Retail Express - 30 May 2023

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SCAMMERS TARGET STORES

• Postmasters hit back at DVLA for threatening to axe service in branches

• Post Office demands fairer pay as talks over contract renewal reach crisis-point

‘Technical glitch’ delays first payments to stores following commission cuts

Reports of fraudsters attempting to rip off most vulnerable reach ‘significant’ levels

Retailers reveal how they are using their store front to attract passing trade

BACK PAGE

Megan Humphrey, editor

Evri blames ‘technical glitch’ for delayed payouts

JILL LUPUPA

This was something we covered a lot during the pandemic, for obvious reasons, but it’s often overlooked how essential it is to look after yourself, even when it feels like everything is going well.

We often feel guilty, myself included, for feeling down at a time when we can’t necessarily pinpoint why. A long stint of therapy taught me, however, how crucial it is to be kind to yourself in moments like this. It’s very easy for our inner critic to come out in full force, berating us for feeling a certain way, when others might have it harder.

If I could share any advice around mental health, it’s to be kind, don’t compare, and validate your feelings, whatever they might be.

There’s so much going on right now, which will be causing stress and anxiety for store owners, especially following our cover story on our last issue, which looked at the panic being experienced around rising energy bills and the lack of government support.

There are a number of sources available offering 24/7 help, as well as resources, including NewstrAid and GroceryAid.

BE KIND, DON’T COMPARE, AND VALIDATE YOUR FEELINGS

The former recently unveiled a brand-new well-being suite, providing confidential ‘in the moment’ help 24 hours a day, from clinically trained counsellors, and a selection of resources, such as podcasts and plans to help you when you are in need. You can find out how to access these on page 4.

INDEPENDENT retailers suffered a week-long delay in their �irst monthly payments from Evri UK since their commission was slashed, due to a “technical glitch”.

Stores should have received their payments at the start of May, but received an email from the company on 5 May,

claiming it had experienced an issue with ParcelShop, and there would be a delay.

In the same message, seen by Retail Express, the company con�irmed “all issues had been resolved” and the payments had been processed and should be received by 11 May.

However, several store owners expressed frustration at the error, especially as they

are now being paid less to operate the service following commission cuts.

Maqsood Akhtar, from Blackthorn News & Food in Rotherham, said: “They gave the excuse of technical errors, and after the massive drop in the commission and the new structure went in, I’ve personally lost close to £200 a month.”

At the start of March, the company informed stores

that it would be introducing a new “simpli�ied payment structure” that would see them earning less.

The changes mean retailers now earn 20p per parcel processed, instead of 32p, equating to a 37.5% drop. At the time, one retailer, who processed 1,550 parcels a month, said they would lose £131 under the new structure, totalling £1,656 a year.

News editor Alex Yau @AlexYau_ 020 7689 3358

Subscribe online at newtrade.co.uk/our-products/ print/retail-express. 1 year subscription: UK £65; overseas (EU) £75; overseas (non-EU) £85 Retail Express’ publisher, Newtrade Media, cares about the environment.

HANDING control of the Post Of�ice (PO) to partnered stores has been mooted by postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake.

Specialist reporter

Dia Stronach 020 7689 3375

Retail Express is printed and distributed by News UK at Broxbourne and delivered to news retailers free by their newspaper wholesaler. Published by: Newtrade Media Limited, 11 Angel Gate, City Road, London, EC1V 2SD; Phone: 020 7689 0600 Reproduction or transmission in part or whole of any item from Retail Express may only be undertaken with the prior written agreement of the Editor. Contributions are welcome and are included in part or whole at the sole discretion of the editor. Newtrade Media Limited accepts no responsibility for submitted material. Every possible care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information. No warranty for goods or services described is implied.

PO mutualisation Creams partnership

mutualisation of PO, but said the organisation “needs to be on a sustainable footing �irst”.

03

Speaking at the National Federation of SubPostmasters’ annual conference this month, Hollinrake supported

This is the �irst time the government has supported the possibility of mutualisation, something which has been continually pushed by PO in the past.

DESSERT chain Creams Café has con�irmed it is “actively looking” for convenience stores to partner with as part of its expansion plans.

The brand already has more than 100 sites across the UK and specialises in sundaes, waf�les, sorbets and milkshakes.

For the full story, go to betterretailing.com and search ‘Post Office’

DRS axe threat

UK-side Internal Market Act for the scheme to proceed. Scotland’s �irst minister, Features writer Jasper Hart 020 7689 3384 @JasperAHHart 41,206 Audit Bureau of Circulations July 2021 to June 2022 average net circulation per issue

A spokesperson said: “Part of this drive is to increase accessibility is exploring different store formats.” For the full story, go to betterretailing.com and search ‘Creams’

05 Wholesale costs

WHOLESALERS have warned that the introduction of a scheme to reduce waste may drive up prices.

Extended Producer Responsibility makes producers responsible for the full net cost of its product packaging

rise

and is due to come into force in 2024.

However, the Federation of Wholesale Distributors’ chief executive, James Bielby, said it would have “signi�icant consequences for wholesale and the food and drink sector”.

GOOD WEEK

PO fights back as

threatens to axe contract

POSTMASTERS could lose the ability to process DVLA services from as early as next month, after Post Of�ice (PO) refuses to strike a contract extension until “fair” remuneration is agreed.

A message was sent out by PO last week, from group chief commercial of�icer Owen Woodley, revealing that negotiations had been ongoing since autumn 2022.

“Throughout our conversations with the DVLA, our number-one priority has been to ensure postmasters receive fair remuneration for transactions, while also covering associated overhead costs,” he said.

The notice went on to explain that the most likely outcome is a 12-month extension agreement which will see the services cease and the contract permanently end on 31 March 2024. As a result, postmasters will receive improved remuneration, backdated to 1 April 2023.

However, Woodley warned “there is still a chance that the negotiations could fail” because PO “are simply unwilling to sign up to a deal that does not provide fair remuneration”, which the DVLA is yet to commit to.

DVLA services enable customers to pay vehicle tax, renew driving licences and apply for international driving permits over

the counter. Last month, journalist Victoria Coren Mitchell tweeted that the option to carry out any of the transactions at a PO had been removed from DVLA forms, leaving making a payment online as the only option.

Retail Express understands the contract with PO is worth £3.2m and helps to generate more than six million transactions per year across 5,000 branches in the UK. Vince Malone, owner of Tenby Stores & Post Of�ice in Pembrokeshire, said there is anger among postmasters in response to the news.

“I was aware discussions were being had. I’ve spoken to a couple of postmasters and their anger isn’t directed towards the PO, but rather the DVLA. It is a government agency that is removing their services from another government agency.

“They aren’t involving the PO in any of their decisions, and have hung them and postmasters up to dry. The statement from the PO was fair and we do want a fair wage for our efforts. I think it’s about time the PO made sure we get fairly paid for it, but we also need the backing of our owners, who are the government.”

When asked about what impact losing these services would have, Malone explained: “It’s an amazing part of our portfolio, and another reason to get peo-

ple into my building. We are constantly being told a PO is one of the top three services everyone wants to see on their local high street.

“We don’t have a huge number of people who regularly use the service, but we do have a fair few who really rely on it. The DVLA is potentially going to remove something from the end user that they are used to and want.”

The National Federation of SubPostmasters’ (NFSP) chief executive, Calum Greenhow, con�irmed he will be working alongside the PO to apply pressure on the DVLA.

“While the NFSP is critical of many aspects of how the PO is run, one of the main problems is that government decisions have cut services via the PO over the past 20-plus years.

“In 2005, income to PO from government services was £576m per year.

In 2022, the �igure had crashed to £31m.

“This is why, on this occasion, the NFSP stands shoulder to shoulder against the government department decision.

“No longer can government use deniable accountability to obfuscate their responsibilities towards postmasters who are their facto business partners.”

Greenhow went on to add the move “could cause great stress to the most vulnerable in society who use cash to pay for such services”, and claimed “this could be a discriminatory breach of the Equality Act 2010, and go against government policies of social inclusion and access to cash”.

Recently retired branch secretary of the Communication Workers Union Mark Baker described the DVLA’s behaviour as “crafty”, but said he is fearful that it is “going to ma-

How are you improving your margins?

