne Valley potatogrowing region. They are available now for retailers seeking a distinctively delicious fresh chip to re-invigorate their category.

For more information, contact Holly Gunapala or Cliona Costello at Meade Farm on +353 (0)46 905 3198.

Risotto on the rise For Cully & Sully, launching a range of products during a pandemic was certainly not an easy task but the brand’s range of delicious and authentic Risottos are now available in all good stores.

Made in Ireland using fresh ingredients, there are three products in the range: Charming Chicken & Leek Risotto, Moreish

Cully & Sully Risottos are perfect for a light lunch or evening meal

Lyre’s holds the number two position in the no/low spirit category

The RTD range has been a huge hit with Irish consumers and sits alongside an already extensive range of non-alcoholic spirit offerings from the brand. All RTDs are also low in calories, vegan, gluten and nut free.

As the world’s most awarded non-alcoholic spirit brand, Lyre’s has proven time and time again that the high-quality liquid surpasses competing non-alcoholic spirits but also stands strong even when measured against their alcoholic counterparts. The brand is continuing to drive further innovation within the no/low category with the launch of Classico Grande – its first prosecco style drink in a 750ml format.

Stay spirited with the sophisticated nonalcoholic RTD range from Lyre’s. The ideal thirst quencher for mindful and moderate drinkers looking to sparkle this winter.

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Vaping

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the story of Pat on his favourite social channel; Tik Tok. Pat Frog Ice Lolly Flavour has now been replaced with Dark Stuff Mixed Berry flavour in 500ml and 1.75L. Dark Stuff launched just in time for Halloween, and it was introduced to consumers with the help of social media and TV star Darren Conway aka GIT. The good news is Dark Stuff is here to stay and is available in stores nationwide, so this Christmas why don’t you; ‘Get the Dark Stuff into Ya!’ Lindt Lindor is achieving double digit growth of +32.9% and holds a market share of 19.9% Club’s Dark Stuff Mixed Berry flavour is here to stay

Melt into a moment of bliss Maintaining its position as the number one boxed chocolate brand, Lindt Lindor continues to outperform the market growing double digit +32.9% and holding a market share of 19.9%*. Lindor success comes not only from the much-loved classic Lindor milk recipe but also through the brand’s continual innovations to the market that are guaranteed to excite and delight your shoppers.

Experience bliss with Lindt Lindor smooth melting milk chocolate truffles, the best seller in the range. The Lindt master chocolatiers combine expertise and the finest ingredients to produce the perfectly round milk chocolate shell with an irresistibly smooth melting filling.

Since 1845, Lindt has been dedicated to producing the finest chocolates and the recipes created by the Lindt master chocolatiers are of the highest quality to delight taste buds. The Lindor milk chocolate box is the ideal gift for every occasion from birthdays to Christmas, as well as being perfect for indulging in a blissful moment all to oneself.

Lindt Lindor is also available in a slim stick format; it is the perfect “on the go” treat and is available in four delectable flavours – the classic Lindor milk recipe, the irresistibly smooth melting mint filling and a zesty orange flavoured milk chocolate for those looking for something with a little twist. And finally, the latest edition to the Treat Bar range, Salted Caramel, smooth melting milk chocolate with salt crystals, which the brand describes as an irresistible combination.

Lindt Lindor is the epitome of indulgence as it creates a moment of escape and relaxation in an individual’s busy day - a smooth melting ‘me moment’. *(Source: Nielsen Scantrack total market excluding discounters MAT latest 52 weeks to 7 November 2021)

Tantalising flavours What a year it was for Club. The brand has maintained its position as the second most consumed carbonated soft drink in ‘on the go’ and has continued to excite Irish consumers with new tantalising flavours. Club had a busy year and has undergone a facelift across all flavours whilst also introducing one of its most exciting limited editions yet; Pat Frog Ice Lolly flavour. Pat Frog Ice Lolly flavour paid homage to the iconic 90s apple flavoured ice pop that we all know and love. This limitededition flavour launched in April 2021 and was so incredibly popular that stores up and down the country limited purchases to one bottle per customer. Pat was also brought to life through digital with a special focus on telling

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

which is best suited to refreshing sundowners, night-sipping, moon gazing and other sensible modes of contemplation.”

This is the second release from Hendrick’s esteemed master distiller Ms Lesley Gracie’s Cabinet of Curiosities and showcases how Ms Gracie’s curious mind is in part inspired by the spectacular surroundings in her playground at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace, hidden away in the remote Scottish Ayrshire coast. Ms Gracie is known for a spot of midnight gardening and regularly tends to her blossoming collection of botanicals under the influence of moonlight.

Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is an intriguing combination of the refreshing, the warm and the floral and is designed to be shared and savoured of an evening as the sun goes down and the moon charges the sky.

Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is now stocked in SuperValu across ROI as an exclusive until 28 April. It will replace Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice which spritzed up the summer in 2019. It is bottled at 43.4% ABV and RRP: €46.

For further information, go to www.hendricksgin.com.

Club’s Pat Frog Ice Lolly flavour was so popular that stores up and down the country limited purchases to one bottle per customer

Lunar delight Hendrick’s Gin unveils Hendrick’s Lunar Gin, a small batch, limited release gin conjured up from the oddities in Ms Lesley Gracie’s Cabinet of Curiosities at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace.

According to the brand: “This most peculiar and unusual gin was conceived beneath the celestial light of the moon and yields an alluring complexity and a delightful warmth,

Exploring categories with the best opportunities for NPD New product development (NPD) is easier in some categories than others. Shoppers are more open to trying something new, and there are less barriers to buying (e.g. less routine purchase in ‘autopilot mode’).

Shopper Intelligence explores Irish shoppers’ mindset in 127 FMCG categories, and has identified the ‘low hanging fruit’ categories. You can see some of them on this infographic. ■

Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is the second limitededition release from master distiller Ms Lesley Gracie’s Cabinet of Curiosities at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace

Which categories have the best opportunities in NPD?

1

Interest: Category shoppers show more interest in NPD (horizontal axis) Barriers: High percentage of routine purchase/Grab&Go mode (vertical axis)

2

Focusing on the right hand side of the matrix only (ie high interest in NPD) High interest, high barriers: Big potential for NPD if you can break routineparticularly when building on established brands.

High interest, low barriers: Low hanging fruit for NPD. Shoppers looking to be tempted and wowed with NPD, including new flavours/variants/types. ↑ HIGH BARRIERS

 LOW INTEREST IN NPD

Frozen Potatoes/Chips Coffee Crackers/Crispbreads Yoghurts Sauces/Condiments Frozen Veg Crisps/Snacks Speciality Veg

World Foods

HIGH → INTEREST IN NPD

Vegetarian Food

Ice Cream/Frozen Chocolate Dessert

Exotic Fruit Flowers/Plants

RTD Drink ↓ LOW BARRIERS

Data from survey of 22,852 Irish shoppers, Aug 2020-March 2021. Shopper insights available for 127 FMCG categories in 2021

Colm Rooney, Country Manager Ireland colm.rooney@shopperintelligence.com

. h c t a B l l a Sm . r u o v a l F Big . e t s a T t a Gre

WWW.VELOCOFFEEROASTERS.COM

CATEGORY FOCUS Vaping

Planet of the vapes

With the new year fast approaching, many consumers will be keen to reduce or quit smoking and vaping can provide an important tool in their arsenal to achieve this aim. The manufacturers highlighted here are delivering high-quality, fully tested and comprehensively regulated vapour products, with a range of flavours available, in order to meet adult consumers’ needs, writes Gillian Hamill

Best of the Year

Vaping

Weight Management

52

T

he popularity of vaping products and e-cigarettes has soared in recent years, with thousands of Irish people swapping cigarettes for an electronic alternative. In 2019, The Healthy Ireland Survey, which was funded by the Department of Health, stated that 5% of the population use e-cigarettes. The survey showed that many Irish smokers switched to the practice in order to cut down and eventually eliminate cigarettes from their lives.

Indeed, 38% of those who made an attempt to quit smoking in 2019 used vaping to do so.

Further surveys have since consolidated these trends. According to the ‘National Drug and Alcohol Survey (NDAS) 2019-2020’ which is likewise funded by the Department of Health, more than one-half (55.9%) of vapers were ex-smokers, while 39.6% were current smokers, and just 4.5% had never smoked tobacco.

Quitting smoking Published in August 2021, The NDAS 20192020 findings show that the main reason cited for starting e-cigarette use was to help quit smoking (59.9%), with the second most common reason being ‘To try to cut down on the number of cigarettes I smoke’ (11.9%) and the fourth most common reason being ‘To try to stop me going back to smoking’ (5.1%).

The most recent ‘Healthy Ireland Survey’ findings from the Department of Health also show that only 1% of non-smokers are current vapers. Vaping is being used by adult smokers looking to get off, and stay off, cigarettes, a fact confirmed by the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly who said that “e-cigarette prevalence remains relatively low at 5% of the population and primarily consists of current and former smokers”.

The NDAS findings also show that the average Irish vaper is aged 35 plus, with low regular use reported in the 15-24 age bracket.

“Vaping has helped 93,000 smokers give up cigarettes for good,” says BAT Ireland’s country manager Simon Carroll. “Vaping is a better and less risky alternative to smoking,

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

and has an important role to play in reducing tobacco-related harm. According to the last Healthy Ireland Survey by the Department of Health, vaping was used by 38% of successful quitters, compared to the 10% who used NRT. Almost four times as many successful quitters used vaping.”

