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RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 04.03.2022

The 14 high-margin categories most stores are missing out on

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FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Page 22

Vol 133 No 9 £2.50

Discover the suppliers, wholesalers and tips you need to recreate their success

Local shops reveal the unique ranges delivering strong sales and 50%+ margins

01/03/2022 13:41

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

CONTENTS Senior features writer

Editor Jack Courtez

Priyanka Jethwa

@JackCourtez

020 7689 3371 Features editor

@PriyankaJethwa_

020 7689 3355

Charles Whitting @CharlieWhittin1

020 7689 3350

Senior news Reporter Alex Yau

News editor

@AlexYau_

Megan Humphrey

020 7689 3358

@MeganHumphrey_

020 7689 3357

Deputy insight & advertorial editor

Features writer

Tamara Birch

Jasper Hart

@TamaraBirchNT

020 7689 3361

@JasperAHHart

020 7689 3384

Magazines reporter

Editor in chief

Tim Murray

Louise Banham

tim.murray@newtrade.co.uk

@LouiseBanham

News reporter Suhara Pavithri Jayasena

Head of design Anne-Claire Pickard

@suharajourno

Designer Jody Cooke Production editor Ryan Cooper

Head of Commercial Natalie Reeve Sub editors 020 7689 3372 Jim Findlay, Robin Jarossi Account manager Production Marie Dickens coordinator 020 7689 3366 Chris Gardner 020 7689 3368 Business delivery Digital content editor manager Ifzal Afzal Jody Porter 020 7689 3382 020 7689 3378 Management accountant Abi Sylvane 020 7689 3383

Head of digital Luthfa Begum 07909 245 949 Senior account director Charlotte Jesson 020 7689 3389

Managing director Parin Gohil 020 7689 3363

Printed by Warners Midlands plc Distributor Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Audit Bureau of Circulations July 2020 to June 2021 average net circulation per issue 8,296

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WELCOME

or weeks, industry insiders have been watching McColl’s with great concern. It appears their alarm was justified. No business is an island, and McColl’s is no different. The three major groups to watch will be the Post Office (PO), Morrisons and publishers. For all three, a grand collapse would derail years of hard work and collaboration. McColl’s claims to operate nearly 600 post offices, making it the largest PO franchise partner in the UK. Contractually, PO has to maintain a network of 11,500 locations to receive its allimportant government subsidy. The loss of even a half of these 600 Editor branches would take it well below this limit. Morrisons is investing heavily in becoming a convenience wholeJack Courtez saler. Remember the supermarket had its fingers burned when it @JackCourtez tried to operate its own c-stores. In 2015, it dumped its 130 M Local 020 7689 3371 stores and lost £30m in the process. This time, by supplying rather than running stores, Morrisons thought it could get a slice of the convenience sales pie without getting bogged down running small stores. McColl’s collapsing would jeopardise this strategy. The supermarket has recruited convenience-specific buyers, support teams and is ranging wholesale-specific lines with McColl’s as its only major partner. If McColl’s goes under, Morrisons may face a difficult decision between its wholesale strategy going nearly back to square one, or once again becoming a convenience-store operator. For publishers, McColl’s was a bastion. Despite swinging the axe recently in terms of magazine space, the chain is still seen as an ally. It is the only retail chain still providing home news delivery, and stocks an expanded range of magazines in many sites. News-industry sources said the collapse of McColl’s would hit publishers harder than the loss of Waitrose’s free newspaper offer, which was predicted to wipe out as much as 10% of some weekendedition sales.

HEADLINES 3 INDUSTRY NEWS Stores warn inflationary pressures making PMPs unprofitable

Retailers look to evade upcoming junk-food-promo ban 5 SYMBOL NEWS

Nisa and Costcutter stores resist delivery-slot changes

6 NEWSTRADE NEWS

News deliverer’s groceries success 7 NFRN NEWS

NFRN backs rehabilitation trial found to cut shoplifiting

8 YOUR VIEWS

‘Camelot took my lottery terminal’ 10 NEWS SPECIAL: ENERGY CRISIS

Newtrade Media Limited, 11 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2SD Tel 020 7689 0600 email letters@newtrade.co.uk

How stores are fighting back

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.

Convenience sector leads

For trade use only

against rising utility bills

14 SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

zero- waste refill rollout

INSIGHT 9 CATEGORY FOCUS

Yazoo reveals its tips for growing dairy-drink sales

15 PRODUCT NEWS

Budweiser Brewing Group launches ‘Unfiltered’ Stella Artois variety

18 EXPERT COLUMN

Scott Annan on the trends all top shop owners need to watch this year

20 PRICEWATCH

How stores are pricing the top 10 sticker and trading card lines

22 STORE ADVICE

Retailers reveal their out-of-the-

ordinary high-margin categories

28 VAPRIL

Everything stores need to make the most of vaping’s big month

34 THE PROMO BAN

Understand how the HFSS promotions ban will affect your shelves

38 MAGAZINE ABCS

Find out how the top 100 magazines have performed

42 HOME BAKING

Get the ingredients needed to capitalise on customers baking at home

44 THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

2000 AD’s upcoming special editions and launches revealed

RN’s publisher Newtrade Media cares about the environment.

p2 Contents.indd 2

01/03/2022 15:29

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

NEWS Stores ditch PMPs as inflation hits margins by Suhara Pavithri Jayasena suhara.jayasena@newtrade.co.uk

Inflationary pressures are outstripping supplier ability to adjust price-marked packs (PMPs), leading to falling retail margins and stores moving to nonprice-marked products. Responding to retailer concern about falling margins on some pricemarked lines, a Nisa spokesperson revealed “in this period of significant disruption within supply chains and the pace that cost pressures are coming through the system, it has not been possible in every instance for suppliers to make these changes ahead of having to push through an increase in costs”. Amit Puntambekar, of Ash’s Shop in Cambridgeshire, claimed he had seen, “almost a 5%-to10% margin drop in pricemarked goods”, adding it was “no longer sustainable to stock PMPs”. Puntambekar said his store’s own-label line of £1 ham had decreased from 25% to 16% margin. “For a chilled product, that margin is not feasible. Now we have decided for some areas where we can’t get the margin, we are trying to replace the product with

a non-PMP line,” he said. “We are making a judgement call line by line. I don’t think retailers should be accepting 15% or even 20% margin. You can’t run a business on those levels of margins. There is no point selling products and not making any profit on them. “The best way to make a decision to move away from PMPs is to look at net profit per line and, if it is unprofitable, decide to replace it with something different, like invest in premium lines to get more net profit in that specific space of your store.” One Booker store owner said they had noticed on £1 Dairy Milk chocolate

bars supplied by Booker the price remained the same, but the weight of the bar had decreased from 100g to 90g. They said: “At the moment, it seems customers haven’t noticed the change in weight of the bars, but with the increase on PMPs, it is bound to go two ways: either the PMP price increases, or the weight of the product decreases, but the price remains the same.” Trudy Davies, of Woosnam & Davies News in Llanidloes, Powys, said: “We are considering removing PMPs as costs go up and margins go down. It is about staying on top of things and keeping an eye on PMP prices.

“Staying on top of the price increases adds to our workload because we are checking every item.” Chocolate confectionery sharing bags looked to be one of the hardest-hit segments. Booker was the only one of the ‘big three’ wholesalers to be listing all core price-marked lines from Mars and Mondelez at more than 20% retail margin. Despite the pressures, suppliers continue to urge local stores to stock pricemarked goods to reassure price-conscious shoppers. Recent research from Budweiser Brewing Group indicated two thirds of local stores continued to back PMPs.

KP restarts supply after cyberattack KP Snacks succeeded in restarting production less than a month after its factories and distribution sites were knocked out by a cyberattack. An industry source told RN last week that limited production had restarted by 21 February, and the company’s top-selling core lines would be the first to arrive back in stores.

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Asked about its progress, a spokesperson for KP Snacks confirmed to RN: “We continue to make progress in recovering from our recent ransomware incident. “Over [19-20 February] we resumed production across our seven manufacturing sites, which, although limited, has remained constant and

as planned. At this initial stage, we are focusing production capacity on an adapted range of priority products to support a phased recovery. “We would like to thank our customers for their support and flexibility while we work at pace to restore full supply.” Following the ransomware attack on the

supplier on 28 January, Nisa claimed availability issues on KP Snacks lines could last “until the end of March at the earliest”. Eight out of 13 KP branded lines, 12 out of 12 McCoy’s and eight out of eight Hula Hoops lines remained out of stock, according to Bestway depot data seen by RN on 1 March.

McColl’s ‘on brink’ of collapse McColl’s is reported to be “on the brink of collapse” with just weeks to find a buyer or secure new funding, according to Sky News. Responding to reports, McColl’s told investors on Monday it is receiving “credit support” from its “key commercial partner” as it hunts for a long-term funding agreement to help it tackle its increasing levels of debt. The convenience chain also admitted its sales for the Christmas period and the first quarter of 2022, as well as final-year earnings, were “behind expectations”. McColl’s said it had received acquisition interest from one party, but this had subsequently been withdrawn, with “no further discussions” with any party about “an offer for the whole business”. Around 16,000 jobs and 1,100 stores are thought to be at risk.

EG opens Blackburn grocery Euro Garages (EG) cofounder Zuber Issa is to open a Euro Grocersbranded grocery store in Blackburn. The trial, which is in the early phases of design and development, will be operated independently from the wider Asda and Euro Garages business. The 6,000sq ft site was described as an “urban transient grocery convenience store” and will include an on-site butchery, fishmonger, a concession for Indian sweet-and-savoury products, self-checkouts and 40 car-parking spaces.

01/03/2022 16:05

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

NEWS Bestway in ID IT trial

Three Bestway stores are taking part in a government trial of digital age-verification for alcohol and tobacco purchases. The participating stores are a Bargain Booze, Wine Rack and Tippl in West Yorkshire. As part of the trial running until May, the stores have specialised cameras at the tills, which analyse a customer’s facial features to establish their age and alert staff if they need to ask for ID. Bestway retail director Mike Hollis said: “We’re proud to be pioneering the use of age verification technology in our drinksled specialist stores. “Staff abuse is rife in the convenience channel, with the ACS 2021 Crime Report highlighting about 40,000 incidents of violence against people working in convenience stores in the past year.”

Nisa plan for refill units Refill units are to become a default part of a new Nisa Local format, according to the group’s head of format Darren May. Speaking to The Grocer, May said zero-waste refill units would become ‘integral’ in a bid to make customers aware of Nisa’s eco credentials, but retailers could still remove them if they chose. The Nisa Local refresh is to be formally unveiled at the group’s September expo, with May promising it would be more efficient to run, increase the focus on Co-op own label and showcase a new food-to-go proposition not currently available in UK stores.

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Shops test for loopholes in upcoming HFSS rules by Alex Yau alex.yau@newtrade.co.uk

Retailers affected by the upcoming high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) law are investigating loopholes to minimise the law’s impact through concessions and loose-packed goods. The restrictions in October mean all symbol group stores and retailers with 50 or more staff will be banned from volume promotions on unhealthy lines. A ban on ranging unhealthy lines in key areas such as checkouts will also be applied to stores larger than 2,000sq ft that are part of a symbol group or a chain with more than 50 staff. One symbol group boss told RN that preparations for their store estate to comply with the legislation were a “nightmare”, while supermarkets are already looking at legal loopholes. Retail expert Bryan Roberts told RN. “One interesting area is pick ’n’ mix, which could be exempt as it’s not-prepacked. Two supermarket stores I’ve been to haven’t moved pick ’n’ mix from the gondola end. There’s also speculation confectionery

brands and retailers will collaborate to have pick ’n’ mix in these areas. “In-store bakery is also potentially exempt because it’s not pre-packed.” Roberts added dedicated concessions within stores may not count towards the floorspace within HFSS requirements. This means a 2,100sq ft store with a 200sq ft “beer cave”, for example, could bypass the law. Julian Miller, head of category planning at SymphonyRetailAI, added: “HFSS will ban volumebased promotions, but it doesn’t apply to price promotions. Retailers will still be able to apply 20% off, for example, on HFSS-

affected lines.” Some independent retailers have begun altering store layouts ahead of the anti-obesity legislation. “My store is 2,000sq ft, so it won’t take much adjustment for me to fall under the threshold,” said one owner. The Scottish government is expected to bring in restrictions that will similarly limit the promotion and placement of unhealthy items. Last month, Marcel Gommers replaced impacted lines at the till with newspapers and magazines at his 1,600sq ft Premier in the Scottish Highlands. He told RN: “We’ve got

three aisles and most people queue in the middle aisle to get to the till. We moved all the confectionery to that middle aisle, which is about 4m. “Confectionery sales actually went up by an average of 50% because it’s in a more prominent location. Newspaper sales have stayed steady. If you think hard about the layout of your shop and make the most of the customer’s visit, it’s still easy to comply with new legislation and it’s not a problem at all. “Newspapers and magazines were already at the till, but we moved them into a more prominent position in the area.”

Biffa will manage Scotland’s DRS

Biffa has been appointed official logistics provider for Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS), RN understands. An industry source said Biffa will be responsible for the infrastructure of sorting centres, and arranging container collections from stores. The move comes a month after scheme administrator Circular-

ity Scotland Limited (CSL) hired accounting firm PwC to set the commission participating stores should receive when the scheme is launched on 16 August 2023. A source confirmed PwC had already begun “engaging with retailers” through store visits, and will soon be asking them to provide a business estimation of costs. At the end of last year,

Scottish minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity Lorna Slater said trials would start in stores this summer on a voluntary basis. However, Scottish Grocers Federation’s (SGF) head of policy and public affairs John Lee told RN a meeting to discuss this was cancelled in December, and Slater had refused to set a new date.

A spokesperson for the Scottish government responded: “Rollout of our ambitious DRS is being led by CSL. To support delivery of the scheme, we have established a system-wide assurance group made up of key industry representatives, including the SGF. “The group met for the first time in January and will meet regularly as delivery progresses.”

01/03/2022 15:53

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

SYMBOL NEWS EXCLUSIVE

Nisas & Costcutters fight delivery-slot changes by Alex Yau alex.yau@newtrade.co.uk

Nisa and Costcutter retailers have rejected proposed changes in delivery slots from April, due to the impact on staff rotas and orders from other suppliers. In a message sent to retailers last week, and seen by RN, one Nisa retail development manager said: “In preparation for the first week of April the company, along with DHL, will be implementing a re-route in certain areas of the country to maximise logistics across fresh and ambient. “This will include change of delivery days and potential removal of delivery days (based on low ordering volumes). “Those partners that are affected will be contacted to discuss how the changes affect you”. RN understands distribution centres affected by the upcoming changes include those in the Midlands and the north of England. Affected Nisa retailers told RN they had rejected the changes following the calls from RDMs last week. One store owner, who

asked not to be named, said: “They’ve asked for a change to my delivery days, but I can’t get staff in on one of them. “It’s not going to work because you can’t get staff to do different shifts when it’s not a part of their lifestyle already. “There have been many issues with Nisa and DHL where an order has been delayed. They promise you a delivery by 6pm, for example, but the driver has run out of delivery time due to the delays. “You don’t get your order on the day that’s been promised. The communication is really poor.”

Another affected retailer added: “I told Nisa ‘no’ when they asked me to move my delivery days. There was no reason given when I asked why they were changing the delivery days. “It changes the whole dynamic of everything as the business is built around a routine that works. “We deal with so many other suppliers and have a constant stream of lorries coming in each day. Changing deliveries from Nisa messes the pattern up. You can’t ask the other suppliers to move because Nisa wants to shift their

schedule. We’re not playing that game.” Commenting on the issues, a Nisa spokesperson said: “The rebalancing of the network was communicated to partners last year at Nisa Live and at the Expo, but implementation was delayed due to coronavirus and driver shortages. “It comes alongside investment in the new ePOD paperless technology and the reintroduction of time banded delivery slots – something requested by partners – to create a more efficient delivery network for all.”

Wing Yip begins recruitment drive Asian-food wholesaler Wing Yip has begun a recruitment campaign after customers criticised a decline in service levels. The company had adjusted staffing levels at the start of the pandemic, leading to a number of employees voluntarily leaving following the end of the coronavirus job retention scheme. The absence led to

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complaints from customers, with one claiming there was a lack of staff to help pick and load orders within depots. Wing Yip director Ennevor Yap told RN: “For health and safety reasons we had to review all of our group operations from the outset. We had to make a small number of voluntary job cuts, but have been back to full capacity

since 2021 and are now actively recruiting across the business.” The company’s website has also been offline since summer 2021, affecting the ability of customers to make online orders. “We have been upgrading our website over the last few months, particularly focusing on our online store,” Yap added. “This is taking a bit

longer than originally intended, but our new and improved e-commerce platform will be up and running again in the near future. We apologise to all our customers for any inconvenience this delay has caused. “We take all complaints extremely seriously and continue to strive to provide an exemplary service to all our customers.”

