RN - 16 December 2022

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Editor

Jack Courtez

Remember loom bands and fidget spinners? Do you still have a pile of these one-time craze products sitting in your store gathering dust? Stores that are not careful will end up with an addition to their cobweb stockpile in January.

Prime Hydration energy drinks hit shelves several months back and those who moved first reaped the rewards. There were some store owners that imported stock from the States for wholesale in the UK, while others made Del Boy deals with Asda staff to get hold of stock before it even hit shelves.

With high demand, short supply and kids with surprisingly deep pockets picking up the tab, it follows the template of all boom-and-bust crazes.

I’ve also heard of shop owners having to face down parents livid that their local shop has fleeced their kid out of £9 for a bottle of energy drink, but even before the potential damage to store reputation, there’s the potential damage to your bottom line.

@JackCourtez 020 7689 3371

As soon as supply catches up and the market saturates, the big margins and sales will evaporate. At best, it will earn its keep as a couple of facings in your chiller at normal soft drinks prices. In my opinion, those who are still now buying lots of cases at more than the standard retail sales price are going to get stung.

A number of years back, I visited a store that had been targeted by a gas explosion ATM raid. There had been a good number of boxes of leftover loom bands on top of the ATM when the attack happened, and the whole shop was subsequently decorated with them. The shop owner joked that having to clean up thousands of them from every conceivable nook and cranny was only the second worst thing about the product, the first being that they had bought so many in the first place.

This isn’t to say there aren’t opportunities in these types of products. There are –but only for those who have their finger on the pulse of both their customers and retail. There’s an art to identifying the trend, finding the supplier, marketing the stock and getting out while everyone else is still trying to work it all out.

If you have young staff or family members, this is where to start – incentivise them to let you know if they become aware of a product blowing up on TikTok or Instagram.

Beer Hawk PerfectDraft arrives in cash and carry

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

AB InBev has made its Beer Hawk PerfectDraft beer-keg range available through cash and carry for the first time.

The PerfectDraft product enables the public to pour beers at home through 6l kegs that are inserted into machines known as “blades”.

Major brands such as Stella Artois, Budweiser and Corona are available, with RRPs for a keg starting from around £27.

The products were withdrawn from general sale to retailers in 2020 due to the pandemic. Beer Hawk later launched a pilot programme in 2021 restricting trade sales to a number of authorised convenience stockists.

However, the mini kegs and blades were made available in cash and carries last month, with United Wholesale Scotland being the first convenience wholesaler to stock the mini kegs and the blades.

The company’s managing director, Chris Gallacher, told RN the

products will provide convenience retailers with a major opportunity during the cost-of-living crisis.

He said: “We’ve got Beer Hawk now and it’s a fantastic product, which we’re pushing out big-time.

“The hospitality trade will probably see a decline as people are spending less. They’ve not got the money to go into a pub as much any more, and Beer Hawk offers a premiumpub feeling at home.

“People are going to have to make a decision on any extra cash that they’ve got.

“We’re the first wholesaler to have it and we’re opening the product out

to every retailer that wants to do it. Within the first week, we received a number of orders, and the machines are also selling really well. It’s a really exciting product.”

Changing customer buying habits during the pandemic fuelled a minikeg ‘gold rush’ as some retailers were making up to £35,000 a week in sales from the product.

One regional wholesaler, who asked not to be named, said they were aware that the Beer Hawk range had arrived in wholesale and that they were looking to talk to the company.

They added that there were also some changes

within Beer Hawk’s trade account team.

Another regional wholesaler told RN: “There is demand for the product, but as a delivered wholesaler, we’d still have to think carefully about whether to make it available to retailers.

“The challenge is the return of the kegs themselves. Retailers can easily return them to their nearest depot, but it creates challenges for storage capacity on our lorries if retailers are asking if they can return the kegs through our drivers.”

AB InBev and Beer Hawk declined to comment when approached by RN.

PO director ‘hopeful’ for gov’t support

Branch owner and Post Office (PO) non-executive director Elliot Jacobs hopes two major changes benefitting branches are coming in the next month, following campaigns by nearly 1,000 PO stores.

The London subpostmaster said there were promising signs for energy-bill support for branches beyond the current March 2023 end date and around a loosening

of “ludicrous” anti-money laundering restrictions resulting in “thousands” of failed banking deposits in branches every week.

The government says energy support for businesses beyond March is to be restricted to heavily affected sectors, but is yet to outline which.

Jacobs revealed to RN a meeting took place last week with postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake to lobby for the inclu-

sion of PO branches.

Describing the minister as “pro-Post Office”, Jacobs said: “We’re hopeful that, by the end of this month, we’ll hear positive news, but if we don’t, we’ve got a big problem.”

The PO boardmember said: “Who can afford their energy to go from £1,500 a year to £8,000 in a business where you can’t increase your prices?”

As part of the PObacked lobbying, nearly

800 branches have written letters to their MPs on the subject.

Over the summer, new FCA guidance led banks to restrict banking deposit levels, harming PO banking volumes and payments for branches.

Jacobs said all parties had accepted the current arrangement is flawed.

“I’m very hopeful we’ll have some positive news on this shortly,” he concluded.

Camelot in scratch card talks

Camelot is in “active talks” with the Gambling Commission to allow independent shops to sell scratchcards in delivery orders. The National Lottery operator gave an update after Snappy Shopper revealed to RN it had been made “the only approved partner to deliver scratchcards”.

Camelot clarified the Gambling Commission had only given approval for multiple groups using Snappy Shopper, including Spar Blakemore and CJ Lang stores, and Scotmid Co-ops. Snappy Shopper said its Challenge 25 and age-restricted item procedures helped achieve regulatory approval.

Around 16% of shops on Snappy Shopper are selling scratchcards on the platform.

In September, RN reported Camelot had sent warning letters to stores selling its products for delivery.

C-store numbers on rise

Convenience stores on UK high streets have risen in number by 3%.

New data from mapping agency Ordnance Survey, analysed by the BBC, shows a rise in independent convenience stores from March 2020 to 2022.

There are around 1,600 new stores (3% increase). Supermarkets, organic and speciality food stores rose by similar numbers.

The success of food comes despite doldrums elsewhere in retail. Overall, there are 9,300 fewer shops than before the pandemic.

Grocery

sales

up by 5.9%

Take-home grocery sales are up by 5.9% year on year, marking the fastest level of growth since March 2021.

Data from Kantar, for the 12 weeks to 27 November 2022, revealed that although grocery inflation has dipped by 0.1% this month, shoppers will need to spend an extra £60 in December to buy the same items as last year.

As a result, customers are leaving seasonal purchases later to manage budgets ahead of Christmas Day.

Head of retail and consumer insight Fraser McKevitt said: “Sales of mince pies, Christmas puddings and Christmas confectionery are worth 2% more than last year, but this can largely be put down to higher prices.”

Coping strategies to mitigate rising costs have yet again resulted in ownlabel sales growing by 1.7% year on year, with the cheapest lines up by 46.3%.

Getir acquires Gorillas

Getir has acquired rival rapid delivery company Gorillas at a discounted price. The all-stock deal, valued at £1bn, follows months of speculation.