To mark World Vape Day in May 2021, BAT also published a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence for vaping products (e-cigarettes), their potential health effects and their role in reducing the harm caused by tobacco use.

According to the company, the review shows that, over the past decade, the number of people who incorrectly believe vaping is as harmful or more harmful than smoking conventional cigarettes has risen in Europe, the UK and the US. This is despite several scientific reviews*, published in the same period showing that vaping products manufactured in accordance with quality standards present less risk to health than cigarettes*.

According to population modelling studies cited in the review, a significant reduction in premature deaths could be achieved if current smokers switched exclusively to vaping, rather than continuing to smoke. These modelling studies use population data and simulations to project the health-related outcomes associated with the long-term risks of smoking versus vapour use over time.

product regulations, and notes that these regulations largely relate only to labelling, ingredients and taxation – but not manufacturing standards. This has resulted in highly variable product quality standards globally. The review stresses the need for consistent product manufacturing regulations and the universal adoption of robust product stewardship standards by manufacturers with the aim of increasing public confidence in vaping. *(Source: McNeill et al. London: Public Health England, 2015; McNeill et al. London: Public Health England, 2020; National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine Public health consequences of e-cigarettes. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2018)

Commitment to high quality Since JTI launched Logic Compact two years ago, the brand has consistently innovated, added new flavours, and grown its product range to meet adult consumers and customers’ needs.

Effectively competing The review highlights that vaping products can effectively compete with combustible cigarettes by providing nicotine and the sensorial enjoyment sought by smokers. As a result, access to high-quality, extensively tested and well-regulated vapour products is crucial. However, vaping will only be considered a compelling alternative to smoking if public health institutions unambiguously and accurately inform smokers that switching completely to vaping can reduce their health risks.

The paper also reviews current vapour

Logic’s e-liquids containing nicotine salts are designed to create a richer vapour

LO G I C VA P E S . I E

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE — CONTAINS NICOTINE NICOTINE IS AN ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE

DISCOVER

THE FRESH TASTE OF AVAILABLE IN

FANTASTIC MENTHOL AND MINT FLAVOURS

logicvapes_ie LogicVapesIE

Weight Management

54 CATEGORY FOCUS Vaping

Power of creativity

Best of the Year

Vaping

As Vype, the popular vaping brand had one purpose – inspire consumers with high quality vaping products.

As Vuse, the company has raised the bar – becoming one global brand that is connected and aligned with the everevolving needs of those consumers. Through a revamped brand look and feel, and more flavours for your customers, Vuse believes it perfectly demonstrates what the power of creativity and innovation can bring to your store and customers alike.

Find out more at b2b.pjcarroll.ie. *(For adult smokers and vapers only. Vype\Vuse e-cigarettes contain nicotine which is addictive. 18+ Only. Read leaflet in pack)

This year has been no different; JTI launched the Logic Compact Intense Starter Kit in March. Designed especially for your customers, it includes four intense flavours to discover: American Tobacco, Peppermint, Berry Mint and new Banoffee. Logic’s e-liquids containing nicotine salts are designed to create a richer vapour which some adult consumers find more enjoyable and satisfying versus vaping e-liquids without nicotine salts.

In July, the flavour range extended with three new Logic Compact flavours: American Tobacco, Apple, and Banoffee available in 12mg/ml nicotine.

The vaping category has continued to grow and evolve; one aspect that remains is JTI’s commitment to providing high quality products that meet strict standards. The team don’t stand still at Logic so watch this space for more exciting news next year.

JTI’s Salesforce and its customer services team is on hand to provide expert support and advice about the Logic range and help retailers maximise vaping category sales. You can order Logic products through the web ordering portal JTI Engage, your local JTI trade marketer, by calling JTI customer services on 01-404-5400, or through a cash and carry.

No fill, no fuss!

Hale Go was developed with a single core mission in mind, to bring Ireland’s best-selling eLiquid range to the market in a no fill, no fuss, easy-to-use pod device. The Hale Go is the only pod device available pre-filled with Hale eLiquids.

This means Ireland’s number one eLiquid, Hale, is now available for the first time in a pod system, exclusively in the Hale Go range.

Hale offers adult consumers a number of advantages. Firstly, Hale is the only Guaranteed Irish eLiquid. The brand’s superior battery technology also ensures faster charging with better power to liquid ensuring a smoother taste. Supersized pods also give

Vuse has a revamped brand look and feel

the Hale Go 185% more liquid than Juul.

The product has been designed in Ireland for Irish consumers, meeting their needs and demands for easy, simple, plug and play vaping.

The Hale Go offers the following specifications: • Battery capacity: 400mAh • Battery power: 10.2W • Pod capacity: 2.0ml • Puffs per pod: 300 puffs • Charge time: 60 mins • Coil resistance: 1.2ohm With universal USB Type-C charging, Hale Go has a lightweight, aluminium alloy body, and its buttonless design is both compact and easy to use.

