RN - 11 February 2022

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

Prepare your store for KP Snacks’ supply meltdown l Hack causes complete delivery shutdown, putting 26% of your top snack lines at risk l How to maintain sales despite up to two months of disruption Page 4 RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

● betterRetailing.com ● 11.02.2022

»

Vol 133 No 6 £2.50 FOR TRADE USE ONLY FIRM SALE

06

RNcover.indd dummy front2 cover.indd 1 p1

02/02/2022 13:56 14:18 08/02/2022

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

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

Only £4.99

Handbook

G

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO RANGIN

OPTIMISE YOUR RANGE AND GROW FOOTFALL, SPEND AND PROFITABILITY

On sale 2 March

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

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

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

RSH Sell.indd 1

01/02/2022 11:47

THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

Make a success of opening another store Retail veterans reveal the secrets of building your convenience-store count

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS

STORE STRATEGY Page 30

● betterRetailing.com ● 11.02.2022

»

Prepare your store for KP Snacks’ supply meltdown l Hack causes complete delivery shutdown,

putting 26% of your top snack lines at risk l How to maintain sales despite up

to two months of disruption Page 4

»

STORE ADVICE

HOME NEWS DELIVERY

GROCERY DELIVERY

Seven ways retailers can make their visits quicker, easier and more productive Page 16 »

New scheme prevents short supply and offers stores prizes of up to £1,000 Page 6 »

Delivery firm plans rewards, EPoS partnerships and major network growth Page 3 »

Spend less time at cash and carry

p1 cover.indd 1

HND Mail supply ‘ringfenced’

Snappy’s ‘race against dark stores’

08/02/2022 16:04

2

CONTENTS Editor

Senior features writer

Jack Courtez

Priyanka Jethwa

@JackCourtez

020 7689 3371 Features editor

@PriyankaJethwa_

020 7689 3355

Charles Whitting @CharlieWhittin1

020 7689 3350

Senior news Reporter Alex Yau

News editor

@AlexYau_

Megan Humphrey

020 7689 3358

@MeganHumphrey_

020 7689 3357

Insight reporter Tamara Birch

Features writer

@TamaraBirchNT

Jasper Hart

020 7689 3361

@JasperAHHart

Magazines reporter

020 7689 3384

Tim Murray

Editor in chief

tim.murray@newtrade.co.uk

Louise Banham

News reporter

@LouiseBanham

Suhara Pavithri Jayasena @suharajourno

Senior account director Charlotte Jesson 020 7689 3389

Head of design Anne-Claire Pickard

Account director Natalie Reeve 020 7689 3372

Designer Jody Cooke Production editor Ryan Cooper

Account manager Marie Dickens 020 7689 3366

Sub editors Jim Findlay, Robin Jarossi Business delivery manager Production Ifzal Afzal coordinator 020 7689 3382 Chris Gardner 020 7689 3368 Management accountant Digital content editor Abi Sylvane Jody Porter 020 7689 3383 020 7689 3378 Managing director Head of digital Parin Gohil Tan Parsons 020 7689 3363 Printed by Warners Midlands plc Distributor Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Audit Bureau of Circulations July 2020 to June 2021 average net circulation per issue 8,296

Annual Subscription UK 1 year £150 Europe £302 2 years £270 Rest of world £354 3 years £360 To subscribe contact 020 3871 6490

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

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 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

I

visited a record shop last week in Kingston and heard a familiar story. The owner said they’d had a shoplifting incident last month, but when they contacted the police, they were told by an officer that as the theft value was under £50, nothing could be done.

The owner showed me the scrap of paper upon which the officer had written his email address on before quickly departing. It’s a sad state of affairs that what I found most surprising about the incident was the owner receiving an in-person visit following the incident.

The other telling aspect is that despite the government and police Editor and crime commissioners repeatedly claiming that there is no such thing as a £50 value requirement on investigating shoplifting, this Jack Courtez ‘requirement’ is clearly still being used by police on the ground. @JackCourtez Local police and crime plans are being published as we speak 020 7689 3371 around England and Wales. The level of thought given to retail crime in these documents will be a strong indicator of whether police support is going to change for the better in your local area over the next few years. Perhaps that’s why so many shops are thinking outside the box when it comes to security.

Tesco has announced it would be moving overnight restocking of alcohol categories from night to daytime/twilight. The move is driven by staff cost savings, but I wonder if they factored in the stock-loss-prevention benefit from having more bodies in theft hotspots at peak risk times as well.

Last week, I also caught wind of local shops entering discussions with Veesion. The French company installs a device on your CCTV network and uses AI to detect and alert staff to ‘suspicious behaviour’, such as people pocketing items or displaying common shoplifting techniques. The technology would probably make a difference, but with an alleged cost of around £229 per month for 13 cameras, it’s only going to be an option for those with the highest prevalence of incidents. The other challenge is that while it may make it a lot easier to spot a shoplifter, preventing them from leaving with the goods will remain as risky as ever.

HEADLINES 3 INDUSTRY NEWS Snappy Shopper planning shopper rewards feature

KP Snacks cyberattack to hit sales in stores 5 SYMBOL NEWS

Booker switches Makro branch to ‘delivery dark site’

6 NEWSTRADE NEWS

Stores can ‘ringfence’ HND supply

and win £1,000 with Mail scheme

7 NFRN NEWS

Waitrose axing of free paper offer an ‘opportunity’ for local stores

8 YOUR VIEWS

‘Booker’s delivery charge is a

symptom of Tesco’s ownership’

INSIGHT

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.

Ferrero’s Levi Boorer helps stores

For trade use only

Discover the first McVitie’s Club

9 INDUSTRY PROFILE

prepare for Pancake Day

10 PRODUCT NEWS

launch in a decade

12 PRICEWATCH

How retailers are pricing disposable vapes

14 WHOLESALE PRICEWATCH

Compare wholesale whisky prices to find the best deals

15 EXPERT OPINION

Bryan Roberts on the electric revolution facing forecourts

16 STORE ADVICE

Retailers reveal how they cut down on cash and carry time

20 TOBACCO

Get more from your tobacco gantry space

26 EASTER GIFTS

Get bonus sales and margin this Easter 28 HOUSEHOLD RANGING

Master the three must-stock cleaning categories

30 MULTI-SITE RETAIL

Retail veterans reveal the secrets to

opening a second, third or 10th store

34 THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

Discover the new Marvel Collection

RN’s publisher Newtrade Media cares about the environment.

p2 Contents.indd 2

08/02/2022 16:00

3

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

NEWS EXCLUSIVE

Snappy Shopper plan to combat dark-store rise

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

Snappy Shopper [Snappy] is developing a customer rewards programme, inking partnerships with EPoS companies and onboarding new stores closer to existing partners to help in its “race against dark stores”.

In an exclusive interview with RN, founder and chief executive of the grocery delivery platform Mike Callachan warned the company is seeing “aggressive numbers” of dark-store openings so far in 2022, with Gorillas considering moving into towns of “100,000 or fewer” population.

“We are in a race to protect these local community convenience stores to get them online and selling.

If we don’t do that quickly, we believe there’s a real threat the dark stores can come in and take a significant portion of customers away,” he said.

Callachan suggested blocking dark stores’ path to dominance required Snappy’s expansion in Wales and Northern Ireland, and new partners

opening closer to existing partners in England and Scotland, where Snappy has “really good coverage”.

Asked about adding partners near existing Snappy stores, the Snappy boss responded: “When the tide comes in, it rises all ships together.”

He referenced a Dundee store that was selling £10k per week through Snappy.

“When the second retailer came on [in the city] there was a slight dip in the first retailer’s sales, but the second retailer brought a lot of new customers to the platform and both stores increased. We then brought a third in when we had two mature stores.

Now all three are doing record-breaking sales.”

Investment in stores Despite the rising-tide mantra, some stores criticised Snappy’s exclusivity clauses preventing working with other delivery platforms.

When challenged, the Snappy boss said while rivals such as Deliveroo take a higher share of profits and other delivery partners don’t provide much support, Snappy Shopper

invests in partnered stores.

“We help retailers reach [new] customers through digital campaigns, leaflet drops and promotional banners around the area.

“It all has a cost and it comes into thousands of pounds… so we have to be confident the retailer is equally committed to us,” he said.

Callachan revealed additional investment is also available for existing Snappy partners. He commented: “If the retailer is pushing boundaries, we have permission to invest over and above, things like vehicle wraps, additional door drops, sponsoring a football or rugby club, these are all things we are doing.”

Snappy's investment in retail also extends to new service features, such as integration with EPoS companies to prevent stores from needing to manually update price, range and availability data on Snappy.

“PayPoint proved it could be done, but we’ve gone on to plug in two other EPoS providers now live and there’s at least another two being developed,” he said. He refused

to say who the four EPoS companies were.

Callachan revealed the company is also “enhancing” its in-store picking app and working on “some really exciting features around loyalty”.

He added: “We want to think about how we reward [everyday shoppers].”

Reaching the ‘£1m club’ While the average Snappy store took £113,776 last year in orders, more than 10% of Snappy’s sales came from just 20 partnered sites.

Describing top performers, Callachan said: “They are doing more than £1m per year on the platform.

We are think of making the ‘£1m retailers club’.”

He said “an understanding of their community and who their shoppers are” and bringing the in-store community feel online were key to their success.

Examples included leaving hand-written notes in bags, free items for regular shoppers, chats at the doorstep and interaction within the app. l To read the full interview online, search ‘Snappy Shopper’ on betterRetailing.com

PO’s ‘worker status’ battle begins

The Communication Workers Union’s (CWU) long-awaited employment tribunal against the Post Office (PO) to give subpostmasters ‘worker status’ began last week.

If the CWU can prove subpostmasters have the responsibilities and obligations of a worker, they could be entitled to at least the minimum wage, pension and insurance contributions, holiday

p3 Breaking News.indd 3

pay, the right to take collective action and significant compensation.

Following an initial hearing on 1 February, the first witness examination began on 7 February and saw lead claimant and CWU subpostmaster branch rep Mark Baker cross-examined by the PO. Christopher Jeans QC used Horizon till data evidence to challenge if Baker had the responsi-

bilities of a PO worker by questioning whether his wife was fulfilling many of Mark Baker’s responsibilities.

Jeans compared Baker’s six logs on the Horizon IT system in 2017 with his wife’s 134,388.

Baker responded the Horizon data failed to show that he would use his partner’s login, and said many subpostmaster tasks do not involve Horizon.

More than 120 further subpostmasters are taking part in the claim.

Ten CWU subpostmasters and 17 witnesses for the PO are to be cross examined in hearings predicted to last until mid-March.

Named by a leading legal journal as one of 2021’s 10 most important cases, it has been described as an “existential threat” to the PO’s future.

Worldpay card rate increase Worldpay retailers are to see the interchange rates for card transactions increase in April following the UK’s exit out of the European Union.

In a letter sent to affected retailers, Worldpay said: “Visa and Mastercard have announced they will no longer treat the UK as a part of the European Economic Area for interchange purposes.”

The changes for store owners mean the rates for Visa debit personal payments increase from 0.264% to 0.273%, with Visa credit personal rising from 0.623% to 0.679%.

Mastercard debit personal rates will rise from 0.252% to 0.257%, while Mastercard credit personal will change from 0.616% to 0.618%.

However, rates for Visa business transactions will decrease from 1.754% to 1.735%. Mastercard business rates will also drop from 1.754% to 1.719%.

Spar hack forces IT swap Some Spar stores owned by northern England Spar wholesaler James Hall & Co have had to replace all EPoS equipment following a cyberattack in December.

A staff member at one of the company’s stores in the Manchester area told RN that all new systems had been installed in January as the wholesaler was not able to continue using the compromised existing till systems.

The hack initially left many of James Hall & Co’s stores unable to process payments at the counter, losing days of peak seasonal trade in December.

08/02/2022 15:59

4

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

NEWS C-stores better for planet

Over a third of consumers believe that shopping at convenience stores is better for the environment, according to a new report.

Convenience expert TWC said last week 70% of consumers are concerned about environmental and sustainability issues.

Communications director Sarah Coleman urged independent retailers to identify which elements resonate with customers.

“There is an opportunity to talk up the environmental benefits of shopping at convenience stores,” she said. “For example, walking to the store and collaborations with local businesses that drive the local economy.”

Coleman admitted “local lines from small suppliers are not going to deliver volume and so these demands can be at odds” for retailers. She said range choices must balance core lines to meet this need.

Age check try-out begins The government has finally begun its digital age-verification trial in convenience stores, following continued delays.

The trial will run until May 2022 across stores in the north-west of England, with the aim of identifying underage customers trying to purchase alcohol through the use of ageverification technology.

Store owners will still be required to physically check IDs, but the technology will be used to help them abide by current law.

Last November, a source told RN “delays at the Home Office” were to blame for the slow progress.

p4 Breaking News.indd 4

EXCLUSIVE

KP Snacks hack creates local-shop sales gap

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

Stores have been told to expect shelf gaps after a cyberattack forced KP Snacks to halt all deliveries last week.

