ShelfLife Magazine - March 2021

LARGEST INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED GROCERY TRADE CIRCULATION IN IRELAND

March 2021

Spiritual support Trade ambassador for Bacardí, Adolfo Comas-Bacardí, reveals the latest plans for the rum powerhouse

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Banking exodus Dan White examines the implications of nearly 200 bank branch closures

Asda jobs at risk With 5,000 jobs under consultation at Asda, we take a closer look at new owners, the Issa brothers’ strategy

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

OPINION 3

ShelfLife March 2020 Vol. 28 No. 3 Editor GILLIAN HAMILL (01) 294 7776 gillian.hamill@mediateam.ie Staff journalist JULIA O’REILLY (01) 294 7709 julia.oreilly@mediateam.ie Contributors CAROLINE MCENERY 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 Publisher JOHN McDONALD (01) 294 7744 john.mcdonald@mediateam.ie Printing W & G Baird Ltd 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.

Saving for a rainy day!

Irish shoppers have spent an extra €2 billion on take-home groceries in the past year according to the latest Kantar figures. However, as we are all aware, the pandemic has not affected all retailers equally and has exerted a particularly swingeing impact on those located near business parks and offices. Indeed, The Irish Times’ Conor Pope recently totted up the sums on how much some people, in sectors where they were able to keep their jobs, have saved in the nation’s enforced working-from-home experiment.

If the average person was accustomed to buying a sandwich, crisps and drink in their local c-store for lunch, he calculates that the weekly cost could easily reach €35 which, over a year, allowing for six weeks of holidays, would come to €1,610. Meanwhile, cutting back on just one €3 cup of takeaway coffee a day, would have saved this hypothetical individual €690 since the middle of March last year.

Of course, these savings are offset somewhat by increased utility costs, and Pope rightly points out that such incidental spending adds up to a figure of huge importance for the health of our overall economy.

One might think increased saving would be good news for the banks, but of course, we all know the difficulties that have emerged in that sector. On page 14, Dan White shares his thoughts on the factors that have contributed to making Ireland an unattractive place to do business from the bankers’ perspective. In a recent episode of the excellent ‘The David McWilliams Podcast’, the economist also shared some useful insights.

The legacy of the extensive banking crisis in 2008, when “every single bank was bust”, he says, was that Irish banks now have to set aside more money for the proverbial rainy day in ‘Tier 1 capital’, than banks in other European countries.

Following a “much more traumatic” experience than other countries, “the Central Bank having done nothing in the boom is now over-regulating in the bust,” according to McWilliams. Irish banks therefore have to keep more cash in reserve than other European Banks. “If they want to try and make profit, according to them, they have to charge more interest, because such [a high] amount of their capital is kept idle that they can’t use.”

While it’s good to reflect on potential reform, ultimately, the practical concerns surrounding branch closures will be of more immediate importance to many retailers, as the CSNA delves into on page 10.

Gillian Hamill, editor, ShelfLife magazine

Contents March 12

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COVER STORY 18

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

Spiritual support Trade brand ambassador for Bacardí, Adolfo Comas-Bacardí speaks to Fionnuala Carolan about his rich family history, supporting the trade through the pandemic and how there is a type of rum for every palate

NEWS&ANALYSIS

ADVISOR

4

News grid

26 Marketing

6

Seen and heard

10 CSNA news 14 Opinion Dan White examines the implications of the planned departure of Ulster Bank from our shores, alongside Bank of Ireland’s decision to close 103 branches across the island

60 NOffLA news Circulation audited by Audit Bureau of Circulations.

ShelfLife is a member of Magazines Ireland

Pat Keller, owner of Keller’s Carry Out in Nenagh and Roscrea, caught up with Julia O’Reilly to discuss his busy year

Although The Marketing Mix was first developed as a managerial framework some 60 years ago, Colin Gordon outlines why the often overlooked considerations of ‘price’ and ‘place’ deserve greater attention

41 HR The HR Suite’s Caroline McEnery outlines the provisions contained within the new Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work

48 Recruitment Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan outlines some top tips for measuring and achieving your aims throughout your career

MARKETING& CATEGORY FOCUS 32 Dairy 42 Roll Your Own (RYO) Tobacco

46 49 52 54

Recruitment No & Reduced Sugar Rum Infant & Baby

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NEWS

NEWSGRID The top news stories in FMCG Extra €2 billion spent on groceries in pandemic year

and retail from across Ireland

The latest figures from Kantar show that take-home grocery sales in Ireland grew by 16.3% in the 12 weeks to 21 February 2021. Growth was even stronger during the past month at 17.7%, the highest level since November 2020, as shoppers spent an additional €151.1 million.

“All those extra meals and snacks at home have led to an extra €2 billion spent on takehome groceries, including Irish shoppers splashing out €7.6 million on tea and €19.5 million on instant coffee to get their fix at home,” said Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar. “Totting it all up, the average household grocery bill has increased by €1,000 this year.

“Staying at home more and an emphasis on handwashing has also meant a steep decline in sales of cold and flu remedies – with cold treatments dropping 55%, cough liquids 60% and lozenges 42%,” Healy added.

“Of course, liquid soap continues to be an exception in these aisles, and sales were up 99.5% in the most recent 12 weeks.”

Online grocery sales had another recordbreaking month as shoppers ordered €63 million worth of take-home groceries, accounting for 6.3% of all sales.

SuperValu sits at the top of the table this month holding a 22.3% share of the market and Lidl was once again the fastest growing retailer at 21.8% in value sales.

Amazon Fresh launches first ‘till-less’ grocery store in the UK

BWG Foods launches ambitious sustainability strategy

Amazon has opened its first contactless grocery store in Britain where shoppers can buy groceries without going through a till at the end. The Amazon Fresh store in Ealing, west London uses motion sensors, cameras and other technology to monitor the goods chosen so shoppers can shop without scanning their goods or visiting a till at all.

The store is only available to those signed up to Amazon’s Prime subscription service and the bill is charged to shoppers’ Prime account when they leave the store.

While customers won’t need to interact with a member of staff, Amazon says workers will be on site to handle queries, restock shelves and prepare food. Customers must scan in a code on their phone to gain entry. The store will stock about 10,000 grocery products from well-known brands, its own By Amazon grocery range, as well as items from its retail partners, Morrisons and Booths. The 2,500sq ft store will also be a place to pick up or return other items bought on Amazon. It is thought that there are 10 more sites lined up for additional Amazon Fresh stores in the UK.

BWG Foods has announced that approximately €25 million will be invested in a four year sustainability strategy aimed at significantly reducing the environmental impact of its nationwide supply chain.

The group has just completed the installation of almost 800 solar panels at its National Distribution Centre in Dublin and has recently launched a fleet of new CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and biogas vehicles, in place of traditional diesel fuel.

The strategy was developed as part of BWG Foods’ bid to secure Bord Bia’s Origin Green status, which it has now been awarded.

Aldi removes 26 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic from stores

Lidl Ireland receives planning permission for Knocknacarra store

Aldi Ireland has introduced new sustainable packaging across ten of its own-label products, which will see almost 26 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic removed from Aldi’s 145 Irish stores each year. Aldi is trialling new 100% recyclable paper packaging on three of its nut products in over half of its Irish stores. It also becomes the first supermarket to scrap non-recyclable plastic shrink wrap on its multipack soft drinks, switching to fully recyclable cardboard packaging as part Aldi recently introduced of the company’s fully recyclable wax aim to reduce paper across two of its plastic packaging. own-label breads

Lidl Ireland has welcomed the decision from An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for its development in Knocknacarra, Galway which will see the retailer open there by spring 2022. The retailer said it “has worked closely with architects and planners to arrive at a favourable outcome that An Bord Pleanála agree will contribute positively to the Knocknacarra area”. The new development will see the creation of up to 30 permanent new jobs and 50 full-time construction jobs for a year.

M&S expands online business to over 100 markets British retailer Marks & Spencer has announced the launch of 46 websites in new markets, expanding its online reach to over 100 countries. The online expansion will include Argentina, Brazil and Pakistan. When M&S published first-half results in November, it reported a 75% increase in international e-commerce sales. The websites will offer M&S’s clothing and home products.

M&S has been hit hard by the pandemic as lockdowns have closed most of its clothing space.

Caulfield Transport rents former ADM Londis HQ in Kildare Caulfield Transport has agreed to occupy the former ADM Londis HQ in Kildare, on a 10-year lease with a fixed rental uplift at the conclusion of year five. The quick turnaround of the property by M7 Real Estate is an indication of the strong demand currently for large scale logistics facilities in Dublin and the greater Dublin area. M7 bought the former Londis HQ for approximately €6.25 million last August.

The Johnstown, Co Kildare-based facility has 10,554sq m (113,603sq ft) of warehouse and office space on a 2.3 hectare (5.6 acre) site. ■

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

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

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SEEN AND HEARD

SuperValu’s ‘Monday Market Place’ supports local business SuperValu is bringing back its ‘Monday Market Place’ to support local businesses and encourage shoppers to think before they click and buy Irish. Now more than ever it is important to show our support because when we buy Irish, five times more money stays in the local economy.

With followers of over 120,000, SuperValu’s Instagram channel is offering 10 businesses per week the chance to be showcased each Monday during March. The campaign ran during the run-up to Christmas 2020 with

huge success for businesses affected by the pandemic as it offers a national platform to help drive interest and sales during key gifting occasions.

Commenting on the campaign, Tara Clifford, strategy marketing manager, SuperValu, said: “Supporting Irish and buying local is in our DNA and over the coming months we will continue to drive the message to shop local. With International Women’s Day this month, we are particularly proud of the 140 outstanding female entrepreneurs taking part in our SuperValu Food

Mari Donelan, from Dan & Monstro, based in Dublin creates nutritious sauces for kids

Academy. It is with producers like these that we make our communities stronger by working together.”

Go nuts for Cadbury Nuttier!

THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY BAR

The Cadbury Nuttier bar will launch with three different flavours

Cadbury has unveiled its latest offering which is the perfect combination of fruit, nuts and chocolate. Cadbury Nuttier is a satisfying new bar with a range of flavours to suit every snacker. There are two sides to every bar with either nuts or a combination of nuts and fruits on one side, and a layer of Cadbury milk chocolate on the other side.

The new Cadbury Nuttier is all about balance.

With two sides to every bar, Cadbury Nuttier is for those who are picking up a kettle bell or jogging at 6am and also those who are putting on the kettle and telling their alarm to jog on!

The Cadbury Nuttier bar will launch with three different flavours which have a layer of Cadbury milk chocolate on one side and a nutty combination on the other side. The range will include Cadbury Nuttier Peanut & Almond, Cadbury Nuttier Cranberry, Almond & Peanut, and Cadbury Nuttier Coconut & Almond.

Cadbury Nuttier is available in a 40g single bar format with an RRP of €2. For more information about Cadbury Nuttier visit www.cadbury.ie and join in the conversation on social on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @CadburyIreland.

New exclusive Irish campaign for Walkers From homeschooling to remote working, home life is a little noisier nowadays. Walkers Double Max Crunch is partnering with Havas Dublin to promote a light-hearted escape from the noises that annoy with the ‘Crunch Louder’ campaign!

With twice the crunch of a regular crisp, the almighty crunch of Walkers Double Max Crunch is the perfect way to drown out some of the more annoying sounds that define lockdown life. New puppy howling? Another video call? Crunch louder with Max Double Crunch!

The 360 degree campaign uses OOH, shopper, digital and social channels to ensure the campaign lands with a massive audience.

Crunch Louder is designed to work effectively within current movement restrictions.

Walkers Max Crunch brand manager, Liz Finlay, said: “With the Crunch Louder campaign, we wanted to tap into the mindset of the country at the moment, and offer a lighthearted – and delicious solution to something we’re all experiencing. We’re delighted to collaborate with Havas Dublin to create a

fun and relevant campaign that offers a light-hearted escape in the noisy world we live in right now.” The campaign runs for all of March.

Walkers Double Max Crunch is partnering with Havas Dublin to launch the ‘Crunch Louder’ campaign

SuperValu and AsIAm’s ‘Bridge Back to School’ returns SuperValu and AsIAm in collaboration with Mary Immaculate College are delighted to announce the return of the ‘Bridge Back to School’ learning resource. Covid-19 continues to pose challenges for every household in Ireland and since the ongoing school closures, for many people the loss of structure and routine has been particularly tough.

This autism-friendly resource was first launched in July 2020 and helped thousands of families prepare for the return to education after an extended break. The resource will help

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

students, teachers, SNAs and parents as they support their children as they go back to school now or later this year.

Since 19 February, the resource has been available in every SuperValu to support families in re-establishing routines that may have been disrupted with the closure of schools. It has also been sent to every primary school in the country and 10,000 of the resource booklets are being distributed to SuperValu stores nationwide and are available to pick up from all SuperValu stores or on SuperValu.ie.

The Bridge Back to School resource is to help families in re-establishing routines that may have been disrupted with the closure of schools

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SEEN AND HEARD

SuperValu herbs change to sustainable packaging

SuperValu has announced that since 8 February, all its growing herbs packaging is sustainable. The move sees all non-recyclable plastic packaging removed, diverting a massive 3.18 tonnes of plastic from landfill annually. The outer sleeve on the potted growing herbs has moved to a paper sleeve which is 100% recyclable, and the black pot has moved to a grey pot which can be recycled. Over 300,000 units of growing herbs are sold in SuperValu each year and the range includes: coriander, basil, parsley, rosemary,

thyme, mint and chives. All SuperValu potted herbs are Bord Bia approved Irish grown. The move to make another SuperValu range fully sustainable is part of a series of changes in 2020 which show SuperValu’s commitment to making 100% of SuperValu ownbrand, fresh produce, and in-store packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Over 300,000 units of growing herbs are sold in SuperValu each year

SuperValu and AsIAm held ‘Autistic Women and Girls’ Online Seminar With International Women’s Day this month, AsIAm, proudly supported by SuperValu, was delighted to continue its series of webinars with ‘Autistic Women and Girls’ on 10 March.

International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements of women and to mark the occasion, AsIAm and SuperValu hosted an online seminar to explore the experiences of women and girls within the autism community.

The webinar was the fourth in the 2021 series that continues to bring informative topics and

valuable advice to the autism community. The community support events are delivered by autism experts and can be accessed online and through AsIAm and SuperValu’s social channels.

In recent years there has been increased awareness of the lack of support for autistic women in terms of access, diagnosis, cases of misdiagnosis and the lack of recognition of these experiences. The webinar looked at autism through this lens and was hosted by Jess Hendrickx, head of Hendrickx Associates

Jess Hendrickx hosted the recent webinar ‘Autistic Women and Girls’

where she supports autistic people to build selfawareness, identify their goals and take small, manageable steps towards achieving them.

Bewley’s celebrating 25 years of Fairtrade in Ireland Bewley’s is celebrating 25 years of Fairtrade coffee as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. Bewley’s was the first company in Ireland to introduce Fairtrade produce to the country and to mark 25 years of Fairtrade in Ireland, has launched the Fairtrade Collection. The collection is available as part of Fairtrade Fortnight 2021, which took place during 22 February – 7 March.

Fairtrade Fortnight is an annual event which sees hundreds of individuals, companies and supporters of Fairtrade in Ireland come together to increase awareness of Fairtrade

products and build public understanding around ethical sourcing. The aim of Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 is to highlight the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers and workers in the communities Fairtrade works with. Bewley’s has made a global impact on Fairtrade coffee, contributing to 1.5% of global Fairtrade coffee premiums and approximately half of Fairtrade premiums in Ireland. Fairtrade premiums provide workers and farmers with revenue that accumulates in a communal fund used to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions for all

The Fairtrade Collection is available for €13.95 via the Bewley’s online store at www.bewleys.com

Cushelle to support the koala crisis after 2020 Australian bushfires In 2020, the Australian bushfires wreaked havoc on koalas. Of the estimated 85,000 koalas left, the fires impacted more than 60,000 of them leaving thousands homeless and the entire koala species now threatened with possible extinction in parts of Australia by 2050.

Essity, the company behind the Cushelle brand, announced a special partnership with WWF, pledging £150,000 to support the recovery of koalas impacted by the fires and their habitats. The partnership also involves

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

removing the brand’s iconic ‘Kenny the Koala’ from three million of its packs in a bid to help raise awareness of the disappearing species.

Eucalyptus trees are home to hundreds of species in Australia and are the main source of food for koalas. In New South Wales alone, over 5 million hectares of eucalyptus forests and woodlands were destroyed in the 2020 fires.

Shoppers can contribute to the cause by buying a special donation pack of Cushelle Original. For more information about the initiative and how you can help too, visit

Cushelle will remove the brand’s iconic ‘Kenny the Koala’ from three million of its packs in a bid to help raise awareness of the disappearing koalas

www.cushelle.com/wwf, follow the brand on Instagram @CushelleUK or Facebook @CushelleTissue, or search the hashtag #SaveKoalasSaveKenny. ■

From Ireland’s original kombucha brewery in Gweedore, Co. Donegal, organic, naturally vegan kombucha continues to achieve growth on many levels.

Containing live cultures in every bottle and sweetened from natural sources, our gluten and sugar free drink will invigorate sales across Ireland too, hai.

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CSNA NEWS

CSNA NEWS PETER GAUGHAN, national president, CSNA

CSNA can provide assistance against unfair trading in your area

Further extensions announced due to Covid-19 As a result of the changes announced by the government that extended the Level 5 restrictions, the following reliefs were announced.

Local Authority rates

Under the Casual Trading Act 1995, it is an offence to trade without a valid casual trading licence

Local Authority rates will not be sought for the Q2 period (April-June); you will no doubt be aware that Q1 had previously been waived.

Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme

The EWSS has also been extended to 30 June, the measuring (-30%) criteria is the same period of 2019. Revenue is due to amend the existing notes; we will post details on the Covid information pages on the CSNA website.

Health Amendment Bill

The Health Amendment Bill has now passed all stages; contained within the bill was a significant additional requirement for anyone attempting to avoid conviction from a prosecution for not wearing, or refusing to wear, a face covering in a shop.

There is now a clear and stated onus upon the defendant to provide evidence of their exemption from the obligation to comply.

Although this does not stop ‘anti-mask’ individuals from coming into our stores, it provides a certainty that their efforts to disrupt will be properly rewarded in the courts!

Members should take some comfort in recent actions by local authorities to enforce their own bye-laws and obligations under the Casual Trading Act 1995.

Casual or occasional trading is only permitted in designated areas.

These areas are agreed by the council manager and approved by the elected representatives of the ward/area.

Any person wishing to trade in those areas must submit an application and if successful, pay the designated fee. This applies to a vast range of products such as ice cream, hot food, coffee, flowers, clothing, fruit etc.

The main objective of having regulated trading in designated areas is to provide a level playing pitch for rate paying bricks and

mortar businesses.

If your business is affected by a rogue (unauthorised) trader, CSNA will be happy to provide you with assistance as to how to ensure that the local authority will pay attention to your concerns.

Casual trading in Ireland is regulated by casual trading byelaws made under the Casual Trading Act 1995. A casual trading licence is a requirement under the Casual Trading Act to sell goods on the public road. It is an offence under this act to trade without a valid casual trading licence.

Following successful representations to a number of government departments and ministers, the implementation of a rates revaluation system has been deferred due to Covid-19.

CSNA joins Deposit Return Scheme working group Members will be aware that for quite some time the Green Party has sought the introduction of a deposit return scheme, (DRS).

As part of the Programme for Government, it was agreed that a DRS would be put in place during the lifetime of this government.

Consequently, a consultation process took place at the end of last year and the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications has invited retailers, the beverages industry and the waste management sector to form a ‘working group’ to devise a scheme to process the return of plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

CSNA has been asked to be one of the

three retailing groups charged with assisting in the design of this scheme. We are of the belief that for this scheme to work it needs to ensure that all retailers large and small are accommodated and also rewarded for their participation.

There are many aspects of the scheme that will require teasing out, not least of which are the actual objectives, the budget, the timescales, how border control is implemented and how machines are to be paid for.

These matters will no doubt be fully teased out in discussions leading, one would hope, to a scheme that makes for a better environment without costing the earth! ■

The CSNA believes that any successful Deposit Return Scheme for aluminium cans and plastic bottles, must accommodate and reward all retailers for their participation

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

CSNA responds to bank branch closures The announcement by Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and previously, Allied Irish Bank, that they would be closing branches in provincial towns and cities throughout the country must lead retailers to consider how they will interact with their bank for necessary actions.

The association has written to the Central Bank requesting that their section 149 Department carries out an urgent review of the permission granted to Bank of Ireland to charge 60 cents per €100 lodged in notes given that these permissions were granted based upon the bank’s personnel being involved in the handling, sorting, checking and transporting whereas the suggestion

by BOI is that customers can avail of the An Post network to continue their banking requirements.

We do not believe that the bank will be legally entitled to charge their commercial customers lodging via An Post for cash lodgements at the same rate as those customers making a physical lodgement into one of the BOI branches that remain open.

In our view, we feel very strongly that Bank of Ireland should not be rewarded for closing branches by being permitted to receive fees for work they no longer carry out.

We have copied the letter to both the Departments of Enterprise and Finance.

Ulster Bank is to close down its Republic of Ireland business over the next few years

It may be time for retailers to review their cash lodging practices. If the branches or bank that you always dealt with are closing their doors, the time that it will take to travel to a new “depository “ coupled with the additional security risks may lead you to reconsider a cash in transit solution.

CSNA CONTACT DETAILS

The collection fee should be offset against the significant reduction of bank charges; a typical charge is less than a third of the fees charged by the banks.

The association can assist members in introducing them to one of our Service Deals partners in this respect. ■

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

OPINION

Axe to fall on Asda jobs?

Following the recent announcement that 3,000 jobs are at risk at Asda, Dan White takes a closer look at the approach adopted by the supermarket’s new owners, the Issa brothers, as well as pondering how the arrival of Amazon Fresh could affect the UK’s ‘Big Four’

T

he Issa brothers’ £6.8bn acquisition of Asda, the UK’s third largest supermarket group, closed on 16 February. Within nine days the new owners had announced a restructuring plan that could see 3,000 workers lose their jobs, with 5,000 employees involved in consultations.

Ever since the Issa brothers announced their plans for a highlyleveraged, i.e. largely debt-funded, purchase of Asda last October, workers at the group have been waiting for the axe to fall on jobs and other costs as the new owners sought to make their new investment pay.

Just how highly-leveraged the Issa brothers’ Asda acquisition actually is has now become apparent.

High cost

Asda’s like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, grew by 5.1% in the final three months of 2020 and by 6.9% in the eight weeks to 24 December

The brothers and their partners, private equity outfit TDR Capital, have agreed to pay £6.8bn for Asda. When estimated fees of £165m are added, the total gross cost rises to just under £7bn which, however you choose to look at it, leaves an awful lot of trollies to fill.

The largest part of the purchase price, just under £4bn, is coming from a high-yield, AKA “junk” bond issue by TDR. All well and good but this still leaves TDR and the Issa brothers looking down the back of www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

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OPINION

on 25 February when the retailer announced its “transformation proposals in response to changing shopping habits”.

While the new owners promised 4,500 new jobs in Asda’s in-store online operations, and said they actually hoped for a net gain of 1,500 new jobs, these would be more than offset by 3,000 job losses in back office and administration, 1,100 jobs potentially going from among store and deputy store managers, and up to 800 from the closure of two home shopping centres – which hardly tallies Asda’s stated commitment to increasing its online sales.

Amazon Fresh

Amazon has opened its first physical store in the UK, an Amazon Fresh grocery outlet in the west London suburb of Ealing

the sofa for another £3bn. >> >> Most of this gap will be closed by the sale of many of Asda’s assets. Its fuel stations have already gone, with the 320 forecourts being sold to the EG Group, jointly owned by the brothers and TDR, for £750m.

Next on the block are Asda’s distributions assets, warehouses, distribution centres etc, for a price variously reported as being between £950m and £1.2bn. Walmart, which is retaining a minority stake in Asda, is chipping in £500m.

All of which means that, even at a £950m price tag for the distribution assets, £3bn shrinks to less than £800m. Voila!

Robbing from the future?

But there is a price to be paid for such financial engineering, or what a previous, less permissive, generation might have more accurately described as asset stripping.

Asda will still have to use the distribution assets which it previously owned except that it will now have to pay the new owners for the privilege. Likewise its forecourts, whose profits will now go to EG Group and not to Asda. By selling off these assets now to help fund the deal with Walmart, is Asda merely robbing from the future at a time when the outlook for all retailers has never been more uncertain?

Even before the closure of the deal on 16 February, there were signs that all was not well. The ink was barely dry on the transaction when “big four” accountancy firm Deloitte quit as EG Group auditor with immediate effect. Deloitte let it be known that its decision was due to what it described as “governance” concerns, that EG Group wouldn’t have enough independent auditors.

Group’s auditor Deloitte could have reasonably expected to have bagged a considerable portion of the £165m of fees up for grabs. The fact that it chose to walk away from such an epic hogfest would seem to indicate that it was somehow concerned for its reputation.

While it was waiting for the sale to go through, Asda, along with most of the other UK supermarket chains, had a good final quarter as consumers confined to their homes by lockdown spent some of the money that would ordinarily have gone to pubs, restaurants and cinemas, at their local supermarket instead.

Like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, grew by 5.1% in the final three months of 2020 and by 6.9% in the eight weeks to 24 December. Asda also ramped up its investment in online adding an extra 850,000 online shopping slots a week, an increase of 90%.

Transformation proposals Unfortunately, the excellent Christmas trading figures, the last under Walmart’s ownership, weren’t enough to spare Asda from the new owners’ axe. The first blow fell

While the timing may have been coincidental, the Asda jobs cuts announcement was followed just a week later by the opening of online behemoth Amazon’s first physical store in the UK, an Amazon Fresh grocery outlet in the west London suburb of Ealing.

While Amazon is continuing to offer its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery in the UK, the fact that it is moving in the opposite direction to most of the established operators, by opening physical stores while they are bulking up their online operations, is intriguing.

Amazon is planning several more stores in the Greater London area.

Customers at the Ealing store must first download the Amazon mobile app, open an Amazon account (if they don’t already have one) and hand over their bank details. Then, assuming the technology works as planned, all customers have to do is pick up the items they wish to buy and walk out of the store with Amazon automatically billing them for any purchases. No need for checkouts or queues.

While the Ealing store has the look and feel of an advanced prototype rather than being the finished article, Amazon has the resources to get it right. Time rather than money is likely to be the only real constraint.

If Amazon is prepared to take its time perfecting the concept, then Amazon Fresh stores are likely to become a permanent fixture on UK and Irish main streets. When this happens, what will it mean for the Issa brothers’ financial high-wire act at Asda? ■

More than meets the eye While this might well have been literally true, somehow I can’t help feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye. As EG ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Technology such as the Amazon Fresh ‘Dash Cart’ shown above, allows customers to be automatically billed for their purchases, without having to use a checkout

14

OPINION

Dan’s Digest

With Dan White VieWs on the latest eConomiC & politiCal neWs

Wouldn’t bank on it!

Dan White examines the implications of the planned departure of Ulster Bank from our shores, alongside Bank of Ireland’s decision to close 103 branches across the island. Is judicial compassion to blame for our banking exodus?

N

atWest’s decision to pull the plug on Ulster Bank along with Bank of Ireland’s decision to close over 100 branches is bad news for Irish personal and business banking customers. The result will be less competition and dearer banking all round.

The news that NatWest, formerly RBS, was exiting the Irish market hardly came as any surprise by the time the official announcement was finally made on 19 February. NatWest, which is still 62% owned by the UK government almost 13 years after the 2008 financial crash, was desperate to be shot of its troubled Irish offshoot.

Unlike fellow UK bank Lloyds, which cut and ran from the Irish market when it shut its Halifax (Ireland) operation in 2010, NatWest at least tried to do the decent thing.

Unfortunately, despite pumping £15bn into Ulster, NatWest couldn’t make the numbers add up. For those tempted to criticise NatWest, it might be a good idea to remember that if it - and the UK taxpayer - hadn’t been there to pick up the tab, the €64bn gross cost to the Irish taxpayer of the bank bailout would have been even higher.

Strong margins So why, after deciding to exit the Irish market, was NatWest unable to find a buyer for Ulster? This is despite the fact that Irish bank lending margins are amongst the highest in the eurozone. The most recent Central Bank data shows that the average interest rate charged on a new Irish mortgage is 2.76%, the second-highest in the eurozone after Greece and more than twice the single currency area average of just 1.29% Irish SMEs also pay way over the odds when they borrow from the banks with a slew ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

NatWest made its official announcement on Ulster Bank’s departure on 19 February 2021 (Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie)

of recent surveys showing that they too are charged interest rates more than double the eurozone average.

It doesn’t help that most eurozone banks are still in rag order with the Eurostoxx index of the major eurozone banks down by 37% over the past three years and by a massive 83% from its May 2007 peak. Some major eurozone banks have performed even worse than this with Deutsche Bank, the largest bank in the eurozone’s largest economy, down by 89% over the same period.

In their efforts to keep the banks alive after the crash, the world’s major central banks including the ECB, drove official interest down to zero and in some cases began charging banks for deposits. The ECB’s main deposit rate has been negative since mid-2014 while the rate at which it lends to banks has been under 1% since November 2013 – the ECB lending rate currently stands at just 0.25%.

Unintended side effects While ultra-low official interest rates initially prevented the banks from going bust, it turns

out that half a generation of zero or negative rates has produced all sorts of unintended side-effects. Chief among these is that it makes it difficult going on impossible for banks to make a profit.

In the “good old days” banking generally adhered to the “3-6-3” model – take in deposits at 3%, lend them out again at 6% and be on the golf course by 3 o’clock!

Not anymore.

However, while ultra-low interest rates definitely played a part, the main reason for NatWest’s failure to find a buyer for Ulster almost certainly originated much, much closer to home.

Arrears At the end of September 2020, there were 55,000 mortgages on private dwelling homes in arrears and almost 16,000 mortgages on buy-to-let properties were also in arrears, that’s 71,000 loans or about 8.5% of all mortgages. While the number of mortgages in arrears has fallen by more than 40% over the past five years, there remains a stubborn rump of loans in long-term, two years or more, arrears.

At the end of last September, 25,770 mortgages on private dwelling homes and a further 9,900 mortgages on buy-to-let properties were more than two years in arrears. Of these, more than 5,000 of the mortgages on private dwelling homes were more than ten years in arrears while almost 2,000 buy-to-let mortgages were also more than ten years in arrears.

What the blazes is going on here? While I have every sympathy with someone who is struggling to meet their monthly mortgage repayments, it must be as clear as daylight

OPINION

that, in the case of a loan where nothing has been received for over ten years, the borrower either can’t or won’t meet their repayments.

Are some of these mortgages in long-term arrears owed by so-called “strategic defaulters” about whom the banks and their apologists warned us so loudly at the time of the crash all those years ago?

Traditional tolerance Regardless of the rights or wrongs of each individual case, the fact that over 4% of all mortgages are more than two years in arrears, is clear evidence of either the inability or unwillingness of the court system to deal with what are by any yardstick, hopeless cases. Instead Irish judges will go to almost any lengths to avoid putting someone out of their home.

While this judicial forbearance is most pronounced when it comes to mortgages, our judges are also inclined to give other delinquent borrowers almost every benefit of the legal doubt. Such restraint chimes very well with the traditional Irish tolerance of those who, for one reason or another, have fallen on hard times.

All well and good but we must be hardheaded about this. Although a relatively relaxed judicial attitude towards problem

borrowers may play well with wider public opinion, this comes at a hefty cost. The interest rate premium paid by compliant Irish borrowers compared to their counterparts in other eurozone countries is only partially due to the chronic lack of competition in the banking market. The difficulty banks have in exercising their security when so-called secured loans go wrong, i.e. repossessing the asset on which the loan is secured, also pushes up Irish interest rates.

Deterrent for foreign entrants It also acts as a very strong deterrent against foreign banks entering the Irish market. Those apparently large interest margins suddenly look far less attractive if apparently “secured” lending turns out in practice to be no such thing.

The bad news from Ulster Bank was compounded when Bank of Ireland announced just ten days later (1 March) that it was closing 103 of its branches on the island of Ireland.

The Bank is shutting 88 branches in the Republic, a third of the Southern total, and 15 in Northern Ireland, over half of its branches north of the border.

With Ulster Bank set to wind down over the next few years as its assets are sold off

15

to the other Irish-based banks and Bank of Ireland about to cut its branch network to the bone, Irish borrowers, both businesses and individuals, can expect to pay even higher interest rates on their loans, that’s assuming they can persuade a bank to lend them the money in the first place.

Everyone should bear this in mind the next time we hear of some judge bending over backwards to help a borrower in deep arrears.

The price of judicial compassion is a high one and is paid by all compliant borrowers. ■ An Ulster Bank branch in Dublin city centre

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www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

18

INTERVIEW

Spiritual support Trade ambassador for Bacardí, Adolfo ComasBacardí speaks to Fionnuala Carolan about his rich family history, supporting the trade through the pandemic and how there is a type of rum for every palate

J

oining the family business was something that was written in the stars for Adolfo Comas-Bacardí. When you grow up within the fabric of one of the most recognised brands in the world and five generations before you have propped up a family business, you don’t want to be the one to drop the baton or as he says quite honestly, he didn’t want to disappoint his dad.

It probably helps that working in the global drinks industry is a fairly enticing lifestyle for any young person. While the glamourous element of the job has all but disappeared recently, Comas-Bacardí is in good spirits, excuse the pun, when we catch up with him at his London home through Zoom.

While he is furloughed at the moment with thousands of other members of the larger Bacardí family, affectionately known as primos, the Spanish word for cousins, he feels that the future of the drinks industry is bright though changed irrevocably in the short term.

The founder of Bacardí and ComasBacardí’s great, great, great, great grandfather – Don Facundo Bacardí Masso, a Spanish migrant to Cuba with big dreams and even larger ambitions, started a company in 1862 that has thrived through the ages despite many obstacles that befell the company and the family. From distillery fires to political uprisings, the family have always come together to get the company back on its feet. Comas-Bacardí estimates that there are between 40-60 Bacardí family members working in the business across the globe at the moment but due to the sheer scale of the business and the thousands of employees it is hard to ever get an exact number.

“I think I always wanted to be part of it as did my brothers,” he says, “but I had cousins who had no interest and did their own thing and there was no expectation but having

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Trade ambassador for Bacardí, Adolfo Comas-Bacardí

grown up with a father who was a master of rum, that seeps into your DNA and I want to add my piece to the pie for the next generation.” He and his wife Sophie have two children called Emilio (11) and Xavier (9) and he says that there is no pressure on them to work in the business but I imagine he would be pleased if they did.

Comas-Bacardí grew up in the business, literally. “My mum said I was a terrible baby and would never go to sleep,” he reveals. “My dad was a master of rum so we were based out of Burmuda at the time. When they couldn’t get me to go to sleep, dad would put me in the pram and wheel me through the barrel warehouse and the smell of the wood barrels of rum would send me to sleep so I think I can say that I’ve always had rum in my veins,” he

jokes.