The Hale Go allows consumers to enjoy Hale’s eLiquid range in a no fill, no fuss, easy-to-use pod device

Hale offers the only Guaranteed Irish eLiquid

Balanced debate on vaping needed, says Vape Business Ireland As Government targets a Tobacco Free Ireland by 2025, the need for balanced and evidence-based debate on vaping as a harm reduction tool has never been more important. That’s the message from Vape Business Ireland (VBI) to Taoiseach Micheál Martin who in October of this year opened the Leadership Summit on Tobacco Control hosted by the advisory board of the World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH).

Central to the event programme was a discussion on the successes and challenges of regulating vaping products. “This event will act as the curtain raiser to the 18th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) rescheduled to take place in Dublin next year,” said VBI spokesperson, Eoin O’Boyle. “Ahead of both events, we once again reiterate to Government the importance of not being obscured by one-sided commentary in relation to vaping products. Daily our members continue to see the significant role vaping is playing as a less harmful alternative in helping Irish people switch away from smoked tobacco products.

“We know from Healthy Ireland research that 41% of Irish

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

people who successfully quit smoking over a twelve-month period did so using vaping products, making vaping the most successful quitting tool after will power alone,” he added. “This evidence is further supported by Public Health England’s (PHE) seventh independent report on vaping published earlier this year which found that quit rates involving a vaping product were higher than any other method in every region in England.

“In the context of today’s event and the forth coming prelegislative scrutiny process of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill, we want to remind the Taoiseach and Ministers Stephen Donnelly TD and Frank Feighan TD why it’s vital that a well-rounded approach is taken to inform health policy making on vaping products,” O’Boyle continued. “Failure to do so could have a potentially damaging effect on over 240,000 Irish vapers, the majority of whom have made the choice to switch to vaping to help reduce smoking as well as smokers who are currently trying to quit.”

For further information about Vape Business Ireland, visit: www.vapebusinessireland.ie. ■

Best of the Year

Vaping

Weight Management

56 CATEGORY FOCUS Weight Management

Weighing up the pros

While shoppers may be busy stocking their cupboards with indulgent Christmas food, one thing’s for certain: come 1 January, many will be looking to start the new year on a healthier footing. ShelfLife looks at the products your customers will be looking for in order to stick to their new year’s resolutions

A

fter enjoying an indulgent festive season, many consumers want to kick start a fitness and healthy eating regime. According to a Nielsen Global Health and Wellness Survey, one in 10 adults in Ireland are on a slimming plan and are always

Weight loss you can enjoy The Gorge Us range from Unislim uses only the finest ingredients. There are currently two gluten-free, vegan-friendly products on the market; Unislim Gorge Us Rustic Cut Chips and Skinny Sweet Potato Fries. The Gorge Us family goal is to offer a healthy, delicious, wholesome and great-tasting option for vegans, slimmers, and health-conscious foodies.

This year two frozen fruit products were added to the range – Breakfast Berry and Tropical Mix - they offer a quick, convenient way to get some healthy, succulent fruit into your diet. Each juicy piece is naturally grown, picked ripe and freshly frozen to ensure they are bursting with flavour. Frozen fruit has similar

on the lookout for products and services that can help on their weight loss journey. Interest in all things healthy is nothing new in Ireland.

Over the years consumer interest in healthier options has soared in popularity. Retailers nationwide have been proactive in catering

to this demand, and today healthy snacking is easier and more affordable than ever before.

Here, we look at some of the best-selling products and some new entrants to the market.

levels of vitamins and minerals as fresh and 80g still counts as one of your five a day.

Created by Unislim’s top food experts, the Gorge Us range is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, low in saturated fats, contains no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings and has been approved by Ireland’s top dieticians.

Unislim is a family run, Irish owned company. It is Ireland’s leading slimming and healthy lifestyle club since 1972. It offers 50,000 members a personalised and effective weight loss plan, which encourages them to make healthier food choices. With a network of 300+ supportive weekly classes all over Ireland there is a class near your store and Us! online for those that can’t make it to a class.

Visit unislim.com for more information.

Chia Active is high in Omega 3 ALA (highest plant source) and is well known for helping to maintain normal blood cholesterol levels

Superfood support Whatever stage of life we are at, we could all do with a natural boost to keep us healthy.

The Chia Active range is as nature intended: one tablespoon (15g) per day of Chia Active contains 30 active ingredients and is high in 24 vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, C and Zinc. It also contains CoQ10, arginine, taurine, turmeric, ground black pepper and the 10 essential amino acids.

