SHOP OWNERS: YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £50 EVERY WEEK P7 » Add £213 profit from your top ice creams with these price changes BETTER MARGINS p10 » Are you stocking these new Walkers, Takis, Yop and Shredded Wheat products? GROW YOUR SALES p8
KNOW MORE, SELL MORE, MAKE MORE ● 11.09.2026 ● £3.45
»
This new box smaller than your till can make you £1,500 each year l Phone power bank rentals are
already in pubs – now they’re coming to shops like yours l Everything you need to
know about adding this ‘zero effort’ service Page 3 »
STORE PROFILE
‘My shop was a car showroom’ Learn from the success of this new site now delivering £35k weekly sales p15 » p1 Cover.indd 1
PROTECT YOUR STORE
Shops underpaying wages HMRC crackdown leaves retailers red faced – learn from their mistakes p5 »
FREE FOR RETAILERS
New app saves you time
StockRunner is making ordering and managing your stock quicker and easier p6 » 08/09/2026 16:23
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CONTENTS RN is the only weekly magazine dedicated to independent convenience retailers looking for new profit opportunities and how to stay ahead in a constantly changing retail environment
3 INDUSTRY NEWS
Meet the new service paying shop
owners to keep customers’ phones fully charged Shop slams loss in sales after councillor implicates it in dodgy trading Convenience stores named and shamed by HMRC for illegal wages – discover how they were caught out This new stock management app is promising to save shop owners time, waste and money Post Office defends branch security after police examine their use in money laundering
8 PRODUCT NEWS
The new Walkers flavours picked by the public coming to your shelves
10 PRICEWATCH
Make £213 extra profit with these tried-and-tested ice cream price changes
14 EXPERT COLUMN
The status quo? “I wouldn’t bank on it,” says Jonathan Rons
15 STORE PROFILE
Discover how this Nisa store in a
former car showroom doubled its weekly turnover
18 FED FOCUS
This Fed deal is saving Amrish Patel more than £200 per month
19 YOUR VIEWS
‘We're still waiting for answers on Deposit Return Scheme costs’
20 INCREASING BASKET SPEND
Retailers reveal the products and
simple techniques that have shoppers bringing more items to your till
24 WINTER REMEDIES
Your guide to generating hundreds of pounds of extra sales each week for the next five months
Why these new rock and hip-hop titles will be music to your ears
C
Editor
Editor-in-chief
Associate editor
Jack Courtez
Louise Banham
Alex Yau
07592 880864
07587 554136
020 7689 3358
Features editor
News editor
Charles Whitting
Ryan Butcher
Deputy insight & advertorial editor
020 7689 3350
07837 645281
Jasper Hart
07597 588975
Features & advertorial writer
Reporter
Shyama Laxman
07597 588955
Email: editorial@newtrade.co.uk Letters: letters@newtrade.co.uk
Senior production & content editor Ryan Cooper Copy editor Minhaj Zia
Head of commercial Natalie Reeve Circulation & subscriptions Kate Daw Managing director Parin Gohil
Cover image credit: Getty Images/Mizina/yuruphoto
RN is published by Newtrade Media Limited, which is wholly owned by NFRN Holdings Ltd, which is wholly owned by the Benefits Fund of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. RN is editorially independent of the NFRN and opinions, comments and reviews included are not necessarily those of the Federation and no warranty for goods or services described is implied. Reproduction or transmission in part or whole of any item from RN may only be undertaken with the prior written agreement of the Editor. Contributions are welcomed 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.
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For trade use only
p2 Contents.indd 2
facebook.com/ThisisRN have your say on the latest news
ongratulations to Majestic Wines for achieving honorary independent shopkeeper status last month after attempting to fill its shelves with plonk bought from a major rival on promo. Taking a leaf out the intrepid shop owner playbook, the US investment fund-owned retail chain spotted an unmissable offer. After finding a Nectar Card loophole allowing you to buy £60 Bollinger Special Cuvée for just £30, Majestic Wine sent messages urging store Editor managers to drop what they were doing, put on a disJack Courtez guise and head down to their local Sainsbury’s to buy as much as they could. jack.courtez@newtrade.co.uk It was only with this clandestine operation well 07592 880864 underway that someone at Majestic HQ spotted a problem. Sainsbury’s is not registered as an alcohol wholesaler (AWRS), and it would therefore be illegal for Majestic to sell all the bottles its staff had already bought. As a self-declared arbiter of shrewd independent trading, I give Majestic 10 out of 10 for tenacity, but a measly two for planning. It seems they’ve tried to run before they can walk, but RN would be happy to invite Majestic’s executive team for a training section on more basic jammy shopkeeper techniques – like splitting multipacks. The training will, of course, be dependent on Majestic bringing all those bottles of Bollinger it has going spare. What Majestic’s fiasco does highlight is that even the big players are looking for change down the back of the metaphorical sofa in an era of squeezed margins. Last week, a shop owner pointed out a smaller cause of this squeeze I’d not really considered before: cash-strapped customers moving from debit to credit card and the associated rise in card merchant fees this brings with it. Bank of England data appears to back this up. This summer, the rate of total UK credit card debt increase was at its highest in more than two years and total credit card debt is more than double what it was before the pandemic. Depending on your fees, a big swing from debit to credit could wipe an upsetting amount off your bottom line. The trend is being made worse by the rise of business and cashback credit cards, which carry even higher fees. On page 14, Jonathan Rons rightly discusses the importance of reviewing your banking partner; I’d probably add reviewing how the breakdown of card transaction types has changed in the past year, too.
The bigger packs shoppers want to find 29 THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES
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A NOT VERY MAJESTIC WINE
27 TAKE-HOME ICE CREAM
in your freezer, revealed
11 September 2026 RN
RN’s publisher Newtrade Media cares about the environment.
08/09/2026 12:50
NEWS
ChargedUp lands in shops offering £1,500 by Alex Yau alex.yau@newtrade.co.uk
A mobile phone charging firm is targeting convenience stores for expansion, claiming its free-to-install equipment should make retailers £1,500 a year. ChargedUp allows customers to rent portable power banks that are compatible with all major smartphone models. Retailers receive 20p for every £1 spent, with customers charged £2 for 30 minutes, £9 for a full day or £25 if they choose to keep the charger. There is no cost to retailers, with the 30cmby-30cm countertop unit holding six power banks and requiring only a standard plug socket. Customers can take the power banks with them and return them to any ChargedUp location. Payments are made contactlessly at the unit, while ChargedUp handles all transactions and customer support, leaving retailers only responsible for hosting and promoting the service. ChargedUp already operates at more than 3,000 UK sites, including Marks & Spencer, Westfield, Starbucks, Boxpark and
Greene King pubs. While its network is largely made up of hospitality and non-food retail, chairman Sam Ulph told RN the company was now targeting convenience stores as it aims to grow to 30,000 locations over the next two years. “It’s a source of free money to the retailer and we quote £1,500 net profit per year,” he said. “There’s no cost to the operator and we even pay for the electricity. We’ve doubled the business in the past 12 months and we are looking at other markets in the UK. On average, a venue is getting 20 customers a week. “If you look at China and Japan, there is a charging station in every convenience store. The convenience when you’re running low on battery while you’re standing in the queue at your local Post Office or Londis is attractive. “If a machine goes down, an alert is automatically sent to our team and they will be out within two days to repair it. We also provide a live dashboard that retailers can log into and see how well the machine is performing.”
In May, RN saw messages from Chinese phone charging specialist Keeta stating it was pulling out of the UK after nine months. Asked why ChargedUp’s model had greater longevity, Ulph said: “We’re completely committed to the
UK and we’re the number one charging station provider. We’re a profitable business and we’re growing by 50 venues a month.” l Email editorial@ newtrade.co.uk with the subject ‘ChargedUp’ for more details
Clampdown on single cig sales
Trading Standards and police officers have raided stores suspected of selling single cigarettes, just weeks after independent retailers told RN they had seen an increase in customers asking to buy them. Officers visited four stores in Accrington, seizing illegal cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco worth £2,670, alongside
p3 Breaking news.indd 3
vaping products worth around £1,670. The stores were also suspected of unlawfully stocking prescriptiononly medicines, while fireworks found to be stored unsafely were voluntarily surrendered. Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for rural affairs, environment and communities at Lancashire County
Council, said: “The illegal tobacco and vaping trade damages local communities. It undercuts honest businesses, supports criminal activity and increases the risk of tobacco products falling into the hands of children and young people. “One of the most concerning issues identified on these visits was the suspected sale of single
cigarettes. As well as being an illegal practice, it makes smoking more affordable and accessible, which risks encouraging smoking among children and young people.” The seizures come after legitimate retailers told RN they had recently seen the first spike in requests for individual cigarettes since they began trading.
NEWS & ANALYSIS
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RN 11 September 2026
Lavazza launch Lavazza has unveiled a new coffee machine offering an expanded range of hot drinks, as it eyes a potential rollout to independent retailers. The new Coffee Essence machines will be installed at more than 600 MFG forecourts “by spring 2027”. Each will offer two coffee blends, including decaf, alongside matcha, flavoured syrups and extra coffee shots. Lavazza said the range had been designed to reflect changing shopper preferences. The company declined to reveal retailer terms, and any wider rollout is unlikely until the MFG programme is complete. Asked whether Coffee Essence would eventually be available to independent shops, Lavazza told RN it saw “strong potential” across other retail settings. Prices at MFG sites appear to slightly undercut rival Costa Express, with a Lavazza cappuccino costing £2.95.
New UWS depot United Wholesale Scotland (UWS) is to add a branch in 2027 as it expands its Day-Today fascia across London. The location is yet to be announced, but will add to UWS’s three Scottish depots and its London site, which opened last year. UWS has since opened 20 Day-Todays in London. A further 28 stores are expected to join the DayToday estate nationwide by the end of this year. UWS managing director Chris Gallacher said: “We are seeing strong growth across both Scotland and London, and continue to invest across the business.”
08/09/2026 14:50
4
NEWS
ACS at Reform summit
The ACS has attended Reform UK’s annual conference for the first time, reflecting the party’s growing influence in British politics. The trade body took part in a panel discussion titled ‘The Cost-of-DoingBusiness Crisis: What British Industry Actually Needs’ on 4 September, but confirmed it did not attend any other part of the conference. ACS chief executive Ed Woodall said it is attending all major party conferences to discuss pressures on local shops. “At the Labour conference, we’re hosting a dedicated fringe event to discuss solutions to the problem of dodgy shops on high streets as part of our wider ‘Stop Rogue Traders’ campaign.” The activity came as ACS published its annual Local Shop Report. Read RN 18 September for full coverage.