RN obtained a letter from KP Snacks to Nisa store owners sent on 2 February.

The supplier said it had been “compromised by ransomware” on 28 January, meaning it “cannot safely process orders or dispatch goods”.

The day before, Nisa claimed KP Snacks had admitted availability issues would last “until the end of March at the earliest” with a complete block on all orders and deliveries “for the next few weeks”.

Nisa warned stores to “expect supply issues on base stock and promotions until further notice”.

The hack means supply of top-selling brands including McCoy’s, Hula Hoops, Tyrrells, Space Raiders, Skips, Butterkist, Pom-Bears, Nik Naks and KP Nuts will be disrupted.

For example, data from one Bestway depot earlier this week showed four out of eight Hula Hoop lines and nine out of 12 McCoy’s lines as out of stock.

Of the 50 bestselling crisps and snacks lines in independent convenience stores, more than 26% are KP Snacks brands, worth more than £35 per week in sales to the average independent convenience store.

Store owners have already started to prepare for shortages.

Amrit Singh Pahal, co-owner of H & Jodie’s Nisa in Walsall, told RN: “We’ve already stocked up. If there’s one thing we learned from Walkers’ IT issues last year it’s that manufacturers underestimate how long disruption will last for.”

Discussing the prospect of filling any gaps caused by the hack, the retailer

said: “Like with Walkers, certain lines just can’t be replaced, especially with KP, which has quite a unique flavour range.

“You can’t just wait it out, though. I’d be speaking to Bobby’s to see what they can provide, but remember that suppliers often reintroduce lines in tiers, and you don’t want to get stuck with lots of leftover replacement stock.”

The letter from KP Snacks to Nisa retailers stated: “We have teams working through the resolution, but it is unknown when this will be resolved. Thank you for your cooperation and patience while we manage the situation.

KP Snacks latest update As RN went to press, KP Snacks provided an update, stating: “We continue to make progress in recovering from our recent ransomware incident.

“We are putting plans in place and are aiming to resume partial operations in the next couple of weeks.

“We have been in regular contact with our customers to keep them informed of our recovery progress and will continue to keep them updated as we get closer to resuming production.

“We would like to thank our customers for their empathy and support while we are dealing with this situation.”

JTI overhauls store rep visits

JTI has rolled out a fleet of new business advisers to replace its field sales team to offer a “more personal” service to retailers.

The transition will see each adviser allocated a small, more dedicated catchment area where they will be responsible for every trading channel within it, including independent retail, key

multiple grocers and wholesale.

From 31 January, 250 individual representatives were rolled out across the UK. When asked if independent retailers could expect the same level of support, JTI’s sales vice president, Ross Hennessy, told RN: “Each adviser will maintain the same level

of visits, as a minimum.

“We are confident the transition can only be of benefit to our trade partners as they will receive an even greater level of service than they have come to expect from JTI.” JTI said advisers will be on hand to provide advice to retailers on what products to stock across tobacco, vaping, heated to-

bacco or nicotine pouches to maximise sales, information on responsible retailing such as Youth Access Prevention, and how to tackle illicit tobacco.

During Covid-19’s restrictions, the company was forced to remove reps from the road, but last week Hennessy confirmed 95% of shops are now accepting visits.

08/02/2022 16:36

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

SYMBOL NEWS EXCLUSIVE

Booker converts Stoke Makro to delivery only

by Alex Yau alex.yau@newtrade.co.uk

A recently closed Makro depot in Stoke is to be converted into a deliveryonly hub serving Premier stores, according to sources.

RN understands the branch on Speedwell Road has been closed to customers for weeks, with the conversion due for completion at the end of this month.

Sources told RN the site will be used solely for deliveries to Booker customers, with one source adding it would act as a major distribution point for Premier stores.

Booker has already been operating similar delivered-only distribution centres for Londis and Budgens retailers, with several sites based across England.

The conversion in Stoke is said to be a trial, with more depots to be converted into delivery hubs if successful.

Ahead of the Makro branch’s closure, Booker has been reducing stock and moving staff to its nearby Campbell Road depot.

It is also understood

Booker has invested in a new fleet of delivery vehicles as part of the trial.

One source claimed the Booker branch on Campbell Road is to act as a cash-and-carryonly branch following the nearby conversion. “The investment would sit with the delivery charge they’re to introduce at the end of February, and the suggestion is they’re looking at delivery-only hubs, with the Stoke branch being the first,” they said.

Speaking to RN several weeks ago, the source said: “Makro will close within a few weeks and the site had stopped taking card

payments a few weeks ago, indicating they were trying to wind it down.”

Retailers who visited the now-closed Makro site, which also served catering businesses, can still use the Booker branch on Campbell Road, which is a 16-minute drive away.

The other nearest Makro sites in the Midlands are based in Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester.

The trial comes as Booker is to introduce a delivery fee at the end of February.

This will see Premier and Family Shopper retailers charged £29.95 per delivery, with the fee

increasing to £34.95 for non-symbol stores. Londis and Budgens retailers remain unaffected.

The introduction of the charge was heavily criticised by affected retailers.

Booker isn’t the only cash-and-carry wholesaler to look at developing dark hubs throughout its delivered network.

Bestway managing director Dawood Pervez previously told RN the company was also looking at investing into similar sites across its delivered business.

Booker was unable to comment as RN went to print.

Local wholesalers shun delivery fees Regional wholesalers have pledged not to follow Nisa and Booker in charging fees for deliveries.

This month, Nisa retailers will see a £4.88 fuel levy added to each delivery, while Premier and Family Shopper customers will be charged £29.95 per delivery.

This fee will increase to £34.95 for non-symbol retailers.

Both companies blamed

p5 Symbols.indd 5

the pandemic alongside inflationary pressures for their decisions.

However, rival wholesalers Bestway, SimplyFresh, Parfetts, DeeBee, United Wholesale Grocers and Filshill told RN they would not be following, despite facing similar pressures.

Parfetts joint managing director Guy Swindell told RN: “Everyone has cost challenges, but we’re

conscious retailers have the same issues and it’s up to us to improve our delivered model.

“We’ll look closer to home to see where we can combat inflation.

“We completed an expansion at our Aintree depot which allows us to load vehicles and get drivers out faster.

“The ambition is to enable vehicles to do a second delivery drop.

“We’ve also invested in new software which enables us to see weight and size of orders to help put more onto cages.”

United Wholesale Grocers managing director Amaan Ramzan added the company would not add any delivery fees to orders in the “near future”.

Swindell and Ramzan said they had seen an increase in enquiries from Nisa and Booker retailers.

5

Labels for Musgrave retailers Musgrave retailers are to receive electronic shelfedge labels, reducing the time taken to alter prices on the shop floor.

The labels will be rolled out across SuperValu and Centra stores in Northern Ireland (NI), and will enable pricing and promotions to be updated from one location.

Musgrave NI head of IT Michael Devlin said: “By automating the pricing process, time is freed up to work on activities such as merchandising, replenishing stock and assisting shoppers, along with improving staff satisfaction as more time is spent on the shop floor rather than in the back office for price and promotional changeovers.

“As the prices are updated instantly, ensuring the price displayed on the shelf is always the same as at the till, we can further increase customer satisfaction and confidence.”

Co-op Too Good to Go bag trial Southern Co-op stores are to reduce wastage through a trial between the franchise and Too Good to Go. Twelve stores are participating in the trial which launched this month. Through the Too Good to Go app, stores can sell ‘magic bags’ within two hours of closing. The magic bags contain goods which are close to expiry at a discounted price.

Southern Co-op retail chief operating officer Simon Eastwood said: “Magic Bags have flown off the shelves at many retailers and we hope we can replicate that success in our new trial.”

08/02/2022 15:17

6

NEWS & MAGS London’s Jubilee promos With an influx of tourists expected in the capital for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this summer, specialist merchandisers are mounting a regal promotion for 50 key London independent retailers.

MagCirc Merchandising has identified indies to work with and is inviting publishers to get involved. Travel sites from the major chains will be included in the activity.

From 23 May, there will be increased allocations and Royal titles, oneshots and special editions grouped by merchandisers for the celebrations on 3-6 June. l Contact letters@ newtrade.co.uk to find out more

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

Mail’s £1k draw gives ‘ringfenced’ HND supply

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

Daily Mail publisher DMG Media has launched a scheme offering home news deliverers (HND) better allocations, stronger sales and a chance to win up to £1,000 in cash.

The NFRN and RNbacked DMG Group initiative sees HND outlets provide their Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday delivery volumes.

The process takes less than two minutes and, once verified, supply of delivered copies of the titles will be ‘ringfenced’ to reduce incidents of short supply, resulting in

higher sales at the doorstep and over the counter, especially during peak periods.

Shops and HND agents will also be entered into a draw for taking part, with prizes of up to £1,000 up for grabs.

A similar trial with the NFRN in December saw 200 members provide their delivery volumes.

The NFRN said it led to “strong Mail sales throughout the festive period” and helped stores capitalise on “increased counter sales demand”.

Graeme Pentland, owner of Ashburton Village Store in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne,

said: “Having the opportunity to supply figures in advance of a key trading period to the Mail was fantastic.

“I didn’t have to worry about fulfilling my guaranteed HND customers and had the comfort of knowing that I had enough copies in my store to maximise the sales opportunity the festive period presented.”

DMG Media senior national account manager Andy Law said: “I would encourage all deliverers to adopt this collaborative way of working with Mail Newspapers, sharing your HND information so that we can effectively support

your business in the same way throughout 2022 and beyond.

“While Easter is the next significant seasonal break, 2022 also has an extra bank holiday for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, plus there is a winter World Cup. “By providing your HND information, we will be able to safeguard these volumes and be certain you receive the copies you need to capitalise on the fantastic sales opportunities throughout the year.” l Go to mymail.co.uk/ HND to secure your store’s delivered Mail allocations

Tell us about your Mail sales

for your chance to win up to £1000 It’s simple to do, taking no more than a few minutes and there are multiple cash prizes to be won.

Scan the QR Code or go to

mymail.co.uk/HND p6 News and horizontal.indd Mags.indd 6 1 RN 1/2 page

08/02/2022 11:09 12:25 26/01/2022

7

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

NFRN NEWS

In partnership with

National

Waitrose to axe free newspaper promotion

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

Waitrose’s decision to axe its free newspaper offer is an opportunity for nearby local shops to grab additional sales and footfall, according to the NFRN. From 22 February, Waitrose’s 8.5 million MyWaitrose card holders will no longer be able to receive a free paper of their choice when they spend at least £10 in store.

A news industry source previously told RN that the deal accounted for “up to 10%” of copy sales on some weekend newspaper editions.

Responding to customer criticism, Waitrose revealed 5% of its members use the free paper offer, equivalent to 425,000 newspaper purchasers.

Bhavesh Patel, NFRN South East district vice president and owner of Watties Newsagents in Horley, Surrey, responded: “It’s a good opportunity to grab those extra sales.

With more Waitrose customers through your door,

there will be additional opportunities beyond just the paper. Shops near Waitrose stores should request increased allocations and advertise their newspapers to customers from inside and outside the store.”

NFRN national president Narinder Randhawa also urged nearby stores to display newspapers prominently at the point of sale and on shop counters, if possible.

He added the NFRN would be working with news wholesalers to ensure extra copies are available for nearby independents “to enable them to capitalise on this exciting opportunity”.

Customers agreed the decision would change where they shop. Chris Patton tweeted: “My weekly spend [at Waitrose] will be dropping as a result of this.”

Kathy Walsh, another customer, said: “The free newspaper was my reason [to shop at Waitrose].

“Otherwise, I can shop nearer, cheaper and

easier elsewhere.”

While presenting an opportunity for local stores, Waitrose’s decision is sombre news for news publishers. Asked about the impact of Waitrose’s decision, another newspaper industry insider said: “Weekend [MyWaitose paper] pick-ups are massive, especially for the Mail, Telegraph and Sunday Times. Mondayto-Friday pick-ups aren’t to be sniffed at, either.

“This will be a dagger to the last remaining guaranteed volume drivers for publishers in retail – outside of bulks.”

Randhawa said the Waitrose offer had “long

been a bone of contention with independent news retailers”.

In 2014, the NFRN reported Waitrose to trading standards divisions throughout the UK in an attempt to get the promotion pulled.

In a message from Waitrose to MyWaitrose members on 2 February, the supermarket said the free newspaper offer would be replaced by “personalised offers, chosen just for you”.

These include memberonly prices on products, discounted Waitrose Cookery school classes and free copies of Waitrose’s in-house magazines.

Northern

Members challenge Booker fees NFRN Northern district members are calling for a meeting with Booker to challenge the wholesaler’s decision to implement new delivery fees.

Gateshead branch secretary and H&H Convenience Store owner Ali Awan told RN he has approached Booker to arrange a time to meet with 20 NFRN members from the district to discuss the new charges.

At the end of last month, Booker announced it would be introducing a £29.95-£34.95 fee per delivery from 28 February. Premier and Family Shopper stores will be charged £29.95, while unaffiliated stores will pay £34.95.