The Financial Times reported the move would include a clause dictating that Gorillas investors must inject a further £82m into Getir.

In a statement announcing the news last week, Getir founder Nazim Salur said: “Markets go up and down, but consumers love our service and convenience is here to stay.”

Bestway unveils plan to merge symbol groups

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

Bestway has outlined plans to consolidate its symbol groups and focus solely on the Costcutter, Best-one, Bargain Booze and Wine Rack brands.

The wholesaler currently operates one of the largest portfolios of fascias, as it also counts Mace, BB’s, Tippl, Central Convenience, Select Convenience, Kwiksave and Supershop in its lineup.

Bestway managing director Dawood Pervez told RN the company intends to convert retailers from those stores into its more profitable flagship Costcutter, Best-one, Bargain Booze or Wine Rack stores.

There is also potential for those stores to move to the flagship Bargain Booze hybrid concept launched this year, which combines the off-licence brand with a Costcutter or Best-one store.

Pervez revealed that a hybrid using the more premium Wine Rack fascia is also in development, while the BB’s and Tippl trials launched in 2019 are to be scrapped following the closure of the first Tippl shop earlier this year.

Commenting on the plans, he added: “We took a lot of lessons with BB’s and Tippl going into lockdown, and what you’re seeing with Bargain Booze, Wine Rack, Costcutter and Best-one is our response to that. Our ambition is that all our convenience formats will fall under Best-one or Costcutter. We don’t want to introduce more brands.

“The hybrid format is a point of difference,

as there’s nothing else like it on the market. We’re pushing boundaries on what a good shop looks like.

“We’re trying to move to a model where it’s either Best-one or Costcutter. In some cases, these will have a Bargain Booze or Wine Rack.

“For example, the Central Convenience brand was absolutely fine, but we don’t think it had the consumer cut-through.

“Central Convenience, Select Convenience and Best-one are effectively on the same platform as they have access to the same range and are serviced on the same lorries.

“We’ve had a look at the figures from some shops and believe it’s better for them to be served under Best-one.”

For the standalone Bargain Booze and Wine Rack stores, Pervez added there would be a preference to add a convenience store onto them.

He said: “An off-licence model will have a lower overall margin mix than a convenience store. There is more growth if you combine it with a good convenience store.”

There was no specific time frame for Bestway’s conversion plans, but

Pervez stressed that the wholesaler would convert existing retailers rather than offload stores.

Among the UK estate, there are around 2,000 Best-one, 1,568 Costcutter, 508 Bargain Booze and 19 Wine Rack sites.

Mace and Kwiksave count 860 stores, while Central Convenience has around 100 sites.

Iceland wholesale Bestway also notably launched a wholesale trial of Iceland products into stores this year, with a Costcutter in Nuneaton being one of the pilot sites. The wholesaler already has a number of Bargain Booze concessions in some of Iceland’s larger-format Food Warehouse branches.

Commenting on whether the Iceland wholesale trial would be expanded into other stores, Pervez told RN: “Nuneaton was a quiet trial and we might be furthering the trial in a couple of other locations.

“The retailer was pleased and the products work really well for him. Iceland is good at frozen food, but there are more questions to be answered about the route to market.

“Iceland doesn’t want

to be delivering range to convenience stores and I would say it’s still very early stages. There is plenty of further work to be done to move forward.

“Getting frozen Iceland products into retailers is definitely something of interest, but we need to think about how we do it. There is homework to be done in the background.”

Delivery improvements

To help accommodate an increase in retailer numbers, Pervez told RN Bestway will be moving deliveries to three main distribution centres.

He said: “Bargain Booze, until very recently, was 100% delivered out of a single warehouse in Crewe.

“We are in the middle of integrating all Bargain Booze and Wine Rack deliveries into the Bestway Wholesale network. It won’t be for every store, but the majority will be served out of three key locations in Exeter, Northampton and Stoke by the middle of February.

“Serving Best-one, Bargain Booze and Wine Rack stores will become easier because one lorry will be able to turn up to all these stores.”

An example of Bestway’s hybrid fascia stores

SYMBOL NEWS

New Budgens format targets bigger baskets

by Alex Yau and Tamara Birch alex.yau@newtrade.co.uk tamara.birch@newtrade.co.uk

Booker Retail Partners (BRP) has launched the latest store in its new Budgens model, setting the template for future shops in the symbol group.

The 1,200sq ft shop in Horsham, West Sussex, relaunched on 9 December after converting from Londis. It is the second site that has launched under the new model and has a focus on fresh and chilled.

Major differences include lines that are designed to encourage customers to spend as much as they would in a supermarket, and zones dedicated to categories such as food to go and alcohol.

Speaking to RN at the launch, BRP head of retail Gavin Claxton said: “The new concept is what we do. We need to always move on with the concepts and this is the next iteration of what Budgens is. We trialled what we’ve done in previous stores. Anybody who joins now would get this as the new Budgens specification.”

The store’s owner, Amish Shingadia, told RN the development of the Budgens store had been a year in the making and was influenced by shopping habits during the pandemic.

He added: “When we took over the shop several years ago, it was a bit rundown, but we’ve been refurbishing it based on what customers wanted, and we’ve been getting busier every year.

“During the pandemic, the store went to a different level and the customers got used to us as a store to visit frequently. We needed to change the store into something that would

meet the new demand.

“It’s now a modernlooking store with the right range of products. We’ve got eight metres of fresh food, which we have been leading on.

“We also made the decision to remove some dead categories, such as magazines, which we didn’t get any sales from. In the future, newspapers will be placed outside the shop.”

In the past, the Budgens brand had often been associated with a premium product range.

However, the store has been altered to match demand from customers who want more affordable products.

“We got rid of a lot

of the more expensive brands,” Shingadia told RN. “We have 500 Jack’s own-label products within the store, and we want to promote that value. That has been a part of the new concept.

“There’s been a bit of money spent creating theatre within the store. The biggest feedback we’ve been getting is the use of space, as customers find it easier to shop. More families are coming in because it’s less claustrophobic.

“We have alcohol and food-to-go areas where customers can stand around and appreciate it. It’s also about increasing basket spend, and we’ll see if that happens.”

Wholesale availability back to 90%

Availability levels at wholesalers is returning to an average of 90%, but senior wholesale bosses have warned there is “still room for improvement”.

Over the past year, the pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have all impacted availability in wholesalers.

One wholesale boss told RN they had seen avail-

ability increase from lows of 60% to 90%, but warned some suppliers were still affected by issues.

They added: “The overall trend is better at the low end of 90% after a disastrous year, but we’re still getting tons of short deliveries from some suppliers.

“Some, such as confectionery brands, are getting worse and delivering

less than 60% of what we ordered.

“Pet pouches are also being constrained as the manufacturer isn’t meeting the uplift in the demand from customers. Availability is getting better, but there’s still room for improvement.”

Similarly, United Wholesale Scotland managing director Chris Gallacher said that he had

seen an improvement in supply. He told RN: “We’re in a much better place with availability. Spirits is a good example.

“Everyone has worked hard after a nightmare year. The suppliers are getting their acts together.”