Scoot test delivers A loyalty trial for Booker’s Scoot home delivery service has helped a retailer attract new customers and boost sales. Faraz Iqbal, of Premier Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy, Fife, is among around five-to-10 retailers trialling the scheme, which launched in August and offers customers discounts after they make a set number of orders. Iqbal told RN he had already gained 100 signups since introducing the incentive. “It’s definitely been really useful,” he said. “I don’t have the data to hand, but I can say sales have also increased with the incentive.”
p4 Breaking news.indd 4
11 September 2026 RN
EXCLUSIVE
Councillor’s ‘raid’ posts harm legitimate shop by Kwame Boakye kwame.boakye@newtrade.co.uk
A retailer says his reputation and trade have been damaged after a councillor publicly identified his store as one of six targeted in a multi-agency enforcement operation. Fleet Food & Wines in Hampshire was visited by officers from HMRC, Trading Standards, licensing and Immigration Enforcement on 2 September. Police, HMRC, licensing and Immigration Enforcement took no action against the store, while Trading Standards identified only minor food labelling and toy safety issues. However, Hampshire county councillor Steve Forster subsequently identified Fleet Food & Wines alongside the five other businesses in Facebook posts about the “raids”. He later publicised the discovery of more than 11,000 illegal cigarettes, handrolling tobacco worth thousands of pounds and £4,000 in cash across the wider operation. His posts did not identify which businesses the serious findings related to, or make clear they had not
A detection dog hunts for illicit tobacco during the visits in Fleet been uncovered at Fleet Food & Wines. Although Forster urged people not to speculate about the businesses or their nationality or background, comments beneath his posts by others referred to “illegals” and “immigrants”, while others called for the stores to be shut down. Fleet Food & Wines director Jaishjeet Singh said his business had been unfairly associated with wrongdoing uncovered elsewhere in the operation. “All the messages were like, ‘Get them shut down, get them all shut down,’” he said. “The councillor wasn’t talking about a single shop. He was just talking
about the broad general thing of six shops being checked concurrently, but all I could see throughout the comments was ‘get them shut down’. It’s not a good look.” Speaking two days after the posts, Singh claimed the publicity had already affected trade. “My sales just yesterday were 30-40% lower,” he said. The incident follows exclusive RN research in which 47% of retailers said they had been falsely accused of selling illicit tobacco. Asked why he had identified the businesses before the outcome was known, Forster said residents had contacted him about the heavy police
presence. He went to the site and said officers confirmed he could post about the operation to keep residents informed. “I was clear in my post that people should not speculate, but I’m afraid some chose to,” he said. “Some of the tone of the comments is quite disappointing, but I can’t control what people are going to discuss online.” Asked about Singh’s claim that the publicity had damaged his trade, Forster said he would be “surprised” if the post had an impact. “I made it clear no judgements should be made and nothing determined from the fact that they were visited,” he said.
Smiths News upgrades security
Smiths News has introduced new security measures to better protect stores receiving newstrade deliveries through lockboxes. All 34 of the wholesaler’s depots are now using KeyTracker to manage the approximately 6,000 retailer keys it holds, reducing the risk of them being lost or misplaced. Drivers are given unique PIN codes and can only access keys for stores
on their rounds. Key withdrawals and returns are also tracked, with alerts triggered if handling procedures or time windows are breached. KeyTracker said Smiths News previously had “little visibility” over which team members were accessing customers’ keys or when they were returned. Smiths News head of central services Chris Wright described intro-
ducing the system as “a complex project”, but said it was now “helping us build confidence with both existing and prospective customers”. Wright added that the system would benefit retailers through quicker responses to problems, better communication and fewer supply disruptions. The upgrade comes as Smiths News prepares to supply nearly every news
retailer in the UK after winning exclusive contracts to distribute News UK, Associated Newspapers and Frontline Group titles, beginning as early as next year. The expansion is expected to roughly double its customer base and the number of retailer keys it holds. Smiths News had described efforts to standardise processes across depots in preparation for this national rollout.
08/09/2026 16:19
KEY
Risk for shop owners Opportunity for shop owners
Shops caught out by minimum wage rules by Ryan Butcher ryan.butcher@newtrade.co.uk
Seven convenience businesses have been named by the government after falling foul of minimum wage rules. The firms had underpaid 483 workers by a combined £36,027.65. They were among 658 employers named across the UK, with around £4m repaid to more than 27,000 workers. However, being named does not necessarily mean businesses deliberately paid below the legal hourly rate, with two retailers telling RN their breaches resulted from other workplace practices. Costcutter Moutray's in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, was named over £6,334.89 in underpayments to 116 workers. Office manager Zoe McConville said staff had been paid at least the minimum wage through payroll, but HMRC found
that requiring them to buy their own black trousers and shoes effectively reduced their pay for minimum wage purposes. “We were unaware that these uniform costs were treated in this way under the National Minimum Wage legislation,” she told RN. McConville said affected employees were reimbursed more than two years ago and the company’s uniform policy was immediately changed. Scotfresh was named over £14,452.91 in underpayments to 215 workers. Its parent company, CJ Lang & Son, said the breaches dated from August 2019 to October 2023, before it acquired Scotfresh. An investigation alongside HMRC found till shortages had been deducted from staff operating the till at the time. “This was stopped immediately once discov-
ered, and every individual affected has been compensated in full,” a spokesperson said. How can retailers get caught out? Kathryn Gilbert, head of HR services at Bhayani HR & Employment Law, said one of the biggest misconceptions was that a correct hourly rate on a payslip meant an employer was compliant. “You have to look at what the employee is actually receiving for minimum wage purposes and the hours they have actually worked,” she said.
Gilbert said costs for required clothing could reduce pay for minimum wage purposes, while time spent opening or cashing up outside rostered hours could also count. “Ten or 15 minutes here and there may not sound significant, but across a pay period it can make a difference, particularly where somebody is being paid at or only just above minimum wage,” she said. Dominic Cooper, employment law specialist at Citation, also warned retailers to check unpaid training and ensure younger workers and
NEWS & ANALYSIS
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RN 11 September 2026
apprentices move onto the correct minimum wage rate. He said retailers should compare actual clock-in and clock-out times with payroll records, including time spent on preparation, handovers and mandatory training. “Most retail underpayments are genuine technical errors, but the legal and reputational costs of getting it wrong, from 200% financial penalties to public naming and shaming, are exactly the same,” Cooper said. Gilbert said retailers should carry out regular minimum wage audits rather than relying purely on the hourly rate shown on payslips. “The important point for retailers is that an underpayment doesn’t have to be deliberate,” she said.
FIVE THINGS FOR EMPLOYERS TO CHECK • Uniforms: required clothing or equipment paid for by staff can affect minimum wage calculations. • Extra time: opening up, cashing up and completing handovers can all count as working time. • Training: staff should be paid for mandatory training, including Challenge 25 and food safety courses. • Age bands: check younger workers and apprentices move onto higher rates when they become eligible. • Payroll: check actual hours worked against paid hours, as well as deductions and salary sacrifice arrangements.
EXCLUSIVE
PO advice on processing suspicious money
Postmasters who suspect a customer may be attempting to launder money but feel unsafe challenging them should allow the transaction to go ahead and report their concerns immediately afterwards. That is the advice of Post Office head of banking Benjamin Hunter Woolard, who spoke exclusively to RN following concerns over criminals using branches to deposit dirty cash. “If somebody doesn't feel comfortable, the point is that you can allow the transaction and then report that straight away,” he said.
p5 Breaking news.indd 5
“People should be mindful of their personal safety all the time.” The comments follow a Guardian investigation into money laundering through Post Office branches, which raised questions over checks on cash deposits. Hunter Woolard said postmasters can refuse suspicious deposits or ask customers where unusually large amounts of cash have come from, provided they feel comfortable doing so. They can also contact Post Office’s Grapevine service during or after a transaction to report
concerns, which can then be followed up by its financial crime team. What to watch Red flags can include customers appearing uncomfortable, using their phone during a transaction or communicating with someone nearby. Changes in the behaviour of regular customers can also raise concerns. “A lot of postmasters clearly know who their customers are,” Woolard said. “If it’s a customer that comes in and all of a sudden they’re doing something very different from
what they normally do, or the amounts are a lot higher than they perhaps would normally deposit, it’s those sorts of things to be looking out for.” However, a large cash deposit alone does not necessarily mean anything is wrong. Woolard stressed that the final decision over whether to authorise a deposit sits with the customer’s bank. More banking moves into Post Offices Post Offices are handling more cash as bank branches disappear from high streets.
“We may see some of the activity has come into the Post Office instead of a bank branch,” Hunter Woolard said. Research by SmartSearch, reported by RN last week, identified 3,097 suspected shell companies linked to convenience stores, hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons between 2016 and 2026. Woolard said requiring identification for cash deposits was not a simple solution. “People can fake their ID,” he said. “It may stop some activity, but I don't think that’s the answer to tackling it.”
08/09/2026 12:41
NEWS & ANALYSIS
6
NEWS
High st. taskforce
The government has launched a taskforce aimed at tackling the decline of town centres and supporting struggling high streets. The Community Renewal Taskforce will work with local leaders to develop plans to improve neighbourhoods and drive economic growth. Announcing the move, the government said communities had been “left behind”, with high streets falling into disrepair, and pledged not to replicate past high-street strategies. ACS chief executive Ed Woodall said convenience stores should play a key role in the government's plans. “Local shops are perfectly placed to deliver good growth across every part of the country,” he said. “We employ almost half a million people, invest almost a billion pounds a year, and have taken on essential services like access to cash when dedicated branches have closed.”
London expansion Confectionery wholesaler Sunshine Snacks has expanded into London, supplying retailers with its Candy Zone displays. The move marks the latest stage of its UK expansion, following launches in Rochdale, Peterborough and Essex. The firm said: “Seeing our Candy Zones stocked, fitted and standing proud in central London is another big milestone. “From Rochdale to Peterborough, Essex and now London, while expanding our offering overseas, the growth is happening domestically and internationally.”
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11 September 2026 RN
KEY
Risks for shop owners Opportunity for shop owners
EXCLUSIVE
StockRunner said to save shops £1k per month by Jack Courtez jack.courtez@newtrade.co.uk
A new stock management app claims it can save convenience retailers up to 10 hours a week and £1,000 a month. StockRunner, launched in mid-July by marketing firm Ybro, has already attracted more than 2,800 users and brings a range of everyday store tasks into one app. Retailers and their staff can scan shelf gaps, count stock, record waste and manage expiry dates, as well as log chiller temperatures, complete cleaning and safety checks, and create shelf labels. This information can then be turned into order lists, split between wholesalers based on price and organised by aisle to make cash-and-carry visits quicker. Retailers with several stores can also separate orders by site, while the app uses previous orders to predict what they will need next. StockRunner creators Mayooran Nava and Gajinaath Jeyakumar said the savings came from reducing ordering mistakes, avoiding excess stock and making stores less reliant on the owner.