Although he always wanted to join the business, he wasn’t handed a job and had to go through the same interview process as other primos. “The good thing about Bacardí is that even if you are a family member, no one is owed a job,” he tells ShelfLife. “So I came out of uni and I met our managing director for an interview and he said, ‘look you don’t have any experience and unfortunately there is no role for you. Go away and get some sales experience’. So I went away and built up some sales knowledge and they came back about a year later and they said that there was a role for me in Acton, one of the less glamourous ends of London at the time. They said if you want the job you can take it but there’s no promises.”

He accepted the position and worked his way up from there, moving to Mexico when the company was in the height of launching Bacardí Breezer in the early 1990s. He then came back to London and worked on Bombay Sapphire (gin brand owned by Bacardí), moved into marketing, people management and eventually landing in the position he’s in at the moment which he describes as “telling the stories of our brands”.

Supporting the trade Comas-Bacardí works with the company’s national account managers to support its on-trade and off-trade partners which is the company’s top priority for Bacardí during the pandemic.

In Ireland and the UK, the company has

INTERVIEW

19

The at-home mixologist is on the rise according to Adolfo Comas-Bacardí, with more people experimenting with cocktails at home

increased the merchandising support from the field sales teams. Aside from the Bacardí brand, the company also produces high profile vodka Grey Goose, Patron Tequila, Bombay Sapphire Gin, Martini, Dewar’s Scotch Whiskey and a host of other strong brands across the spirits category.

“We provided floor units to stores to support the rate of sales increase that the brand experienced in the off-trade as these units reduce the frequency of having to replenish stock at the point of purchase,” he says. “We have also worked across independent, symbol and multiple channels to come up with tailored solutions that support the retailer and engage the consumer.” An example of this is tapping into relevant brand associations like competitions or promotions with Bacardí and Just Eat to create at-home occasions during this time.

There are new solutions being trialled to keep the on-trade ticking over in regions where they are closed due to lockdowns too.

“We also see an element of at-home cocktails or delivered finished drinks and we’ve been working with lots of bars up and down the country to help them make drinks that they can then sell through Deliveroo, for example.

There is a market for this.”

At the moment the off-trade is the only show in town in terms of the UK and Ireland and consumers are trading up in the absence of pubs and restaurants being open.

“We have seen people making the choice to buy better online or in the off-trade than they might have before,” he continues. “So if you are going to buy a bottle of rum, what is it going to be? Are you going to buy own label or are you going to splash out and buy a bottle of Bacardí because of the associated quality of that product? We’ve seen that across the board from Grey Goose to Patron Tequila. All the brands seem to be benefitting from people choosing to drink better at home. There’s also an element of the at-home mixologist, people

are experimenting at home.”

Aside from the pandemic, the other major obstacle for trade between the UK and Europe is Brexit but Bacardí has been largely unaffected by this so far.

“There is no doubt Brexit will create challenges for the industry in terms of stock movement and potential increased delays at border crossings. However, all Bacardí is produced in Puerto Rico and is shipped through Europe so we are to some degree separated from UK issues. As a business, we are also factoring in additional time for any delays at port terminals.”

Marketing Bacardí is often associated with live music and it has had a large presence at Electric Picnic and other Irish festivals, launches and events over the last 20 years. “Events are such a big part of introducing our drinks and our brand

and I would really struggle if that wasn’t in our arsenal of things to do anymore,” he says. “I suppose it’s about finding a way to do it safely. I’ve done a couple of live gigs on the screen, music and comedy and it’s great because I can make some drinks and we can sit here in comfort but it’s not the same as being at a gig in person. It’s hard to know when festivals can return at this point.”

While the team can’t plan consumer events right now in this market, their traditional advertising is business as usual. The focus of the brand’s marketing might be on the younger generation but Comas-Bacardí says that Bacardí is a multi-generational drink.

“I think white rum has been tarred with the notion of that is what my nan drank and what my mum drank,” he says. “Watch the Conga advert that is out at the moment.

You can relate to the music because it’s Gloria Estefan, ‘Do the Conga’ so my mum will recognise the song and sing along but younger viewers will relate to it as a catchy, upbeat song. It plays on the Latin feel but not just sun, sea and sand. We have bar tenders from Puerto Rico featuring in it. We fill it with people who have been part of our story, some musicians, some bar tenders so it’s very real.”

While gin has been the darling of the spirits world for quite some time now, rum has always held its own and is performing really well over the past year. “Rum is one of those categories that people keep saying, this is the year of rum. There is a market there for people looking for something with a sweeter profile to move out of gin and vodka to something different.

“You have the purest, the white rum drinker that demographically tends to be older and then you have people dipping into dark or golden rum like our 4 year old, Bacardi Añejo Cuatro, a darker rum which builds more character and plays into the whiskey category. Rum is in between the

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

20 INTERVIEW

The future

“We will do whatever we can to support our partners now and into the future,” says Adolfo Comas-Bacardí

white vodka and gin and the dark sipping spirits like whiskey and depending on what you fancy there is a place for you in rum which is why people are dipping into rum from other categories.”

He mentions Bacardí Spiced as being popular with the younger generation. “Spiced rum has been around for decades and we’ve played with it but Bacardí Spiced now plays in that younger demographic. It mixes with pretty much anything so is a great bottle to bring to a party and if people are trying things at home.”

No and low ABV Despite championing a world renowned alcoholic drinks brand, Comas-Bacardí is very aware of the fact that there is a significant growing appetite for low and no alcohol adult drinks. “No and low ABV are going to be big because our focus on health is growing all the time. A lot of people don’t want the heavy hit of alcohol anymore. There are some really good non-alcoholic beers and spirits now. There’s a whole movement around being better to yourself when you are out and I think that will translate into the trade. And if you look at supermarkets, the non-alcoholic aisle has grown exponentially and so has the vegan/vegetarian aisle. We are moving in that direction and being more conscious and that can only be a good thing.”

So has the company plans to go down this route? “We have a non-alcoholic Martini Vibrante Aperitif. It’s dealcoholized. We take the vermouth and then we just strip out the alcohol. We’re starting to look at more and more of these but it’s about getting the right brand rather than just launching something new.”

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Can you do that successfully with a rum we wonder? “I like to think you can do a non-alcoholic or low version of rum but the problem with that is if you lower the ABV to below 37.5 then it stops being rum. So there is a legal definition of what rum needs to be.

It would be a low spirit base but you wouldn’t be able to call it rum. People are finding ways around it and we are always open to new ideas and challenges.”

With travel seeming like something we did in another lifetime, Comas-Bacardí is realistic in that he admits that business is going to be challenging for the foreseeable future. “Our main priority is how do we help the trade rebuild, how do we help the nightclubs, the small guy at the end of the road to survive?

The important bit for us is how do we aid and assist our industry. As long as Bacardí stands for what we’ve always stood for which is handcrafted, every batch physically signed off and tasted and the intrinsic values of the brand maintained, we should be able to ride the wave. We are not putting premiums on the price of our rums or our brands because it is not right to do so. We will do whatever we can to support our partners now and into the future.”

And finally, maybe the most important question of all; what is his favourite drink?

“I’m partial to a Daiquiri – rum, lime and sugar or a Negroni - Bombay Sapphire, Martini and bitters. Rum is the original party spirit. While some spirits were initially intended to be medicinal, rum came out of the cane fields. There’s no party without rum,” he laughs.

And with that he returns to his other job of home-schooling his two children, who could very possibly be the next generation managing the Bacardí empire! n

Sustainability Bacardí is very concerned with the integrity of its product but also the integrity of the company as a whole and this translates into a huge focus on sustainability. The goal is for the company to be carbon neutral in the next 8-10 years. Comas-Bacardí explains how the group is already a long way along that road. “If you go to our Puerto Rican facility, we already make our own electricity with a wind turbine, we already recycle water from our production processes. When they had hurricane Maria, we turned our production into a water facility for the island. We also have a ‘don’t print policy’ so if you send me a document I’m not going to print it.” He describes an incident where an agency was looking to procure new business with Bacardí and arrived to an initial meeting with the brief printed in paper. Immediately the team knew this wasn’t a fit as the agency did not take on board their policies or ethos.

He also describes how they take waste from their rum production and turn it into animal feed and are moving towards all their cars being electric. “Community minded is more than just the environment. It’s about our primos and building on our founder’s mentality. How do we help our people and in turn how do they help other people?”

Adolfo Comas-Bacardí says the brand’s new ‘Conga Feat. You’ ad “plays on the Latin feel but not just sun, sea and sand. We have bar tenders from Puerto Rico featuring in it”

INTRODUCING

SPICE IT UP DO WHAT MOVES YOU

© 2020 BACARDÍ, the BACARDÍ bottle and its trade dress are trade marks.

22

ADVERTORIAL

For goodness bakes!

Dublin-based Bretzel Bakery achieved an outstanding performance at Blas na hÉireann 2020, the Irish food awards.

Not only did the bakery scoop a Gold accolade for its Seeded sourdough and Gold for its Pain de Maison Boule, but also Best in County, Best in Leinster and 2020 Supreme Champion. Here, owner William Despard outlines how a new vision has helped the business navigate the challenges posed by Covid-19 to emerge more passionate than ever History of the bretzel The Bretzel Bakery was founded in 1870. It began as an institution at the heart of Dublin’s Portobello, an area once known as “Little Jerusalem”. In 2000, William Despard bought the business which had been in Jewish ownership up to the 1960s. William calls himself the custodian of The Bretzel Bakery, preserving the heritage while growing the business innovatively.

The Bretzel baked sourdough and granary breads that became a must for any gourmet sandwich café, while Bretzel also became the number one supplier of bespoke single serve and handcrafted breads for restaurants and boutique retailers.

2019 was the Bretzel Bakery’s best year. Its sales crossed €4 million, and it had 300 customers ranging from tiny boutique cafes to premium grocery chains. Bretzel was in the middle of a significant investment programme as the business prepared to expand outside Dublin, and it was getting ready to dip its toe in Britain too. In Kildare, Bretzel had invested €500,000 in building a state-of-theart new bakery. The move was in addition to the bakery in Harold’s Cross as well as the original Bretzel Bakery on Lennox Street.

The plan for the new site in Kilcullen in Co Kildare was to give the business sufficient capacity to bake quality bread at the volumes required for larger customers. as well as to help it build a base outside Dublin. “We wanted to take the volume products outside Dublin and continue with our Bretzel products that were so perfectly formed serving high-end cafes, restaurants and bars who wanted our unique bread,” Despard explains.

Bretzel had won contracts supplying large workplace facilities across Dublin to provide healthy bread for their staff. “But to be able to win these types of contracts required having bigger ovens,” Despard points out. “Our plan was to be the foodservice experts who would make bread that nobody else could.”

Bretzel also had plans to partner with the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) to have a bakery traineeship based in Kilcullen. The first of these traineeships started in November 2020 and in May, the first bakers will be FDQ accredited. Previously Bretzel had to source trained bakers predominantly from Europe.

Flexibility and imagination

William with the Boule

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

A crisis sharpens the mind once you get over the blind panic. A collapse of 70% in turnover certainly does that, according to Despard: “The first shock was when our corporate catering shut up shop; a week later, the government introduced a nationwide lockdown. When that happened, our trade with restaurants collapsed too, forcing us to consider how the Bretzel Bakery could carry on during this new emergency. However, our customers soon taught us that even when the economy stops, the demand for good bread doesn’t. By refocusing our business towards retail, we have been able to ensure that the bakery does not just survive this crisis but is starting to thrive during a pandemic.”

ADVERTORIAL

23

Customer education “Our first priority during this lockdown has been education,” he continues. “More people than ever now have the time to dedicate themselves to making good-quality, sourdough bread at home, and the Bretzel Bakery is doing all it can to encourage this movement.

“But as many people have discovered, making sourdough isn’t easy!

Even with all the right ingredients, it takes years of craftsmanship and experience to bake the perfect loaf, with its caramelised crust and tangy flavour. That’s why the Bretzel has made its award-winning bread available in more retail outlets than ever before. Our bread was available in Specialist retailers, Lotts & Co, Donnybrook Fair, Nolan’s, Wilde & Green & Fresh stores. We are building new partnerships with SuperValu and Tesco. Consumers across Leinster can now buy their favourite bread at a store near them.”

Transitioning from hospitality to retail Many shoppers are doing just that. Bread sales have spiked across Ireland in the last few months. Those working from home are now making their own lunch instead of buying sandwiches. Indeed, many in the capital, missing their much-loved Saturday brunch, are turning to Bretzel’s sourdough toast to recreate the experience at home. “We have been overwhelmed with people making gourmet sandwiches, or avocado toast, using Bretzel bread as their inspiration,” says Despard.

“For us in the Bretzel, this new awareness of sustainability is very encouraging, since it ties into our broader belief that we should make every grain of wheat count. Small food producers around the country know that local produce is far more sustainable than mass-produced, imported food that has travelled thousands of miles to reach our shores. What’s more, the long fermentation that goes into a loaf of sourdough makes it far healthier than a sliced pan, which is made in a chemically accelerated process. We believe there is a real chance to change our country for the better and move towards healthier breads.”

and 2020 Supreme Champion. “This was the best endorsement a team could receive for their passion and dedication,” is Despard’s verdict.

Future growth The Bretzel Bakery’s current aim is to welcome back all its foodservice customers and to broaden the retail offering. “This is only the beginning,” says Dymphna O’Brien, Bretzel Bakery Managing Director , “with our new facilities humming and our partnership with KWETB training new bakers, the world is our oyster. We have just started on this retail journey and there are many more customers who will want to stock Bretzel breads and for it to become their Pain de Maison.”

Strong teamwork delivered vision The lockdown has not been without difficulties for any of us.

The initial two weeks were particularly difficult for The Bretzel Bakery with the imminent closure of the business looming. The management team took a deep intake of breath and embraced the new realities, put safe working procedures in place, and in two weeks had reimagined the business focus from foodservice to retail sandwich bread, with new labels and new packaging. “The great motivation and laser focus of all my wonderful staff has contributed to the increase in our retail business,” Despard says. “I am justifiably proud how all adapted to our new circumstances. As our sales continue to recover, we hope that we can emerge from the lockdown stronger than ever before.”

Passionate about the future “Ultimately, it comes back to being passionate about what we do,” Despard continues. “We are committed to ensuring that the Bretzel continues to supply bread with the same constancy and quality for which it has been famous since it opened almost 150 years ago. In that time, The Bretzel Bakery has survived the 1918 pandemic, two world wars and the recent economic crash. Therefore, we are confident, no matter what changes are made in the brave new world we will emerge stronger. People will always want good bread and are developing a taste for quality sourdough.”

Blas na hEireann During the first weekend in October, the Bretzel team should have all been in Dingle waiting in anticipation to see how their breads had faired in The Blas na hEireann awards. Instead, they were all on Zoom, with William Despard eagerly waiting to tell his team the wonderful news that Bretzel had won Gold for its Seeded sourdough, Gold for its Pain de Maison Boule. Best in County, Best in Leinster

Blas na hÉireann Supreme Champion Winner

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

24 FEATURE

Too little, too late?

The Irish Judiciary body has voted in favour of new guidelines to reduce personal injury awards, but do the reforms go far enough? Julia O’Reilly reports

O

ne area being targeted for change by the Irish Judiciary body includes that of payouts for minor injuries. On 6 March, the body voted in favour of adopting new guidelines aimed at reducing the amount of damages that can be awarded to claimants for personal injury cases.

The Judicial Council’s Personal Injuries Guidelines Committee (PIGC) has drafted a number of guidelines to replace guidance in the Book of Quantum, which outlines approximate levels of damages for personal injury claims.

According to the council, the new guidelines will provide greater clarity to the levels of damages likely to be awarded if a case proceeds to trial. A catalogue of injuries was considered to be the most accessible and appropriate form for the guidelines to take.

While the courts will retain independence and discretion when awarding general damages, it will be mandatory for judges to specify their reasons for any departure from them.

Majority support Of the 168 Judicial Council members, 145 participated in the virtual meeting on 6 March, with 83 voting in favour of the guidelines and 63 voting against. A majority of the judges were in support of the guidelines, particularly those aimed at cutting awards for minor injuries from which there is a full recovery.

Now that they have been adopted by the council, the guidelines will take effect once section 99 of the Judicial Council Act 2019 is commenced by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee. The guidelines will apply to all cases not yet assessed by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB).

“This approach will ensure that the law is robust as we seek to reduce the cost of insurance,” said the minister. “The guidelines will not apply to litigants who have already rejected a PIAB offer as inadequate and gone to the courts.”

International comparison As part of drafting the new guidelines, the committee conducted research into how Irish courts award damages in comparison to other countries, including Northern Ireland, England and Wales.

It found whiplash awards in Ireland, for example, are 1.2 to 1.3 times higher than in Northern Ireland, and 1.9 to 2.3 times higher than in England and Wales. Under the new guidelines, awards in Ireland will fall between

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

these levels.

Welcoming the guidelines, the PIAB said the changes will bring greater transparency and consistency. It will “reduce the overall levels of awards in Ireland which were until now significantly out of kilter with other countries,” the board said.

However, several industry bodies have expressed disappointment at the guidelines.

Having waited years for reform, the Irish SME Association said it was “shocked” by the announcement. “We have been given proposals for damages which will keep the personal injuries gravy train running and this will barely dent the cost of insurance,” the group said.

It added that the reductions in awards “will not remove the economic incentives for people to sue, even for the most inconsequential of injuries”.

The Alliance for Insurance Reform (AIR) was also critical of the change and has called on the government to dramatically reduce the proposed damages for minor injuries.

In a request to Leo Varadkar, in his role as chair of the Cabinet Committee Sub-Group on Insurance Reform, director Peter Boland Boland asked for a cap on general damages such that damages for minor injuries are reduced by an average of 80% compared to the previous Book of Quantum guidelines.