Wholesale expert David Gilroy attributed the improvements to better forecasting and forward planning from suppliers.

One Stop grows franchises

One Stop has increased its franchisees from 207 to 250, according to its latest financial report.

The rise was revealed in the convenience chain’s annual results for the year ending 26 February, 2022. One Stop said it had remained “committed to building a business that helps independent retailers grow their business”.

One Stop said it would bring in new support for franchisees, with investment in store maintenance and technology such as selfservice tills.

One Stop will replace “aged systems” in stores, and develop EPoS, payroll and finance systems to be made available to franchisees in 2023. Its maintenance programme will focus on customer health and safety as well as colleague security.

New Nisa’s local fame

The opening of a Nisa in Peterborough proved to be a success, as it attracted 45-minute queues on its opening day.

The store in Southfields, Peterborough, is run by multi-site Nisa retailer Siva Thievanayagam and opened on 9 December.

The 3,000sq ft convenience store’s main features include food to go for breakfast and lunch, and fresh pizza.

Mayor of Peterborough Alan Dowson was at the opening, alongside 100 people, and announced the store would donate £1,000 to the Little Miracles Charity and Peterborough Foodbank.

NEWS & MAGS

Sunday editions on Friday

Several publishers are looking to publish their Sunday editions on the Friday before Christmas to counteract the loss of Christmas Day Sunday sales.

The Sunday Post, The Sunday People, Sunday Mercury, Wales on Sunday and Sunday Mail were all named by PaperRound as bringing forward their editions to 23 December.

Christmas Day editions of the Non-League, Football League and Rugby League papers will also be delivered on 23 December.

New Year's Day editions of these sport papers will be delivered on New Year’s Eve. PaperRound added there could be “premium pricing” on some editions.

The Sunday Post is planning a bumper edition, priced at standard Sunday rates, landing on 23 December and recalled on 26 December.

Stores will receive 75% of standard Sunday supply, but roundspeople will receive extra.

It will be promoted in editions leading up to 23 December.

Tesco cuts web mag sales

Tesco has pulled the plug on online sales of most magazine titles due to a lack of interest, according to the supermarket.

Responding to a customer that had described the ability to order magazines for delivery as a “lifeline” for elderly customers, a Tesco spokesperson said: “We’ve found the majority of magazines are being bought by customers in stores and only a very small number online.”

Seymour looks to up mag reuse to 30 million

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

Magazine distributor

Seymour is looking to increase the number of unsold copies being resold or reused to 30 million per year, with the help of independent retailers.

Speaking to publishers at a seminar this month, Seymour client services director Duncan Shearer outlined how nine million magazines returned to wholesale were redistributed to overseas markets or donated to schools through its Recycle to Read programme.

Responding to RN, Shearer said: “We’re trying to create that circular economy. We’ve spoken to some of your readership about how we might roll that out in the future with the Recycle to Read programme, we did a workshop up in Birmingham recently as well as working with the bigger multiple groups. Independents will play a pivotal role in all of this.”

Previously, ‘two-tier’ magazine resale trials with publisher Egmont had redistributed copies unsold in supermarkets to independent stores a

month later, angering store owners and The Fed. However, former Egmont staff and wholesale sources said they were unaware of an ongoing ‘two-tier’ scheme other than unsold being redistributed in Ireland.

Shearer said a barrier to the 30-million target was the high cost of redistributing titles. “At the moment, if your [magazine] production values are less than 40p, it’s not worth you doing it, it’s cost prohibitive.

“That’s not to say in the future we can’t grow the infrastructure and really ramp this up… It’s on the agenda for our longer-term plans.”

Based on current weekly sales, the 30-million target is equivalent

Smiths News and Menzies are set to help 20 pallets of children's magazines make their way to social workers, food banks and charities before Christmas

to the entire volume of magazines sold by stores in 14 weeks.

The seminar also outlined how publishers were responding to the cost-ofliving crisis. This included running heavy discounts only made available in supermarkets. Examples included ‘buy two, save £2’ and discounts for loyaltyscheme holders.

Titles with regular money-saving tips, discounts or free items were also promoted as key ways to keep cash-strapped customers purchasing magazines.

A potential risk identified was shoppers moving to Aldi or Lidl, which stock no and little magazines, respectively.

In response, Shearer said publishers such as Egmont

were pushing customers towards traditional supermarkets with larger ranges. “What can we do to encourage customers into retailers that are important to us?” he explained.

While supermarkets were the ones bagging exclusive deals and advertising support from publishers, the latest data shows convenience stores still have a greater importance for publishers than before the pandemic.

Sales figures covering early December from rival distributor Marketforce show the market share held by convenience stores remains higher than before the pandemic, accounting for nearly £1 in every £4 spent on magazines.

Reach to pull Irish Indy from UK

Reach is to quietly axe mainland UK distribution of the Irish Independent from 18 December, sources have confirmed.

RN understands the publisher informed news wholesalers at the beginning of December, but that the publisher will not be issuing a trade notification to retailers.

The title’s last ABC audit figures show approxi-

mately 7% of its copies are currently distributed in England, Wales and Scotland.

Only its Monday, Friday and weekend editions are currently distributed in the UK.

Extrapolations based on the past two years of published sales figures suggest the change could result in sales of nearly 4,400 copies per day lost

in mainland UK, worth an estimated £2.15m in annual sales for mainland UK stores.

The title was the first Irish newspaper to print abroad and in 2000 started printing UK copies in Bow, east London. Reach confirmed The Sunday World will continue publishing as normal.

The decision marks another geographic

withdrawal as publishers look to cut newspaper distribution costs.

Earlier this year, the Telegraph cut distribution to the Channel Islands, despite the Telegraph’s holding company being registered in the Channel Islands.

Distribution of some Scottish papers to England was also halted before the pandemic.

Scotland

Fed demands clarity on DRS implementation

by Helena Drakakis editorial@newtrade.co.uk

The Fed in Scotland has called on the Scottish government to end confusion over its upcoming DRS scheme and improve communication to retailers so they can plan ahead of its introduction.

In a meeting with minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity Lorna Slater, the Fed’s Scottish executive member, Ferhan Ashiq, said: “We are only months away from implementation of the scheme.

“It isn’t clear what is happening, and it takes time for shops to prepare. Retailers need better communication.”

The scheme, which enables customers to return aluminium cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles to shops, is due to be introduced in August 2023.

Retailers operating a manual scheme will receive a 2.69p handling fee, while those running a reverse vending

Wales

machine will earn 3.55p for the first 8,000 items returned each week.

The Fed was one of the few retail groups to publicly endorse the planned deposit return schemes.

However, many retailers say poor communication to date means they are still unsure about how the scheme will work in their stores.

Aleem Farooqi, president of the Fed’s Scotland district, said: “The Fed has been a long-term supporter of the scheme, but members are uncertain how it will operate and what their responsibilities may be.”

Ashiq also highlighted the need for retailers to plan ahead given the current pressures many are facing over rising energy and operating costs, leaving them uncertain about whether it is affordable.