These all contribute to the normal function of muscles and bones, heart health, cholesterol levels, weight management, joint The Gorge Us range is vegan-friendly, gluten-free and low in saturated fats

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Weight Management CATEGORY FOCUS

Seize the cheese

TOP 10 Highest scores on: How IMPORTANT are Healthy Choices for you in this category? (out of 127 FMCG categories)

SATISFACTION with Healthy Choices

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Best of the Year

Covid-19 continues to affect much of our lives, especially with working from home; and whilst doing so, we are drinking more tea and coffee at the “home office”. As a result, the market for sweeteners via our grocery stores has grown considerably too and will continue to do so as many shoppers change from sugar and its associated calories to a sugar-free or lower calorie and healthier lifestyle.

We are spending much less time and money than we used to in coffee shops and snack outlets and much more in supermarkets and local convenience stores due to our increasing at home consumption. As a result, Hermesetas Mini Sweeteners - Ireland’s number one volume tablet sweetener brand – has grown sales considerably in the last year. With a range of pack sizes - 300, 600 or 1,200

Where do shoppers want Healthy Choices?

Vaping

Sweetness and light

tablets, plus the 90g granulated jar - they suit all main user types and needs. Small quantity and convenience formats cater for personal use (the 300 flat and slimline pocket / handbag pack) or larger volume 600 or 1,200 tablets are ideal for family share in-home or for individuals with higher sweetness levels or more regular hot beverage drinkers. The great sweet taste of Hermesetas meets your shoppers’ needs.

With home baking on the rise as well as keeping an eye on our family’s sugar and calories intake, there is Hermesetas Granulated.

It has recipes on the label and is also supported by more great tasting recipes and healthier lifestyle tips via Hermesetas.com.

In addition to the traditional Mini Sweeteners, Hermes Sweeteners also provide the SteviaSweet brand of naturally sourced stevia sweeteners. It is available in tablet form in a handy one-by-one dispenser. SteviaSweet is the perfect alternative to sugar but with zero calories for a healthier lifestyle. The brand’s website mysteviasweet.com provides lifestyle hints and tips and more.

Help your shoppers to a healthier lifestyle, with lower sugar and calorie intake and maximise your category sales with a range that provides choice to suit everyone’s pocket as well as their sweet tastes, from the Hermesetas and SteviaSweet brands. Contact Allegro on 01 858 0600 for further information and purchasing.

Weight Management

health and mobility, gut health, reduction of tiredness and fatigue, hormonal balance, immune support and many more.

Chia Active is high in fibre and absorbs up to ten times its own weight in liquid, which helps to keep you fuller and hydrated for longer, slows down the absorption of carbs, therefore giving you a slower release of energy and making you less likely to hit the 11 o’clock snack or the 3pm slump.

Chia Active which is high in Omega 3 ALA (highest plant source) is well known for helping to maintain normal blood cholesterol levels. Get all that you need in one tablespoon and just add to whatever you fancy: breakfast, lunch or dinner. As the brand states, not all Chia seeds are the same: Chia Active offers the gold standard!

57

10 Data from survey of 22,852 Irish shoppers, Aug 2020-March 2021.

Shopper insights available for 127 FMCG categories in 2021 Colm Rooney, Country Manager Ireland colm.rooney@shopperintelligence.com

healthy bones thanks to its high calcium count – without any additives; perfect for professionals and kids alike.

With six out of ten consumers admitting they think there should be more natural products in the market place and over half of ROI consumers reporting “sugar content” is their biggest concern when shopping, (Mintel, 2021) Kilmeaden is “Seizing The Day” with its 100% natural and low sugar snack bars*.

Kilmeaden plans to launch a snack bar sampling roadshow to kick-start the year alongside a strong digital campaign, in hope to convince shoppers to “Seize the Protein, Seize the Calcium, Seize the Convenience and Seize the Cheese”!

The snack bars are available in multipacks of 5 x 20g bars (RRP €2.70), or as a single 20g bar to eat when on-the-go (RRP 70c) *(Source: Mintel, Consumers Attitude Towards Natural and Organic Food – Ireland, 2021)

Refreshing blend The “Seize The Cheese” campaign will focus on the 20g cheddar snack bars

Hermesetas has grown sales considerably in the last year

Kilmeaden Cheese wishes to remind consumers to simply “Seize the cheese” this January! After enjoying an indulgent festive season, Irish consumers will no doubt want to kick-start the New Year off on a healthy footing. Award-winning cheddar cheese brand, Kilmeaden is ready to go with its “Seize the Cheese”, campaign which will focus on its healthy, 20g cheddar snack bars.

In 2020, Kilmeaden took a step into the snacking world with its mature cheddar snack bars. The bars are all-natural containing just one simple ingredient; cheese! Each 20g snack bar is naturally high in protein – something that tops many consumers’ nutrient list, especially when it comes to snacking. It helps to satisfy those cravings with only 78 calories.

The low carb, low sugar snack will maintain

Health continues to be a dominating trend across most categories, including soft drinks.

It can mean different things to different people: cutting down calories, reducing alcohol intake or prioritising natural ingredients.

