Market movers

Vuse

BEFORE Vype is evolving into Vuse

At PJ Carroll (BAT Ireland), consumer safety is at the heart of the company’s approach to vaping. PJ Carroll doesn’t just outsource production – it oversees the full supply chain, from manufacturing to market, for its Vype, Ten M and Cirro vaping products, which undergo thousands of hours of testing before they reach adult consumers. • PJ Carroll has over 50 scientists who conduct a toxicological risk assessment of all e-liquid ingredients and device emissions to test their suitability for vaping. • E-liquids use pharma grade nicotine and food grade flavourings. • The company notifies the HSE six months in advance of new products being launched. • PJ Carroll complies with all Irish and EU legislation for battery and electronics safety and its devices are CE certified.

As Vype, the brand seeks to inspire consumers with high quality products. This has led Vype to gain recognition and trust from both you and your customers. It is now evolving into Vuse, a global brand that will be connected and aligned with the ever-evolving needs of consumers. Through a revamped brand look and feel, product upgrades and more choices for your customers, the brand will continue to inspire and be at the forefront of innovation. Rest assured that Vype and Vuse will be fully compatible with each other.

Your PJ Carroll representatives will guide you through the transition in the coming months and show you how you can help consumers navigate the exciting changes ahead.

AFTER

Tayto

Tayto Cheesatees are available in 120g sharing bags (RRP €2.59) and six-pack multipacks (RRP €1.89)

Feed your cheesiosity with new Tayto Cheesatees

Tayto, Ireland’s number one crisp and snacks brand*, has launched new Tayto Cheesatees.

Mr Tayto has been busy in the kitchen creating the new Tayto Cheesatees which “deliver a big cheese flavour and guarantee a big cheesy smile!” These light, puffy snacks are flavoursome with a ‘melt in your mouth’ texture.

The snack legend is advising shoppers to “cheese the day and feed your cheesiosity” by getting their hands on the new snack, available in stores nationwide.

Tayto Cheesatees contain no added MSG, no artificial colours or flavours, are baked not fried, and have only 79 calories per serving. They are available in 120g sharing bags (RRP €2.59)** and six-pack multipacks (RRP €1.89).

For more information, visit www.taytocrisps.ie, www.facebook.com/MrTayto, Twitter.com/MrTaytoIreland, Instagram.com/mrtaytoireland #TaytoCheesatees #FeedYourCheesiosity

Ferrero Ferrero

Nutella Nutella Biscuits Biscuits are are available available in in a a tube (166g) with a RRP of €2.50 and a pouch (276g) with a RRP of €3.50

New Nutella Biscuits already a hit with Irish shoppers

Following an exceptional performance in mainland Europe last year, Ferrero has brought its popular Nutella Biscuits range to Ireland for the first time. Already available on-shelf in Dunnes Stores, Nutella Biscuits are the first biscuit to contain the popular chocolate hazelnut spread. The new range has already proven to be a hit with consumers, with early research indicating 86% of shoppers enjoyed the product.

“After an extraordinarily successful launch in Europe, where many shops in Italy and France completely sold out, we’re thrilled to bring our latest Nutella innovation to Ireland,” said Levi Boorer, customer development director at Ferrero UK & Ireland.

“The range caters to a range of shopper trends, with the tube format ideal for on-the-go consumption,” he added. “Our Nutella Biscuits pouch is a larger pack perfect for sharing with families, and has a seal to maintain freshness for longer. The Nutella name is loved and recognised by shoppers across the country. This excitement, coupled with the versatility of the range, will support retailers with increasing sales and footfall as the products hit shelves.” ■

Lidl and Aldi engaged in ‘flirty’ Twitter interactions back and forth ahead of Valentine’s Day Love letters?

In news no one could say they predicted, Aldi and Lidl have been getting ‘flirty’ on Twitter. The two discount giants left Irish customers unsure how to react after they engaged in a surprising social media exchange ahead of Valentine’s Day. It all started when the official Twitter account for Aldi Ireland asked if Lidl Ireland fancied some Netflix and chill. Lidl fired back with: “Bit weird since most people think we’re related,” referencing the common misconception that the two retailers were set up by the same family. In return, Aldi suggested that “Maybe it’s time to tell everyone that we’re not actually related... yet” and added a playful winky face emoji. Aldi might have been coming on a little strong for Lidl, as it soon shared a picture that suggested it had blocked any more of Aldi’s responses. Aldi then took the exchange up a notch by sending a dozen red roses to Lidl’s head office. Of course, the flirty exchange between two retailers caused a stir online. One Twitter user admitted to ‘loving’ the “Valentine’s weekend love story” while another said the pair should: “Get off Twitter and open an extra checkout.....BOTH OF YE!!”

