RN - 10 February 2023

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

CASH GIVEAWAY FOR RN READERS

Win £1,000 to spend on your shop COMPETITION Page 9 »

EX CL US IV

E

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 10.02.2023

Revealed: the PayPoint, Payzone & Post Office scams targeting thousands of stores each year Discover the 50 ways criminals are catching out one store every 16 minutes and how you can protect your store Page 4

»

OPPORTUNITY

NEWSPAPERS

How the junk food ban, Healthy Start vouchers and a Bestway trial can give you extra sales and profit Pages 5 & 28 »

Anger as publisher slashes margins to as low as 17% for six months during latest price rises Page 6 »

The three health schemes boosting sales in shops

p1 Cover.indd 1

Telegraph cuts to cost shops £2.5m

Vol 134 No 6 £2.99 FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

06

07/02/2023 12:46

2

CONTENTS Editor

Editor in chief

Jack Courtez

Louise Banham @LouiseBanham

@JackCourtez

07592 880864

Features writer

News editor

Jasper Hart @JasperAHHart

Megan Humphrey @MeganHumphrey_

020 7689 3384

07597 588972

News editor

Features editor

Alex Yau @AlexYau_

Charles Whitting @CharlieWhittin1

020 7689 3350

020 7689 3358 Deputy insight & advertorial editor

Senior features writer

Tamara Birch

Priyanka Jethwa

@TamaraBirchNT

@PriyankaJethwa_

020 7689 3355

020 7689 3361 Specialist reporter

News reporter

Dia Stronach

Jill Lupupa

020 76893375

jill.lupupa@newtrade.co.uk

Head of design Anne-Claire Pickard Senior designer Jody Cooke Junior designer Lauren Jackson

Senior account director Charlotte Jesson 020 7689 3389 Commercial project manager Ifzal Afzal 020 7689 3382

Production editor Ryan Cooper

Senior account manager Lindsay Hudson 020 7689 3366

Sub editors Jim Findlay, Robin Jarossi

Account manager Megan Byrne 020 7689 3364

Production coordinator Chris Gardner 020 7689 3368

Account manager Marie Dickens 020 7689 3372

Head of digital Luthfa Begum 07909 245 949

Management accountant Abi Sylvane 020 7689 3383

Head of commercial Natalie Reeve 0207 689 3367

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 2021 to June 2022 average net circulation per issue 8,469

Annual Subscription UK 1 year £165 Europe £332 2 years £297 Rest of world £389 3 years £396 To subscribe contact 020 3871 6490

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

f

Follow on Facebook

Follow RN on twitter

Visit the website

facebook.com/ThisisRN have your say on the latest news

@ThisisRN for expert advice to help you grow your sales

betterRetailing.com extensive galleries and news

WELCOME

R

ecruiting and retaining team members is just one conundrum local shops are reporting, and it’s not surprising.

The pay at Aldi is £11, and the company has more than 500 in-store vacancies. When you consider all the major grocers are in a similar position, local shops need to have strong cases for why people should choose to work with them.

Matching the pay on offer elsewhere is a good start, but there are other strengths local shops can play to, such as flexibility, getting to know the local community, putting a smile on each customEditor er’s face and working as part of a friendly team.

Too many job adverts for local shops don’t do a lot to make peoJack Courtez ple want to apply. They state the responsibilities of the role and @JackCourtez the pay, but there’s no mention of why the role is important, or 020 7689 3371 what it’s like to work with the rest of the team.

I spoke to shop owners last week who explained how exhausting it is to interview dozens of candidates have only one or two who are passionate about the role. Doing more to sell the role as explained above is helpful, but the second part is filtering the applicants before interviews.

By asking candidates to write 100 words on a topic such as ‘what could we do to become a better store?’, it will not only give you valuable feedback, but will help you filter out anybody not willing to put 15 minutes of thought into their application. In some ways, the answer is irrelevant – it’s a test of commitment.

When it comes to retention of team members, look at what motivates each individual team member – it could be rewards, training, job progression, being able to switch shifts easily or recognition. One of the best ideas I heard was free – using a team WhatsApp group, then using it to publicly praise team members. Another was partnering with a local college that was offering free business qualifications. One last simple suggestion was to make sure nobody – including yourselves – is working on Saturdays as well as Sundays.

A lot of these tips came from last week’s RN 30 Under Thirty event in Birmingham.

Read next week’s edition for a full rundown of advice from the event.

HEADLINES 3 INDUSTRY NEWS Elf off the shelf as investigation uncovers illegal product sizes

How criminals exploit PayPoint, Payzone and Post Office services 5 SYMBOLS & WHOLESALE

Wholesale health trial puts more cash in tills

6 NEWS & MAGS

‘Look beyond energy for store savings,’ says Procuria

7 FED NEWS

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

For trade use only

improving your store

8 YOUR VIEWS ‘Energy bills will at least double for all of us’

INSIGHT 10 PRODUCT NEWS

Tap into snacking with the launch of McVitie’s BN Mini Rolls

12 PRICEWATCH

Where to grow margins on Easter lines 14 WHOLESALE PRICEWATCH

Discover the best wholesale prices on the bestselling cider lines

15 EXPERT OPINION

Bryan Roberts compares Amazon Fresh hype with reality

16 STORE ADVICE

Growing your business with social media 19 ST PATRICK’S DAY

How this event can deliver a little pot of gold for your store

22 TOBACCO

Your guide to getting the most from your gantry in 2023

28 HFSS SIX MONTHS ON

The opportunities and challenges stores need to know

33 THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

How WhiteCirc’s magazines put more cash in tills

RN’s publisher Newtrade Media cares about the environment.

p2 Contents.indd 2

07/02/2023 12:33

3

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

NEWS EXCLUSIVE

Elf off the shelf as tests reveal ‘illegal’ lines

by Megan Humphrey & Jill Lupupa megan.humphrey@newtrade.co.uk jill.lupupa@newtrade.co.uk

Elfbar is to replace “all stock” of its Elfbar 600 lines after being caught selling illegal disposable vaping products.

An investigation by the Daily Mail newspaper last week revealed several of Elfbar’s ‘600’ line of disposable vapes sold in leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons had at least 50% more e-liquid than the 2ml legal limit.

Elfbar “wholeheartedly” apologised for what it described a manufacturing error.

A trade notice sent to distributors and stores

by Elfbar, and seen by RN said the company was made aware of the issue by government regulator MHRA. The statement continued: “We wish to reassure you that we are working around the clock with all our supply chain partners to replace all stock so we can 100% ensure that no product incorporates the 3ml capacity tank in the UK. “The new 2ml capacity

batches will be arriving in the UK within 30 days.”

A spokesperson from vape industry association UKVIA confirmed Elfbar was “taking immediate action and will be replacing all affected stock”.

The UKVIA spokesperson continued: “We also await further information from the MHRA) or trading standards, but retailers may want to seek guidance from their suppliers.”

Despite the messages, no official recall notices appeared to have been issued by trading standards, the Office for Product Safety & Standards or the MHRA as of 7 February.

In response to the issue, Tesco removed one line from its stores and Morrisons launched its own investigation.

A spokesperson for Elfbar said: “It appears that e-liquid tank sizes, which are standard in other markets [such as the US], have been inadvertently fitted to some of our UK products.”

Impact on local shops and disposable vapes Speaking to RN on condition of anonymity, a

The flavours and batch codes affected are yet to be published by Elfbar senior trading standards source revealed officers are now planning their own investigations and tests on tank capacities in both Elfbar and other brands.

Several store owners reported receiving guidance from their symbol groups to remove some flavours from sale, including Cola, Strawberry Ice and Watermelon.

Other retailers reported a surge in shoppers looking for the illegal lines, which would offer greater value for money due to the increased tank size.

Even though two other unnamed brands tested by the Mail were found to be compliant, experts said there had been

concern for some time over whether brands were complying with the tank size limits, adding that combined with concerns over child vaping and littering, the latest scandal means further enforcement action and investigations against shops and brands is likely.

An industry insider told RN: “This will now very much be on the radar of trading standards, and it’s likely they will be looking to come down hard on retailers and suppliers,” they said. “This is something store owners need to be mindful of.”

The maximum penalty for stocking non-compliant stock is £5,000 and/or 12 months’ imprisonment.

Bestway & Londis run IDC accounts Bestway and Londis are directly managing supplier accounts associated with drop-shipping company IDC to minimise the impact on retailers affected by the company’s collapse.

In a letter sent to suppliers on 1 February, seen

by RN, IDC announced its bank, ABN Amro, was to appoint administrators following months of missed payments.

p3 Breaking news.indd 3

It said: “It is with deep regret we have to inform you that we have been unable to secure the investment needed to improve the company’s position and secure its future.”

The company added its assets would be acquired by former IDC director Tim Marland, who previously oversaw its dropshipment business and left the company in January 2022 after more than 13

years in senior roles. The assets will be operated under the DropShipment UK brand and affected suppliers were given the option to transfer their business to Marland.

The disruption meant suppliers had stopped payments from IDC, leaving retailers concerned about whether they would be able to secure stock.

However, Bestway confirmed to RN it would

bring previous contracts with IDC “in-house to manage directly” instead.

One affected supplier claimed Londis was also managing affected accounts directly to prevent further disruption to retailer orders.

They added: “I’m not going to get my money back, but I’ve been making every effort to ensure our customers aren’t affected.”

Pret to target c-stores Takeaway chain Pret a Manger has identified independent convenience as a key area for the rollout of its branded coffee machines.

The company launched the machines last year, appointing Expresso Plus as its UK distributor.

Expresso Plus sales director Kerry Burvill told RN: “We’ve got 70 retailers with the machine, with more sites going in and around Scotland. [Pret] without a doubt wants to launch it as a national opportunity.”

The machines are available on a profit share model, which varies depending on the store.

Retailers are required to sell a minimum of 30 cups per day at an RRP of £2.90-£3.

According to Burvill, stores are already selling well above this threshold, with a chance to make at least £7,500 in annual profit.

Prime app helps shoppers The Prime Tracker app helping customers find stockists of the energy drink has begun listing independent shops, following discussions with RN. The tool started taking applications from stores last week and will again open for applications this week, as long as RRP is deemed acceptable.

Separately, data from EPoS firm Shopmate revealed 7.4% of local shops selling sports and energy drinks had sold Prime in 2022. The data from before it was officially available to indies showed average pricing of £7-£7.99.

07/02/2023 16:30

4

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

NEWS Own-label goods lift sales A strong range of ownlabel products is key for local shops in retaining shoppers, with sales of own label up 9.3% year on year, according to Kantar.

The company’s figures for the quarter ending 23 January showed a continued switch from big brands as shoppers looked to cut costs.

The company’s head of retail and consumer insight, Fraser McKevitt, told RN: “Retailers need to stock cheaper alternatives so customers have cheaper alternatives among higher-priced brands.”

Overall sales in symbol and unaffiliated shops were flat, though analysts TWC and Mealtrak said food to go revealed a different trend. While supermarket sales of the category grew by 18%, it fell by 16% in convenience stores. Development director Tom Fender said shops need to tailor their range to local needs to catch up.

CO2 drop reduces shelf life A CO2 shortage is putting a shelf-life squeeze on cheese lines often found in local shops, according to supplier Lactalis.

In a letter seen by RN, it warned Nisa customers that Co-op, Orkney and Seriously brands made at its site in Stranraer will continue to have shorter dates and looser packaging until 1 April. The measures, introduced in November, were scheduled to end in February, but will now continue until April.

A Lactalis spokesperson blamed the Ukraine crisis and rising energy prices for the CO2 shortage.

p4 Breaking News.indd 4

EXCLUSIVE

Scammers targeting PayPoint, Payzone & PO

by Jack Courtez jack.courtez@newtrade.co.uk

More than 6,500 fraud instances per year are reported in relation to PayPoint, Payzone and Post Office services, leaving shop owners and customers out of pocket.

Freedom of information requests sent by RN to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau revealed 50 scams exploiting the services, ranging from extortion to romance scams.

With only one in five fraud incidents reported, the threat to partnered retailers is likely much higher, equivalent to one crime using the store services taking place every 16 minutes.

The number of incidents has risen every year for the past four years, driven by the Post Office, where fraud reports increased by more than 60%, and now account for nearly 98% of all incidents across the three companies.

Despite rivals PayPoint and Payzone offering similar services through similarly sized store networks, the four years of data showed Payzone sites (577 incidents) are 10 times more likely to be exploited by criminals than PayPoint stores (51 incidents).

PayPoint was the only network to show a pattern of decline, falling from 24 fraud reports in 2019 to just three in 2022. A PayPoint spokesperson said fraud attempts were becoming “more sophisticated”, but that continual investment was “a key reason why rates of fraud are lower in our network”.

The company said a training package on spotting, reporting and preventing fraud was available

for its retailers. “We will never stop working with retailers to clamp down on fraudulent activity,” they said.