He said: “With the cost-of-living crisis, the DRS is not foremost in our members’ minds and they are worried about the cost of changing their shops to make space for the bottles

and cans or the space and cost required for leased machines to compact the containers.”

Slater agreed to take immediate action to explore ways of ensuring a better understanding of plans.

She also welcomed the Fed’s invitation to produce clear guidance for stores.

She also confirmed that a simpler process to apply for an exemption had been put in place, and said retailers concerned about finding space to store returned bottles

and cans can negotiate with scheme administrator Circularity Scotland Limited (CSL) about how often returns are picked up from individual shops.

Last month, CSL announced a softening of the exemption criteria if a store’s footprint is 100m 2 , or smaller than 280m 2 for food-to-go premises.

Stores will also be considered for exemption if the scheme breaches other legislation, such as environmental health, food or fire safety.

Birks joins call for rates freeze

The Fed’s national president, Jason Birks, has joined 15 leading business representatives to call for a freeze to business rates ahead of the Welsh government’s budget on December 13.

The collective call comes as the government prepares to set rates and relief schemes for the 2023-24 financial year.

In the letter, signatories

have urged the government not to increase the multiplier rate.

It read: “After two turbulent years of the pandemic, the fact is, trading conditions remain challenging, the cost of doing business is spiralling, and the near-term economic outlook is weak.

“Given the decision taken in the UK Autumn Statement, we ask that,

at the very least, Welsh ministers follow suit and similarly freeze the headline business rate multiplier in the coming financial year.”

The Welsh businessrate multiplier is currently at a 23-year high, which is higher than anywhere else in the UK.

In England, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed in his autumn

statement last month that the business rates would not increase next April.

The letter, which was submitted to Welsh government finance minister Rebecca Evans, added: “We collectively believe this practical measure will be a positive step applicable to all commercial premises and help ease the burden at this difficult time.”

Scotland

Free anticrime help

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre is offering a free crime prevention survey to Fed members to offer advice on protecting their stores.

The survey is open to members who are facing problems of shoplifting, damage or antisocial behaviour and also to check that security measures are adequate to protect them.

Carole Wyllie, police constable and business resilience advisor, said: “The survey involves a walk round with the staff from the approach of the store, and a walk around the perimeter down to the store interior. We highlight areas of vulnerability and suggest remedies. The survey is free, but any alterations or amendments would be carried out at a cost to the individual.”

Any member wanting to arrange a survey should email carole.wyllie@ sbrscentre.co.uk.

Head office

1,000 new Fed members

The Fed has recruited 1,000 members, ahead of its end-of-year target, it has announced.

‘Operation 1,000’ involved the trade body’s operations team and Contact Centre calling stores, attending retail and wholesaler events and visiting existing members.

The Fed’s head of field operations, Phil Jaggard, said: “I’m very proud of the of the team. It’s great to reach this milestone before the end of 2022 and the team is working towards new targets to help more independent retailers.”

In partnership with

Minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity Lorna Slater

VIEWS

VIEW FROM THE COUNTER with Dipak and Jayshree Shah

The World Cup has helped increase our newspaper sales. Trading cards are also performing really strongly, as interest remains high while games are on. Availability has remained good, which I think is down to Panini’s latest offer of giving away a free album.

This Christmas, we will be closing on the day itself and on Boxing Day. We will then be limiting our hours on the bank holidays. We don’t have a dedicated team, but the family is now helping out as things have got a little busier, which is nice.

Evri drivers don’t have

scanners

We haven’t really noticed any disruption with our Evri parcel deliveries, as a result of the recent Royal Mail strikes.

Drivers are continuing to come in and pick up parcels on time, which is good.

What’s more, customers seem to be happy with the service, which helps us as retailers. However, I

am experiencing ongoing issues with scanners.

More often than not, Evri drivers are coming in to either pick up or drop off parcels and they don’t have access to a scanner.

They have arrived three days in a row without them, which has happened before, but not at this frequency.

This means there is no clear indication of how many packages have been handled, and it’s likely we could end up

AND CARRIES

James Bielby, chief executive, FWD

If you’re a regular visitor to the cash and carry, you may well have noticed our ‘Lock and look’ posters in the car park.

It’s an unfortunate fact that criminals occasionally target independent retailers while they are loading their vehicle and try to snatch their stock, particularly tobacco.

These posters and leaflets, distributed at the reception desk, are a reminder to customers

to take some simple precautions to protect themselves and their purchases.

FWD has been working with the Metropolitan Police and the National Business Crime Centre to raise awareness of the potential for criminal activity in this specific situation.

While it’s very rare – with just a couple of incidents a week across the UK, a figure that hasn’t increased in all

short-changed.

We aren’t getting any information as to why this is happening, either, which can be frustrating.

Customers have also been complaining their package has been delivered days ago, but it hadn’t reached the store yet.

Evri needs to be communicating better with retailers, especially at such a busy time of year.

Anonymous retailer Evri failed to respond by the time RN went to press

the years we have been recording them – it can potentially be financially devastating for a store owner to lose a week’s worth of tobacco stock.

Wholesalers do everything they can to prevent criminal activity on their premises, even bringing in measures such as employing security guards and dog patrols in the most vulnerable areas.

From our monitoring of these incidents, however, it is clear the vast majority of thefts came about because retailers gave criminals an opportunity that could easily have been avoided.

We’ve heard stories of a cash-and-carry customer leaving £6,000 in cash in plain view on the front seat of their van, and of

Two weeks ago, Camberley switched on its Christmas lights, which doubled our sales on the day. A lot of people from the town came out and used us to buy supplies throughout the event.

We are still doing well with vapes. We’ve noticed a few new brands have come onto the scene, but we are staying with our usual ones for now, and will see how they sell next year.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK

Going into next year, many retailers will be concerned about rising prices. The margins of price-marked packs have taken a hit this year, but we will be continuing to stock a lot of them where we can, as long as the margin is still profitable for us. Customers know us for this offering, and we want to ensure we can continue giving them that.

someone else leaving a trolley-load of cigarettes and alcohol unattended beside their vehicle while they went back inside to collect another trolley.

Our new leaflet, which has been endorsed by the police, has three very simple pieces of advice for shop owners when visiting depots: always lock your vehicle; don’t leave stock unattended; and look out for anyone watching you.

Depot staff will help you with all of these.

In the very unlikely event you are unlucky enough to be a victim of crime despite these precautions, it’s essential you report it to your wholesaler and the local police because that’s how we stop it happening to someone else.

Have you had old vaping stock go out of date or be swapped out by a rep this year?

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION

Has the World Cup increased your sales?

WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT CRIME AT CASH

NewstrAid Cost of Living Crisis Fund

Created in response to the current Cost of Living Crisis, the fund offers grants of up to £250 per household to help bridge the gap between income and costs for anyone with a newstrade connection. That means people who work or have previously worked in the sale and distribution of newspapers and magazines for a minimum of 2 years, full time.

CAROLYN THOMSON REGIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, SBF GB&I

The Javeds’ store has a great range with lots of variety to meet their customers’ needs. They have become an integral part of the community and have plans to extend their store, so they can expand their offering even further while still considering their environmental impact.