“Getting insurance costs down means cutting the general damages paid out for minor, fully recovered injuries to reflect international norms and norms already established by the Court of Appeal,” said Boland.

‘Dismayed’ “In advance of the adoption of these guidelines, we called on the judiciary to have regard to the common good in their deliberations, but they have ignored this plea and we are dismayed at what they are now preparing,” he added.

AIR is now asking that the government “do the right thing for hard-pressed motorists, charities, voluntary and community groups, sports and cultural organisations and SMEs severely affected by insurance costs, by dramatically reducing the proposed damages for minor injuries”.

Eoin McCambridge, managing director of McCambridge’s of Galway and director of the alliance, added that an 80% reduction on minor injuries would only bring Ireland down to where England and Wales currently are, “and would still be nowhere near the equivalent damages in other European countries”.

Peter Boland, director of the Alliance of Insurance Reform and Vincent Jennings of the Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association, have been strong advocates for meaningful insurance reform, alongside RGDATA

While under the new guidelines, a minor thumb injury with no sprain or breakage was reduced from an average of €21,200 to €12,000 (a 43% reduction), the alliance said the same injury would receive damages of €4,582 in England and Wales.

However, McCambridge asserted that the focus is reform for minor injuries, not serious ones. “We are not talking about damages for serious injuries here. Where a person is seriously injured due the negligence of someone else, they must be properly compensated and that is what insurance is there for.”

Insurance premiums Insurance Ireland’s chief executive Moyagh Murdock said the announcement was a missed opportunity to radically alter the insurance landscape. While the guidelines are a step in the right direction, Murdock believes they do not go far enough. Murdock added that insurers would honour a commitment to pass on savings resulting from any meaningful reduction in awards. n

26 ADVISOR: Marketing

COLIN GORDON

marketing expert

Spoiler alert! There are four Ps in the Marketing Mix – not two!

Although The Marketing Mix was first developed as a managerial framework some 60 years ago, it’s time is not nearly over, according to Colin Gordon. Here, he outlines why the often overlooked considerations of ‘price’ and ‘place’ deserve greater attention

M

ost if not all marketers and, I dare say, a significant number of folks in the wider business environment have heard of the 4Ps; product, price, place and promotion. They may even believe they know what they are and how they operate. Hmm! There’s a considerable amount of research, a lot of anecdotal insight, and many years of cumulative experience among leading marketers and business leaders which point to marketers having largely given up on two of the Ps. Price and place have largely been overlooked by marketing and passed over to the sales function.

The Marketing Mix was first developed as a managerial framework as far back as 1960 by E. Jerome McCarthy. In the intervening 60 years, there have been several attempts to add more Ps to this concept (as many as four additional Ps have found various degrees of favour in more recent times). However, the core four are still the foundation of the way the various controllables for which marketing has oversight are viewed.

But as marketing has become more and more focused on communications (‘promotion’) and business has moved more to short term fixes, such issues as price and place are increasingly neglected.

Price is now reduced to discount, and place to retail format. If marketing is all about the sale, it seems fairly basic that how and why the customer behaves or where they interact with the ‘product’ (one of the Ps that marketing still seems to have an interest and some involvement in!) would be something the marketers would want to both understand and ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Colin Gordon likens an experienced marketer to a jazz trumpet player who must “know how to depress and release each valve in turn, in rhythm, producing the desired musical result”

influence. But a Marketing Week study in 2017 pointed to the majority of them not having an active interest in how their product is priced. ‘Price’ has been passed over to sales and sometimes even to finance! Even when it comes to tactical price promotions, it seems as if ‘cheap’ is the new ‘value’; there’s effectively no research among marketers on such basic business principles as price elasticity, and most pricing is a direct response to retailer demands rather than a long-term

strategic weapon of the company.

And when it comes to ‘place’, marketers need to be much more reactive and proactive in where their product is available to be bought. My definition of marketing is to make selling easier. Pop-up shops, club stores, wholesalers, distributors, directto-consumer or online platforms and mail order, all are valid routes to the purchase occasion, but invariably are not seen as part of the responsibility of the marketing resource in the

“When it comes to tactical price promotions, it seems as if ‘cheap’ is the new ‘value’; there’s effectively no research among marketers on such basic business principles as price elasticity.

Most pricing is a direct response to retailer demands rather than a long-term strategic weapon of the company.”

ADVISOR: Marketing

organisation.

It’s possible to see how the operation of any or all of these can be managed by colleagues, but marketing needs to find out how all options are being considered and what is the best way to ensure the customer’s needs and wants are not just being considered, but looked after. And if this is done properly and thoroughly, this will necessarily involve the call centre, merchandising resource, the way sales teams are directed towards any/all possible options, the way the product is priced (showing how the 4Ps interrelate with each other) and how the product itself is made suitable for each option and made easier to sell all the time (the ‘product’ P).

Elsewhere, I have described marketing as a trumpet player: the noise becomes music depending on how the four valves are played. For the sake of my analogy, the player (the marketer) uses his or her expertise to know how to depress and release each valve in turn, in rhythm, producing the desired musical result. The trumpeter doesn’t pass over the responsibility for playing the valves to someone else! To take this

analogy further, imagine the trumpeter is a jazz musician, full of improvisation with no set musical score; it all happens in real time and the musician has to use all their skills and all their tools to deliver the best possible musical result. So too with business. It happens in real time, every action results in a causal reaction, every mistake all too obvious, the musician or the marketer using all the trumpet’s valves or ‘Ps’ available to them.

And so, back to the 4Ps! The concept may have been around for 60 years but its time is not nearly over. The 4Ps were presented as a whole at a time when marketing was seen and talked about as the core function in any business organisation; they were not intended to be subject to lazy reductionism as business leaders moved more and more away from the long term and towards a series of fanciful financially engineered short termisms, designed to maximise bonuses and satisfy insatiable retailers and the like. (Saying “no!” is an option in all scenarios!).

The 4Ps were always intended to be a singular whole at the core of the whole of the business. Let’s make sure marketing doesn’t lose sight of that. ■

27

‘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.

INTERVIEW

20

QUICK QUESTIONS WITH

ELLIOT HUGHES

managing director at Dingle Distillery and director of the Porterhouse Group 3. Top book recommendation?

I’ve recently read Barack Obama’s latest memoir; really enjoyable.

Elliot Hughes

1. Best place for coffee?

Bean in Dingle; great coffee, location and people.

2. Favourite movie?

I’ve always enjoyed The Departed or As Good as it Gets. Most things with Jack Nicholson.

was recently given. Great flavour, can prep most of it and easy to scale up.

4. Which social media platform do you use most?

Probably Twitter although I’m more of an observer than an active participant.

9. First thing you would do if you were Taoiseach?

Extend the train from Tralee to Dingle; would make the trip back to Dublin significantly more enjoyable.

5. Best ad on telly?

Kerrymaid; for showing what’s best about ‘The Kingdom’.

10. If you had to live in another country, where would you choose?

USA but specifically New York.

6. Worst ad on telly?

Renault Clio ads with Thierry Henry; absolutely awful ads.

7. Favourite grocery shop?

Lott’s & Co which just opened its second shop close to me.

8. What would you cook if you were to compete in ‘Come Dine With Me’ and would you win?

Likely a curry from the Dishoom cookbook I

11. Greatest achievement to date?

Our recent Cask Program, the Descendants, which sold out within 10 weeks.

12. Best website?

Flaviar.com; very simple to operate and a great concept.

13. Most annoying public figure?

Doug Leddin (Dingle Distillery & Porterhouse Brew Co. marketing manager); insufferable!

14. Best piece of advice you ever received?

Take a step back, look at the bigger picture and then make your decision.

15. Biggest fear?

I suppose I should put something deep and meaningful here but definitely snakes.

16. City or beach break?

City every time.

17. Top restaurant recommendation?

Chapter One; really can’t beat it. Great experience every time.

18. Pop or rock?

Rock.

19. Favourite time of the day?

Evening time; not a morning person!

20. What’s the last compliment you received?

That I am honest, if frankly a bit too honest, about my thoughts on business; both ours and others. ■

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30 RESEARCH

How the Irish grocery shopper is evolving as the pandemic does

Through its latest fieldwork during December/January, Shopper Intelligence looks at how the Irish grocery shopper is evolving as the pandemic does, with a particular focus on how current behaviour compares to pre-Covid and the first lockdown last year

Shopper Intelligence examines four periods of data over the past year, using over 35,000 interviews with Irish shoppers. According to country manager Colm Rooney, Irish grocery shopper behaviour is moving back to a level somewhere in-between pre-Covid and the first lockdown.

“Shoppers are less in ‘survival mode’ than in the first lockdown but we have returned to some behaviours that peaked around then,” Rooney says.

“At the same time, we see some trends that emerged throughout 2020 which continue to evolve and appear to be sticking around in 2021.”

1. Less ‘survival mode’ than first lockdown Irish shoppers are doing less large, stock-up shops versus the first lockdown and while they are still spending more on grocery trips than during pre-Covid times, consumers have settled into a new routine of weekly shops this time around with apparently less panic. Perhaps this is because shoppers know retailers are doing a great job of having most of what they need in-stock when they go shopping and there is no need to go into panic mode?

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Other metrics that show consumers are in less ‘survival mode’ this time around is that a) shopping for ‘others’ has decreased versus the first lockdown and b) the ‘top-up/immediate use’ missions are on the rise again, moving slowly back to normal levels, which suggests shoppers are more comfortable doing an additional trip or two versus the first lockdown, when they were very keen to get everything in one trip.

RESEARCH

2. Return of some familiar lockdown behaviours

3. Some new behaviours that emerged in 2020 are beginning to stick

On the other hand, some familiar behaviours from the first lockdown are evident again.

Loyalty to a particular store is back up to first lockdown levels. This suggests that shoppers are back to shopping local and picking a store based on its proximity, which they then stay loyal to.

There are some key behavioural trends that we saw come to the fore during 2020 with the arrival of Covid-19. Some of these continued to increase with each period right through to 2021:

As the pandemic evolved in 2020, shoppers actually spent more time browsing and enjoying their shopping trip. This peaked during the ‘back to school’ period when lockdown had eased. However, it was rising all the time during the three months of the first lockdown as customers perhaps became more comfortable in-store and it was often the only social interaction and engagement people had then. However, the latest data suggests consumers are conscious again of the need to shop quickly and spend less time browsing in-store.

31

• We still see an over-index for Irish shoppers ‘not wanting to run out’ versus pre-Covid levels (although it has dropped off a little since the first lockdown and ‘back to school’ periods). This may be driven by a genuine fear of running out of supplies at home, or simply by being more aware about what we have at home/what needs to be replenished when we go shopping so that we make the most of the trip. But either way, there are implications for brands and retailers about how we communicate to shoppers pre-store and how we trigger/remind them about our products and categories.

• Shoppers continue to say they want ‘premium’ and ‘brands’, particularly when compared to pre-Covid and the first lockdown periods. At the same time, openness to private label continues to fall, after the initial enthusiasm for it in the first lockdown. Finally, ‘Irishness’ (not shown here) is also the only one of our 18 ‘importance metrics’ to increase in this period for shoppers. All of this suggests a significant opportunity for premium Irish brands.

The move back to a speedier shop, however, has not impacted satisfaction levels. Irish shoppers remain very satisfied with the shopping experience (as they have throughout the pandemic). Some of the metrics that contribute to ‘overall satisfaction’ have dropped slightly versus the last period – but all four areas mapped in the ‘satisfaction chart’ track better than pre-Covid levels.

• All ‘at home’ occasions continue to dominate for Irish shoppers, as is to be expected as we continue to spend more time at home in lockdown.

In particular, there is an increase in shopping for the ‘relaxing at home’ occasion – shoppers want to treat themselves at home!

• Finally, all market sources tell us that the number of Irish shoppers doing their grocery shopping online has increased greatly since Covid19 entered our lives. Our latest fieldwork shows us that those who have shopped online for groceries in the past year are very positive about the experience. Some 90% plan to continue shopping online into the future. An impressive retention rate for those offering online shopping services. ________________________________

Shopper Intelligence is currently in-field collecting further shopper interviews and will report back in May with a further update on Irish shopper behaviour. ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

CATEGORY FOCUS Dairy

Dairy

Roll Your Own Tobacco

No & Reduced Sugar

Rum

Infant & Baby

32

Dairy delights!

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last March, Behaviour & Attitudes research for the NDC shows a 40% increase in dairy consumption in under 35-year-olds, particularly cheese (27% using more often), yoghurt (26% using more often) and milk (26% using more often). Keeping the bestsellers well stocked is therefore more important than ever

I

reland has a deserved worldclass reputation for our dairy products, thanks to an amalgam of our cool climate, generations of tradition and the highest standards of food safety, sustainability and welfare. Indeed, Irish dairy is seen as a unique and irresistible part of Irish culture.

Of course, this does not mean

A

&

there is no room for evolution and innovation in the industry.

New product developments are invigorating drinking milk products, according to Euromonitor Ireland, which said artisanal and premium choices across the dairy sector are appealing to consumers’ increasingly sophisticated tastes.

And consumers have been reaching for the comfort of dairy throughout lockdown.

Research from the European Milk Forum found that nearly 40% of Irish consumers under 35 have increased their dairy consumption since last March.

What’s more, Bord Bia’s recently published Export

with Linda Sheehan,

Linda Sheehan

marketing manager, Glanbia Ireland

Q: Avonmore has continually innovated to deliver a diverse product portfolio with added value. Why is this such an important focus for the business?

A: Our innovation programme has always focused on delivering on needs. In the last year, consumers’ needs have changed dramatically, and in our experience have turned to well trusted nutrition brands within our portfolio like Avonmore Super Milk.

Super Milk is seen by consumers as the more nutritious milk given its level of fortification and headline vitamin D content – we have all heard the media talk about the power of vitamin D from a bone health perspective and now more and more on immunity. Immunity is of course a hot topic these days as consumers try to stay healthy and take care of the

Avonmore Super Milk has 100% of the recommended intake of vitamin D in a glass

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Performance and Prospects report showed a 3% uplift in dairy exports to €5.2 billion.

Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) said the exports in the Irish dairy and specialised nutrition sector delivered a stellar performance for the Irish economy in 2020 given the challenges faced.

essentials. In cheese, our new snacking range launched in 2020 focused on convenience in the snacking arena. We have challenged some other well-known snacking categories with the power of format and dairy to bring cheese to new consumers – well beyond just lunchbox.

Q: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected innovation in the dairy category?

A: We know that Irish consumers love dairy and particularly our leading Avonmore brand, so it is top of mind when they look for products that they trust and deliver consistently. Avonmore is a key brand in the fresh milk category, particularly some new innovation like Avonmore Mini Super Milk. This new multi-pack format for kids is our first flavoured product in the Super Milk range. Parents love it because it has no added sugar, all the goodness of milk and of course added calcium and vitamin D. It also tastes really great! Since launch last year, it’s become a favourite with consumers during the home schooling regimen as well as a trusted and tasty snack after the school books are put away!

Q: Which are your most successful products in your portfolio and what are the factors behind this?

A: We have had lots of success but looking back at the history books, Super Milk is our most successful innovation, we probably don’t class it as innovation now since it’s been around for a while, but when you compare our category with other markets like the UK, a premium fortified brand like Super Milk stands out. The success factors have been around sustained investment in the brand and partnership with customers to really drive growth. Super Milk has an important part to play in Irish society, given that we don’t get enough sunshine because of our northerly latitude, we don’t naturally get enough vitamin D, which is a real issue when it comes to bone health, particularly in the early years. Super Milk is positioned as a credible source of vitamin D given that it has 100% of the recommended intake of vitamin D in a glass.

In a recent report first published in 2020, supported by Avonmore Super Milk in collaboration with researchers from the Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) and Trinity College Dublin, has shown that vitamin D deficiency is widespread across Dublin and surrounding areas in one of the largest studies ever carried out in Europe. Super Milk continues to work closely with a wide range of >>

Super for them.

Easy for you.

NEW Strawberry Flavoured Mini Super Milk.

An easy way to get sunshine Vitamin D into your Super Kids.

AVAILABLE NOW Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system.

the portfolio, which underwent a significant re-launch in 2019. The Mooju brand is popular with a young audience, success is built on its quirky brand personality and of course its great taste. Everyone loves a bit of chocolate milk now and again!

>> professionals in the health and wellness space to amplify the benefits of Avonmore Super Milk.

When you think about the range you have to include Avonmore Protein Milk as a key part of our success story in value added dairy – launched in 2014, this brand is now performing better that some of the long established brands in this space. Mooju flavoured milk is another popular brand in

Q: How significant is your marketing strategy for 2021?

A: We have a great campaign in production at the moment for Super Milk for 2021 – a

Dairy

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No & Reduced Sugar

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Infant & Baby

34 CATEGORY FOCUS Dairy

Dairygold’s improved recipe and new brand campaign are proving a success with audiences

Spread the goodness Dairygold, Ireland’s number one dairy spread brand, continues to be the market leader in the ‘butter, spreads and margarine’ (BSM) category. 2021 sees the brand continue to drive new innovations which hit the market towards the end of last year, maintaining its position as the best quality and tasting spread on the market. These innovations include a new and improved recipe with significant salt reduction and a new brand positioning and platform that talks to customers’ needs.

As part of Kerry Food’s commitment to improve the nutritional composition of its product range by reducing sugar, fat and salt content across its portfolio, Dairygold has reduced its sodium levels by 27% in line with nutritional benchmarks for the industry. The brand understands the importance of catering to consumers’ ever evolving tastes and health requirements along with the need for a more balanced diet, and it has responded positively.

Bringing together 30 years of Dairygold expertise from product innovation and nutritional science to production, consumer insights and marketing, the aim was to improve quality and taste while reducing sodium content in the reformulation, while always ensuring continued customer

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

satisfaction for the much-loved brand.