A Post Office spokesperson told RN that criminals “continually change their methods” and attributed the level of reports to the number of branches and transactions, and the type of “urban areas” and services covered by the PO. The spokesperson said regular training is given to help postmasters identify potential victims, and that an industry-wide ‘Banking Protocol’ in partnership with National Trading Standards allows its franchisees to request an immediate police response to the branch when an instance of fraud is suspected.

Voucher and money transfer fraud Twenty-six of the 50 fraud types involve transfers or voucher services to transfer funds from the victim to the criminal untraceably. These account for at least 72% of all fraud related to the services.

These include false investments, fake lottery wins, extortion from cyber attacks, falsified requests from colleagues or relatives, online dating cons, fees for fake loans, fake event tickets, holidays and shares, fees for fake scam investigators, fake charities and – the most common – fake sales listings on social media or auction sites.

PayPoint joined a confirmation of payee service last year, making it easier to check whether a payment is actually going to its intended recipient.

Stores have also been warned to be suspicious of large voucher or money

transfers from customers that do not usually use the service, especially repeat voucher purchases to overcome any limit on voucher values. Asking what the service is for and advising that fraudsters sometimes use the services to exploit people can save customers from costly mistakes.

Scams targeting shop owners Customers aren’t the only ones being caught out.

Five of the 50 offences leave shop owners out of pocket. They account for 6% of all fraud reports, but 19% of incidents across PayPoint and Payzone stores. Three of the five scams involve using stolen or fake payment methods, including where the cashier is distracted while the scammer starts a ‘card not present’ transaction on a card terminal by entering stolen card details manually. Traditionally used to purchase hundreds of pounds in alcohol and/or tobacco, there are recent reports of the scam being used to acquire vouchers.

Warning signs include large transaction values, a second person distracting the cashier, the customer using a phone while paying and pressing the card terminal buttons dozens of times.

A significant share of fraud against shops related to the three companies was from ‘retail fraud’, including sleight-of-hand cash swaps that shortchange the cashier.

Stores are advised not to swap cash at the counter or keep hold of all funds, both in and out, when processing an exchange.

Other instances of retail fraud involve swapping labels and fraudulent returns.

Other Deceiving and/or wrongly obtaining funds from the DVLA, DWP, passport services, HMRC, government and lottery grants, and insurance payouts, as well as stealing pension payments from vulnerable people, accounted for much of the remaining 19 offences, as did the undescribed category of ‘other’ fraud.

07/02/2023 13:51

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

SYMBOL NEWS Profit-boosting health scheme rollout due soon

by Dia Stronach dia.stronach@newtrade.co.uk

A scheme that sought to get more healthier products with margins of up to 70% into independent retailers and wholesalers is targeting national expansion.

Between January 2021 and April 2022, 35 stores in Southwark, south London, participated in the Good Food Retail and Wholesale pilot. The shops were in areas with limited access to fresh groceries.

These retailers worked with marketing firm Rice Marketing to add a dedicated range of healthier products from a selection of 100 lines low in salt, sugar and fat (see table), with most stores stocking between 31 and 50 lines.

The marketing specialist also worked with Bestway for promotions of these lines in nearby depots.

The participating shops reported “better than expected” sales of the healthier products and said they intended to keep selling them, while expanding the existing range.

Through the trial, stores increased their healthier

range by an average of 22%.

Meanwhile, the report revealed that sales of featured products in Bestway’s Croydon branch doubled week on week during a special promotional period in May, while Bestway Lewisham saw a nine-fold increase during the same time frame. Some products on promotion, such as Volvic, offered more than 70% margin to retailers.

Described as a success in the report, the scheme is to continue in Southwark alongside plans to launch it in further depots for retailers in other cities, including Birmingham.

Support will continue to be provided for Bestway, while the organisers of the pilot want to engage with Nisa, Booker and Dhamecha for a potential further rollout.

Booker and Dhamecha declined to participate in the pilot, “despite apparent early interest from both”. The report added: “The current market conditions have consumed wholesalers’ attention and energy, and left little time for new initiatives. They are already lean, lowmargin organisations.”

The next phase will

also see Rice Marketing work with retailers and councils to make Healthy Start vouchers available in stores and increase uptake among families living on low incomes.

The vouchers give young families and those who are pregnant and on low incomes up to £8.50 per week to access healthy food, milk and vitamins from supermarkets and

convenience stores.

Previously available as paper vouchers, the scheme for England, Wales and Northern Ireland moved to digital cards in September 2021.

Figures released this month reveal that uptake among those eligible for the scheme was 62.7% between September 2021 and March 2022, compared with 59.9% in August 2021.

Healthier lines shown to grow sales in the Good Food Retail and Wholesale project • Transform-a-Snacks • Baked Wotsits • Eat Natural bars • Werthers Original sugar free • 50:50 sliced bread • 0% fruit drinks • Alpro oat milk • Alpro soya milk • Jacob’s Crinklys • Natural fruit and seeds • Baker Street Sliced Bread • Volvic Water • Pepsi Max • Quaker Oats • Graze Lemon Drizzle Flapjack • Quorn Crispy Nuggets • Diet Coke • Walkers Oven Baked crisps

Epicurium premium snack prediction

Specialist food wholesaler Epicurium is predicting an opportunity for retailers in premium snacking, despite the cost-of-living crisis.

The company’s managing director, Ben McKechnie, told RN: “It’s at the budget end that there’s this big drop in sales.

Customers will still buy brands that fit the lifestyles that they’re really

p5 Symbols.indd 5

engaged with. It’s about value, not cost.”

He added that Epicurium saw a 30% increase in sales on pre-Covid-19 levels during its last financial year, fuelled by demand for healthier snacks.

Its team has also expanded, meaning an improved focus on customer service for independent retailers.

“What we can offer is advice and experience,” McKechnie added. “We’ve always dealt with the main symbol groups on a direct-to-retailer basis.

They want to allow access to our kind of range.”

New legislation such as high fat, sugar and salt, and Natasha’s Law, which prohibit the placement of confectionery in convenience stores of

2,000sq ft or more, and create higher allergenlabelling responsibilities, reflect growing consumer awareness of healthier snacks and drinks.

McKechnie said: “There is an element where we’re protected from the worst of these changes by the nature of the product.

“A lot of our brands are already free-from, glutenfree, low salt and low fat.”

5

JCR switch to Costcutter James Convenience Retail (JCR) is to convert a number of Select Convenience and Bargain Booze stores to the Costcutter fascia.

Six stores already supplied by Bestway-owned Costcutter are to complete the transition in the coming weeks.

They include sites in Derby, Sheffield, Huntington, Leicester, Northampton and Bramley.

Two of the sites will be refurbished as the Costcutter Bargain Booze hybrid, which combines the two brands into one store.

JCR recently refitted a shop in Nottingham to the hybrid format.

The refits come as JCR converted its Budgens site in Cheshire into Costcutter in 2022. Since the refit, the store has seen an annual growth of 30%.

Commenting on the opportunities, JCR founder Jonathan James said: “The change gives us a recognised convenience brand.”

Bestway cuts tie with shop Bestway is to cut ties with a Coventry retailer following repeated foodhygiene failures.

The store in Far Gosford Street is no longer supplied by Bestway and is to have its fascia removed after it was given the worst rating – zero – for cleanliness in a recent foodhygiene investigation.

A Costcutter spokesperson said: “As a business, Costcutter takes food hygiene very seriously.

The store in question is an independent we no longer supply. Plans are underway to remove the Costcutter fascia.”

07/02/2023 10:44

6

NEWS & MAGS Smiths recycling rolls out Smiths News has rolled out its recycling scheme nationally, after trials in the Midlands and northwest England picked up 550 customers.

Smiths News Recycle sees the company’s morning news and magazines drivers pick up unlimited volumes of cardboard and soft plastics from stores on their routes for a £3.50 flat weekly fee.

Smiths News customers get the first six weeks free.

The company’s head of proposition development, Michael Williams, said the concept was saving stores money and time in sorting out recycling.

Asked what it had improved due to the trial, Smiths News told RN cardboard could be returned flattened rather than in bags, and highlighted simpler processes for getting stores started and for stores leaving materials outside for collection.

Claverley acquires Signature Children’s magazine experts Signature Publishing has been acquired by the Claverley Group.

The deal, signed in late January, means Signature, which publishes titles such as Lego Friends and Polly Pocket, will now sit alongside former rival children’s magazine maker Kennedy, and MNA Media, which is also owned by Claverley Group.

The acquisition means the group now publishes nearly 60 children’s titles.

An announcement said Signature is to continue operating from its Surrey home, with all staff retained.

p6 News and Mags.indd 6

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

EXCLUSIVE

Anger as Telegraph cuts retailer margins… again

by Dia Stronach dia.stronach@newtrade.co.uk

The Telegraph has slashed retailer percentage margins again in its annual price rise, sparking anger from stores.

A letter from publisher Telegraph Media Group (TMG), sent on 2 February, said from 4 February, mainland UK weekday editions would rise by 20p to £3, while Saturday and Sunday editions would go up by 50p to £4 and £3, respectively.

Despite the increases, stores will not receive a rise in pence margins until August, effectively slashing retailer terms to as low as 18.6% (weekday), 17.5% (Saturday) and 17.1% (Sunday) for six months.

The change means stores stand to lose an estimated £2.5m in margin over the next six months compared with if the publisher had protected retailer percentage terms, based on extrapolated Telegraph sales figures.

Even beyond this period when pence margins increase, stores will continue to receive worse per-

centage terms than those on offer until 4 February.

From 5 August, stores will receive 4p more per weekday copy, with the 20% retailer margin maintained. However, on Saturdays, stores will receive 6p extra from August onwards, but terms will be cut from last week’s 20% to 19%.

On Sundays, stores will receive an extra 8.75p, but terms will fall from last week’s 20.5% to 20%.

The letter said its subscriber strategy made the six-month freeze necessary, describing the strategy as “a fantastic opportunity to work together to drive further revenue for your business”.

The publisher’s letter also offered “extra cash” for stores that get customers to take out Telegraph subscriptions.

Despite TMG having planned the change for at least a month, store owners were given less than 48 hours warning of the change, resulting in some missing the announcement and making a loss on copies sold as a result.

The Fed’s national presi-

dent, Jason Birks, said: “It is very disappointing that TMG is following the publishing herd and has again chosen to upset its most loyal trading partners by cutting percentage margins and deferring any benefits for six months.

“It is wrong to delay paying retailers their fair dues, particularly on countertop sales, where there is no requirement to delay the increase. This is an unfair practice that must stop.

“TMG knows who subscribers are and who are not, so it has to explain why this one-size -fitsall approach is again taking place.”

The Fed’s national vicepresident, Muntazir Dipoti, added: “This should not

be linked to subscription renewals, as consumers will be at different points in their subscription cycle. The question has to be answered – why can’t TMG pay retailers in advance for subscription sales?

After all, it has taken the money from the customer up front, and it is simply not fair, as 25% of the sales remain casual purchases.”

A letter sent to stores in Northern Ireland, seen by RN, shows the new prices will be even higher.

From 4 February, the Saturday edition will cost £4.30, while the Monday-to-Friday editions and the Sunday Telegraph cost £3.20.

Store pence margins on Northern Ireland copies will also be frozen until 5 August.

NewsTeam residual income plan Nearly a quarter of the 124 independent retailers that sold home news delivery (HND) rounds of more than 20 customers to NewsTeam Group (NTG) in 2022 opted to receive a ‘residual income plan’.

Data from NTG commercial director Paul Goddard aimed to shed light on the scheme, which every month pays those retailers 3.5% of the revenue generated from each customer handed over for between three

and 10 years.

This includes a share of extra revenue from cover and delivery charge rises, and any additional products sold to the transferred customers.

Based on the income plan’s current rate of growth, NTG is set to be paying out more than £30,000 per month to participants by mid-2023.

Currently, 110 are receiving monthly payments of between £20 to £1,700. Goddard revealed

the company is also “keen to develop” a method for paying retailers a residual income for referrals to NTG that convert into NTG customers.

He explained: “If a retailer sells his rounds, but is continually being asked if they offer the service, then quite easily a base of 30-40 customers could be achieved. They are then receiving income from these referrals.”

NTG highlighted Raj Wadher, of Upton News in

Slough, as stating: “When I was stuck in India for nine months last year because of Covid-19, I wasn’t worried because I had regular money deposited in my account and my bills were getting paid. I would not have any doubt about recommending NTG to anyone.”

The NTG commercial director added it now has 10 field team members to visit and field calls from retailers interested in selling their rounds.

07/02/2023 14:13

7

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

FED NEWS

In partnership with

National

Scotland

Buying groups offer lower costs & new sales

by Helena Drakakis editorial@newtrade.co.uk

Retailers struggling with rising bills must look at all underlying costs to see where savings can be made, a buying group has told RN. The advice comes as retailers struggle to find competitive pricing around utility bills such as gas and electricity.

Andy Coultas, commercial manager of Hull-based buying group Procuria, advised retailers to break down costs that were often “off the radar”.