Box Deals delivery service End-of-life goods wholesaler Box Deals has launched a service with smaller order requirements and a 24-hour delivery time. Called Local Deals, the service will deliver directly to retailers, provided they meet a £20 minimum order requirement. It offers a range of impulse items, such as 12x102g M&M’s Salted Caramel (£6), 24x330ml Coca-Cola (£10.99) and 8x144g Twix Cookies (£7.20). Founder Peter Sykes told RN he is targeting a national expansion for the service. “It’s essentially a retail version of Box Deals. We’ve taken all information relating to gross profit or VAT and given them a straight price. “It’s only delivering within a 10-mile radius of our warehouse. I’ve created what is effectively a dark store. We’ve received some good interest so far.”

Blakemore food-togo launch AF Blakemore has launched a Spar store with a new food-to-go concept called ‘Eat Some’. The 2,910sq ft shop in Aberystwyth features a number of food-to-go concessions, which offer products such as rotisserie chicken, fresh pizza, wraps, milkshakes, soups and fresh juice. Blakemore Retail managing director Matt Teague said: “We know the local community will enjoy the exciting new additions to the store. “Our ‘Eat Some’ food-togo concept offers shoppers a breadth of solutions catering to all tastes.”

01/03/2022 15:49

ACADEMY IN ACTION

jack.courtez@newtrade.co.uk

Service to the Community In November, the IAA and Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I visited Abdul Ramzan in his Millerfield Store in Kennoway to help him drive long-term customer loyalty. We find out what’s changed

IAA ADVICE 2

Post consistently on your Facebook page about your community involvement.

Uncover costeffective ways, like competitions, to engage with the community.

THE RESULTS We started posting more frequently on Facebook about supporting local causes, such as Christmas jumper day, and promoted local businesses, too. We hosted a Remembrance Day tea service outside the store, linking up with a local bakery

to offer pies for those who attended. We also promoted the event on Facebook and received positive feedback. Next, we plan to run a colouring competition for Easter. As a result of these changes, new customers are visiting the store and our page likes have grown by 52.

PARTNER ADVICE It’s great Abdul’s community engagement and support for local initiatives have increased footfall. Helping local causes and using social media to promote what you’re doing are great ways to show you are a community store. Carolyn Thomson Regional Account Manager SBF GB&I

DRIVE AWARENESS AND LOYALTY Visit betterRetailing.com/academy-in-action or scan the QR code to find ways to contribute to your local area and find out how you can improve

Next week: Merchandising & Display

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NEWS by Jack Courtez

Three-month follow-up

Link up with local events and run a promotion to drive footfall to your store.

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

HND and grocery combined

The increase in Facebook page likes by posting about community involvement

Marketing and flexibility are key to converting newspaper delivery customers into wider grocery orders, according to a London home news delivery company that has branched out. Nazim Zerouala, co-owner of Z News in Cricklewood, north-west London, began introducing a premium grocery range in late 2019 and is now looking to continue the service’s growth. The roundsman told RN: “We wanted to do it for some time – it was just the logistics. Home news deliverers are one of the only businesses to operate seven days. Milk delivery is six days, for instance, which gives us an advantage.” Asked how he converted paper-and-magazine customers to purchase a wider basket of items, Zerouala said: “We’ve got good customer service, so the trust is there. The key is to keep advertising it, through newsletters, e-mails and the website. Your service has to be at the forefront of customers’ minds, so we make sure they have the terms, our range and our prices to hand.” The service is also part of Z News’ strategy to win back office customers. “We were hoping by the end of February we’d see things start returning to normal. We’re telling business customers we can do their milk and extras. If, by the end of the month, things work out, we’ll tell them we’re still here. The combination of milk, bread, paper and juice is important, and if it does pick up, it will pick up slowly – it’ll take a few more months.”

Multiples look to bypass wholesale Publishers and supermarkets are in talks to bypass wholesalers and deliver direct to stores. Under the plans, newspapers would go direct from printer to store to arrive early enough to be included in online grocery orders, which are typically picked before papers arrive. A wholesaler source said: “A number of retailers, and I think Tesco is one of them, are talking to publishers about going direct from print sites into their dark stores to get newspapers in time for their early picks. As a wholesaler, we’re saying ‘I’m not sure we want you to be doing that’, but if it [can] get more consumers engaged in newspapers, perhaps that’s something we could get on board with.”

01/03/2022 14:49

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

NFRN NEWS

In partnership with

West Midlands

Success for retail crime prevention programme by Suhara Pavithri Jayasena suhara.jayasena@newtrade.co.uk

A pilot scheme designed to prevent repeated shoplifting has been hailed as a success. The initiative launched by the West Midlands Police last year is designed to stop criminals with alcohol- and drug-abuse issues from committing further offences. Speaking at the allparty parliamentary group on retail crime last week, West Midlands assistant police and crime commissioner Tom McNeil said the scheme had “made a real dent in the issue of retail crime and crime in general”. He claimed it had saved around £2m in theft over the past six months. McNeil added: “The scheme is a partnership between the police, rehabilitation centres and retailers who have all invested time and money to tackle the issues of persistent offenders to help them change their chaotic lifestyles and turn their lives around.

“The process is still about justice and safety of the public first. “It’s also about making a multi-faced approach so that repeat offenders can get the help they need to change their ways, rather than being passed around from one organisation to another.” However, independent retailers in the West Midlands were sceptical about whether the scheme would tackle the full extent of retail crime, but told RN it was a “step in the right direction”. Julia Bywater, of Bywater News in Dudley, said: “Although this scheme is a step in the right direction, we will have to see how successful it is in tackling retail crime, which is an ongoing issue. In most cases, the people they are rehabilitating do not want to be helped. “It is about seeing how many of them are rehabilitated and do not just return to crime once released. We have a lot of drug- and gang-related crime in Dudley, so if successful, this will help

tackle those issues.” Bywater added that the only real way to reduce retail crime is to introduce an offence against abuse and violence towards shopworkers, similar to legislation already introduced in Scotland. The NFRN is acting as the secretariat for the APPG and has consistently lobbied MPs to clamp down on retail crime. NFRN national president Narinder Randhawa, whose own business is

based in the West Midlands, emphasised the importance of tackling retail crime. “Attacks on shopworkers is one of the biggest issues facing our industry,” he said. “I am pleased to see the West Midlands PCC and police taking steps to address the problem. “I hope other PCCs and forces take note and follow the example set by the West Midlands in a bid to break the cycle of repeat offending.”

Head office

Live delivery update tech explored Newspaper publishers and wholesalers confirmed they are exploring new ways of using technology to issue live updates on paper deliveries. The announcement came after a summit, organised by the NFRN, attended by leading newspaper publishers and Smith News and Menzies on 16 February. Retail subscription

and home news delivery were identified as an opportunity for retailers. It was also stressed that help was required from all sides of the industry to help independent retailers with no prior experience of stocking print titles. NFRN members shared experiences around the handling and returns processes for vouchers, and publishers and whole-

salers agreed to look into the principles of making these paperless. It was also deemed important to create one database of home news delivery retailers and to ensure the data was refreshed regularly. Speaking after the summit, NFRN national president Narinder Randhawa said: “Buying a newspaper is still one of the key rea-

sons for customers to come into our members’ stores, so it is important the printed word survives and thrives, but it is equally important independent retailers get the level of service they deserve.” Smiths News chief executive Jon Bunting added: “We all left with a common understanding of the areas we will look to tackle first.”

Contact Jack Courtez with your trade news on 020 7689 3371, jack.courtez@newtrade.co.uk or @JackCourtez

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Scotland

Covid-19 measures reduced Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland are set to end on 21 March, including the wearing of face coverings. First minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the Scottish government’s revised plans for tackling Covid-19 last week. At the moment, businesses have a legal requirement to take steps to reduce the risk of Covid19 spreading, including social distancing and the use of protective screens These legal requirements will also end on 21 March. However, unlike England, where all restrictions ended on 24 February, Sturgeon revealed that rules on selfisolation would remain in place. Those who test positive for Covid-19 in Scotland will be allowed to leave self-isolation after seven days if they show no symptoms and record two negative lateral-flow tests.

Head office

Hale takes up COO seat Stuart Hale started his new role as the NFRN’s chief operating officer, following the announcement of his appointment in late December. Hale took over the role on 21 February and will be based at the NFRN’s head office in Durham. Commenting on his new role, he said: “There’s a huge challenge in terms of giving members value for money and for them to understand the value of their membership, but it’s a challenge I am looking forward to.”

01/03/2022 16:01

YOUR VIEWS Camelot ID dispute insults our integrity

Last week, two Camelot staff members visited my store. The lady came up to the counter to buy a scratchcard. She looked of age, so we did not check her ID, and sold the card. However, straight after, the man who came in with her came to inform us we had failed the ageverification check, over failure to check ID. We were confused, because the lady looked of age, and we have been running the business for 35 years and are aware of when to age check. As a result of having issues with Camelot in the past, we told the two workers we no longer wished to have the scratchcard machine, and asked them to remove it. They refused, and left the store. That evening, we received a letter from Camelot regarding our immediate suspension. In response, we sent our own letter demanding more details regarding

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

Get in touch

letters@newtrade.co.uk 020 7689 3357

VIEW FROM THE COUNTER with Julie and Joey Duhra

the suspension and for evidence. We have not received a reply. They are insulting our integrity; we know what we are doing regarding age checks. We have switched off the terminal and have been selling the leftover scratchcards so we don’t lose money. We have had issues with two of our loyal customers buying scratchcards and winning money. We are not able to cash

in and are unable to honour the winners. Subhash Varambhia Snutch News, Leicester

A spokesperson for Camelot said: “I can confirm we have suspended a retailer in Leicester from selling National Lottery products pending an investigation. We take matters of propriety very seriously and are committed to running The National Lottery with the utmost integrity. A detailed Notice of Suspension is sent to a retailer as soon as is practicable following the suspension.”

I read about bleed control kits in an interview in Independent Retail News with a mother who’d lost a son to knife crime. If there was a chance I could prevent others from going through what she went through, I wanted to help. I called the mother and we talked about the importance of these kits. If there’s an incident, the 999-call handler directs the caller to the kit, and it can help save the life of someone who’s been stabbed. I’ve since had three of these installed. They cost around £600 each, including installation. One is at my shop, another is at another local store and a third is at the nearby Sikh temple. I’ve already got a defibrillator, so I am really proud to be able to provide another lifesaving service. A lot of thanks go to Boost for this. I received £20,000 from the supplier’s ‘Local Legend’ award, and it helped to pay for it. I believe they are some of the first bleed control kits to be installed in Telford. WHAT WE’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK There are a lot of retailers who have children who don’t want to go into retail. They’ve been brought up in the shops and have seen the hours worked by their parents. They’re educated now and have other opportunities. Some do want to get into retail, like their parents, but it seems like a minority. I wonder what this means for the family-run store.

YOUR SAY

MAKE SURE YOUR SHOP IS READY FOR HFSS IN OCTOBER

Yes 25%

James Lowman, chief executive, ACS Convenience stores are used to adapting when the rules change, and the past two years have shown retailers are fantastic at changing swiftly to ensure that their business can continue trading effectively. As we now hopefully look beyond any issues in stores associated with the pandemic in 2022, preparation has begun for the next big shift in the way that we can set out our stores and promote products to

p10 Your Views.indd 8

customers as we count down to the introduction of HFSS restrictions in October. This legislation will affect thousands of stores, and will require many to carry out a fundamental rethink of their strategy and the way that their store is laid out. The rules on where you can put products and what promotions are allowed are complicated, so it’s crucial that you know you’re going to

be on the right side of the law come October. The good news is that there are exemptions for stores with a relevant floor space of under 2,000 sq ft, and for those with fewer than 50 employees, but as with everything, it’s not quite that simple. The government’s intention is to include symbol and franchise stores within the rules, so the ‘50 employees’ definition could include everyone working in stores under a symbol fascia. This is a live

issue right now, so if you’re a symbol retailer, contact your group for clarity on whether you’re included. We’ve been working on this issue since its inception several years ago and have now launched a comprehensive guide for retailers which details every step of the process to ensuring that your store is compliant. If you think there’s a chance that you’re going to be in scope of these regulations, our guidance can help.

No 75%

Do you want a parcel locker installed inside or outside your store? NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Have you removed all Covid-19 restrictions in your store?

Vote now @ThisIsRN

01/03/2022 13:27

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

CATEGORY FOCUS In partnership with

1. Capitalise on shopper missions

Shoppers are on several different missions, including now, later, breakfast and treats. According to research by FrieslandCampina, the main occasions flavoured-milk buyers shop for include relaxing at home in the evening, an energy pick-me-up, a top-up snack between meals and a permissible treat. Key pack sizes to stock are 400ml for on-the-go occasions, 1l for an in-home experience and 200ml for a little lift, treat or lunchbox filler. Merchandise Yazoo with other onthe-go soft drinks, as that’s where shoppers will look.

2. Ranging effectively

When it comes to offering the right range in store, it’s about more than just pack size. Flavoured-milk shoppers are often impulse buyers who pick up a bottle when topping up on milk or picking up a sandwich. The key is to ensure the most popular flavours are available to capture shoppers’ attention. Stock Yazoo Chocolate and Strawberry in a 1l pack format for nights in, and Chocolate, Strawberry and Banana 400ml for on-the-go lunch missions or afternoon pick-me-ups. To really grab attention, include the eye-catching limited edition.

Capitalise on flavoured milk FrieslandCampina talks to RN about how independent retailers can drive flavoured milk sales with Yazoo and what’s next for the brand

he UK flavoured milk market is currently worth more than £382m¹, with Yazoo the number-one traditional flavoured milk brand. FrieslandCampina saw Yazoo sales increase by £6.7m to £62.8m² last year as the brand continued to perform strongly. This year, FrieslandCampina is relaunching one of its Yazoo bestselling limited-edition flavours, Choc Caramel, due to

consumer demand. A spokesperson for FrieslandCampina says: “Convenience has always played a big role in the brand’s success and the channel has also had strong growth in the past year, led entirely by symbols, indies and forecourts, which deliver 49%³ of brand sales. “Retailers should also offer Yazoo in sharing packs to capitalise on the growing takehome trend.”

Do you want to boost your sales and grab more impulse shoppers? If so, try a free-standing display unit or parasite unit near the till or confectionery fixture. Yazoo is best offered chilled as consumers like to see their soft drinks in the fridge, but secondary siting the bestselling Yazoo flavours within a QMS system will help attract shoppers who haven’t visited the chillers. On top of merchandising and support, FrieslandCampina has refreshed its Yazoo price-marked pack range to protect shoppers and retailers from rising costs.

Retailer viewpoint Sunita Aggarwal

Spar Wigston, Leicestershire

I have always had a strong relationship with FrieslandCampina for as long as I can remember. FrieslandCampina sales representatives visited the store and spoke to us about our chiller layout and how we could improve and apply category principles to drive sales and weight of basket. We had a store refit planned, so this was the ideal time to implement this. The chillers were re-organised to ensure similar

products and bestselling lines were all together. Our new fridges were fitted alongside this, as well as spring-loaded shelf pushers in key areas to ensure the products were always at the front. The results were exceptional. We saw an uplift of 54% in flavoured milk sales, and they’re still increasing month on month, which is great. This was a very successful project and the team at FrieslandCampina have kept in close contact throughout. l

¹IRI, Sales Data, 2017-2020, Value, Volume and £/per litre, ²Top Products survey, Nielsen, 2020, ³IRI 52 w/e 24.04.21

3. Boost your sales

For more information on Yazoo and the products you can stock, visit yazoo.co.uk

pxx Yazoo Category focus.indd 9

25/02/2022 11:48

NEWS SPECIAL

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

How to survive the energy crisis As rising energy bills are set to severely impact the running costs of stores, retailers tell RN how their tariff is changing, and discuss their plans to cut costs and increase sales to protect the profitability of their stores

tores must make ‘fundamental’ changes to their business models to survive the energy crisis, with the average independent store needing to find nearly £15,000 in extra annual gross profit or savings to offset its impact. The crisis in Ukraine has escalated the risk for retailers coming to the end of their energy contracts. Energy broker Neil King, of Wiser Utilities, explained: “Many retailers hedged their bets that prices would go down in April, often taking out expensive bridging tariffs. Their gamble has not paid off and the rates are climbing. The day before the invasion, prices were as low as 20p per kWh night rate and 26p for day rate. Now, it’s 28p and 35p respectively. This isn’t going to be something stores can wait out.”

p8-10 News Special.indd 10

Retailers with long memories remembered the last energy spike in 1973. betterRetailing associate editor Steve Denham was working for WHSmith at the time. He told RN: “Store managers had an energy budget, and when it was gone, it was gone. It meant switching off was the only way to manage. That meant taking lightbulbs out and cutting off air conditioning and heating. The staff room was the only place heated in the winter, and coats on the shopfloor coupled with a hot drink was the only way to manage.” Ballymena shop owner Eugene Diamond added: “Even during the 1970s, when we had lots of trouble in Northern Ireland, we never saw anything like this.” A survey of more than 10 store owners to have changed energy

Their gamble has not paid off and the rates are climbing

tariff in the past six months reveals the scale of the problem. The average store’s bill increased by 128% from £964 per month to £2,201. With ACS suggesting an average store margin of 22%, this equates to having to find an extra £1,298 in weekly sales just to stand still. The figures do not include the impact of April’s upcoming wage and National Insurance rises. FIGHTING BACK AGAINST THE ENERGY SQUEEZE Energy-saving measures, such as LED lighting and retrofitting doors on chillers, were the main actions being touted by store owners surveyed. For instance, Diamond said: “Last year, I installed LED lighting, and I can’t recommend this enough to other retailers. My usage has dropped by 20% every quarter.”