Notably the new formulation has achieved outstanding results, the brand reports, testing above the original recipe in taste and functionality, for both loyal and new Dairygold consumers.

Alongside the improved recipe, Dairygold has transitioned the entire range to 100% recyclable packaging.

Capturing the mood of the nation in 2021 and offering an uplifting and fun brand platform to communicate with

brand new TV campaign with a quirky and humorous side. The campaign is coupled with a new nutrition message.

We expect the campaign on air at the end of April.

The TV execution is part of a fully integrated programme until the end of 2021.

Avonmore Lactose Free Milk tastes just like regular fresh milk and has all the nutritional benefits you’d expect from Avonmore milk, just without the lactose

and supported with online media partnerships and a strong digital and social media presence.

Since the launch of ‘Spread the Goodness’, the brand has gone from strength to strength driving penetration and new shoppers into the brand.

Dairygold has been a staple in Irish hearts and fridges for over 30 years. The brand is worth over €30m retail sales value (RSV) and holds 20% market share within the BSM category. The long-term success of Dairygold has been built on the brand’s ability to continuously connect with consumers through its high quality products and commitment to continuously evolving the brand’s communications platform.

its customers, Dairygold has launched a new positioning and TV execution entitled ‘Spread the Goodness’. The campaign delivers on the sense that a brief moment of escapism can “spread the goodness” even when simply spreading delicious, buttery Dairygold on a slice of warm toast. The TV ad began on air in late 2020 and positive feedback from the public and customers has reinforced Dairygold’s core values to put the customer at the very heart of everything it does and connect with them in a relevant and relatable way. The campaign will stretch beyond TV this year kicking off a radio partnership with Today FM, sponsoring ‘National Toast Day’

Dairygold is worth over €30m RSV and holds 20% market share within the butter, spreads and margarine category

Shopper motivations in key DAIRY categories BM=Benchmark of 91 FMCG categories’ average Ranks: out of 91 FMCG categories

Milk

Cheese

Yoghurt

Butter & Margarine

Well located, simple shelf

Planned, but NPD/Irish can engage shoppers

Enjoyable to shop, promos are effective

Use brands in pre-store comms/reminders

Rank: #3

82%

Knew what I wanted (BM: 54%) Rank: #11

8%

Main reason to shop (BM: -22%) Rank: #7

29%

Switch size/type, but same brand (BM: 22%)

i

Rank: #16

39%

Open to new/NPD (BM: 34%)

Rank: #13

37%

Planned a particular flavour/type (BM: 24%)

3.4

Rank: #23

Irish is important (BM: 3.1 on a 5-point scale)

Rank: #22

48%

Buy extra on promo (BM:36%)

Rank: #4

25%

Bought for my kids (BM: 6%)

Rank: #9

63%

Enjoyable, interesting to shop (BM: 45%)

Data from survey of 16,492 Irish shoppers, carried out Nov 2019-March 2020.

2021 Fieldwork is finishing, 2021 reports are soon available for 100+ FMCG categories..

Rank: #4

78%

Brand loyal (BM: 63%)

Rank: #14

73%

Don’t want to run out (BM: 29%) Rank: #6

87%

Planned purchase (BM: 73%)

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

New & improved

recipe Made using natural ingredients 27% less salt

36 CATEGORY FOCUS Dairy

Give your best shot!

How to support

Danone aims to donate 1 million bottles of its Actimel cultured yogurt shot across Ireland and the UK to support the communities that kept us all resilient last year.

Actimel brings its decades of experience in immune support* and live cultures to launch a new campaign to ‘Give Our Communities Your Best Shot’.

Danone Ireland is proud to partner with FoodCloud, the Irish social enterprise which works with more than 700 charities and community partners, to bring this initiative to life in Ireland.

Danone is asking people to support FoodCloud’s local charity partners by buying a pack of Actimel and logging onto Actimel.ie to donate another pack for free to those in need in their area.** Terms and conditions

Between now and 30 April, for each pack of Actimel purchased, consumers can donate a second for free to a charity in their area via FoodCloud by logging onto www.actimel.ie. The packs will be distributed throughout FoodCloud’s network of charities and community groups, helping to give all local communities their best shot during the winter months. Actimel’s cultured yogurt shots contain L. casei cultures and vitamins D and B6 which help support your immune system.

For more information about the campaign and how to get involved, visit the website www.

Actimel.ie, or Facebook www. facebook.com/ActimelIreland.

Dairy

Roll Your Own Tobacco

No & Reduced Sugar

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Infant & Baby

****(Source: Nielsen Scantrack, 26 w/e 27th Dec 2020 pot sales)

apply, as shown at www.actimelcommunitydonations.co.uk/ terms.

Speaking about the campaign, Cormac Byrne, Danone’s head of sales said: “We are delighted to partner with FoodCloud to donate Actimel, our mighty shots*! As a BCorp, we believe we all have a role to play in supporting each other. We’ve seen inspiring examples of communities coming together over the last year, and we want to encourage this community spirit to continue with our new campaign. Every time you buy and scan a pack of Actimel, we will donate one to charity, simply log on to Actimel.ie**.”

“Recent research with our charity partners identified that 70% saw an increase in demand for food as a result of Covid-19,” said Iseult Ward, co-founder and CEO, FoodCloud.

“As the pandemic continues, the number of families struggling with food insecurity is on the rise,” she added. “We are grateful for Actimel’s donation enabling us to help charities and community groups across Ireland. This is a great initiative as people are all looking for ways to support the most vulnerable people in their communities at this challenging time.”

Müller Corner Raspberry Creations features a raspberry yogurt complemented with three different inclusions

Fastest growing top 10 yogurt It’s been revealed that one of Müller’s brands, the family favourite Müller Corner, is now the fastest growing yogurt in Ireland’s top 10. The brand has contributed more value growth to the Irish adult yogurt category than any other brand throughout the second half of 2020.* Almost a million** additional pots of Müller Corner were enjoyed by Irish shoppers in the last six months of 2020, according to the latest data released from Nielsen.

On the back of these fantastic results, Ireland’s favourite yogurt brand*** has announced the upcoming release of its new advertising campaign for Müller Corner, ‘Peel Back & Play’. The campaign will focus on the fun

Müller Corner Icelandic Style Skyr is available in three variants, including Raspberry & Hazelnut Granola, as shown above

and playfulness that consumers commonly associate with the Corner brand, and will hero Müller Corner Vanilla Chocolate Balls – the best-selling single yogurt pot in Ireland.**** Keep your eyes peeled for the big Irish TV launch across April and May. Much of Müller’s recent success in the category lies in its constant ability to shake things up time and time again through a whole host of innovative and exciting NPD – last year saw the Corner brand strengthened with the launch of Müller Corner Icelandic Style Skyr, which followed hot on the heels of 2019’s Müller Corner Creations.

Müller Corner Icelandic Style Skyr is Müller’s first foray into the

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

super thick segment – Skyr is now Müllerlicious! The new range has a thick and creamy Icelandic-Style Skyr, whole nut granola with 13g protein per pot. It is available nationwide in three variants: Raspberry & Hazelnut Granola, Nuts & Chocolate Coated Balls Granola, and Banana & Almond Granola.

Raspberry Creations, on the other hand, is the crunchiest Corner yet! The product, the brand’s first three-in-one, comes with a delicious raspberry yogurt complemented with three different inclusions: white chocolate-coated shortcake, meringue-style pieces and mini Müllerlicious biscuits. *(Source: Nielsen Scantrack, 26 w/e 27th Dec 2020 versus year ago) **(Source: Nielsen Scantrack, 26 w/e 27th Dec 2020 (933,802 additional pots YoY) ***(Source: Kantar Brand Footprint, 2020)

*(Contains vitamins D and B6 which support the normal function of the immune system) **(T&Cs: 18+. UK & Republic of Ireland. Start date 00:01 on 01/01/21. Closing date 23:59 on 30/04/21. For full T&Cs, see www.actimel.ie)

*Actimel contains Vitamins B6 & D which support the normal function of the immune system. Contains naturally occurring sugars. Enjoy as part of a healthy diet & lifestyle.

18+. ROI. Starts 00:01 on 01/01/21. Closes 23:59 on 30/04/21. To participate, visit www.actimel.com, enter the unique code on the lid and select your community. Selection to be made from a list of pre-defined regions that you can discover on our website. Limited to 10,000 packs donated in ROI to food charities via FoodCloud (Charity No: CHY21177). Full T&Cs see www.actimel.com.

Glenisk GoShots are high in protein and vitamin D

Grab, squeeze, Go! Glenisk, Ireland’s number one yogurt brand, has added another new high-protein offering to its range in the form of a new 80g yogurt tube – GoShots. The range boasts two tasty flavours – Strawberry and Banana Caramel – and was created as a healthy snack option for teens and young adults.

As well as being high in protein, the range is also high in vitamin D which is being lauded for its essential immune-boosting properties. As with all Glenisk products, the range is made using fresh Irish milk and includes no artificial ingredients.

GoShots Yogurt Tubes are available in a multipack of 5x80g tubes from stores nationwide, including Dunnes Stores, Tesco, SuperValu, Centra and independent retailers, and will be supported through an extensive digital, PR and influencer marketing campaign in the coming months.

Dina Asher-Smith

PEEL B A

World Champion Sprinter

A ND K C

Müller Corner is the fastest growing top 10 yogurt brand in Ireland*

C RE A

MY, CRUNCHY, C

R A Z Y GO OD F U

OFFICIAL YOGURT *( Nielsen Scantrack, 26 w/e 27th Dec 2020 versus year ago)

N

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38 CATEGORY FOCUS Dairy

Irish consumers milked it in 2020 Covid-19 has created huge uncertainty for us all but the one thing we can continue to rely on is fresh high-quality Irish food, thanks to the resilience of farmers, food producers and retailers of Ireland. We need to celebrate the reliability and trust in Irish dairy that’s always been there.

The National Dairy Council (NDC) recently carried out research through Behaviour & Attitudes looking at Irish consumers’ opinions of dairy.

This reveals a significant increase in people who associate dairy with being rich in calcium, tasty, containing essential nutrients, part of a healthy balanced diet and/or a good source of protein. The research also shows a 40% increase in dairy consumption in under 35-year-olds since the start of the pandemic last March, particularly cheese (27% using more often now than before), yoghurt (26% using more often) and milk (26% using more often). Considering the massive challenges for 2020, Irish dairy exports had a very successful year with a

value figure of €5.2bn and a 3% increase.

Little change occurred in the types of milk being consumed in Irish households. Full fat milk remains the most commonly reported (64%), followed by low fat milk (39%). Interestingly there has been a slight decline in the proportion reporting the use of slimline/skimmed milk (-4% pts). Lockdown seems to have caused a shift away from added-value to basic SKUs. In general, dairy is perceived very positively by the Irish population as a whole with 78% of Irish consumers perceiving Ireland’s grass fed dairy as being superior to other countries.

But despite the recent interest in dairy alternatives, the NDC believes the future is bright for the industry.

“The average Irish household consumes 6.5 litres of milk a week with milk, yogurt and cheese seeing a 2% annual growth,” says NDC CEO Zoe Kavanagh. “Three out of four consumers see Irish dairy farming as positive due to our grass-based system. We have identified that 3% of the Irish population are vegan but 50% of this group trust Irish dairy farming and Ireland is the “The average Irish household consumes 6.5 litres of milk a week with milk, yogurt and cheese seeing a 2% annual growth,” says NDC CEO Zoe Kavanagh

second biggest in Europe for milk consumption, with 99% penetration.

“Origin and quality are top of mind for consumers when it comes to food safety and in the context of the heightened awareness of the need to support our local economy brought about by the current crisis,” Kavanagh adds. “There is also a growing appreciation for the superb pasture basis for dairy farming, which is a very natural environment for cows.

Local dairy farming represents a style of sustainable dairy farming that consumers are also increasingly interested in.

“While the positive credentials of Irish dairy are longstanding and plentiful, the gap between food origin and consumer is growing. At the same time, consumers are demanding natural sustainably produced food – transparency, authenticity, taking responsibility for your health and your environmental impact.

The National Dairy Council recognises the opportunity to reconnect consumers with

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

natural food production and showcase that in Ireland our unique grass-based system coupled with our family farming system is what really sets Ireland apart.” *(Source: Behaviour and Attitudes “Dairy Sentiment presentation” August 2020)

78% of Irish consumers perceive Ireland’s grass fed dairy to be superior to other countries

Dairy

Roll Your Own Tobacco

No & Reduced Sugar

Rum

Infant & Baby

40 CATEGORY FOCUS Dairy

Collaborative innovation on sustainability Tetra Pak has introduced a new collaborative innovation model with leading paperboard producers, a move aimed at tackling the food packaging industry’s sustainability challenges. The traditional operating model of a linear supply chain has changed, and a new partnership ecosystem model is emerging, where the entire industry works in close collaboration. This brings together not only producers and suppliers, but also research institutions,

universities and start-ups in an attempt to find solutions.

According to the latest research, the global food supply chain system is responsible for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions; a third of all food is lost or wasted somewhere in the supply chain; fossil fuel-based materials need to be phased out; and significant improvements are needed to the way packaging is dealt with after use.

Laurence Mott, executive VP for development and engineering at Tetra Pak, says: “We are joining forces with our strategic partners and paperboard producers to find solutions. It’s possible to make a completely sustainable package, but you have to make it safe. And if you can’t make it at scale, you can’t minimise food waste, and you can’t serve a growing global population. In order to bring those three things together, it takes very strong collaboration.”

Mott says that the scale of the environmental challenges the world faces requires that actors within the value chain join forces to develop truly sustainable packaging solutions.

Tetra Rex ® Plant-based cartons

Tetra Rex® Plant-based milk cartons are now available from Irish agri-business Aurivo in its 1L Connacht Gold brand. The carton is fully renewable, plant-based and made solely from paperboard and plastics derived from sugar cane. The creation of this carton is driven by a desire to reduce our customers’ carbon footprint. www.tetrapak.ie/choosecartons

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Leading paperboard producers are united in their approach to tackle carbon emissions and have an ambition to create a net-zero carbon future.

The challenges the industry faces include removing the thin layers of plastic and aluminium and replacing them with plant or wood fibre-based materials, developing a renewable alternative to the plastic straw, and improving the recyclability of packages. When responsibly sourced, plant-based renewable

materials can support towards protecting biodiversity and the natural ecosystem. This means the industry can minimise the need for fossil-based materials.

And it is these and other challenges on which Tetra Pak and its partners are teaming up within the new collaborative innovation model. Tetra Pak’s aim is to create the world’s most sustainable package – one that secures food safety and availability while reducing the impact on the planet. ■

Tetra Pak has created a new collaborative innovation model with leading paperboard producers to develop the most sustainable packaging possible

ADVISOR: HR

41

Ensuring a bully-free zone

The HR Suite’s Caroline McEnery outlines the provisions contained within the new Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work, and what these mean for both employers and employees

CAROLINE MCENERY

managing director, The HR Suite

B

ullying is an area that can cause concern for even the most experienced people managers. A new Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Workplace Bullying at Work came into effect on 23 December 2020, replacing the previous code of practice. The order is cited under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Industrial Relations Act 1990. The code explains the rationale for dealing with bullying at work.

The code separates out bullying and harassment and clarifies that a behaviour can be deemed either bullying or harassment, not both. Harassment/sexual harassment falls under the Employment Equality Acts and is related to any unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct related to any of the discriminatory grounds under the Employment Equality Acts. However, an employer may have a single policy encompassing procedures for both bullying and harassment.

Definition

Workplace bullying is defined as repeated inappropriate behaviour “which could be reasonably regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity at work”

The code of practice defines bullying at work, sets out steps for the management of bullying at work, preventative measures and actions that should be taken, sets out the formal process which should be implemented, and describes the role of the Health and Safety Authority and Workplace Relations Commission. It’s important to note that this code applies to all employments in Ireland irrespective of whether employees work at a fixed location, at home or are mobile.

The definition of bullying in the workplace has not changed. “Workplace bullying is repeated inappropriate behaviour, direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could be reasonably regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity at work.

An isolated incident of the behaviour described in this definition may be an affront to dignity at work, but, as a once-off incident, is not considered to be bullying.”

Employers’ responsibilities

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.

It is every employer’s responsibility to ensure that all employees can enjoy a workplace free from bullying or harassment. The new code places a high importance on prevention as the best method of avoiding bullying at work.

There are several ways to prevent or at least minimise the risk of bullying in the workplace such as the culture of an organisation.

All employers are obliged to have written policies in place. Having an effective anti-bullying policy in place is another key prevention, followed by training on the policy to ensure awareness and most importantly, to implement it if required.

The code identifies a number of principles and steps for

employers to respond to a workplace bullying complaint at the workplace.

Early intervention This offers the best possible potential for a good outcome, particularly regarding restoring workplace relationships.

However, this does not equate with a rushed approach.

Mediation This is an informal voluntary process where an impartial and competent third party enables individuals to work through conflict or disagreement, with a view to improving their relationship. It is a valuable tool at any stage in a procedure, but particularly beneficial at the earliest possible stage.

Informal process A prompt and informal problem-solving approach offers the best potential for addressing allegations of bullying effectively. This collaborative and non-adversarial approach is particularly important in situations where people must continue to work together into the future. An informal approach may effectively address the unwanted behaviour without recourse to any other action. Sometimes the person who is alleged to be engaging in the behaviour is genuinely unaware that the behaviour being complained of is disrespectful, unwelcome, undermining and/or causing distress.

Secondary informal process If the above is unsuccessful or is deemed inappropriate for the seriousness of the issues, a more protracted, yet still informal system can be put in place. The employer will nominate a separate person who has had appropriate training to deal with that particular case. This is a very important role and pivotal in altering bullying cultures and handling complaints effectively at the informal stage.