He said: “When I ask retailers what they are paying for milk, bread, gas or electricity, they know.

But if I ask what they pay for waste, recycling waste or pest control, they haven’t checked. Outside of those primary utility bills, those costs are not on their radar, and extra savings can be made.”

The buying group works with suppliers that deliver direct to store and service providers.

The buying group’s key

areas are milk, bread, chilled, frozen and food to go.

Coultas added that retailers were looking to it for depth of range on a limited number of categories that may not be covered by their primary wholesaler.

He said: “Over the past year, the standout categories have been US sweets and vapes. I have spoken to retailers who have offset rising costs solely by increasing their vaping categories,” he said.

In food to go, slush drinks and hot chocolates have also performed well.

He added: “Instead of giving five metres to one category, retailers are looking to where good margins can be made and splitting that space more smartly.”

Meanwhile, buying group Gainsmore says retailers should look to drop-shipment buying groups to gain the edge on specialist items.

Patrick Walkington, managing director at Gainsmore, said: “Some

categories require much more attention, such as greetings cards, which depend on seasonality.

“These are products that don’t come in the regular trips to the cash and carry, but where retailers can make gains.”

Walkington added that an arrangement where suppliers deliver direct to store affords retailers time that would otherwise be spent collecting items or dealing with invoicing.

He said: “By aggregating that complicated 25% of a retailer’s turnover, we save retailers money and time, and can offer

specialist knowledge and range they may not be able to get from the generalist wholesaler.”

Procuria and Gainsmore were both recommended to members by the Fed at the start of the year.

A spokesperson for the trade group told RN: “As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, saving money is a bonus.

“To help independent retailers cut their costs and to make business easier, the Fed is working with Gainsmore and Procuria to provide members with access to two buying groups.”

National

Minister pledges crime crackdown All victims of retail crime should be offered the opportunity to submit a victim-and-businessimpact statement, the policing minister, Chris Philp, has said.

In a letter to the Fed, Philp said he was committed to driving down retail crime, including violence and abuse towards shop staff.

He said: “Retail workers

have the right to feel safe at work. I take the issue of violence and abuse against retail workers seriously.”

In particular, Philp said submitting victim impact statements should be available to all if a case goes to court.

He said: “The use of victim impact statements is crucial in capturing the impact on the victim themselves, but also the

impact on the business as a whole or other colleagues who may be affected by witnessing a crime.”

The comments come after Fed national president Jason Birks wrote to the minister in December calling for the wider use of victim impact statements. He also asked for better reporting systems to encourage an improved response to retail crime

from police forces.

Birks said: “It is encouraging to hear that the minister is aware of the growing problem of retail crime and that he intends to take action.

“However, actions speak louder than words, and we will keep up the pressure on MPs, police and crime commissioners, and the police to do more to eradicate retail crime.”

Contact Jack Courtez with your trade news on 07592 880864, jack.courtez@newtrade.co.uk or @JackCourtez

p7 Fed News.indd 7

Disposable vape ban considered Disposable vapes could be banned in Scotland according to a government minister, as an urgent review gets underway.

Circular economy minister Lorna Gordon announced the review in response to “emerging concerns around the negative consequences of disposable devices”.

She said: “We will consider the evidence and expert advice, and come forward with policy options that could include a ban on singe-use vapes.”

However, East Lothian retailer and Fed member Ferhan Ashiq hit out at a potential ban. He said: “In the middle of a cost-ofbusiness crisis, any ban could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Once again, retailers are being punished.”

Wales

Swap shops add footfall Retailers looking to attract extra footfall should consider installing a free exchange station, a retailer in Wales told RN. Trudy Davies, West Midlands district vice president and owner of Woosnam & Davies News in Llanidloes, Powys, installed a free jigsaw swap last year.

The idea draws on community services seen in larger retailers such as Morrisons, which launched a children’s book-donation station 18 months ago. She said: “We’re getting customers from neighbouring towns coming in to swap jigsaws and buying items when they do. It all adds to the offering.”

07/02/2023 10:18

8

YOUR VIEWS Smiths News helped with delivery issue

At the end of last month, I had issues with my newspaper delivery.

The route my Smiths News driver usually takes to do his deliveries had been closed.

However, they chose not to follow the diversion, and left my newspapers with another retailer.

The other retailer kindly gave him directions on how to follow the diversion, but he still refused to follow it.

I drove the diversion to see what it was like. It’s not a particularly difficult road to follow.

The road is narrow, but that’s generally the case with a lot of the roads around here, as we’re in the countryside.

Eventually, I had the newspapers and magazines delivered on time after five days of not receiving anything.

The shift manager at my Smiths News depot in Gloucester was very helpful when I raised the

issue with him.

The customer service staff on the phone helpline were also very helpful when the issue was escalated to the right people.

They swung right into action when I told them about my issue.

Christine Hope Hopes of Longtown, Herefordshire

A Smiths News spokesperson said: “We are delighted to hear that the issue with this customer's

James Bielby, chief executive, FWD

p8 Your Views.indd 8

Get in touch

letters@newtrade.co.uk 020 7689 3357

VIEW FROM THE COUNTER with Julie and Joey Duhra

LOW PRICES AND FAIR MARGINS ARE ALL RETAILERS WANT

Talking to retailers in an east-London cash and carry last week gave the FWD team an illustration of just how tough things are for independent convenience stores at the moment.

Everyone we spoke to mentioned the impact of energy bills on their business, with some retailers saying they had risen by as much as 400%.

Everyone was doing what they could to reduce energy use,

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

even turning interior lights off when the sun shines, and one or two had arranged with their electricity supplier to pay in monthly instalments, rather than have a larger cash-flow hit once a quarter.

Of course, these retailers’ customers are facing the same energy bill hikes at home, and that’s affecting their disposable income.

We heard stories of falling footfall, even to the extent where items

newspaper deliveries has now been resolved to her satisfaction.

Smiths News is committed to providing excellent customer service and ensuring that support is at hand whenever needed. We believe that keeping in touch with our customers is key and make sure they have control of their accounts 24 hours a day, 265 days a year with SNapp, our online management tool. It shares regular communications, helps retailers to stay abreast of our latest news and developments – and gives them the ability to reach out to specific departments when required.” that would normally be sold well before their useby dates were having to be thrown away.

It’s taken a while for the economic reality of the pandemic, Brexit, the war in Ukraine and the Liz Truss fiscal experiment to seep though to the public’s pockets, but they are feeling it now.

So, difficult times all round – and it’s only fair to point out that the suppliers and wholesalers serving those convenience stores are facing their own price and cost increases.

Even with the rate of inflation levelling off, those supply-chain costs are going to keep being pushed through to you, and then to your customers.

Some of the retailers

Everybody has been paid, which is a positive, as January is usually really slow. The impact of Christmas spending usually runs into the first month of the new year. However, this period of positivity will soon be offset by the rising costs of energy bills. Some retailers will feel it sooner than others, but everyone will eventually be hit when they have to renew their energy contracts.

The bills will at least double for all of us. The economy is in a deficit and the impact will be made worse by rising wage costs. We’ll all have to deal with it, as it will be unavoidable. Some retailers will have to take on more hours themselves as they cut staff due to these cost pressures. It’s worth being careful here, though, as increased hours will make it more likely that they’ll fall ill.

That means they won’t be able to open the shop at all and won’t be able to make any money.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK On a more positive note, we were nominated for Customer Service Retailer of the Year at last month’s annual Fed Awards. We didn’t get the trophy, but everybody there was a winner.

It was a great occasion, and the best stores in retail were represented. We enjoyed the opportunity to speak to other retailers. The host of the awards – national TV presenter Naga Munchetty – was also really good on the night.

the FWD team spoke to are changing their store’s category and product mix to reflect the changing situation, but as always there’s no blanket solution to share with you – every store and its customer base is different.

Some were looking at higher-end meals and extending the food-to-go offer they provide to customers, to fully capitalise on the public cutting back on eating in restaurants, cafés and pubs.

However, the majority of those cash-and-carry customers we asked wanted the same thing – low prices and a fair margin, communicated in a way that reassures retailers and shoppers that even if prices are rising, they are getting the value they expect and deserve.

YOUR SAY

Yes 70%

No 30%

Would you apply for an exemption from the deposit return scheme?

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Are you planning to pass your business on to your children?

Vote now @ThisIsRN

07/02/2023 10:04

Latest giveaway

Win £1,000 to spend on your store

DEADLINE: 10 MARCH 2023

We are giving one RN reader £1,000 to spend on their store, staff or community For your chance to win, complete the form below, telling us the ideas you’ve had to reduce your energy bills – the best idea will win! Return to: RN Giveaway, Newtrade Media Ltd, 11 Angel Gate, London, EC1V 2SD Or enter online at betterRetailing.com/rn-giveaway Name:

My best energy-saving idea(s):

Shop name: Address: Post code: Tel: Email: Box number (wholesale customer number*):

I am happy for RN’s parent company, Newtrade Media Ltd, to contact me regarding other promotions or products

For more information, please call Kate Daw on 020 3871 6490 or email kate.daw@newtrade.co.uk Terms & conditions: Entries received after 10 March 2023 will not be counted. The winner will be announced in the 10 April issue of RN and contacted via telephone.

The winner will be determined by the editor of RN. The giveaway is only open to readers of RN, and only one entry is permitted per reader. One reader will receive a cash prize of £1,000. *We’re asking for this information because the giveaway is exclusively for RN readers.

10 Feb Competition.indd 24

02/02/2023 10:57

10

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

PRODUCT NEWS Win £5,000 with Walkers

Pancake Day with Hancocks

Running until 3 March

RRP £3-£8.39

Walkers crisps is offering four retailers a chance to win £5,000 each. To enter, retailers must purchase two cases of Walkers £1.25 price-marked packs (PMPs) in Cheese & Onion, Ready Salted or Salt & Vinegar varieties (15x70g formats) from Total Wholesale, Bestway, Unitas, Spar, Booker or Nisa, and text to win by 3 March 2023. Sharing PMPs account for 49.1% of crisps and snacks value sales within the category.

Hancocks has launched a range of toppings, spreads and sweets ahead of Pancake Day. It includes Lotus Biscoff Crumbs, Lotus Biscoff Spread, Lotus Biscoff Topping Sauce, Hershey’s Chocolate Flavour Syrup, KitKat Professional MixIn and Bonds Baking Topping Kit. The wholesaler advises retailers to promote the range with in-store and email marketing, attractive displays and call-outs on till receipts.

Sterling Essential Rolling update

Black Heart available from Booker

Campaign spans wholesale in-depot activity

On sale now

JTI UK has relaunched its Sterling Essential Rolling line, now available with rolling papers, a new blend and a zip pouch.

The updated product taps into the ultra-value segment, with 80.5% of all sales volumes coming from the value or ultra-value cigarette and roll-your-own sectors. Sterling Essential Rolling is available at an RRP of £14.55 for 5x30g pouches, and an RRP of £23.85 for 5x50g pouches.

BrewDog has launched a new Black Heart stout, which will be available exclusively from Tesco and Booker. The stout, which has an ABV of 4.1%, will come in a single 440ml, 4x440ml and 10x440ml multipack formats. The brand said it has flavours of chocolate and dark malts. It has been created with the intention of making stout more accessible for those who want to drink it outside of St Patrick’s Day.

New Clearspring rice crackers

Limited-edition bottle from Absolut

RRP £2.29

RRP £25.50 Available from Costco

Japanese fine-food specialist Clearspring has added two glutenfree, vegan Organic Japanese Brown Rice Cracker varieties to its snack range: Black Pepper & Tamari and Green Nori & Tamari.

The supplier said the majority of Japanese and Asian rice crackers are made using white rice, and usually contain fish stock and added sugar, while it has created a product that is minimally processed using wholefood ingredients.

p10-11 Product news.indd 10

Absolut has revealed its latest limited-edition bottle which champions the differences between people. Vodka remains the number-one spirit in the off-trade and Absolut has a 57.6% share in the premium vodka category. The bottle will be available in a 1l format with an RRP of £25.50 from Costco. In-store activity will include shippers, aisle flags and shelf barkers, as well as pallet wraps in Costco.

02/02/2023 13:42

11

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

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

SPECIALIST CHOICE

Priyanka Jethwa Senior features writer @PriyankaJethwa_

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

Pladis taps into new occasions

Gut-friendly chocs from Ohso Ohso combines chocolate with live cultures, and is available in five varieties, including Dark Orange, Dark Raspberry and Plain Extra Dark.

RRP £2.88 (85g) Contact ohso.comk

Jade & Joy launches protein bars Jade & Joy’s protein chocolate bar range, Wellbeing, is HFSS-compliant and comes in varieties including Key Lime, Caramel Blondie and Cookie Crumb.

RRP at retailer’s discretion Contact info@jadeandjoy.co.uk

Knotty’s nut butter range launched Knotty’s nut butter range comes in varieties including Smooth Peanut Butter, Smooth Almond Butter and Smooth Pistachio Butter.