“I’VE gone online and given people the entire choice of what’s in my store. I now do about 13,000 sales in store and about 15,000 online. We’ve increased our catchment area to 15 miles to places where the shops shut early. But we charge more for online purchases even if they’re price-marked. We might sell bananas for £1 in the store, but it will be £2 online and people buy it. I do about 300 orders a week.”

Qaiser Mahmood, Da Shop, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport

“SOURCING confectionery from the US and Asia allows me to maintain an overall margin that is sustainable. With the UK, the margin is under 25%, but with the US you can easily get between 30% and 35%. And there’s huge demand for it as well, so we get customers coming from other parts of town and from surrounding towns as well. You have to have variety and you have to be versatile.”

Rayesh Nayi, Broadfield Newsagent & Post Office, Crawley, West Sussex

noeuvre PO into a position where it has no choice but to accept the contract extension for a year”.

In February, it was announced that PO was ending its partnership with the National Lottery. Malone said losing DVLA on top of this would be an “added blow”. He said: “Although each one is a small loss, together they have a big impact and soon we are going to be left with very little.”

A spokesperson for PO said: “We are working round the clock to �inalise this deal and we hope to have it signed very soon. Our area managers will be working closely with branches that could be signi�icantly affected over the coming months.”

A DVLA spokesperson responded to claims: “The PO currently provides a limited range of DVLA’s services and talks over a contract extension are ongoing.”

ACS: The trade body highlighted various initiatives designed to help retailers slash costs and labour hours at its annual Technology Showcase in May. The show had six headline exhibitors. Attendee Ian Lewis, of Spar Minster Lovell in Oxon, told Retail Express: “With costs going up, there’s a tipping point now and you have to consider how you manage time and efficiency in your shop.”

VAPING: Royal Mail is to collect used vape devices from homes for free, as part of a soonto-launch takeback scheme. The plans are to be rolled out initially in London, Birmingham and Manchester, before launching nationwide in the next six months. Consumers will be given a new vape for every 10 they return.

BAD WEEK

PROFITEERING: The Competition and Markets Authority is to investigate a possible weakening of competition in food and fuel prices. The regulator announced it will monitor whether consumers are paying higher grocery and fuel prices than they should be. It said supermarket pump prices were 5p higher than if historic profit levels were maintained.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Retailers have complained their Facebook pages are being mistakenly suspended or deleted as part of Meta’s crackdown on fake accounts. Post Office branch owners are among those affected, with at least 72 sites having their pages unpublished since the beginning of the year. Pete Mackinnon, of Rimswell Post Office in Stockon-on-Tees, had his account suspended in December.

For the full story, go to betterretailing.com and search ‘Facebook’

“WE’VE looked to remove as many price-marked packs (PMP) from my store as possible, but I also accept there are some products where they are necessary. By doing this and not charging too high a price, we can tweak things around the store and still be competitive, replacing products with similar ones that offer a better margin. I’d warn against chasing better margins at the cost of the customers’ trust or the quality of the product.”

Jai Singh, MJ’s Nisa Local, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

MEGAN HUMPHREY

Jai Singh

Scam utility letters on the rise

ALEX YAU

RETAILERS have been warned to be vigilant following a “signi�icant” rise in scammers attempting to take advantage of the most vulnerable during the energy crisis.

Farrah McNutt, founder of Catch a Thief UK, works with retailers on combatting store crime. She told Retail Express the �irm had received more

complaints about fraudulent letters this year, with scammers posing as companies such as British Gas, Severn Trent Water, HMRC and Virgin Media.

Although she was unable to provide a speci�ic �igure on the rise, McNutt warned the difference was “signi�icant”.

She added: “It’s a growing concern and people are getting contacted for different scams. Part of it is due to

scammers wanting to take advantage of those affected by rising utility costs.”

Asked what retailers should look out for, McNutt said spelling mistakes, and contact details ending with general hotmail and gmail. com addresses were warning signs, and urged retailers to to double-check the company through of�icial communication methods.

She explained: “Sometimes

there will be a premium-rate number attached to the letter as well, which will charge the retailer when it is called.

“Don’t click on any web links forwarded to you. Always conduct a Google search to ensure the web addresses are correct.

“Fraudsters are using different tactics to lure people into revealing their personal information or transferring money.”

Mental health support

A FREE 24-hour helpline has been set up to help independent newspaper and magazine retailers manage their mental health.

The helpline, alongside a new website, is part of industry charity NewstrAid’s Mind-

ful May initiative. Alongside the 24-7 helpline staffed by clinicians, a new website features podcasts and resources to help retailers and their workers.

The free helpline number is 0808 196 2016.

as shopper loyalty company Jisp has announced a new Scan & Win service.

Launching in June, the tool will encourage shoppers to scan the barcode of a supplier’s product in stores giving them access to prize draws.

A spokesperson said it was in talks with “some of the biggest global brands”.

Healthy food rollout

A SCHEME encouraging shoppers to buy healthy foods is to be rolled out nationwide after a successful pilot in London.

The Good Food Initiative, a partnership between Bestway and London councils, gave stores a top-100 product list of bestselling healthier

products, which resulted in a 22% increase in healthier lines in participating shops.

Announcing the scheme rollout, project leader Stephanie Rice said: “The next phase will look to scale the work done in London to other cities.”

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PRODUCTS

‘Alcoholic RTDs ripe for growth’

JASPER HART

THE launch of the Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola alcoholic ready-to-drink (RTD) can is part of CocaCola Europaci�ic Partners’ (CCEP) aim to be a “total beverage business”, says the supplier’s associate director of alcohol ready to drink.

CCEP’s Elaine Maher told Retail Express that the RTD segment was the right segment to expand into.

“The RTD category is super-dynamic, which makes it an exciting place to be, and as a company we want to tap into other occasions, and that’s our goal, to be a total beverage business,” she said.

“You’ve got no one key player, and what’s great about RTDs is they offer a lot of choice, and whiskey varieties are doing well, which perfectly places us to work with Jack Daniel’s. Offering two variants in a category that’s doing really well is the perfect place for us, especially as our �irst foray into this space.”

The original Jack Daniel’s & Cola RTD was already the number-one premixed line in the UK, worth more than £18m in retail sales value in impulse, and seeing 11.2% value and 10.6% volume growth prior to the launch of the new variety.

Additionally, the UK is the biggest alcoholic RTD market in Europe, and expected to be

Chupa Chups goes Big on Green Apple

PERFETTI Van Melle has broadened its Chupa Chups Big Babol chewing gum range with the launch of a Green Apple variety.

The new �lavour is available in a pack of six pieces of individually wrapped gum, at an RRP of 55p.

Kim McMahon, brand manager at Chupa Chups, said: “Retailers and consumers alike have been clamouring for innovative �lavours,

with apple-�lavoured gum a popular trend, growing by 595% versus last year, and we’ve listened.

“As Chupa Chups continues to go from strength to strength, with Big Babol Gum currently occupying a 10% share of the kids gum category and growing at a rapid rate of 51% year on year, there’s never been a better time for retailers to stock up and invest.”

World of Sweets grows Candy Realms

WORLD of Sweets is building out its new Candy Realms confectionery range with a range of value bags and lollipops.

The value bags are available in Peach Rings, Fizzy Cola Bottles, Fizzy Cherry Cola Bottles, Sour Bears, Jelly Blue Babies and Sour Dummies. Each variety is vegan and has an RRP of £1.

Meanwhile, new lollipops include Ice Lolly Pops, Flutterby Pops and Bee Mine Pops, which have an RRP of £1 or £1.25.

Kathryn Hague, head of marketing at World of Sweets, said: “The products have been designed with children in mind, with a range of products that will

one of the biggest contributors to the sector’s growth between now and 2030. Pre-

mixed cocktails are expected to drive the majority of this growth.

Cadbury Cakes promo offers cash prizes

PREMIER Foods has launched an on-pack promotion across its Cadbury Cakes range to give shoppers in the UK and Ireland the chance to win instant cash.

The ‘Find the golden token, win cash’ promotion runs across Cadbury Mini Rolls and Cake Bars until 25 August. More than 1,000 golden tokens will be placed inside packs of Cadbury Cakes.