Awan described it as an “absolute disgrace”. He said: “Every Booker retailer is up in the arms up about the fee. It’s a drastic move

without any prior notice given to retailers. It should never have happened.

“We want to hold a meeting to discuss the impact and then go to Booker with our feedback to see if there’s anything we can do.”

Messages seen by RN show Booker business development executives have also expressed concerns about the charge and were “taking in feed-

back” from retailers about the fee.

Senior figures from the NFRN had met with the wholesaler when the fees were first announced.

At the time of the announcement, a spokesperson for Booker blamed increased costs. “We take these changes very seriously, and regrettably have been forced to take this difficult decision due to rising costs,” they said.

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

p7 NFRN News.indd 7

Head office

Top cop to speak on crime Police chief Patrick Holdaway has been confirmed as the first guest speaker for the NFRN’s annual conference this year.

The City of London superintendent, who also leads the National Business Crime Centre, will sit on a panel discussion on retail crime during the two-day conference.

NFRN national president Narinder Randhawa said: “Retail crime – whether theft, abuse or attacks – is the biggest challenge facing independent retailers.

“Over the past year, and following pressure from the NFRN, great inroads have been made tackling this problem.

“No one should be the victim of violence or theft in the workplace, yet these are all-too-familiar parts of life for retailers.

“It is right this issue comes under the spotlight at our conference, and we are delighted superintendent Holdaway will be playing an active part in the discussion.”

Wales

NewstrAid charity event The Wales district is holding a fundraiser, in partnership with NewstrAid, this month to raise money for the charity.

The free event is at Chepstow Racecourse on 22 February. There will be a trade show with a raffle, and virtual horse racing.

Welsh district president Donna Dudden told RN response from members has been “great”. “We’ve had a lot of interest from retailers,” she added.

08/02/2022 12:44

8

YOUR VIEWS Booker fees are bad for small shops

The introduction of the delivery fees for Booker retailers is yet another example of Tesco trying to push all local competition out of business.

When Booker announced Tesco was interested in buying it a few years ago, concerns were raised at the level of the Competition and Markets Authority that there was a conflict of interest because the supply chain for a lot of the businesses Tesco was competing against might have been affected.

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was also suggested that a lot of the supply chain coming into Booker was being diverted into Tesco warehouses, and stock availability to independent retailers was being limited.

The delivery fee is just another way Tesco is trying to squeeze out smaller retailers. I know ‘business is business’, and profits must be made, but it seems Tesco is using its influence

over the supply chain to force smaller shops out.

During the early days of the pandemic, my wife would have to stand for two and half hours at our local Booker to get our van loaded.

Due to our location from the nearest decent Booker, picking up deliveries does make the day very long.

Mike Allen London House Stores, Aberporth, Cardigan

A Booker spokesperson responded: “Thank you for sharing the letter. For clarity, Tesco and Booker operate as separate businesses, which includes the decision to introduce the delivery fee for all retail customers. Our supply chains are also ran separately and at no point was stock destined for Booker, diverted into Tesco.

“The past two years has been a demanding time for all

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 Dipak and Jayshree Shah

FWD WILL WORK WITH GOV’T TO MANAGE PRICE RISES

Reading the headlines about wholesalers increasing their charges to retailers, you might think there couldn’t be a worse time to impose extra costs on customers.

After all, inflation rose by 5.4% in the 12 months to December, electricity bills are rising steeply, and still to come in April we have the double whammy of the National Living Wage rising by 6.6% and the 1.25% increase in National Insurance contributions.

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

It’s a tough outlook for many independent retailers across the UK. Of course, wholesalers face all those additional costs, too, and, like every other part of the fooddistribution network from farms onward, they have been affected by the unforeseeable events of the past two years and they are facing huge increases in other costs of keeping their customers’ shelves stocked.

The shortage of heavy-goods-vehicle

businesses in the UK, including Booker. In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have faced many challenges, such as rising inflation, increasing costs for drivers and growing charges for vehicles, fuel and equipment. This has led to the introduction of a delivery fee for all retailer customers.

“I am sorry to hear that you think this fee is unfair. However, due to these rising costs, it is a necessity that we have been forced to take to continue to operate a delivery service. We have held off for as long as we can and the new fee ensures we can sustainably continue with deliveries for all retail customers. We believe this still offers great value given our extremely competitive product pricing and fact that the delivery fee is a single flat charge.

This is open and transparent for all retailers.

“We will happily arrange for a member of our team to visit Mr Allen so we can look at ways to try to help grow and develop the business.” drivers has meant wholesalers have had to respond to the wage increases offered elsewhere. Labour shortages throughout the supply chain are driving wage increases.

On top of that, the soaring prices of oil and gas have huge implications for a sector that requires enormous amounts of electricity for refrigeration, heating and lighting, and fuel for sending delivery vehicles out to their customers.

Wholesalers that supply the hospitality trade as well as retailers lost a huge proportion of their customer base for months during the pandemic in 2020/21, and didn’t get the government financial support offered to supermarkets, so they don’t have the reserves to ab-

The Sun is running a three-month free delivery promotion which has helped us secure 15 new customers. There is a wrap on the front of the paper that displays it, and we have been promoting it on our leaflets. Most of the new subscribers are elderly, as that age group makes up a lot of the population in Camberley. The Times ran one last month that lasted for 10 weeks.

We are also feeling prepared for Valentine’s Day. We have started stocking a lot of chocolates, as well as cards, which always tends to generate a few more extra sales. We will also put special offers on some of our wine and champagnes closer to the day as people tend to pick a bottle up when buying a card. Although we know people usually go to supermarkets, it’s important for us to have it, as people forget, and we can be a great lastminute destination.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK We are thankful that 50% of our products are price-marked, because this means we aren’t getting get hit too hard by rising prices.

Although our margins are smaller as a result, we get the turnover to ensure this doesn’t affect us. Rising utility bills are also a concern for everyone at the moment. We are looking to see if margins on our other products can be stretched to help mitigate the impact.

sorb such steep increases.

There’s no question some of these cost increases will be passed all the way through to consumers, and this is recognised in predictions that food-price inflation will continue to rise throughout the rest of this year.

Each wholesaler will be having conversations with their customers about how to structure this, and it’s in their interests to do it as fairly and transparently as they can, maintaining margins and providing all the usual support to drive sales.

It’s the Federation of Wholesale Distributors' job to keep the government informed on the effect this price inflation has on wholesalers, their customers and the communities they serve.

YOUR SAY

Yes 36%

No 64%

Are you interested in installing electricvehicle chargers?

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Are you satisfied with the level of rep visits you receive?

Vote now @ThisIsRN

08/02/2022 14:55

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

INDUSTRY PROFILE Prepare for Pancake Day with Nutella

9

In partnership with

Nutella was the number-one spread on Pancake Day in 20211 and offers retailers the chance to drive seasonal sales. Levi Boorer, customer development director at Ferrero, discusses the Pancake Day opportunity Levi Boorer

Customer development director, Ferrero

RN How will Ferrero support

independent retailers in 2022?

LB This year, we’re continuing to support retailers through our strong core range, new products, PoS and merchandising advice via Your Perfect Store. Looking specifically at Nutella as we approach Pancake Day, it’s a product that resonates with consumers across the UK – as the number-one brand for trust, love and great taste2.

We also launched a new TV creative, which went live on 28 January and will run until 1 March. It will consist of three assets varying in length, focusing on World Nutella Day, the tagline ‘Spread a Nutella smile’ and Pancake Day. The campaign is being supported via digital platforms.

Pancake Day isn’t a main seasonal event for some convenience stores.

What’s the seasonal opportunity?

Pancake Day is perfect to celebrate with friends and families. As baking became an important aspect of 2020, with so many at home during the pandemic, it is likely shoppers will want to continue those family bonding moments and get creative in the kitchen.

Nutella had continued success during Pancake Day 2021, as the spread had a growth in value of 14% and volume by 9%3, with the 350g jar being the number-one line within spreads at Pancake Day4. So, there is an opportunity for the taking.

Pancakes and associated prod-

px Ferrero Industry profile.indd 9

ucts like Nutella can be enjoyed all year round to create exciting breakfast options. Retailers can therefore stock pancake essentials, such as Nutella, all year round.

How can retailers prepare for Pancake Day? Retailers should prepare for Pancake Day by stocking a range of products relevant to the occasion, including staples such as pancake mix, flour, eggs and Nutella.

Last year, Nutella added the most value to Pancake Day with sales of more than £4.6m 3 – making it an unmissable occasion for the brand.

Nutella has established itself as a popular choice, helping consumers bring some excitement to their dish with a delicious portion, one heaped teaspoon (15g).

The 350g jar is the top-selling product from the Nutella range and the bestselling spread category line on Pancake Day 2. The size is great to cater for multiple meal occasions, so retailers should make it widely available in the week

leading up to Pancake Day, as shoppers tend to be fairly last-minute in purchasing for the day. Creating end-of-aisle secondary displays will also help retailers in encouraging cross-category purchase across relevant Pancake Day products.

Pancakes and associated products like Nutella can also be enjoyed all year round to create exciting breakfast options

THREE TOP TIPS Market effectively. YourPerfectStore.co.uk allows retailers to order PoS units for their store to promote Pancake Day to ensure shoppers are directed to the right products.

Create space in store. Stock all pancake essentials together, alongside Nutella.

Add excitement. Retailers could run a competition on social media for shoppers to win a pancake bundle, helping drive awareness of your range in store.

What are the other upcoming opportunities independent retailers should be aware of?

Spring is a pivotal time for independent retailers, with various opportunities to showcase merchandising ideas and drive instore sales, from the smaller occasions such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, to the more significant events such as Easter.

We recommend that independent retailers ensure each spring event is tailored to maximise visibility. Each one also presents an opportunity to increase basket spend through cross-category promotions and focal displays – including PoS with key dates to remind people of the big celebrations approaching.

The core ranges from Ferrero, such as Ferrero Rocher, Thorntons Classic and Thorntons Continental, are not restricted to one time of year or occasion, so it is an ideal option for small stores as it remains relevant all year round.

Retailers should aim to begin Easter activation around six weeks before the big day (17 April) to provide enough time to generate interest and highlight any limitededition range offers to regular shoppers. l Nielsen Scantrack four weeks to 20.02.2021 vs PCD YA, 2Ipsos Equity brand tracking, 3Nielsen, total coverage, MAT 08.05.21, 4AC Nielsen – Total Spreads Total Coverage three weeks to w/e 20.02.21 1

03/02/2022 11:21

10

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

PRODUCT NEWS McVitie’s BN returns to shelves

Double launch for Wall’s centenary

RRP £1

RRP £1.84 (Viennetta), £2.50 (Rocket Lolly)

Pladis has reintroduced McVitie’s BN biscuits after being off shelves for four years. Designed for family shoppers, the biscuits come in a tower pack of 16 and are available in Chocolate and Vanilla flavours. Meanwhile, packs of McVitie’s Mini BN are available in Chocolate and Strawberry options. Each box contains five grab-and-go packs of five mini biscuits, designed for families looking for snacks to have on the go.

Wall’s is celebrating its 100th birthday by launching two new ice cream varieties. This includes Wall’s 100 Year Rocket Lolly and Viennetta Birthday Cake. The lolly comes in a blueberry, strawberry & blackcurrant flavour, inspired by Wall’s Sky Ray Rocket that was created to mark the moon landing in 1966.

The Viennetta comes in a vanilla & strawberry flavour topped with sprinkles.

Salted Caramel Brownie Peace Pop

It’s great to be a cat with Felix

RRP £4 (three-pack)

Campaign spans TV, video-on-demand, radio and social media advertising

Unilever has added to its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream range with a Salted Caramel Brownie Peace Pop. This latest Peace Pop frozen flavour variety consists of a sweet cream ice cream with a brownie sauce centre, covered in a salted caramel layer and placed on a stick. It joins the brand’s Cookie Dough variety, which was launched in March last year. Salted Caramel Brownie Peace Pop is available now with an RRP of £4 for a three-pack.

‘It’s great to be a cat’ is the new £3.7m campaign from Felix, which will span TV, video-on-demand, radio and social media advertising. Consumers will also be given the chance to participate in a social media challenge and AR game later this year. The brand is also launching limited-edition versions of its 12- and 40-packs for As Good As It Looks Ocean Feasts and As Good As It Looks Mixed Selection in Jelly varieties.

Swizzels launches retailer competition

Nomadic Dairy on-pack promo debut

To enter text ‘Swizzels’ to 60777

Campaign spans on pack, digital and outdoor advertising

Swizzels is running a retailer competition to win free stock as part of its ‘Big night in’ campaign. Ten wholesale and cash and carry customers will be in with a chance of winning £100-worth of free stock when they purchase any three cases of selected Swizzels sharing bags and retain their invoice or receipt. These include Great British Puds, Choos, Loadsa Sweets, Loadsa Lollies, Loadsa Chews and Drumstick Chocolate.

p10-11 Product news.indd 10

Nomadic Dairy is running its first on-pack promotion across its bestselling Yogurt & Oat Clusters range. Featured on all five varieties, including limited-edition Honeycomb & Chocolate, the promotion offers prizes including luxury weekend escapes. In addition, Nomadic will also be giving away vouchers for free pots of Yogurt & Oat Clusters. Customers can enter the promotion via codes printed on pack.