RRP from £2.99 Contact knottys.co.uk

p10-11 Product news.indd 11

by Priyanka Jethwa priyanka.jethwa@newtrade.co.uk

Pladis is tapping into new occasions with the launch of McVitie’s BN Mini Rolls – a new cake format of BN biscuits.

Last year, BN was the biggest launch in the children’s biscuits category, driving 27% of growth in the segment.

Capitalising on this, the new Mini Rolls aim to broaden appeal among new demographics and drive incremental sales in store.

Available in two flavours – Raspberry and Chocolate – McVitie’s BN Mini Rolls are made with a vanilla sponge filled with flavoured cream and are coated in milk chocolate.

Each individual Mini Roll comes in at just 100 calories, which the

supplier said will target family shoppers seeking a lighter treat at lunchtime or after dinner.

The Mini Rolls also aim to appeal to cash-conscious shoppers, with an RRP of £1 for a pack of five individually wrapped bars.

Cassie French, marketing director for seasonal, cake and kids at Pladis UK and Ireland, said McVitie’s BN has been one of its “biggest success stories in recent years”, exceeding expectations following the relaunch last year.

“While we’ve attracted an audience of younger families, there’s an opportunity to scale this with our latest launch, which taps into the popularity of Mini Rolls.

“Now worth £1.25bn and growing by 9%, the ambient cake category represents a significant sales opportunity for

retailers – and Mini Rolls are at the helm, growing at 12%,” added French.

She explained that the Mini Rolls cater to a different occasion than their biscuit counterparts.

“Taking this to cake aisles will extend appeal further and welcome a new audience of shoppers looking to add a permissible sweet treat to home lunches or midweek meal occasions,” she said.

“Like so many McVitie’s products, BN Mini Rolls are designed to be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, as they offer shoppers a little indulgence, without topping the scale when it comes to calories.

“We already know that a third of UK shoppers actively seek snacks containing 100 calories or fewer – so McVitie’s BN Mini Rolls align with Brits’ snacking priorities.”

02/02/2023 13:39

12

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

PRICEWATCH Profit checker Easter chocolate CADBURY MINI EGGS 80G Price distribution % 50% 45%

37.18% of transactions are processed at £1

40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5%

£1.89

£1.59

£1.50

£1.49

£1.45

£1.40

£1.39

£1.38

£1.35

£1.30

£1.29

£1.28

£1.25

£1.20

£1.19

£1.15

£1.10

£1.09

£1

0%

Behind the numbers Easter impulse lines account for 45% of total Easter confectionery sales, while the last three weeks to Easter represent 55% of traditional sales and 70% of traditional eggs, with 28% of seasonal sales in the last week.

With plenty of opportunities, which lines can stores afford to increase?

Serge Khunkhun STORE One Stop

Woodcross LOCATION Bilston, Wolverhampton SIZE 750sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP PRODUCTS Cadbury Creme Egg Creme Egg White Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons Egg 98g

p12-13 Pricewatch.indd 12

Sixty-three per cent are pricing Cadbury Mini Eggs as high as £1.89, compared with 37% selling it at its most-common price of £1.

Forty-three per cent are selling Malteser Medium Egg above its most-common price of £2 (charged by 56%), with some going as high as £3.99. Similarly, 42% are going above the Aero

Easter starts earlier every year.

We’ve started stocking all of our Easter impulse lines already.

We’ve had the range of Cadbury Creme Eggs, including White and Caramel, since Christmas. Malteaster Bunnies are also in. Bigger chocolates should be coming in any time now, and they’ll go on the shelf straight away to help sales as much as possible. I’m assuming the small eggs that used to go out at £1 will be £1.25 – they drip feed out all the time, then you get a big surge of activity a day or two beforehand because of last-minute sales.

Peppermint Large Egg’s most-common price of £4, with some charging as much as £5.99. Conversely, 94% sell Galaxy Caramel Mini Eggs at its most-common price of £1.29, while Cadbury Creme Egg’s most-common price of 69p is also heavily favoured. It is set by 85%, possibly to drive sales in the lead-up to Easter.

Sunita Aggarwal STORE Spar Wigston LOCATION Leicester SIZE 1,500sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP PRODUCTS Cadbury Creme Egg Cadbury Mini Eggs Cadbury Dairy Milk Mini Eggs

We had the Cadbury Creme Eggs in before Christmas and the smaller impulse range has been in for a while. The good thing about Creme Eggs is they aren’t available all year round. If they stay that way, they’ll maintain their popularity. If things are available all the time, that attraction isn’t there, so having them seasonally is the key. We’re going to give it at least another month before stocking the big eggs.

This year’s sales are going to be unpredictable, as people are holding back on spending where they don’t need to.

02/02/2023 13:09

13

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com Data supplied by

Next week’s Pricewatch: Cereal

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

Must-stock products PRODUCT NAME

LOWEST PRICE

MOST-COMMON PRICE

HIGHEST PRICE

MALTEASTER BUNNY MILK CHOCOLATE 29G

48p

65p

99p

MALTESER MEDIUM EGG 127G

£1.25

£2

£3.99

MARS CELEBRATIONS LARGE EGG 220G

£3.33

£4

£5.99

GALAXY CARAMEL MINI EGGS 80G

70p

£1.29

£1.69

CADBURY CREME EGG 40G

33p

69p

89p

MILKYBAR WHITE CHOCOLATE EGG 65G

98p

£1

£2

SMARTIES MEDIUM EGG 119G

£1

£2

£4

AERO PEPPERMINT LARGE EGG 222G

£2

£4

£5.99

KITKAT CHUNKY MEDIUM EGG 129G

£1

£2

£3.07

CADBURY TWIRL ORANGE LARGE EGG 241G

£3.49

£4

£5

CADBURY MINI EGGS 80G

£1

£1

£1.89

LINDOR MILK CHOC FILLED EGG 28G

89p

£1

£1.99

of stores selling above, below Price distribution chart Percentage and at the most-common retail price Malteaster Bunny Milk Chocolate 29g

68%

Malteser Medium Egg 127g

31%

56%

43%

Mars Celebrations Large Egg 220g

23%

76%

Galaxy Caramel Mini Eggs 80g

94%

Cadbury Creme Egg 40g

85%

Milkybar White Chocolate Egg 65g

38%

69%

Aero Peppermint Large Egg 222g

30%

57%

42%

KitKat Chunky Medium Egg 129g

88%

Cadbury Twirl Orange Large Egg 241g

11% 15%

84%

Cadbury Mini Eggs 80g

37%

Lindor Milk Choc Filled Egg 28g

63%

30%

0

53%

20

40 Below mostcommon price

p12-13 Pricewatch.indd 13

14%

54%

8%

Smarties Medium Egg 119g

How to use this data

5%

1

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

2

17%

60

80

Most-common price

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

3

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.

02/02/2023 13:10

14

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

PRICEWATCH

Tamara Birch Deputy insight & advertorial editor @TamaraBirchNT

020 7689 3361 tamara.birch@newtrade.co.uk

Wholesale checker Cider sales are higher if the products are chilled, according to most retailers. Multipacks are ideal for picnics and singles are key for on-the-go purchases. Stocking a mixture of strengths and flavours will help boost sales. To help retailers achieve the best possible margins, we provide pricing across five wholesalers AVG – Average RRP N/A – Information not available PMP – Price-marked pack * – On promotion P – Different pack size C – Different case size

WHOLESALER 1

WHOLESALER 2

WHOLESALER 3

WHOLESALER 4

WHOLESALER 5

Booker Wholesale

Abra Wholesale

Online Cash and Carry

Nisa

Time Wholesale

National delivered cash-and-carry wholesaler

National delivered cash-and-carry wholesaler

National delivered wholesaler

National delivered symbol group wholesaler

National delivered cash-and-carry wholesaler

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

Strongbow Dark Fruit 4x440ml

£5.75 PMP

£4.30*

£5.39 PMP

£4.60

£5.91 AVG

£5*

£6.75

£4.47*

£5.75 PMP

£3.43*

Strongbow Original 4x440ml

£4.95 PMP

£3.72

£3.59 PMP

£3.40

£4.62 AVG

£3.80

£5.00

£3.11

£4.95 PMP

£3.43

Westons Cider Vintage 500ml

£2.79

£1.65

£1.99

£1.48*

£2.23 AVG

£1.80

£1.90

96p*

£1.90

96p*

Lambrini Original 1.25l

£3.75

£2.76

£3.79 PMP

£2.66

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Strongbow Original 2l

£4.99

£3.36

£3.89

£3.36

£4.38 AVG

£3.50

£4.15

£2.43

£4.15

£2.43

Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime 500ml

£2.79

£1.84

N/A

N/A

£2.48 AVG

£2.20

£2.25

£1.50*

£2.40

£1.41

Frosty Jacks Original 2.5l

£5.49

£3.60

£4.29

£3.90

N/A

N/A

£5.50

£3.16

£5.50

£3.05*

Kopparberg Mixed Fruit 500ml

£2.79

£1.84

£2.59

£1.84

£2.51 AVG

£2.08

£2.25

£1.50*

£2.40

£1.28

Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime 10x330ml

£14.29

£11.39

£14.29 AVG

£13.19

N/A

N/A

£6.15 P

£3.83 C

£5.69 PMP P

£3.70 C

Kopparberg Mixed Fruit 10x330ml

£14.29

£11.39

£14.29 AVG

£11.63

N/A

N/A

£6.15 P

£3.83 C

£5.69 PMP P

£3.70 C

DISCLAIMER: Prices accurate as of 3 February, prices may vary by region.

Rebates, delivery costs and membership fees not included. All prices are inclusive of VAT. Minimum or maximum orders may apply.

Cheapest wholesale price

DEAL OF THE WEEK PRODUCT Strongbow Dark Fruit 4x440ml WHOLESALER Time Wholesale SINGLE UNIT PRICE £3.43* MARGIN AT LOWEST RRP 36.43%

p14 Wholesale Pricewatch.indd 14

Bobby Singh STORE BB Nevison Superstores

& Post Office LOCATION Pontefract, Yorkshire SIZE 1,700sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP TIP Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

The biggest learning curve over Covid-19 was not to put all our eggs in one basket, and with the cost-of-living crisis, our customers need the best deals. Our suppliers are Booker, Parfetts, brand reps and van sales.

We’re not getting all the stock on our deliveries, so we have to visit cash and carries to have no gaps. We evaluate the percentage of our orders that arrive – if it’s anywhere around 90%, it’s a good week.

06/02/2023 13:03

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

COLUMNIST

15

Bryan Roberts

Don’t believe the hype Amazon’s foray into physical retail has fallen short of expectations, but the online giant should not be written off

O

ne of the joys of analysing the retail sector is witnessing massive hype come crashing down.

If you paid attention to some of the bombastic claims that litter this wonderful industry, by now we should all be running our shops based on RFID. Although, in theory, the shop shouldn’t exist, because everyone should be shopping online and having their goods delivered to them by drone or driverless car.

Shoppers wouldn’t be choosing what they had delivered, as smart fridges will be making those choices for them, and shoppers will also be hitting Amazon Dash buttons around their home to reorder toilet roll and washing powder. It’s strange how things never live up to the hype.

The future is never as good, or as different, as we thought it would be. Adhering to these broad narratives would have had us assuming that Walmart would have brought the UK retail industry to its knees or that Amazon would be dominating the

*+

world of grocery by now.

Amazon’s progress in the cutthroat UK grocery sector has certainly not been as smooth as anticipated. Its grocery home delivery service assisted by the likes of Co-op, Morrisons and Booths has not exactly set the world on fire, as many customers have preferred to shop online with their usual supermarkets.

Amazon’s advances in physical retail have been equally unconvincing. It has been stuck at the 20-store mark in Greater London for some time, and then closed one of its stores in Dalston.

A lot of commentary around that closure assumed this was something of a death knell, but the retailer then sprang a surprise on us all by opening a further two shops, both of which are hybrid stores. Rather than app-only Just Walk Out shopping experiences, both of these stores enable regular customers to use them by tapping out via contactless payment or using checkouts that anyone can use, regardless of whether or not they have Amazon membership.

These two openings were

Vapes are out of control

here, AS AN OCCASIONAL vape user, I’m not on a moral high horse but something needs to be done about the sale and the disposal of these items. It is becoming depressingly common to witness children puffing on coloured vapes, and my local park and streets are awash with packaging and the battery-laden vapes themselves.

Some retailers are taking an active role in promoting the recycling of disposable vapes, but there is scope for an industry-wide resolution to what is becoming a significant problem.

p15 Bryans Column.indd 15

The future is never as good, or as different, as we thought it would be

followed by news that Amazon Fresh has hired two heavy hitters from the industry, both of which have Tesco on their CVs. It’s no surprise, given that former Tesco exec Tony Hoggett is in charge of Amazon’s physical stores globally.

This suggests Amazon’s ambitions for having hundreds, rather than dozens, of Amazon Fresh stores around the UK is very much back on track.