Shoppers who �ind one will win £1,000, £100 or £10 cash prizes, which they have until 5 September to claim online. They can also win prizes by entering a wrap-up draw online.

Naomi Shooman, global

Swizzels launches Minions Sherbet Dip

SWIZZELS has expanded its range of products tied into the Minions franchise with the launch of a Sherbet Dip. Available now, the vegan Sherbet Dip features a Swizzelstick for dipping into three sherbet �lavours: Fizzy Orange, Sour Apple and Tangy Berry. It is available to retailers in cases of 36, with an RRP of 50p per sachet.

By the end of 2022, the sherbet dip category was worth £3.7m, having grown in value by 7%, according to IRI. Additionally, last year’s �ilm Minions: The Rise of Gru was the �ifth-highest-grossing �ilm of 2022 worldwide.

The supplier will support the launch with a targeted social media campaign this summer.

Yorkie Honeycomb back for limited run

appeal to both younger customers with an active imagination or parents and family members looking for something both age-appropriate and tasty.”

NESTLÉ Confectionery is bringing Yorkie Honeycomb back to stores in a limitededition run, eight years after its initial release.

The bar features solid chunks of smooth honeycomb-�lavoured milk chocolate and crunchy pieces of sweet honeycomb. It is available now to convenience and wholesale in a 42g single bar and contains no arti�icial colours, �lavours or preservatives.

Michael Kehoe, brand executive at Nestlé Confectionery, said: “Yorkie fans are a passionate bunch, especially when it comes to honeycomb. We’ve had more requests for this bar than for any other �lavour, so we’re chuffed to be bringing it back for 2023.

“It’s the creamy Yorkie milk chocolate you know and love, enlivened with honeycomb �lavour and real pieces of crunchy honeycomb.”

brand marketing director for Sweet Treats at Premier Foods, said: “With 94% of consumers saying they buy cake for enjoyment, we’re also giving retailers something to generate a buzz around.”

Wafflemeister enters UK with Costco

BELGIAN waf�le brand

Waf�lemeister has entered the UK wholesale channel through a listing with Costco UK.

Designed to target both independent hospitality and convenience sites, Waf�lemeister is aiming for outlets looking for branded-menu items as well as food to go.

As part of the listing, the brand has created a 90g 28box back of its liege waf�les, available in all UK Costco warehouses.

The listing also means the waf�le brand will be available in Costco’s warehouses in Sweden and Iceland, the brand’s �irst launch in the continental European retail market.

The Waf�lemeister range includes both Frozen and Ambient waf�les – including Mini 35g waf�les, 55g and 90g branded options as well as a range of Sweet and savoury �illed waf�les.

Go ‘Cuban mode’ with Havana Club

PERNOD Ricard UK has launched a new brand campaign for Havana Club rum, ‘Cuban mode’.

The multimillion-pound campaign celebrates ‘La Cubanía’, the unique Cuban mindset and collective energy.

It runs across digital, social media and outdoor, as well as across the on- and off-trade. There is also a landmark mural in Shoreditch, east London, made of UV paint which illuminates it at night.

The campaign comes as rum is performing ahead of the total spirits category, with Havana Club growing in value by 2.9% in the offtrade, ahead of the total rum category.

PRODUCTS

New Malibu Strawberry lines

JASPER HART

PERNOD Ricard UK has added a Strawberry variety to its Malibu rum and a Strawberry Daiquiri to its ready-to-drink (RTD) can range.

Malibu Strawberry (21% ABV) is available in a 70cl bottle and has an RRP of £17.19. The supplier says it will provide a strong sales opportunity throughout the summer months.

Liam Murphy, brand director at Pernod Ricard UK, said: “Flavours have helped us recruit new shoppers into the brand as consumers continue to experiment with new �lavour pro�iles. Strawberry spirit variants

over-index with young adult shoppers and remain in high demand in the on-trade, and the launch of Malibu Strawberry will allow us to continue the �lavour momentum. It’s the ultimate summer sipper – fruity, fun and perfect for sharing with friends for that good-vibes-only feeling all year round.”

Meanwhile, Malibu Strawberry Daiquiri (5% ABV) is available in a 250ml can and carries a £2.40 RRP. It sees white rum mixed with strawberry and lime. Its launch comes as the Malibu RTD range is growing at 16.7%, more than double the premix can category’s 6.8% growth, according to Nielsen �igures.

Both varieties are avail-

Robinsons continues Hundred partnership

ROBINSONS Ready to Drink

is giving 112 consumers the chance to win a pair of tickets to The Hundred as part of its ongoing partnership with the cricket competition.

In its second year of a three-year partnership, the soft drink brand has a pair of tickets up for grabs every two weeks via on-pack QR codes, as well as a £20 voucher to spend on food and drink on the day.

Robinsons is supporting the promotion with PoS, in-store and digital advertising. It will also include inground advertising during the tournament.

Since launching in June 2021, Robinsons Ready to

Drink is the fastest-growing juice drink in the category, now worth £16.5m in retail sales value, having grown by 153% annually.

able to convenience retailers through Booker Wholesale, having launched in grocery through Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Oasis gets Exotic with new launch

COCA-COLA Europaci�ic Partners (CCEP) has expanded its Oasis range with the launch of the Zero Exotic Fruits variety.

The new, non-HFSS �lavour is a blend of mango and passion fruit �lavours with no calories or sugar. It is available in 500ml recycled bottles which are also 100% recyclable.

Its launch comes as Oasis is worth £94m, making it the top juice drink brand in the UK. According to the supplier, it sold 39 million litres in the past year, nearly 10 million more than its nearest branded competitor.

CCEP is supporting the

Big Lick roller from World of Sweets

WORLD of Sweets has partnered with confectionery manufacturer Zed Candy to distribute its Screamers Big Lick sour candy drink in the UK.

The range, which World of Sweets said was one of The Netherlands-based Zed Candy’s fastest-selling products when it launched in Ireland earlier this year, will be available via the distributor’s �ield sales channel and its Hancocks wholesale arm.

It is available in Purple Razz and Blue Razz varieties, each with an RRP of £1.

A recent TikTok campaign for Screamers Big Lick garnered more than 425,000 views.

The brand looks to build

KP Snacks’ cricket pitch campaign

KP SNACKS is funding community cricket pitches through a new on-pack promotion, as part of its role as of�icial team partner of The Hundred cricket tournament.

Promotional packs of Popchips, Butterkist, Pom-Bears, Tyrrells, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, McCoy’s and Skips are rolling out this month.

Each pack purchased will help fund 35 permanent community cricket pitches in urban areas where teams competing in The Hundred are based.

Additionally, there are more than 100 cash prizes of £100 up for grabs through a prize draw shoppers can enter when they buy a pack.

on this with more social media and in�luencer activity promoting the product range.

Money off Merlin with

Mondelez

MONDELEZ International has brought back its promotion with Merlin Entertainments, offering families money off tickets to leading attractions.

The promotion offers up to 50% off ticket prices for families to attractions including The London Eye, Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park Resort and Legoland Windsor Resort.

It runs across Cadbury chocolate multipacks, including Buttons, Curly Wurly, Freddo, Fudge, Crunchie, Wispa, Twirl and Little Bars, until September.

Abi Eayrs, brand manager for Cadbury at Mondelez, said: “We recommend retailers give the promo-

tional range strong off-shelf feature to ensure maximum visibility and help to drive their sales of these ranges.” The two companies will support the promotion with a media campaign across digital, radio and social media, as well as in-store PoS.

launch with social media, outdoor and experiential marketing focusing on young adults in urban centres looking for refreshment on the go and as a lunch accompaniment.

Epicurium bulks up protein ranges

EPICURIUM has added Upbeat and Barebells to its healthy energy drink and snacking ranges, respectively. Upbeat is a protein drink brand available in Hydration and Energy ranges, in 500ml packs with RRPs of £2.50. Hydration, which comes in Zesty Orange and Mixed Berry varieties, delivers 10g of Clear Whey Isolate protein, vitamin B complex and 3,000mg of branch-chain amino acids (BCAA). Each variety contains 62 calories and no sugar, and comes in 100% recyclable packaging.