01/03/2022 15:41

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

THE IMPACT OF ENERGY PRICE INCREASES STORE

STORE SIZE IN SQ FT

DATE OF ENERGY TARIFF RENEWAL

OLD ENERGY COST PER MONTH

QUOTED COST PER MONTH

PRICE DIFFERENCE PER MONTH

PRICE DIFFERENCE PER YEAR

Vivo Essential, Downpatrick

992

Sep 2021

£400

£900

£500

£6,000

RM Terry’s Newsagents, Amersham

651

Oct 2021

£252

£400

£148

£1,776

One Stop Kibble Bank, Burnley

850

Jan 2022

£1,250

£3,500

£2,250

£27,000

Neelam Post Office & Convenience, Uxbridge

568

Feb 2022

£700

£1,600

£900

£10,800

Ashiq Day-Today, Prestonpans

1,800

Jan 2022

£1,583

£3,750

£2,167

£26,004

Peverills Londis Harefield

650

Feb 2022

£1,000

£2,000

£1,000

£12,000

Go Local Extra Rochdale

1,300

Jan 2022

£1,400

£3,000

£1,600

£19,200

The Village Shop, Hook Norton

1,250

Jun 2022

£1,500

£3,000

£1,500

£18,000

Taylors Conveniece, Hull

2,637

Feb 2022

£1,400

£3,111.11

£1,711.11

£20,533.33

Notay’s Convenience, Batley

1,100

Feb 2022

£600

£840

£240

£2,880

Whitechapel Convenience Store, Liverpool

200

Feb 2022

£513.92

£2,113.08

£1,599.16

£19,189.92

AVERAGE

1,091

£963.54 Dog Punk AF 0% 330ml

£2,201.29

£1,237.75

£14,853.02

However, many will have to take more-drastic action, according to Ferhan Ashiq, who has sold one of his stores partly due to energy costs, which equalled having to find an extra £2,000 in weekly sales to offset the bill increases. “For many stores, the simple ways of cutting bills have already been achieved, there’s no more tinkering around the edges to be done,” he said. “Those at risk will have to look very hard at turning off chillers containing non-perishable goods – soft drinks, beers and wine, and at scaling back fresh-and-chilled ranges to reduce the number of meters needed.” Andrew Taylor, owner of Taylors Premier in Hull, suggested: “We reviewed our chillers to find items that were ranged there, but did not actually need to be kept chilled, like long-life milks.” However, stores will have to find the right balance for them between sales and cost, with each 1°c drop in soft drinks chiller temperature equivalent to an extra 1.6% in sales, according to analyst IRI. An ACS focus group of 20 store owners held in mid-January suggested Ashiq’s advice is already being considered in other stores. A synopsis read: “Efforts to make the business more energy efficient were also seen to only go so far before the impact of cost increases led to prices having to go up or the range of products offered being reduced.” One retailer explained: “Before Christmas this year, the cost of electricity led to us offering fewer

p8-10 News Special.indd 11

A clamp meter being used to check a device’s energy usage frozen products because the cost of running the freezers strips out all of the profit.” Counter-intuitively, keeping any freezers that remain switched on full with stock significantly reduces the device’s energy consumption by cutting the volume of cold air that escapes when they are opened.

Ashiq said: “As we are selling one store we are running down our stock, you do notice the effect it has on the electricity used by freezers.” To understand the potential saving and energy consumption of different devices in store, Avtar ‘Sid’ Sidhu, of St John’s Budgens in Kenilworth, Warwickshire,

01/03/2022 15:42

NEWS SPECIAL

suggested stores get their hands on a clamp meter. “We borrowed one from another retailer. You put it around the power lead and it tells you the power consumption. There weren’t any surprises for us, but it’s important to check.” Using the device can help retailers understand whether devices are ‘leaking’ energy. For instance, a lack of refrigerant or vents becoming blocked by dust can increase chiller power consumption by up to 50%. Clamp meters can be purchased either online or from hardware stores from as little as £20. Other stores reported looking at longer-term investments, such as solar panels, but with a 10-year return on investment period, many are looking for grant funding to support the installation. Local and national grants can be found at gov. uk/business-finance-support. Describing the long-term impact on independent stores, ACS chief executive James Lowman told RN: “Typically, retailers will look to cut down on labour costs, delay projects

p8-10 News Special.indd 12

or cut back on services to balance the books, but these continued cost increases can’t keep just being absorbed, so many retailers are looking at a fundamental change to the way they run their stores, looking to increase margin without alienating their customers.” Midlands retailer Rav Garcha agreed. He said: “It’s easy to cut costs by taking away staff, but when it gets busy, we are the ones who get worn out. I’m going to train staff to upsell at the till. The worst thing a customer can say is ‘no’. If I’m able to get an extra 20p from every customer, it will help.” Serge Notay, of Notay Stores in Batley, West Yorkshire, said the pres-

We will be making sure to get energyefficient fridges

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

sure was influencing his refit plans. “We are looking to carry out a refit in the next six months and we will be making sure to only get energyefficient fridges,” he says. “They are more expensive at the start, but, in the long run, they will help make back the money. The prices aren’t going down any time soon, so as retailers we have to make long-term investments to make savings.” Ashiq said retailers must look at their product and category mix with a view to increase overall shop margin. Stores can turn to page 22 to find examples of high-margin non-traditional convenience categories that deliver well-aboveaverage shop percentage margins. l

01/03/2022 15:42

The Retail Success Handbook: A complete guide to ranging Optimise your range and grow footfall, spend and profitability

The Retail Success A MUST-READ FOR PROFIT-DRIVEN INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

Only £4.99

Handbook

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO RANGIN

OPTIMISE YOUR RANGE AND GROW FOOTFALL, SPEND AND PROFITABILITY

On sale now!

This edition of The Retail Success Handbook will give you an in-depth, category-by-category guide to making the most of your core ranges, from the must-stock brands to the pivotal products in core lines, and from the game-changing new launches to cutting-edge advice and insight on excelling at ranging:

• Store-size and demographic-specific ranging advice in the core categories • Key shopper trends and the products, lines and brands that will allow you to profit from them • The new opportunities in convenience for range expansion • Advice on premiumisation, encouraging trade-up and communicating value

Alcohol / breakfast / confectionery / evening meals / food to go / fresh and chilled / next-gen nicotine / savoury snacks / soft drinks / tobacco / healthy eating GET YOUR RANGE RIGHT AND GROW YOUR STORE’S SALES AND PROFITS Order your copy from your magazine wholesaler today or contact us on 020 3871 6490

RSH Sell.indd 1

28/02/2022 09:57

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

SUSTAINABILITY NatWest loans to go green

NatWest has announced a ‘green loan’ scheme helping businesses finance assets to support sustainability initiatives. Borrowing options from £50,001, with fixed and variable-interest-rate loans are available, with no arrangement fees. Although subject to approval, the bank said the loans can be used for a range of measures, including retrofits for buildings and low-carbon-heating measures, renewableenergy generation and energy storage, electric vehicles and renewable technology. To apply, contact NatWest. Those eligible will be asked to provide an invoice explaining the loan purpose. The news comes after HSBC unveiled a £500m fund for the same cause.

Messages key to eco retailing Independent retailers have been urged to increase marketing of sustainable products with in-store messaging. The push comes after Sainsbury’s rolled out gondola ends last week branded ‘supporting sustainability’ to attract customers passing by. Shelf-edge labels have been added to ranges such as alcohol, tea and coffee, detailing how the brand in question is helping to save the planet. TWC communications director Sarah Coleman reinforced the importance of messaging, stating “there is an opportunity to talk up the environmental benefits of shopping at convenience stores”.

p14 Sustainability News.indd 14

C-stores lead demand for the refillable stations by Alex Yau alex.yau@newtrade.co.uk

Convenience stores have helped fuel “considerable growth” in the demand for refillable stations, according to Martek Zero Waste (MZW). The stations are the latest service offered by stores that want to improve their sustainability. They can be filled with products such as oats, pasta or washing-up liquid, enabling customers to dispense the items into containers they have brought into stores. Cameron Galloway, director of refillable station manufacturer MZW, told RN the refill stations were quickly gaining acceptance within the convenience sector. “As a system, refillable stations have been around for a while. What has driven it recently is that people are seeing it work on a much larger scale,” he said. “The stations have previously only been used by specialist stores, but larger retailers are now introducing them. “When a large supermarket runs with something, you tend to see a chain reaction. We’re working with a

large number of retailers and they’re growing in convenience.” Morrisons and Asda are among the first major supermarkets to trial refillable stations, and independent retail chains, such as Spar’s Eat17 and Thornton’s Budgens, have offered refillable stations. MZW, which has installed stations in 2,000 stores overall, has also struck a partnership with Central England Co-op that will see refillable stations introduced into the chain’s stores. Galloway said the most-

popular lines stocked by refillable stations include pulses, pasta, nuts, beans, honey, shampoo, detergent, cereals, washing-up liquids, sugar and flour. Explaining previous barriers to the adoption of refillable stations, Galloway added: “A lot of times these systems have been trialled and have fallen by the wayside because the correct processes weren’t trialled and they weren’t seen as very profitable. “There wasn’t much choice before. Now, we’re seeing large producers

offer different options to retailers, which has helped with adoption.” Galloway added increased public awareness of sustainability will only increase demand for refillable stations. “It was really gathering momentum a couple of years ago, but Covid threw it all on its head,” he said. “This year, there’s been an emphasis on gaining lost ground and a lot of the public will be conscious about reducing singleuse plastics. The past 12 months have seen a faster increase in demand.”

Brands join Too Good To Go campaign

More than 40 brands are now signed up to Too Good To Go’s initiative to tackle date-label confusion. Launched last year, the food-waste company’s ‘Look, smell, taste, don’t waste’ campaign was created to educate consumers on using their senses instead of just following best-before labels. The initiative also

encourages food brands to move from use-by to bestbefore labels, where safe, to reduce food waste. The 40 brands taking part in the campaign include Arla, Danone, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Yeo Valley Organic. Some best-before product lines from these brands now include an image designed to remind

consumers to trust their judgement instead of relying on labels. Jamie Crummie, cofounder of Too Good To Go, said: “There is still a huge amount of consumer education to be done, and there are tons more brands who we’d love to join our campaign. “The average Brit is throwing away £303-

worth of food a year, on average, due to it being past its best-before date.” Latest survey data compiled by Too Good To Go found that, while 64% of British adults understand that best-before dates mean the food will not be at its best quality after the date shown, only 52% believe food past that date is safe to eat.

01/03/2022 15:18

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

PRODUCT NEWS

Raspberry & Peach flavour from Volvic

Caramilk available in Buttons format

On sale now

RRP £1.49-1.99

Raspberry & Peach is the latest flavour to join Volvic Touch of Fruit’s sugar-free range. The range grew in value by 36% last year, with raspberry-and-peach-flavoured drinks having grown by 17%. The new flavour is available in a 1.5l bottle and will be supported by online, influencer and in-store activity. The drink aims to target consumers who are looking to make more mindful food and drink choices.

Mondelez International is expanding its Cadbury Caramilk range with the launch of Caramilk Buttons. It will be available to retailers from next month in 105g and 90g packs, with respective RRPs of £1.99 and £1.49. Caramilk was Cadbury’s biggest launch last year, with the tablet format the thirdbestselling new product, while the single bar was the ninthbestselling. It will be supported by in-store PoS materials.

Clearly lemon & lime with a twist of Cherry*

Clearly 7UP is the No.1 Lemon & Lime brand in GB** stock up now * Cherry flavour

**NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Britvic Defined, Value Sales, 52 w.e 25.12.21

Time to

p13-15 Product news.indd 15 RN 1-2 page horizontal.indd 1

01/03/2022 16:24 25/02/2022 12:33

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

PRODUCT NEWS SPECIALIST CHOICE

Think of the possibilities with Food Thought chips Food Thoughts has expanded its organic baking cocoa and cacao powders with the launch of new Luxury Dark and White Chocolate Chips. RRP £15 (500g) Available from foodthoughts.co.uk

Strongbow gets a lighter refresh

Heineken has launched Strongbow Ultra Dark Fruit, a 4% ABV cider with 95 calories per can. It comes in a 330ml slimline can and contains 30% fewer calories compared to Strongbow Dark Fruit. It is designed to appeal to younger adults who are looking for alcohol options that fit in with their desire for a more balanced lifestyle. The launch will be supported by a £12m campaign spanning digital, TV, sampling and PoS material. RRP £2 (single), £5 (four-pack), £10 (10-pack)

Rustlers Chicken Sub RN Trade Advert 239x137mm Feb 22 HIGH RES.pdf

23/02/2022

Grow your meat-free sales with Plant-It Plant-It’s new vegan range includes SpinachAvocado Burgers, Chicken-Free Southern Fried Bites, Meat-Free Steaks and Meat-Free Mince. RRP £3 (burgers) Contact plantit.com

New semi and whole oatmilk drinks from Moma Oat milk brand Moma has launched two chilled drink varieties – semi and whole. Both can be whisked until foamy, and don’t split. RRP £1.85 Available from momafoods.co.uk

p13-15 Product news.indd 16

RN Fireplace.indd 1

01/03/2022 16:24

09:34

/02/2022

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

Visit the website betterRetailing.com/products to find out more about the products listed

Senior features writer Priyanka Jethwa @PriyankaJethwa_

020 7689 3355 priyanka.jethwa@newtrade.co.uk

Stella launches Unfiltered by Priyanka Jethwa priyanka.jethwa@newtrade.co.uk

BrewDog money-back guarantee

BrewDog’s on-pack promotion offers shoppers the chance to claim back the full price of a pack if they are not satisfied. The ‘Guarantee’ promotion is available across four-packs of Punk IPA, Lost Lager, Hazy Jane, Elvis Juice and Planet Pale. The campaign will be supported by in-store activation, six-sheets, and digital and social media activity, with the tagline, ‘Love our beer or your money back’. Campaign spans in store, six-sheets, digital and social media

09:34

Budweiser Brewing Group has launched a new variety under its Stella Artois brand called Unfiltered. The new super premium lager is currently available in Asda, but will roll out to convenience, wholesalers and supermarkets from April. The supplier said the unfiltered lager category is popular across Europe, but is an untapped segment in the UK. “With unfiltered lager taking Europe by storm and hazy beer becoming popular in the craft segment, we are looking forward to bringing something new to the world lager category. “Stella Artois Unfiltered provides retailers with an innovative product and super-premium, fully recyclable

paperboard packaging,” said Mark Wingfield Digby, off-trade sales director at Budweiser Brewing Group. “Stella Artois is the ideal brand to grow the unfiltered category in the UK with the lager becoming synonymous with taste and quality.” To support the launch, the brand is launching an advertising campaign which it says will be the “biggest spend of any alcohol innovation since 2017” beginning in May 2022.

Madrí Excepcional available to c-stores Molson Coors Beverage Company’s Madrí Excepcional beer is now available for retailers to stock after initially being launched into bars and restaurants last year. The European-style lager is now in the top10 bestselling draught world lagers. The rollout will be supported by a multimillionpound investment in TV, video-on-demand, outdoor and digital activity, as well as partnerships and activations.

p13-15 Product news.indd 17

23/02/2022 15:26

Ryan Mclaughlin, marketing controller for premium beers, Western Europe at Molson Coors, said the world-lager category is continuing to go from strength to strength. “It has enjoyed a strong start in the on-trade and has one of the highest rates of sale in the lager category. We’re confident it will help retailers drive sales in the off-trade, and will be throwing our weight behind the brand with a multi-channel marketing programme,” he added.

01/03/2022 16:25

GUEST COLUMN

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

What does it take to be one of the world’s best convenience retailers? Some of the most successful store owners in the UK and Ireland met in Dublin last month to discuss how to grow and protect convenience businesses in a turbulent 2022 Scott Annan is the founder of The Independent Retailer Owners Forum, a closed group of top store owners who visit the best food businesses on the planet and exchange insight and ideas.

p16-17 Scott Annan.indd 18

he Independent Retailer Owners Forum (IROF) met in Dublin in February to discuss, debate and review our successes and learning from the past two years of business and livelihood disruption. The overall position for independent food retailing across Ireland is positive, with the IROF retailers thriving versus simply surviving – albeit this was the universal strategy in 2020 – and investing to hold the 2021 growth and to weather the inflation and cost increases impacting us all. I sanity-checked my 2021 opinion pieces before the visit to see which forecasts and thinking were correct – and incorrect – and to create a ‘tick sheet’ for our store walks, huddles and the private ‘Meet the Leader’ dinner with the retailing rock star Jonathan James. More about this later.