07/02/2022 14:32

11

RN 11 February 2022 // 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

McVitie’s Salted Caramel Club

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

Spice up your sales with Redloon RedLoon has launched Seasoning and Spicirub, which can be used on a variety of dishes such as potatoes and vegetables, or added to dressing.

RRP £2.49 (Seasoning), £2.99 (Spicirub) Contact redloon.co.uk

Create a buzz around energy tonic water Buzzed tonic water contains natural caffeine, extracted from plant sources. It contains more caffeine per 100ml than the UK’s leading energy brand.

RRP £5.50 Contact sales@buzzedenergy.co.uk

Make your store a Happi place to be Happi has launched two products for Easter 2022 – a White Raspberry Easter egg and Oat Mi!k Chocolate Bunny Lollies – to appeal to younger chocolate fans.

RRP £2 (lollies), £9.99 (Easter egg) Contact happifreefrom.com

p10-11 Product news.indd 11

Pladis has expanded its McVitie’s Club range for the first time in 10 years with a Salted Caramel variety.

The bars have an RRP of £1-£1.70, and come in packs of seven and eight, all individually wrapped.

McVitie’s Club Salted Caramel consists of a baked biscuit bar, layered with a salted caramel flavoured cream and coated in milk chocolate.

It will join the brand’s lineup of Gold, Mint and Orange, of which the latter two are worth £25.3m.

David Titman, marketing director for McVitie’s at Pladis UK&I, said over the past couple of years, chocolate biscuit bars have grown in value

by 11.5%. “The great news about McVitie’s Club is that it’s perfectly placed to span at-home and on-thego snacking.

“Each bar is individually wrapped, allowing for greater portion control, and making it an easy grab-and-go treat,” he added. “Wider research shows

more than half of snackers (53%) are prompted to purchase when they see new flavours in store, so this addition is sure to increase interest in the brand.

“We’re confident the launch of this flavour will encourage impulse purchases and drive sales growth for retailers.”

Absolut celebrates global voices with limited-edition bottle Pernod Ricard has launched a limited-edition bottle for Absolut vodka, to resemble and hero the power of voices from all around the world.

Available now, the sapphire blue Absolut Voices bottle is made using 80% recycled glass, and also features a custom medallion in one of four colours.

It has a ‘ripple’ effect on the bottle to symbolise voices.

Marnie Corrigan, brand director at Pernod Ricard UK, said celebrating diverse and different viewpoints is a priority for the brand, and said the new bottle “signifies the impact and progress a society can make when different minds come together”.

Absolut is growing in value more than triple the rate of the total vodka category, and the brand will be supporting the launch of Absolut Voices with a campaign including instore PoS material, social media and influencer ac-

tivity to drive awareness.

The new limited-edition bottle will be available in a 70cl format from all major supermarkets and wholesalers with an RRP of £19.95, and a 1l format from Costco and Amazon with an RRP of £25.50.

07/02/2022 14:33

12

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

PRICEWATCH

Profit checker Disposable vapes ELF BAR 600 WATERMELON 20MG Price distribution % 40% 31.06% of transactions are processed at £5

36% 32% 28% 24% 20% 16% 12% 8% 4%

£8

£7.99

£7.75

£7.49

£7

£6.99

£6.75

£6.50

£6.49

£6

£5.99

£5.50

£5.49

£5

£4.99

£4.85

£4.75

£4.50

£4

0%

Behind the numbers The undeniable opportunity with disposable vapes is reflected in this week’s data. Ten out of 12 lines are sold above their most-common prices, providing higher profits for independents, but which lines offer the biggest potential?

Geek Vape’s Geek Bars is a prime example.

Sixty-three per cent of retailers charge above

AJ Singh STORE Premier

Morley

LOCATION Leeds SIZE 2,200sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP PRODUCTS Tito Nano Cherry Menthol 2% Tito Nano Blue Raspberry 2% Tito Nano Banana Ice 2%

p12-13 Pricewatch.indd 12

the most-common price for the brand’s Sweet Strawberry and Blueberry Ice varieties, selling the former for up to £10 compared with £8 for the latter.

Similarly, 62% are charging up to £8 for the Watermelon Ice variety, with 57% going as high as £8.99 for the Sour Apple flavour – an increase

of £2.01 and £3, respectively. Elf Bar lines are similar, with more than 50% charging up to £3 above the four featured varieties’ most-common prices of £5.

There’s less opportunity with Solo X Strawberry Milk, with almost two-thirds (63%) charging the most-common price of £5.99.

Nishi Patel

We only ever really did liquids and brands such as Vuse and Logic, and were doing about £700-800 a week. We decided to get a few disposables in with a one-metre shelf on the shop floor and now it’s moved to us getting our own Vape Station this month to fit them in, and sales have reached £4,500 a week. We have Geek, Elf and Solo brands, all of which have multibuys on. Geek Bars are £6.49 or two-for-£12, and Solo and Elf are two-for-£10 or £5.99. We have most of the Elf flavours. Eighteen-to-30-year-olds are where the market is.

I now have my own disposable brand, Tito Nano. We only offer that and brands whose manufacturers we’ve partnered with, so we don’t even sell Geek or Elf Bars. We’ve got 47 flavours and we do four-for-£10, which is unbeatable where we are. We’ve done as high as £2,500 a day on disposables. My whole vape stand is full of disposables apart from a small section for Edge, and another for tanks and coils. We’re selling a lot through delivery.

People order them with food and drink, and we’ll add them to our Uber Eats offering this month.

STORE Londis

Bexley Park LOCATION Dartford, Kent SIZE 2,000 ft TYPE High street

TOP PRODUCTS Elf Bar 600 Watermelon Elf Bar 600 Blueberry Sour Raspberry Elf Bar 600 Blue Razz Lemonade

08/02/2022 16:11

13

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

Next week’s Pricewatch: Gin

Data supplied by

Price distribution chart

Tamara Birch

Visit the website

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

Insight reporter @TamaraBirchNT

020 7689 3361

betterRetailing.com/ pricewatch

tamara.birch@newtrade.co.uk

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

LOWEST PRICE

MOST-COMMON PRICE

HIGHEST PRICE

ELF BAR 600 WATERMELON 20MG

£4

£5

£8

ELF BAR 600 BLUEBERRY 20MG

£4

£5

£7.49

ELF BAR 600 PINK LEMONADE 20MG

£4

£5

£7.99

ELF BAR 600 BLUEBERRY SOUR RASPBERRY 20MG

£4

£5

£8

SOLO X STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE 20MG

£4.77

£5.99

£7.99

CALIYPSO BAR TRIPLE MELON LEMONADE 20MG

£4.99

£5.99

£9.99

GEEK VAPE GEEK BAR WATERMELON ICE 20MG

£4.99

£5.99

£8

GEEK VAPE GEEK BAR SOUR APPLE 20MG

£4.99

£5.99

£8.99

GEEK VAPE GEEK BAR SWEET STRAWBERRY 20MG

£4.99

£5.99

£10

GEEK VAPE GEEK BAR BLUEBERRY ICE 20MG

£4.99

£5.99

£8

SOLO X BLUE RASPBERRY 20MG

£4.49

£5.99

£7.99

SOLO BAR RED BULL 20MG

£4

£5

£7.99

Must-stock products Elf Bar 600 Watermelon 20mg

55%

44%

Elf Bar 600 Blueberry 20mg

53%

46%

Elf Bar 600 Pink Lemonade 20mg

44%

55%

Elf Bar 600 Blueberry Sour Raspberry 20mg

45%

54%

Solo X Strawberry Milkshake 20mg

63%

Caliypso Bar Triple Melon Lemonade 20mg

36% 32%

66%

Geek Vape Geek Bar Watermelon Ice 20mg

37%

Geek Vape Geek Bar Sour Apple 20mg

62%

42%

57%

Geek Vape Geek Bar Sweet Strawberry 20mg

35%

63%

Geek Vape Geek Bar Blueberry Ice 20mg

35%

63%

Solo X Blue Raspberry 20mg Solo Bar Red Bull 20mg

48%

0

51%

20

40 Below mostcommon price

How to use this data p12-13 Pricewatch.indd 13

26%

72%

1

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

2

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.

08/02/2022 16:18

14

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

PRICEWATCH

Tamara Birch Insight reporter @TamaraBirchNT

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

Wholesale checker The average convenience store sold £6,452 of whisky in 2020, highlighting a huge opportunity for convenience stores to drive trade up. Shoppers are looking for well-known brands that can be bought for social occasions and gifts. We compare pricing across five wholesalers to help retailers achieve better margins 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

Bestway Wholesale

Online Cash and Carry

Youings

Nisa

National delivered and cash & carry wholesaler

National delivered and cash & carry wholesaler

National delivered wholesaler

Devon-based delivered wholesaler

National delivered symbol group wholesaler

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

RRP

WSP

Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 Bourbon 70cl

£26.99

£21.60

£27.99

£20*

£28.01 AVG

£24.67*

£28.25

£24.90

£28.79

£19.65

The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch 70cl

£16.99

£14.38

£17.49

£14.60*

£16.74 AVG

£16.75*

£17.49

£15.45

£15

£11.17*

Bell’s Original Blended Scotch 70cl

£21.75

£17.40

£17.99

£15.20

£19.40 AVG

£16.11*

£18.55

£16.37

£19.30

£13.17

High Commissioner Blended Scotch 70cl

£14 PMP

£11.86

£14.99

£13.20

£15.10 AVG

£14.20*

£15.45

£13.22

£15.95

£10.43

Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 Bourbon 35cl

£12.99

£10.31

£14.99

£12

£14.66 AVG

£13.14

N/A

N/A

£15.99

£9.33 C

Jameson Irish Whiskey 70cl

£25.49

£20.39

£23.49

£18*

£24.36 AVG

£12.51*

£22.69

£21.37

£25.75

£18.67

Grant’s Triple Wood Blended Scotch 70cl

£16.99 PMP

£14.38

£16.99

£14.40

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

£15

£11.34*

The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch 1l

£26.49

£20.98

£27.89

£23.39

£26.68 AVG

£24.70*

N/A

N/A

£25.65

£17.48

High Commissioner Blended Scotch 35cl

£8.79 PMP

£7.03

£8.79 PMP

£6.75

N/A

N/A

£8.69

£7.66 C

£9.75

£5.98

Bell’s Original Blended Scotch 35cl

£9.79 PMP

£7.83

£9.79 PMP

£7.60*

£9.88 AVG

£9.33* C

£9.79

£7.94 C

£11.99

£7.50

DISCLAIMER: Prices accurate as of 2 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 Jameson Irish Whiskey 70cl WHOLESALER Online Cash and Carry SINGLE UNIT PRICE £12.51* MARGIN AT LOWEST RRP 44.87%

p14 Wholesale Pricewatch.indd 14

Harj Gill STORE Select & Save The Windmill LOCATION Birmingham SIZE 2,500sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP TIP Stock up on offers and sell through until the next offer

With most alcohol, we’ll stock up when it’s on offer and sell it through until the promotion comes up again. We’d very rarely buy it at full price unless we’re desperate. We usually have two deliveries a week, one from Parfetts and one from Bestway, and we’ll have a cash and carry day where we look for good offers that deliveries can’t match and anything not in the deliveries. In the summer we might end up going more often.

07/02/2022 15:49

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

COLUMNIST

15

Bryan Roberts

Lead the charge

With petrol and diesel vehicles on the way out, now is a good time to switch your focus to EV charging

T

he forecourts retail sector is set for a long and steady period of change, with the government planning to phase out the sale of petrol cars altogether in eight years’ time and with electric vehicles (EVs) already accounting for more than a quarter of new vehicle sales. The shift away from petrol and towards EVs will obviously be substantial.

At first sight, this trend might seem to present an opportunity for forecourt retailers to reduce their provision of petrol pumps and instead flip to rapid charging points. While this is true to some extent, the opportunity might actually be more limited than first appears.

Couche-Tard, the Canadianbased global forecourt retailer, has suggested that the opportunity for forecourt retailers in terms of charging will not be as substantial as many people would think. Better known in Europe as Circle K, the retailer told investors recently that 55-75% of charging activity will occur at home, 20-35% at destinations and

*+

only 10-20% while in transit.

What prompted these musings on the matter was a visit to the new Shell EV charging hub in Fulham, its first conversion of a petrol site into a location purely dedicated to charging electric vehicles.

Reflecting the fact that the site is catering to people with time on their hands, the retail offering is fairly decent, encompassing a Little Waitrose, Costa and a seating area plus toilets. The Waitrose proposition is a standard Little Waitrose offer, with plenty of food-for-now and food-for-later, a decent BWS range and a basic grocery offer largely focused on food and drink. While this is a great proposition and the site was demonstrably busy, the fact that so little charging in the future will occur in transit suggests to me the opportunity might actually be more limited than one could expect.