When considering stocking a healthy soft drink, consumers naturally turn towards flavoured water, making it a must-have in your range.

Volvic Touch of Fruit is a refreshing blend of Volvic Natural Mineral water, with a touch of natural flavouring. The brand’s sub ranges are respectively low in sugar or have no sugar at all. To make sure consumers are not compromising on taste while enjoying their low sugar or sugar free option, Volvic Touch of Fruit offers a variety of flavours. The best sellers are Strawberry, Lemon & Lime and the new hugely popular Mango & Passionfruit. ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife December 2021

58 APPOINTMENTS

Lisney appoints three new directors Jackie Fitzpatrick has been appointed director of investments with Lisney. In her new role, she will oversee the running of the Lisney Investment division and manage the continued growth of the department, which handles the sale of commercial investment properties nationwide.

With over two decades of experience in the Irish property sector, Fitzpatrick is regarded as a highly accomplished investment agent who has been involved in some of the largest deals in Ireland including the sale of Blanchardstown Shopping Centre (€950m). She joins Lisney from JLL, where she spent eight years, and prior to that, she worked with Savills for nine years.

Aoife Hanlon has been appointed director of lettings with Lisney. Based in Lisney’s

branch office on Upper Leeson Street, she has been with the business for seven years and specialises in all aspects of the residential property market including private residential schemes, built to rent and multi-unit letting and management in the Dublin market. Prior to joining Lisney, Hanlon spent five years working in Perth as a residential property manager where she also studied and obtained her management license through the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia.

Emma Coffey has been appointed director of retail with Lisney. A qualified chartered surveyor, Coffey joined Lisney in 1999 and has significant experience in all aspects of the retail agency business including lettings, sales, acquisitions and landlord and tenant rent review and lease renewal work. She specialises in advising

Bibby Financial Services Ireland appoints Garry Holligan as business development manager Bibby Financial Services Ireland, a leading provider of funding solutions to Irish SMEs, has appointed Garry Holligan as business development manager for the Greater Dublin area and Eastern Ireland.

In his role, Holligan will be working closely with business owners and their trusted advisors to share his two decades of experience in structuring innovative working capital solutions for SMEs. As the Greater Dublin area and East of Ireland is a significant area for Bibby Financial Services Ireland, Holligan will act as a dedicated local resource to understand and meet SMEs’ funding requirements.

Holligan joins Bibby Financial Services Ireland after spending over 20 years with Bank of Ireland assisting SMEs in a variety of operational and commercial roles, including significant time spent in lending and debt restructuring.

Garry Holligan

Bryan Fallon from Heaven Hill Brands re-elected as chair of Drinks Ireland|Spirits Bryan Fallon, managing director of Heaven Hill Ireland, which is the brand owner of Carolan’s Irish Cream liqueur and Irish Mist Honey liqueur, has been re-elected as chair of Drinks Ireland|Spirits, the representative body responsible for promoting the interests of the Irish spirits industry.

Fallon initially took over from Pat Rigney of The Shed Distillery in March, following his Bryan Fallon elevation to the chair of Drinks Ireland.

David Boyd-Armstrong, head distiller and operations director at the Rademon Estate Distillery, which creates Shortcross Gin, has also been re-elected as vice-chair of Drinks Ireland|Spirits.

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

retail and F&B clients on market trends and lease terms and has developed a broad repeat client base including wellknown operators such as Zizzi, Camile Thai, Sano Pizza, Tiger Pizza, Oxfam, Spar, Equipet, Designer Exchange and Bo Concept.

Directors (L to R), Emma Coffey, David Byrne, Jackie Fitzpatrick and Aoife Hanlon

MediaCom Ireland appoints first head of performance MediaCom Ireland, Ireland’s leading media planning and buying agency, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dominick Holmes as head of performance, effective immediately. Holmes is the first person to serve in the newly created role, having previously served as business director at MediaCom since 2016.

In his new role, Holmes will be responsible for the overall development of MediaCom’s performance product whilst also taking responsibility for managing both the plan and revenue targets for its ‘Systems Intelligence’ offering. In addition to this, Holmes’ new role encompasses responsibility for the growth of its newly launched division, ‘Springboard’, which offers emerging companies and SMEs the knowledge and operational resources of a large media agency, coupled with the speed and agility needed for early-stage businesses.

Dominick Holmes

Gary Scott appointed as DropChef’s new head of corporate wellnes Ireland’s largest and fastest growing home recipe kit company, DropChef, has announced a further expansion of the business with a new corporate wellness offering. As part of the expansion, Gary Scott has been appointed as the new head of corporate wellness. Scott joined the company to lead the new service and brings a wealth of experience in the area following his previous roles in physical therapy and workplace ergonomics. Working closely with DropChef’s new full-time dietician, he assists new clients in fostering a healthier and high-performance workplace. Founded in 2015, DropChef is an Irish food-tech business that delivers tailored healthy meal kits to homes throughout Ireland. ■ Gary Scott

At Nearby, we provide the support and market knowledge that your store needs to thrive in today’s market. We look for retail partners who are passionate about their customers, their products and the future of their store.