Listening to the retailers and to our terrific forum supporters, it was clear that proprietary fresh food, customer service, retail standards, innovation and technology were the common themes. One retailer’s comment on margin resonated with me as it totally supports controlling our own retail destinies with proprietary fresh food for today as the lead shopper mission, and technology investment to reduce costs. “We need to increase our gross profit by 1.8% simply to stand still.” Many of us don’t have a forensic knowledge of our gross profit and cost centres as our core grocery cost of goods can vary weekly and accurate food production costs can be hard to nail down. From our visit to Ireland and my tour of Northern Ireland with four IROF members the week after, there were five big findings every store should be considering this year.

1. Customer value proposition. A clear focus on the customers’ needs. These needs vary by store location and are significantly not built on price and national brands; more on ‘feed me now’ and ‘fulfil my shopping needs – don’t be an inconvenience store’. An excellent example of customer focus is the three Ennis Retail Spar stores along Merrion Row and Baggott Street, Dublin. Within one kilometre, the shopper profile moves from office dominated to high-end residential, so the fresh food for today, core grocery and services are significantly different in each store. Shoppers are returning to stores and the level of home delivery and click & collect orders is decreasing. The UK and Ireland governments have ended C-restrictions (Scotland is one month behind) and most of us are out and about and getting on with our normal lives. Real

01/03/2022 15:07

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

Newry, is a pack of cut chips at £2.49. Expensive potatoes or a cup of coffee? The key lessons here are targeting shoppers that want timesaving convenience and, in the case of the speciality breads, allowing single and two-person households to afford the products while potentially reducing wastage. Excellent and different thinking. 4. Technology. Scan, Pay & Go on our mobiles and electronic shelfedge labels (ESL) are appearing in more Irish stores. Recent opinion pieces have covered the benefits and ROI of both in detail, so I won’t repeat these here. As Just Walk Out technology is trialled by Amazon and national retailers, the benefits of reduced labour costs and doing away with the need for self-service tills become more apparent. Two retailers measured a 0.5% reduction in labour and a 25% reduction in wastage from using ESLs. Three stated they were to offer Scan, Pay & Go as an additional customer convenience and way to reduce operating costs and capital investment. The Ubamarket Scan, Pay, Go app is used by Nisa, Henderson’s Retail Spar and Central England Co-op stores. A focused use of established technology helps towards the gross profit increases required to thrive.

shopping, experiencing foodservice and fun are big parts of this. 2. Proprietary fresh food. We all eat and drink three times each day: that’s 1,000 sales opportunities every year. I am at risk of overrepeating myself here, however, increasing gross profit by 1.8% will not happen by increasing the price of core grocery. Three of our national grocer friends – Supervalu, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – are pricematching Aldi on a range of lines that, together with Aldi and Lidl, means over half the UK and Ireland market has price as one of their lead strategies. Independent retail can’t compete on price and remain in business. Why do this if it means simply surviving rather than thriving?

p16-17 Scott Annan.indd 19

Ireland is famous for its fresh food. With “the population of Greater Manchester” (credit to David Bagnall of BWG Foods) it joins, in my opinion, Germany, Japan and New York City in showing us what can be done with proprietary fresh food. Ireland is a one-hour flight for most of us, so get there, look, learn and even copy what you see. What excuse is there not to do this? 3. Value not price. On an IROF visit to Hamburg, Germany, last November, we visited an excellent independent Bäckerei, selling packs of four slices of their speciality breads. Now on a whole loaf calculation this is €15 a loaf. The reality, at €3, was the price of ‘a cup of coffee’, which most of us don’t hesitate to pay. A similar example in Mulkern’s Eurospar,

We need to increase our gross profit by 1.8% simply to stand still

5. Be prepared. Jonathan James was our ‘Meet the Leader’ dinner guest in Dublin and spoke on the need for independent – and corporate – retailers to “prepare for the unexpected”. The unprecedented damage to business inflicted by our governments these past two years forced us to be creative and flexible in managing our businesses. Most of us made a success of this. Many of our foodservice friends were not so lucky. Jonathan encouraged us to shine a torch in all corners of our business, from contracts through to leases and services to ensure that we are fully in control when the next unpleasant surprise comes along. As it will. This is sage advice. The Independent Retailer Owners Forum thrives through the sharing of insight and knowledge among the 20 members, and the external challenge from our supporters at Delice de France, TOMRA (deposit return schemes) and Newtrade Media. l

01/03/2022 15:08

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

PRICEWATCH

Profit checker Trading cards & stickers PANINI FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022 STICKER PACK Price distribution % 100% 78.5% of transactions are processed at 70p

90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

£1.40

£1

90p

80p

70p

50p

Behind the numbers Retailers need to get their pricing strategies right with trading cards and collectables, with more than 90% of retailers pricing eight out of 12 lines at their most-common price. But there are a couple of potentials to boost profits. Take Panini’s FIFA World Cup 2022 Sticker Pack. Twenty-one per cent of retailers charge

Sudesh Patel STORE Londis

Coulsdon LOCATION Croydon SIZE 1,100sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP PRODUCTS Topps Match Attax 2021/22 Panini Premier League 2021/22

p20-21 Pricewatch.indd 20

as much as £1.40, double the most-common price of 70p, charged by 78% of retailers. Meanwhile, 16% of retailers are charging up to £4.99 for Pokémon Rebel Clash Trading Cards, £1 more than the most-common price of £3.99, which 84% charge. Similarly, retailers could be missing out

This past year has been the worst I can remember for trading cards. I don’t know why, but normally I would have ordered boxes and boxes at the beginning and middle of the football season. I haven’t ordered anything since the initial order I made at the start of the season. There hasn’t been as much football, but, with the stadiums open again, I would have thought there would be an appetite. I’ll always stock the new season’s cards and any sticker books for events like the World Cup, but they just haven’t been selling as well.

on extra margin on Pokémon Fusion Booster Trading Cards, as 32% price them at £3.33 – 66p below the most-common price of £3.99. However, the lower price is most likely due to them being highly accessible, meaning retailers need to be more competitive and aim for volume of sales over higher profits.

Mike Nicholls STORE Costcutter

Dringhouses LOCATION York SIZE 1,200sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP PRODUCTS Panini Premier League 2021/22 Topps Match Attax 2021/22

We’re on an estate, so trading cards and collectables aren’t really a big part of our business. We do quite well with football stickers, but we’ve not seen them increase in sales for a long time. Even football trading cards are not what they used to be, partly because of the pandemic putting a stop to football as we recognised it for a while. Panini football stickers are still our bestsellers. Trading cards are too expensive for people – they are always a bit of a luxury, and will be more of one this year, especially with inflation and higher costs.

28/02/2022 13:31

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com Data supplied by

Next week’s Pricewatch: RYO tobacco

Price distribution chart

Tamara Birch

Visit the website

Retail Data Partnership is a specialist data and EPoS supplier committed to serving the independent retail sector. To find out how they can help you improve your business, call 01780 480562

Deputy insight & advertorial editor @TamaraBirchNT

020 7689 3361

betterRetailing.com/ pricewatch

tamara.birch@newtrade.co.uk

Percentage of stores selling above, below and at the most-common retail price PRODUCT NAME

LOWEST PRICE

MOST-COMMON PRICE

HIGHEST PRICE

PANINI FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022 STICKER PACK

50p

70p

£1.40

TOPPS STAR WARS TRADING CARDS

£1

£2

PANINI HARRY POTTER WIZARDING WORLD STICKERS

90p

£1

TOPPS I LOVE PANDAS FIGURES COLLECTABLES

£1.50

£2.50

£2.99

PANINI ENCANTO STICKERS

90p

£1

POKÉMON SWORD & SHIELD CHILLING REIGN TRADING CARDS

£2

£3.99

£4.25

POKÉMON FUSION BOOSTER TRADING CARDS

£3.33

£3.99

£4

TOPPS MATCH ATTAX 2021/22 TIN TRADING CARDS

£7.60

£7.99

£8.99

TOPPS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2021/22 STICKERS

90p

£1

£2

PANINI PREMIER LEAGUE 2022 STICKERS

67p

70p

£1

POKÉMON REBEL CLASH TRADING CARDS

£3.99

£4.99

POKÉMON SWORD & SHIELD FUSION STRIKE TRADING CARDS

£3.99

£4.99

Must-stock products Panini Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 Sticker Pack

21%

78%

Topps Star Wars Trading Cards

96%

Panini Harry Potter Wizarding World Stickers

93%

Topps I Love Pandas Figures Collectables

94%

Panini Encanto Stickers

50%

Pokémon Sword & Shield Chilling Reign Trading Cards

98%

Pokémon Fusion Booster Trading Cards

32%

64%

Topps Match Attax 2021/22 Tin Trading Cards

96%

Topps Champions League 2021/22 Stickers

97%

Panini Premier League 2022 Stickers

95%

Pokémon Rebel Clash Trading Cards

84%

Pokémon Sword & Shield Fusion Strike Trading Cards

99%

40 Below mostcommon price

How to use this data p20-21 Pricewatch.indd 21

16%

Use the price-checker table to see what the most common prices are for a key line in the category.

Most-common price

Use the price distribution chart to see the range of prices being charged on 12 key lines.

100 Above mostcommon price

Use the must-stock products table to see the percentage of retailers charging above, below and at the most-common price.

28/02/2022 13:31

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

Finding highermargin categories The RN team talks to 10 retailers to find out what unusual products they’re selling to bring in more customers, more sales and better margins

hile there are plenty of product categories that are essential for convenience stores, there are also a host of unusual products that – if placed right and aimed at the right demographic – can generate footfall, sales and margins. For stores in tourist areas, selections of tourist gifts can provide selling points that enjoy long shelf-lives and strong margins. For those with a community store, local artisans and producers can provide an interesting and appealing offer. Identify a demand in your local area not being met and then ensure your store meets that demand. When her village pet shop closed, Trudy Davies from Woosnam &

p20-25 Store advice.indd 22

Davies in Llanidloes, Powys, stepped in, selling food, leads and collars. She says: “It helps customers because they don’t have to drive 15 miles to the nearest pet shop to get it. And it helps our till as well.” With her birdseed and her local crafts, she has products that generate impulse and mission purchases. Avtar ‘Sid’ Sidhu, from St John’s Budgens in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, and Sandeep Bains, from Southern Co-op in Faversham, Kent, have added perfume to their stores’ offer. “Perfume has been one of the two best new additions to my store in the past few years,” says Sidhu. “We have a range for £12 and we’re regularly placing over £1,000 orders. It’s more than 50% margin, so it’s

hugely important at the moment. I’ve spoken about it to other stores and now around 100 local shops are doing the same.” Sidhu also lists Keel Toys’ soft toys and candles as great performing lines he’s introduced. “With gift categories like these, the difference between it looking like it belongs in the store and it looking jarring is in the placement and merchandising. Give it its own bay and treat it like its own concession. “It really should go next to your cards as well to give the best possible chance,” he says.

Give it its own bay and treat it like its own concession AVTAR SIDHU

To see what other stores are doing, go to betterRetailing. com/advice

01/03/2022 12:59

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

The margins are always good and they always sell in volume DHANESH AMIN Have a little of everything

Dhanesh Amin, who runs several stores in Coventry, has focused on becoming a one-stop store for his customers, not stocking extensive ranges, but having something for everyone. “We offer cards and giftware and balloons for birthdays – we did helium ones, and that was a plus point for us,” he says. “We do cakes as well, and have an extensive range of toys because there’s no toy shop nearby.” He also offers kitchen utensils and plates. “We’ve got pots and pans, and tools for around the house. “We’re quite a big store, so we’ve got space for it. The margins are always good and they always sell in volume. “We don’t sell high-end stuff, it’s cheap things that appeal to many of our shoppers. It’s only a couple of quid to them, rather than having to spend £10 on actual Tupperware. In the current economy, that could be very significant.”

Get on top of TV trends

Sunder Sandher, of One Stop Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, took advantage of the obsession with hit Netflix show Squid Game last October to stock plush toys and masks modelled on its striking costumes. “A retailer in my WhatsApp group stated there was a supplier and a few of us talked to them to get in early.” Getting in buzzy products early has the twofold effect of entrenching customer loyalty, as well as driving sales from new visitors. “Nobody around our area was selling them, and there’s been such big awareness. You get people travelling a few miles to buy these products because nobody else is stocking them, so it’s about getting in early and shouting about it,” he says. Sandher says it’s vital to view products based on viral trends as temporary and be careful of buying too much, as these products are likely to go out of style almost as rapidly as they rose to prominence.

p20-25 Store advice.indd 23

01/03/2022 13:04

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

Toys for the local community

James Wilkinson, of Pybus Newsagents in York, sells a lot of toys that he sources from Toby, Alpha Toys, House of Puzzles, Orchard Toys and ABGee, although Covid-19 has created supply issues, with goods from China still being held up. Being based in a market town has meant focusing his offer on his local audience, with farming toys, tractors and the like. This offer, which is showcased in the window, has attracted customers from Doncaster, Leeds, Sheffield and even Middlesbrough. “We also offer pocketmoney toys, as well as cricket bats and tennis sets, sleighs, and buckets and spades,” he says. “In lockdown, we did brilliantly with puzzles and a lot of that has stayed. “It’s the same with children’s craft sets. We introduced them during Covid-19 and it went really well. Now we’re known for it, it’s stayed as part of our offer.”

Gardening opportunities

In a bid to drive further sales, Avtar ‘Sid’ Sidhu, from St John’s Budgens in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, opened up a gardening offer last year. While he closed it for winter, it will be returning in spring. “Throughout the warmer months the sales are strong and the margins are exceptional,” he says. “It’s a category with curb appeal and it will bring a different type of customer into your store – customers who will spend £50-£60, or even £100. “It’s not just the plants – the ancillary gardening products are very lucrative. It’s the stakes, the plant wire, pruners, insect sprays, plant feeds, gloves, shovels and compost. They are impulse lines.” Sidhu also recommends educating a member of staff about the category to help them speak confidently with expert customers, and offering delivery to enable people to buy more than they can carry.

p20-25 Store advice.indd 24

01/03/2022 13:07

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

25 I’ve got a good relationship with the local craft centre TRUDY DAVIES

Look to local craftsmen

Trudy Davies offers small bags of bird and duck food for 50p or £1 in her store Woosnam & Davies in Llanidloes, Powys, which encourages impulse purchases from people who might not want to fork out £10 for a full bag. “We also fill empty milk cartons with birdseed and coffee cups with duck feed,” she says. “It’s a way to upsell.” With many local artists, craftsmen and authors in her local area, Davies also engenders community spirit and sales by stocking their smaller products, including love spoons, jewellery, pottery, cards and books. “I’ve got a good relationship with the local craft centre,” she says. “They price it up and I take a 20% margin. We reach out to local authors and if anyone has a book – a town guide, a family history – we’ll sell that. We have a tremendous range of greeting cards, about 10 different outlets for cards. We want to be a hub.”

Coastal stores look to the beach

In the picturesque seaside village of Aberdyfi, Gwynedd, environmentalism and tourism are two defining themes driving the management of Heidi Moseley’s Village Stores shop. “We’re in a very beautiful part of the country, and it really focuses the attention on looking after the environment,” she says. By stocking crab lines for beachgoing shoppers, Moseley can provide a point of difference and drive additional spend. As the crab lines are recyclable, shoppers, who are often tourists and will have no use for them outside of their time on holiday, return them at the end of the day – and then they’re in the shop for the second time. “We recycle the crab lines for customers when they’re going home. Tourists buy them for the day and won’t want to take them home, so they’ll come back in on their way home and buy something to take with them.”

p20-25 Store advice.indd 25

01/03/2022 13:08

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

Have you thought about beer?

As well as selling perfumes in his Welcome Faversham store in Kent, Sandeep Bains has also installed a Beer Hawk Keg machine, which promotes return custom from his clientele. “It’s doesn’t offer a huge margin, but it helped us boost Christmas sales,” he says. “The machines cost between £230-£240 and each keg is £35-£40. Anyone with machines at home will travel to buy kegs from us, as well as return them. “It saves them buying them online, which a lot are hesitant to do because it can get lost, arrived damaged, etc. We take that all off their hands and have them bring empty kegs in and return it for them.” Bains recommends social media – particularly TikTok – as the place to look for the next unusual product. “It started with fidget spinners. Since then, we keep a close eye on TikTok to get the next must-stock product,” he says.