Energy, available in Tropical and Sour Berry varieties, is a post-workout recovery drink which delivers 15g of Clear Whey Isolate pro-

tein, 180mg of caffeine and 4,000mg of BCAA, with 80 calories per saving. Meanwhile, Barebells’ Soft Bars are available in Caramel Choco and Peanut Caramel varieties, each at an RRP of £2.50. They contain 16g of protein per bar and no added sugar.

New Soreen bars give malt loaf a Lift

MALT loaf brand Soreen has launched the Soreen Lift Bars range in Blueberry, Raspberry & Vanilla and Chocolate Orange varieties. The vegan bars contain vitamin B12, which reduces fatigue. They are also a source of energy through �ibre, potassium, folate and vitamin B.

The supplier says this makes them ideal for a variety of occasions, such as during studying, on the way to the gym, or between meetings.

Soreen Lift Bars will be available nationwide this summer, having launched initially in Morrisons and Asda this month in a fourpack at an RRP of £2.25.

Soft drinks deliver best growth

JASPER HART

SOFT drinks delivered more growth to convenience retailers than any other food and drink category in 2022, according to Britvic in its latest Soft Drinks Review.

Now worth £2.8bn to the convenience channel, soft drinks saw a sales surge of £347.4m last year, an increase of 14.1%, the supplier said, citing IRI �igures.

Speaking at the launch of the Soft Drinks Review, Reena Bilakhia, head of channel development at Britvic, said they delivered more money to convenience store tills than beer, wine and spirits, confectionery and crisps,

snacks and nuts combined.

Energy drinks were the key sales driver, responsible for £96.9m (28%) of the growth. Cola and plain water followed, each contributing just over £70m. Sales of plain water surged in particular due to the heatwave last summer.

Branded products also outperformed own-label despite cost pressures.

Fruity �lavour pro�iles and new launches were also in demand. Pepsi Max’s Cherry, Raspberry and Lime varieties grew by £6.3m in 2022 – a 16.9% increase. This delivered more growth for convenience retailers than all other �lavoured colas combined.

Mirinda unveils new global platform

AS part of its brand refresh, Spanish soft drink Mirinda has announced a new global brand platform called ‘There’s No Flavour Like Your Flavour’ designed to celebrate the uniqueness of every person. Mirinda’s new visual identity – called ‘Making an M-pact’ was developed by PepsiCo Design and will be rolled out across 20 international markets.

Eric Mells, vice-president for global brand marketing at PepsiCo, said: “We are pleased to unveil Mirinda’s new global brand platform that inspires vibrant creativity, encouraging Gen Z to harness their uniqueness as a superpower.

“Through #NoFlavourLikeYourFlavour we have developed a new visual identity and platform.”

Additionally, Britvic’s limited-edition Tango Berry Peachy Sugar Free was the number-one new carbon-

ated drinks launch, driving 49.3% growth for the Tango Sugar Free range with £3.3m in sales.

Volvic expands Touch of Fruit range

VOLVIC has added a new Kiwi & Lime �lavour to its Touch of Fruit Sugar-Free range. Currently only available in Sainsbury’s and Asda, it is expected to be opened up to other retailers in the future. The recipe was handpicked by consumers via a social media poll, posted by social media star Kyron Hamilton.

The Sugar-Free range has grown 46% in value sales versus two years ago.

Gemma Morgan, category marketing director for beverages at Danone, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching this brand-new Kiwi & Lime �lavour in the Volvic Touch

Weetabix Chocolatey Hazelnut Melts

WEETABIX has added Chocolatey Hazelnut to its Melts portfolio.

The �lavour is expected to evoke a sense of nostalgia, while the global hazelnut market is projected to register a compound annual growth rate of 10% over the next �ive years. Asda was the �irst retailer to stock the product, with other retailers expected to be able to access it this summer.

Ginni Farbon, Weetabix brand manager, said: “Tasty cereal is the largest segment of the breakfast cereal category, with demand growing year on year over the past three years. With over half of consumers looking to reduce their sugar intake in

their diets, Melts will hit this sweet spot for them without compromising on taste.”

Creams enters convenience

IMPERIAL Tobacco is expanding its Blu Bar disposable vape range with four new �lavours: Blueberry Ice, Blueberry Sour Razz, Berry Mix and Grape Ice. The supplier has focused on berry �lavours as these varieties have grown by 60% month on month.

The four new �lavours bring the total range up to 10 �lavours.

Each device contains 20mg/ml of nicotine in 2ml of e-liquid, and according to the brand, provides up to 600 puffs. Each also features an LED indicator that lights up when in use. It has an RRP of £5.99 per device.

Tom Gully, Imperial Tobacco’s head of consumer marketing UK&I, said: “With

increased demand for fruity �lavours in disposables, we’re excited to be extending our Blu Bar range with four new �lavours that directly respond to this trend.”

DESSERT brand Creams has launched a food-to-go concession stand in a Wigan-based forecourt, a UK �irst. The café soft-launched at the Easter inside Park Garage Group’s (PGG) Scott Lane store in Lancashire.

PGG’s head of operations, Ian Crawley, told Retail Express: “We approached Creams as we wanted to do something different.

“We received brilliant feedback of the quality of the brand on the launch day from schools and locals in attendance Since our soft opening, sales within Creams are rising every week.”

Ian McKeown, AF Blakemore & Son’s channel controller, said: “This new addition to the store’s proposition will no doubt further delight Park’s customers.”

of Fruit range following the strong market performance of last spring’s Peach & Raspberry launch. We continue to see consumers trying out new �lavour combinations.”

Rio launches 1.5l bottle

RIO Soft Drinks has launched a 1.5l bottle version of its original tropical drink, to tap into the growth of take-home formats in fruity carbonates.

Rio Tropical Fruit is currently the fastest-growing �lavour in the �lavoured carbonates category, having grown by more than 50% in two years, according to IRI. Additionally, 40% of fruit carbonated shoppers buy a 1.5l or 2l drink once a week or more, according to market intelligence �irm Vypr.

Adrian Hipkiss, marketing and international business director at Boost Drinks and Rio, said: “Considering the rising popularity of take-home drink formats, which have grown 13.5% since last year,

we felt there was a gap in the market for a 1.5l bottle of our original Rio Tropical �lavour.”

Sure launches two fragrances

SURE has added two new scents to its female and male 72-hour aerosol range: Sure Nonstop Freesia & Waterlily and Sure Men Nonstop Sensitive.

The addition of Sure Nonstop Protection Freesia & Waterlily taps into the 23% of females who see fragrance as a top consideration when choosing antiperspirant.

Sure has also launched its 72-hour Nonstop Protection technology into Roll On formats. This launch is, in part, in response to 27% of male shoppers looking for products that do not irritate their skin.

In line with Unilever’s commitments to sustain-

ability, the Roll On packs are made with 20% less plastic.

The antiperspirant can is made with in�initely recyclable aluminium and assembled in a factory using 100% renewable grid electricity.

OPINION

RETAILER

OPINION ON THIS FORTNIGHT’S HOT TOPICS

What do you think? Call Retail Express on 020 7689 3358 for the chance to be featured

BUSINESS DECISIONS: What change has helped boost your sales?

“GOING online was 100% the best decision I made in recent years. It was very easy to put in place. Any retailers could set this up for themselves, and they should. What’s the worst that could happen?

Snappy Shopper can talk you through the process. It’s a risk you have to take, otherwise, you’ll fall behind.”

Amrit Singh Pahal, H & Jodie’s Nisa, Walsall, West Midlands

Energy drinks and sugarfree options have taken off

COLLECTABLES: How are you making them a winner in your store?

“WE try to sell every Topps and Panini collection available. Menzies offers 25% on sale-or-return (SOR) collectables. If we have a good collection, we buy from the toy retailers, as margins are up to 40%, but it is not SOR.”

Andrew Howell, Loch Lomond News, Balloch, West Dunbartonshire

“ WE stock popular collections, such as Warhammer and Marvel, in a three-foot dedicated bay. Pokémon cards are kept in a bay behind the till because of theft. Keeping products on display near the tills enables them to be closely monitored and subject to impulse sales.”

Mark Dudden, Albany Post Office, Cardiff

I’ve installed a selfservice dog wash

“WE had a refit after Covid-19, and improved our range. We’ve got more fresh vegetables now. Ninety per cent of them are price-marked, and we sell a lot because, while people used to get them from the supermarket before the pandemic, now they know they can get them from us.”