I’ve said before that I like the Amazon concept in terms of its range, private label, affordability, meal deals, hot food, and its look and feel, and it seems to me that removing the necessity of having the Amazon app and an Amazon account will make the stores more accessible and successful.

As long as these changes are communicated, it should reduce the barriers to using the shops significantly. The move to a hybrid concept – which I believe is being retrofitted to the rest of the estate – should see a decent uptick in business.

If these changes are successful, there is no reason to think that Amazon will not be rolling these stores out to other major cities around the UK. The chain has been successful in the US in airports and sports stadia, so it might also be interesting to see if it fancies its chances in locations like railway stations where time is of the essence.

While I retain a healthy degree of cynicism about Amazon’s impact on the grocery sector, we write it off at our peril.

Bryan Roberts is a leading grocery retail and shopping expert

06/02/2023 13:39

16

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

Why invest in social media?

Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski explores how retailers are using social media to best effect

W

e’re long past the time where a social media presence can be seen as an optional extra or as a USP for a business. Stores in every location – and serving all demographics – will have customers logging on to find out everything from opening hours to promotions and food-to-go options.

Done well, social media can also provide a way of highlighting how a business operates at the heart of its community.

“We had a Santa visit our store at Christmas, and the Christmas

p16-18 Store Advice.indd 16

Fayre helped us raise £800 for Macmillan Cancer, which we posted about on Facebook,” says Julie Kaur Duhra, who owns Premier Jules Convenience Store in Telford, Shropshire.

Other stores, meanwhile, are being inspired by the viral dance routines on platforms, such as TikTok, to engage both customers and staff, helping stores to show those working on the shopfloor – and giving their businesses a greater sense of personality.

But having a successful social media presence isn’t always easy.

While many stores were happy to discuss their social media strategies, others told RN they were pausing social media output while they either worked on their overall strategy or even recruited a dedicated member of staff to focus on producing their store’s online content.

With so many stores now taking their social media presence more seriously than ever, we speak to four retailers to hear their advice.

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

Facebook allows us to raise the profile of things JULIE KAUR DUHR

02/02/2023 15:14

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

17

Be at the heart of the community

“Facebook enables us to raise the profile of things, such as the local council-funded warm spaces and events, like our community defence classes,” says Julie Kaur Duhra, of Premier Jules Convenience Store in Telford.

While many in her community know to look out for updates on Facebook, there are others less likely to use the platform, she says.

“We get a lot of college and school trade, and TikTok has a mixture of adults and youngsters on there,” she says. “I’m interested to see if it gives us an opportunity to communicate with a few different demographics.”

She says she plans to reach out to other businesses for guidance on posting more effectively. “I want to spend some time talking to a retailer who already uses TikTok and get some step-by-step advice on how to use it, so I do it correctly and don’t make any mistakes,” she adds.

Adapt your strategy to different platforms

It’s not long ago that social media would mean Facebook and, perhaps, Twitter. Yet, there are now a broad range of platforms available and stores are learning to engage with them in different ways.

“We use TikTok to post dance routines done by staff to different songs, and might put some details about promotions or store events, too. But it’s mainly just about engaging customers,” says Dennis Williams, who owns and runs Premier Broadway in Edinburgh with his wife, Linda.

“Our Facebook account has updates about promotions, as well as the daily special available at our deli and our opening times. During lockdown, we used Facebook a lot to advertise deliveries for customers who couldn’t make it into our stores.

“Instagram is a mixture of the two, with more fun things, but useful information, too.”

p16-18 Store Advice.indd 17

»

02/02/2023 15:15

18

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

Boosting recruitment

“We use Facebook to advertise jobs and have found it more successful than anything else,” says Dean Holborn, who owns and runs two Holbornsbranded stores in Redhill and South Nutfield in Surrey.

“People go online and they can see the kind of business we run and the standards that we keep, so it attracts goodquality candidates.

“Our stores speak for themselves, so I think it’s important that retailers showcase their stores on their social media accounts.”

Holborn explains that social media has proved particularly effective during seasonal events.

“Last year, we sold 420 Christmas trees across our two stores, which added up to £20,000 of revenue. My wife used social media to post photos of the trees arriving at our stores and also of the trees being delivered to customers, and that helped create a lot of excitement for our customers online,” he adds.

Don’t forget LinkedIn

While many stores use social media to communicate with customers, it is by no means the only option available to retailers.

“When it comes to social media, don’t do a lot,” says Paul Stone, who owns and runs a number of Spar stores in central Manchester.

“One thing I did was use LinkedIn after our store refit to thank our suppliers and shopfitters.

“We managed to completely refit our Oxford Road store in 11 days, which was fantastic, and this meant we could quickly get back to serving our customers.”

Posting on LinkedIn to thank these companies for their efforts has helped cement the relationships Stone forged during this process, enabling him to increase the loyalty and trust with these businesses. It also helped other retailers benefit from using recommended refitters and suppliers when investing in their own businesses. l

p16-18 Store Advice.indd 18

02/02/2023 15:15

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

ST PATRICK’S DAY

19

Should you invest in St Patrick’s Day? Simon King talks to retailers about how they plan to profit from helping customers celebrate

W

hile beer is an all-yearround must-stock for convenience retailers, St Patrick’s Day – on Friday 17 March – is a key calendar date for the off-trade, providing a golden opportunity to stock products for at-home celebrations.

The value of St Patrick’s Day this year should not be underestimated by retailers as, on the following day, Ireland will play England in the Six Nations, which could see customers stocking up for a bumper weekend.

Lauren Priestley, head of category

development, off-trade, at Diageo, says: “As people continue to look for high-quality drinks experiences, it is worthwhile for retailers to consider which alcohol brands to stock to drive sales during key calendar moments.

“The beer category tends to increase in value in the month running up to St Patrick’s Day.” While St Patrick’s Day is usually associated with Guinness, Priestley says it is important to cater to those who do not drink stout or beer.

“Mixed drinks are simple for

people to make at home and can also lend themselves to celebratory moments, making them worth stocking this St Patrick’s Day,” Priestley says.

“Flavoured vodka in particular has been performing well, growing by 34.5%, with room for further growth in the subcategory.

Smirnoff has been leading the charge, having launched a raft of varieties, such as Raspberry Crush, Mango & Passionfruit Twist, Berry Burst and the latest innovation, Cherry.

“Stocking a good selection of flavoured vodka taps into this continued demand, providing customers with high-quality serves that are easy to create at home.”

Fiona Malone, owner of Tenby Stores, a Premier store in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, says that while St Patrick’s Day is not a super impor-

» p19-20 St Patricks Day.indd 19

03/02/2023 15:52

20

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

ST PATRICK’S DAY

SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT

Lauren Priestley

Head of category development, off-trade, Diageo

tant event for the store, the team will put up all the PoS material that has that has been sent by suppliers.

“We’ll have deals on Guinness and Jameson,” Malone says. “We’ve got the Ireland versus England Six Nations game being played the day after St Patrick’s Day, so we’re trying to tie that in as well.

“There is an Irish ferry that comes into Pembroke Dock, which is 11 miles from Tenby, so we do have Irish people coming through the store, and we normally put St Patrick’s Day PoS material up at the beginning of March.

“We’ll hang the PoS near the beer fridge for Guinness.

For Jameson, we have a big display of alcohol, so we will probably signpost offers there, but we don’t want to cover up our range of other alcohol products, including other whiskies and gins.”

Ken Singh, owner of BB Superstore in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, says that, for the first time in the store’s 37-year history, he’s going to

p19-20 St Patricks Day.indd 20

get behind St Patrick’s Day this year.

“We don’t have the community that celebrates St Patrick’s Day, but am I missing a trick?” says Singh.

“In my experience, people go to the pub and enjoy a pint of Guinness on St Patrick’s Day, but it’s not something that we really go to town on in terms of an event in store. As far as I’m aware, Booker and Bestway don’t offer any merchandising advice or PoS for St Patrick’s Day.” Singh says that he’ll highlight his St Patrick’s Day offering on social media in the run-up to 17 March.

“I’ll make a fuss about it and see if there’s any increase in sales,” Singh says.

“I’ll give it a go properly, but Guinness does sell all year round anyway.”

CALL FOR SUPPORT Aman Uppal, owner of One Stop Mount Nod in Coventry, says that in his store, promoting Mother’s Day is the main priority.

“There isn’t much support from suppliers for St Patrick’s Day,” Uppal says. “I would love to see big well-known Irish brands, such as Guinness and Jameson, invest more in the convenience channel.

“Suppliers do things in terms of highlighting the day, but this seems to be more on social media than in a specific channel of the industry.”

Amish Shingadia, owner of Shingadia’s Budgens & Post Office in Horsham, West Sussex, says St Patrick’s Day results in him selling more Guinness than at other times of the year.

We are offering a pricemarked 440ml fourpack of Guinness for £5.79 or two packs for £11

When considering which brands to stock, we recommend stocking Guinness.

Guinness is synonymous with St Patrick’s Day due to its Irish heritage and is currently the number-one stout brand in Great Britain and the number-one stout in convenience stores.

Many people may be planning to enjoy the ‘black stuff’ during this time, so making sure a range of Guinness products are available and in a range of formats will be key to encouraging spend in the run-up to, and during, this calendar moment.

With the Six Nations tournament and St Patrick’s Day coinciding this year, retailers would benefit from merchandising Guinness with new and clear PoS, which will put the brand front and centre of customers’ minds during both moments.

Cross-merchandising the products with popular crisps and snacks can also encourage increased basket spend during these occasions.

Where space allows, we also suggest including a few options in a chiller, as this will enable retailers to maximise on impulse purchases by providing products that are ready for immediate consumption.

“I checked with Booker at the end of January, and it wasn’t offering its retailers any offers on Guinness at that time,” Shingadia says.

Since his refit late last year, Shingadia has a dedicated alcohol area with a space for seasonal products, enabling him to boost spend using linked purchases.

Nirav Modhvadiya, owner of Desford Shop & Post Office in Desford, Leicester, says that while the store doesn’t promote St Patrick’s Day, there are some offers that appeal to customers. “We are offering a price-marked 440ml four-pack of Guinness for £5.79 or two packs for £11,” he says. l

03/02/2023 15:56

RN Full page ad.indd 1

31/01/2023 14:34

22

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

TOBACCO

Boost tobacco sales Tamara Birch explores the role of value within tobacco and next-gen products, and how retailers can cater to this need

T SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT Tom Gully

Head of consumer marketing UK&I, Imperial Tobacco

We recommend retailers and their employees are fully trained and equipped to offer those shopping in their store a tailored and personal experience to ensure repeat visits and customer loyalty. It is key that staff are encouraged to read the latest category developments, news and features in the trade press. This is an effective way for employees to gain further insight and understanding into the key trends, different terminology and new products available. There’s a wealth of information at their fingertips that will go a long way to help them build their knowledge of the category.

p22-26 Tobacco.indd 22

We’re seeing a move towards low-priced propositions

he tobacco market is worth £14bn per year, according to Tom Gully, head of consumer marketing UK&I at Imperial Tobacco.

“There is almost a 50/50 market share split across factory made cigarettes (FMC) and roll-your-own (RYO) categories – at 52% and 48%, respectively,” says Gully.

Customers are looking to get the most for their money, as noted by several tobacco suppliers, and brands predict this will grow under the current economic climate.

“We’re seeing a move towards low-priced propositions across the entire category as a whole, resulting in the lower-priced products making up a majority of tobacco sales,” says Gully.

“The sub-economy segment makes up 63% of FMC sales, while the economy segment accounts for 56% of RYO sales, with these value segments growing by 3% and 5% year on year.”

JTI UK’s sales director, Gemma Bateson, echoes Gully and says JTI has been expanding its tobacco range to help retailers cater to those looking for value lines.

“Over the past two years, we have launched products that tap into the growing demand for value tobacco – from Sterling Rolling Tobacco Essential through to Benson & Hedges Blue Rolling and the new

range – Mayfair Silver,” she says.

Sarj Patel, of Pasture Lane Stores in Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, has noticed the shift towards value – however, he says this is more prominent in January.

“A lot of customers get paid in the middle of December, so it’s six weeks or longer before they get paid again,” he says. “People are being careful.”

Patel has also noticed customers who buy superkings have started to buy kingsize products. “It’s entirely price-orientated,” he adds.

“Some of our customers are brand loyal and only smoke Benson & Hedges, but most just ask for the cheapest ones.”

HOW CAN RETAILERS MAINTAIN SALES? “Retailers must ensure they stock the correct products, while also familiarising themselves with the key product types so they can help their customers fully understand the tobacco category and different products available to them,” says Gully.

Sarj Patel says suppliers reducing their prices have helped them meet value trends. “Ninety per cent of our stock is from JTI,” he says.

“They’ve reduced prices by 15p a packet. That’s really helped us.”