Retailers can also receive alerts when wholesalers increase RRPs, helping them make higher margins on stock bought previously at lower prices. Jeyakumar said the app was created to solve problems the pair had seen first-hand among shop owners, particularly within the UK’s Tamil retail community. “Nobody knows ordering like a shop owner, but it's all often in their head,” he said. “Messages about what to order from staff are done as photos on WhatsApp, talking across the shop or staff writing things down on paper. “There’s a lot of room for
error and it’s stressful for the shop owner, because the shop simply can’t operate without them.” Nava said StockRunner was designed to help stores run without owners having to oversee every part of the ordering process. “This is a solution to make it so a site can run without the owner needing to be the shop’s entire engine,” he said. He said the app could also help overcome language barriers that can lead to the wrong products being ordered. “StockRunner makes it simple. You scan on shelf and get the exact product on your order
with an image. Even if it’s a new product, you take a picture of it and it will use AI to find it before adding it to the list. “Many people have tried to crack these problems, and we have. It’s very handy for shop owners, managers and teams.” The app is currently free, but paid memberships are due to be introduced. These will include a limited free Lite version, Runner, at £99.99 excluding VAT per year for a single store, and Runner Plus at £149.99 per year for the full range of tools. l Email editorial@ newtrade.co.uk with the subject ‘StockRunner’ for more details
Price-cap rethink urged in Scotland
The Scottish government has been urged to rethink plans to cap the price of essential food and drink amid warnings they could put independent retailers at a disadvantage. The proposals, aimed at helping lower-income households, could cap the prices of up to 50 products sold by larger retailers. Businesses with more than 250 employees
could be covered, raising concerns that symbol group retailers may also have to follow the caps if they are treated as a single business. ACS, the Scottish Grocers’ Federation and independent retailers have warned the plans could make it harder for smaller stores to compete with supermarkets. Natalie Lightfoot, of
Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow, told RN: “Supermarkets already have a lot of buying power and they can offer products for a lot less than we can. “It’ll make us look expensive and our margins will be squashed if we try to match them, making it harder for the independent retailer. I’m based in a very competitive area, with many major super-
markets within walking distance.” Faraz Iqbal, of Premier Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy, Fife, was more measured. “Like minimum unit pricing on alcohol, it won’t come into force overnight, if approved,” he said. “It’s to help those with less money and we’ll have time to prepare our shops, if needed.”
08/09/2026 12:07
CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS MONTH’S RN WEEKLY GIVEAWAY WINNERS! Joanne Grant, Jo’s Newsagents Pavi Gill, Darvel Convenience Store Yusuf Gulamali, Boswell News Nicola Stevens, Pothecary Tobacconists Want to see your name here next month? Enter your name into the draw, where each week you’ll stand a chance to receive £50 credit to your news bill or NewsTeam account*.
How to enter: scan the QR code or visit betterretailing.com/competitions to complete the online form, or email marketing@newtrade.co.uk SCAN ME
*T&Cs apply. Open to RN readers only and winners will be selected at random. £50 credit issued via wholesaler or NewsTeam rep. Full T&Cs available on the entry form. RN Weekly Giveaway Winner Ad August.indd 42
04/09/2026 10:57
8
PRODUCT NEWS
11 September 2026 RN
World of Sweets unveils Halloween and Xmas range by Shyama Laxman
shyama.laxman@newtrade.co.uk
World of Sweets has unveiled its 2026 Halloween and Christmas confectionery range. Candy Realms’ new Halloween lines are Jelly Pumpkins, Candy Skulls and Mallow Pops, each retailing at £1. Christmas lines feature Jelly Candy Canes (170g for £1) and Christmas Candy Lollies (£1). Christmas Gummies
come in the shape of a hanging Christmas tree, containing six individually wrapped gummy treats (£1), while 50p Festive Gummy Pops can be an accessible stocking-filler option. Bonds Fizzy Fangs and Monster Mash return with refreshed packaging, while Christmas sees the launch of Bonds Choco Stars (£1) and Bonds Festive Mallows (£1.25). The Elves Behavin’
Badly range and Pez’s seasonal collectable lines add an element of novelty. The Traitors range includes The Traitors Chews, Chocolate Coins and Shield Medallions (£1.50 each), and Jelly Bean Game (£3). Anthon Berg returns with refreshed packs, featuring Chocolate Liqueurs, Chocolate Cocktails and the Single Malt Collection, priced from £5.49 to £18.99.
PepsiCo drops two new limitededition Walkers flavours PepsiCo has launched two limited-edition Walkers flavours, available until 30 November. According to listings seen by RN in a wholesaler’s catalogue, Salt & Pepper Chicken and Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam flavours are available in 45g single packs (£1.10), 70g sharing bags (PMP £1.49) and multipacks of six 25g packs (£2.15),
with estimated POR of up to 40%. The launch is the result of PepsiCo’s ‘Do Us A Flavour’ campaign in January, where consumers were invited to submit their dream crisp ideas. Six finalists competed in challenges through the world’s first crisps gameshow, viewed more than 90 million times. The two finalist fla-
vours are now competing for the chance to become a permanent Walkers line. Each pack sold will count towards the result, with the winner standing to win a share of product sales of up to £500,000. The launch is supported by an integrated marketing campaign alongside shopper activity including pre-filled FSDUs through September and October.
E EXCLUSIV
Yop Coconut Flavour Drinking Yoghurt
Takis Zombie returns for Halloween
RRP £2
RRP £1.25 (55g plain and PMP), £2.49 (100g), £3.49 (180g)
Yoplait has expanded its portfolio of Yop drinking yoghurts with the launch of a Coconut flavour. According to listings seen by RN in a wholesaler’s catalogue, the product will go on sale between 7 and 27 October, with an expected margin of 20%. In August, Yoplait launched its first-ever Yop 500g PMP in its Strawberry flavour into wholesalers Eden Farm, Parfetts and Bestway.
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Takis’ most popular seasonal variant, Takis Zombie, has returned to UK shelves this Halloween. The limited-edition variant taps into consumer demand for intense flavours. The launch is supported by a seasonal execution plan including horror movie night partnerships and themed creator content, while October will see party sampling, social challenges and spooky secondary displays to maximise peak season visibility.
07/09/2026 10:06
Fini expands Hero Tubes Range
Nurishment Coffee Caramel Fusion
RRP £1.25 PMP
Available from Dhamecha
Party Rings Trick or Treat Minis
Cheez-It launches PMP range
Available from Booker
RRP £1 PMP
Forest Feast’s freeze-dried range
Nestlé widens Shredded Wheat
RRP £4.35 (100g)
RRP £3.75 (450g)
Confectionery brand Fini has expanded its Tubes range with two new products – Fini Cotton Candy Tubes and Fini Sour Blue Raspberry Tubes. The launch comes as Fini builds momentum in the UK confectionery market. Circana data shows the brand is now one of the fastest-growing sugar confectionery brands across the total UK market over the latest 52-week period, delivering 30% growth in the latest quarter.
Fox’s Burton’s Companies has relaunched the spooky variety of its Party Rings minis after a successful debut in 2025 brought more than 200,000 new shoppers to the brand, and more than £650,000 in incremental sales in just eight weeks. The product features bitesized biscuits with icing in Halloween-inspired shapes such as bats, cats and pumpkins. It has an RRP of £2.10 for a 10-pack of 21g each and promo price of £1.75.
Forest Feast has unveiled a new freeze-dried snacking range, tapping into growing demand for texture-led snacking. This is an ambient product that combines whole crisp freezedried fruit with layers of Belgian chocolate. Three flavours are available: Double Chocolate Crispy Raspberries, Double Chocolate Crispy Strawberries and Matcha Chocolate Crispy Strawberries. The range is available from Cotswold Fayre.
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NEWS & ANALYSIS
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RN 11 September 2026
Nurishment has expanded its range with a new Coffee Caramel flavour. The launch comes amid growing demand for ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee. The UK RTD coffee market is valued at more than £410m in 2026 and is forecast to grow by 7.3% annually through to 2030. Other flavours in Nurishment’s range include the original Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate, and two fusion flavours, Blueberry Swirl and Hazelnut Swirl.
Cheez-It has launched 65g PMPs of Cheese & Smokey Bacon and Double Cheese. Tapping into a format that accounts for almost seven in 10 convenience crisps sales, as per NIQ, the launch comes as PMPs continue to play a significant role in convenience stores. NIQ figures reveal PMPs account for 80% of crisps singles sales across independents and symbols, with singles PMP value sales up 93% year on year.
Nestlé Cereals has added two new variants to its Shredded Wheat portfolio called Happy Heart and Active. A brand spokesperson said these will be available via wholesale – after having launched in supermarkets in August – though listings were not available at the time of writing. The brand also launched Shredded Wheat Raisin Wheats – bitesize biscuits made with toasted whole grain wheat and a raisin filling.
07/09/2026 10:06
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PRICEWATCH
11 September 10 July 2026 RN
TAKE-HOME ICE CREAM
MAKE £213.20 MORE PROFIT PER YEAR: Check data from thousands of stores like yours for prices that can give you better profits than wholesalers’ RRPs HOW TO USE PRICEWATCH
The right selling price for each shop depends on customer needs, retail format and store location. Each week, Pricewatch uses exclusive till data from more than 11,000 independent shops like yours to reveal the average store’s sales revenue, volumes and profit when sold at different price points. By comparing the graphs against your store’s needs, you can find the price points that deliver better volume, revenue and cash profit, compared to wholesaler and supplier RRPs.