They have already implemented some fantastic measures to make their store more sustainable and save money, including fitting doors to one of their chillers to be more energy efficient. They also plan to change the shop layout to allow more space for additional chiller doors.

The store extension will feature a new carpark to allow for easier customer access. As part of this, the Javeds are looking to install up to five electric car charging units to cater for their sustainabilityconscious customers. Jawad has also been looking into the potential of electric delivery vehicles to help reduce emissions.

Finally, the Javeds have already installed LED lights throughout the store to reduce energy consumption and are investigating panels as another way to make their store more sustainable. In a recent project with another retailer, our calculations have shown that installing LED panelled lighting can slash retailers’ lighting costs in half; so now is a great time for other stores to look into this option.

Carolyn Thomson from Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) visited Asiyah and Jawad Javed’s store, Day Today, in Stenhousemuir to find out what sustainability means to them, and what they are doing to reduce their environmental footprint.

THE LOWDOWN ON DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEMES

The Scottish Government is due to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme in summer 2023. The aims of the scheme are to increase the recycling rate of drinks containers and reduce littering. We’re passionate advocates for effective Deposit Return Schemes, but we also know their impact will be one of the biggest changes in shopper behaviour in generations so we’re here to support retailers’ through any challenges.

SBF GB&I is the only major soft drinks company to have a comprehensive understanding of how shoppers are going to react to DRS following a major recent study involving almost 8,000 people. We published our findings in a white paper called Deposit Return Schemes: What’s in Store? - to help guide retailers through what the schemes mean for them and their shoppers.

The key element of DRS is that most stores that sell soft drinks will be required to take back used drinks containers. One method for collection is a reverse vending machine (RVM), which can identify the item being returned and ensure the appropriate amount of money is returned.

Asiyah and Jawad have already confirmed the location of their RVM and are feeling well prepared for the introduction of the scheme. If you would like support in getting your store ready for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, please contact your local SBF GB&I representative today.

TO SEE MORE ADVICE AROUND SUSTAINABILITY AND DRS, DOWNLOAD THE STUDY HERE, OR FOLLOW @SUNTORYBF_GBI ON TWITTER AND LINKEDIN

There are several resources available to help businesses be more sustainable: Your Local Authority will have schemes in place to support local businesses.

Find Business Support can help you access the range of support your business may be eligible for: www.findbusinesssupport.gov.scot

Business Energy Scotland provides free and impartial expertise to help small and medium-sized enterprises save money on energy: www.businessenergyscotland.org

Energy Saving Trust may help your business cut energy usage: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Get Switching provides advice and support on finding the best energy deal: www.getswitchinggroup.com

PRODUCT NEWS

Hancocks prepares for Veganuary

Hancocks is urging convenience retailers to start prepping for Veganuary sales by stocking vegan confectionery lines. Its Kingsway vegan range includes Tongue Painters, Giant Strawberries, Sour Dummies and Dracula Teeth. When it comes to merchandising, it says pick-and-mix lines can either be sold as part of a wider range, or pre-packaged with other vegan treats in bags or boxes for customers.

On sale now

Galaxy enters digestives category

Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats has unveiled Galaxy Milk Chocolate Digestives and Galaxy Orange Digestives. Available to convenience and wholesalers from March 2023, the biscuits have an RRP of £1.89, and offer a premium option in the digestives segment. The supplier said until now, there has been little challenge to the market leader, and the launch aims to appeal to a wider customer demographic.

RRP £1.89 On sale March 2023

Win a van with PepsiCo and Bestway

PepsiCo has partnered with Bestway to relaunch its ‘Win a van’ competition in the run-up to Christmas. It will offer retailers the chance to win a Ford Transit Courier Leader. Retailers have to purchase any £1.25 price-marked case of Walkers crisps and snacks for their chance to be automatically entered into the prize draw. The competition will run until 5 January 2023 and is supported by in-depot displays.

Running until 5 January 2023

Rockstar partners with Xbox

Rockstar’s partnership with Xbox will give consumers a chance to win prizes including a trial one-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. Available until 31 December, limited-edition cans will feature artwork from three popular games: Halo Infinite, Fallout and Elder Scrolls Online. Each can features a QR code that gives fans a chance to win Xbox prizes, including the Xbox Series S console.

Campaign spans on-pack Running until 31 December

Spar Christmas campaign

Spar’s text-to-win Christmas campaign encourages customers to enter to be in the chance of winning one of four big prizes. These include cash towards Christmas, fuel for a year, energy for a year or shopping at Spar for a year, with 30,000 smaller prizes also up for grabs. The competition is live now in more than 300 Blakemore Retail and independent stores across Spar’s Meridian & Welsh Guild until 1 January 2023.

Campaign spans in-store PoS materials

New soup range from Brakes

Brakes has launched a range of frozen soups under its Sysco Classic brand, offering individual portions of soups for foodservice use. The soups are all suitable for vegans and can be cooked to order by stores from frozen or defrosted for individual portions in minutes. The range consists of four varieties: Classic Spiced Winter Vegetable Soup, Classic Parsnip Soup, Classic Butternut & Sage Soup and Classic Italian Style White Bean Soup.

RRP £1.42

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

SPECIALIST CHOICE

Plant-based seafood from Seabloom

Seabloom’s plant-based seafood is made with pea protein. Its range includes Olive ‘Tuna-Free’ Flakes and Lemon ‘Tuna-Free’ Flakes.

RRP £3.65

Contact seabloomfood.com

Butterm!lk orange and truffle chocs

Plant-based chocolate brand Butterm!lk has launched Orange Choccy Segments and Choccy Truffles with Spiced Caramel.

RRP £3-£4

Contact buttermilk.co.uk

Caorunn’s cracking gin gift packs

Caorunn’s Christmas cracker gift packs come with two miniature bottles of its standard and Scottish Raspberry gin varieties.

RRP £20

Contact caorunngin.com

@PriyankaJethwa_ 020 7689 3355

priyanka.jethwa@newtrade.co.uk

Swizzels increases prices

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

Sweets manufacturer Swizzels has increased the prices of its pricemarked pack (PMP) range to help retailers manage profits during the cost-ofliving crisis.

It said that to protect, and in some cases increase retailers’ and wholesalers’ margins, its hanging confectionery £1 PMP bag will now have an RRP of £1.15. This will start to appear in wholesalers in the new year.

The supplier said with more than 53% of consumers reducing spending to pay their bills, valuefor-money confectionery continues to be a popular choice for shoppers.

Research by TWC showed that 78% of retailers agreed that PMPs demonstrate good value for money to shoppers so are particularly important for retailers to stock in the current economic climate.

Before introducing the changes, Swizzels partnered with The Fed

to conduct research among retailers to gauge their views about the future of PMPs.

Mark Walker, sales director at Swizzels, said like every other manufacturer, it was facing increased costs for everything from ingredients to packaging and transportation.

He added: “The research proved invaluable and revealed that 74% of independent retailers view PMPs as extremely important to their business, not least because they are a tangible symbol of value to customers.

“Of the retailers we surveyed, 44% said that the majority of suppliers across all categories had already moved above the £1 PMP. In fact, 75% stated that they saw slightly higher sales or no change, proving that moving above the £1 PMP is a lowrisk move.