Sudesh Patel, of Londis Coulsdon in south London, warns retailers to

»

03/02/2023 16:34

THEY WORK HARD TIME FOR A PROPER BREAK Give them exceptional value at our lowest price*

For Tobacco Traders Only. *Based on ITUK RRPs as at September 2022. For the avoidance of doubt retailers are free at all times to determine the selling price of their products.

RN Full page ad.indd 1

31/01/2023 14:33

24

TOBACCO WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW FROM TOBACCO SUPPLIERS? JTI’s updated Sterling packaging JTI has unveiled new packaging for its Sterling Essential Rolling tobacco, available with rolling papers, an enhanced blend and a convenient zip pouch. The packaging aims to offer an easy and accessible format for existing adult smokers, designed to have everything needed in just one resealable pouch.

JTI repositions Sovereign Blue “This year, we’ve repositioned Sovereign Blue in line with our other ultra-value options to provide more choice of well-known brands to consumers at this end of the market,” says Mark McGuinness, marketing director at JTI UK. Sovereign Blue’s RRP will change to £10.65 for a 20-pack, joining Mayfair Silver and Kensitas Club as part of JTI’s ultra-value range.

Imperial Tobacco’s Ignite app The Ignite app provides retailers and their staff with the latest news, information and training opportunities to ensure their stores run to its fullest potential. The app offers users a range of tools and advice, including incentive articles, downloadable PoS, product information and key tips on how to maximise sales in store.

Republic Technologies Swan Burst Crushball Retailers can stock two varieties within the Swan Burst Crushball range: Swan Cool Burst Crushball and Swan Fresh Burst Crushball.

Swan Cool Burst Crushball is a two-part sliding pack containing 54 filters, while Burst Crushball delivers a strong peppermint flavour. Both have an RRP of £1.35.

PML’s Iqos Original Duo Iqos Original Duo (RRP £39) is a revamped and renamed version of Iqos 3 Duo. The device is fully compatible with existing Heets tobacco sticks. The product will begin replacing Iqos 3 Duo with no buy-back or product swapping necessary. Retailers can now order the new kits via PML’s digital trade engagement platform. The product is sold as a two-piece device with a compact and lightweight holder and two packs of Heets.

STG UK’s Moments revamp The cigar company has redesigned its Moments brand, with “modern and eye-catching packaging”. The design can be seen now on packs of Moments Blue and Moments Original. The new design will start appearing on packs of Moments Panatella in May. “Moments Blue has been the fastest-growing value-for-money cigar in the UK and is well-known among tobaccoselling retailers as a popular choice among consumers looking to save money,” says Nataly Scarpetta, marketing manager at STG.

p22-26 Tobacco.indd 24

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

be competitive about pricing.

“Make sure you’ve got them in stock,” he says. “Don’t overprice yourself out of the market – sometimes you feel you have to because of the cost-of-living crisis.”

OFFER VALUE WITH RYO AND ACCESSORIES The UK tobacco accessories category continues to perform strongly and is worth £334m, and is experiencing year-on-year growth of 4.3%. The slim and tips segment is also in growth of 28.5% year on year.

With retailers reporting that customers are asking for the cheapest option, RYO tobacco could be the best possible option for them. Retailers can then increase spend by offering a wider range of accessories.

“Tobacco accessories, including filters, papers and lighters, provide an opportunity for retailers to benefit from impressive margins and incremental sales,” says Gavin Anderson, sales and marketing director at Republic Technologies (UK) Ltd. “The right range of brands and effective PoS can help stores stand out. RYO shoppers also tend to be repeat purchasers, so having a good variety of products, with a fully-stocked display, will keep them coming back.”

Imperial’s Tom Gully adds: “Retailers should check they have a variety of leading RYO brands, such as Riverstone and Players JPS, to ensure they are prepared for this rising demand for value tobacco products.”

Sarj Patel says accessory sales remain strong. “You get a good mark up on filters, papers and lighters as well,” he says.

“It’s worth having a full range of Rizlas and other accessories – they don’t have a shelf life, so there’s no issue in them being wasted. They have a high profit margin, too.”

Despite this, Patel says many of his customers often switch between RYO and cigarettes. “After Christmas, they try to cut down on the amount they smoke and try RYO, but then, by February, they switch back to cigarettes,” he says.

Gully’s biggest piece of advice is remembering value means different things to different people.

“Some customers might be focused on the lowest price,” he says.

“Others may be looking for added-value formats, like Players JPS Easy Rolling Tobacco, which offers filters and papers in one pack.”

»

03/02/2023 16:36

RN Full page ad.indd 1

31/01/2023 14:34

26

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

TOBACCO CIGARS AND CIGARILLOS “Our latest data shows the total cigar category is up by 0.8% in value terms compared to last year, at just under £286m,” says Nataly Scarpetta, marketing manager at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK. This growth is driven by cigarillos, which JTI’s Bateson says has a current market share of 46.9%.

To help stores capitalise on this, Bateson says to stock Sterling Dual Capsule Leaf Wrapped, which is the number-one cigarillo brand and had a 91.8% share of the UK cigarillo market.

Meanwhile, the more traditional cigar segments are all in decline of around 4%.

According to Scarpetta, this is probably due to some smokers moving onto vapes or pouches, or people cutting down due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Similar to tobacco, value trends are hitting cigars, too. Scarpetta recommends retailers ensure they are highlighting their value brands to customers to help them save money.

p22-26 Tobacco.indd 26

NEXT-GEN PRODUCTS Next-gen nicotine products continue to thrive and many retailers are focusing their efforts on driving these sales over tobacco, as noted by Sudesh Patel. “My tobacco sales are down by 12%, but my e-cigarettes are up so much, it’s unbelievable,” he says.

Patel says there will “always be a space for cigarettes”, and that e-cigarettes and other next-gen products provide a bigger opportunity for stores.

“My energy costs are due to go up in October and my supplier says they could triple,” he says. “Where am I going to get that money from?

I’ll probably focus on next-gen products, because that’s where the margins are.”

Patel recommends visiting other retailers and vape shops to determine how they are making the category a success.

Aside from vapes and disposables, heated tobacco is also experiencing growth. The category represented 18.6% of the total reduced-risk product market in the UK in 2021, growing 86% versus 2020.

Highlight value brands to customers to help them save money

The category is relatively new, and Kate O’Dowd, head of commercial planning UK & Ireland at Philip Morris Limited, sees the category growing at over twice the speed of the e-cigarette category.

Her advice to retailers new to the heated tobacco company is communicating the benefits of alternatives at the point of sale.

“It’s the responsibility of manufacturers to meet customer demands and preferences through product innovation,” says O’Dowd.

“This is perhaps why 62% of retailers believe manufacturers should focus on improving the acceptability of smoke-free products among adult smokers.” l

03/02/2023 16:37

n e e r G

NEW

RITES U O V A F YOUR NEW

H S E R F E R HIT K UP NOW STOC

£10

.25

RRP

PALL MALL Shift Green

£10

.25

RRP

ROTHMANS Green Superkings It’s an offence to sell tobacco to persons under 18 years old.

For tobacco trade use only. Not to be left within sight of consumers.

RN Full page ad.indd 1

31/01/2023 14:33

28

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

HFSS

The HFSS effect

Four months on from the implementation of HFSS restrictions, Jasper Hart looks at how affected retailers have responded

I

n October 2022, restrictions on products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) came into effect in England. Stores with more than 2,000sq ft of shop floor space and 50 or more employees were required to remove products that fell under this designation from particular locations, including the till, queuing systems, gondola ends and the store entrance.

As the 1 October implementation date loomed, many independent retailers were unsure about whether they had to comply with the regulations. According to the ACS’ most recent Local Shop Report,

p28-30 HFSS Reaction.indd 28

9% of independent convenience stores have more than 2,000sq ft of sales space, yet there was confusion among symbol stores as to whether their membership of a symbol group meant they would be considered as having 50 or more employees.

The response varied. Booker confirmed its Londis and Budgens stores wouldn’t have to follow the legislation last July, while One Stop and Spar stores have had to comply. “We were getting ready and making sure we were moving products off promotional bays,” says Sue Nithyanandan, of Costcutter Epsom in Surrey. “Then on 30 September, we had an email

06/02/2023 12:07

29

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

RETAILER VIEWPOINT

Anish Panchmatia

One Stop Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

We went through a store refit in May last year, with the anticipation the legislation would kick off in October, so we planned it to be compliant. We phased it in for customers. We had two gondola ends that would have been non-compliant, so we phased one out and changed it to a pet food and household promotional area. About two months after that, we moved alcohol promotions in the other one, they went from the back to the front. We had to phase the changes because people knew where those bays were, where they could pick up small things for £1£1.25, that would add to the basket spend.

I wouldn’t say our sales have dropped as a result of the changes, volume is up across the board. We have multiple customers every day who use trollies and fill them up. They’re buying a substantial amount – it’s not tobacco-, chocolate- or alcohol-fuelled, or because of the in-store services. I wish I could offer more promotions on household and pet food, but supply is so hit and miss.

Multiples’ compliance seems to be patchy

p28-30 HFSS Reaction.indd 29

from Costcutter saying were weren’t covered by the regulations because we had under 50 staff. In a way I was pleased, but it was a lot of stress not knowing and changing things. I even didn’t do a big Halloween order because I thought I wouldn’t be able to put impulse products by the tills.”

While the overall proportion of convenience stores affected is low, it seems as though the confusion about the regulations caused retailers who didn’t want to be caught out to err on the side of caution. “It’s likely that impacted independent retailers, of which there are relatively few due to the store size and employee HFSS criteria, are being more compliant that many multiple retailers,” says Bryan Roberts, global insight leader at grocery insight firm IGD. “The multiples’ compliance seems to be patchy due to confusion

and lack of internal and external policing, while independents – with more skin in the game – seem to be much more careful when it comes to off-fixture displays, checkouts and gondola ends.”

CHANGING RANGES As the owner of multiple Costcutter sites, Peter Patel’s employee count stands at over 50 and he had to make some changes to his 3,000sq ft Mantle Road site in Brockley, south London. “Costcutter provide an HFSS-compliant planogram now,” he says. “We removed dump bins that would normally have crisps and sweets in front of the counter, and we’ve moved the seasonal area away from the till as well.”

He has also swapped confectionery HOD units by the till for healthier snack bars.

He says there has been a noticeable impact on the sales of products that would normally go in the dump bins, now relegated to their category aisle: “Dump-bin lines were a real impulse buy for people queuing to pick up. We always have Jammie Dodgers on at two-for-£1 or buy-oneget-one-free. We’d typically do about 15 cases in the three-week promo period, but in the most recent one, we did six cases. Those deals are still

on, people just don’t pick them up on impulse as much.”

However, from October 2023, they won’t be available as part of the next round of HFSS restrictions on promotions, which were meant to take effect alongside location restrictions before the government delayed them by a year, citing the cost-of-living crisis. These restrictions will affect symbol group stores under 2,000sq ft that are deemed to have more than 50 employees. Crisps brand Walkers estimates about 39% of independents meet this size criteria, and it is likely they will be seeking clarity from their symbols as the deadline approaches.

Currently, Patel has no replacement products in his dump bins, and is waiting for updated guidance from Costcutter about the most viable alternatives. “The changes were so last-minute that the Costcutter development team weren’t really sure what was happening until late in the day,” he says. “The first thing they wanted to do was make sure everyone who needed to be was compliant. They’ve done compliant promo bay planograms, but they haven’t for dump bins and additional promo bins. They’re going to look at planograms for dump bins and what they can bring in.”

»

06/02/2023 12:15

30

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

HFSS

Meanwhile, Jeet Bansi, of Londis Meon Vale in Stratford-upon-Avon, says the legislation has proved to be a “win-win” situation. Despite HFSS products moving away from highimpulse areas, such as gondola ends and the till area, sales are still strong.

“We are doing our level best to adhere to the regulations, but it doesn’t seem to be having much impact in terms of customers, because they’re still looking for those treats,” he says.

“No matter where products are sited, customers are getting them because it’s what they’re coming in for.”

Additionally, sales of products that have replaced HFSS products in affected areas are also seeing an uptick, says Bansi. “We have seen an increase in those products which wouldn’t traditionally be there, such as toilet roll, Persil liquid, coffee, tea bags and Pot Noodles,” he adds.

Getting these items in promotional areas helps to communicate the value of these larger convenience stores as places customers can buy daily essentials. Anish Panchmatia, of One Stop Wylde Green in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, says changing his promotional ends near the front of his store to stock household items and pet food has had a positive effect on perception of his store’s offer. “Those categories

p28-30 HFSS Reaction.indd 30

are not ordinarily at the front of many stores, but we found people are able to do more of a shop when they see them,” he says. “When they see crisps, snacks and confectionery, you give customers the impression you can’t offer a £20-£30 shop. As soon as people walk in, they have the impression they can get quite a bit here.

“If customers walk in and you’ve got confectionery, crisps and soft drinks right at the front, it’s a challenge to get them to spend more.”

OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT For Avtar Sidhu, who runs St John’s Budgens in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, the impending restrictions were a chance for him to trial new ways of ranging compliant products, regardless of his store being affected or not. “We did quite a few trials regarding HFSS, and by and large they were very successful,” he says.

Although his store isn’t affected by location restrictions, Sidhu wanted to try the changes, thanks to his customer base and surroundings.

“My mindset wasn’t to shy away from HFSS, it was to be bullish about it and say, ‘There are opportunities here,’” he says. “We want to do the right thing morally and are in an area where supermarkets are sending that health message out.”

We have seen an increase in products such as toilet roll, Persil, coffee and tea bags

He has added a nut bay near the checkout with compliant offerings from KP Snacks, Forest Feast and Jack’s, which he says has increased nut sales by 300%. “We’d never done a nut bay before. We had them in different areas, but now they’re all in one area. We probably do 50 different types. Because it’s been a huge success and we’re doing the right thing by the consumer, it’s now a permanent fixture.”

Affected retailers struggling to adapt their space should bear in mind that suppliers of products in the most affected categories have been adapting their ranges and continue to do so. For instance, low- and no-sugar soft drinks sales were growing before HFSS legislation took place thanks to the sugar tax, with 76% of sales coming from compliant products.

On the snacking front, suppliers continue to reformulate popular brands and launch new lines to give retailers the option of sticking with reliable impulse categories instead of experimenting.

More than 100 of KP Snacks’ products, comprising more than a quarter of its range, are HFSScompliant, while PepsiCo is aiming for 50% of its Walkers sales to come from healthier products by 2025, backed by a £35m investment. l

06/02/2023 12:15

Subscribe to YouTube

Follow us Instagram

Join us Facebook VIP

Follow us Twitter

@the_fed_nfrn

@TheFedOnline

Instagram

YouTube

Like us Facebook

@TheFedVIP

@TheFedNFRN Twitter

Follow us LinkedIn

@TheFedOnline

Facebook VIP

Facebook

@The Fed (NFRN) LinkedIn

Join our retailer community today #TheFed Our social channels are the quickest way to keep up to date with all things The Fed. From the latest industry news to upcoming events, membership benefits, partner offers and commercial support.

Make money, save money, make business easier!

Est. 1919

The

Fed

Federation of Independent Retailers

thefedonline.com T: 0 8 0 0 1 2 1 6 3 7 6 | E: c o n t a c t u s @ n f r n . o r g . u k

RN Full page ad.indd 1

26/07/2022 15:30

The leading magazine for retailers selling vape products

CHARGE YOUR VAPE SALES WITH VAPE RETAILER ALE Y S N O UAR R B E 13 F

COMING UP IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF VAPE RETAILER • VApril: how to take advantage of VApril 2023 to attract new customers to your store • Closed-pod systems: find out the latest on the ongoing importance of closed-pod systems • Must-stock brands: the bestselling and most popular vape brands in convenience, and the trends to watch out for this year

PLUS All the latest product launches, and…

Quick guide: getting to grips with the tech behind open-pod systems Analysis: managing 0% nicotine disposable vape sales – how to protect your business and customers

Order your copy from your magazine wholesaler today or contact Michael Sharp on 020 7689 3363 To advertise in Vape Retailer, please contact Natalie Reeve on 020 7689 3372 Follow us on Twitter: @Vape_Retailer

VR Forward sell February 2023.indd 1

16/01/2023 11:14

33

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

In partnership with

GUEST COLUMNIST

Opportunity of the week

WHITECIRC

Offering on-demand delivery of specialist titles and achieving a high sell-through rate, this distributor offers newsagents a path to a unique range of high-value titles Stuart White Founder, WhiteCirc & Boutique magazines

How does WhiteCirc work?

The way we work is very different to the traditional newstrade. Under the normal system, an issue comes out, it goes to wholesale, shops receive it once and that’s it. We work with this model, but we also have a second option where we encourage the opposite.

On more expensive titles, for everyone’s benefit, we recommend multiple deliveries. We say, don’t take 10 copies, take two.

If they sell, just tell us, and we’ll try to send more out the next day. It means we have between 80%-90% sales on what’s sent out, and that’s better for everyone. It’s less cash tied up for stores and less waste for the publisher because nobody is over-ordering.

There’s a ‘become a stockist’ page on our website where we have discounts that are probably better than you find in wholesale because it’s quick and direct.

Can you name a benefit for stores of working with smaller publishers?

A lot are doing multiple

Sam Bradley, co-founder and editor, Counterpoint

COUNTERPOINT IS ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL covers. With today’s tech, it’s quite fun as you can split it how you like. You can do a 10,000 print run, but some covers might have just 100 copies for instance, so we’re building excitement and exclusivity, and these are what we’re sending out to specialist stores.

It means an edition might be in WHSmith or Tesco, but it’s the specialists that are getting that point of difference.

What do stores need to know about ranging high-price, low-frequency titles?

A lot of ours are quarterlies, biannual or even annuals. Publishers use upcoming events. The title has value beyond the initial launch period, so you can look at events going on nearby and get relevant titles in based on that

rather than release date.

Instead of having a huge range of titles you can stock a title for one month or one quarter, based on what’s happening nearby.

There’s also a rotating season to follow, you’ve got fashion week coming up, then you start getting art titles and then design.

What advice do you have for stores about moving beyond traditional mags?

Have a look around you. Do you have universities or colleges nearby and, if so, what are their big courses?

Is it arts or design, for instance, or do you have a football ground or anything else that will generate a shared interest from a good footfall? Then become a hub for specialist interest in that area. People soon start talking, especially with a bit of social media.

Counterpoint can stand out on the magazine stands in local shops, as each issue is fully illustrated, and includes essays or features that are matched against original artwork.

We aim to make each issue bright, beautiful and witty. We want give readers something they’re not expecting.

There aren’t many similar titles on the market, because of the printing and production techniques we use, and because so few magazines commission and publish original illustration these days.

Each issue includes pieces taking unusual angles on subjects. For example, our recent issue on failure has features on disastrous sea voyages, losing at video games, motherhood, upside-down cakes and unusual drawing techniques. The link between them all is that they’re each about responding – either through acceptance or defiance – to failure, as much as they’re about failing.

We’ve only just begun planning the next issue, but we’re intent on pushing our production techniques to the next level. We want the magazine not only to be a collection of great writing and illustration, but also to be a great example of print.

The typical reader of Counterpoint probably knows their way around a print fair, drinks pints and has a brilliant sense of humour.

Counterpoint is supposed to be a bit of an oasis in the middle of whatever else is going on in the reader’s day.

NewstrAid Cost of Living Crisis Fund Up to £250 available per household for independent retailers and their staff who are involved in selling newspapers and magazines and are facing hardship.

Applicants must have worked in this sector full time for a minimum of 2 years. Eligibility criteria apply.

For more information visit www.newstraid.org.uk, call us FREE on 0800 917 8616 or email: mail@newstraid.org.uk RN banner.indd 1

p33 TWIM 1.indd 33

02/11/2022 11:13

07/02/2023 09:50

34

betterRetailing.com // 10 February 2023 RN

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

SYMBOL KEY

Terms change

Launch activity

One Competition Special shot issue

Free gift

Sales Bumper Redesign Spotlight Newspro issue recommends trend

SPECIALIST CHOICE HARPER’S BAZAAR

l Your shoppers’ source for fashion trends straight from the runway, with the latest makeup and hair inspiration. l This issue of Harper’s Bazaar comes with a Lixier skin cream, providing standout and value in any magazine ranging.

CHELSEA/LIVERPOOL/ MANCHESTER CITY OFFICIAL FAN SETS

l These club-specific Fan Sets include 20 collectable cards on the best-known players. l The high prices mean stores bag nearly £2.50 in profit on every pack sold.

ART IN AMERICA

l This contemporary US art journal is celebrating 40 years of publishing with a special edition, priced above the usual £12.99 price. l The edition features a complete guide to 2023, featuring the best museums, artists and galleries from across the pond.

MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION BUYER’S GUIDE

l This US title features all the gadgets, bikes and accessories a trail rider could ask for. l This edition features detailed descriptions of around 100 bikes and is £2 more expensive than the standard issue.

On sale 9 February Frequency monthly Price £5.25 Distributor Frontline Display with Elle Barcode 9771751159156

On sale 8 February Frequency monthly Price £9.99 Distributor Marketforce Display with Match Attax Barcode 053307061545, 5053307061538, 5053307061552

On sale 10 February Frequency monthly Price £19.99 Distributor Seymour Display with Art News Barcode 9770004311976

On sale 10 February Frequency monthly Price £7.99 Distributor Seymour Display with Mountain Biking UK Barcode 9770895846991

NICHOLAS CHESTER-ADAMS, PRINT CULTURE, GLASGOW

On sale 10 March Frequency bimonthly Price £15 Distributor N/A Display with Skateism, Out! Barcode TBC

ELSKA What makes this title special?

It’s a blend of travel and gay men’s lifestyle. Each edition focuses on a different city and the experiences of those who live there.

It’s real stories and culture, and covers being gay in cities where it’s not exactly comfortable to be gay.

They are challenging audiences and showing that lifestyle titles can make a real impact.

Bestsellers SPIRIT

l Based on a staple DreamWorks Animation film for horse-obsessed kids, each edition comes with games, colouring and inspirational stories. l The big draw is the gifts included with each edition, such as the seven-piece camping set and six-page movie fun book.

WHAT CAR?

l This edition lands in the run-up to the new registrations in March, and features a comprehensive review of all the new cars and models. l What Car? is the bestselling monthly motoring title and the sixth-bestselling motoring title overall.

p34 TWIM 2.indd 34

Travel On sale 8 February Frequency six-weekly Price £6.99 Distributor Marketforce Display with Pony Friends Barcode 9772632323963

On sale 16 February Frequency monthly Price £5.99 Distributor Frontline Display with Car Magazine Barcode 9770307299247

Title

On sale date

1 Condé Naste Traveller UK

09/03

2 National Geographic Traveller

02/03

3 Britain

07/04

In stock

Italia 02/03 5 Suitcase 09/03 6 Wanderlust 30/03 7 France Today 17/03 8 Smithsonian Collectives 18/03 9 Condé Naste Traveller USA 03/03 10 Cruise International 03/02

4

Data from independent stores supplied by

06/02/2023 15:46

35

RN 10 February 2023 // betterRetailing.com

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

Partworks and collectables Title

No

Pts

£

Title

RBA Coleccionables Timeless Classics

18

11.99

75

F1 Collection Rossi Bike Collection

Byline Bob Dylan Vinyl Total Tarot

32 29

24.99 7.99

41 120

DeAgostini

Fast & Furious: Build The Dodge Charger

70

9.99

110

Hachette 2000 AD Ultimate Collection Batmobile Tumbler Build Eddie Stobart Build The Titanic DC Comics Heroes & Villains Disney Crochet Disney Cross Stitch Disney Dolls House Disney My Little Library Marvel Legendary Collection Warhammer Imperium Warhammer Stormbringer

No

Pts

Title

£

Panini Partworks

Title

162 64

200 66

12.99 12.99

Starter Stkrs/cards

Panini Disney Encanto Sticker Collection Disney Princess Today is Magical Disney Pixar Luca Movie Sticker Collection

NFL 22

4.99

0.90

Premier League 2023 Sticker Collection Spiderman 60th Anniversary Super Mario Trading Cards

3.99

0.70

4.99

4.99

8.99

2.50

Unicorns Stickers

4.99

0.90

8.99

2.50

5.99

1.50

4.99

0.90

Warhammer Trading Cards

3.99

0.90

Creative Toys Company

0.90

SoccerStarz Foil Bag SoccerStarz Blister Pack

141

180

10.99

3 72 50

120 140 140

10.99 9.99 10.99

54

100

10.99

21 125 56

100 140 120

4.99 3.99 9.99

126

170

3.50

Fortnite Official Trading Card Collection Series Three Harry Potter Evolution Sticker Collection

26

100

11.99

Jurassic World 2022

4.99

0.99

4.99

0.90

FIFA World Cup 2022 Official

Starter Stkrs/cards

3.99

Title

0.90

2.99 3.99

6.99

1.70

75

89

8.99

Lightyear Sticker Collection

1

80

2.99

Marvel Versus

1.50

5.99

Minecraft Treasure Sticker Album

4.99

0.90

2.99

Smiley-Halves

Topps ECB 2022 Attax

10.00

200

F1 Turbo Attax 2022 Gonkers Figurines 22 I Love Bunnies Figurines I Love Penguins Figurines

8.99 6.50

2.00 2.99

7.99

2.99

6.99

2.50

WWE Stickers

7.99

0.90

5.99

1.00

5.99

1.00

4.99

1.00

Pokémon

Hexa-Plex 4.99

Starter Stkrs/cards

UEFA Champions League Match Attax 22-23 Match Attax Xtra 22/23 UEFA Nations League Stkrs Pokémon Astral Radiance Pokémon Battle Style Pokémon Brilliant Stars Pokémon Chilling Reign Pokémon Darkness Ablaze Pokémon Fusion Street