Sarj Patel, Pasture Lane Store, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire

Any retailer could set this up for themselves

SOFT DRINKS: How are you maximising profit in your store?

“ABOUT 30% of our soft drinks space is dedicated to energy drinks and our turnover from them is very high. We open early, so we get office staff and builders coming in, and then we’ll sell other soft drinks at lunchtime, and then in the evening.”

Dipak Shah, H & R News, Camberley, Surrey

“I WOULD advise retailers to open up their energy drinks range. That and sugar-free options are the two things that have really taken off in terms of sales. There are so many brands, so you’ve got to keep on top of it to make room for another new flavour.”

Margins on collectables are up to 40%

STANDING OUT: What unique service keeps shoppers coming back?

“WE have a launderette next to our store, and I’ve installed a self-service dog wash outside in a little summer house in the car park. It’s a contactless payment of £10 for a shampoo, rinse and blow dry. I’ve worked out that it will have paid for itself within 18 months.”

Paul Thomas, One Stop Main Avenue, Bridgend

“THERE are lots of buy-to-let properties in the area, so the owner works out the contract with KeyNest and then leaves the keys with us to look after. We attach it to a special fob, and when someone wants to collect the key, the owner gives us a code.”

Oskam Kop, Leighton Food Centre, Kentish Town, north London

David Nice, Nisa Local Canvey, Essex

‘Paymentsense glitch caused problems for us’

ON 16 May, Paymentsense was playing up for us. Our transactions were declining. This caused quite a bit of customer confusion because they claimed they had the money and didn’t understand why the transactions weren’t going through. At times, this has meant

we have lost sales during the morning. This has happened to us before. This caused a lot of concern for us because we were unsure how long this was going to last.

Brigid Yacamini, Creetown Stores, Dumfries & Galloway

WIN a £250 Rustlers prize package

A spokesperson from Paymentsense told Retail Express: “We are aware some customers experienced a disruption to their Paymentsense service on 16 May. This was caused by a technical issue that caused some card payments to temporarily decline. We don’t take disruption lightly and

understand the impact downtime can have on businesses. We’re continuing to work to make our platform as resilient as possible and working with payments partners to ensure our customers’ Paymentsense service is as resilient as possible so we can avoid this type of impact in future.”

COMMUNITY RETAILER OF THE WEEK

money’

Be bold on new products

OVER the past few months, with half-term, Easter, Mother’s Day and the coronation, there have been prime opportunities to introduce new products.

We had some coronation cake with coronation icing on it and that worked well for us. It was a seasonal opportunity and the timing had to be right, but we made a spur-of-the-moment decision.

We are looking to introduce others, and we’ll probably do so on a test-and-trial basis, and will make sure they’re in a promotional position in front of the door, as well as being merchandised in the relevant areas. That means it will be dual- or even triple-sited.

We usually promote that we have a new line in on social media to make shoppers aware, which goes a long way in helping disrupt customers’ missions.

If it’s a product that’s on trend then it could be that we stock it for a long time, but normally if we start to see sales dropping off then we make a decision about whether to keep restocking it. If sales are slowing, we’ll merchandise it back into its specific category area – whether that’s crisps or confectionery – but if sales are still strong,- then we’ll keep restocking it and keep putting it in that prominent position for a lot longer.

Twirl Mint is a good example. We’ve got that merchandised at the front of the store and within the chocolate section, and it’s still going very well for us.

We’re always looking at trade press to see what new products are out there. We try to be quite sharp and make sure we’re on trend in getting those initial sales.

We’ve got quite a reputation now for having these kinds of products and people will come in, ask for them and expect to see them in our store.

We take advantage of exclusive lines from Booker or presells, but we also take recommendations from customers. Someone asked us to stock some harissa paste and once we got it in, someone else who had been looking for it also purchased it. Listening to customer feedback can gain you other customers as well.

Don’t be afraid to introduce new lines. Unless you expose yourself to these products you won’t know if they’ll work. Be aware of the market, read trade press and find out what’s happening. Be brave and be bold.

RUSTLERS has partnered with Retail Express to give its readers the chance to win a food-to-go microwave, PoS and stock of its new Marinara Meatball Sub Sandwich in a prize worth £250. After trialling the product, Natalie Lightfoot, of Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow, doubled the number of Rustlers facings and increased her sales by 150%, with the new Marinara Meatball Sub Sandwich becoming her bestselling Rustlers product within the trial period.

TO ENTER

Fill in your details at: betterretailing.com/competitions

This competition closes on 27 June.

Editor’s decision is final.

“WE held a charity event for children over the coronation weekend. We raised nearly £300 for depression and mental health awareness – a cause close to our hearts. We did face painting, and had a few games, including guess the teddy bear’s name, and how many sweets are there in the jar. We had a really good turnout, and this is definitely the start of many events like this that we want to put on. Giving back to our community means so much to us.”

Each issue, one of seven top retailers shares advice to make your store magnificent

‘We used coronation to raise

Amy Sohal, Premier – Ken’s Convenience Store, Winsford, Cheshire

Meon Vale Londis, Stratfordupon-Avon

Retailer Amy Sohal outside her shop

FOOD TO GO ROARS BACK TO LIFE

FOOD TO GO STARTS WITH BREAKFAST

THE received wisdom from some after the pandemic was that the commuter-focused drivers of food-to-go sales were now – in all likelihood –gone for good as working from home became the norm.

In fact, the reverse is true and suppliers say they are seeing consumers going back to their busy lives – and looking for snacks and meals to keep them full on the go.

“Consumers are out and about again, enjoying hot drinks in convenience stores, as part of these outlets’ foodto-go offerings,” says Josh

Corrigan, customer development director at St Pierre Groupe. “The way shoppers work is normalising too. People are settling down to going to offices full time or flexi working, presenting growing opportunities for retailers to sell food and hot drinks to go. Morning goods complement hot drinks perfectly and are a great opportunity for retailers to increase basket spend.”

Corrigan says the morning coffee run presents a clear opportunity right at the start of the day for retailers to merchandise a range of morn-

ing goods near the hot drinks dispenser, drawing shoppers back to the store on repeat visits.

Sarj Patel, who owns and runs Pasture Lane Stores in Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamsire, also sees good times ahead for the category.

“We have a coffee machine and a microwave together in one part of the store and workers and school kids will come in for a snack and a hot drink,” he says. “The same is true for drivers who might stop by on their journey – it’s definitely a growing part of our business.”

TOM GOCKELEN-KOZLOWSKI discusses food to go being a massive opportunity for independent retailers to grow their footfall, sales and margins

SOFT DRINKS ARE KEY TO MEAL DEAL OFFERS

WITH costs going up, who doesn’t like a meal deal to help bring down the price of lunch? It also offers a great opportunity for retailers to sell other categories, growing basket spend and sales while still giving customers a good deal.

If retailers can price the right products correctly, they can generate strong loyalty while still protecting margins.

RETAILER VIEW

part of meal deal offers, and more than a quarter (28%) of soft drink shoppers in convenience are on a food-to-go mission,” says Amy Burgess, senior trade communications manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP). “Therefore, placing favourites like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Dr Pepper, and 330ml CapriSun pouches, alongside complementary categories like snacks or sandwiches can help

to drive linked purchases.”

Retailers should also look beyond the obvious when it comes to meal-deal promotions. “Mealtime drinks choices are becoming more diverse. Energy drinks and ready-todrink (RTD) chilled coffee, in particular, are becoming more popular as consumers look for drinks to provide a boost to help them through the day.

range of soft drinks options,” Burgess says.

For Jai Singh, from MJ’s Nisa Local in Sheffield, finding a bean-to-cup coffee offer with the right margin has been crucial in building a meal deal promotion with his Rollover hot dogs. “Our store sells around 35 to 40 cups of coffee per day and the fact that it costs us 65p per cup allows us to include them meal-deal promotions,” he says. drinks are a popular snacks or sandwiches can help

Retailers should broaden their lunchtime offers to include a

Jai Singh, MJ’s Nisa Local, Sheffield

“IT has taken us four or five tries to find the right food-to-go offer for our store, but now we have Rollover hot dogs and they’re really popular with our customers. They sell well from early in the morning – when we do a breakfast baguette that includes a Lincolnshire sausage – to past 3pm, when the school children come in looking for a snack. They provide a margin of about 30 to 40%.