“We also discovered that 60% of retailers were comfortable stocking a higher-priced PMP, provided their margins were

protected.”

Despite the majority of consumers saying they are reducing their spending, sales of sweets remain largely unaffected, with sugar confectionery having continued to grow at 8.9% over the past 12 weeks.

Walker explained that during tough times, sweet sales tend to remain largely unaffected. “This is probably because consumers are looking for affordable ways to cheer themselves up. We are confident that the Swizzels brand has built up sufficient goodwill over the years that sales will remain solid.

“We have placed huge value on our relationships with wholesalers and retailers for 95 years, so have thought long and hard about the next steps in the £1 PMP evolution.

“We believe the £1.15 PMP offers value for money and will protect consumer trust in tough economic times, while at the same time protecting our partners.”

Priyanka

PRICEWATCH

Behind the numbers

Yoghurt is a strong category for catering to different customers, such as families, as well as on-the-go and at-home consumers. With such a broad range of shopper occasions, it’s important retailers are pricing their ranges properly.

Retailers could stand to review their pricing of Yeo Valley Organic Natural Creamy Bio Live.

Sixty-seven per cent of retailers are charging above the most-common price of £1.85, with some going as high as £2.85. Similarly, 46% are charging above Yeo Valley Greek Style’s mostcommon price of £2.15, with some charging as much as £3.10.

Müller Corner pricing is dependent on

Ninety per cent of our fresh and chilled stock is from Londis. We take advantage of PMPs and always try to have a yoghurt on offer, such as the four-pack Müller Corner at the moment. We also stock Lancashire Farm, which sells well because it comes in 1kg tubs. We thought we’d have challenges selling it, but people are looking for value and when they’re shopping for their family, they’re looking for that size. We also have a range of kids’ yoghurts from Petit Filous and Peppa Pig. They’re merchandised at the bottom of the shelf.

format. Seventy-nine per cent of retailers charge both Vanilla Chocolate Balls & Banana Chocolate Flakes and Strawberry & Peach Apricot six-packs at their most-common price of £2, while 44% are selling Strawberry singles at above their most-common price of 85p, with some charging up to £1.29.

Samantha Coldbeck

We have about one metre of yoghurts alongside milk and desserts. I think it’s quite crucial, with people looking at healthy eating for breakfasts. It’s a good topping for anything muesliwise or can go quite well on its own. Different sizes are important. We quite often have 500ml pots on offer and then run a multibuy for smaller packs. We get the majority of our chilled and frozen from Booker Retail Partners and then we pick up from the branch if there are availability issues, but it’s quite secure as far as that’s concerned.

7689

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

ORGANIC GREEK STYLE NATURAL 450G £1.29 £2.15 £3.10

NOMADIC YOGURT & OAT CLUSTERS STRAWBERRY 169G £1 £1.25 £1.69 ONKEN NATURAL SET 500G £1.25 £1.75 £1.99

STORE ADVICE

Beating the January blues

The general sentiment among many retailers is that January 2023 will be the month when the effects of the costof-living crisis will really be felt. So far, the World Cup and Christmas have kept customers’ confidence high, with spending and footfall still going strong, but when they’re over and the new year begins, retailers aren’t expecting as much spend from their customers.

“At the moment, it’s very much Christmas as normal for our customers,” says Dean Holborn, from Holborns in Redhill, Surrey. “But I think January will be a different matter and people will be thinking more about energy bills, where they’re going shopping and what they’re spending. I have no high

expectations for January.”

However, there is also hope that there will be an increase in footfall as customers eschew lengthy and more expensive trips to the supermarket in the cold and instead top up what they need from local stores on a day-to-day basis. Just as stores have seen increased alcohol sales this Christmas as people have saved money by avoiding pubs and bars, in January the avoidance of ‘the big shop’ could also play into their hands. This means retailers need to be focusing their attentions on attracting these customers with good promotions, product ranges, deals and pack sizes.

“It sounds weird, but convenience retailers should be milking it because if people are feeling the

pinch, they should be shopping local ly more often,” says Mike Nicholls, from Costcutter Dringhouses in York. “In January, you should be preparing yourself for Easter and keeping your store nice and interesting. I find if I do that, January sales can be quite good.”

January is also the time to step up Easter promotions, with most retailers already filling their shelves with Easter stock before Christmas.

“Our Easter stock is already out and we carry Christmas gift chocolates right through to Valentine’s Day,” says Kelly Busby, from Seaborn Stores in Morecambe, Lancashire.

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

January is traditionally a tricky month for convenience stores. The RN team finds out what retailers are expecting next year and how they’re preparing

To

If people are feeling the pinch, they should be shopping locally more often

MIKE NICHOLLS

Look at your alcohol section

As well as taking some wellearned time off after a busy Christmas, Dean Holborn, from Holborns in Redhill, Surrey, will be using January to examine sections in both of his stores to evaluate what changes he could make to them.

“There’s a small structural change that needs attention in the alcohol section in the Redhill store,” he says. “If I have to shut for a few days in January to sort it out, that’s not the hardest month to be shut compared to December or July. The plan is to get this work done in January.”

The potential closure of his alcohol section doesn’t concern Holborn much, with Dry January expected to cause a reduction in alcohol sales anyway. He will also find out what promotions he can offer his customers.

“Our wholesalers are pretty good at having good deals on in January because it’s a tough month,” he adds.

Focus on the top-up shop

Contrary to the prevailing view, Mike Nicholls says January is a solid month for his Costcutter Dringhouses store in York. “It’s not the best, but it’s not bad, either,” he says. He finds his customers turn to his store as they look to cut back on spending post-Christmas and shop on an ‘as and when’ basis.

Nicholls says having focused offers that stand out can keep customer interest high. “We cut our offers back, so the ones in store are strong and mean something,” he says. “People want to buy pet food if it’s competitive. We get seasonal products like Creme Eggs at the tills, and household goods because people start cleaning.”

He adds that retailers need to reframe their views of early-year trading. “I’ve seen stores run stocks down because they think sales will drop, but you should be encouraging people to use your store.”

STORE ADVICE

Time for a product range refresh

A quiet January gives Kelly Busby a chance to tidy up her Seaborn Stores in Morecambe, Lancashire, and sort through her stock after Christmas. It’s a chance to assess what’s worked, what’s not working, and what’s new and potentially worth introducing.

“We get everything squared away after Christmas. If there’s stuff to move around, we’ll look at that,” she says. “Quite often there are product launches coming through, so we’ll look at them. We look at the EPoS data and see what lines can go to make room for new stuff.”

Busby is also working towards a store refit and will use January to work out what’s happening in the economy without the distraction of Christmas.

“We’ll be looking at the lines and finances to find out what the best way to go will be,” she says. “It’s an opportunity to see if it’s the right time now or whether we need to sit tight.”

Think about delivery

With the weather cold and people already embedded with delivery culture, Anish Panchmatia, of Spar Wylde Green in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, is using January to look at his delivery service because he expects online sales to be a huge part of his business in the immediate future, but longer term as well, as fuel prices continue to rise.