ROWNTREES FRUIT PASTILLES LOLLIES 4X65ML £2.75 delivers best weekly revenue (£5.34) and £2.09 profit per week
Wholesaler RRP (£2.50) delivers £1.21 profit per week £3.99 delivers best weekly profit (£2.78)
Store with the highest rate of sale (£1.75) delivers 22p profit per week
MAGNUM CLASSIC 3X100ML
£3 has best rate of sale, and delivers best weekly revenue (£8.63) and 7p profit per week
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Wholesaler RRP (£4.99) delivers £3.13 profit per week
£5.99 delivers best weekly profit (£3.70)
07/09/2026 15:49
Boost your margins with pricing data across 350 core convenience products on Pricewatch – the only price-comparison tool for independent retailers. Free one-year access for RN readers – visit hubs.ly/Q02P565P0 to redeem your offer or scan the QR code
KEY
Avg. sales value per store in £
Visit the website
betterretailing.com/ pricewatch
Avg. sales volume per store
Data supplied by Retail Spotlight incorporating In-Touch Group, based on sales from 11,000 independent convenience stores
Avg. profit per store in £
NEWS & ANALYSIS
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RN 11 10 September July 2026 2026
Highest point
BEN & JERRY’S COOKIE DOUGH 465ML
£6.49 has best rate of sale, and delivers best weekly revenue (£7.28) and £2.43 profit per week
Wholesaler RRP (£6.55) delivers £2.26 profit per week
£6.99 delivers best weekly profit (£2.57)
WALL’S CORNETTO CLASSICO 6X90ML
£4.99 has best rate of sale, and delivers best weekly revenue (£5.98) and £2.17 profit per week
Wholesaler RRP (£4.69) delivers £1.46 profit per week
£5.99 delivers best weekly profit (£2.31)
KNOW MORE, MAKE MORE How does your ranging compare? We added lines over the summer which we’ll cut down now the weather is cooling, but we keep a range all year round and still see demand in winter. Our range features strong sellers such as Magnum and Fruit Pastilles Lollies, but it can depend on what’s on offer. Ben & Jerry’s will only sell if it’s on offer, so we try and shop better throughout the year.
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Nishi Patel
Londis Bexley Park, Dartford, Kent
What guides your pricing? Our suppliers are Booker, Country Choice and Consort. We look between them for offers on more premium lines, such as Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs. We use all of them for regular orders, but take them up on any deals. A lot of the range is price-marked. Ben & Jerry’s is normally on at £6.59, but we’ll have it on offer at £4.99 and still hit a 30% margin.
» 07/09/2026 15:49
NEWS & ANALYSIS
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PRICEWATCH
11 September 10 July 2026 RN
DAIRY MILK BUTTONS ICE CREAM 4X100ML
£3.50 delivers best weekly revenue (£5.64) and £1.45 profit per week
Price with best rate of sale (£3) delivers 75p profit per week
Wholesaler RRP (£3.79) delivers £1.45 profit per week
£4.99 delivers best weekly profit (£1.80)
WALL’S SOLERO EXOTIC 3X90ML
Wholesaler RRP (£3.29) has best rate of sale, and delivers best weekly revenue (£7.45) and £1.72 profit per week
£4.49 delivers best weekly profit (£2.19)
PROFIT-BOOSTING ROUND-UP
Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles Lollies 4x65ml: £3.99 delivers £1.56 more weekly profit than the wholesaler’s suggested RRP of £2.50 Magnum Classic 3x100ml: £5.99 delivers 57p more weekly profit than the wholesaler’s suggested RRP of £4.99 Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough 465ml: £6.99 delivers 30p more weekly profit than the wholesaler’s suggested RRP of £6.55 Wall’s Cornetto Classico 6x90ml: £5.99 delivers 85p more weekly profit than the wholesaler’s suggested RRP of £4.69 Dairy Milk Buttons Ice Cream 4x100ml: £4.99 delivers 35p more weekly profit than the wholesaler’s suggested RRP of £3.79 Wall’s Solero Exotic 3x90ml: £4.49 delivers 47p more weekly profit than the wholesaler’s suggested RRP of £3.29
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07/09/2026 15:50
2026
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Vote for the best new products of 2026. Have your say and tell us… Which snack had shoppers lining up? Which energy drink powered up your sales? Which chocolate bar became a customer favourite?
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27/08/2026 13:42
14
COLUMNIST
11 September 2026 RN
Jonathan Rons
Banking profits
Banking can often be overlooked when shops hunt for savings. A few hours’ work could put thousands in your pocket
A
s independent retailers, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our profits. We negotiate with suppliers, review energy contracts, challenge insurance renewals, scrutinise margins and spend hours looking at where we can save or make a little more. But when did you last review your business bank account? For many, the answer is “not for years”. Banking is one of those things that can easily sit in the background. I think that is worth challenging. The banking market has changed significantly. Newer business accounts are offering features that go beyond simply holding your money. Cashback, accounting integrations, savings pots, spending insights, receipt capture and invoicing tools can all help to better manage finances. For convenience retailers, where significant sums pass through the business every week, even small benefits become meaningful. In full transparency, C-Store Collective is partnered with Zempler Bank, which has a Business Pro account offering 1% cashback on eligible card spend, with the rate increasing through spending tiers, with cashback capped at £1,000 per month. The account also includes features such as cashflow tracking, integrated accounting, digital receipt capture and savings pots. Of course, this is but one example of what’s on offer in an increasingly competitive banking market that’s vying for your
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business. I’m not suggesting every retailer should immediately change banks, either. It is about recognising that your banking should be reviewed like any other supplier or business cost. Start by looking at what you pay. Monthly account fees, transaction charges, cash deposit fees and other costs can add up. Then look at what you actually receive in return. Cash handling is important for convenience retailers. Despite the rise of card payments, many still bank significant cash, so paying-in charges and convenient deposit access need to be understood before making any decision. Then consider how you spend. Retailers purchase stock, services, equipment and countless other items. If some of that expenditure can legitimately earn cashback simply by changing the way you pay, it deserves investigation. Over a year, those small percentages can become worthwhile. The same applies to technology. If your bank account connects easily with accounting software, provides instant notifications or gives clearer visibility of cashflow, there is an administrative benefit as well as a financial one. There is also a wider point here. Too often in retail we focus our attention almost entirely on increasing sales. Sales matter, but improving profitability is about examining every aspect and asking whether there is a better way. A saving of £1,000 has exactly the same impact on the bottom line as generating £1,000 of additional profit through sales,
Your banking should be reviewed like any other supplier
and you don’t have to sell more to achieve it. So, add banking to your next annual business review. Ask whether your current account still suits the size and complexity of your business, and what alternatives are now available. Speak to your existing bank as well. You may discover facilities you are already entitled to, but aren’t using. Most importantly, don’t switch purely because of one attractive headline benefit. Look at the whole package, including fees, cash deposits, payment limits, customer support, protection, integrations and any terms attached to rewards. Another point worth considering is that reviewing your banking arrangements doesn’t necessarily mean moving everything overnight. Many retailers now use more than one business account, keeping their existing bank while using a secondary account for specific activities such as supplier payments, cash handling or card spending. That allows them to test new services and benefit from features such as cashback without disrupting day-to-day operations. Banking should be working for the business, not simply existing alongside it. A quick annual review could uncover savings, useful tools or rewards. We challenge our wholesalers, energy providers and insurers to deliver value. Perhaps it is time we challenged our banks, too. Jonathan Rons, co-founder of C-Store Collective, has more than 25 years’ experience in helping independent retailers thrive
04/09/2026 10:34
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STORE PROFILE
VIEWS
RN 11 September 2026
Nisa Local St Stephens Charles Whitting finds out how the Battens converted a Kia showroom into a convenience store in Cornwall
W
hile the Battens had previously run a shop in the Cornish clay village of St Stephens, when a Kia showroom came up for sale in 2025, they converted the old shop into a commercial unit called the HUBnub and took on the new, larger premises. They retained the floor-to-ceiling windows to let in light and show people as much of the inside as possible, and made the necessary electrical, structural and plumbing changes to convert it into a shop. Following the refit, the store opened a day early and took £3,000-£4,000 on the opening night. Alex Batten took on the running of the store and focused on pursuing points of difference from competitors, taking weekly sales from £20,000 to
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£45,000 in the process and becoming one of the 2026 winners of RN’s 30 Under Thirty. “It took a bit of time for people to get used to us being here, but it’s picking up,” he says. “There’s a Co-op very close and, at first, it was doing 80% of the trade to our 20%. Things have evened up now.” FINDING POINTS OF DIFFERENCE Beyond ensuring his opening hours compare favourably to the Co-op, Batten has looked for other ways to set himself apart from a competitor who will always beat him on price. “We try to do everything they don’t do,” he says. “We get hot food to go from Premier Pasties, as well as frozen pastries and pasties that customers can cook at home. We have pick ’n’ mix, plus Costa Ex-
press, slush and F’real machines.” Batten has leaned heavily into global products, with a dedicated bay at the front, with stock from VSL and Reznek Ltd. He has chocolate chicken drumsticks, Milka bars and Feastables, which sell at £2.49 each. At one point, he sold 200 of the trending squishy dumplings at £3.99 each. “We have a whole bay of Monster Energy [imports],” he says. “There’s no one else in the area who has a range like this, so there’s no pricematching. We sold 80 Punk Punch in a week at £3.99. If the flavour is new, people will try it. We get customers travelling from Camborne and Truro because they know we have these. We have a customer who buys six Salted Caramel Coffee Monsters from us every week. If
INFORMATION Location Cornwall
Size
2,400sq ft
Staff members 90
Opening hours 7am-10pm
Social media
Facebook: @nisaststephen
To see what other stores are doing, go to betterretailing.com/ store-profiles
»
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STORE PROFILE RECENT WINS • Pick ’n’ mix: Six months ago, Batten installed a pick ’n’ mix stand he got for free from Bobby’s. Customers fill up a 16oz cup and buy it for £3.95. “We sold about 300400 cups in the first weeks,” he says. “We put it up online and people swarmed in.” The stand is located in the middle of an aisle so it jumps out at shoppers rather than causing congestion near the entrance or the till. • Parcels: To save staff time at the tills, the parcel service is at the back of the shop, with lockers outside as well. “We take about £200 a week from the parcels and £300 a year from the lockers,” he says. “We have an iPad there so customers can do it themselves.” • Widened parking spaces: With lots of passing trade from people in vans and tractors, Batten widened the parking spaces from 2.6 metres to three metres. It cost them two car parking spaces, but has encouraged them to stop at the shop on the way to work to grab breakfast.
someone brought in international Monsters, I’d have to consider the price, but right now I’m making £2 profit per can.” The shop is part of a three-store estate, with a Spar in Nanpean and another Nisa in Pentewan. All cater for different clientele and require a different approach, but the staff members float between each of them as needed. Batten gets most of his stock from Nisa, taking advantage of the 4% rebate it offers and factoring that into any perceived better deals he finds, while also using his Spar connections for chilled top-ups. But he has around 15 local suppliers that provide products customers are willing to pay more for. “We get cakes from Chanel’s Cakery in Newquay and when they arrive, I post about it and we get an influx of people turning up,” he says. “The first time we had them, we had 250 cases delivered and sold out in three hours. The brownies are £4 and some cakes are £6.50, but people love them.” SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONALISATION Although they tried home delivery during the pandemic, Batten says the shop’s location is currently too remote to make it work, with Uber and Deliveroo only just starting
to arrive this far west. “What happens in the city, we don’t get for another five years,” he says. “We’ll get there.” However, where Batten is ahead of the curve is his promotion of the store online. He runs online promotions and highlights new products and trending events on the Facebook page. But what has brought the number of followers up from 1,200 to more than 3,000 within less than a year is a staff member called Di. “Di has worked for us for 12 years and when someone else posted a picture of her dressed like an elf in the store for Christmas, we got 300 likes,” he says. “We saw someone else do a Grinch video that worked, and so we copied that. That’s what you’ve got to do online: find what’s working and copy it, especially if no one in your area is doing it.” Batten posted a video of Di kicking out a Grinch that was stealing pasties in the shop and it generated 500 likes. People are now asking about the next video, and Di now accompanies the team to largescale industry events. “She’s always up for a laugh and people love it,” says Batten. “Our other two stores have Facebook pages and do online promotions, but nothing like what Di does.” l
11 September 2026 RN
MAKING SOCIAL MEDIA WORK Batten’s online approach to new products saw 20 cases of Echo Falls Blue Raspberry sold within three hours of him posting about it. He advises retailers wary of getting in front of the camera that it remains the best way to generate online and in-store interest. “I liken it to Prime when it launched,” he says. “The energy drink wasn’t the promotion or the product – the influencers involved were. People know who Logan Paul and KSI are more than they know about the drink. For us, Di is the attraction and the product is secondary. “People will watch and remember a video with her in it more than just the picture of a product that is itself only aimed at a niche audience.”