That said, Couche-Tard has also revealed some interesting data suggesting that fuel is actually not that important in

HFSS opportunity for indies

ANOTHER INTEREST ING RECENT visit was to a couple of Tescos that are being used as trial locations as the retailer attempt s to get ahead of the forthcoming regulations on product s high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS). It was interest ing to see gondola ends refilled with HFSS-compliant food and drink, loo roll and detergent, as well as the repurposing of some ends into longer-term branded fixtures for beer and spirits suppliers.

With confectionery and snack sales in the major set to decline – there could be an opportunity here for indies.

p15 Bryans Column.indd 15

The opportunity might actually be more limited than one could expect

forecourt convenience, noting that 65% of their transactions are convenience only, with 25% fuel only and just 10% consisting of both. So, a fair conclusion might be that regardless of what fuel or charging solutions anyone provides, their stores should be OK if they do a good enough job.

It is likely that petrol forecourts that are not converted entirely to electric will have a few rapid charging points installed anyway, meaning that retailers in these locations should bear in mind that a lot more of their customers will have a bit of time on their hands.

This creates greater importance in areas such as seating, toilets and foodservice in addition to a satisfactory convenience core. I guess there could be opportunities here for regular food stores with car parks, too.

In common with major multiples, the provision of charging points would be seen as a very welcome addition by customers, enabling retailers to tap into the direction of travel, so to speak.

Bryan Roberts is a leading grocery retail and shopping expert

08/02/2022 14:09

16

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

Minimising time spent in cash and carries A

A trip to the cash and carry is time spent away from your business, but many retailers have to go several times a week.

The RN team finds out how to streamline those visits

trip to the cash and carry has become something many retailers – even those getting deliveries from their symbol groups – have had to contemplate in recent months. With product shortages and delivery issues, heading out of the store to ensure your shelves are fully stocked has become a necessity for many retailers. But that trip is time spent away from the business – for retailers who live a long way away from a wholesaler or a cash and carry, it can be an entire day – time that could be spent better.

So, how can retailers ensure they are not wasting a moment of their precious time when they’re doing a cash and carry run?

The first thing to do is to make

p16-19 Store profile.indd 16

sure you are leaving prepared. If you know what you’re looking for and where you can find it, then far less time will be spent aimlessly trawling the shelves for things that your store might need.

An ordered shopping list can streamline the process and if you know where the products you want are located, you can cut your time spent looking for things as well.

Timing your visit right is also a great way to ensure you’re not wasting time in a long queue. Sam Nagi, from Sam’s Mini Market (Premier) in Halifax, does his shop between 10am and midday, long after the commuter traffic has died down and other retailers have done their preopening shop.

Another way to streamline the trip is to get your car-packing down to a fine art. Whether you’re bringing a car or a van, and whether you’re buying yourself or picking up a click & collect, making sure your loading process is quick and easy can have a major impact on timing.

“We’ve got how we load the vehicle down to a T,” says Mike Mitchelson, of Mitchelson News in Brampton, Cumbria, who does the trip in a car with the seats folded down. “I’ve got a two-hour window on Friday when I can go in and it’s all factored into my timetable.”

We’ve got how we load the vehicle down to a T

MIKE MITCHELSON

To see what other stores are doing, go to betterRetailing. com/store-profiles

07/02/2022 13:34

17

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

Plan ahead

Mike Mitchelson, of Mitchelson News in Brampton, Cumbria, has been increasing the amount of produce he gets delivered to the store, cutting his trips to the cash and carry down to once a week. By checking emails, online leaflets and trade press, such as RN, he creates a list of what he wants and what the cash and carry has in stock.

“The whole thing is planned. We know what we want before we go because we don’t want to spend too much time away from the business,” he says. “We’re 20 minutes away from the cash and carry, so you can’t just pop down every other day.”

Mitchelson has further streamlined his trip by adopting the click & collect approach, which means his entire shop is simply waiting for him outside when he arrives. “Talk to staff at the depot,” he adds. “If they get to know you, they can accommodate you. It’s important to have that relationship.”

Time it right

Sarj Patel, of Pasture Lane Stores in Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire, times his cash and carry visits to avoid busy periods. “I try to get there early in the morning if possible, because it’s just chaos sometimes, although January has been nice and quiet.”

Now that he has started getting deliveries from Go Local, he has started to cut down his cash and carry visits, but it means his visits are more focused on what isn’t in the deliveries. He makes sure to itemise his shopping lists according to their place in the depot and their weight to make sure he is moving through the cash and carry effectively.

“I do shop in order of sequencing – snacks, cereals, soft drinks, pet food, groceries, and then beers, wine and spirits. I have a printed list that I go through and I know where the products are so it doesn’t waste time, but I leave beers and wines until the end because they’re heavy.”

p16-19 Store profile.indd 17

»

07/02/2022 13:34

18

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

Availability beats price

Convenience retailers are always chasing margins, but when it comes to the choice between searching for the best price and actually getting products on the shelves, there is no contest as far as Sam Nagi, from Sam’s Mini Market in Halifax (Premier), is concerned.

“Something is better than nothing,” he says. “It’s great to get a good margin at this point in time especially. But if it’s available and I have to pay 50p more for it, then I don’t mind because it means I have the stock. I don’t want to be hanging around with empty shelves waiting for the price to drop or to spend time searching for other stock that might be a pound or so cheaper. I’ve not got the time for that and I’m willing to make that sacrifice. It might not be the same margin, but it also means I’m not turning customers away at the door because I don’t have the products that they want.”

Have a plan, but also wander

Shisan Patel, from Jash in Birmingham, runs a Nisa store, but still visits the cash and carry the day after his Nisa delivery to pick up things he couldn’t get. He looks through emails and leaflets on Sunday, making notes of what’s available, what’s new and what’s on at a good price to determine which cash and carry he’s going to visit and what he’s going to hunt out. Once there, he hasn’t got a fixed route, though, as there is always the possibility something special will catch his eye.

“We do a click & collect if we have one big order – like 20 cases of Carling – but for more varied shops, they might not have brought out the exact right products and we’ll want to check the store and see if there are any new products in there,” he says.

“It’s similar to when customers come into our store. You want to show them new lines, and in the cash and carry, we want to find new lines.”

p16-19 Store profile.indd 18

07/02/2022 13:35

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

19

ACADEMY IN ACTION

10%

The increase in vaping sales since zoning age-restricted products

Three-month follow-up

Responsible Retailing

Twelve weeks ago, the IAA and JTI UK visited Tagtar Singh in Windsor to discuss Challenge 25, crime prevention and complying with legislation. We catch up with him to find out what’s changed

IAA ADVICE 1

Place ‘No ID, no sale’ signs prominently to deter underage sales.

2

Ensure agerestricted products are not displayed close to other items.

3

Implement daily temperature checks to improve food safety standards.

THE RESULTS It’s become easier to manage attempts for underage purchases because the agerestriction signs are very visible and work as a deterrent. We’ve started checking the fridges and freezers regularly using checklists and signing the refusal

Top tips 1 PICK THE RIGHT TIME: Find out when the busiest times and biggest queues are at your wholesalers, and then plan your trip at any other time.

2 PLAN YOUR TRIP: Know what you’re going in to get before you go, and plan your route so you don’t get distracted.

3 CLICK & COLLECT: It may not work for every retailer or every shopping trip, but if you can arrange to have your shop ready and waiting when you arrive, it could save you time.

4 PACK THE VAN PROPERLY: Packing a van or a car is like a game of 3D Tetris. Know your vehicle’s dimensions and have a packing plan ready.

5 THE PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD: The time spent looking for the perfect price could actually cost you more in time spent away from the business or empty shelves in your store.

p16-19 Store profile.indd 19

log weekly, which has made us more organised and efficient. We’ve moved the sweets on the till away from the vaping products, which is safer and makes them stand out more. We’re now better prepared and sales of vaping products have grown by 10%.

PARTNER ADVICE I’m delighted Tagtar has seen a difference from implementing simple changes to make his store safer. It’s important that retailers empower staff to retail responsibly by giving them the tools to comply with legislation.

Louise Harris

Communications Manager JTI UK

SET THE RIGHT EXAMPLE Visit betterRetailing.com/academy-in-action or scan the QR code to ensure you’re protecting staff and shoppers, and to find out how you can improve

Next week: Staff Development

07/02/2022 13:35

20

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

TOBACCO

Managing your tobacco gantry and accessories Priyanka Jethwa speaks to suppliers to find out what your tobacco gantry should look like and the role accessories play in growing sales

T

obacco is good business for most independent stores, but with so much innovation in the category, it can be hard to narrow down what exactly to stock.

This is where managing your gantry effectively comes into play, and now that 10-packs and menthol cigarettes are long gone, regularly assessing how to fill that space is something to consider.

For retailers able to do so, it might be worth reducing the size of your gantry and freeing up additional space to display accessories.

Or, if you can’t downsize your gantry without a lot of redesigning – which can sometimes be costly – think about what to fill the

p20-22 Tobacco.indd 20

Convenience retailers are in a strong position to benefit from increased visits

»

08/02/2022 10:47

HEETS Mauve HEETS Mauve offers a crisp menthol tobacco blend with a taste of dark forest fruits.

At £5 RRP*, your sales opportunities, like our range, are continuing to grow.

ORDER TODAY

*RRP = Recommended Retail Price. All on shelf prices selected by retailer alone.

This product is not risk free and provides nicotine, which is addictive. Only for use by adults.

This material is restricted to those who are involved in the business of the sale or distribution of tobacco who are aged 18 years and over. This material should not be made available to the public or sent to anyone else. IQOS is not risk free and is for adult use only. This product is not risk free and provides nicotine, which is addictive. Only for use by adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use other nicotine products.

RN Full page ad.indd 1

01/02/2022 14:04

22

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

TOBACCO SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT

Alastair Williams Country director, Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG UK)

The performance of traditional cigars is fairly static and doesn’t tend to change too dramatically over time.

However, when you include the cigarillos segment, in which sales have grown quickly over the past couple of years from virtually nothing to over £86m annually, you can see that the combined category has grown strongly over the past year or so, and is currently worth just over £283m in annual sales across the UK. additional space with.

You don’t want to just add stock for the sake of it in this case and then have to worry about it going out of date – it needs to be in demand and profitable.

Space is at such a premium in convenience that there isn’t room to make mistakes.

Overall, there has been a movement towards low-priced options across the entire tobacco category as consumer demand for value continues to drive tobacco purchasing patterns.

As part of this shift, lower price tiers now account for the majority of sales, with the sub-economy segment making up a 63% share of factory-made cigarettes, and the economy segment accounting for 51% of roll-your-own (RYO) options, with both value segments growing by 4% year on year.

Duncan Cunningham, UK corporate affairs director at Imperial Tobacco and Blu, tells RN this transition towards lower-priced tobacco is a key trend retailers should be prepared to cater to, given the value of tobacco shoppers in terms of the wider sales they generate in store.

Tobacco shoppers have an average basket spend worth £19.60 versus non-tobacco shoppers at £11.40, and they also visit more frequently, averaging 2.9 visits a week in comparison with 2.5 for other shoppers.

“Convenience retailers are in a strong position to benefit from these increased visits and basket spend in the years to come, with figures forecasting almost 13% growth in convenience over the next five years,” adds Cunningham.

Looking at the RYO category in particular, the consumer drive for value remains a big factor, with

p20-22 Tobacco.indd 22

The cigarillo segment already accounts for 43% of all cigars sold in volume terms, but the growth in the total category has also been supplemented by the continual rise in the medium and large segments, albeit from a smaller base.

Miniatures are still the largest segment within cigars. They are currently worth just under £105m in annual sales, while the small-cigar segment appears to be continuing a slow but consistent decline.

the economy segment accounting for 51% of sales, and mid-price and premium products comprising 35% and 14% share, respectively.

With RYO being a fundamental part of the economy sector, claiming over half the market share, retailers who have a strong RYO base may want to consider offering a bigger range of accessories, such as filters, papers, flavour cards and lighters – while if they have more cigarette shoppers than RYO, they may want to offer a smaller range and focus this mostly on lighters and flavour cards.

The UK tobacco accessories category is worth £320m and is growing at 4.8%.

Gavin Anderson, sales and marketing director at Republic Technologies (UK), says cash-conscious shoppers are turning to more

MARKET SHARE OF FACTORY-MADE CIGARETTES AND ROLL-YOUR-OWN

47% 53%

Roll-yourown

Factory-made cigarettes

The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns brought more shoppers than ever to local convenience stores

affordable RYO products as a way of saving money, versus factorymade cigarettes.

“The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns brought more shoppers than ever to local convenience stores, as people chose to shop locally and minimise supermarket visits. This gave retailers an even bigger opportunity to drive visibility of margin-boosting tobacco accessories products,” he says.

The supplier explains its Swan brand is a bestselling option in the papers segments, and Crushball filters have built up a “strong and loyal consumer following” since legislation changed in 2020 and the menthol ban was introduced.