Formal process Escalating a complaint to a formal process should only be done when the informal approach has been exhausted. The formal process includes a formal complaint and a formal investigation. The purpose of an investigation is to set up a fact-finding approach and determine the facts and credibility or otherwise of a complaint of alleged bullying.

A number of steps need to happen for this process: formal complaint, investigation, appeals, management of malicious complaints, conclusion of formal process and the follow-up and communications of outcomes.

If full utilisation of the range of available internal procedures has not resolved a bullying complaint, the matter may be referred to a WRC adjudicator under Section 13 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1969.

To conclude, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment complaints need to be handled sensitively and it is important that those involved in carrying out the formal procedures have been given adequate training. Managers should have a comprehensive understanding of the legislation surrounding bullying and harassment as well as the policies and procedures in place in their own organisation. ■ www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

46 RECRUITMENT

You’re hired!

Recruitment fact file Excel Recruitment HQ: The Capel Building, Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7 Established: 2002 Key People: Nikki Murran, director of grocery retail; Sean Thomas, senior grocery recruitment consultant

Key clients: Musgrave, BWG, Aldi, Lidl Contact: nikki@excelrecruitment. com, 01-8148 747 Web: www.excelrecruitment.com Social: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

A

&

Q: Tell us about your company and what you believe you do that is unique to the marketplace?

A: Excel Recruitment is run for retailers by retailers, a slogan that goes far beyond marketing but instead guides our day-to-day at Excel Recruitment.

Building meaningful, long-term relationships with our clients and candidates, backed by industry expertise, is our core ethos and the key to our success. Excel Recruitment was founded in 2002

by CEO Barry Whelan after he saw a need for a retail recruitment service with knowledge and understanding of the retail industry. We have fulfilled this vision every day, replicating our winning formula across other industries, while still prioritising our commitment to retail.

Q: Are candidates slower to change roles since the start of the pandemic? What are the main challenges with starting in a new role or in a new company in the current climate?

A: Even at the peak of the crisis, grocery recruitment never stopped (with a little assistance from modern technology). Over the last 12 months, the whole country recognised what we have always seen: the talent and dedication of those working in grocery retail. We now know just how robust the Irish grocery retail sector truly is.

Grocery is already one of the most recession-proof

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Finding the right candidate for the right job is not as easy as you might think.

Employing a retail recruitment specialist could save your company a lot of time and money and ensure you get the candidate that is best suited to your organisation. As an individual, registering with the right recruiter, means you will have access to the latest jobs available in the industry. Here, we look at the top Irish retail recruiters in the market

R

etail workers would never have imagined that they would be deemed frontline workers but 2020 changed all that and now there is a new-found respect for those working in this industry and an acknowledgement of the huge sacrifices people made to keep the country afloat. Demand for talent in the industry has ramped up since the beginning of 2021 with companies needing to fill extra roles in online, supply chain, deliveries, off-licence, protein and fresh food among others and with candidates looking for their next career move, it’s going to be a busy year for recruitment.

with Nikki Murran,

director of grocery retail, Excel Recruitment

industries and with the surge of dining-in last year, we are now witnessing the knock-on growth. In fact, several grocery brands have announced major recruitment drives in recent weeks and we have seen significant demand for talent in key areas such as off-licence, protein departments and fresh food.

The pandemic has also caused a surge in demand for supply chain roles and delivery drivers as online shopping becomes more commonplace. Candidates are confident and enthusiastic about taking the next steps in their career. The challenges of starting a new role now are similar to those of general life in the current climate: shifting government restrictions and heightened hygiene awareness along with fewer opportunities for socialising with your new team.

Q: If you were to give a candidate three generic pieces of advice when going for an interview, what would they be?

A: Show don’t tell: You have gotten to the interview stage because the employer has seen your CV. What they are looking for is not that you can do the job, but how. Come armed with tangible, real-life examples of what you have achieved.

Do your research: Employers don’t want to know you want a job, they want to know you want this job, with this company and why. Research should go far beyond a quick Google search. This is where your Excel Recruitment consultant can guide you.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail: Over the last nine years, I have seen many talented candidates fail before they even begin for unnecessary reasons: not reading instructions, being late, not understanding the role, etc. In Covid times, this may also mean checking your internet connection for Zoom calls and remembering to dress interview-appropriate, even when in your sitting room.

Q: How do you ensure that your company is in touch with the industry in which you serve?

A: Our team live and breathe grocery retail, not because it’s a job requirement but because each of us are genuinely interested in staying up-to-date with industry developments. Each of our consultants has had long successful careers in the retail industry and their passion and love for retail remains. As a company we are proud, close supporters of industry groups such as Retail Excellence Ireland, RGDATA and CSNA. These close affiliations are alongside our tightknit relationships with our clients, which allow us to stay in the loop about the day-to-day experience. It is important to us to celebrate careers in the industry because we know first-hand just how rewarding they are. We do this year after year through our involvement with the C-Store Awards and Grocery Management Awards and our presentations to DIT’s Retail Management BA and postgraduate students.

RECRUITMENT 47

Recruitment fact file

Recruitment fact file Cpl HQ: 83 Merrion Square S, Dublin 2, D02 R299 Established: 1989 Key people: Anne Heraty, CEO; Lorna Conn, CFO; Lisa Holt, MD (Ireland); Garrett Roche, MD (Global) Key clients: Musgrave Group, SuperValu, Centra, Aldi, Smyths Toys, Hickey’s Fabrics, Smiggle Contact: Deborah Crilly, director, Cpl retail, deborah.crilly@cpl.ie (01) 614 6103

Q: Tell us about your company and what you believe you do that is unique to the marketplace?

A: The Cpl retail team is passionate about pairing talented retail professionals within leading retail businesses. Our team of recruiters come from retail backgrounds and have experience across several retail verticals. They recruit for Ireland’s leading multiples, symbols, specialist, and independent retailers, from retail assistants through to senior management and executive appointments.

The retail team is committed to a high quality of

Michael Boyhan, retail lead, Cpl retail michael.boyhan@cpl.ie (01) 614 6104 Web: www.cpl.com/ie Social Facebook: www.facebook.com/CplResources Twitter: www.twitter.com/CplResources Instagram: www.instagram.com/cpl_group/?hl=en LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cpl

service and a fast turnaround. Offering a consultative and bespoke approach, they recognise that no two hires are the same. They represent and promote their customers and brands in a professional and positive manner. Cpl core values of customer focus, accountability, respect, effective communication, and empowerment remain at the heart of what they do and who they are.

They focus on culture fit in addition to candidates’ skillset and previous experience to ensure successful placements.

Crossell Recruitment HQ: Dublin Established: 1997 Key people: Steve Cattigan, general manager; Keelin Dempsey, recruitment manager Key clients: Kellogg’s, Birds Eye, Dr. Oetker, Kimberly-Clark Contact: 01 4603890 Web: www.crossellrecruitment.ie Social: www.linkedin.com/company/ crossellrecruitment

Q: Tell us about your company and what you believe you do that is unique to the marketplace?

A: Crossell Recruitment is a small agency, with a big heart. People are our business and we are focused on finding that perfect fit, and we won’t settle for second best. When you work with us, we take the opportunity to know you and your needs. Our goal is to match the right candidate with the right employer, creating a successful partnership for both. ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

48 ADVISOR: Recruitment

Keeping your career goals on track BARRY WHELAN managing director of Excel Recruitment

www.excelrecruitment.com

Setting realistic goals and tracking these throughout your career are vital in order to achieve meaningful progress in any industry.

Here, Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan outlines some top tips for measuring and achieving your aims

I

f you have a career, you should really have career goals. Career goals are a great way to keep your career ambition focused and on track.

So, what is a career goal?

A career goal is a set of steps along the career ladder of your chosen profession, steps that take you through the journey of your career.

Like any journey, there is a start and a finish and steps along the way. Career goals are simply goals that keep you focused on the steps of your career ladder and make sure that you are going in the right direction and if not, help identify the issue and how to get back on track.

It is good practice for every employee or job seeker to define their career goals clearly. It helps you to come up with effective action plans and to keep focused on the direction of your career.

Setting unrealistic goals can lead to disappointment, however, that does not mean that you should avoid formulating career goals altogether.

Creating resolutions is the easiest way to keep yourself motivated to achieve your career goals.

How to set career goals?

Career goal setting is an easy process.

Career goals are a set of targets that are split between short-term targets and long-term targets.

Take for example, that you decided at the age of 18 that you want to be the sales manager of a large company.

Your career goal is set; now you need to follow the steps to get to that position.

For instance, you may need a strong Leaving Certificate, then to complete a good business degree, before joining the workforce in a junior sales role, whilst supplementing your education with a post-grad which may then help facilitate a move to a larger sales organisation in a role that allows ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Setting ‘SMART’ goals that are specific, measurable, avoid negativity, realistic and tie an action to each goal, will help create a bright future

for progression to the level you are looking to reach.

Short-term vs. long-term There are short-term and long-term career goals. The teenager’s primary objective is to become the manager of a company. In order to get there, he needs to achieve his short-term goals, which include passing his school and college exams, gaining experience by working for a related company, and boosting his experience and skills through further studies.

Short-term goals are those that can be achieved within six months to three years. It may take three to five years or more to achieve long-term goals.

Defining career goals is just half the battle. You must set your mind on accomplishing the goals you have set. If you don’t map out your goals properly, it will be harder to achieve them. When setting career goals, why not try this twist on ‘SMART’ goal setting! Instead of specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound, we are opting for: 1. Specific What does career success mean to you? What is it that you want to achieve? Do you want to be the CEO or perhaps achieve financial

freedom or a job that affords the best possible work life balance? Everyone is different. Be specific.

2. Measurable Time-bind your career goals. This is the best way to keep them on track.

For instance, if it takes four years to complete your degree, take four years as your goal. Once you are able to attain the short-term goals within the timeframe you set, then you are on the right path to achieving your ultimate goal.

3. Avoid negativity A goal must be something that an individual wants rather than a factor they want to avoid. For example, don’t focus on leaving a particular job or position within the next five years.

Instead, the employee should aim at where they want to be and think about what they can do to move toward getting there.

4. Realistic While a career goal should be a challenge, it must be one that can be achieved.

5. Tie actions to each goal For each set goal, a person needs to take certain measures to achieve it.

Listing the different activities that are needed to achieve a goal makes the whole process easier. ■

No & Reduced Sugar CATEGORY FOCUS 49

Infant & Baby

The sweetest cut

of 18–34-year-olds said that for them, the experience of drinking Coca-Cola goes beyond just taste.

That’s why, in 2021, CocaCola is celebrating the Coke experience, whether it’s enjoying a Coca-Cola Original Taste, CocaCola Zero Sugar or any of its flavour variants, by giving new drinkers a way to describe this beyond-words experience.

A brand-new campaign, ‘Open That Coca-Cola’, brings to life the first sip of Coca-Cola and the expressions we use to convey the refreshing great taste and experience of upliftment and enjoyment when drinking it, like ‘Ahhhh!’, ‘Oooh!’ and ‘Yeah!’.

To encapsulate that indefinable feeling, Coca-Cola has found

A study conducted by YouGov revealed that people are lost for words when it comes to describing their favourite moments in life, with 66% of all Irish adults believing the best experiences are difficult to explain with words. One of those being enjoying life’s simple pleasure of drinking a Coca-Cola. 51% of people found it impossible to put into words the unique feelings experienced when drinking a Coke. Three in four (74%) young adults (18–24-year-olds) can’t compare the taste or experience of drinking a Coke with any other experience in the world. 62%

Coca-Cola has partnered with ‘Tyler, The Creator’ on the new ‘Open That Coca-Cola’ campaign to express the brand’s unique refreshment through music

Dairy

Indescribable unique experience

Roll Your Own Tobacco

have been proactive in catering to this demand, and today sugarfree snacking and mealtimes are easier and more affordable than ever before.

The Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT) came into effect on 1 May 2018 and applied to water and juice-based drinks. The scope of the tax was extended with effect from 1 January 2019 to include certain plant protein drinks and drinks containing milk fats. However, even before the tax began, many drinks manufacturers were proactive in reformulating drinks to meet consumer demand for healthier, reduced sugar options as well as smaller portion sizes.

No & Reduced Sugar

W

ith health and wellbeing playing an important role in consumers’ lives, many brands have been keen to embrace the no/low sugar trend.

Before the outbreak of Covid19, Euromonitor research found that rising health consciousness negatively impacted overall demand for sugar confectionery in Ireland. This has continued to impact consumers’ purchasing habits throughout lockdown, with many becoming more conscious of ingredients than ever before.

This trend is nothing new in Ireland, however. Over the years, consumer interest in no and reduced sugar options has soared in popularity. Retailers nationwide

Rum

Due to the increased centrality of health and wellbeing for many shoppers in their daily lives, no and reduced sugar options which still offer great taste have become essential

An evolved Coca-Cola Zero Sugar offers consumers not only a great taste, but a sleek, brandnew Coca-Cola Zero Sugar packaging design

a perfect partner in ‘Tyler, The Creator’. A long-time fan of the brand, this visionary artist has expressed the Coca-Cola experience in the way he knows best: through music.

Tyler has created an exclusive track featured in the campaign, available on all streaming platforms from 5 March.

An exciting dance, the ‘Coca-

Cola Kick-Shuffle’, will also be revealed by an iconic global social star known for her moves, in the coming weeks.

As an extension of the campaign and rolling out across European markets over the coming months, an evolved Coca-Cola Zero Sugar will be launched, offering consumers not only a great taste, but a sleek, brand-new Coca-Cola Zero Sugar packaging design, enhancing consumers’ Coke experience even further.

In Ireland, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is the number one light sugar cola, and the fastest growing with three out of four households purchasing the brand throughout 2020.

Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke will also be available from the end of March in a new 1l-pack size, in response to the growing trend of small basket shopping trips.

Coca-Cola HBC will activate a full campaign to drive frequency and trial year-round, appealing to young adults and families. The campaign will include abovethe-line marketing investment with bursts of support around key brand moments such as the Euros, summer, and Christmas.

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

Dairy

Roll Your Own Tobacco

No & Reduced Sugar

Rum

Infant & Baby

50 CATEGORY FOCUS No & Reduced Sugar

Big citrus taste, no artificials Danone has created a new innovation, L’mon, to give consumers a delicious, low sugar alternative without compromising on taste.

L’mon, from the makers of Volvic, is a new range of zesty sparkling drinks, made in the UK, that combine sumptuous citrus blends, with at least 25% real fruit juice and British spring water.

Each 330ml can of L’mon delivers the taste experience of a soft drink but without the nasties, with less than 38 calories per can.

All Danone’s products are low in natural sugars, with no added sugar*, free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and only use naturally sourced ingredients.

L’mon is available in three citrusy variants: Lemon & Orange, Lemon & Lime, and Lemon & Grapefruit.

When tested with consumers, L’mon scored ‘Outstanding’ as a product proposition and sits at the top 20% of non-alcoholicbeverages in terms of purchase intent.** The brand’s website www.sparklinglmon.co.uk/ provides information on ingredients and nutritionals, and has answers to many questions that consumers usually have. *(Contains naturally occurring sugars from the fruit juice) **(Source: Bases research September 2020)

Ireland’s original kombucha brewery Produced in Gweedore, Donegal, SynerChi is craft-brewed using 100% natural, organic ingredients using unique micro-brewing craftsmanship to produce authentic live kombucha.

Carefully blended with the finest organic teas and tisanes, creating the perfect synergy of natural ingredients, the latest canned range of SynerChi is packed full of live cultures and naturally occurring enzymes, which helps

detox the body, supports gut health and aids digestion.

Vegan friendly, low in calories and naturally free from dairy, gluten and soy, your customers can find their inner-chi with the latest canned range of Synerchi Kombucha including; SynerChi Apple & Elderflower Presse, SynerChi Traditional Cola Flavour and SynerChi Ginger & Turmeric Lemonade Flavour.

SynerChi is Ireland’s original kombucha brewery, founded by Laura Murphy who is the team’s brew master. Securing investment from Raymond Coyle of Tayto Park, formerly of Largo Foods, SynerChi is situated in a custom state-of-the-art, grade A++ facility in Gweedore, Co. Donegal, where the team supports 20 local jobs in the community, creating, producing and packaging all products on site.

The new SynerChi Kombucha canned range has long-aged the brew in order to maximise the beneficial acids and ferment all the sugar. The culture (SCOBY) consumes the sugar during the fermentation, so that consumers can enjoy a healthier, sugar free kombucha.

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

A touch of pink

Appreciated worldwide Formulated to vitalise body and mind, Red Bull serves the no sugar category trend with Red Bull Zero and Red Bull Sugar Free. Re-launched with a new taste into the Irish market in 2020, Red Bull Zero is now similar in taste to the classic Red Bull Energy Drink, allowing fans to enjoy a zero sugar product with a different taste to Red Bull Sugarfree.

Offering the same ‘wiiings’ as the Red Bull Energy Drink, Red Bull Zero and Red Bull Sugar Free drinks are appreciated worldwide by top athletes, students and in highly demanding professions as well as during long drives.

Both drinks are available in 250ml cans with Red Bull Sugar Free available in four-can multipacks.

Visit RedBull.ie to learn more.

Endless versatility

The SynerChi Kombucha range is vegan friendly, low in calories and naturally free from dairy, gluten and soy

roasted root vegetables and Irish sea kelp,” the duo tell ShelfLife.

Porter & Nash’s range is made with a gluten-free recipe, with no fat, low salt and low sugar; the sauces taste and look like meatbased sauces but are entirely plant-based.