• Technology: Batten has introduced technology wherever he can, reducing crime with AI Vision CCTV cameras and speeding up queues with three self-service tills. “It helps with people who just want to get in, buy one thing and get out,” he says. “It works perfectly at rush hour.”
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08/09/2026 10:13
17 9 VIEWS
RN 11 11September September2026 2026 RN
Focus on... e-commerce and digital marketing In partnership with
Revathy Vasu
Freshfields Market, Croydon, south London
I have been managing Freshfields’ e-commerce for almost six years, alongside supporting our wider digital presence across different online channels. We offer a wide range of Asian and ethnic products online, allowing customers beyond our local area to discover the store. We regularly review our digital activity and customer trends to make sure we continue adapting to changing shopping habits. When we started developing our online presence, I spent a lot of time learning about e-commerce and digital marketing, and as the industry is constantly changing, I continue to keep myself updated with new developments, trends and opportunities to make sure I stay ahead. A key part of my role is reviewing and optimising our digital marketing activity to make sure we are reaching the right customers. We are also active on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, where we share offers, promotions and new products with our customers. We also use WhatsApp to communicate promotions directly with our shoppers. Headline partner
Supporting partners
Collaborator partners
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08/09/2026 10:14
18
FED FOCUS Amrish Patel
Gotham Convenience Store, Nottinghamshire
This longstanding retailer became more active in the Fed after taking over his latest Nottinghamshire store. Amrish discusses the Fed’s role in supporting his business
I
’ve been in the trade 18 years now. I pretty much always wanted to be a retailer. I’ve been in this place, Gotham Convenience Store, outside Nottingham, since 2019. It’s a convenience store with a local branch format post office. I’d describe it as a communityled village store because we exist to fulfil locals’ needs each day. It’s also on the main road, so we get passing trade as well. We have a lot of retired people in the village, so the post office is well used. It’s a small community, with lovely people, and they were grateful during Covid-19. We stayed open all the time to help them and to serve them. We used to do paper deliveries, but now we work with a local family who took it over, but the papers are still delivered to us. It helps the community, I get the paper sales, but I avoid the stress of dealing with it. We have two metres of magazines across three shelves. We stock a good range, and we work with a lo-
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As a shop owner, you never know who’s going to walk through the door
cal baker for cobs, bread and cakes. It’s called Adkins and it’s popular across the Nottingham area. As a shop owner, business changes every day. You open the doors and never know who’s going to walk through them. Sometimes, people might complain about prices, especially when cigarette prices go up. We might get a bit of verbal abuse, but it’s not in our control and we carry on serving, no matter what the public says. My shop before this was in Loughborough. I ran that for more than 10 years, but then wanted to expand because the kids were a bit more independent by then. My wife, Manisha, has been beside me in the shop and we work together; we have a couple of really good staff members, too. I’ve been a member of the federation for a long time. I was paying subs in my last shop, but I didn’t go to meetings or make enough use of my membership. But since buying
11 September 2026 RN In association with
this shop, I started meeting other members and regularly going to the Fed’s local meeting and events – it’s been really useful ever since. I had my electricity up for renewal last year, and through the Fed’s partnerships, I saved nearly £200 a month. Considering this was at a time when energy tariffs were all going up, that reduction was a massive help for our business. I’ve recently had problems with Smiths News as well – one day, half my magazines didn’t turn up for the second time in two weeks. Having the Fed help deal with these problems saves me a lot of the stress of trying to sort it, and we were offered credit for what never arrived. We’re part of the east of England Fed district, while we have our own delegates group for Nottingham and Loughborough – here, we discuss any issues, give updates on what’s working and give each other business suggestions. It’s a real help. There’s all these new legislation and regulations coming in, such as the Deposit Return Scheme [going live 1 October 2027]. We’ve just had a trade show in Leicester with the Fed, and as well the big suppliers being there with deals, these suppliers plus the Fed guided us through the upcoming policy changes all stores will have to master – including DRS. There are more Fed shows like this happening in other parts of the UK, too, so keep an eye out. SHOP-FLOOR TIPS • Location is everything. If you’ve got a new product you’re trying to sell, new confectionery, with good visibility and PoS, then put it on the counter. If you pop it on there, believe me, it will sell faster. • Having a hot cabinet has worked for us. We do hot baked at our place – sausage and bacon cobs, fresh croissants and things like that, and they go like hot cakes.
07/09/2026 05/02/2025 15:41 14:14
We need clarity on the true DRS costs
will be eligible. Retailers are already facing many challenges with cost and DRS will have a big impact on their business, so A lot of independent retail- it’s unsurprising this is one ers will have to operate as of the main concerns for us. return points for the DeAnother issue is the posit Return Scheme (DRS) maintenance of an RVM. when it comes into force in One model RVM manufacOctober 2027. turers could follow is car However, one of the big firm Honda’s. Whenever questions many small shop you get your car serviced owners are asking is around with an authorised Honda the initial upfront cost and dealership, they extend the ongoing maintenance. warranty on your car for DRS body Exchange for an additional year. This is a Change is giving out grants good model to follow because of £6,000 for eligible retailit can give a retailer certainers who choose from a list ty that they can continue of yet-to-be-announced relying on their machine reverse vending machine and the RVM manufacturer (RVM) manufacturers, but will continue to get business none of these suppliers have from that store. released pricing details for I also recently visited a their equipment yet. This Turkish manufacturer of list is expected to be reRVMs who will be opening a leased around early October showroom in the UK for reand up to 10,000 retailers tailers to visit. What struck
me about their machines is the self-cleaning element of it. No other RVM manufacturer to my knowledge offers this function for their machines. It provides a lot of reassurances around hygiene, as retailers have already raised concerns around the cleanliness of empty bottles during the collection process. When the showroom opens, I will certainly be visiting to find out more about what they can offer. Mo Razzaq
Premier Mo’s, Blantyre
Thanks for your support After 28 years and seven months running Uffington Post Office & Stores, we retired on 28 November 2025. We wanted to thank RN and its staff for all the support you gave us during our many years at the store. It was always much appreciated, particularly when we experienced problems with Smiths News. Thank you again for your support over the years. Dave and Rose Holborow
Get in touch
letters@newtrade.co.uk 020 7689 3357
VIEWS
YOUR VIEWS
19
RN 11 September 2026
VIEW FROM THE COUNTER with Vidur Pandya
The biggest challenge for us recently has been a bridge closure cutting off the main route into our village. It was closed for just over a week for emergency repairs and our sales and footfall both dropped by around 20%. The diversion added seven or eight miles to people’s journeys, and nobody is going to travel that far and back just to visit a convenience store. We estimate we lost around £10,000 to £12,000 in sales, which is a huge amount when the cost of everything else is already going up. We also had to throw away chilled and fresh products because the customers simply weren’t there to buy them. The bridge has reopened now and trade is starting to pick back up. You can’t worry too much about things outside your control. All you can do is prepare as well as possible and deal with them as they come. WHAT’S DONE WELL FOR US THIS WEEK I’ve been recruiting after a full-time member of staff left at the end of August. We advertised on Indeed and our local Facebook pages, and received more than 60 applications in just five days. I’ve now found someone, so the next job is getting them trained and settled into the store.
Uffington
SCOTLAND’S C-STORES NEED A FAIRER RATES SYSTEM
Pete Cheema, chief executive, SGF Scotland’s convenience stores are at the heart of communities. They provide local jobs, essential services and investment on high streets. Yet the business rates system makes it harder for them to survive and grow. The Scottish government has rightly made economic growth, thriving high streets and stronger local communities’ priorities. However, the current non-domestic rates system is working against
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those ambitions. The warning signs are clear. Employment in Scotland’s convenience sector has fallen from around 55,000 to 49,000 since 2024, and store investment has declined from £95m to £89m. While the Scottish government is promoting local living and 20-minute neighbourhoods, we should be asking why investment and employment are moving in the wrong direction. The answer is not
solely about business rates, but the non-domestic rates regime, which is an increasingly significant part of the problem. Scottish retailers have missed out on reliefs available elsewhere in the UK. Meanwhile, the combination of the tapered Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS), reducing transitional relief and inflationdriven revaluations means more small businesses are facing higher bills. For convenience retailers, this matters as these are often low-margin businesses carrying the costs of premises, energy, staffing and local investment. A rates system that increases the tax burden when businesses improve their stores risks becoming a tax on the investment Scotland needs.
That creates a clear disparity between physical convenience stores and online-only retailers as tying rates so heavily to physical premises creates a structural disadvantage for high-street retailers. The Scottish government should now take the opportunity to deliver structural reform. That means genuine improvement relief, more responsive valuations and targeted support for independent and community retailers. Crucially, the SBBS must be protected and uprated for inflation. If the Scottish government is serious about delivering economic growth and thriving communities, its business rates system must better support Scotland’s convenience sector to deliver both.
YOUR SAY THIS WEEK’S QUESTION Will a ban on zerohour contracts affect your shop?
Yes 35%
No 65%
NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Have you changed your business bank in the last five years?