Accessories are a big impulse purchase, so Imperial’s Cunningham rightly says having a visible display of them, either as part of an installed gantry, or a small counter display unit where space is restricted, signals to shoppers that tobacco

»

08/02/2022 10:48

RN Full page ad.indd 1

02/02/2022 15:53

24

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

TOBACCO products are stocked the moment they walk through the door.

He also highlights guaranteeing stock levels of tobacco and accessories is essential in the category.

“Running out of a product is a costly error within a category that is driven by brand loyalty,” he says.

“Therefore, ensuring the store owner and their staff know to keep an eye on stock, on store shelves and in the stock room, is the key to avoiding this.”

We’ve heard a lot about RYO and cigarette users independently, but the number of people who are dual smokers has been rising steadily for several years – buying into each segment on an occasion basis. Stats now reveal that 25% of consumers are dual smokers.

Even so, the overarching trend for RYO, cigarette and dual smokers is value for money.

Cunningham says: “This is a trend we expect to continue in 2022 and beyond. Most smokers are brand loyal, so many will know

p20-22 Tobacco.indd 24

what they want to buy when they walk into the store. However, if their product of choice is out of stock, it can be quite an intimidating process choosing another product when you can’t see what’s on offer, especially if a big queue of people starts forming behind you.”

With this in mind, retailers need to ensure their staff know what products are stocked and where they’re positioned in the gantry – at the bare minimum.

“Better still, if they can be armed with advice on what solutions they should offer if a product does go out of stock for any reason, this will go a long way to helping retain customers. Otherwise, there’s a high chance the shopper will walk out of the store and go elsewhere.

“For this reason, it’s also crucial for retailers to make sure they maintain stock levels at all times, especially of their top sellers. Smokers tend to be brand loyal, so if they walk out due to their product being out of stock, they may not return,

MARKET SHARE OF ECONOMY, MIDPRICED AND PREMIUM TOBACCO

Running out of a product is a costly error within a category that is driven by brand loyalty

Premium

14% 35%

Mid-price

51%

Economy

especially if they find it in stock at a store nearby,” Cunningham warns.

Unlike cigarettes, which generally aren’t associated with seasonal shifts when you’re trying to identify trends, cigars operate in a slightly different manner.

Alastair Williams, country director at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG UK), says it’s always important for retailers to offer a range of cigars with different prices to meet the different needs of their customers. However, certain times of the year attract an influx of premium buyers.

For example, during Christmas and Father’s Day, Henri Wintermans is a favourite brand due to its premium disposition and it lending itself to gifting occasions.

“Typically, as spring approaches, bringing with it more outdoor smoking opportunities, some smokers will treat themselves and trade up, but of course this doesn’t mean that retailers need to start stocking larger, more expensive handmade cigars.

“It may be as simple as a miniature cigar smoker opting to jump to a Panatella for example. The search for value has also been a consistent trend in cigars for a while now, evidenced by the success of our Moments Blue brand,” he says.

Moments Blue is now the sixthbestselling traditional cigar brand in the UK in value terms, but still, most of its sales are going through grocery – this, he says, might be because convenience stores aren’t stocking it. l

08/02/2022 10:48

Stock up on Players Easy Rolling Tobacco Our cheapest Rolling Tobacco* High quality

Easy rolling blen

d

30g RRP**

£12.95 For Tobacco Traders Only. *Based on ITUK RRP as at October 2021. **RRP: 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

27/01/2022 10:54

26

EASTER GIFTS

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

Easter gift opportunities Cross-promotion and specially made gift baskets can help drive sales in the lead-up to Easter, Jasper Hart finds

B

y now, most retailers will know what sort of Easter products they are due to stock, if they haven’t started stocking them already.

Smaller products such as Cadbury Mini Eggs and Creme Eggs have become increasingly ubiquitous impulse fixtures from the start of the year onwards, and invite repeat purchases from the shoppers who look for them before Easter, while wholesalers’ presells for larger eggs and other themed products have already taken place.

Easter this year presents a stronger opportunity for retailers than recent years. “As shoppers looked to shop more locally in 2021, independent and symbol group retailers saw Easter sales increase by 11%,” says Susan Nash, trade communications manager at Mondelez International. “The Easter season in 2022 lasts two weeks longer than last year, offering retailers who stock the right range a real opportunity to capitalise on last year’s growth and continue to see their seasonal sales rise.”

What’s more, Easter 2022 also benefits – hopefully – from being the first Easter in three years to take place during a time of no restrictions on interpersonal gatherings, meaning the opportunity is ripe for retailers to emphasise this celebratory aspect and provide ample gift options for their shoppers. “After two consecutive Easter holidays in which Covid-19 was prevalent, this year could see shoppers making the most of the event with larger gatherings and fun days out with the family,” says Donna Powell, wholesale category controller at Nisa.

Thinking of Easter in a gift

p26-27 Easter .indd 26

context enables retailers to expand their selling scope beyond obvious tie-in products, such as confectionery, and alcoholic products can also become important sellers. It’s important to remember that a lot of people appreciate Easter more for the extended time off it affords them than for anything else.

“Easter is one of the most significant trading occasions in the year, and it presents a key opportunity for retailers to help people celebrate the long bank holiday weekend,” says Lauren Priestley, head of off-trade category development at Diageo. “It is expected to be a time where people will be stocking up on best-loved brands to help them create memorable experiences or gift to loved ones. In fact, one in four spirits is bought as a gift,

15-18 April Easter bank holiday dates

which provides retailers with additional sales opportunities.

“As the second-most-important event in the year for sales uplift, data shows that shoppers are willing to spend more over Easter, and 39% of spirits and beer shoppers report this, meaning Easter is a prime time to boost alcohol sales.

“Within spirits, vodka tends to have the greatest share gains, taking a larger share over the 12 weeks of Easter. There is also an increase in gin share within spirits over the 12-week period – as the weather warms, consumers can lean towards drinks with a gin or vodka base such as G&Ts and spritz.”

HAPPY HAMPERS A gift hamper is a popular choice for many retailers, not least because of its versatility through the post-Christmas period as retailers negotiate Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.

It’s a good idea to think of a core

07/02/2022 15:26

27

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

range of products that can work across these events, and build on them with themed products.

Justin Whittaker, at his MJ’s Premier Store in Royton, Greater Manchester, offers a teddy bear with a box of chocolates for his spring season hampers. “I look for plain ones so I can offer them for Mother’s Day and other occasions.

I don’t want the ones with love hearts on them. I’m still looking this year because my usual ones aren’t at the right price, but sales all come at the last minute, so I’ve still got time.”

The bears have sold very well for him in previous years, and also were a guaranteed in-store footfall driver, due to difficulties with uploading images of the different types of bears to his delivery service and ensuring people got the one they wanted. He also offered a hamper with a bottle of prosecco for £20, which was double the price of the one without.

Gift hampers also offer an op-

p26-27 Easter .indd 27

portunity for retailers to spotlight new products. Kopi Kalanathan, of Costcutter Kirk Sandall in Doncaster, incorporated Cadbury’s Mini Egg bar into his hampers across three sizes last year. Other new impulse lines that may stand out in hampers are Vimto’s new Fried Egg sharing bags and Swizzels Drumchick Squashies, a chick-shaped variety of the Drumsticks sweet.

However, the importance of the top sellers can’t be discounted; Cadbury Mini Eggs’ 80g bag was the number-one-selling product across all Easter lines in 2021, giving it an unrivalled versatility for on-the-go and gift shoppers.

TIMING AND PRICING Kalanathan offers his hampers in three different sizes, with different sizes and brands of Easter egg, but currently his focus is on Valentine’s Day and then Mother’s Day. While smaller Easter gifts will be popular from January through to April, the gift occasion only really kicks off

In 2021, indies saw Easter sales increase by 11%

in the week leading up to the holiday, and even then Easter Sunday can have the most sales.

For that reason, he stocks them in the queuing areas and around the till – and it may be many retailers’ last chance to fully capitalise on this before HFSS restrictions.

“We normally put our gift bags out a week before Easter and the majority sell a few days before.

We’ll still sell a tonne on Easter Sunday,” says Whittaker. Of course, social media plays an important role in highlighting the product.

Margin is another key concern.

Retailers need to make sure that customers think their gifts are worth it while considering the added cost of assembling the basket or hamper.

Kalanathan strives for about 25% margin on his gift baskets, whereas Bobby Singh, of BB Nevison Superstores in Pontefract, aspires to higher volumes to offset a margin hit. He says: “With a combo of products that you’ve come up with yourself, you have to take a hit on the margin, but it’s one of those things where you’re expecting turnover to be higher than normal with the event, so it balances out.”

Alternatively, with so many retailers seeing increased sales days before Easter, there is a chance to capitalise on shopper desperation with a price that communicates a bespoke product, especially with the added expense incurred from buying baskets or decoration. l

07/02/2022 15:27

28

HOUSEHOLD

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

The future of household

Since the pandemic, shoppers are looking to combat the spread of germs and bacteria, meaning cleaning products have continued to soar. Tamara Birch explores how you can drive sales as restrictions ease once again

RETAILER VIEWPOINT

T

he importance of a strong household and cleaning range has grown significantly in the past two years, as shoppers look to combat the spread of Covid-19, germs and bacteria.

In fact, Gaurave Sood, from Neelam Post Office & Convenience in Uxbridge, Middlesex, has reported a shift in demand for anything containing antibacterial properties.

He says: “We’re actually selling more antibacterial wipes than liquid.

“Customers are wiping their phones, homes and their hands more in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”

Matt Stanton, head of category and insight at DCS Group, confirms this and says products with these properties should make up the majority of a store’s household range. Stanton says as a result of this shift, new products have entered the market to meet this mission.

“Antibacterial varieties have arisen from categories we’ve not previously seen this in before, including Carex Antibacterial Bar Soap, Persil Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser and Fairy Platinum Quick Wash AntiBacterial 900ml,” he explains.

“We have also seen market-leading brands such as Kleenex adapt their ranges to meet customer needs, introducing their Proactive Care

p28-29 Household.indd 28

Terry Caton

Londis Chatsworth Road & Post Office, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Strong in-store displays and strong online presence will engage and entice shoppers

For the past two years, people have been shopping locally and they’re looking for a broader range than what we might have carried a few years ago. We’ve made sure that we’ve got each category covered and options within each category. For us, it’s important to have own brand as well as branded options within the categories to ensure that customers can get a cheaper

product if they need it. We sell a lot of own-brand tissues and bleach compared to the branded options, but there are some categories, such as washing powder, where own brand doesn’t sell as well. Store location and demographic will shape to a degree what the offer is. It’s about understanding what the customers are looking for as much as what you want to present.

Hygiene Masks in 2020 – offering a branded proposition of disposable face masks for adults and children.”

Meanwhile, Laura Marsden, marketing manager at Marigold, says that while sales of household products are starting to drop compared with the peak of the pandemic, there’s a longer-term change in consumer cleaning habits that independent retailers will need to focus on. But what are shoppers looking for within the category?

Firstly, household can be split into different sub-categories, from

laundry to personal care to general cleaning and cleaning supplies.

The category also is largely bought as part of a top-up shop, with some lines, such as cleaning spray or washing-up liquid, sometimes bought as a distress purchase.

Within cleaning supplies, Marsden says foam scourers account for 64% of the market, durable microfibre clothes account for the largest share of sales (30% in the latest 52 weeks) and are in 3% growth year on year.

The overall theme within house-

07/02/2022 13:15

29

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT Matt Stanton

Head of category and insight, DCS Group

The most common shopping mission in convenience is planned top-up, accounting for 31%. The household categories over-index of these larger missions. It’s also worth nothing that only 12% of convenience shopping missions are distress purchases. The important point here is planned hold is that shoppers are looking for known and trusted brands. Stanton says: “Shoppers notoriously trust brands, believing that branded products are more efficacious that tertiary or own-label offerings. For this reason, shoppers are willing to pay more for these products.”

MERCHANDISING HOUSEHOLD “We keep dedicated bays per subcategory,” Sood explains. “We have personal and hygiene products together, then baby and laundry, then cleaning products and supplies are on a separate bay.”

With shoppers choosing branded products more within household, make sure lines such as Flash, Persil and Carex are all available. But this doesn’t mean some shoppers won’t choose an own-label option, so make sure to include this also where possible.

Stanton recommends signposting brands to help customers navigate the options for sale. “Position these prominently on the left-hand end of each shelf as shoppers scan left to right, top to bottom when searching,” he says.

“Also, brand-block where possible, especially if the brand has stand-out packaging colours.”

Retailers can also encourage linked purchasing through household, particularly laundry, by merchandising “fabric conditioners and laundry additives (e.g. stain removers) on the top shelf, with laundry detergents on the shelf below”, says Stanton.

“We recommend grouping laundry detergents by format and then

p28-29 Household.indd 29

top-up missions are the ones to target, and for that, a retailer needs to have a full range of competitive prices. This shows the importance of stocking a full range at the right prices to retain a base of frequent, loyal shoppers who learn to trust the retailer and keep coming back. by shopper segment, so grouping liquids, gels and pods together, followed by grouping fragrance, performance, value and non-bio products together.”