The best part? With a retail support system in place, you will have more time to get on with things that make your business unique, while we take care of the rest!

To find out more about the benefits of becoming a Nearby retailer contact: info@always-nearby.com Tel : 042 600 6100

always-nearby.com

60 NOFFLA NEWS

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

New World White

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Maximo Tinto 2019

Antares Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Coral Reef Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

La Mancha, Spain

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Murray Valley, Australia

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WINE OF THE YEAR 2021-2022

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WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR 2021-2022

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Trulli Vermentino IGP 2020

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45 Wines One D

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E SHOW THE IRISH WIN NERS 2021-2022 STAR AWARD WIN

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All the wines are tasted on a morning in August each year by WSET graduates and these are whittled down to the best three wines in each category. In the afternoon, some wine journalists and heavyweights come to taste the results and place in gold, silver and bronze categories. The results are announced in early October.

The best wines emerge each year! We in NOffLA encourage all our members to stock these wines and realise they are unique to our members. They sell really well and always go down a treat with our customers. There is a style, a price point and an endorsement that makes our customers enjoy these wines so much. They are always very easy for our new members of staff to recommend and increase their confidence in recommending these wines to our customers.

Displayed in a prominent wine bay in our stores, these wines always work a treat.

For our suppliers, the initiative also represents a great chance to show how good they are at

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Maximo Blanco 2020

Winner for everyone Each year these wines sell so well for our members and are relevant for so many reasons. Our suppliers, our customers and our staff always rely on this to give an honest and true opinion of the best wines, from the best vintages which are available on the Irish market and many wines remain popular and stocked by our members for years after.

To our suppliers, it remains an opportunity to test your best wines against that of your competitors! It keeps them on their toes also to get the best wines at the best price for their customers.

2021-2022

The Irish Wine Show” Old World Red

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Tasting process

sourcing value for money wines which deliver above their price quality ratio, and these wines always emerge from the serious scrutiny of our tasters.

But this is not easy for a wine as there is nowhere to hide amongst competing wines. Only the best survive this wine interrogation!

Old World White

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The Irish Wine Show Star Awards represent a unique wine competition which is special to Ireland and the independent specialist trade in Ireland.

It has been 23 years since the awards first took place and the programme has been getting stronger and more relevant since inception.

The awards allow NOffLA to test a host of wines under different styles and price points, red and white under €10 and €20 and old world and new! Hundreds of wines are tasted and there is nowhere to hide, but the best quality wines always emerge and that makes this competition so relevant each year.

“As Judged at

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NOffLA chairman Gary O’Donovan outlines the tasting process involved in the Irish Wine Show Star Awards, and explains why the initiative represents a real win for the supplier, retailer and consumer

IRELAND’ S STAR AWARD WINNING WINES

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Irish Wine Show Star Award winners revealed

www.noffla.ie

IRELAND’ S STAR AWARD WINNERS GUIDE

Of course, the timing of the awards allow our members to include these wines in their Christmas promotions, online promotions and Christmas recommendations every year.

In my experience, the wines that are awarded make it onto my wine list afterwards because they are so popular. So, everyone is a winner in this competition: supplier, retailer and consumer.

Whether you are a member of

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NOffLA or not, by not stocking these wines you are missing a trick.

If you want to give your business a lift this year, stock these wines and let their sales do the talking. If you don’t, you are missing out and denying your customer of a serious second-tonone wine selection this Christmas.

Support this award scheme and it will support your business.

NOffLA tests a host of wines under different styles and price points, red and white under €10 and €20 and old world and new

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NEW DATE COMING SOON

www.cstore.ie Venue Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

TICKETS & INFORMATION IAN MULVANEY | (01) 294 7766 | ian.mulvaney@mediateam.ie

MARK MORGAN | (01) 294 7767 | mark.morgan@mediateam.ie

AWARD SPONSORS

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62 NOFFLA NEWS

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45 award-winning wines: 20 reasons to stock them during 2022 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

The 45 Irish Wine Show Star Awards are available in all NOffLA outlets.

Your local opposition won’t have this luxury.

Margins are minimum 25% return on all winning wines.

Award-winning wines cover new world and old world categories.

The under €10 category is currently the number one retail selling point on the Irish market plus the awards cover pertinent price points above this!

6) Award winners are current and relevant, i.e., wines were judged in August.

7) The wines are ideal for recommendation by less wine confident members of staff 8) Display big: generate big sales. Once award-winning wines/sections are set up in a prominent in-store position, sales will be self-perpetuating.