Porter & Nash’s range of products can be used as a cooking sauce or a pouring sauce for finishing roast dinners, their versatility is endless they can be used as a base for soups, Asian broths, casseroles, stews or to complement beef, pork, chicken, fish and vegetable dishes.

Educating children’s tastes buds and knowing how to utilise healthy, nutritious food products in family meals can be difficult for parents. With that in mind, Porter & Nash has created a cookbook showing how to incorporate the duo’s sauces into delicious dishes for all the family; you can find it on the website porterandnash.ie.

Porter & Nash’s range of plantbased sauces were created by Gavin Cassidy and Eoin Lennon, both professional chefs with over 50 years’ combined experience in the food industry including training at two-star Michelin level.

“We met while topping up our qualifications with a culinary arts degree in TU Dublin Tallaght and developed a range of plant-based gravy and sauces made with

The new limited edition Strawberry & White Choc Coco Pops turns milk pink

Cereal giant, Kellogg’s, has introduced new Strawberry & White Choc Coco Pops. A limited-edition version of classic Coco Pops, the new option combines the flavours of smooth white chocolate and juicy strawberries.

With 30% less sugar than other chocolate flavoured cereals, Strawberry & White Choc Coco Pops turns milk pink, guaranteed to add a splash of colour and joy to your shoppers’ breakfast.

The new addition follows the successful release of White Choc Coco Pops in 2019, with more than three million boxes flying off shelves in the first six months alone.

The limited-edition cereal with a RRP of €4.29 (480g) has been available from all major supermarkets since 12 February, for 12 months only.

The new addition contains no artificial colours or flavours.

“It took over 50 recipe trials before we achieved the tastiest

mix of strawberry and white chocolate that turned milk the perfect pink,” Neil Rogers, brand & activation manager Kellogg’s Ireland, said of the new creation. ‘’White Choc Coco Pops was the biggest new cereal launch of 2019,” he added, “so we’re hoping Coco Pops fans will be just as excited to try the new flavour.

In 2017, Kellogg’s reduced sugar in Original Coco Pops by 40% to help families make healthier choices in the morning.

Premium Asian experience at home

The Fused range contains zero refined sugar in 18 of its 19 products

Fused by Fiona Uyema has torn up the rule book on commercial Asian cookery sauces. The award-winning Irish brand has successfully premiumised the space, tapping into the no-sugar trend while putting flavour and quality at its heart.

A serious disruptor, Fused is leading the way with tasty flavours and natural ingredients free from refined sugar, artificial colours, additives, preservatives and MSG. Unsurprisingly therefore, the brand’s market share is growing year-on-year.

With zero refined sugar in 18 of its 19 products, Fused has been created by Fiona to reflect the delicious and natural flavours she enjoyed while living in Asia. The brand is confident that if you compare Fused’s Chinese range of sauces – Chow Mein, Black Bean and Chinese Curry – with other brands, you’ll understand their success. Zero refined sugar and reassuringly natural ingredients feature in sharp contrast to some leading commercial brands where sugar and water dominate as key ingredients.

The exciting range has a 12-month shelf life, and includes stir-fry sauce pouches, infused soy sauces, organic coconut milk, curry pastes and a collection of ready-to-use ingredients. Fused is different and consumers trust the brand to deliver a premium Asian experience at home that’s reliably wholesome, natural and delicious. ■

NEW TASTE & LOOK

Dairy

Roll Your Own Tobacco

No & Reduced Sugar

Rum

Infant & Baby

52

CATEGORY FOCUS Rum

Yum, rum!

With a growing cohort of consumers keen to create ‘bar quality’ cocktails at home, no self-respecting spirits selection within any off-trade department would be complete without an attractive complement of rums, writes Gillian Hamill

T

here’s room in the rum category for premiumisation and product innovation. So says the IWSR, which stated that premium rum will re-position the spirit as a sipping drink, broadening

A

&

it out from its consumer perception as a party drink. Reflecting Irish trends, premium rum represents 15% of the total UK rum market, and the segment continues to grow with dark rum the category

with Richard Brickley,

that’s premiumising the most.

Thanks to the rise of the middleclass consumer, demand for premium has been accompanied by a demand for exclusivity by way of luxury products from

Richard Brickley

market development manager, Bacardí Martini at Edward Dillon & Co.

Q: How has Bacardí performed within the overall rum category in recent years in Ireland and what are the factors that have led to this result?

occasions. There is extensive insight on the fact Gen Z and Millennials are also more health conscious so an RTD option with a lower ABV provides an attractive entry point into the brand.

A: Bacardí has performed exceptionally well over recent years showing the tremendous strength of the brand in the Irish market.

Retailers consistently report that Bacardí is a favourite amongst their loyal spirit shoppers and we are lucky to have so many faithful consumers who buy into and believe in the brand. Bacardí has also been a firm favourite with bartenders and they love to experiment with the versatility of the brand and make recommendations to consumers.

Our festival programme (Electric Picnic and Longitude) has been extremely successful in terms of recruiting new consumers into the brand.

Q: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected consumer trends within the rum category and how are you meeting shoppers’ needs?

Q: Within the ready-to-drink sector, Bacardí has introduced ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails.

Why is this an important area of focus?

A: If you consider the enormous success of Bacardí Breezer, it’s very apparent that Bacardí has lots of history and experience in producing pre-packed drinking solutions. Consumer demand has exploded for RTD cocktails in recent years and consumers expect a great tasting product. These convenient, on-thego solutions satisfy a wide variety of need

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

growing numbers of consumers.

With flavoured rum, spiced rum and golden rum assuming increased significance, here we take a look at the brands piquing shoppers’ interest.

A: We have heard lots of speculation that during times of uncertainly (such as a global pandemic), consumers turn to brands they know, love and trust and the incredible performance of Bacardí across all retailers since the pandemic began is proof that this theory is absolutely true.

We have identified both ‘trade up’ and ‘experimentation’ as emerging trends where consumers are tapping into their inner mixologist and making great quality cocktails at home and we are therefore providing tools at the point of purchase to encourage this.

We are working with retail partners to create bespoke video content to inspire and encourage consumers to make elevated serves at home.

Kitchen Cocktails is a social platform we have also developed at Edward Dillon & Co. Using our extensive portfolio, it offers easy to follow serving suggestions, therefore giving viewers the confidence to make ‘bar quality’ cocktails at home.

Q: How significant are your marketing plans for 2021?

A: It’s an interesting time for rum and for Bacardí. Over the next 12 months, we will continue to create relevance with our target audience through our Casa Bacardí Festival Programme. Bacardí Spiced will be a key strategic priority for the brand as interest in the spiced rum market intensifies and we grow our share in this segment. We will continue our rollout of flavours (Coconut and Raspberry), while also identifying trade up opportunities.

Covid has presented us with both an opportunity and a need to up weigh e-commerce and brand and category education for consumers and trade will also be key. So, a Bacardí Spiced will be a busy year ahead key strategic priority for but one we are the brand as interest in excited about and the spiced rum market intensifies prepared for!

Rum CATEGORY FOCUS

Mount Gay prides itself on honouring the genuine rum tradition of Barbados through education, discovery and exploration

Mount Gay Black Barrel benefits from an older selection of rums being used for the blend, moving to a blend of three to seven-year-old rums as opposed to the previous two to seven years, with a higher content of double distilled pot still rums.

The finishing period, still taking place in deeply charred Bourbon casks, will be extended to six months, greatly lengthened from the previous four week finishing period. These changes better reflect Black Barrel’s bold and robust flavour.

In addition to the work that she has done on Black Barrel, Branker revisited Mount Gay XO where she enriched the blend.

XO benefits from a broader palette of rums selected for the blend, individually aged in three different casks – American Whiskey, Bourbon and Cognac – for five to 17 years, rather than the previous eight to 15 years. Overall, her adjustments to the blend aim to enhance the liquid’s ultimate complexity.

Throughout the core range, each expression will be placed into new bottles with updated labels intentionally designed to give ultimate transparency to the rum inside showcasing further detail on casks used, style and tasting notes.

Underpinning these changes is a refreshed creative platform that promises to honour the genuine rum tradition and focus on what makes Mount Gay ‘More than a rum’ through education, exploration and discovery. Each touchpoint of the platform pays homage to Mount Gay’s Barbadian heritage, the people who craft the rum and its unrivalled terroir carefully harnessed since 1703.

Mount Gay is proudly distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Dairy

Appleton Estate, established in 1749, is one of the oldest sugarcane estates and distilleries in the Caribbean. For over 265 years, Appleton Estate has been crafting premium, aged rums in the heart of Jamaica.

Appleton Estate crafts the finest premium rums from ‘cane to cocktail’, harvesting its own sugar cane, sourcing water from its own limestone spring, and meticulously managing each step in the production process.

Appleton Estate’s master blender, Joy Spence, has over 35 years of history at the estate and, in 1997, became the first female master blender in the spirits industry.

The group adheres to the highest standard of ageing, called minimum age. When there is an age statement on the bottle, it refers to the youngest rum in that blend. All Appleton Estate rums are aged entirely in Jamaica.

This tropical climate ages liquid nearly three times quicker than if aged in a cooler climate or higher altitude. The result delivers more robust and complex flavour.

Appleton Estate’s rums are made without artificial colours, sweeteners or other additives that some other brands use to enhance the taste or aroma of their rums. Its uniquely shaped pot copper stills give rums their signature orange peel note.

In 2020 Appleton Estate relaunched to support its vision to be the global leader in the premium rum segment. The new premium label design, which showcases the estate’s story, and celebrates Jamaican culture, will be accompanied by the introduction of a cork closure, as well as a contemporary version of its iconic bottle shape.

Appleton Estate now has an

Roll Your Own Tobacco

Premium from cane to cocktail

Mount Gay Black Barrel uses an older selection of rums in its blend, creating a bold flavour

No & Reduced Sugar

All Appleton Estate rums are aged entirely in Jamaica, delivering a more robust and complex flavour

Mount Gay, the world’s oldest running rum distillery established in 1703, unveils a new chapter for the brand in 2020. Harnessing over 300 years of experience, Mount Gay will reset the brand to pay homage to its rich heritage of passing down craft and expertise in Barbados, the birthplace of rum. In doing so, Mount Gay will embrace more transparency, providing an in-depth look into the brand and its rum, and will look to the future ensuring continued innovation and growth honouring the genuine rum tradition of Barbados.

With the introduction of master blender Trudiann Branker in April 2019, the distillery’s and Barbados’ first female master blender, Mount Gay began a new chapter for the distillery’s rich history. In her new role, Branker revisited Mount Gay’s core blends whilst simultaneously considering the discerning palate of the high-end brown spirit enthusiasts and appreciating Mount Gay’s steadfast brand loyalty. As a result, Branker has created a new blend for Mount Gay Black Barrel and an enhanced blend for Mount Gay XO.

Rum

A new chapter

Plantation Rum and its iconic raffia-wrapped bottles are found at the world’s most prestigious tables and bars.

Each expression showcases the flavours of a specific heritage and terroir whose doubleageing technique has become a trademark. As per centuries old tradition, Plantation Rum is first aged in the tropics, then further aged in French Oak casks in Cognac, France.

A bridge between rum’s heritage and new ways, Plantation Rum’s home at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados is the epitome of resurrecting ancestral techniques to preserve rum excellence.

Thanks to its originality and quality, the Plantation range has won the hearts of rum lovers around the world.

Expressions like Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple (named three times the best spirit in the world) and Barbados XO 20th Anniversary have become classics.

Alexandre Gabriel, Plantation’s founder and master blender is a committed perfectionist, and his nearconstant research unearths historical production techniques that he shares with his equally committed team. Today, Alexandre Gabriel is recognised as a standard bearer among the great distillers and cellar masters.

Plantation Rum is imported in Ireland by Intrepid Spirits and distributed by Classic Drinks and Celtic Whiskey Shop. It can be found at Celtic Whiskey Shop, Irish Drinks Shop and Molloy’s Liquor Stores. ■

Infant & Baby

Bridge between heritage and new ways

eight year old minimum age statement on its Reserve rum.

This rum will now be named 8 Year Old Reserve and its 12 year old rare blend is now named 12 Year Old Rare Casks.

If you have any enquiries, contact Coca Cola HBC Ireland, 1890 262 226 or your local Coca Cola area developer.

53

Plantation Rum is first aged in the tropics and then further aged in French Oak casks in Cognac, France

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife March 2021

Dairy

Roll Your Own Tobacco

No & Reduced Sugar

Rum

Infant & Baby

54 CATEGORY FOCUS Infant & Baby

Baby boom

Mums and dads will always want the best for their precious new addition to the family, and so trusted brands with a reputation for expertise are naturally the first products to which they will turn. Unsurprisingly, during the Covid19 pandemic, hygiene and sanitising products that are safe for little ones’ gentle skin is a must

P

arents and families are always seeking the best for their little ones, whether it’s in their feeding, their treatments, their comforts or a mixture of them all. For many consumers, demand for quality versus value for money is constant.

Thankfully, leading manufacturers and marketers have delivered

Trusted by generations of parents Caldesene powder has been keeping babies’ bottoms happy by preventing and treating nappy rash for over 45 years.

All parents/carers have to do is simply cleanse and dry

on mums and dads’ high expectations by using the best quality ingredients.

Infant and baby products have continued to drive solid growth in 2020, despite the challenges of Covid-19. According to research from Euromonitor Ireland, sales of baby and childspecific products are more

resilient than others and were forecast to grow by 1% during 2020 in 2019 constant value terms.

Despite having one of the highest birth rates in EU Member States, UNICEF research indicates that Ireland has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. With just 49% of infants being exclusively breastfed,

there’s ample demand for milk formula products in Ireland.

Brand loyalty is extraordinarily strong in the category, leading to serious competition, plus innovation in formulation, packaging, price and more, as has been amply illustrated by the brands outlined below.

the affected area, sprinkle on Caldesene after each nappy change or as directed by a doctor.

Caldesene is the only medicated powder available for nappy rash and is available in 20g, 55g, and 100g formats.

Available in pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide. For more information, visit www.caldesene.ie.

Avoiding eco jargon confusion

of the planet their children will inherit, this is causing increasing confusion, pressure and judgement.

Key findings included: • Over three quarters of parents (81%) find environmentally friendly labelling on baby products confusing • Nearly all parents surveyed (92%) said it is important to buy products that are eco-friendly

Inform your Channel Strategy with Shopper Intelligence: Baby products are purchased differently in the Big 3 vs Discounters ‘I look to the price of Baby products to see if a retailer is competitively priced in general ’ 57%

Big 3

70%

Discounters

More a Price Beacon at Discounters For the Aldi and Lidl shopper, the price of Baby products is more important in driving overall price perception. It acts as a beacon for the rest of the store.

Caldesene is the only medicated powder available for nappy rash

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

WaterWipes, the maker of the world’s purest baby wipes, has released new parenting research to mark the launch of its 100% biodegradable* baby wipes.

The survey amongst Irish parents** with children under five, reveals that whilst parents are trying to be more conscious

i

’One of the reasons I go to this store is that it does Baby products particularly well’ 59%

‘It was more important to me to make my choice quickly than to spend time browsing’ 82%

65%

37%

Big 3

Discounters

Drives more Loyalty at Discounters Lidl and Aldi shoppers see Baby products as more of a loyalty driver than shoppers in the Big 3 Grocery retailers.

Other metrics (not shown here) show Discounter shoppers are also more preplanned when it comes to Baby products.

Data from survey of 16,492 Irish shoppers, carried out Nov 2019-March 2020.

Big 3 = Tesco, SuperValu, Dunnes Stores. Discounters = Aldi, Lidl 2021 Fieldwork is finishing, 2021 reports are soon available for 100+ FMCG categories.

Big 3

Discounters

More Grab & Go in the Big 3

Baby shoppers prefer to make their choice quickly in the Big 3 retailers.

Other metrics (not shown here) show that the key reason Big 3 shoppers Grab&Go is that they know what they want pre-store (i.e. specific brands).

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

Our new look for a new generation.

Caldesene prevents and treats nappy rash.

TENDER CARE AT

Every Change

For topical use only. Cleanse and dry the affected area before applying. A copy of the summary of product characteristics is available upon request. The active ingredient in Caldesene Medicated Powder is Calcium Undecylenate 10% w/w, 20g, 55g, 100g pack size. For supply through general sale. PA 126/152/1 PA Holder: Clonmel Healthcare Ltd., Waterford Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Date Prepared: October 2019. 2019/ADV/CAL/154C

Dairy

Roll Your Own Tobacco

No & Reduced Sugar

Rum

Infant & Baby

56 CATEGORY FOCUS Infant & Baby

• 88% of parents feel under pressure to do the best for their baby and the planet when choosing baby products The new study reveals that when it comes to ecological terms and baby care products, 76% of Irish parents had, at some point, bought a baby care product without fully understanding the jargon, language or ingredients that were on the pack.

A significant portion of Irish parents don’t fully understand common eco-terms, with ‘carbon– negative’ (37%), ‘carbon-neutral’ (32%), ‘eco-friendly’ (25%), ‘sustainable’ (24%) and ‘zerowaste’ (22%) being at the top of the list.

When it comes to choosing baby products, the most confusing eco-term for parents is ‘biodegradable’ (35%), with many not truly understanding what it means, or assuming that a ‘biodegradable’ baby product has fewer ingredients, which is not always the case.

Parents are encouraged to turn the pack over and to always check the ingredients listed. Other confusing eco terms included, flushable (19%), compostable (9%) and organic (19%).

In response to the research results, WaterWipes has launched an eco jargon dictionary which provides guidance for parents to make informed choices when choosing baby products in easyto-understand language.