Speak to your customers

When one of Sasi Patel’s four Manchester stores underwent an extension, he talked to his customers to find out what non-traditional products they wanted in the extra space. “After a few months, we got a common theme, which was a ‘bits and bobs’ section – more specifically, kitchen products and hardware,” he says. “We worked with Solvox, and now they merchandise and maintain everything. We sell full utensils, stirrers, storage containers, etc. We then extended this last summer to include in-house party wear that includes serving trays, paper plates and cups, etc. for get-togethers at home. “I have 1.2-metre dedicated to it and it’s split into three areas: health & beauty, stationery, and general bits and bobs, which include house insulation tape and phone accessories. Having 1.2 metres enabled us to have five shelves, and you can fit a lot of stock in these areas.”

p20-25 Store advice.indd 26

01/03/2022 13:09

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

Specialistion is where the market is growing MARK DUDDEN Fuel for the fire

Ranj Hayer has made use of the space outside his Hayers Retail store in Westonsuper-Mare, Somerset, to sell kindling and logs for burning. He gets a good 40% margin from these products, which he sources from a local forestry company and which are usually bought as stress sales by people needing to top up. In summer, he switches to selling barbecue coals, but is considering keeping logs all year round. “With what’s happening with gas and electric, it could be something that could get quite big in the future,” he says. “And with the weather we’ve had recently as well, it works, too. If people start using log burners year round, it could sell throughout the day.” Hayer does this because he’s recognised the demand from his local community and recommends being “close enough” to customers to know what they want, suggesting car washing equipment for stores with large car parks.

Specialisation key for mags

Mark Dudden’s Albany News store in Cardiff sells lots of magazines, but while mainstream titles are in decline, he’s seen a growing demand for quality. “People aren’t afraid to pay for it,” he says. “Specialisation is where the market’s growing. Some people will buy a magazine just to be seen reading it. If you’re in the right area and you’ve got the right range, it will work.” He doesn’t worry about the top 100 bestselling titles, which people can get anywhere, but instead focuses on the “bottom 200”. While he sources most of his magazines from Smiths, which gives him a 25% margin, by looking at importers and book wholesalers he can expect a minimum margin of 35%, with opportunities to sell for less but still get a better margin. “It’s easier said than done to get them, though,” he says. “You need to get niche titles and get a name for yourself.” l

p20-25 Store advice.indd 27

01/03/2022 13:09

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

VAPRIL

SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT Tim Allinson

Managing director, Zeus Group

Throughout VApril, we will focus our communications on educating first-time vapers and those looking to make the switch from traditional cigarettes by discussing vaping being a ‘healthier’ alternative to smoking. Alongside the important information and advice that we will be sharing, we will also promote sales on starter kits aimed at firsttime vapers as well as highlighting exciting offers such as a gift with purchases to help conversion.

Using VApril to boost next-gen nicotine sales VApril is Vaping Awareness Month and a great chance for retailers to look into next-gen nicotine, as Charles Whitting discovers

It’s become a bit of an event and it always works well

p28-32 VApril.indd 28

here are two months that offer the best opportunity for retailers when it comes to next-gen nicotine. January is the first big chance, as New Year’s resolutions are put into place and people turn to vaping as they try to give up smoking. The other is April, or VApril. Vaping Awareness Month is a global campaign designed to help smokers turn from cigarettes to vaping. “VApril is going from strength to strength and is now one of the world’s largest vaping aware-

ness campaigns, helping people make the switch from smoking to vaping,” says Tim Allinson, managing director of Zeus Group. “Supported by the NHS, VApril presents a fantastic opportunity for retailers to harness the increased visibility driven by the campaign and they must be prepared with their own supporting campaigns, products and stock levels in response to the potential increase in customer interest. “Taking advantage of vapingfocused calendar campaigns such

as New Year, VApril and Stoptober also presents a great opportunity to increase footfall and sales.” More than three million former smokers in the UK have taken up vaping, and, according to VApril, 72% of smokers who were aware of the campaign said it had influenced them to switch to vaping. In addition, the government recently announced its ambition for England to be smoke-free by 2030. In what would be a world first, there is also talk of e-cigarettes becoming products the NHS in

01/03/2022 11:40

Nicotine products are for over 18s only Ensure VERIFY is visible in your shop Complete VERIFY online training to learn about your responsibilities

What is VERIFY?

VERIFY provides retailers with display materials, support and training on how to avoid selling tobacco, vapour and oral nicotine products to under 18s and ensure compliance with the law.

www.vapermarket.co.uk/verify

RN Full page ad.indd 1

25/02/2022 12:31

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

VAPRIL England could prescribe for people trying to stop smoking tobacco. All of this points to a growing importance for next-gen nicotine and serves as a good reason for retailers to start thinking about where they can fit in a range of products. “The next-gen market shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, the nicotine pouch category has experienced strong growth in the UK and is now worth approximately £21.8m a year,” says Gemma Bateson, head of reduced-risk products at JTI UK. “Combined with the heated tobacco category, which is now worth £73m, and vaping, which is in growth of 23.3%, retailers should consider how to best display this category to profit from the opportunities available.” WHAT RETAILERS CAN DO FOR VAPRIL For retailers with an existing nextgen range, VApril offers the chance

to spread the word further and increase sales in this category. Promotional material and PoS can draw attention to your products, while deals and offers will attract existing vapers to your store for the prices and encourage the ‘vape-curious’ to give them a try. “We’ve done it in the past,” says Amrit Singh Pahal, of H & Jodie’s Nisa in Walsall, West Midlands. “It’s become a bit of an event nowadays and it always works well. We’ll push it again this year. We’ll put out some offers and see what traction they can get. It’s important to be careful with your promotions and to make sure that you’re following the suppliers’ guidelines.” For retailers considering whether or not to start stocking vapes, disposables and the rest, this is the month to gauge interest from customers, find out about the category and take advantage of the increased

TOP TIPS FOR VAPRIL GET THE WORD OUT: VApril is an awareness campaign, so make sure you’re highlighting your next-gen products in store and online. GET STARTED: VApril aims to attract newcomers to the vaping category, so it’s a great time to either launch your own vaping range or to target your promotions to people looking to switch. FOCUS ON POSITIVES: VApril is an opportunity to highlight the positives of next-gen nicotine, whether it’s health or price, so make sure your promotional activity focuses on these attributes. EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION: Train yourself and your staff so that they can help guide category newcomers through the jargon and new products so no one feels intimidated.

Start with something small, then highlight the price difference

awareness to launch your range. Retailers should consider trying out a small range to gauge interest during VApril, keeping things simple by focusing on established brands and tried-and-tested selling points. “April is a good time to get into it – like January,” says Singh Pahal. “Start with something small, then really highlight the price difference to people compared with cigarettes. That’s always a winner in any argument – it’s incomparable.” Regardless of your store’s current next-gen capacity, VApril should be utilised as a way to encourage people to start, so focus on promoting starter kits and value options to attract newcomers to the category. “Stock levels should be boosted, displays and PoS should be elevated, and retailers should develop their own supporting campaigns and offer special promotions and deals,” says Zeus Group’s Allinson. “Particular focus should be on products targeted at first-time vapers who are making the transition from cigarettes. Stock should include a range of options from flavours to strengths to devices and knowledgeable staff must be on hand to educate, advise and guide new customers who may be at the beginning of their vaping journey.” EDUCATION One of the major barriers to vapes and other next-gen nicotine products is the lack of understanding of the products themselves – particularly given the growing array of options that are now in existence,

p28-32 VApril.indd 30

01/03/2022 11:40

VELO WON PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 We’re incredibly pleased to announce that we won Product of the Year 2022 in the Nicotine Pouch category. This means that as well as being the #1 Nicotine Pouch in Scandinavia*, we’re the top Nicotine Pouch in the UK as voted by 9,897 consumers! Product of the Year is the UK’s largest consumer survey of product innovation, recognised as a marker of trust by millions of consumers throughout the UK.

We are exceptionally proud of this win, which proves our product delivers on quality and satisfaction. But we know it wouldn’t be possible without the trust and support of our brilliant partner retailers. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible to get our award-winning product into the hands of the consumers who love it. We want to say a massive Thank You to those who continue to support us and stock our product in their stores. We couldn’t do it without you! Winner Nicotine Pouch Category. Survey of 9,897 people in the UK & ROI by Kantar.

We’re always looking for retailers who’d like to stock our award-winning product. Partner with VELO today and join the nicotine pouch movement!

This product contains nicotine and is addictive. For adult nicotine consumers only. For trade use only.

*Based on Nielsen RMS data on Volume Share and Share of Modern White Segment for the 12-month period ending August 2021 for Sweden & Denmark total retail market. Excludes Norway where nicotine pouches without tobacco cannot be sold. VELO is sold under the brand name LYFT in Sweden and Denmark.

RN Full page ad.indd 1

25/02/2022 12:20

VAPRIL the host of new brands entering the space and the different legal requirements that might list a bestselling European brand as incompatible with current UK law. Given VApril is all about awareness, it is important that you and your team are well versed in everything next-gen to ensure that you can educate your customers, which will make their purchasing decisions easier, their experience more pleasant and their loyalty to nextgen more likely. “Given the varied experience of shoppers in the vape category, it is really important for retailers to be equipped to offer advice that can be tailored to each customer,” says Duncan Cunningham, UK corporate affairs director at Imperial Tobacco and Blu. “The retailers who can do so will be the ones that see the most success and establish themselves as a destination store for vapers.” AJ Singh, from Premier Morley in Leeds, is planning on a big promotional and educational campaign this year as he looks to get involved in VApril for the first time. “We will be doing something for it, definitely,” he says. “We’ve got our own Tito Nano vape disposable

p28-32 VApril.indd 32

brand, rather than stocking other brands. We make more margin that way. So, we’ll be doing something massive for that. We’ll do things in store and get customers to try it and learn about it. It’s a market that, once it’s done right, you can make a lot out of.” GET THE WORD OUT Visibility is essential when it comes to vape products, especially if you are starting out with a range or looking to attract newcomers to the category. For many people, the products, let alone the brands, are unlikely to be things with which they are familiar, so having them prominently placed with clear directions and information will guide customers to the range and help them navigate it without feeling overwhelmed. “It is also a good idea to have a strong visual display of vaping products, positioned away from the main gantry where possible, with clear information on pricing to enable customers to browse at their leisure without the need to handle and inspect products,” says Imperial’s Cunningham. For retailers just starting out in

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

the category, JTI’s Bateson recommends a countertop display solution to test consumer response. “If displayed in a clear and tidy display, customers will find it easier to find their preferred product, in turn experiencing a better level of customer service,” she says. VApril activity shouldn’t be limited to in store, either. As most next-gen users are younger adults, making sure that any promotions you are doing for VApril are showcased online is a great way to spread the word and garner a reputation for your store that might bring in customers from further afield who might not otherwise have travelled to or passed by your store. Just make sure to do so responsibly, as it is an age-restricted product. “The best thing you can do is make sure that everything you are pushing in store, you are also pushing online,” says AJ Singh. “That’s the beauty of it.” Next-gen nicotine is a fast-growing category that retailers should be considering for inclusion in their stores. This April is a great month to test the water with customers and to take advantage of the national awareness campaign. l

01/03/2022 11:41

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

Keg sales gold rush

COMING UP IN THE 11 MARCH ISSUE OF RN Stores taking up to £35k per week fuels race to secure 75 trade accounts up for grabs Page 4 »

The new vaping lines stores need to know about Inside the latest opportunities in e-cigarettes and what they mean for local shops

PayPoint parcel locker plan revealed

PayPoint working towards more sales, more margin and more stores for its parcels network

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

l How local shops can act now to protect

sales from potential Christmas disruption

CEO discusses plans for parcel, payment and newspaper voucher services Page 4 »

l How stores of any

l Why your store is missing

shape and size can win more passing trade

out on younger shoppers, and eight ways to fix it

STORE ADVICE

Get more from local suppliers

Police and BID praised for ‘pilot’ scheme to fight crime with free gear for staff Page 6 »

The rules stores follow to fill gaps and win custom through local partnerships Page 18 »

p1 RN Cover.indd 1

30/11/2021 15:47

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

SALES OPPORTUNITY

Page 16

Make more from the big night in

Low-cost team building

Nine tips to grab bigger baskets from your sofa-loving customers Page 20 »

Give staff rewards and responsibility without breaking the bank Page 26 »

STORE ADVICE Page 17

IN VE R ST N IG AT IO N

● Bad business rates advice given to more

than one in 20 stores by local authorities ● Find out how these errors could be causing stores like yours to miss out on rates relief Page 4 REVEALED

SYMBOL GROUP

United Wholesale Grocers and Booker said to be in talks with delivery services Page 3 »

Bestway ups weekly fee for marketing support to £12.50 per week Page 5 »

Wholesalers eye rapid deliveries

Costcutter stores get £650 bill

Booker own label replaced

Tesco reveals plans to replace more Booker lines with its Jack’s-branded products Page 4 »

How your store can seize opportunities in the four phases of ending Covid-19 restrictions

●

Booker and One Stop’s new ideas

p1 Cover.indd 1

Ultimate guide to Easter

23/02/2021 15:29

AVAILABILITY

Nearly half of local shops are failing to comply with new 10p bag charge Page 3 »

Booker, Bestway, Nisa and others hit by supply issue affecting more than 40 major brands Page 5 »

Plastic bag charge ignored

Wholesaler chilled meltdown

Page 19

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Retailer rebates at risk

SYMBOLS

Discover the tactics stores are using to grow sales in a declining market Page 26 »

How any sized store can profit from selling this high-margin, takeout staple Page 18 »

Wholesaler’s new strategy helps retailers reduce wastage in their store Page 5 »

08/06/2021 15:41

WHOLESALE

CATEGORY ADVICE Page 26

Top tips to attract weekly shoppers to your store postpandemic Page 28 »

Delivery firm plans

National president Stuart Reddish to approach publishers and wholesalers head on Page 6 » 03/08/2021 16:17

Make money from digital magazines for the first time with this exclusive poster Page 19

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Discover the top-selling lines set to make a return as lockdown eases Page 28

COMPETITION

Latest sales data reveals the muststocks and the major flops Pages 6 & 32 »

Expert Scott Annan shows how ROI leads the way forward for convenience stores Page 20 »

Publisher concern as supermarket follows Waitrose in banning most covermounts Page 6 »

Data from Too Good To Go confirms stores are struggling with shortdate stock Page 4 »

Carrier-bag charges are changing. Here’s how stores are getting ready Page 7 »

Exclusive photos and analysis on what the new chain means for rivals Pages 5 & 18 »

Tesco pulls plug on mag plastics

Why food waste is on the up

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06/07/2021 16:41

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Get ready for the 10p bag charge

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

69+

How to make more from new products in your store

AMBIENT GROCERY

unique retailers spoken to every month

Payzone stores get PO access RN uncovers plan to add Post Office services to Payzone devices Page 4 »

New tools for small shops The tech that is changing how local shops are run Page 13 »

Top tips for a successful season as restrictions lift Page 24 »

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SPIRITS

IMPULSE SOFT DRINKS

Your shop’s spectacular summer

Vol 132 No 19 £2.50

BEERS

Page 37

RANGING

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

71%

Simple changes to increase sales in these hard-to-get-right sections of your shop

TECHNOLOGY

of RN’s news stories are exclusive

04/05/2021 16:40

CASH AND CARRY

Trading standards target wholesalers and order ‘illegal’ top lines to be removed from sale Page 4 »

For stores from 480 6,000sq ft

FROZEN

SEASONAL EXTRAS

Disposable vaping crackdown

17 Xmas must-stock products

Discov the lines that Discover will bag stores extra sales in the final run-up to Christmas Page 26 »

PRODUCE

STORE ADVICE

Vol 132 No 48 £2.50 FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

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Sharing your store duties

How shops delegate tasks to staff and family to focus on growing their business Page 22 »

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23/11/2021 14:23

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Get more from your back of store Retailer tips for a more profitable and easier-torun stock room

ORDER YOUR COPY from your magazine wholesaler today 40% or contact Kate Daw on 020 7689 3363 What the new junk New promo Getting the food ad ban means restrictions to hit best energy for your store deal for STORE ADVICE Page 14

STORE ADVICE Page 14

23/03/2021 16:09

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How these familyowned stores keep things professional to drive shop performance STORE ADVICE

Page 20 RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

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RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 28.01.2022

ANALYSIS Page 18

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Explained: how the budget will affect your store ● Why the latest government measures will leave

this independent retailer £8,863.92 worse off ● Compare your store to see how much

more you will be paying in April Page 10 »

BUSINESS RATES STORE SERVICES

MINIMUM WAGE

TOBACCO DUTY

Government and Camelot under fire over National Lottery’s pivot to online games Page 4 »

Bargain Booze in Costcutter

Leaked floorplans detail new off-licence concession planned for local shops Page 3 »

SOFT DRINKS

Vol 132 No 45 £2.50 FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

an advantage over supermarkets

Tesco ditches PayPoint for Payzone

Discover what the swap means for nearby independent stores RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 08.10.2021