What to stock

Product round-up

St Pierre Caramel Waffles

The company’s food-to-go range comprises “simple indulgences” including Caramel waffles as well as Millionaires Waffle, Butter Croissants, Chocolate Filled Croissants and Brioche Waffles. The range can be stored ambiently, requiring no time to thaw before selling.

Mars and Galaxy Iced Coffee Mocha Latte

These new products are HFSS-compliant, do not contain any added sugar, and contain only 99 calories per 250ml bottle. With coffee-flavoured milk worth £209m and chocolate-flavoured milk worth £123m, Mars believes its range will help stores capitalise on an important trend.

Babybel Plant-Based

Lunchboxes have, for decades, been the natural home of Bel UK’s cheese snack. The Babybel PlantBased alternative was launched following what the company described as “overwhelming demand”. Now achieving annual sales of £1m, it is available to retailers nationwide in cases of eight and has an RRP of £2.

Costa Coffee RTD Frappés

Featuring Lattes, Flat Whites and Frappés, this RTD chilled coffee range caters to a broad variety of different tastes and occasions, the company says, and offers a choice of low intensity, medium intensity and high intensity, where customers have the choice of caffeine level, coffee flavour and sweetness.

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Original

Having invested £3m in growing customer awareness, the company says retailers can now capitalise on “the huge ambient protein meat snacking category growth opportunity”. The bestselling Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Original 25g is available on clip strips, while two more flavours – Sweet & Hot and Teriyaki – are also available.

“I’m not sure why hot dogs turned out to be the right thing for our business, but we also sell a lot of Slush drinks and they’re quite complementary – it’s what you find being sold together at the cinema.

find being sold together at the cinema.

“We also looked hard to find the right coffee offer for our business and ended up working with a business called Rijo42. They allowed us to buy our machine outright, which means – unlike with Starbucks and Costa – we’re making a profit from the first cup we

FLAVOURED MILK AND COFFEE

CCEP, which has seen its Costa-branded drinks outperform the market by more than 60%, isn’t the only major brand to see a growing opportunity in the chilled coffee and flavoured milk market.

According to Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats, the total flavoured milk category is now worth £581m in the UK, with sales growing in convenience by 20% over the past year.

a category which continues to show phenomenal growth, manufacturers and

brands are likely to continue to invest in product innovation to both attract new customers and excite existing category fans,” Michelle Frost, general manager at the company.

comes in price-marked packaging (PMP) and features an on-the-go sports cap. The range can be stored at an ambient temperature, but is best served chilled.

“As Each

Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats recently extended its range with the launch of two new products, Mars and Galaxy Iced Coffee Mocha Latte. Both new products are HFSScompliant, do not contain any added sugar and are only 99 calories per 250ml bottle. product in the range

This increased interest from customers means it’s a market that’s popular with retailers too.

“I find workers increasingly come in and pick up a chilled coffee instead of an energy drink, for example,” says Patel. “We stock the Starbucks range and it’s popular.”

coffee instead of an energy

SUPPLIER ADVICE

IS YOUR HARDWARE UP TO SCRATCH?

UNLIKE most sectors in convenience, hot food to go isn’t a category where retailers can put products on the shelf and simply walk away.

Stores will need either hot or cold display units – or both – to help them sell the sausage rolls, sandwiches or manifold other food-to-go op-

tions they offer. Gary Thacker, sales director at Fri-Jado UK, says his company’s MCC range provides a complete solution for operators as the units are available with hot and cold functions, drop-in or standalone, and in a choice of four, three or, most recently, two-shelf design.

TOP TipS

Top tips for driving plant-based sales

To drive plant-based sales, retailers need to consider promotions and product placement within stores, says a spokesperson for Bel UK. The company explains how independent retailers can grow sales in this fast-growing category:

Look for big-brand vegan options

To capture the attention of the growing vegan market, make sure you’re offering plant-based alternatives to big-brand favourites, such as vegan-friendly Babybel Plant-Based.

Cater to the growing ‘flexitarian’ market

The appetite for plant-based options doesn’t end with just your vegan consumer. Placing plant-based alternatives next to their ‘traditional’ counterpart will encourage discovery, while also making the shopper journey as simple and accessible as possible

Visibility is all important

Ensuring plant-based snacking cheese alternatives are instantly visible for time-poor customers and busy impulse shoppers is key to maximising sales. Help drive incremental basket spend by locating convenient plant-based snacking options, such as Babybel Plant-Based, at the food-to-go section and checkout.

Use promotions and deals

Considering promotions and product placement throughout your store is key. Utilising eye-catching features like clip strips, parasite units and branded chiller units will help increase opportunity for purchase.

Consider every shopper mission

With customers seeking choice, particularly when it comes to plant-based options, it’s important for retailers to ensure they’re stocking options that meet varied shopper missions. Make sure that as well as stocking plant-based snacks, you’re also catering to those seeking more indulgent options, and products that can be incorporated into plantbased mealtimes, too.

“Representing the smallest model in the series, the twolevel units feature the same technology and features found in the larger models.

The MCC two-level can open up the possibilities of hot and cold grab-and-go to even the most compact sites,” he says. Retailers should consult

customers and check out the competition to find out what machines would best suit their offer. Once they think they have something that will work for them, they must then interrogate suppliers and other retailers to find the manufacturer that offers the best terms for their store.

No.1

THE SNACKING OPPORTUNITY

Babybel’s new two-pack is made specifically for food to go, helping to boost graband-go snacking sales. BEL UK has partnered with two stores to track its success.

FOCUS ON NICK CHALKLEY

J Robarts & Son, Codicote, Hertfordshire

BEL UK has introduced the new Mini Babybel Original two-pack separately to the six net, helping to meet two shopper missions: spontaneous and lunchbox snacking.

FOCUS ON DILIP PATEL

Krina News Ltd, Whitechapel, London

DEMAND for healthier snacks1 continues to grow, so Bel UK has introduced the new Mini Babybel Original two-pack and made the display easier to shop.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Find out the advice Bel UK gave, and the results seen by Nick and Dilip

LOOK OUT FOR RETAIL EXPRESS ON 13 JUNE

1 Mini Babybel provides a good source of protein, which, as part of a varied, balanced and healthy lifestyle, contributes to a growth in muscle mass

THE STAT

Babybel is the No.1 cheese snack brand

LIGHT UP YOUR CIGAR SALES

CHARLES SMITH identifies the different selling tactics retailers need to adopt to enjoy strong sales in the cigars and cigarillos category

HOW TO GENERATE CIGARILLO SUCCESS

THE cigarillos segment barely existed three and a half years ago, but now accounts for around half of category volume, says Nataly Scarpetta, marketing manager at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG UK). They also have a broader demographic than cigars, says Andrew Cruden, from Market Square Newsagents, Northampton.

“Our cigarillo customers tend to be middle-aged guys and younger women, mostly buying them on their own, or with wine or a case of beer. Some people see cigarillos as a value option compared to cigarettes. One person here buys 10 cigarillos a day, but on a cost basis he’s probably no better off,” he says.

For Cruden, the level of pur-

chasing for both cigars and cigarillos has remained the same. While people are cutting back, he has not found they’re cutting back in this category.

“We’re in the town centre, and there’s the same level of purchasing of cigars and cigarillos as usual,” he says.

“Another attraction of cigarillos,” says David Worsfold, at Farrants in Cobham, Sur-

rey, is convenience: “You don’t need a special lighter, they’re pre-cut, burn well and are consistent.” Flavoured cigarillos like Handelsgold’s varieties including vanilla, rum, chocolate, and cherry offer variety and are strong sellers. “They’re like alcopops – not what ‘real’ cigar smokers would buy, but they sell well,” he says.

WHO BUYS CIGARS AND HOW TO CATER TO THEM

CIGARS are a different kind of product and attract a different customer demographic, motivated not so much by value or flavour but by the desire to treat themselves. For Worsfold, who has a walk-in tobacco room attached to his independent CTN business, where he sells Cuban and other premium cigars, most of his cigars

are bought by men. He thinks cigars sell well in convenience stores with drink sections or in off licences linked to drink purchases as the two often go hand in hand.