The research also found that over 92% of parents across Ireland believe it’s important that baby wipes are environmentally friendly. Which is understandable, as parents in the study go through on average two packs of wipes a week. When it comes to baby skin, nearly all parents surveyed (96%) believe that minimal ingredients are important in baby care products – and over half of parents ranked being suitable for sensitive skin (55%) and not having unnecessary chemicals (44%) as some of the top aspects they expect from a baby care product.

“It is with pride as an organisation that we can announce that our baby wipes are now 100% biodegradable*,” said WaterWipes CEO Orla Mitchell.

“We as a brand know and our research supports the fact that many parents feel confused by the plethora of eco-terms they face when trying to make more environmentally friendly decisions,” she added. “We hope through our jargon busting dictionary and new WaterWipes 100% biodegradable* baby wipes that these decisions will be a little easier.”

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

WaterWipes 100% biodegradable* baby wipes are available in Ireland across all major retailers. *(Within 12 weeks in an industrial setting/ plant in accordance with EN13432. Wipe material. Parents should refer to their local council for details on disposing of baby wipes) **Source: Survey conducted by Atomik research amongst 2,003 respondents from the Republic of Ireland (500) and the UK (1,503)

Effective against viruses, including coronavirus

Milton, the leading expert in sterilising, confirmed that the following products are suitable to fight against coronavirus: Sterilising Fluid, Sterilising Tablets, Antibacterial Surface Wipes, Antibacterial Surface Spray, Antibacterial Hand Gel and its latest innovation: the

Milton original Sterilising Fluid and Tablets sterilise baby feeding equipment and disinfect surfaces

Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser, suitable for babies from three months old. The products have been tested on ‘bovine coronavirus’ which is a surrogate of SARS-CoV2 responsible for Covid-19 and belongs to the same family of viruses.

The most successful approach to protecting against the Covid-19 virus is through systematic hand hygiene and thorough cleaning of surfaces.

The new plant-based Milton hygiene range offers green formulas effective against bacteria and viruses. Milton Antibacterial Hand Gel contains 80% of ethanol, a 100% plantbased active ingredient derived from beetroot, which guarantees the efficacy on germs. It is important to rub hands consistently for a minimum of 30 seconds. The new plant-based Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser is an alcohol-free foaming formula which safely disinfects the hands

The new plant-based Milton Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser safely disinfects the hands of the entire family, including babies from three months old

Milton Antibacterial Surface Wipes need a minimum of just 30 seconds to be effective against enveloped viruses

of the entire family, including babies from three months old.

Its 100% plant-based active ingredient is lactic acid, derived from corn or beetroot. Both formulas contain moisturising agents to protect the skin.

For surfaces and accessories, the Antibacterial Surface Spray kills bacteria and viruses with a contact time of only five minutes and the Wipes need a minimum of 30 seconds to be effective against enveloped viruses.

Milton original Sterilising Fluid and Tablets sterilise baby feeding equipment and disinfect surfaces.

To ensure effective cleaning against viruses, the following more concentrated dilutions must be used: two capfuls (60ml) of fluid or two tablets should be mixed with a litre of cold water.

Everything should be cleaned with soapy water first, the solution should be prepared using protective gloves, surfaces wiped or baby/children’s accessories submerged into the solution, left for 15 minutes and rinsed with clean water.

Milton has been a leading and trusted name in sterilising and hygiene for over 70 years.

baby product samples such as baby toiletries, nappy bags and wipes, along with discounts and useful information. The bag also includes a SuperValu online shopping voucher to the value of €10 off a €80 spend. There are approximately 50,000 bags distributed each year to new mums across Ireland.

Thanks to the SuperValu partnership, pregnant women and new mums can conveniently collect their gift bag from their local SuperValu store. All they need to do is register as a member on everymum.ie, download or print the voucher and show it to a SuperValu staff member to claim their free bag.

Shane Lynch, SuperValu marketing manager, said the group is delighted to continue its work with Everymum for another three years.

“Over the past 14 years we have helped distribute almost 700,000 free baby gift bags to new mums across the country and we know how much they love coming in-store to collect their bags packed with useful products and information,” Lynch said. “At SuperValu we understand the pressures of being a new parent and this partnership is only one aspect of the ongoing support SuperValu tries to provide parents with existing initiatives such as great value prices on trusted baby care brands as well as weekly offers available in-store and online.”

For more information on how to claim a free baby gift bag go to www.everymum.ie.

Weekly SuperValu offers on baby products are displayed at www.supervalu.ie and in-store. ■

A gift for new mums SuperValu recently announced that its ongoing partnership with Everymum has been renewed for an additional three years. Over the past 14 years, SuperValu and Everymum have worked together to distribute over 700,000 free baby gift bags in-store to new mums nationwide.

Provided by Ireland’s largest online parenting community - Everymum, the Everymum gift bag is packed full of free

Parent Lisa Connolly and SuperValu Grange in-store baby expert Laima Vaniciulienie pictured at SuperValu Grange, Cork

Return business not returned packages

Improve customer service and reduce delivery delays by adding GeoAddress Checked to your business website.

Find out more at www.geodirectory.ie Backed by:

58 NOFFLA NEWS

www.noffla.ie

Changing course Pat Keller, owner of Keller’s Carry Out in Nenagh and Roscrea, caught up with Julia O’Reilly to discuss his busy year

Pat Keller has been in the offlicence business for quarter of a century. He has witnessed a lot of change during that time; trends fluctuate, policies change, staff come and go. Even still, these last 12 months have been something different.

“It’s been a mad, hectic time,” Keller tells ShelfLife over the phone one stormy Friday morning. Hectic is right. Keller’s sales have gone up by 40% in a year that saw a global pandemic destabilise retail.

Keller owns two Carry Out offlicences in Nenagh and Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. Both 1,200sq ft, the two stores received Certificates of Excellence from the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) in 2019.

Brand loyalty Established in 1995, the familyrun business has deep ties to the Carry Out brand. “I’ve been with Carry Out for about 20 years now,” says Keller. “We were maybe the third or fourth Carry Out in the country when we first teamed up with them.”

Keller is quick to praise Carry Out for its support during a tough time: “Carry Out were brilliant throughout the last year, especially on the logistics end of things. Even with all that was going on, we never ran out of stock once. Every week we got two deliveries, so we were well stocked at all times.”

The beginning of the pandemic was in many ways a lesson in flexibility. We had to adapt to a new set of rules, and fast. For Keller, having the support of Carry Out during that transition period was especially valuable: “The guidance they gave us was priceless,” he says. “Ger Donnelly, who is a rep for Carry Out, was just superb in liaising with us throughout. He also kept us up to date with market trends, which, at a time when tastes were

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

changing, was brilliant.

“I’m also grateful for all that David O’Keefe, national sales manager for Carry Out, did for us during that time. With their help, we were thankfully able to adapt and ultimately see positive sales outcomes.”

customers – we now have the largest selection in the area.”

With that complete, Keller says he’s not looking to make any major changes any time soon.

Trend spotting While most of Keller’s sales were derived as usual, the main outlier was cocktails. “Cocktails were the biggest trend we saw during lockdown,” he tells ShelfLife. “It was pretty unexpected, but with people not going to the pub, they were taking to replicating their favourite drink at home.”

Another surprising trend?

“People upped their spend. Take wine for example, pre-Covid, the average bottle of wine we’d sell might have cost €10. That moved to €13 or €14. Both trends show us that people are treating themselves a bit more, they’re looking to replicate old experiences at home, and quality is firmly on the agenda.”

Keller adds that some of their success boils down to logistics.

“We have good parking outside which allowed customers to run in and out of the shop in 30 seconds if they wanted to. We ended up having very few long queues other than maybe on a Friday or Saturday evening.

That meant the experience of shopping with us didn’t change that dramatically.”

In-store update Two years ago, Keller took on a hefty renovation project. “We upgraded all our equipment,” he says. “It’s now much more energy efficient, better for the planet and our electricity costs are much lower – a real win-win.”

What’s more, they put in a sixdoor craft beer fridge, doubling the size of their former offering.

“That has made a real difference for us. It’s been a real hit with

Retailer Pat Keller says that during lockdown, he has observed shoppers spending a few euros more on average for a bottle of wine to treat themselves with something more special

Keeping spirits high Both Nenagh and Roscrea sites employ two full-time and three part-time staff, and Keller is proud to add that his wife Josephine is a very important part of the team.

Keeping spirits high throughout a hard year has not been a problem for the team at Keller’s Carry Out. In fact, Keller says it’s been a bit of fun. “It’s always lively enough,” he notes. “We try to have plenty of staff on so no one is under too much pressure.

I find it’s best to have plenty of hands on deck for bringing stock out to cars, stocking the shelves, serving customers and the like.”

When he’s not buzzing around his Nenagh and Roscrea sites, Keller wears a very different hat – that of a funeral director. Another family business, Keller has long been juggling the two roles to great success, making him an

important fixture in his local community.

Another string in his bow, Keller is an elected member of the National Off-Licence Association Council. When discussing the role, Keller turns to the Public Health Alcohol Bill: “It has taken 15 years to get the bill enacted. The last leg is minimum unit pricing. It is crucial that this be implemented to level out the playing field between multiples and independent off-licenses.

Plus, a ban on below cost selling would also have positive implications for health.”

Keller makes his appreciation for the great work NOffLA has been doing behind the scenes clear. “So much goes into all that NOffLA does,” he says. “I want to thank Evelyn Jones, the government affairs director, and Reggie Walsh, the administrator, in particular for the amount of work they’ve done in liaising with the regulatory authorities. They have done a superb job fighting to keep our doors open.

“The work NOffLA has done for the independent off-license sector in lobbying, advocating and training is huge,” he continues. “The last year has been so tough on independent retailers especially, so it’s vital they have someone fighting their corner.

“Then on a day-to-day basis, NOffLA has done so much in educating our staff, RTC training, giving us advice – it’s endless.

Education is no small load to carry.”

Last word Running a successful business for all these years, through ups downs and everything in between, is no easy feat. What’s the secret to Keller’s success?

“Having the right stock, at the right price, chilled and ready to go,” he says before pausing, “and a smile and a ‘thank you’ costs nothing.”

60 NOFFLA NEWS

www.noffla.ie

NOffLA welcomes new associate member, MCM Brands NOffLA is delighted to welcome MCM Spirits & Liqueurs (MCM Brands) as the association’s latest associate member.

MCM Brands is proud to offer customers a leading portfolio of exciting drinks brands from across the globe. Since its creation in 2004, the business has grown substantially, along with its customer base.

The company says its mantra has always been to think big but to stay close to customers. Based in the northwest, in the beautiful county of Donegal, MCM Brands supplies the total licensed trade nationwide.

With the current climate, MCM Brands has been working hard behind the scenes to make the group more retail-focused with some exciting new ranges that are perfectly suited to retail.

“We are genuinely excited about the future for MCM Brands and with our latest partnership with NOffLA, I am sure that we will continue to grow within the independent retail channel,” says William Doogan, managing director, MCM Brands.

Premium portfolio MCM Brands can offer one of the most exciting and diverse product ranges in the industry today. With exclusive agencies from world-renowned brands like Gin Mare, Crystal Head Vodka, Aviation Gin, Haymans of London, Matusalem Rums, Fee Brothers Bitters and many more.

The group also has an extensive wine portfolio with selections from leading producers in every wine producing country.

Thank you Ampersand Wines Barry & Fitzwilliam Bibendum Ireland Bulmers Ireland Cassidy Wines Coca-Cola HBC Ireland Limited Diageo Ireland Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd.

ShelfLife March 2021 | www.shelflife.ie

Supporting local industry Ireland has seen a boom in locally produced craft spirits such as whiskey and gin. MCM is proud to support and represent leading producers with brands such as Sliabh Liag Distillers, Donegal (Silkie Whiskey/ An Dulaman Gin), Mor Irish Gin (Arderin Distillery), Listoke Gin (Drogheda) and Teeling Whiskey, (Donegal Brewing Co).

Service built around you MCM has always built its business with the customer at the centre of all it does, stating: “We pride ourselves on being close to our customers, providing a bespoke ‘best in class’ service, meeting your needs and demands.”

Wealth of experience The MCM team are a dynamic group of experienced industry specialists with a wealth of knowledge of products and how to help customers maximise the sales of brands.

Innovation MCM is continuously searching the globe to find trend setting products to keep customers ahead of the curve in today’s fastmoving industry, noting: “Our logo ‘Liquid Innovation’ symbolises what we are about.

Not just buying and selling!”

William Doogan, managing director at MCM Brands, says that working in partnership with NOffLA, he is confident the company will continue to grow within the independent retail channel

For further information, contact: Head office: MCM Spirits & Liqueurs Ltd (MCM Brands) Unit 1 Erneside Business Park Portnason, Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland F94 Y2NE T: 00353 (0)71 9852434 E: contact@mcmspirits.com W: www.mcmbrands.ie Your rep order/contact details: Louise McSorley T: 0876677221 E: louise@mcmspirits.com.

NOffLA would also like to thank the association’s existing associate members listed below for their continuous support: Febvre Wines Findlater & Co. Heineken Ireland Ltd. Hi-Spirits Ireland Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard John Player Liberty Wines Ltd. Mackenway Distributors Ltd.

MCM Spirits Molson Coors Ireland Niche Vines by Counterpoint Richmond Marketing The Dalcassian Wines & Spirits Co. Ltd. Tindal Wine Merchants United Wines ■

Picture courtesy of Tourism NI: Harry Avery’s Castle, Co. Tyrone

Northern Ireland.

Open for Business.

Following the end of the transition period, Northern Ireland continues to be a great place to buy from if you are in Ireland: The Protocol on Ireland/ Northern Ireland has ensured there are no border controls.

So for trade between Northern Ireland and the EU that means: • No tariffs • No new customs checks • No new regulatory checks Our products continue to move to Ireland as they always have, friction free with no delays. Just the same, Pure, Natural, Quality from our trusted food and drink manufacturers.

Contact our business development team for more information.

E: jen.guiney@investni.com T: +44 (0) 79 8511 1024

Northern Ireland. Altogether more.

62 MARKET MOVERS

Krispy Kreme

Hunky Dorys

Krispy Kreme unveils limitededition Lucky Leprechaun doughnut for St Patrick’s Day

Find your perfect match with new Hunky Dorys flavours

There’s gold at the end of the rainbow…and Krispy Kreme’s St Patrick’s Day limited-edition doughnut is sure to be a centrepiece for celebrations!

The new Krispy Kreme St. Patrick’s Day themed doughnuts are handdecorated and filled with golden caramel.

The limited-edition Lucky Leprechaun doughnuts will be available to buy in a Lucky Dozen, including Original Glazed doughnuts and Lucky Leprechauns.

The Lucky Dozens are available to purchase between 13 – 17 March for delivery direct to your door exclusively via Uber Eats; for €23.95 + delivery. You can also get your hands on the limited-edition range via the Krispy Kreme Blanchardstown Drive Thru or pre-order via click and serve.

Krispy Kreme is also giving fans the chance to win a special Lucky Dozen delivery; head over to the Krispy Kreme Ireland Twitter or Facebook pages for more details on how to enter.

Hunky Dorys has launched two tasty new flavours – Flame Grilled Steak and Chip Shop Curry.

According to a statement from the company, these new flavours have tapped into the crisp personality world, asking the big question; ‘what kind of crisp person are you?’. It comes down to two options: Longing for a big steak? If the answer to this is yes, then the new Hunky Dorys Flame Grilled Steak Flavour might be for you. In fact, according to the company: “These Hunky Dorys are so steaky, they’ll stake their meaty lives on it.”

Craving that chipper taste without the fear of spilling curry down your top? Then Hunky Dorys says its Chip Shop Curry flavour crisps are for you. “We’ve dredged these Hunky Dorys in curry spices, deep fried them to an actual crisp and guess what? They’re chunky, they’re crunchy, yet, somehow… saucy. Huh? If you’re nodding your head while reading, then say hello to Hunky Dorys Chip Shop Curry flavour!”

The new flavours are now available in sharing size (135g) at €2.65 RRP and impulse bags (45g) at €1.15 RRP in Dunnes Stores, Tesco, SuperValu and Eurospar stores nationwide.

Tayto

Topo Chico

Tayto returns in a New York minute!

Topo Chico Hard Seltzer launches across Ireland

Tayto, Ireland’s number one crisp and snacks brand, is back with the launch of two new limited-edition flavours.

Inspired by New York deli sandwiches, the new flavours are for when the classic ham and cheese sandwich just doesn’t hit the spot: Tayto Beef Brisket Flavour: The meatiest of all sandwiches – slow cooked beef with BBQ flavour.

Tayto Philly Cheese Steak: This variety comes complete with steak and cream cheese flavour to boot.

The new flavours will be available in shops for a limited time only.

Together with Coca-Cola Ireland, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland is extending the availability of Topo Chico Hard Seltzer to stores across Ireland and Northern Ireland from April, following its outstanding success in pilot stores since November.

Topo Chico Hard Seltzer is a sparkling water with alcohol and natural flavours. Available in three variants, Tangy Lemon Lime, Tropical Mango and Cherry Acai, all of which are gluten-free, each 330ml serving contains 96 calories, two grams of sugar and is 4.7% alcohol by volume (ABV).

In Ireland and Northern Ireland, it will be available in 330ml sleek aluminum single cans, four-can multi-packs in each flavour, as well as a six-can variety pack. Topo Chico is also the first and only hard seltzer brand to provide a mixed pack, offering shoppers the opportunity to trial all three tasty variants.

As a result of its intense marketing campaign, the brand has achieved an outstanding 20% value share in pilot stores within just three months, with 33% repeat purchase amongst this core target audience.

The launch of Topo Chico will be supported by significant above and below-the-line marketing investment, to include shopper, digital and social media, and influencer outreach. The campaign will focus on key summer occasions to grow awareness of the category and relevance of the brand among key demographics. ■

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