The most important factor for Sood, however, is price. “We lean towards price-marked packs, but if we can’t, then we’ll buy on a wholesale promotion.

“Flash bleach, for example, has an RRP of almost £2, which our customers just won’t buy, so we stock it at £1.49 all year round or £1 when it’s on promotion,” he says.

Sood protects his margins by buying smartly and not being loyal to one wholesaler. “With household, you’re able to shop pretty much anywhere and, as costs continue to rise, buying smarter is the only way to go,” he adds.

IS SUSTAINABILITY IN HOUSEHOLD BECOMING IMPORTANT? According to Marigold’s Marsden, there’s been a gradual shift toward shoppers wanting to reduce the amount of cleaning chemicals or buying sustainable household products.

She says: “A third of people are now highly engaged with making sustainable choices – more than double the pre-pandemic level.

“The nation is actively looking for products that have less of an impact on the environment and reducing the amount of cleaning fluids used in a safe way of doing that.”

Independent retailers are also noticing this shift, with many making investments in offering household products loose. Some

retailers are unable to offer products loose, however, due to a lack of space. Instead, they’ve introduced laundry products, such as Ecover, to help with growing sustainability missions.

But the demand for more sustainable household lines depends on the area a store operates in, according to Sood. “For us, sustainability is not a mission we need to cater for, but that’s because 50% of our customers are on a council estate,” he says.

“They’re more concerned about price.

“In an affluent area, I can imagine sustainability is something they will need to offer to ensure sales remain higher.” l

With household, you’re able to shop anywhere

THREE WAYS TO EFFECTIVELY MERCHANDISE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS 1. Signpost brands Shoppers use signpost brands to navigate, so it’s worth positioning these brands in a prominent place. “Shoppers scan left to right, top to bottom when searching,” says Stanton. “These signpost brands are the best-known, such as Ariel and Persil, and often have highly distinctive packaging colours, such as Mr Muscle and Vanish.”

2. Merchandise by room, format and task “For example, group all trigger sprays together and then merchandise by room and task,” says Stanton. “For example, multipurpose spray, then bathroom and then kitchen.”

Also, group lines near to the products they will be used with, such as clothes and sponges near bathroom and kitchen cleaners.

3. Run branded promotions “We would advise running branded promotions to drive incremental impulse sales among planned purchases, such as bread and milk,” says Marsden. “In other words, include cleaning promotions in store to attract those shoppers who are in for their regular products.” With the rising costs, this does involve researching the best wholesaler prices, comparing case sizes and not being loyal to one wholesaler.

07/02/2022 13:16

30

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

MULTI-SITE RETAIL How to become a multi-site retailer

Charles Whitting discovers the plans retailers need to have in place if they want to take on a second store and what’s needed to go even further

T

he majority of independent retailers run one store, but there are many retailers out there with larger ambitions of running several stores. For this to work successfully, there are a number of things that need to be in place and perfected before the proposed expansion begins.

Unfortunately, that first step from one to two sites is generally accepted to be the hardest.

“It’s definitely harder to go from one to two than two to three,” says Sasi Patel, who runs four stores in Manchester. “Letting go of your first site is difficult. All of a sudden, you have a bigger team around you and you can’t be in both stores at the same time. I had to take myself away from the day-to-day. And that meant starting to think about setting up systems and processes that would enable my teams to manage my stores like I did. It’s like when you let your kids free in secondary school. You held their hands at primary school, but at secondary they don’t need you so much as long as you’re overseeing things.”

GETTING THE PROCESSES RIGHT The biggest concern about taking on more than one site for most retailers is simply one of physics.

With one store, you can be at the helm all the time. With two, your capacity to be at your store is effectively halved.

Given that the second store is likely to provide challenges of its own as you get processes sorted out, the most important thing for a retailer to do before expanding is to be 100% confident that they can ignore their first store and know that their standards will be maintained. That means the people you leave in charge of that first store need to know what is expected of them, and how they can meet those expectations.

“You can’t move on until the

p30-33 Multi store retailer.indd 30

Think about what your second site will offer and need compared with your first team is absolutely perfect,” says Patel. “Ultimately, what you’re doing is getting a list of all the tasks that you do in the shop and then building a rota that complements that. They need to know what products to buy and from where.

“I’ll be looking at the data from the tills to see what they’re selling.

I’ll concentrate on the top-selling 50 lines, and make sure they’re being sourced from the best places in terms of price.”

Bay Bashir, who runs five stores in Middlesbrough, found one of the best ways to keep on top of multiple sites is to make sure they are as

You can’t move on until the team is absolutely perfect 08/02/2022 11:29

31

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

similar as possible. All of his stores are under the Go Local fascia, with all stock sourced from one wholesaler, so he can fully stock them all using just one supplier and his staff members are comfortable working in any of them. None of his stores are larger than 1,000sq ft, either, which means his costs are kept down and he can pay fewer staff more money to get the best out of them.

“You get more support when you’re just with one supplier,” he says. “You get one big invoice from them and it’s all on file. You don’t have to chase things or write in orders yourself.

“Retail is about following the numbers, and while you can do some penny pinching by shopping around with different suppliers, it’s a big, tedious job, and you’re better off looking for and working with your best operator.

“I try to run the stores the same. I have 32 staff and any one of them could go in one of my stores.

They all work the same format.”

However, Patel warns against being too prescriptive when looking at new sites.

“One size doesn’t fit all,” he says.

p30-33 Multi store retailer.indd 31

» 08/02/2022 11:29

32

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

MULTI-SITE RETAIL

“There may be 25 Tesco Expresses in Manchester, but none of them will be identical. They’ll have different propositions and services. We need to operate with that mentality.

Each site needs to be driven by the location and its demographic. It needs to be individual.”

STEPPING AWAY It’s challenging to entrust a business to someone else, but it is necessary if you need the time to concentrate on the bigger picture.

In your place, it is essential that you leave managers who are not just trustworthy and competent, but who know how you like your stores to be run and how to train other members of the team to work within your preferred frameworks.

You will also likely need to start hiring more than just managers and shop staff.

“When you start, you haven’t got any managers underneath you, but once you move to two sites, you need to train new managers,” says Danny Wilson, who runs 13 One Stop stores in Yorkshire. “If you’re taking on a new store, you’ve got to make sure standards remain strong when you’re not there.”

Giving your managers the freedom to express themselves and the responsibility for what happens is a great way to incentivise them. If you can ensure that they are given control over aspects of the business

p30-33 Multi store retailer.indd 32

where they are particularly strong, while you handle your own areas of strength, then it will also serve your business better.

“I used to control the orders because we needed to make sure we had stock where we needed it. Some managers are great at ordering, but for others it’s not their strong suit,” says Wilson.

“If you can’t oversee things yourself, you can introduce budgets that you can then review later on with sales data to make sure things are being done properly.”

It is important that standards aren’t allowed to slip just because you’re not there.

Patel doesn’t constantly bombard his managers with his input or

You’ve got to make sure standards remain strong when you’re not there

micromanage, but he makes sure he is keeping an eye on everything from a distance.

Unscheduled visits keep managers on their toes and ensure the store is always in top condition.

This, he says, works better than him arranging a specific day or time to arrive.

It’s also important to explain the ‘why’ to managers as well as the ‘how’. “These things that you do naturally yourself, you now have to make sure that your team knows how to do it,” says Patel.

“If you let them know why you’re doing things, then they understand the importance of it. If I tell them to book the deliveries in, then it’s just another chore for them.

08/02/2022 11:30

33

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com

RETAILERS’ TOP TIPS DANNY WILSON: Once you go beyond one store, it becomes a business, not a store. There are more opportunities for staff theft, so you need controls in place.

Stock counting becomes much more important because you’re not hands-on.

You need to have a cleaner system for doing things like standards around ordering, stock control, promotions and labelling.

BAY BASHIR: The key thing is to have someone running my store who thinks like me, who is tried and tested.

That doesn’t come overnight.

You’ve got to build that up until they have the drive and passion, and then you get that support from them.

Without good people, you can’t do anything.

SASI PATEL: Make a list of all you do in your first site: purchasing, execution and operations, and selling. This will give you everything you need to teach your team.

Have a task list for operations, a tick-box exercise that the staff can do, and sign and date. That tells you someone is delivering. It’s making sure your brain is plastered onto two or three pieces of paper. Or WhatsApp or whatever works for you and your team.

“If I can make them understand why they’re doing it, then they’ll do it because they understand that it will make life easier for them.”

THE NEXT STEP While Wilson recalls going from one to two stores as a major step up, he thinks the next big step is getting to around 10 stores, when things move on to yet another level of complexity and control.

As a qualified accountant, he was able to handle the finances at first, but now his company needs an audit, making things more longwinded and requiring a professional to be hired.

“The big jump was from nine to 10,” he says. “That was a big stretch,

p30-33 Multi store retailer.indd 33

so we hired more people. I don’t get into the shops as much now.

“We have hired people who do go into the shops more to liaise with the managers.

“I employed someone when we got to four stores to do the accounts and payroll. That person now does accounts and office management, and we’ve got someone else who just does payroll.

“We have someone who liaises with the managers, does orders and looks at new stores. We have a fulltime maintenance guy as well.

“I miss it, but it has to happen – there’s a much bigger picture to think about. Some shops – if it’s trading well – you barely see because nothing is needed on it.” l

08/02/2022 11:31

34

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

In partnership with

GUEST COLUMNIST

Opportunity of the week

MARVEL LEGENDARY COLLECTION

Hachette’s launch underlines the growing Marvel opportunity Tim Murray RN magazines reporter

The Marvel comics brand should be a familiar name to most retailers, having been around in the UK and US for decades now.

In recent years, under the stewardship of its current owner Disney, it has gone from strength to strength.

The latest arrival retailers can earn from is the Marvel Legendary Collection, due to launch from Hachette on 16 February.

The modus operandi will be familiar to most, particularly those who have been stocking its ongoing Marvel Ultimate Collections, two similar sets sitting side-by-side on the shelves.

The collection of hardback books, which pull together key stories featuring Marvel superheroes and supervillains, curate their content by collecting together relevant issues under one banner, with additional pages devoted to background and supporting editorial.

Showing a knack for timing, the first issue of the Marvel Legendary Collection features SpiderMan, capitalising on the recent man-arachnid-

Allan Bryce, editor and publisher, Infinity and The Dark Side

TO INFINITY, THE DARK SIDE AND BEYOND

themed film’s success – it’s one of the top-10-grossing films of all time in the UK, which is a remarkable achievement, given it came as the pandemic was still affecting figures.

It will go on to include a whole range of familiar Marvel characters, many of the titles concentrating on the names who light up the big screen, and are therefore at the forefront of shoppers’ minds.

Of course, in a resurgent partwork market which is now emerging from the pandemic with a renewed thrust as outlined in RN recently, the title is welcome, even more as the concurrent Marvel Ultimate Collections are nearing the ends of their cycles.

Hachette’s targeted marketing support will enhance the proposition for retail and draw comic fans into newsagents.

An introductory price of £1.99 on the first instalment will help to seal the deal, attracting new long-term customers for stockists.

The launch underscores renewed interest in Marvel under Disney’s management, and newsagents would do well to look for this trend across comics, partworks, stickers and general merchandise.

Disney is bringing Marvel’s universe to an evenwider audience. What was once the province of superhero-obsessed kids and older, nerdier fans is now the mainstream.

NEW

It’s been very strange being a publisher during the pandemic. We've survived and thrived – it has been our most successful year.

We were publishing our sci-fi magazine, Infinity, and our horror magazine, Dark Side, every six weeks when Covid-19 hit.

We had one issue just out as the hammer fell. We lost sales on that, but we saw a spike in mail orders and subs. We took a 12-week break with the mags and came back. It started going well and we went monthly with both. It’s like doing a magazine every two weeks and it’s been quite a thing to keep getting them out, but good fun, though.

Our costs have gone up ridiculously. We raised the prices from £3.99 to £4.25 – it’s still cheap – but big chains take a percentage of our retail sales just to get on the shelf.

We’re a small company. You do all the work, and it’s a constant battle – and we haven’t even got to the next round of postal increases.

US horror magazine Scary Monsters has just announced it’s going off general sale and subscriptions only for print. I don’t want to do that. We do well from digital, but I want to see print magazines on shelves.

It’s an important way we find new readers and advertise ourselves. The way it works is that with all the different streams – mail order, newsstand, subs, digital – we can make money.

We would love more support from indies.

We don’t necessarily want to spend loads to get into supermarkets – we would like to see retailers supporting us the same way we’re supporting print.

ON SALE NOW!

OFFICIAL STICKER COLLECTION

OFFICIAL

© The Football Association Premier League 2021

RN banner.indd 1

p34 TWIM 1.indd 34

PRODUCT

#GOT GOT NEED

07/02/2022 16:48

08/02/2022 14:35

35

RN 11 February 2022 // betterRetailing.com SYMBOL KEY

Terms change

Launch activity

One Competition Special shot issue

Free gift

Sales Bumper Redesign Spotlight Newspro issue recommends trend

SPECIALIST CHOICE BELLA

l The Windsor family may be controversial, but the Queen’s jubilee this year will see an outpouring of affection for the reigning monarch. l This royal-focused special from the Bella team should provide a great opportunity for shops to increase basket spend.