Following the Twitterati

■ @Orla_Woodz

I asked SuperValu in greystones to leave my shop at the door a few weeks ago as I was pregnant and staying away from people. The shopper read my request and added a packet of brownie bites and caramel squares to my order (for free) with a hand written note to say congratulations. ■ @KateRivington

I got so excited at the supermarket just now when I realised my favourite bin bags were finally back in stock and omg is this my adult life now. ■ @griffski

I’m having the kind of day where I want nothing more than to walk incredibly slowly around a big supermarket with my mam. That’s all. ■ @Elaine

My plant obsession will grow even more now that @dunnesstores Liffey

Valley have them for sale. ■ @SarahSurgery1

Blood boiling when someone leaves a basket at the supermarket till with the handles still crossed.

Caterpillar conundrum

We’ve ’ve all all been been guilty guilty of of bringing bringing home home the the odd odd trinket trinket from Lidl’s much loved middle aisle. Run in for a pint of milk and you could come out with two sun loungers and a trumpet. It’s all part of the store’s unique shopping experience. One London-based family can contend to this fact. The Westons recently left the store not just with their weekly shop, but with a new pet… sort of. The family was delighted to find a caterpillar sitting among the leaves of their new mint plant. So delighted, in fact, that they named the ‘super cute’ caterpillar Minty and decided to keep him as a ‘pet’. The next day, however, they learned that little Minty had formed a chrysalis. To this day, the fate of the caterpillar remains unknown. Will he become a moth or a butterfly? For the family, they’re hoping it’s the latter.

Chasing cheese

A TikTok recipe has emptied supermarket shelves across the US. The simple dish involves browning a block of feta in the oven alongside cherry tomatoes and olive oil. Add pasta and you’ve got a quick, easy meal. Commonly known as baked feta pasta, the recipe became a viral hit in January and has since appeared across social media, news feeds and countless dinner tables. One North Caroline-based grocery chain, Harris Teeter, reported a 200% jump in block feta sales beginning in February. That’s the power of TikTok. It can turn a soft cheese into gold dust overnight.

Grocery across the globe

Japan

Retail sales fell for the third month straight in February, as Japanese households kept expenditure low amid the ongoing pandemic. Retail sales fell 1.5% in February compared to the previous year’s figures, government data showed. The decline followed January’s 2.4% fall and a 0.2% drop in December. It has been reported that analysts are worried that a longer contraction in household spending and weakening exports raise the prospect of a slower economic recovery than initially thought.

Brazil

European grocery group Carrefour is set to buy its smaller Brazilian rival for €1.1 billion. Advent and Walmart have agreed to sell Grupo BIG. This is the largest deal undertaken by Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard since he took the helm in 2017. If approved by competition regulators, the deal would combine Carrefour Brazil, the number one local player in food retail, with Grupo BIG, which is Brazil’s third-largest food retailer. The entity would have sales of about €15.3 billion and would operate 876 stores with 137,00 employees.

UK

Asda shop floor workers have won a key victory in a long-running dispute over equal pay, with the UK’s top court ruling they can compare themselves to staff at the group’s distribution centres. Law firm Leigh Day represented 44,000 current and former Asda shop floor workers in an equal pay claim against Britain’s third largest supermarket group. The case was seen as a test case ahead of similar cases against the UK’s other big supermarket groups. Asda appealed to the Supreme Court against a Court of Appeal judgement in 2019 that lower-paid store staff, who are mostly women, could compare themselves with more highly paid distribution centre workers, who are mostly men, in pay claims.

Spain

Spanish delivery app, Glovo, has raised €450 million in a fundraising round that will help it expand its delivery service and grocery operations across Europe. The round was led by US investors Lugard Road Capital and Luxor Capital Group and included investments from German delivery app Delivery Hero SE, Drake Enterprises and GP Bullhound. With the funds, Glovo will expand its Q-Commerce unit, which is responsible for grocery and retail deliveries at its small warehouses that let it quickly fill orders. The Deliveroo rival said that in the biggest cities where it operates, it can make deliveries within 10 minutes using the Q-Commerce network.

Germany

On-demand grocery delivery start up, Gorillas, has raised $290 million in Series B funding, surpassing its $1 billion valuation. The company offers customers grocery delivery in just 10 minutes. The round was led by by Coatue Management, DST Global and Tencent, with participation from Green Oaks, Fifth Wall and Dragoneer. Its previous backer Atlantic Food Labs also followed on. ■