Poll by Better Retailing Club Rewards
08/09/2026 11:46
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11 September 2026 RN
INCREASING BASKET SPEND
Encouraging bigger baskets Shyama Laxman speaks to retailers to understand the measures they take to encourage shoppers to add more to their baskets in store and online
“O
ur average basket value in store is £9.87. Last year it was around £9.50,” says Reuben Singh-Mander, of The Three Singhs in Selby, West Yorkshire. Singh-Mander admits that while prices of items in his store have generally gone up, there are also things he has done that have contributed to the increase in his overall basket value. “PoS is a massively important part of it,” he says. “Making sure that all the new products are highlighted. That when a product is on promotion, it’s obvious that it is on promotion so the customer can see
Our average basket value in store is £9.87 – last year it was around £9.50
the saving.” He also has “little reminders” dotted around the store. For example, ‘Don’t Forget Milk’ cards are placed in the cereal and bread aisles, ‘Don’t Forget Bread’ appears in the milk aisle and ‘Don’t Forget Snacks’ in the beer fridge. These simple reminder cards are placed alongside products with multiple facings. “You can see people as they’re walking around the shop reading the card. Then it gets them to think: Is there anything else I need?” he says. Furthermore, maintaining store standards, such as full shelves and clear pricing, also adds
to the basket spend. Singh-Mander says while the majority of his PoS is supplied by Parfetts, he also has templates saved on a Word document to make his own which he can modify or replace when needed. MAKING ROOM FOR MORE Netherlands-based retail solutions provider Rocateq said in a July 2024 article that shopping trolleys can help increase sales: “Customers can easily collect large quantities of products with a shopping trolley without physical strain, which encourages them to purchase more items. In addition, using a shopping trolley encourages impulse purchases because customers have more room to add additional items they might not otherwise carry.” While not all convenience stores would have the space to accommodate trolleys, almost every retailer can provide a stack of baskets. Singh-Mander says he offers hand-held baskets as well as wheelie baskets, which were introduced a year and a half ago. These can be the next-best option to trolleys if space is at a premium. He adds that while it wasn’t
Image credit: Getty Images/Drazen Zigic p20-23 Increase basket spend.indd 20
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RETAILER VIEWPOINT
like confectionery and biscuits. “Because of changing prices and shrinkflation, customers are looking for value. Instead of buying just one single bar for 90p, they will see a multipack for £1.99 and take that,” he says. OPTIMISING THE SHOP FLOOR In the 24 July issue of RN, Priyesh Vekaria, of One Stop Carlton Convenience in Salford, Greater Manchester, said that meal deals – priced at £4 in his store – were a great way to encourage cross-category spend. If customers are made to “walk the entire shop floor” to grab the products within the meal deal, they are exposed to other things along the way, thereby doubling or even trebling that £4 spend, said Vekaria. While Singh-Mander doesn’t offer meal deals at present, he says focusing on shop layout induces those additional spends anyway. “We do have quite strong sandwich sales, but everything for us in that section is all grouped
STORE IMPROVEMENTS
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RN 11 September 2026
Natalie Lightfoot
Because of changing prices and shrinkflation, customers are looking for value
Londis Solo Convenience, Glasgow
During Christmas, take advantage of the seasonal sales. Make sure you’ve got your gifting range right. My hampers are listed on Snappy Shopper. They’re going to be a big add to my average basket because they can be £30 hampers. If you target at the right time in the lead-up to Christmas, people buy into it because they’ll run out of time to get anything bespoke by Christmas. Alcohol is probably the quickest way to grow basket spend. That’s where my strength lies in my area. It will be different for every retailer. Somebody might be rural, so they might need to have a good fresh range.
a calculated decision to introduce wheelie baskets, he finds shoppers are more likely to fill those up. WHERE CAN YOU ADD MORE? Singh-Mander’s focus for the rest of the year is on driving sales of multipacks and bigger pack sizes, which are an easy way to bring up the average basket value. “Especially with drinks, they’ll buy a cold one to consume straight away and another one to have later. And that’s where they focus on value. But my profit margin comes from that instant one they want now,” he explains. Kevin Polley, operations manager at Kash UK, says basket value has remained steady at around £8 in some of his stores, attributing it to offering “competitive prices” on beer multipacks since last October. Polley offers 12-pack multipacks for £10 or under, selling around 500 multipacks in a week across the estate. While big packs of take-home soft drinks, water and beer will always remain keen options, Singh-Mander says multipack sales are also growing in categories
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» 07/09/2026 11:22
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11 September 2026 RN
INCREASING BASKET SPEND
within the same aisle,” he says. “So, sandwiches lead on to crisps and drinks, and then it follows around to confectionery. “We have never offered any deals in that section, just focused on shop layout and making sure that area is easy to shop because those customers are on a mission. The only time they’ll browse is when they’re picking their sandwich.” Singh-Mander has been asked about meal deal solutions in his store, but says that even without one, his customers tend to get three items whatever the price is. Sandwiches are priced at £3.50 and with the add-ons, such as soft drinks and confectionery, the total is between £6.50 and £7. Singh-Mander sells around 90 sandwiches a week, and 50-60 of those sales are bought with add-ons, potentially adding £325£420 to his tills each week. Furthermore, with his grocery section towards the back of the store, Singh-Mander says customers tend to spend more time browsing the fixtures. Placing complementary items together – pasta and pasta sauces, for example – increases the possibility of shoppers picking up that extra product. Unlike his milk, cereal and bread aisles, which are standalone sections and benefit from reminder PoS, a similar approach is not required in grocery as the sections flow cohesively. Elaborating further on the grouping mechanic, Singh-Mander says that in January this year, he reduced his range of biscuits and positioned them next to his take-home tea and coffee. Previously the two were on opposite ends of the aisle. Though he was unable to share exact sales figures, Singh-Mander says there has been a definite sales uplift. “If a customer is already spending £5 on a jar of coffee or £3 on a box of tea bags, it is easier to get them to buy a £2.25 McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives or even the local biscuits for £2.99,” he says. Singh-Mander also makes a point of reusing supplier-provided assets to upsell within the store. He places baskets in front of his food-to-go fridge, supplied by Walkers when it introduced the 85p PMP range earlier this year. Once he ran out of stock of the 85p packs, he has used the basket to continue displaying the £1.35 range, which is continuing to sell. A CASE FOR THE ONLINE BASKET Natalie Lightfoot, of Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow, says
p20-23 Increase basket spend.indd 22
that the average basket value of a Snappy Shopper order has gone up from £26 to £30 in the past two years. She says that merchandising one’s online store, compared to a physical store, is an easier, albeit important, step. “Eighty per cent of the people who shop online just search for the specific brand or product. The remaining 20% that are scrolling will only scroll five times before they get bored. It’s very rare for somebody to scroll all the way through your menu,” says Lightfoot. “So, if you want to sell things that are going to be basket fillers, you’d need to make banners that will appeal to people. We have value deals and things that people didn’t come online for, and that helps expand our basket,” she says. A typical online basket in Lightfoot’s store comprises “two-to-three things from each category”, though groceries are the highest-margin items that an ideal online basket would contain. The most lucrative categories for her are snacking and confectionery, and this is evi-
Eighty per cent of the people who shop online just search for the specific brand or product
denced in these being her banner choice at the time of writing. Lightfoot further adds that offering value-led bundle deals can get customers into the habit of starting an online basket. “We did a one-penny cleaning bundle which was more than £11-worth of stuff, and we delivered 252 orders in one day. I wouldn’t run that again because it was a loss leader. But it was a good way to get people to download the app,” she says. “We’ve moved to value deals now, where we are sort of covering the cost. For example, we do a bundle where we are getting £1.49 back from the customer, but they’re getting more than £3- or £4-worth of stuff. We’re playing around with the promotions that we get from our wholesalers and doing a contribution system, so it’s a very small loss for us, but you’re getting back the rest of the basket.” Elsewhere, Dev Patel, of MJ’s Premier in Royton, Greater Manchester, says that about four-to-six weeks prior to speaking to RN, the
07/09/2026 11:23
STORE IMPROVEMENTS
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RN 11 September 2026
RETAILER VIEWPOINT Reuben Singh-Mander
The Three Singhs Selby, West Yorkshire
average Snappy Shopper basket value had increased from £27.50 to more than £30. “Because it’s integrated with my till system, I have in-store prices online. So, if I’m running a promotion in store, it’ll also be displayed online,” says Patel, adding that these promotions help increase the overall spend. “One of our old customers from our previous delivery partner said we never have Kopparberg 500ml on offer. So, we run single price at RRP £3.39. We run an in-store offer of two for £5.50. The customer was saving just short of 50p and started buying eight bottles instead of two, trying to hit her minimum basket spend of £15,” Patel explains. Patel also runs an ‘up to 75% off’ bundle – for example, a 12-pack of Costa Coffee RTD cans reduced from £12 to £4.50. Shoppers can pick two items from this bundle, which encourages them to start creating a basket. “I encourage customers on social media to buy from this category.
p20-23 Increase basket spend.indd 23
That gives them the first push into starting their order,” says Patel, adding this type of promotion has also helped with retention. “This is now phase six. We change it every four weeks. One customer in one week will order on average eight times out of this bundle, so they go on to place eight more orders every week.” He further adds that on 1 August, he trialled Snappy Shopper’s ‘Easy Meal Ideas’ category, grouping together ingredients needed to make family meals including fajitas, spaghetti bolognese and pizza. Within two weeks, he received 75 orders, 238 items were sold, with 3.2 items per order from this category, generating £521 in sales. “These products weren’t discounted as part of a promotion. They were simply grouped together under meal ideas, making it quicker and easier for customers to shop,” says Patel, adding that he next plans on growing his bakery and food-to-go options on Snappy Shopper as an additional way to up the basket value. l
Non-food items do come into play when building a bigger basket. Washing machine tablets, detergents, bathroom spray and kitchen spray are all items which are bought as part of a basket rather than on their own. I have been looking at this section now and finding potential in the category, because those customers who are coming in with a basket, the chances are they’re shopping for different sections of the house. For example, Astonish sprays will be an extra £1.60. Or if these shoppers are doing a bit of cleaning, they might get floor sprays and air fresheners as well, and before you know it, that’s an extra £4-£5 added to the basket. I’ve got the staff going through the fixture, making sure it’s all priced up correctly. And then during quiet hours, I’ll have a proper look at the numbers and Parfetts’ planograms to see what I’m missing.