“We’ve partnered with DeliveryDrop, a relatively new company that means we don’t have to use our own drivers, but the price increases aren’t like the 30% increases you get with Deliveroo or Uber Eats,” he says. “Their promotions are strong – if you spend £20 on your first delivery, you get £15 off. That means you’re helping people and giving them better value in the cost-of-living crisis.

“I’d rather be proactive than reactive. It’s about getting ahead and letting people know that if they’re struggling to fill up their car, we can get their groceries to them.” l

COLUMNIST

Andrew Thornton

Twit-in-chief has lost plot

Ihave been watching the drama unfolding at Twitter with horror, while at the same time thinking what a great TV series or film this would make.

It’s easy to forget that the people who work – or worked – at Twitter are ordinary human beings just like you and me.

The Musk basic mode of operating is that of fear: threats, work long hours at high intensity, come to the office (you can work at home as well if you want, but you must do 40-plus hours in the office first), getting your coding checked by Tesla engineers to see if it’s any good… It’s no wonder a large percentage of those who weren’t made redundant in his first round of cuts quit voluntarily.

Those who stay just won’t be able to do their best; humans thrive by feeling safe and wanted – not when being bullied.

It amazes me that despite all the research to the contrary, leaders like Musk think this approach to management gets the best out of people.

L et me quote John Lennon:

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement and acceptance.

“ We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and openhearted vision of people who embrace life.”

The ‘heart’ way of running a business is love-based. While some people say love has no place in business, why would you not want to have a business full of people that love and care for each other and their customers, who embrace life and are fearless, passionate and excited?

G oing back to Musk, things need to change at Twitter. What if he engaged with people rather than made all the decisions himself, encouraged rather than threatened people, and listened rather than yelled?

I have huge admiration for what Musk has done with Tesla. He has revolutionised

* The fear antidote

+ HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED bosses from the Musk School of Management in your career? How did you feel, and how did they affect you? On the other side, what about a boss you may have had who was much more love-based? Can I suggest you make some notes on the differences between the two, how it made you feel and how you performed as a result. Look at the characteristics of the ‘love’ boss and see what you can learn and use in how you manage your people. How can you listen more? Appreciate more? Be more vulnerable?

the automotive industry and made a huge contribution towards the elusive goal of net zero, but I can’t help wondering how much more he might achieve if he approached his team in a more heart-centred way.

P eople often compare Musk to Steve Jobs, but I believe the late Apple boss had an extraordinary ability to listen.

It is said that when you were with Jobs, you felt you were the most important person in the world (to him). There is no faster way to getting some to open up than to properly listen to them.

Having spent $44bn buying Twitter, will Musk’s approach now destroy it? This would be a shocking waste of money, but it’s his money to waste.

What concerns me is the negative impact on the lives of the people who work for him. I believe that as a leader, I have a responsibility towards anyone who works for me.

Andrew Thornton is the former owner of Thornton’s Budgens, founder of Heart in Business and co-author of ‘Putting the Heart Back into Business’, available for purchase now from heartinbusiness.org/book

Elon Musk’s fear-based approach has made him billions, but how much more might he achieve if he loved his staff?

Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and openhearted vision of people who embrace life

EASTER IMPULSE

Get ready for Easter

Another year has nearly passed, and it’s time to look ahead to the major occasions for 2023.

Next year features the Women’s Football World Cup and the Men’s Rugby World Cup, but retailers still need to focus on traditional seasonal events, with Easter ranking among the biggest.

It’s also one that seems to be popular with customers despite the cost-of-living crisis. According to GlobalData’s Easter Intentions survey, 38% of UK shoppers say they expect to spend more on Easter compared with pre-pandemic (2019).

Sales were also strong this year. Jason Sutherland, UK & Ireland sales director at Ferrero, says the Ferrero Rocher Easter collection had annual growth of 10.8%. This may be partly due to the season

lasting two weeks longer than in 2021, giving retailers a longer window to sell relevant prod ucts. However, some Easter prod ucts are popular with shoppers right after Christmas. Sutherland says it’s important to consider the variety of Easter shopper mis sions to maximise sales.

“Easter brings with it an in creased number of confectionery purchase opportunities – both as gifts for all ages and as self-treat ing. It is important that retailers cater for various requirements ahead of Easter,” he says.

At this time of year, many retail ers are gearing up for last-minute Christmas sales, but for some, smaller Easter lines are already factoring into their ranges. Fer rero says the ‘early season’, which is when retailers should start to

people looking for treats, begins around seven or eight weeks before Easter, while Mondelez International recommends a ‘fast start’ phase from January to Valentine’s Day, stocking products such as Creme Eggs and Cadbury Mini Eggs. However, some stores see strong sales from unleashing certain stock as soon as it is available, even if that’s before Christmas has passed.

Mondelez already supplied us with our Creme Eggs a month ago,”

As Christmas comes and goes, Jasper Hart asks if it is ever too early to start stocking Easter products

EASTER IMPULSE

says Jey Sivapalan, of 1 Stop Go Local in Derby. “They sell well alongside Christmas stock.” Meanwhile, Ushma Amin, of Londis North Cheam in Sutton, Surrey, is anticipating the arrival of impulse Easter stock. “Sometimes we get Creme Eggs in just before Christmas, and I put them on display as soon as I get them,” she says. “Because a lot of people give them away as presents, they are fond of them and they work as a stocking filler.”

CREME EGG IS KING

Across all the retailers RN spoke to for this article, one Easter impulse product is on everyone’s lips: the Cadbury Creme Egg. Amin says it has outgrown its traditional Easter association to be a strong seller for as long as it’s available.

“It’s the only product that comes in now, and then other lines come in by February. They generally stick around until the end of summer then start dying down, but they’ve definitely become more popular beyond Easter,” she says.

The lead-up to Easter sees retailers having to balance their ranges with catering for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day in fairly quick succession, but Creme Eggs have a place in Amin’s store regardless.

The product’s positioning as a small, permissible treat is fairly recession-proof as people look for small pleasures. Once Valentine’s Day has passed, Amin supplements her small eggs range with Cadbury Oreo and Caramel lines.

For 2023, there’s added excitement around the return of Cadbury’s ‘How

We start straight after Christmas, as soon as our presale comes through. We start with Creme Eggs by the till, then get the larger gifting eggs in closer to the weekend itself. We find that Creme Eggs sell throughout the year, not just leading up to Easter. We’d stock them all year round, but we can’t get them after a point.

I’d say 70% of our stock comes from the presell and 30% is us topping up with deliveries and cash-and-carry visits. Because of space, we have to balance throughout the year, with one section for Valentine’s Day, then Mother’s Day, and another for Easter.

do you not eat yours?’ campaign. Set to return after a popular run at the start of this year. The promotion features a small number of Creme Eggs made of half-milk chocolate and halfwhite chocolate. If customers buy one of these and share a picture of it, they can win up to £10,000. There’s also incentive for retailers to get involved, with more than 20 Amazon vouchers available for any who end up stocking a special egg, with a top prize of £1,000.