9) Having the Star Awards endorses NOffLA members’ wine credentials.

10) Award-winning wines don’t have presence in the multiples.

11) Supporting these awards strongly strengthens NOffLA’s position in the Irish drinks industry.

12) You are supporting wine companies who support NOffLA. 13) A ready-made, tailored wine promotion for members is available this winter/spring.

14) A reason to liaise with your local wine press: a good story.

15) You can broaden your horizons in relation to potential new suppliers.

16) These awards are the envy of Irish wine retailers.

17) Awarding-winning wines can form the basis of your corporate brochure.

18) NOffLA Star Awards provide a Unique Selling Point (USP) we all crave.

19) SubstantiaI POS materials available on all award-winning wines i.e., neck collars and posters.

20) 15 Gold Star, 15 Silver Star and 15 Bronze Star Awards to promote.

Now can you me one good reason why you should not stock the NOffLA Star Award-winning wines?

The Irish Wine Show Star Awards are the envy of Irish wine retailers

An update from NOffLA chairman Gary O’Donovan

NOffLA chairman Gary O’Donovan

Public Health (Alcohol) Act Firstly, he recapped the provisions of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act, which was signed into law in 2018, with implications for all aspects of the off-trade industry.

MUP Most significantly, Minimum Unit Pricing will be commenced in the Republic of Ireland in January 2022. “Minimum Unit Pricing will impact the entire supply chain, from producers to retailers,” said O’Donovan.

“We welcomed the Minister for Health’s decision to commence MUP in the Republic of Ireland, the rationale for this being that Northern Ireland is still years away from introducing its own regime.

“We do not believe that MUP will impact on cross-border trade, as the case of Scotland has proven following the introduction of MUP there in 2019,” he added. “Nonetheless, we continue to support an allisland model of MUP and NOffLA is undertaking further political activity to expedite implementation in Northern

ShelfLife December 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

At the Irish Wine Show Star Awards, NOffLA chairman Gary O’Donovan took the opportunity to provide a brief update on political developments in the last year Ireland too.”

Regulation of alcohol promotions Next, O’Donovan covered the regulation of alcohol promotions, as outlined in the Alcohol Act. Section 23 regulations of the act came into effect in January of this year and introduced restrictions around alcohol promotions, loyalty cards, vouchers and volume discounts.

“The regulations outlaw shortterm price promotions of three days or less on drink products and will restrict the use of loyalty cards which involve alcohol purchases,” O’Donovan said.

Labelling New regulations around labelling will also impact the off-licence sector. “The regulations will introduce a requirement for alcohol products to carry a health warning label and will also require retailers of alcohol, including off-licences and pubs, to display a notice outlining similar health warnings,” O’Donovan said.

“Once the Department of Health finalises the draft regulations, they will be

submitted to the European Commission for an assessment on whether they align with Single Market principles.

“Following this assessment, a three-year lead-in time will be allowed for retailers to prepare.”

Structural separation Structural separation, which came into effect almost one year ago, allows mixed retailers three options for the display of alcohol in-store. Standalone off-licences by their very nature are not affected by this.

Advertising and marketing “Finally, the bill also restricts advertising and imposes a watershed on broadcasting,” O’Donovan continued.

“The advertising restrictions do not apply when attached to a licenced premises, and will not apply to directional signage for distilleries, breweries, public houses or off-licences,” he noted.

“Some measures are already implemented, with additional restrictions on event advertising and event sponsorship – such as sporting events or events aimed at children - coming into effect in November this year. Alcohol

advertising in publications will also be restricted from November.”

Thank you Gary O’Donovan concluded by thanking all those involved in the awards programme and praised the continued resilience demonstrated by members in navigating the challenges presented by the pandemic.

“Again, while we may not have been able to celebrate in our usual way, the Irish Wine Show Star Award Winners 2021-2022 are testament to the resilience our industry has shown in one of its most challenging years to date, and proof of what an inspiring and exciting industry it is to work in,” he said.

“These awards would not have been possible without the participation of our associate members and suppliers who entered their wines for this initiative.”

The association also gave a special thank you to all the judges who did a first-rate job at conducting the blind tasting in August. ■

Dear Retailer & Wholesaler Partners, This time last year not many of us would have believed that 2021 would continue to challenge us as the pandemic remained part of our personal and working lives.

Once again, our retail and wholesale business partners have stepped up to the plate and delivered a seamless service from Head Office to store and from store to shelf.

We appreciate the huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to get products ready for consumers to purchase while at the same time managing your business in a covid compliant way. I want to personally thank you all for your continued support and tireless efforts. It has been another year that has demonstrated how resilient you all are and have helped to ensure the continuity of supply that consumers demand.

So, this year, like before, I wish each of you and your families a very safe Christmas and a very successful 2022.

Happy Christmas with best wishes from all at John Player Morgan Lee - Market Manager