FASCIAS

Pick the right symbol group The questions retailers

ALCOHOL

Improve your gin range

Uncover the flavours,

Page 3

Broker advice, contract negotiations, smart meter opportunities and more… Page 15 » NEWSPAPERS

XR targets papers in stores Industry activates

SYMBOLS

Booker delivery fee

Charges for Premier,

PAYMENTS

Minimum card spend removal

Why cutting card spend

NFRN

Energy crisis closures Scottish district

SUSTAINABILITY

A greener store for leaner costs Quick and affordable

SERVICES Page 4

Camelot could owe your store hundreds of pounds ● Lottery operator accepts ‘breakdown of communications’ may have prevented stores getting funds owed for old scratchcards

unhealthy goods sold near tills or on offer ● What retailers can do to prepare stores and protect sales

soft drinks and snack sales

Use US lines and flavour trends to add value to your range while keeping core sales Page 28 »

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● Small shops caught up in plans to ban

l The challenges ahead in confectionery,

Shake up your cola sales

02/11/2021 13:44

betterRetailing.com/subscribeconvenience stores your store

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of 2019’s top-sellin convenie g lines affecnce ted

l Why the ban gives independent shops

ALCOHOL DUTY

FASCIAS

MPs call for Lottery advert ban

● betterRetailing.com ● 08.01.2021

● betterRetailing.com ● 05.11.2021

Know the right time to keep or ditch price-marked packs

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Retailers reveal their top tips for saving time and money in depot Page 23 »

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Retailers plan for success with these January to-do lists

Striking a PMP balance

Better cash and carry visits

Vol 132 No 13 £2.50 FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Retailing with relatives

Your store’s ranging guide

Learn what’s in demand, what to avoid and how to turn new launches into cash, according to 500 convenience shoppers

SERVICES

Page 3

● betterRetailing.com ● 26.11.2021

STORE ADVICE

Iceland’s c-store launch

PayPoint’s new cashback threat to ATM services

● betterRetailing.com ● 26.03.2021

Stores: prepare now for the impulse sales comeback

STAY INFORMED AND GET AHEAD WITH RN

Page 4

‘race against dark stores’

NFRN tackles late deliveries

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supply ‘ringfenced’

FREE INSIDE: The Big Issue sales poster

LEGISLATION

● betterRetailing.com ● 07.05.2021

Page 22

NEWSTRADE

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to two months of disruption

GROCERY DELIVERY

07/09/2021 16:27

SUSTAINABILITY

‘Want 40% margin? Copy Ireland’

Why going from four shops to just one worked for this retailer Page 15 »

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MAGAZINES

LEGISLATION Page 3

Check whether you are stocking the newest and top-selling lines

Experts warn murky status of CBD products puts stores at risk

Bringing in ‘big shop’ customers

Supermarkets avoid caps and shortages on popular lines, unlike indies Page 3 »

l How to maintain sales despite up

HOME NEWS DELIVERY

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Your sports and energy drinks makeover

● betterRetailing.com ● 09.07.2021

Downsizing for a sales boost

Vol 132 No 37 £2.50

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GUEST COLUMN

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FEATURE

Mults beat indies on availability

putting 26% of your top snack lines at risk

4 March 2022.indd 1Snappy’s HND Mail

Vol 132 No 35 £2.50

STORE PROFILE

Booker cuts promo allocations

NEWSTRADE

24/08/2021 16:41

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Page 23

Energising on-the-go sales

Seven convenience retailers reveal their plans for 19 July Page 3 » Five shopfront tips to win more passing trade Page 22 » Build a core chilled range ready for on-the-go customers Page 34 » Bestway’s top trends for post-lockdown revealed Page 5 »

Mag and paper ABCs revealed

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

COFFEE

The role of newspapers in stores

Vol 132 No 24 £2.50

Page 25

NEWSTRADE

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RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

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Your guide to growing sales, reaching more customers and driving profits

Retailers discuss tips to prevent store upkeep from breaking the bank Page 14 »

l Exclusive independent pricing data

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Cannabis law confusion

● betterRetailing.com ● 06.08.2021

retailers’ sales data analysed for every issue

l Hack causes complete delivery shutdown,

New scheme prevents

Isolation change guidance

l Make mega margins

Counter Cash service is for low-cashaccess areas, so why is it going to stores with free-to-use ATMs?

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Prepare your store for KP Snacks’ supply meltdown

Seven ways retailers

LEGISLATION

At RN, our content is data-led and informed by those on the shop floor

Retail veterans reveal the secrets of building your convenience-store count

Page 4

Page 30

Pricewatch: see what other retailers are charging for RYO tobacco, and boost your own profits

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Make a success of opening another store

Spend less time at cash and carry

Paper price rises sales impact

SERVICES Page 4

l betterRetailing.com l 10.09.2021

Cash in on festive snacking

● Six retailers reveal their plans for a postpandemic summer

better-selling evening meal range

●

STORE ADVICE Page 14

STORE STRATEGY Page 30

● Build a simpler and

How do retailers pick winning new products?

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STORE ADVICE

Page 29

Hot or not

18/01/2022 14:53

l betterRetailing.com l 11.02.2022

TECHNOLOGY Page 18

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

How availability issues have left stores on the brink of missing payments Page 4 »

Minimising store repair costs 03

Electronic shelf labels explained

Discover the trends and new products you need to win more on-the-go shoppers

Advice for retailers on what the latest rules across the UK mean for staffing Page 7 »

STORE ADVICE

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Page 25

Get your store ready Why cereal bars for ‘Freedom Your guidedeserve to lowering costs by Day’ more space in your store reducing product wastage and losses in your store to less than 1% Understand how last Underst month’s cover price increases dented store sales Page 9 »

AND MORE…

Vol 133 No 3 £2.50

Work out the time and money you could save by scrapping paper labels

● betterRetailing.com ● 27.08.2021

Go beyond eggs and take a chunk of the wider Easter opportunity Page 22 »

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RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

ways to keep your home delivery service relevant

NESCAFE

How sustainability is improving the margins, sales and reputation of local shops Page 22 »

Discover new store concepts pushing the limits of big-night-in promotions Page 7 »

24 ways to a greener store

STORE ADVICE Page 16

What Boris’ lockdown exit plan means for local shops

3,451

SUSTAINABILITY

07/04/2021 16:42

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How retailers best use supplier visits to get stock, support and sales for their stores Page 30 »

RANGE REVIEW Page 18

LAVAZZA

● betterRetailing.com ● 26.02.2021

Retailers reveal the categories, lines and tips that convince customers to spend more

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WHOLESALE

Find out which of these nine top profit-generating hot drinks machines is right for your store COSTA COFFEE

Page 16

PINGDEMIC

Coffee machines compared

CO-OP

NEWSTRADE

Discover the changes customers want to see in your chiller that can deliver bumper sales

WHOLESALE

Vol 132 No 15 £2.50

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

EVENTS ADVICE

What your soft drinks range should look like in 2022

Page 26

Camelot addresses your concerns ahead of new legislation next month

l New products and must-stocks

Customer habits Ranging Footfall Trading hours

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● betterRetailing.com ● 21.01.2022

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

SYMBOL GROUPS

07/12/2021 15:00

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

The grocery changes all stores need to make to win today’s shoppers

Page 23

How shop owners keep their stores ticking over when taking a break

SUPPLIER SUPPORT

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● betterRetailing.com ● 11.06.2021

● Discover the ● Ten must-stock simple bread trend bakery brands and up 60% year on year their top-selling lines

Need a holiday?

Trading up for bigger baskets

●

Get more from rep visits

Vol 132 No 50 £2.50

What stores need to know about the 2021 magazine launch boom Page 6 »

Vol 133 No 7 £2.50

15/02/2022 16:04

Page 3

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Pages 5 & 18

New mags for your shelves

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RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Council blunders: is your store owed thousands of pounds?

NEWSTRADE SUCCESS

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Store owners share how they tackle complaints, keep staff safe and protect sales

● betterRetailing.com ● 10.12.2021

Page 4

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Dealing with difficult customers RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

l Bestway trial shows these healthier lines sell anywhere l Discover the new lines ready for the junk food promo ban l Retailer plans for growing lower-sugar sales

How to get your free toy-vending machine

Lottery age change

How to have a successful and profitable summer – including consumer trends, hot products and retailer tips Page 23

Free body cameras for stores

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

LO 1 AD OK- 3-P VI BO AG CE O E GU K A ID ND E

PayPoint ramps up services

l betterRetailing.com l 09.04.2021

healthier lines that help deliver £250 extra weekly profit to indie stores

Get more customers through your door

the reintroduction of mandatory Covid-19 control measures

SHOPLIFTING

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

l Advice and resources for stores on

STORE SERVICES

l betterRetailing.com l 18.02.2022

NEWS Page 4

: Revealed

What the new Covid-19 rules mean for your store

Page 3

STORE SERVICES Page 3

18+

Footfall, customer trust and sales being damaged by mistake that takes under five minutes to fix

E RE XCL SE US AR IV CH E

l betterRetailing.com l 03.12.2021

CO UP VID DA -1 TE 9

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

CATEGORY ADVICE Page 21

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Revealed: 63% of convenience stores list the wrong opening hours

Page 5

PARFETTS

New ownlabel range revealed Wholesaler quietly

NEWSTRADE

Vol 132 No 2 £2.50

The new must-stock magazines Discover the titles

CATEGORY ADVICE

The winter meds you need to stock Stock up to sell up

01/03/2022 60% caught10:04 LEGISLATION

out by allergy law Mistakes by shop staff

OWN-LABEL

Booker to change own label Happy Shopper,

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

PREPARE FOR HFSS Part 2 of RN’s 4-part Guide to HFSS series

How will HFSS affect store ranges? Jasper Hart looks at how retailers are preparing their ranges for HFSS restrictions, and what changes experts say will be the best to make

s the October date for the government’s restrictions on the promotion of goods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) gets closer, the picture is starting to get clearer, and the industry is starting to take retailers’ requests for guidance more seriously. The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has released a guide for retailers to navigate the upcoming changes in conjunction with Surrey and Buckinghamshire Trading Standards. The guide highlights the categories likely to be affected, the restrictions on promotions and displays, and how the regulations will be enforced. Meanwhile, Unitas Wholesale has announced it will be launching an online tool later this year to enable its customers to identify which of its products are compliant,

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following in the footsteps of wholesaler Pricecheck, which launched a guide of compliant products last November. David Gilroy, managing director of Store Excel, a digital platform for independent retailers, and former operations director at Bestway Wholesale, says suppliers and wholesalers need to be ready to provide any help retailers ask for. “The wholesalers have an education job to do,” he says. “Most of them have joint business plans with key suppliers and biannual supplier meetings. They will know already what’s being planned, and that should be giving signals and clues as to how the market’s going to be adjusted, and in doing so there’s an education job for the wholesalers to give the retailers.” A trickle of product launches has already started to appear across

There’s an education job for the wholesalers to give retailers

cereal and snacking, with suppliers keen to stress the non-HFSS nature of their launches, mainly across biscuits and cereals. An example is Pladis’ forthcoming reformulation of its Go Ahead Fruit & Cake Bakes, which will reduce its saturated fat and sugar content to make it non-HFSS. On the multiples front, keeneyed observers have noted that some supermarkets have begun stealthy trials of new layouts. Bryan Roberts, RN columnist and retail analyst at Shopfloor Insights, noted, in a Twitter thread, changes to Tesco Extra stores in Leicester and Royston. These changes have included replacing confectionery, cereal, crisps and fizzy drinks with canned fruit and veg, fruit juice, and even household items such as detergent and toilet roll.

01/03/2022 12:30

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

ANALYST VIEW Lucy Ingram

UK retail analyst, IGD

The greatest change we expect to see overall from the upcoming HFSS legislation is stores will become much more health focused. Health and wellness is a huge opportunity, and more retailers are starting to see this now. As an area shoppers traditionally find difficult to navigate, retailers can help in how they reshape their stores. We will see more dedicated health spaces, even in smaller stores, where all health and wellness products are brought together – potentially in place of where HFSS products used to sit. We expect to see more signage showcasing healthy products and their benefits – clear, eye-catching signage will help shoppers navigate the store easily, and improve speed and ease of the shop. With interest in plant-based diets continuing to grow every year, the placement of new plantbased prepared meals in secondary locations could increase levels of impulse purchasing and provide an opportunity to engage with younger shoppers especially. As well as limiting the exposure of its HFSS products, the Royston store has made extra effort to highlight products high in protein, low in sugar or under 100 calories with shelf strips and green frames. However, with seven months to go until the restrictions are expected to come into force, there is no real consensus for how affected convenience stores can be best prepared. “We have lots of ideas, and our business development manager has been on the phone about it, but we haven’t made any hard and fast decisions,” says Rachael Hockmeyer, of Spar Sleaford in Lincolnshire. “My top choice would be for the shop to be under 2,000sq ft so I don’t have to comply. I will go for the option that costs me the least money, because now is not the time to spend money on things you don’t want to spend it on.” Such a sweeping set of regulations would be disruptive to many retailers at the best of times, but in a period of rising energy and staff

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HFSS – WHO IS AFFECTED? Proprietary fresh goods can provide a point of difference

The amount it would cost me in lost promotions on HFSS products would be more than the cost of downsizing

costs, delivery shortages and the remaining risk of staff absences due to Covid-19, it’s hard for some store owners to think about how they will tackle the restrictions. Susan Connolly, who runs Spar Pennings Road in Tidworth, Wiltshire, has been in touch with her business development manager about plans to downsize her store’s floor space by 200sq ft so it is exempt from restrictions. “The amount it would cost me in lost promotions on HFSS products would be more than the cost of downsizing, so I’m adding a stud wall and making the stock room slightly bigger,” she says. “It would be a huge loss if we couldn’t do it, and it will be a USP against the multiples in our area, who have to change their ranging.” Avtar Sidhu’s St John’s Budgens in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, is, at 2,000sq ft, just eligible for the restrictions to be implemented. Unlike Connolly, however, he believes the sheer scale of the legislation means its impact is impossible to

• Stores over 2,000sq ft will be affected by promotional and location HFSS restrictions. • Stores under 2,000sq ft but with either 50-plus employees or part of a symbol group will be affected by promotional restrictions, but exempt from location restrictions. • Extra free and buyone-get-one free deal promotions will be banned. • Multibuys (two for the price of one) will be banned.

01/03/2022 15:43

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

PREPARE FOR HFSS

Alcoholic products are just some of those that may find a new home on gondola ends

ALTERNATIVES TO HFSS PRODUCTS FOR TILL POINTS AND GONDOLA ENDS

• Alcohol – alcoholic products will be totally exempt from HFSS restrictions, giving retailers a chance to expand their offering or give greater prominence to launches and new formats. • Technology – WHSmith has trialled electrical accessories in its queueing areas. Products such as batteries, phone chargers and cases can provide retailers with margins as high as 50%. • Fresh produce – proprietary fresh goods can be a real point of difference for affected retailers who will be looking for points

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of difference compared with multiples. • Health trends – retailers can use their gondola ends to give more space to growth areas such as protein bars and functional energy drinks with low sugar contents. • Canned and packaged – “Saving money will take priority over promotions on HFSS products this year,” says IGD’s Lucy Ingram. With rising energy and food costs, catering to shopping needs with staple grocery items that have long-lasting shelf lives may become increasingly important.

accurately predict. “I’m not looking at this as a date in the calendar, but as a movement beyond that – it’s going to affect the whole industry. For me, blatantly trying to circumnavigate it probably isn’t the right approach. If you really think about it, it’s not as much about the retailer as it is about the FMCG companies. A lot of them are in deep consultations about reformulations and compliant new products. “We’ll try to make sure we use this to look at products and new categories for gondola ends and ways of displaying promotions and products in store,” Sidhu says. A ban on HFSS promotions means suppliers will look into alternative promotions to fill the gap, Sidhu theorises. “A lot of multibuy promotions are driven by manufacturers and suppliers, and they will stop doing them, so we won’t have them on offer anyway,” he says. “Even if you’re under 2,000sq ft, if the manufacturers, suppliers and symbols run promotions that fit into a non-HFSS strategy, then part of your store will be aligned with that whether you like it or not.” Ultimately for Sidhu, it’s too early to make a firm decision on preparing his store for a post-HFSSrestrictions environment, because retailers will be at the mercy of whatever decisions their suppliers make up to the October deadline. “Our in-store promotions are controlled by Budgens, and they will

01/03/2022 12:31

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

be driven by manufacturers from KP Snacks to Walkers to Coca-Cola. They’re probably putting a huge amount of work in – whether that’s new formulations or products, a lot of it will be the trigger point for us to rethink our space.” OPPORTUNITIES As the aim of the restrictions is to limit the exposure of unhealthy products, retailers could use them as an opportunity to highlight other products, while shoppers will still look for less-healthy options if they want them. “We anticipate aisle ends and gondola fixtures being used in many different ways going forward, with 30% of convenience shoppers saying they would like to see their store using such space to place more healthier products together, and 18% suggesting products on end of aisles and banner adverts being limited to only healthier products,” says Lucy