07/09/2026 11:23
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WINTER REMEDIES
11 September 2026 RN
Curing the winter blues Anne Bruce finds out how retailers are making their medications go further this winter
A
s soon as the nights start to draw in, retailers see demand for medicines and remedies for coughs, colds, and winter aches and pains rise. “People might think they have a tickle in their throat on the way to work and stop in the convenience store for some throat sweets,” says Dev Patel, who operates three stores around Manchester with his father, Sasi. Sales in the category will be double in winter compared to what they are in summer, around £200 per week per store, says Patel, while Peter Bhadal says sales are up by around a third in the category in winter at Londis Woodhouse Street in Leeds. As peak winter season approaches, the category needs a few seasonal tweaks. Out go hay fever remedies and insect bite ointments,
Cold and flu sales typically double during September
and in come Strepsils and Lockets. Patel extends the range of Lemsip and cold-and-flu powders, with other key winter lines including Vicks inhalers, Deep Heat, and paracetamol and ibuprofen in capsules and caplets. He carries a uniform range of medicines across all three stores, with a slightly larger selection at the store furthest from a pharmacy. Big-selling lines are Strepsils, Lockets and other medicated throat sweets, which account for around half of winter turnover in pharmacy items. Retailers report that when it comes to mainstream medicines, customers favour branded options. Products are mostly branded in Patel’s stores; customers prefer the reassurance a brand offers, he says, and there aren’t that many ownlabel alternatives anyway.
SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT Elizabeth Hughes-Gapper Senior brand manager, Jakemans
Many shoppers visit specifically to find fast relief for symptoms such as sore throats or coughs, while others add remedies to a planned grocery shop to prepare for the colder months. There is a strong impulse element, particularly for products positioned in convenient locations. Retailers that make remedies easy to spot can capture both planned and last-minute purchases.
»
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07/09/2026 10:49
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22/07/2026 17:31
26
WINTER REMEDIES
Bhadal has noticed customers looking for cheaper own-brand options in the cost-of-living crisis, but has not been able to source as many own-brand options as he would like. At the moment, 80% of the range is branded, with higher prices and lower margins. Margins will be around 30-35% in the category, he says. The range is displayed to the left of the till on 50cm-wide shelving. This helps staff keep an eye on any potential shoplifters, as medicines are a category prone to theft, retailers agree. It also helps with stock control, as if anything is missing, staff will notice and replenish quickly, maximising sales. AVAILABILITY Bhadal carries all the basics, but his focus this winter is to ensure he does not get caught out on stock levels by placing orders ahead of time. Amid the summer heatwaves, supply became an issue in the medicines category due to regulations on safe transit temperatures for medicines. Medicines such as paracetamol need to be distributed at a room temperature between 15°C and 25°C. This led to unexpected stock-level hiccups at the store. Bhadal looked for alternative third-party suppliers to address supply problems, but could not find a suitable additional wholesaler for medicines, in addition to his standard arrangements with Londis and Booker. “The main thing for winter is maintaining stock levels as medicine is usually something the cus-
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tomer will have come into the store specifically to buy,” he says. This ties in with advice from Robert Slater, sales and commercial director at SHS Sales & Marketing, to increase stockholding on pharmacy items before demand rises and monitor key lines closely to avoid lost sales. “Evidence suggests cold and flu sales typically double during September, with further peaks after Christmas and into January,” he reports. Must-stocks for winter should cover cold and flu, decongestants, medicated confectionery, cough remedies, and adult and children’s pain relief, he recommends. NICHE OPTIONS Mulla Ahmed, at Mullaco Supermarket in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, has built a reputation for his range of traditional herbal and homoeopathic medicines and supplements, sold alongside a standard winter range. Around 100 lines, such as Monison’s pain balm for headaches and colds or Hamdard Toot Siah for sore throats, are available nationwide by mail order, with orders coming in from far and wide. “We work with many niche south Asian suppliers, with products for anything from hair loss to knee pain,” he says. “We sell lots of powders and leaves as well as a range of herbal teas. Hibiscus tea is popular in winter as it is high in antioxidants.” Turnover in the medicines category is around £200-to-£300 a week in winter, double what it is
NEW PRODUCT Olbas innovation Olbas is extending its range with the launch of Olbas Pelargonium Herbal Cough & Cold Relief Tablets (RRP £7.99/21 tablets). It contains a medicinal extract from the roots of Pelargonium sidoides (African geranium), a plant with a long history of traditional use in respiratory care.
We work with many niche south Asian suppliers
in summer, he says. Margins on standard medicines are around 3035% but the alternative medicines side offers much more lucrative margins of 50-60%. A mainstream winter range is displayed near the till, while alternative medicine products are now offered in a two-metre bay at the centre of the 12,000sq ft store. Sales in the subcategory have doubled since the move six months ago. Ahmed says: “We realised that customers needed time to browse and read the packaging, so we have put the section in a quieter part of the store.” Two members of staff are experts in alternative medicines, he adds, and can help customers with any queries. He is exploring plans to install more educational point-of-sale and explanatory signage, as well as perhaps a TV screen. Winter may bring coughs, colds and aches, but for retailers, it also brings sales opportunities for winter remedies. l
08/09/2026 16:41
TAKE-HOME ICE CREAM
STORE IMPROVEMENTS
27
RN 11 19 September June 2026 2026
Drive high sales with take-home ice cream
S
Tamara Birch explores the take-home ice cream sales opportunity and how retailers are preparing to maintain sales during winter
hoppers are more likely to treat themselves in winter with premium take-home options, like Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs, and increase spend further with additional desserts, according to Jeet Bansi, of Meon Vale Londis in Stratfordupon-Avon, Warwickshire. “Our premium range also consists of Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream and Oreo Ice Cream, and while these are sold as sharing tubs and meant to last, most of our customers will fin-
People buy Ben & Jerry’s at full price
ish them that night,” he says. For Bansi’s customers, tubs are an ideal accompaniment for nights in or as a treat. Either mission is likely to see customers be less concerned about price. But he does recommend offering tubs and multipacks that cover a wider range of pricing. “We have premium options and more value options, such as a 1l tub of vanilla ice cream from Londis or Wall’s Soft Scoop,” Bansi says. “We’re lucky to have the space, but our range means there’s something
for everyone.” Bansi aims for a 30% margin or higher, rising to 40-45% when he buys on promotion. He looks to add to ice cream spend with accompanying desserts, adding a range featuring gateaux, at the end of last October. As a result, take-home ice cream occupies around 5-5.5% of his frozen sales. “Some brands only offer 20-25%, which we’re happy with because it means we can keep prices low and appealing to our customers,” he says. Chloe Taylor-Green, of Spar Western Downs in Stafford, Staffordshire, echoes what Bansi says, adding that with Ben & Jerry’s, customers expect to pay a premium price.
»
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11 September 19 June 2026 RN
TAKE-HOME ICE CREAM
“People buy Ben & Jerry’s at full price for £6, which has always been the case,” she says. “With shoppers visiting multiple stores for the best price, we have to be competitive.” She also adds that value tubs and multipacks are also a key part of her take-home ice cream range, with her Iceland take-home ice cream range generating high sales. Taylor-Green sold 36 boxes of Iceland own-brand Cones in one week over the summer, having sold 25 boxes two weeks prior. “Sales have started to show some decline, but the weather has changed,” she says. “But most of our multipacks will maintain high levels. Iceland’s ice lollies, for example, jumped from four boxes to 39 boxes over a 13-week period.” Taylor-Green once sold 59 boxes of Rocket lollies from Iceland in one week and 56 boxes the following week. “Quantities have almost tripled, which is great,” she says. The growth of multipacks has grown substantially over the past four years as consumer attitude towards ice cream consumption has developed, according to Kerry Cavanaugh, general manager at Mars Drinks & Treats. “Ice cream is no longer reserved for those looking for a treat to cool down with during the summer months, but it is also the treat of choice for shoppers opting for athome treats,” he says. MAXIMISING WINTER SALES Availability and investing in the right equipment are two areas that
helped Bansi grow and maintain his winter ice cream sales. “Making sure we’re on top of our refrigeration has been our biggest success with the category,” he says. “We get an annual service in December or January, so it’s ready for the year ahead, both peak winter and summer.” Getting an annual service ensures that you’re able to relocate any ice cream to another freezer if it needs replacing. After his service, Bansi expanded his freezer space and says that while it required a large up-front cost, the long-term savings are worth it. “We have several freezers we use for ice cream and expanding our freezers means we have an entire area just for take-home ice cream,” he says. “We have been able to increase multipacks and sharing tubs as a result.” Not every store will have the capacity to expand their take-home ice cream range, but Rhiannon Lines, retail execution lead at The Magnum Ice Cream Company, says there are five steps to selling takehome ice cream into year-round bestsellers for any store. “Choose the right freezer for your store, considering space and footfall. There is a range of options available to suit different needs,” she says. “Stock bestsellers that will drive constant sales. Keep an eye out for new innovations and flavours, use PoS materials to draw attention to your ice cream range, and keep your display looking tidy and well stocked.” l
RETAILER VIEWPOINT
We have been able to increase multipacks and sharing tubs
Chloe Taylor-Green
Spar Western Downs, Staffordshire
Customers are buying own-label ice cream from Iceland as it’s not only a recognisable brand, but it’s cheaper. Some branded ice lolly multipacks sell for £5 for a three-pack, but Iceland’s own-label is only £2.75, so it’s a no-brainer for them. However, there are exceptions to this. Ben & Jerry’s tubs, for example, and Wall’s Soft Scoop are more expensive, but people store them in the freezer and save them to have throughout winter. In the winter, frozen desserts, such as arctic rolls or cake, will be bought with ice cream tubs for them to have after a Sunday roast.
THIS YEAR’S LAUNCHES l Swizzels launches Squashies Splits ice cream Brand of Brothers has expanded its Swizzels range with the launch of Squashies Splits. It is a milk-flavoured ice cream lolly with raspberry coating. According to information seen by RN earlier this year in a wholesaler’s catalogue, the new product is available now in a case size of 12, with six lollies in a pack. It is available to Nisa retailers, and is expected to bring 30% profit on return. l The Magnum Ice Cream Company announces Twister Frrreeze Twister Frrreeze is a blend of peach, raspberry and orange flavours that leaves a long-lasting cooling sensation as a result of technology developed by The Magnum Ice Cream Company’s research and development team. l The Magnum Ice Cream Company launches Cornetto and Solero lines In March, The Magnum Ice Cream Company added new varieties to its Solero Bon Bon, Magnum Bon Bon, Calippo and Cornetto ranges. The lines included Cornetto Max Hazelnut & Chocolate, Magnum Bon Bons Milk Chocolate & Cherry, Solero Bon Bon Exotic, Solero Bon Bon Strawberry and Calippo Strawberry. Image credit: Getty Images/Kuzmik_A/Kwangmoozaa p27-28 Ice Cream.indd 28
07/09/2026 10:58
SELL MORE MAGAZINES
NEW MUSIC MAGAZINES
In partnership with lucidretail.co.uk
STORE IMPROVEMENTS
29
RN 11 September 2026
For help with your magazine range, contact richard@luciddirect.co.uk
Silverback Publishing’s big 2026 launch – Reloaded Collectors’ Edition – follows the success of its Rap Central Station. Publisher Tom Saunders advises on music magazine opportunities
GETTING RELOADED
BOOKAZINE BONANZA
While most big publishers may have effectively exited the music segment, indie publishers are thriving. Take Silverback Publishing, which oversees a clutch of music titles. In the past year, it has launched Reloaded, as well as Rap Central Station. “It’s early days,” says the company’s Tom Saunders of the former, “but there’s plenty to build on. We’re still waiting for the picture, so I wouldn’t want to get ahead of myself. The Prodigy was a great subject to launch Reloaded with, but there’s much more in there, too. The challenge now is getting more people to discover it. Launching a new magazine takes time, whatever name is on the cover.”