“The pandemic was the best thing that ever happened to our business,” he says. “People couldn’t go anywhere, they had to come to us, and the

RETAILER VIEW

“WE sell a lot of Sterling Cigarillos, Mint Click and Dual Capsule Mint & Berry. We also sell Hamlet, Classic Panama, Henri Wintermans Half Coronas, and Royal Dutch Blue Mild. We put them on the bottom shelf of the gantry, to the right in the corner, in 600mm of space. With cigars, unless they go for Cuban or other specialist ones, 99% of people go for the cheapest options.

“Our store is in the main square, which is currently being redeveloped, so no big events are happening, but it’s still busy. Many people buying them are regular customers, who smoke them for the minty taste instead of menthol cigarettes, which they can’t get now.

“Most people who buy cigars and cigarillos know what they want but you need to tell your staff about the products, so they know what’s there when people ask. Train them about storage as well. Cigarillos and smaller cigars are okay to keep in a stock room because they come in cellophane or tubes, but bigger cigars need a humidifier, which suppliers will generally provide to new stockists.”

sales boom hasn’t gone away.

“There’s an element of price-consciousness with short cigars, but it’s not got any more price-sensitive recently, unlike cigarettes, where people are trading down to value brands. There’s a general perception that cigars are a more acceptable form of smoking, and offer a sort of value option

by comparison.”

However, total cigar value sales are flat compared to last year, according to Scarpetta, with some smokers moving into vaping or pouches, or cutting down due to the cost-ofliving crisis. But Worsfold sees cigar customers as unlikely to venture into vaping or cigarettes. For them, it’s a treat

and summer is the best time of year, along with Christmas, to drive sales.

“Cigar smokers aren’t usually cigarette smokers,” says Worsfold, “and don’t inhale. It’s a much more random habit than cigarettes, where people need their regular nicotine fix. For many, it’s one cigar a month or every

six months. Premium cigars are for anything and anybody. You can have a cigar after dinner, at the races, going to the rugby. They’re symbolic, I want to celebrate. We get ladies buying them for their partners. At this time of year, there’s a greater emphasis on summer smoking, which is where cigars come in.”

HOW CAN RETAILERS SELL CIGARS AND CIGARILLOS?

STG UK’S Nataly Scarpetta advises retailers to include the top-selling brands from each segment in cigarillos and small, medium, and large cigars as a minimum.

“The cost-of-living crisis is making consumers price conscious about cigars, so retailers should highlight value brands to help customers save money,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean adult smokers won’t be prepared to trade up to

larger format, more expensive options at certain times of the year, for themselves or a gift for someone else.”

David Worsfold expands on this: “A convenience store wanting to make a showing in cigars and cigarillos should start with cigarillos and wellknown miniature packet cigars like Signature, Hamlet, Castella, and Henri Wintermans. These are short filled, and machine rolled, and retail for around £8

for five.”

As cigars and cigarillos are exempt from the plain packaging legislation on other tobacco products, Scarpetti recommends stocking them on the middle shelves of the gantry, where adult smokers are more likely to see them. However, there are still restrictions on promotions, which means that staff members have to lead the way.

“You can’t have displays on

the gantry, but you can have signs saying we sell tobacco,” says Worsfold. “Convenience retailers need to build relationships with shoppers and encourage them. Tobacco smokers usually have product knowledge, and they’ve been introduced to cigars and cigarillos by other people. Customer led is the way to go, and retailer recommendation is allowed – you can say, ‘have you ever tried this?’”

Andrew Cruden, Market Square Newsagents, Northampton

CATEGORY ADVICE CIGARS & CIGARILLOS STAFF TRAINING

COMMUNICATION is essential when it comes to cigars and cigarillos, because you need to know what customers are looking for and show them how you can fulfil their need.

“Point people wanting value to good quality value brands like Moments, and those looking for flavour to a peppermint cigarillo like

Signature Action,” Scarpetta says. “As we head towards summer, many adult smokers will be looking for a larger cigar such as Henri Wintermans Half Corona to enjoy outside. Cigarette smokers may be interested in cigarillos, or a larger cigar, but you’ll only find out by talking to them.”

Staff training is therefore

important because they are the principal way that customers will know and understand what you’re stocking and get recommendations that will encourage them to come back to the store again.

“Independent retailers can get information from cigar importers, suppliers and wholesalers to make

sure they understand the different products and stock the right ones, and pass on the knowledge to staff members, particularly those on the till in the evenings,” says Worsfold, who is a member of the Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists, whom retailers can contact for help and advice at aits.co.uk.

RETAILER VIEW

“WE refurbished the shop and built the tobacco room in 2015, to comply with display ban legislation, and completed the sampling lounge in November 2022. The average spend per visit on cigars is £100, and we turn over £200,000 annually, most of it premium cigars. Our famous customers include footballers, with Chelsea’s training ground nearby, and a movie stuntman, but we make everyone equally welcome.

“Better quality small cigars like Meharis and Villiger retail at around £12 for five. After that you move up to higher end machine-rolled Cuban cigars like Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta and Cohiba, which are a stop gap for the ‘big cigar’ smoker. Importers offer packs of five or six premium machine rolled cigars from Cuba and other Latin American countries. They come in tubes, and don’t need to be specially looked after. Cuban cigars are very expensive these days, hence people are trading to cheaper cigars from places like Honduras and the Dominican Republic. From there you’re looking to hand-rolled and long-filled cigars.”

David Worsfold, Farrants Newsagents, Cobham, Surrey

FIVE TIPS TO SUCCESS

MAXIMISE CIGARILLO SALES

The cigarillo category is going from strength-tostrength. Mark McGuinness, marketing director at JTI UK, discusses how retailers can boost their sales this year with new innovation and category advice

WHY STOCK CIGARILLOS?

THE value of the cigar market in the UK is approximately £284m1 and cigarillos is the leading segment, with a current market share of 46.4%2. JTI UK is the numberone UK cigar manufacturer, with brands including Hamlet, King Six and Condor, as well as the UK’s leading cigarillo brand, Sterling Dual

Capsule Leaf Wrapped. The cigarillo category continues to grow in the convenience channel and has had strong growth over the past 12 months3. JTI UK is continuing to invest in new innovations, as well as offering instore retailer support via its business advisers and online JTI Advance platform.

TOP PRODUCTS

LATEST NEWS

STERLING Dual Capsule Leaf Wrapped has a 92.4% share of the market4. It is also the fastest-growing cigar and cigarillo brand in the UK5, and is therefore a must-stock for independent convenience retailers.

This year, JTI UK has introduced a new Sterling Dual Double Capsule Leaf Wrapped

variety to encourage further sales, offering double the flavour with a combination of peppermint and berry mint capsules. With this innovation, JTI UK is bringing an alternative flavour and strong value product to the category, with the aim of contributing to incremental category growth.

1

Knowledge is key: Having up-to-date information on the latest cigar and cigarillo products is key to offering a good level of customer service. Cigarillos offer a unique ‘cigarette like’ proposition and are displaying strong growth.

2

Availability and range: Stock a full range and maintain good availability of cigar and cigarillo products, such as Sterling Dual Capsule Leaf Wrapped, to ensure you don’t miss out on sales and customers don’t have to shop around.

3

Stock innovation: Tap into the latest products so you can offer your customers something different. Sterling Dual Double Capsule Leaf Wrapped provides an alternative for existing adult smokers looking for a berry menthol product.

4

Display it right: JTI UK’s larger category selection includes backlighted shelves where tobacco, cigar, vaping and next-gen products can all be stored in the same gantry, and is available in a variety of widths.

5

Maximise seasonal sales: Traditional cigar sales follow seasonal patterns, with spikes during December (around Christmas) and in the summer (linked to weddings), so ensure you’re ready for these periods6.

For further information on the cigar and cigarillo category, contact your local JTI business adviser and visit jtiadvance.co.uk

DRIVING CLEAN SALES

CREATING THE RIGHT RANGE OF PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

THE pandemic had a massive impact on people’s approach to personal care purchasing, with products such as hand sanitiser enjoying a massive boom in demand, although other personal care products saw a dip in sales.