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gondola ends and the till are your most valuable real estate, then use it for something that Prepare for is part of your own retail strategy.” HFSS – promotions When RN spoke to and marketing him, Annan was in the middle of visiting RN 1 April Northern Irish convenience stores, which he says are less likely to feel the effects of removing HFSS products from promotional areas – because they already aren’t there. “I was in Moran’s Centra Strand Road in Derry-Londonderry, and you don’t find HFSS products on promotional ends. All you find is fresh products, rolls, salads, sandwiches and soups in the winter. It’s healthier, it’s proprietary and you can’t buy it anywhere else. With proprietary fresh you can have margins from 80% to 100%.” An important distinction about the HFSS restrictions, which may have a huge impact, is they only apply to pre-packed food and drink, so in-store bakery items such as doughnuts and cookies may be exempt, alongside pick ’n’ mix confectionery. Annan believes that retailers place an inflated value on the actual levels of impulse attraction that HFSS products in soon-to-berestricted areas attract. He says: “The maximum level of impulse Promotions on household you ever get on any products, products will become more whether it’s chocolate or whatever, important in light of inflation is 20%, so that’s one in five people who go, ‘I hadn’t thought about it, and cost of living increases Ingram, UK retail analyst at IGD. but I’ll get that.’ That’s 80% of shopOne category that is arguably just pers who don’t.” as important for retailers as many Shoppers who still seek out HFSS affected products, but which is products will do so, in Annan’s completely exempt, is alcohol, and view. “Retailers can continue to sell Ingram says retailers may also be these products. In Scotland, we’ve able to use secondary locations to got the unhealthiest diets in the UK drive sales. “IGD’s recent Category because people continue to eat these Benchmarks data shows that on products. I was watching customers their last shop, 7% of beer, wine and in Derry – they were spending a lot spirits (BWS) shoppers, and 5% of of money on fresh goods, then they hot drinks shoppers, bought the would walk around and pick up a category from the end of an aisle. packet of crisps – people will still do “The only other category where that,” he says. more shoppers (14%) claim to have Whatever changes retailers do purchased items from this area is decide to make, Annan recomfood to go. Displaying BWS prodmends they should try to offer alucts in secondary locations could ternative food-and-drink products. provide the opportunity to inspire “Food and drink are relevant to shoppers and drive brand loyalty.” every customer at least three times Scott Annan, retail consultant a day, maybe as many as six.” at Blue Ananta and RN columnIf retailers believe their more imist, says HFSS restrictions are an pulsive sales will be affected, they opportunity for retailers to take should consider a replacement that a more proprietary view of the will provide as much of a like-forproducts they offer. He says: “If like sales pattern as possible. l

Food and drink are relevant to every customer at least three times a day, maybe as many as six

01/03/2022 12:31

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

MAGAZINE ABCS

CHILDREN & TEENS

The mag sales bounce The latest data shows magazine sales in stores are beating expectations. Tim Murray discusses the opportunities for retailers

OVERALL Publishers have celebrated strong results in the newly released magazine ABC figures for 2021, which document how many top brands are bouncing back following the pandemic. Analysis by RN shows while categories like women’s weeklies and men’s health remain hobbled by the impact of the past few years, others such as hobbies, home and garden and children’s achieved newsstand sales levels above their pre-pandemic rate of decline, with some even reporting two-year growth. Tom Bureau, Immediate Media executive chairman, noted: “That we’ve continued to grow our reach in print as restrictions have been eased illustrates the enduring popularity of our trusted market-leading brands. And it demonstrates the success of our strategic focus on quality content, helping our audiences get more from the things they love, whether that’s gardening, cooking or bringing to life the latest big TV hit. “The strong performance across our print portfolio, both on the newsstand and on subscriptions, combined with double-digit growth in our digital business and the return of our live events last year, has helped us celebrate our 10th anniversary in style, with our best-ever financial results.” Chris Duncan, Bauer Media publishing chief executive, said: “We’re delighted with such a

p38-39 ABCs Feature.indd 38

strong set of results and the performance of subscriptions and digital editions across Bauer titles. We continue to be the number one choice for audiences in many different categories in both monthly and weekly, mass market and specialist. Thanks to all of the teams who have worked so hard to make this possible, and to all of the retailers and advertisers who support us. We are proud to lead the sector, not least in our proven commitment to transparency around our circulation performance.” NFRN head of news and Connect Brian Murphy congratulated publishers, but also said the results highlight the need for publishers to place greater focus on launches. “Looking at the figures, I think there’s an overall lack of launch activity,” he told RN. “Consumer habits have changed and with that leisure time and interests are changing, too. We’d like to see magazines further evolve to get their share of consumer time. Murphy added that NFRN’s NewsPro magazine category management service would be assessing the figures before adjusting its plans and work with stores to reflect the changing nature of the market.

From Peppa Pig to Lego to Pokémon, the children’s (and teen) market features a wealth of familiar names and franchises and, despite movements in some areas, it’s still dominated by the likes of the porcine Peppa. As anecdotal evidence from across the retail base suggested, the children’s market has been one of the key sectors during the pandemic and its ongoing success is highlighted in some of the key numbers here – look at the growth for the likes of Pokémon and Lego’s special themed titles, which each saw rises of around the 25% mark at newsstands. What is remarkable is that Pokémon continues to enjoy revivals on an almost-annual basis, and Lego, as well as being the number-one toy brand, is remarkably resilient at retail. Immediate saw big successes with its own brands, pointing to double-digit growth for some of its key brands and titles, including Andy’s Amazing Adventures (up 27% year on year [YoY]), Pokémon (up 21.8% YoY) and Disney Stars and Lego Superhero Friends (up 18.5% and 25.6% respectively). As Pauline Cooke, managing director, youth and children’s at Immediate, notes: “Our growth across the portfolio shows we are giving our audience exactly what they want. “We have some of the biggest brands in the market and continue to deliver engaging content, education, activities and, most of all, fun.” The success of the children’s area means retailers should further assess their offerings, according to NFRN head of news Brian Murphy. “It’s an innovative and creative area. There are always new things for children and it’s a category that has a high spend from consumers. “It’s robust and has an ability to adapt. It’s a mainstay category and retailers need to give serious thought to creating a kids’ zone with collectable products and magazines in store.”

01/03/2022 16:22

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

HOME INTEREST Much has been made of the home interest sector’s strong lockdown performance, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that all manner of gardening, DIY, cookery and other titles are outperforming other categories. Publishers, too, have been trumpeting their successes, but much of the advances in this arena seem to have come through subscriptions. Still, there are positive signs, with the likes of BBC Home Cooking Series and Country Homes & Interiors growing over the past two years, while some print losses are much less steep than other sectors. Immediate has again showed strong figures here, notably with its cookery titles. Alex White, BBC Good Food managing director, says: “BBC Good Food is the UK’s number one food media brand and continues its outstanding growth year on year. A combination of brilliant editorial focus and commercial incisiveness makes BBC Good Food a must-read for everyone who loves preparing, cooking and eating food. Olive magazine’s year-on-year growth is testament to the passion it shares for effortlessly stylish food and drink, whether eating in or out, at home or abroad.” Its gardening titles have also excelled, but again, much of this was in subscriptions. Catriona Bolger, BBC Gardeners’ World managing director, said: “Already a market leader, BBC Gardeners’ World goes from strength to strength, growing 14% year on year to reach a circulation of over 258,126 copies. Our editor, Lucy Hall, was recognised by British Society of Magazine Editors describing her as “an editor for our times” and the results she and her team have achieved are testament to that. The UK is becoming ever-more a nation of gardening fans and BBC Gardeners’ World is there for everyone who shares that passion.”

MUSIC & FILM Bauer Media continues to dominate this sector, with the top-selling film magazine in the shape of Empire and the biggest music title with Mojo. Both continue to widen their audience in the digital arena, while still suffering modest print declines. They also continue to shape and influence their respective sectors, with Empire adapting to the digital marketplace and still remain-

ing loyal to print, while Mojo has already enjoyed positive publicity around its circulation growth, which was up almost 23% year on year. As Mojo editor John Mulvey noted on Twitter: “To everyone who’s stuck with us, rejoined us, or just turned up – thank you. It’s nice to share a bit of better news about publishing for a change.”

WOMEN’S WEEKLIES Acknowledged by many to be one of the more troubling areas of the market, sales of women’s weeklies and women’s monthlies took a hammering. RN figures show the circulation for 2021 and assess the difference between last year and two years previous, before the pandemic struck. Across the weeklies, all the major

p38-39 ABCs Feature.indd 39

titles saw double-digit decline over the twoyear period. Although the circulation falls may be concerning, the successive price changes and rises in this sector have kept the retail sales value high, with the likes of Take a Break and Woman’s Weekly contributing eight figures of revenue to retail.

TV LISTINGS Bauer Media title TV Choice is still the toprated magazine not just in this category, but also the country’s number one title and, while its competitors all suffered double-digit declines at the newsstand, TV Choice outperformed the market, with a more modest 7.6% fall. The Radio Times, third in the listings market, can point to the fact it is the “UK’s bestselling quality magazine”, as well as the country’s biggest weekly in terms of subscribers, too. Zoe Helme, Radio Times publishing director, says: “Radio Times has achieved another set of outstanding results. As the brand approaches its 100th birthday next year, it proves it’s as relevant today as it has ever been. Every week, Radio Times offers its audiences exclusive interviews and photoshoots, access to the biggest stars in the business, and invaluable guidance as to the best of entertainment, across TV, streaming, film and radio.” l

01/03/2022 16:23

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

MAGAZINE ABCS

The top 100 magazines

CHILDREN & TEEN -4.0% 2.8% 24.9% 26.8% 2.5% -12.3% N/A 19.4% -10.7% N/A -0.6% -10.4% -1.6% -13.1% -6.1% 7.2% 11.8% 2.6% -16.7% 8.6% 4.8% N/A -12.4% -19.1% N/A 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% -3.5% N/A N/A

£3.8 £4.0 £2.7 £2.5 £2.6 £2.5 2.1 £2.2 £3.4 £2.0 £2.8 £4.0 £1.7 £1.8 £2.2 £1.7 £1.5 £1.5 £1.6 £1.8 £1.6 £0.9 £1.1 £1.2 £1.5 £1.4 £0.7 £1.0 £1.0 £0.8 £2.3

-48.3% -35.9% -43.5%

£7.0 £2.6 £1.2

NEW

NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW

NEW

NEW NEW

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

HEALTH & PARENTING 227,425 63,904 27,215

n n n

Your Home Ideal Home BBC Good Food Country Living Style at Home BBC Gardeners’ World Country Homes & Interiors HomeStyle Homes & Gardens House Beautiful 25 Beautiful Homes BBC Home Cooking Series Living etc House & Garden Modern Garden Period Living Elle Decoration

this title ? Do I sto ck

Estimate value pe d retail sales r year in £m

58,976 58,063 55,312 53,580 44,368 39,518 34,675 30,940 28,311 27,165 26,979 25,833 22,376 21,838 17,172 14,189 10,359

-21.8% -13.7% -25.9% -12.4% -4.4% -12.4% 2.9% -29.3% -11.8% -20.3% -20.4% 4.4% -16.5% -13.5% -16.0% N/A -50.1%

£1.9 £2.7 £3.3 £2.6 £1.2 £2.8 £1.4 £1.0 £1.4 1.3 £1.6 £1.9 £1.1 £1.3 £1.8 £0.7 £0.6

18,012 15,426

-46.2% -42.7%

£0.8 £0.6

n n

84,921 62,428 44,925 18,999 16,180 8,295

-22.5% -28.2% N/A -22.7% -26.4% N/A

£7.3 £4.1 £5.1 £1.3 £1.0 £2.5

NEW

n n n n n n

24,064 23,619 14,802 14,333

-25.6% -12.7% -28.8% N/A

£3.5 £1.8 £1.0 £1.0

NEW

n n n n

26,713 17,640

N/A -38.9%

£1.0 £1.1

NEW

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

MEN’S LIFESTYLE Men’s Health GQ MISC The People’s Friend Private Eye The Big Issue Computeractive Railway Modeller The Economist

NEW

MOTORING Motor Cycle News What Car BBC Top Gear Classic & Sports Car MUSIC & FILM Mojo Empire

p40-41 ABCs Data Folder.indd 40

Change since 20 19

HOME INTEREST

Peppa Pig Bag-o-Fun 63,320 Frozen 59,386 Pokemon 52,912 Lego Special Series 52,258 CBeebies Special 49,373 Lego Ninjago 49,072 Star Wars Lego 45,133 Andy’s Amazing Adventures 42,998 CBeebies Magazine 42,413 Lego Super Hero Legends 42,390 Fun to Learn – Friends 38,919 Fun to Learn – Peppa Pig 38,689 CBeebies Art 38,313 Top of the Pops 36,408 Girl Talk 34,151 Frozen Funtime 33,618 Mega 32,027 PJ Masks 31,455 Lego City 30,886 Sparkle World 29,378 Fun to Learn – Favourites 28,477 Bluey 26,773 Hatchimals 26,561 Disney Stars 26,247 Numberblocks 25,436 Disney Princess Create & Collect 22,745 Ultimate 22,694 Baby Shark 22,380 Girl Talk Art 21,355 Lego Disney Princess 18,293 The Beano 17,822

Slimming World Magazine Prima Women’s Health

Average newssta edition sales 20 nd single copy 21

this title ? Do I sto ck

Estimate value pe d retail sales r year in £m

Change since 20 19

Average newssta edition sales 20 nd single copy 21

An in-depth look at how the UK’s 100 bestselling titles have changed compared to before the pandemic. Brands breaking into the top 100 for the first time are marked as ‘new’

NEW

n n

01/03/2022 16:41

TV LISTINGS TV Choice What’s on TV Radio Times TV Times Total TV Guide Inside Soap TV & Satellite Week

p40-41 ABCs Data Folder.indd 41

this title ? Do I sto ck

Estimate value pe d retail sales r year in £m

Change since 20 19

WOMEN’S WEEKLIES 1,016,951 627,225 207,637 81,419 64,359 54,335 39,229

-7.6% -18.1% -26.7% -31.4% -18.8% -27.6% -29.7%

£37.3 £24.6 £40.2 £9.9 £7.2 £6.1 £5.8

n n n n n n n

152,687 107,009 100,672 95,643 78,030 65,715 46,850 39,876 30,200 24,164 18,678 17,282

-10.7% -31.1% -23.9% -31.7% -30.4% -11.3% -40.9% -35.2% N/A -34.6% -16.0% 0.0%

£4.4 £6.0 £5.0 £4.3 £1.6 £1.9 £2.7 £0.6 £1.6 £0.8 £0.7 £1.2

n n n n n n n n n n n n

WOMEN’S MONTHLIES Take a Break Monthly Good Housekeeping Woman & Home Yours Cosmopolitan Vogue Red Hello! Fashion Monthly Platinum Elle Harper’s Bazaar Psychologies

Average newssta edition copy sa nd single les 202 1

this title ? Do I sto ck

Estimate value pe d retail sales r year in £m

Change since 20 19

Average newssta edition copy sa nd single les 202 1

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

NEW

Take a Break Woman’s Weekly That’s Life Chat Bella Hello! Woman Closer Woman’s Own New! Love It! OK! Best Pick Me Up My Weekly Heat Grazia

325,121 154,964 137,084 129,218 121,657 93,975 85,545 81,653 80,625 71,639 63,748 62,582 62,143 54,324 52,543 49,612 46,054

-20.9% -13.5% -20.2% -21.4% -16.9% -31.4% -23.0% -42.3% -21.3% -45.3% -16.8% -40.0% -35.6% -26.6% -23.0% -47.2% -15.5%

£17.4 £11.8 £5.9 £7.1 £7.9 £12.2 £6.4 £7.4 £6.0 £2.9 £2.8 £6.4 £5.8 £2.1 £4.2 £4.4 £3.2

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

01/03/2022 16:41

HOME BAKING

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

Building sales in home baking

Home baking took off during lockdowns. Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski finds out how retailers can maintain and build on sales in this category

I RETAILER VIEWPOINT Harj Dharsee

Morrisons Daily Village Stores, Mickleton, Glos

This category has been performing particularly well for us since we made the switch to Morrisons Daily last month. What’s driving the sales is the strength of the own-brand range we have, which works well for us because the margins are so strong. I wasn’t surprised that home baking performed strongly during Covid-19 because it was such a big trend before the pandemic and everyone was watching The Great British Bake Off on TV. Since the last lockdown, sales have continued to be stronger than they were before March 2020, even if they are no longer at their peak. Our top sellers in the range are our flours, cake mixes, cooking chocolate and baking powder.