Meanwhile, Silverback’s long-running Shindig title has just produced a bookazine of its own – Kaleidoscope – which looks at post-punk and 1980s psychedelia. “Bookazines are something we are looking to, provided the subject is right. There are plenty of other subjects we could tackle. It’s a case of choosing them carefully and getting the timing right. The bookazine trend will continue, but we can’t all keep covering the same people and expect readers to buy everything. There has to be something in there that makes it worth buying.”
INDIE MILESTONES Issue two of Reloaded is currently being worked up, with names such as the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, My Bloody Valentine and Radiohead in the frame. “It’s about giving those artists and the scenes around them a proper airing,” says Saunders. “We need to spread the releases out sensibly, though, so each gets the push it deserves.” Meanwhile, quarterly hip-hop title Rap Central Station is up to issue four. “That’s a milestone in itself for a new independent title,” says Saunders. “There’s a base to build on. Having [Public Enemy frontman] Chuck D involved is a huge part of it, but you still have to put the work into getting it out there.”
TITLES WORTH KEEPING Both Reloaded and Rap Central Station land somewhere between a standard magazine and a bookazine, with a collectable feel. The latter features a unique 12-inch vinyl size, “part of what makes it special”, says Saunders. “I think people want to feel they’ve bought something worth keeping. Everyone is watching what they spend, so we have to give them value. Plenty to read, great pictures and writers who really know their subject. Something you can keep going back to. Chuck D stated that Rap Central Station has a target audience of 35-to-75-year-olds. Saunders added: “There’s still very much a place for the regular magazines, too. We’ve got readers who look forward to every issue, and you don’t want to lose sight of that while chasing the next special.”
NEXT FOR SILVERBACK For Silverback, bookazines represent an outlay, too: “From our side, these are a proper investment. The money goes out well before it comes back, so you have to give each one time to wash its face.” So, what’s next? “Getting our magazines into more hands, really. We’ve spent months building a list of independent shops here – and in the US – that could be a good fit for our titles. Reaching further afield is the next stage, alongside developing the specials.”
IMPORTANT EDITIONS • Shindig bookazine Kaleidoscope: order from tom@silverbackpublishing.rocks • Shindig: 2 October, order from news wholesalers • Rap Central Station: 11 September, order from news wholesalers • Reloaded: out now, next issue TBC, order from news wholesalers • Blitzed: 6 November, order from news wholesalers
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NewstrAid’s Retailer Support Scheme For more information contact us for FREE on 0800 917 8616 email: mail@newstraid.org.uk www.newstraid.org.uk/retailer-support-scheme/ NB. Financial support must be for commitments outside the business and will be subject to eligibility checks.
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TO ADD THIS WEEK THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CLAUDE
l Anthem was the world’s first publisher to launch a title devoted to explaining ChatGPT to consumers, and its tech guides continue to explain AI and other developments simply. The Ultimate Guide to Claude offers readers the chance to “master the brilliant AI service that everyone is flocking to”.
11 September 2026 RN For help with your magazine range, contact richard@luciddirect.co.uk
Terms change
Launch activity
On sale 8 September Frequency monthly Price £25 Distributor Seymour Display with Motorsport News Barcode 9773064735010
On sale 9 September Frequency one shot Price £8.99 Distributor Seymour Display with Uncut, Mojo Barcode 9772755832014
PUZZLER PRESENTS
l This mixed puzzle compendium title from the Puzzler empire comes with a seasonal theme – Awesome Autumn Puzzles – and features more than 115 different challenges for readers. It takes in all kinds of different brainteasers, covering crosswords, sudoku, wordsearches, picture puzzles, codewords and more.
On sale 16 September Frequency one shot Price £9.99 Distributor Frontline Display with Just Crosswords Barcode 9772732435023
SIMPLY CHRISTMAS
l Four different elements are bagged together for this Simply Christmas one shot, with three extra guides alongside the main Simply Christmas magazine. The pack features scores of festive inspirations, a 2027 calendar and gift, recipe and decoration ideas. It also features the best Christmas markets across the UK and Europe.
On sale 10 September Frequency one shot Price £6.99 Distributor Frontline Display with Ideal Home Christmas Special Barcode 9772398300024
NEWSTEAM, THE UK'S LARGEST HOME NEWS DELIVERY COMPANY, WILL BUY YOUR DELIVERY ROUNDS
For a free, no obligation valuation of your business email donna.williams@newsteamgroup.co.uk or call 07305 789817
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Free gift
Bumper issue
Spotlight
Lucid recommends
On sale 19 September Frequency one shot Price £9.99 Distributor Marketforce Display with Senior’s Guide to ChatGPT Barcode 5059464629000
UNCUT GREATS
l Music staples Mojo and Uncut have long branched out beyond the standard monthly issues and into one shots and specials. The trend seems to be growing, as shown by this eighth issue of Uncut Greats, focusing on Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant.
Special issue
HOW I’M GROWING MY SALES TODAY
ESSES
l This high-quality motorsport magazine has a hefty cover price (it’s just gone up from £15 to £25), and promises to offer readers a “passport to the grand prix world”, going beyond the racing and offering a distinctly international flavour. The new issue features Mexican driver Sergio Pérez on the cover.
One shot
CHRISTINE HOPE Hopes of Longtown, Herefordshire
POS SUPPORT We’ve received some point of sale (PoS) for Farmers Guardian, which has been really useful. It highlights the fact there are new issues every Friday – as it’s a weekly magazine. To support the PoS, we’ve put it at the front of the shop where it’s most visible. We’re in a rural area, so we have a lot of interest in farming magazines.
OUT IN THE COUNTRY With the PoS, we’re also putting some other relevant titles next to it, including Country Life, as I was confident we can sell more of that title off the back of it. This seems to be working well, and people who are picking up Farmers Guardian are proving more likely to pick up a copy of Country Life to go alongside it.
SNAPP IT UP
Being in a rural area, we also take magazines such as Farmers Weekly and Farm Machinery. It’s important to have a good range of them on the shelves. The PoS just helps with that. With titles such as these, we’ll take a few copies of others in the category and keep a close eye on them, especially monthlies, and see which are selling. As soon as they’re close to selling out, we’ll get on to SNapp and get more copies to make sure we can supply demand.
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newspaper delivery company
12/12/2025 14:51
07/09/2026 10:11
NEWSTRADE TERMS
In partnership with lucidretail.co.uk
STORE IMPROVEMENTS
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RN 11 September 2026
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Title Funko Bitty POP! Toy Story Mystery Figurine
Starter Stkrs/cards 3.00
Funko POP! KPop Keychains Funko POP! Mystery Minis: Spider-Man
5.00 6.00
Funko POP! Mystery Minis: Toy Story 5 Figurines
6.00
Gashapon Demon Slayer Littlest Pet Shop Pet Assortment Littlest Pet Shop Figurines Series 3 Littlest Pet Shop Surprise Plush Magic The Gathering: Marvel Superheroes Mojipops Rainbow Series Shokugan: Kirby Friends Figure Shokugan Tamagotchi
5.99 3.99 3.99 4.99
Title Yu-Gi-Oh! Blazing Dominion Yu-Gi-Oh! Rage of the Abyss
Starter Stkrs/cards 3.99 3.99
POKÉMON Pokémon Mega Evolutions Pokémon Perfect Order Pokémon Phantasmal Flames Pokemon Pitch Black Pokémon Temporal Forces Pokémon Chaos Rising
3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99
5.99 1.00 4.99 2.99
3.00
Shokugan: Kirby Friends Figure Series 5
4.99
3.00
SuperThings Kazoom Power Warriors
1.20
NEWSPAPERS DAILY NEWSPAPERS price/margin pence/%
SATURDAY NEWSPAPERS
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS
Sun
£1.30
26p
20%
Sun
£1.70
34p
20%
Sun
£2
40p
20%
Mirror
£2.20
37.95p
17.25%
Mirror
£3.50
60.38p
17.25%
Sunday Mirror
£3.80
67.45p
17.75%
Daily Record
£2 .20
39.05p
17.75%
Daily Record
£3.40
58.65p
17.25%
People
£3.80
67.45p
17.75%
Daily Star
£1.60
27.6p
17.25%
Daily Star
£2.30
39.68p
17.25%
Star Sunday
£2.60
44.85p
17.25%
Daily Mail*
£1.30
28.34p
21.8%
Daily Mail*
£1.70
34.9p
20.5%
Sunday Sport
£2.20
48.4p
22%
Express
£2.20
37.95p
17.25%
Express
£3.40
58.65p
17.25%
Mail on Sunday*
£2.30
47.2p
20.5%
Telegraph
£4
66.5p
16.6%
Telegraph
£5
83.25p
17%
Sunday Mail
£3.80
70.3p
17.75%
Times
£3.20
60.8p
19%
Times
£4.50
80p
17.78%
Sunday Telegraph
£4
66.5p
16.6%
FT
£3.70
74p
20%
FT
£5.40
£1.125
20.83%
Sunday Times
£5
90p
18%
Guardian*
£3.50
71.75p
20.5%
Guardian*
£4.50
92.25p
20.5%
Observer*
£5
£1.05
21%
i
£1.10
23.65p
21.5%
iWeekend
£2
43p
21.5%
Scotland on Sunday £2.80
61.6p
22%
Racing Post
£5.70
£1.03
18%
Racing Post
£5.90
£1.08
18.25%
Racing Post
£5.70
£1.03
18%
Herald (Scotland)
£2.80
47.6p
17%
Herald (Scotland)
£3.20
56p
17.5%
SundayHerald(Scotland) £3
50.4p
16.8%
Scotsman
£2.60
57.2p
22%
Scotsman
£3.10
68.2p
22%
Sunday Express
£3.80
65.55p
17.25%
The National
£1.60
26.88p
16.8%
The National
£1.60
26.88p
16.8%
Sunday Post
£2.95
59p
20%
* Premium terms available for home delivery copies
The National
£2.80
50.4p
18%
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