However, since the end of lockdowns, things appear to have largely settled back into pre-pandemic levels While there remains a lingering attention to cleanliness that has

seen some stores report a slight increase in sales compared with pre-pandemic, others are actually seeing fewer sales as home-working continues.

“Usage is generally below their pre-pandemic levels,” says Matt Stanton, head of insight at DCS Group.

“Many people are still hybrid working rather than returning to the office every day, and some are continuing to socialise at home rather

than going out, a choice made more common by the costof-living crisis. However, the personal care category is still worth £87.1m in the symbols and independents channel.”

Ushma Amin, from Londis North Cheam in Surrey, tends to stock most of her branded options in price-marked packs (PMPs) to lure customers into the category and to encourage them to buy, given the prices that supermarkets can offer.

What to stock

She says sales are back to what they were before the pandemic, with no one sub-category standing out for sales in the way hand sanitiser did.

“We don’t get a great margin because of the PMPs, but we get between 10 and 25%,” she says. “Within deodorants, Sure is the bestseller and we do well with Imperial shower gels as well. I’ve also got shampoo, mouthwash, toothbrushes, toothpaste and razors.”

CREATING A POINT OF DIFFERENCE

WHEN compiling an attractive range, retailers would also be wise to consider bringing in some products that offer something customers can’t get in many other locations, whether it’s premium ingredients, new releases or products with heightened sustainability credentials.

“Despite inflation pres-

sures, consumers are still shifting towards more sustainable options,” says Lucy Sowerby, sales manager at Bio-D. “More people are becoming aware of the ingredients used in cleaning products, so have moved, and will continue to move, to greener options. Sustainability is no longer a ‘hot topic’, it is

part of a larger conversation around how we treat our environment.”

It’s also worth looking at sub-categories within personal care that could be a missed opportunity. One example recommended by DCS Group’s Matt Stanton is female adult incontinence products, which he says are

worth £214m in the UK, but aren’t as visible as they could be in independent stores.

“Retailers are losing out on a big sales opportunity,” he says. “Shoppers are looking for these products, and will make both planned and distress purchases, so make sure you have the right products on shelf.”

DCS Group’s core categories for personal care

Dental care

Toothbrush, toothpastes, including cavity protection, whitening, multi-benefit and sensitive varieties, mouthwash, dental floss, denture adhesive and denture cleaner.

Hair care

Shampoos and conditioners with a range covering entry-level, scent/naturals, performance, and anti-dandruff. Additionally, hair spray, hair gel and styling paste/clay.

Bath time

Shower gel and bath foam.

Hand wash

Hand sanitiser and bar soap.

Deodorants

Aerosols and roll-ons – and body sprays for both men and women.

Shaving

Razors and shaving preps – for men and women.

Skin care and moisturisers

Face wipes, face wash, face moisturiser, hand and nail moisturiser, body moisturiser, lip care.

CHARLES WHITTING finds out what constitutes a complete personal care range and where retailers might be missing lucrative opportunities within the category

NEW RELEASES

Dove Advanced Care

Unilever is launching a new deodorant range with Dove Advanced Care and Dove Men+Care Advanced. The new range contains more skincare ingredients than before and provides ‘72-hour protection’. Dove and Dove+Care are investing £22m in the brands’ biggest-ever ATL multimedia campaign to support the launch.

Sure Nonstop

Sure is launching its 72-hour Nonstop Protection range into roll-on formats to allow customers to stick to their preferred format. The brand has also added two new scents to its existing female and male aerosol range: Sure Nonstop Freesia & Waterlily and Sure Men Nonstop Sensitive. The former aims to tap into the 23% of women who see fragrance as a top consideration when choosing antiperspirant, while the latter hopes to attract the 27% of male shoppers looking for products that do not irritate their skin.

Lynx G.O.A.T

Lynx has launched a new limited-edition packaging for its Lynx Africa variant as it looks to attract the next generation to its products. Lynx has elevated its Africa brand to G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) status, which is aims at resonating with the Gen Z audience. Similar to the Lynx A.I. Body Spray launch last year, a QR code will be included on the back of packs. Shoppers will be able to scan the code to unlock exclusive G.O.A.T-level Lynx prizes and experiences.

HOW TO MAXIMISE SALES

PERSONAL care purchases tend to fall into two categories: the emergency top-up where someone needs a razor or sanitary pads that very instant; and as part of a larger shop where they are purchasing a few items of personal care alongside everything else.

This means retailers need to make sure their personal care range is highly visible and easily accessible.

“Top-up purchases form a large part of sales, so simplicity and visibility are key to a successful toiletries fixture, to enable shoppers to find what

they want quickly and easily. Unfortunately, 18% of shoppers do not know that toiletries are sold in their local convenience store,” says Lucy Richardson, Unilever UK category director. “Try using PoS to advertise your range and, if retailers feel it is necessary to keep high-value products behind the counter, then it is critical that empty packs or a simple visual prompt of these products are positioned at the fixture.”

Amin has all her personal care products stocked together in one section near her promotional lines, with five shelves

dedicated to it within a single aisle, to ensure that all customers are aware that she has a strong range whether they’re in a rush or doing their weekly shop.

“Stick them all in together so everything is in one place,” she advises.

“If you put them here and there, people won’t look around for them, they won’t even ask. They’ll just walk out. It has to be well signposted so people know you’ve got it when they’re walking around and are reminded that they need some deodorant or shower gel.”

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Using Organisation Code: news2021

Supported by Hearst UK in memory of Terry Mansfield

GENERATING KERBSIDE APPEAL

The RETAIL EXPRESS team finds out what retailers are doing to their store fronts to attract passing trade

“WE’RE in the �inal stages of opening our new entrance as part of a complete refurbishment from the back to the front of the store. We’re using the old entranceway, but we’ve created a walkway into the store. Before we used to only have a single door, so it was quite dif�icult for us to get equipment in, but it was also tough for customers with double buggies and mobility scooters. The new one now has a fully accessible ramp and has double doors that we can open up in the summer. It’s made it a lot more accessible and welcoming for the customer.

“We’re a Grade II listed building, so we’ve taken it back to a more traditional look. We’ve not gone overboard with advertising or anything. We’ve tried to keep it quite simple and in keeping with the area. The impression you give to people outside is important. We’re in a village in a conservation area, so our signage is wooden instead of metal.”

“IT’S about keeping things simple. You can’t have any rubbish outside. We sweep outside a couple of times a day and make sure the fascia is cleaned once a week. It’s got to be easy access. If you’re getting a delivery, there still needs to be plenty of room for people to walk into the store. Doorways are important – if someone has pushchairs and 18 bags of shopping, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to come in. We have a lot of parents who come with three or four kids, so we have to make sure it looks easy to access and that it is easy to access.

“We try to avoid advertising and promotions at the front of the store. We’ve got double doors and the bottom half is just the door. The top half is glass with no posters so you can see fully into the store even if the doors are closed. There’s then a promotional bay right in the entrance so you can get a good view of that from outside.”

“IF you look at my store you’ll see that I’ve tried to create a community feel outside the door. I’ve put picnic benches outside because we have lots of elderly customers and they want somewhere to sit. People are used to standing outside and using the store as a meeting point, so we’ve made it easier for them with the installation of the picnic benches to give the area out front a nicer atmosphere.

“Our windows are open and we make sure the store is well lit so everything looks bright from outside. We’ve also got spotlights outside the store that we put on at night so the whole store is lit up like a Christmas tree. It’s all about being bright.

“I also deliberately chose not to go with a national fascia because if people have gone into one fascia group store and had a bad experience, they won’t go to that store again and they’ll think twice before they go to another with the same fascia.”

In the next issue, the Retail Express team finds out how how retailers are using in-store services to drive trade. If you have any problems you’d like us to explore, please email charles.whitting@newtrade.co.uk

Joe Williams, The Village Shop, Hook Norton, Oxfordshire

Reuben Singh Mander, The Three Singhs, Selby, North Yorkshire

Qaiser Mahmood, Da Shop, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport

We have posters on the bottom metre and the rest is open. How do retailers set up their store fronts? – Rayesh Nayi, Broadfield Newsagents & Post Office, Crawley, West Sussex