3.99

Pokemon Lost Origin

3.99

3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99

Newspapers Daily newspapers price/margin pence/margin % Sun

80p

16.8p

Mirror

£1.20

22.2p

Mirror (Scotland)

£1.30

Daily Record

Saturday newspapers

21%

Sunday newspapers

Sun

£1.10

23.1p

21%

Sun

£1.40

29.4p

21%

18.5%

Mirror

£1.90

35.15p

18.5%

Sunday Mirror

£2.20

41.8p

19%

24.05

18.5%

Mirror (Scotland)

£1.90

35.15p

18.5%

People

£2.10

40.95p

19.5%

£1.20

22.8p

19%

Daily Record

£1.80

33.3p

18.5%

Star Sunday

£1.60

29.6p

18.5%

Daily Star

80p

14.8p

18.5%

Daily Star

£1.30

24.05p

18.5%

Sunday Sport

£1.90

41.8p

22%

Daily Mail

90p

20.1p

Daily Mail

£1.40

28.7p

20.5%

Mail on Sunday

£2

41p

20.5%

Express

£1.20

22.2p

18.5%

Express

£1.75

32.375p

18.5%

Sunday Mail

£2.50

47.5p

19%

Express (Scotland)

£1.20

22.2p

18.5%

Express (Scotland)

£1.65

31.35p

19%

Sunday Telegraph

£3

51.25p

17.1%

Telegraph

£3

56p

18.6%

Telegraph

£4

70p

17.5%

Sunday Times

£3.50

70p

20%

Times

£2.50

50p

20%

Times

£3

60p

20%

Observer

£3.50

85.7p

24.5%

FT

£3.50

70p

20%

FT

£4.80

£1

21%

Scotland on Sunday £2.50

55p

22%

Guardian

£2.50

55p

22%

Guardian

£3.50

77p

22%

Racing Post

£4.20

84p

20%

i

80p

17.6p

22%

iWeekend

£1.50

32.25p

21.5%

SundayHerald(Scotland) £2

42p

21%

i (N. Ireland)

70p

15.4p

22%

Racing Post

£4.50

90p

20%

Sunday Express

£2.20

40.7p

18.5%

Racing Post

£4.20

84p

Herald (Scotland)

£1.95

42.9p

22%

Sunday Post

£2.30

46p

20%

Herald (Scotland)

£1.50

33p

Scotsman

£2.40

54p

22.5%

Scotsman

£1.90 42.75p

22.31%

20% 22% 22.5%

Weight Watchers Watchers 4-5 ember Weight February Total Total Supplements Supplements weight weight15 weight weight Sunday Times Telegraph Daily Telegraph Times Observer Sunday Times SunWeekend FT Daily Mail Mail Daily Mail on on Sunday Sunday Mail Guardian Guardian The Times Observer

965g 810g 760g 800g 575g 755g 565g 595g 515g 575g 405g 495g 370g 490g – 410g

490g 150g 510g 175g 30g 280g 220g 330g 440g 190g 395g 125g 350g 225g – 105g

Scale of third-party advertising insert payments Ad Ad inserts inserts Number Number of of 30 weight Inserts weight Inserts 60g 3 60g 3 0g 30g 10g 35g

01 21

100g 0g 75g 75g

5 0 3 3

10g 0g 20g 0g

01 2 0

– 40g

– 2

Heaviest Heaviest ad insert insert ad

Insert weight

Original Mail Mirror News Express Guardian Telegraph scheme UK

50g 40g 0g 30g

Cumulative?

10g 20g 35g 0g

70-100g

35g 40g 10g 0g 10g 0g – 30g

0-69g

Observer

no

no

no

no

no

no

no

no

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1.5p

3.1p

2.57p

2.7p

2.93p

2.93p

2.93p

2.75p

101-200g

2p

3.9p

3.36p

3.3p

3.65p

3.65p

3.65p

3.35p

201-300g

4p

6.65p

6.09p

5.5p

6.26p

6.26p

6.26p

5.75p

301-400g

5p

8.5p

7.43p

6.7p

7.06p

7.06p

7.06p

7p

401-500g

*

9p

*

*

*

*

*

*

Over 500g

*

9.5p

*

*

*

*

*

*

* By negotiation

Insertion payment guide Per copy sold Guardian Newspapers =2p. News UK =2p. DMGT =2p. Reach Plc =2p. Telegraph Group =2p.

Per copy supplied JPI Media =2p. Financial Times =2p. Reach Plc =2p

p35 TWIM 3.indd 35

07/02/2023 09:38

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

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

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

CO UP VID DA -1 TE 9

l betterRetailing.com l 03.12.2021

»

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

STORE SERVICES Page 3

l betterRetailing.com l 18.02.2022

NEWS Page 4

»

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

What the new Covid-19 rules mean for your store

sales from potential Christmas disruption

»

STORE ADVICE

shape and size can win more passing trade

out on younger shoppers, and eight ways to fix it

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

p1 Cover.indd 1

Page 16

»

Low-cost team building 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

50

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

07

»

●

EVENTS ADVICE

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

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

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

What your soft drinks range should look like in 2022

Booker own label replaced

NESCAFE

Booker and One Stop’s new ideas

Ultimate guide to Easter

»

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

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

WHOLESALE

Understand how last Underst month’s cover price increases dented store sales Page 9 »

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

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

23/02/2021 15:29

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

p1 RN Cover.indd 1

18/01/2022 14:53

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

Make a success of opening another store STORE STRATEGY Page 30

l betterRetailing.com l 11.02.2022

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

24

COFFEE

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

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

»

CATEGORY ADVICE Page 26

● betterRetailing.com ● 09.07.2021

07/09/2021 16:27

»

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

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Stores: prepare now for the impulse sales comeback Discover the top-selling lines set to make a return as lockdown eases Page 28

»

MAGAZINES

SUSTAINABILITY

LEGISLATION

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 »

‘Want 40% margin?

Copy Ireland’

Tesco pulls plug on mag plastics

Why food waste is on the up

p1 RN Cover.indd 1

06/07/2021 16:41

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

Get ready for the 10p bag charge

NFRN tackles late deliveries

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

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

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

69+

AMBIENT GROCERY

RN uncovers plan to add Post Office services to Payzone devices Page 4 »

The tech that is changing how local shops are run Page 13 »

Your shop’s spectacular summer

Vol 132 No 19 £2.50

19

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

p1 Cover.indd 1

SPIRITS

»

IMPULSE SOFT DRINKS

RANGING

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

BEERS

of RN’s news stories are exclusive

»

New tools for small shops

71% Page 37

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 »

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

PRODUCE

STORE ADVICE

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

48

Sharing your store duties

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

p1 Cover RN.indd 1

23/11/2021 14:23

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

Get more from your back of store Retailer tips for a more profitable and easier-torun stock room STORE ADVICE Page 14

23/03/2021 16:09

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

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

Page 20 RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

STORE ADVICE Page 14

● 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

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 28.01.2022

ANALYSIS Page 18

»

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 08.01.2021

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

Page 4

»

RN 17 February Forward Sell - To go in RN HND Mail Snappy’s Pick the10 February.indd Improve 1 HOME NEWS DELIVERY

GROCERY DELIVERY

FASCIAS

ALCOHOL

supply ‘ringfenced’

‘race against dark stores’

right symbol group

your gin range

The questions retailers

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 »

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

● 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

45

p1 Cover RN.indd 1

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

»

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 l betterRetailing.com l 02.07.2021

»

● 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 »

p1 RN Cover.indd 1

Retailers plan for success with these January to-do lists

Striking a PMP balance

»

13

Explained: how the budget will affect your store

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

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

Payzone stores get PO access

»

Your store’s ranging guide

unique retailers spoken to every month

Better cash and carry visits

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

Retailing with relatives

Page 3

● betterRetailing.com ● 26.11.2021

STORE ADVICE

Iceland’s c-store launch

PayPoint’s new cashback threat to ATM services

»

● betterRetailing.com ● 07.05.2021

TECHNOLOGY

»

● betterRetailing.com ● 26.03.2021

GUEST COLUMN

How to make more from new products in your store

SERVICES

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

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

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 »

24/08/2021 16:41

Page 22

NEWSTRADE

37

Get your store ready for ‘Freedom Day’

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

»

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

p1 cover.indd 1

NEWSTRADE

p1 Cover RN.indd 1

Downsizing for a sales boost

Vol 132 No 37 £2.50

FREE INSIDE: The Big Issue sales poster

STAY INFORMED AND GET AHEAD WITH RN

»

Delivery firm plans

35

STORE PROFILE

Booker cuts promo allocations

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

»

Mag and paper ABCs revealed

Vol 132 No 35 £2.50

Energising on-the-go sales

Your sports and energy drinks makeover

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

»

NEWSTRADE

The role of newspapers in stores

Vol 132 No 24 £2.50

Page 25

»

p1 Cover.indd 1

Experts warn murky status of CBD products puts stores at risk

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

to two months of disruption

New scheme prevents

TECHNOLOGY Page 18

LEGISLATION Page 3

p1 Cover.indd 1

l How to maintain sales despite up

Seven ways retailers

Retailer rebates at risk

»

7

Bringing in ‘big shop’ customers

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

putting 26% of your top snack lines at risk

Spend less time at cash and carry

Isolation change guidance

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

FEATURE

Mults beat indies on availability

l Hack causes complete delivery shutdown,

STORE ADVICE

AVAILABILITY

Cannabis law confusion

● betterRetailing.com ● 06.08.2021

WHOLESALE

Prepare your store for KP Snacks’ supply meltdown Page 4

LEGISLATION

»

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

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

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Page 30

l Exclusive independent pricing data

● Six retailers reveal their plans for a postpandemic summer

better-selling evening meal range

At RN, our content is data-led and informed by those on the shopfloor:

Page 23

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

03

● Build a simpler and

Electronic shelf labels explained

»

PINGDEMIC

Paper price rises sales impact

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

Minimising store repair costs

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

»

Pricewatch: see what other retailers are charging for cereal and boost your own profits

p1 Cover.indd 1

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

AND MORE…

Vol 133 No 3 £2.50

Page 25

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

● betterRetailing.com ● 27.08.2021

NEWSTRADE

STORE ADVICE Page 14

STORE ADVICE

24 ways to a greener store

+

»

●

retailers’ sales data analysed for every issue

LAVAZZA

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

ways to keep your home delivery service relevant

SUSTAINABILITY

07/04/2021 16:42

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

How do retailers pick winning new products?

»

COSTA COFFEE

»

p1 Cover.indd 1

Page 29

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

Page 16

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

3,451

WHOLESALE

15

Why cereal bars deserve more space in your store

Coffee machines compared Page 26

Vol 132 No 15 £2.50

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Hot or not

Discover the changes customers want to see in your chiller that can deliver bumper sales RANGE REVIEW Page 18

»

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

»

Cash in on festive snacking

Customer habits Ranging Footfall Trading hours

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 21.01.2022

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

Page 23

Need a holiday?

SERVICES Page 4

l betterRetailing.com l 10.09.2021

l Make mega margins

Big night in: latest trends to take advantage of the growing night-in market

SYMBOL GROUPS

07/12/2021 15:00

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

What Boris’ lockdown exit plan means for local shops

STORE ADVICE Page 16

SUPPLIER SUPPORT

p1 Cover.indd 1

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

Vol 133 No 7 £2.50

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

● betterRetailing.com ● 26.02.2021

●

Get more from rep visits

Vol 132 No 50 £2.50

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Camelot addresses your concerns ahead of new legislation next month

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

»

New mags for your shelves

Trading up for bigger baskets

Page 3

»

FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

Pages 5 & 18

NEWSTRADE SUCCESS

15/02/2022 16:04

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

Council blunders: is your store owed thousands of pounds?

»

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

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

● betterRetailing.com ● 11.06.2021

How to nurture a reliable team: your in-depth guide to developing a successful and long-lasting team »

Make more from the big night in Nine tips to grab bigger baskets from your sofa-loving customers Page 20 »

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

E RE XCL SE US AR IV CH E

Free body cameras for stores

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

l Why your store is missing

Page 23

SHOPLIFTING

PayPoint ramps up services

l How stores of any

»

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

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

Get more customers through your door

l How local shops can act now to protect

STORE SERVICES

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

80

the reintroduction of mandatory Covid-19 control measures

Page 3

l betterRetailing.com l 09.04.2021

: Revealed

l Advice and resources for stores on

Lottery age change

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

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

CATEGORY ADVICE Page 21

18+

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

PayPoint parcel locker plan revealed

Inside the latest opportunities in e-cigarettes and what they mean for local shops

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

COMING UP IN THE 17 FEBRUARY ISSUE OF RN Keg sales gold rush

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

02/02/2023 60% caught09:47 LEGISLATION

out by allergy law Mistakes by shop staff

OWN-LABEL

Booker to change own label Happy Shopper,