MATCH OF THE DAY

l The football magazine’s entertaining editorial will continue to attract young and old football fans as the 2021-2022 season moves slowly towards its climax. l This issue comes with free Match Attax cards, which should help to bring in impulse sales.

PONY

l This magazine for eight-to-14-year-old riders aims to build on its popularity among equestrian fans with an exclusive free journal. l The 68-page publication gives horse fans an opportunity to chart their rides and set out goals by which to measure their progress.

SUPER LEAGUE 2022

l Rugby’s Super League season is about to kick off in earnest and this guide produced by Reach’s sports team offers everything fans need to know. l This issue previews the season in full, with a look at key clubs, players and trends, spotting rising stars and more.

On sale 8 February Frequency monthly Price £2.25 Distributor Frontline Display with Woman Special Series, Majesty Barcode 9772632950039

On sale 9 February Frequency fortnightly Price £3.50 Distributor Frontline Display with Kick, Match Barcode 9771756625083

On sale 9 February Frequency monthly Price £4.25 Distributor Marketforce Display with Your Horse Barcode 9770032425966

On sale 9 February Frequency one shot Price £2 Distributor Reach Display with Rugby Leaguer, League Express Barcode 9781906699444

DANIEL MCCABE, MAGALLERIA, BATH

On sale out now Frequency quarterly Price £10 Distributor Seymour Display with Vogue, The Face Barcode 9772380010023

MISSION What’s it about?

It’s a progressive magazine looking at fashion for change, sustainability and so on. It’s from America and has been going for six issues. It’s nearly 370 pages and costs £10.

Who buys it?

It’s people who are interested in fashion, but it’s also people who are interested in the industry of fashion. It’s more intelligent than your average fashion magazine.

Bestsellers GRAMOPHONE PRESENTS MOZART

l A special irregular series from the makers of Gramophone magazine looks at a different composer with each issue. l This issue is devoted entirely to the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

RECORD COLLECTOR PRESENTS THE CLASH

l The regular spin-off magazine for vinyl enthusiasts and record collectors turns its attention to punk rockers The Clash. l The title includes a look at the seminal band’s entire discography, plus insider stories.

p35 TWIM 2.indd 35

Motorcycling On sale 9 February Frequency irregular Price £12.99 Distributor Marketforce Display with BBC Music, Gramophone Barcode 9781739979621

On sale 10 February Frequency one shot Price £8.95 Distributor Marketforce Display with Uncut, Mojo Barcode 5059464148006

Title

On sale date

1 Motorcycle News

09/02

2 Speedway Star

10/02

3 Classic Bike

23/02

In stock

TMX News 10/02 5 Practical Sportsbikes 09/02 6 Ride 09/02 7 Classic Motorcycle 04/03 8 Classic Bike Guide 23/03 9 Bike 23/02 10 Back Street Heroes 03/03

4

Data from independent stores supplied by

08/02/2022 11:43

36

betterRetailing.com // 11 February 2022 RN

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

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

Partworks and collectables Title

No Pts

£

Title

No Pts

Title

£

Bob Dylan Vinyl Total Tarot

12 3

41 21.99 78 6.99

DeAgostini Fast & Furious: Build The Dodge Charger

19 110 9.99

3.99

0.70

3.99

0.90

Creative Toys Company

0.90

SoccerStarz Foil Bag 2.99 SoccerStarz Blister Pack 3.99

Brown Box

3.99

0.90

Magic Box

Hot Wheels 1.85

3.99

0.90

Pokémon

Fortnite Official Trading Card Collection Series Two 8.99

Zomlings Series 6 0.50 Star Monsters 1.00 SuperZings Series 2 5.00

2.70

F1 Collection Rossi Bike Collection Ferrari F40 Supercars Title

137 40 79 76

140 46 100 80

10.99 10.99 8.99 11.99

Starter Stkrs/cards

Panini

Hachette 2000 AD Ultimate Collection 116 140 Build Eddie Stobart 21 140 Build The Spitfire 95 120 Build The Titanic 4 120 DC Comics Heroes & Villains 29 100 Disney Cross Stitch 74 90 Disney Dolls’ House 5 120 Disney My Little Library 76 100 Peter Rabbit Patchwork Quilt 113 139 The All Killer No Filler Deadpool Collection 90 100 The New Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection (Relaunch) 156 170 The New Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection 262 280

9.99 9.99 9.99 9.99 9.99 3.99 9.99 2.99 4.99 9.99

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

3.99

3.99

0.90

3.99 0.90 3.99 0.90 3.99

0.90

3.99

0.70

5.99

1.00

9.99

5.00 –

1.00 1.00

WWE Sticker Collection

5.00

1.00

Magiki Princesses 2.50 Magiki Unicorns 2.99 Sharks & Co 3.50

Intermedia

Squishy 2.99

Frozen 2 3.99

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

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

9.99

Match Attax Xtra Match Attax Xtra 21/22

DeAgostini

Topps

24 80 8.99

Warhammer Imperium

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

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

Panini Partworks

Byline

Starter Stkrs/cards

3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99 3.99

Newspapers Daily newspapers price/margin pence/margin % Sun

70p

15.6p

Mirror

95p

19p

Mirror (Scotland)

95p

Daily Record

Saturday newspapers

22.3%

Sunday newspapers

Sun

£1

21.4p

21.4%

Sun

£1.30

27.3p

21%

20%

Mirror

£1.60

32p

20%

Sunday Mirror

£1.90

38p

20%

19p

20%

Mirror (Scotland)

£1.60

32p

20%

People

£1.90

38p

20%

95p

19p

20%

Daily Record

£1.50

30p

20%

Star Sunday

£1.40

28p

20%

Daily Star

60p

12p

20%

Daily Star

£1

20p

20%

Sunday Sport

£1.50

36.45p

24.3%

Daily Mail

80p

17.85p

Daily Mail

£1.10

23.1p

21%

Mail on Sunday

£1.80

37.8p

21%

Express

80p

16p

20%

Express

£1.30

26p

20%

Sunday Mail

£2.20

44p

20%

Express (Scotland)

80p

16p

20%

Express (Scotland)

£1

20.6p

20.6%

Sunday Telegraph

£2.50

51.25p

20.5%

Telegraph

£2.50

51.25p

20.5%

Telegraph

£3

57.4p

19.1%

Sunday Times

£3

63p

21%

Times

£2.20

46.2p

21%

Times

£2.50

52.5p

21%

Observer

£3.50

85.7p

24.5%

FT

£3.10

62p

FT

£4.30

94.6p

22%

Scotland on Sunday £2.50

55p

22%

Guardian

£2.50

55p

22%

Guardian

£3.50

77p

22%

Racing Post

£3.90

80p

20.5%

i

65p

14.3p

22%

iWeekend

£1.20

25.8p

21.5%

SundayHerald(Scotland) £2

42p

21%

i (N. Ireland)

65p

14.3p

22%

i (N. Ireland)

£1

21.5p

21.5%

Sunday Express

£1.90

38p

20%

Racing Post

£3.90

80p

20.5%

Racing Post

£4.20

86.1p

20.5%

Sunday Post

£2.20

44p

20%

Herald (Scotland)

£1.50

33p

22%

Herald (Scotland)

£1.95

42.9p

22%

Scotsman

£1.90 42.75p

Scotsman

£2.40

54p

22.5%

22.31%

20%

22.5%

Weight Watchers Watchers 5-6 17-18 December Weight February Total Total Supplements Supplements15 weight weight weight weight Sunday Times Telegraph Daily Telegraph Times

965g 1,865g 760g 805g

490g 135g 510g 200g

Observer Sunday Times SunWeekend FT

575g 735g 565g 720g

30g 295g 220g 325g

Daily Mail Guardian Mail on Sunday Mail

515g 660g 405g 625g

440g 290g 395g 280g

Guardian Mail on Sunday The Times Observer

370g 574g – 495g

350g 140g – 115g

Scale of third-party advertising insert payments Ad Ad inserts inserts Number Number of of 30 weight Inserts weight Inserts 60g 3 1,070g 2 0g 5g 10g 20g

0 3 11

100g 0g 75g 35g

5 0 31

10g 15g 20g 15g

31 2 2

– 30g

–1

Heaviest Heaviest ad insert insert ad

Insert weight

Original Mail Mirror News Express Guardian Telegraph scheme UK

50g 5g 0g 50g

Cumulative?

10g 20g 35g 0g

70-100g

35g 35g 10g 5g 10g 10g – 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

p36 TWIM 3.indd 36

08/02/2022 10:10

//

CLASSIFIED

31

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

RN 22Newsagent Retail December 2016 25th March 2016

EPOS SYSTEMS

STOCKTAKING

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

020 8360 2491 Mob: 07802723561

ADVERTISE WITH US

To advertise in the RN classified section please contact Charlotte Jesson: 020 7689 3389 charlotte.jesson@newtrade.co.uk NFRN RN 1/4 page vertical.indd 1

26/01/2022 14:41

C o v i d - 1 9 HARDSHIP FUND NFRN member hardship fund Help those that need it due to the Coronavirus outbreak

Together We can Achieve more!

11 FEB.indd 31

Email: hardshipfund@nfrn.org.uk See website www.nfrnonline.com to download form Full T&Cs apply

02/02/2022 17:34

DON’T MISS THE NEXT ISSUE OF RN OUT

18 FEBRUAR Y

Staff development: from new training courses to investing in their mental health and well-being, our guide will help you build a happier, more productive team PLUS Passing trade: how to get more customers coming through your door – and then coming back THE LEADING TITLE FOR NEWS AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS THE LE S ADING AILER TITLE CE RET N FOR N IE EWS A NVEN CO D N ND CO EWS A NVEN N R IENCE TLE FO TI RETAIL G ft ERS ADIN LE so E r TH ou

t y range Whan ks ok like dri ld lo shouin 20ge2s2customeatrscan

Striking a PMP balance

RANGE

RS MATTE THAT

● bet

ter Re

tailin

g.com

22 01.20 ● 21.

ines mach d e e f f Co ompare c e nine of thes ks

NEW S RETAIL

H sugarigh fat, and sa lt

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

RETAIL NEWS THAT MATTERS ● betterRetailing.com ● 28.01.2022 chan chiller th er the ur Discov see in yo mper sales to want deliver buIEW Page 18 » REV

ANALYSIS Page 18

»

RETAIL NEW

S THA T MA TTE RS

● bet

ter Re

What oing retailers a Gettingdthe tackle right now re best energy deal for rising cos to ts your store tailin

g.com

● 04

.02.20 22

Shop lay chan out expe ges yo rt sh to prepu can mak ares the simple e to are for the ne your sto FEATUR E Pag w law re e 22

»

n h hot dri ut whic Find o generating ur store fitr yo Inflatio Broker advice, contract…negotiations, smart meter opportunities and more… » top pro es is right»fo n Na in D MORE tiona l In mach E AN Page 15

26 Page

COFFEE COSTA

CO-OP

er Book label own ced to repla s plans r lines reveal Tesco more Booke ed e replac Jack’s-brand with its Page 4 » cts produ r.indd

SYMBOLS NESCAF

ABILITY

PAYMENTS

Booker delivery fee

Charges for Premier, s to Family Shopper and 24 way retailers ener non-symbol £2.50 No 3 5 » Page next month a gre Vol 133 store nability is

SUSTAIN

ALE WHOLES

p1 RN

A LAVAZZ

FOR TRA

tai rgins, How sus g the ma p1 RN Cover.indd vin tion of impro reputa sales and ps Page 22 » local sho

DE USE

CATEGO RY

Minimum g isincard r spend Minimrepai removal stores Why cutting card spend s cost

STORE

FIRM ONLY

SALE

03

1

1

Cove

22

18/01/20

ADVICE

bottle her-priced president calls on s to increaare essentialgovernment to help sales Pag sing catego small shops Page 8 » ry e 40

won’t s discus requirements re Retailerprevent sto loseng you margin or aki tips to from brecustomers Page 24 » p upkee Page 14 » nk the ba 14:53

NFRN

Turn Energy wine ingcrisis prem closures Scottish district Why hig ium

ADVICE

»

p1 Cove

r RN.i

ndd

1

suranc e and SUSTAIN

minim um wa ge hike

ABILITY

Bottl returne schem e Fin

d ou supplie t what drink to loo rs want DR 25/01/2022 13:14 k like in EnglaS and Wa nd les Page 10

»

s

Energy crisis Page 3

»

NEWSTR ADE

Panin Warh i tie-upammer

New tra sticker ding card and coming opportunity this yea to stores lat er r Page 6

»

01/02/20

22 14:1 3

The best independent retailers stay ahead by reading RN each week. Do you?

ORDER YOUR COPY from your magazine wholesaler today or contact Kate Daw on 020 3871 6490

11 Feb.indd 36

betterRetailing.com/subscribe 07/02/2022 11:07