p42-43 Home Baking.indd 42

f any retailer is worried the wave of home baking that took over the country thanks to The Great British Bake Off had started to crest, then two years of lockdowns and self-isolation have ensured this is a trend that has become – excuse the pun – fully baked into the UK convenience sector. “The home baking category has had strong growth over the past couple of years, with spend up by 14% and the number of buyers up by 4%,” says Helen Touchais, brand director for home baking at Premier Foods. As this opportunity has grown, industry insiders say retailers who have invested time, effort and space to this category have benefited most. “Shoppers often use in-store displays for reminders and inspiration, and feature space has the potential to drive uplifts of more than 100%,” says Jen Brown, head of marketing (cake) at Dr Oetker. “The best way to drive sales is to use this feature space to inspire shoppers, including solutions for scratch bakers and convenience bakers with base ingredients and ready-made mixes. “Other key products to focus on are those that help consumers to decorate their bakes.” CUSTOMER CHOICES During the past two years, baking has also become a valued activity

for parents and grandparents who have looked for at-home activities to keep children of all ages away from their screens. Touchais says: “The requirement of so many households to home school has enabled baking to be used as a valuable tool, not only to keep children engaged, but also to teach them useful skills.” In fact, Premier Foods has noted a sizeable difference in the home baking trends for families and those without children. “This growth has seen a sweet versus savoury split across different households, with non-families seeking out sweet baking products while family households have generally opted for mixes and ingredients for traditional comfort foods and bread,” adds Touchais. This is having a marked effect on the category management advice Premier Foods is sharing with store owners. “For retailers, we’re also seeing a split in preference by demographic,” says Touchais. “To attract non-families, stores should stock products that allow shoppers to create exciting, customised bakes that give them something to show their friends. “Our range of Cadbury and Mr Kipling baking mixes are the ideal introduction to get the fundamentals in place, leaving shoppers able to focus on getting creative. “Families have been influenced

28/02/2022 15:23

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com

RETAILER VIEWPOINT Bay Bashir

Go Local Belle Vue Convenience, Middlesbrough

by more functional factors and have been driving the growth of breadmaking ahead of any other group. “Our McDougalls range of flour is ideal for catering to this demand, offering a host of much-loved cupboard staples.” Premier Foods recommends stores stock four formats of its McDougalls flours, including 500g and 1.1kg packs of plain and self-raising flours. UPCOMING TRENDS With suppliers expecting the home baking trend to continue its strong performance post-pandemic, it’s worth noting the trends that will underpin this. “We have seen shoppers wanting a better understanding of – and greater control over – what is going into their meals,” says Touchais. “Home baking gives consumers complete control over the ingredients they’re using, while also presenting a greater opportunity to try new flavours and customise their bakes. “We are also seeing that practicality is less of an issue than before the pandemic, suggesting the uplift in home baking over the past two years is a result of people seeking an alternative source of entertainment or family bonding as opposed to being a means to an end.” Similarly, parents who discovered home baking was a value-

p42-43 Home Baking.indd 43

for-money secret weapon when it came to childcare are likely to continue buying in key ingredients for family bakes. “The rise in demand for familyorientated products is also set to continue, as parents look for solutions that bring more fun to the activity and encourage children to be creative,” Touchais says. “Mixes are a great way to introduce novices and children to home baking, with simple recipes and convenient packs containing all the key ingredients.” Premier Foods has a range of mixes available, including Cadbury- and Mr Kipling-branded products, and a Unicorn baking and icing mix. It is a trend Jen Brown at Dr Oetker has also seen driving growth since the start of the pandemic. “Trending lines, such as cupcake kids mixes, have been performing well over the past 18 months, not only in convenience, but also in the wider market, as more parents spent time at home, baking with their children,” she says. “This was in addition to increased demand for scratch-baking ingredients, such as baking aids, as more people began baking as a hobby and pastime. “As the world returns to something like normal, the category is also being affected by consumers’ health and financial concerns. “Home baking is very popular at

During the pandemic there was a huge demand for flour, in particular, and the rest of our home baking range in general. We continued to source our products from Parfetts, but, like a lot of places, getting stock during lockdown was very difficult and products would sell out as soon as they went on the shelf. Sales have fallen back a little from that point, but they are still far higher than they were before the pandemic. People who were making bread are continuing to do so and parents are still seeing baking as a fun activity to do with their kids. This is a category where we can get margins of 35% to 40% which, for grocery, is really strong. As we get back to normal life again, I’m hoping this is a category that will keep performing well.

Home baking gives consumers complete control over the ingredients they’re using

the moment, and using natural or low-sugar ingredients is becoming increasingly common. “We have also found thrifty families baking to save money rather than buying cakes from stores.” A final trend that will cheer retailers and consumers alike is the expected return of sales of ingredients for celebration cakes – a sure sign that social gatherings are returning to consumers’ lives. “Throughout the pandemic, celebration occasions declined as gatherings and parties didn’t happen. We expect to see these occasions return in 2022, and for decorations such as candles, cases and sprinkles to gain growth again,” says Brown. As shoppers bake more for birthdays, dinner parties and other social events, retailers will be able to celebrate a further boost to this important category in the store. l

28/02/2022 15:24

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

In partnership with

Opportunity of the week

2000 AD

The mighty comic empire of 2000 AD is wooing new readers young and old. Tim Murray speaks with head of publishing Ben Smith to discuss the upcoming launches and special editions set to bring comic aficionados into your store 2000 AD has long since sailed past the futuristic title it was given upon its launch in 1977. As head of publishing Ben Smith says: “It’s the most inappropriately named comic for its longevity.” The long-standing and influential title has now passed another milestone in its storied history. The magazine has reached the age of 45, but its flagship character, Judge Dredd, and his cohorts are showing no sign of ageing. The key to its longevity, he says, is in retaining readers as well as recruiting young converts. “We hold on to our readers and are always finding new ones,” he says. Where 2000 AD also scores is in wooing back lapsed readers. “Multiple generations are rediscovering the comic,” Smith says, citing the graphic novels and books 2000 AD parent company Rebellion publishes as key to that, as well as activity such as the Dredd movies, and social media, which reminds readers about the comic. The title’s success has been helped by the consistency of its quality. “We’ve had peaks over the years, but the quality is as high as ever,” says Smith. “It might have dipped a bit in our 20s,

Tim Murray, RN magazines reporter

HOOK READERS EARLY, THEN HANG ONTO THEM

where we weren’t firing on all cylinders, but our response to that led to the second golden age for the comic, and we’re as relevant – if not more so – than ever. We even predicted President Trump 12 years ago.” 2000 AD also helped usher in the current age where comic books dominate popular culture. “It revolutionised comics,” says Smith. “So many legendary comic book writers and illustrators have passed through the doors of 2000 AD. “They keep writing for us. It has a huge place in British pop culture, too. Its influence can’t be overstated, and continues to this day.” The 45th anniversary issue currently on the shelves will be followed by a summer special. There will also be a star-studded

online convention at the end of March to mark the anniversary, a factor that should reintroduce readers to the title. Stores can also expect new special publications, too, with an art book on the way. Beyond 2000 AD, Rebellion is aiming to reintroduce more classic characters. In April, it will launch Monster Fun, the first new title since it acquired 2000 AD in 2000, bringing a set of classic British comic creations now owned by the publisher back to life. Smith also praises and thanks independent retailers for the long-term support they’ve given 2000 AD over the years. “The majority of our weekly sales come from indies,” he says. “They have become even more valuable during the pandemic.”

LOOKING TO CONNECT WITH LIKE-MINDED RETAILERS? Join the IAA network today. Visit betterRetailing.com/IAA or contact

I’ve been going through the ABC figures for magazine sales over the past week or so. Rather than focus on some of the struggling sectors, I want to concentrate on some of the strong performers. The overall trends in the magazine market tend to mirror the editorial we’ve been penning over the past 12 months – cookery, home interest and DIY titles, for example, are doing well, as consumers have been looking for hobbies at home to take their minds off such things as Covid-19. Chief among the thriving sectors are children’s pre- and primary-school. As ever, some of the increases and declines in print sales are borne of trends and shifting interests of children, but the overall signs are good. This brings hope for the future – there are generations of young readers out there who are becoming wedded to print at an early age. Publishers should attempt to retain those readers into teenage years and beyond. Kids grow up with magazines and the printed page, so the industry needs to keep them interested. Some figures show this can be done – football mag FourFourTwo, which bridges the gap between children and adults, has performed well in the latest round. Publishers need to look at titles kids can step up to as teenagers, and keep them reading into adulthood. It’s easier said than done, given the screen-time that tends to dominate kids’ lives as they enter their teenage years, but the appetite for magazines among the younger generation is clearly there. Let’s hold on to them.

ASSESS. COMPARE. IMPROVE

#IAA22

Kate Daw on 020 7689 3363

p44 TWIM 1.indd 44

28/02/2022 14:26

RN 4 March 2022 // betterRetailing.com SYMBOL KEY

Terms change

Launch activity

One Competition Special shot issue

Free gift

Sales Bumper Redesign Spotlight Newspro issue recommends trend

SPECIALIST CHOICE RUGBY WORLD

l The ongoing Six Nations and the authorities discussing the future of international tournaments guarantee interest in this title. l The increased activity around the game will benefit sales of this Rugby World as it reports on one of the biggest events in the calendar.

NAT GEO TRAVELLER

l As the world slowly but surely begins to return to normal, and despite eastern European issues, thoughts are once again returning to holidays and overseas travel. l Nat Geo Traveller not only looks abroad, but also has activities and adventures closer to home, making this title ideal with spring looming.

GIRL TALK

l The magazine for girls is holding steady with only a slight decline during the pandemic, according to the latest ABCs. l This issue features Gamer Girlz, which is aimed at making the gaming world more supportive of and more accepting of young women.

TREASURE HUNTING

l The latest issue of the UK’s leading magazine for fans of metal detectors has all the latest news from the scene. l This issue looks at the big finds by enthusiasts in recent months, as well as the soaring prices of Celtic coins discovered by treasure hunters.

On sale 8 March Frequency monthly Price £5.50 Distributor Marketforce Display with Rugby Leaguer Barcode 9770268980345

On sale 3 March Frequency monthly Price £5.10 Distributor InterMedia Display with Condé Nast Traveller Barcode 9772058323974

On sale 9 March Frequency monthly Price £3.99 Distributor Frontline Display with Cute, Pink Barcode 9771357553211

On sale 3 March Frequency monthly Price £4.45 Distributor InterMedia Display with Coin Collector Barcode 9770140453110

BILL PALMER, MAGAZINE HEAVEN, RUSHDEN, NORTHANTS

On sale 18 March Frequency monthly Price £4.99 Distributor Seymour Display with The Skateboarder’s Companion Barcode 9770889069122

THRASHER What’s it about? Skateboarding. It’s now an Olympic sport, and lots of kids are taking it up. A lot more people have been doing it during lockdown, too – it’s a whole lifestyle as well as an activity. Who buys it? Teenage boys, obviously, but a lot of girls are getting into it, and older people buy it, too. There’s been an increase in sales – we must be one of the UK’s biggest sellers of this magazine.

Bestsellers TREBUCHET

l The latest issue of the hefty art magazine is devoted to Process, which looks at how artists work, and how they develop and create projects. l The magazine features two different covers, including one by Chris Levine, who has worked with Kate Moss, Massive Attack and BMW.

METAL HAMMER

l This issue of the music magazine marks the new album launch from one of the biggest bands in heavy metal, Ghost. l The issue features an exclusive interview with Ghost frontman and cover star Tobias Forge, plus some big news stories.

p45 TWIM 2.indd 45

Holiday On sale 3 March Frequency quarterly Price £12.50 Distributor Marketforce Display with Art Newspaper, Art Review Barcode 9771753030019

On sale 3 March Frequency monthly Price £7.99 Distributor Marketforce Display with Vive Le Rock Barcode 9770955119911

Title

On sale date

1 Condé Nast Traveller

03/03

2 Nat Geo Traveller

03/03

3 France

30/03

In stock

Britain 08/04 5 Italia 03/03 6 Wanderlust 07/04 7 France Today 17/03 8 Smithsonian Collectives 18/03 9 FrenchEntrée 21/04 10 Condé Nast Traveller US 04/03 4

Data from independent stores supplied by

01/03/2022 10:06

betterRetailing.com // 4 March 2022 RN

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

editorial@newtrade.co.uk 020 7689 3357 f facebook.com/thisisRN

Partworks and collectables Title

No Pts

Byline Bob Dylan Vinyl Total Tarot

14 5

41 21.99 78 6.99

Title

No Pts

Title

The New Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection 264 280 9.99

Harry Potter Anthology Sticker Collection Puppies and Me! Sticker Collection Minecraft Treasure Sticker Album Pixar Fest Sticker Collection Premier League 2022 Sticker Collection Premier League Adrenalyn XL

27 80 8.99

Warhammer Imperium

Panini Partworks

DeAgostini Fast & Furious: Build The Dodge Charger

22 110 9.99

Hachette 2000 AD Ultimate Collection 118 140 Build Eddie Stobart 24 140 Build The Spitfire 97 120 Build The Titanic 6 120 DC Comics Heroes & Villains 31 100 Disney Cross Stitch 77 90 Disney Dolls’ House 8 120 Disney My Little Library 78 100 Marvel Legendary Collection 3 100 Peter Rabbit Patchwork Quilt 116 139 The All Killer No Filler Deadpool Collection 92 100 The New Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection (Relaunch) 158 170

9.99 9.99 9.99 9.99 9.99 3.99 9.99 2.99 1.99 4.99 9.99

F1 Collection Rossi Bike Collection Ferrari F40 Supercars Title

139 42 82 78

140 46 100 80

11.99 11.99 8.99 12.99

Starter Stkrs/cards

Panini Baby Shark My First Sticker Album Disney Frozen 2 Sticker Collection Disney Princess 2021 Sticker Collection Disney Pixar Luca Movie Sticker Collection FIFA Road to the World Cup 2022 Qatar Official

Starter Stkrs/cards 3.99

Title Starter Stkrs/cards UEFA Champions League Best of the Best – 3.00

0.90

3.99 0.90 3.99 0.90 3.99

0.90

3.99

0.70

5.99

1.00

Match Attax Xtra Match Attax Xtra 21/22

5.00 –

1.00 1.00

WWE Sticker Collection

5.00

1.00

DeAgostini Magiki Princesses 2.50 Magiki Unicorns 2.99 Sharks & Co 3.50

Intermedia

Creative Toys Company

Squishy 2.99

3.99

0.70

SoccerStarz Foil Bag 2.99 SoccerStarz Blister Pack 3.99

3.99

0.90

Magic Box

Hot Wheels 1.85

3.99

0.90

Pokémon

3.99

0.90

Zomlings Series 6 0.50 Star Monsters 1.00 SuperZings Series 2 5.00

3.99

0.90

Fortnite Official Trading Card Collection Series Two 8.99

2.70

Frozen 2 3.99

Pokémon Battle Style Pokémon Chilling Reign Pokémon Darkness Ablaze Pokémon Evolving Skies Pokémon Fusion Street

Topps 1.00 Cricket Attax The Hundred 10.00 5.99 1.00 F1 Turbo Attax 2021 I Love Koalas Figurines – 2.79 6.50 2.50 I Love Panda Figurines WWE Slam Attax – 1.75

9.99

Brown Box

3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99

Newspapers Daily newspapers price/margin pence/margin % Sun

70p

15.6p

Mirror

95p

19p

Mirror (Scotland)

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p46 TWIM 3.indd 46

01/03/2022 10:16

CLASSIFIED RN 22Newsagent Retail December 2016 25th March 2016

To advertise in the RN classified section call 020 7689 3389 or email adteam@newtrade.co.uk (Please mention RN when replying to the advertisements)

NEWSTRAID

STOCKTAKING

Fresh Start Assist Fresh Start Assist is for newsagents who have decided to cease trading or who have been victims of crime and are dealing with emotional stress and anxiety. It is open to all newsagents and their staff, not just NFRN members.

H/O: 13 Green Moor Link, London, N21 2NN

020 8360 2491 Mob: 07802723561

ADVERTISE WITH US Financial Help

Advice and Signposting

Emotional Support

NewstrAid can help to give you a fresh start

To advertise in the RN classified section please contact Charlotte Jesson:

For more information contact us 020 7689 3389 £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ FREE on 0800 917 8616 £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ charlotte.jesson@newtrade.co.uk Visit www.newstraid.org.uk for more information £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ NFRN £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ today and receive £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ VOUCHER G I V E AWAY 2 0 2 2 £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ SAVE £££s £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ BOOKER vouchers £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ Visit thefedonline.com £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ or call us on £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ 2 0 2220 2220 2220 2220 2220 2 2 0800 121 6376 £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ *T&Cs apply - see website for full details £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

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4 March.indd 31

25/02/2022 11:06

PLUS

The drastic measures store owners are taking to control energy costs Lower your bills by more than 25% Compare your store’s utility bills with more than 10 local shops Page 10

How the junk food promo ban will change what’s on your shelves The eight tactics for protecting sales in stores big and small Page 34

p1 Cover.indd 1

01/03/2022 13:42