This time around, Mondelez has accompanied the campaign with the launch of a Cadbury White Creme Egg, which the supplier is hoping will attract shoppers and drive incremental sales. It has already sparked excitement on social media as part of a multipack available to Farmfoods, so between the launch

Dilmeet Singh Londis Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire

RETAILER VIEWPOINT

Creme Eggs stick around from now until the end of summer

EASTER IMPULSE

The three Easter ‘phases’, according to Jason Sutherland, UK & Ireland sales director, Ferrero

l PHASE 1 – ‘Early season’ (approx. seven or eight weeks before Easter): This is the ideal time for retailers to start driving awareness with Mini Eggs and impulse products with people looking for little treats for during the day, such as the Ferrero Collection Crispy Eggs in Hazelnut/Cocoa flavours.

l PHASE 2 – ‘Mid-season’ (four weeks before Easter): This is when we really begin to think about Easter and will start to purchase gifts for the big day. Retailers should ensure smaller eggs and models are now displayed. Smaller eggs and figures like the Thorntons Bunny 90g, Kinder Moulded Bunny 75g and Kinder Surprise 100g will engage shoppers from the start of the season through to the main event, while bigger, more extravagant offerings will catch the eye with their fun designs. Some may even consume these products before Easter, offering another opportunity for re-purchase before the weekend itself.

and the return of a popular consumer campaign, Creme Eggs are set to be more important than usual this coming Easter.

Multi-site Costcutter retailer Peter Patel says Mini Eggs are also important early impulse sellers, now bolstered by the launch of the Mini Eggs tablet bar.

THE HFSS EFFECT

One group of retailers that isn’t looking at the long-term benefits of early Easter impulse stocking is those affected by the arrival of HFSS legislation. Patel has drastically changed his Easter presell for his Costcutter Mantle Road store in Brockley, south London, which falls under the legislation.

“We’ve kept impulse lines to a minimum because our seasonal bay isn’t near the counter – we’ve probably halved the amount we’d order previously,” he says. “We won’t be getting the same impulse sales for them and also they’re easy lines to steal. People can put them in their pocket or up their sleeves, whereas

they’d normally be by the counter in a HOD unit. Instead they’ll be mixed in with shell eggs.”

Currently, Patel has non-food Christmas items by his till, such as wrapping paper and cards, and is hoping to shift to compliant snack bars in the new year. The legislation has had a permanent impact on the quantity of seasonal impulse stock he buys, however.

Conversely, for the large number of unaffected convenience stores, Sutherland says the legislation can work in their favour.

“For smaller locations, which could be exempt from HFSS regulations, it presents a big opportunity,” he says. “With supermarkets and bigger convenience stores unable to display confectionery in the same way at the front of store, smaller shops can become a hub for treats – and provides them with the opportunity to merchandise their store in the most effective way to increase sales.

Chocolate is massive at Easter, so making a powerful Easter display can offer a vital boost.” l

l PHASE 3 – ‘The main event’: In the week run ning up to Easter, the demand is very much for Easter Eggs and confectionery of all sizes, as these are the ones to be given as gifts and to share. Retailers should ensure their range of eggs appeals to the whole family as well as being at different prices, with treats such as the Ferrero Rocher Collection Boxed Egg (240g) and Thorntons Continental Egg (257g) appeal ing to shoppers looking for a more premium option.

VALENTINE’S DAY

Prepare for Valentine’s Day 2023

Tamara Birch explores how retailers display Valentine’s Day products in store and how they anticipate it changing

Valentine’s Day is the first seasonal occasion after Christmas, and while not as large a celebration, is a key opportunity for stores to boost spend.

Having a dedicated Valentine’s Day display ensures customers aren’t left disappointed.

Alison Greenow, of Pugh’s Hayon-wye (Londis) in Herefordshire, creates a display of chocolate and wine. “Most of our customers are elderly, so we don’t have a large display, but we do put out chocolate and wine,” she says.

According to Greenow, the success of Valentine’s Day depends on customer priorities. “Our customers tend to have different priorities and would rather stay in than go

out,” Greenow adds.

“But we do promote our red and white wine ranges during Valentine’s Day, though, as our customers react positively to that.”

Nishi Patel, of Londis Bexley Park in Dartford, Kent, is in a residential area and says Valentine’s Day is popular among his customers.

He says: “We do a pre-order for ‘Valentine’s Day’ chocolates and we use a supplier who specialises in seasonal products. We also go to town with flowers. This year, we bought 150 bunches from a local supplier, which is delivered the week of and sold at £10 a bunch.”

Next year, Patel plans to monitor how sales are in January before determining how many flowers to buy from the local florist. “There’s a lot

of uncertainty right now – customers need to cut back on spending, especially after Christmas,” he says.

“Our flower prices will depend on what we order. This year was expensive, but we kept the RRP the same. I don’t know how it will go, but customers will spend less.”

It’s hard to predict how the costof-living crisis will impact buying habits on smaller seasonal occasions, such as Valentine’s Day.

Jason Sutherland, UK & Ireland sales director at Ferrero UK, says people will want to show they love and care, especially when it comes to giving gifts.

Sutherland says: “People love to show they care when giving gifts and often choose to do so with brands they know and love.”

RETAILER VIEWPOINT

Nishi Patel

Londis Bexley Park, Dartford, Kent

We’ve made some provisions with our seasonal stock for next year and have really cut things down, including the bigger ones like Easter. To help spend and aid convenience, we have a seasonal section on our delivery, so we’ll put all our Valentine’s Day stock on there, including our flowers. We do this for all seasons – for example, adding tubs on the app for Christmas. Valentine’s Day is a good seasonal time for us, though.

TOP TIPS TO PREPARING FOR VALENTINE’S DAY 2023

1. FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE

Many customers will want to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But as budgeting will be a main mission for most, offer value lines within your Valentine’s Day range. Similarly, strike a balance by including some premium options for those who want to treat the person they are buying for.

OFFERING VALUE OUTSIDE OF PRICE DROPS

Value missions are rising, but it’s possible to offer value outside of reducing your prices. For example, retailers can start driving linked purchases.

Sarj Patel, from Pasture Lane Stores in Sutton Bonnington, Loughborough, stocks rosé wine and chocolates together.

“We have them on a display by the counter, so people see them when they pay,” Patel says. “We’ll also do a couple of posts on Facebook reminding customers of the date. We’ll do one at the beginning of the week and a second a few days before, so we don’t bombard them.”

“Each spring event also presents an opportunity to maximise instore basket spend through crosscategory promotions and focal displays,” says Ferrero’s Sutherland. “For example, displaying bouquets alongside boxed confectionery for Valentine’s Day.”

It’s also important to note Valentine’s Day is no longer exclusively

2. BE NOTICEABLE

Build a strong display in a highly visible area that is dedicated to Valentine’s Day. Use a seasonal end that was used for Christmas to promote the season. It might not seem like much, but customers passing by the store will see it and bring the season front of mind.

3. MARKET EFFECTIVELY

Many retailers say ‘shout about what you do’, which applies to any Valentine’s Day promotions or ranges. Make sure to use social media to regularly post about Valentine’s Day and what you’re doing. For a sales boost, post about ‘Galentine’s Day’, which falls on 13 February.

for couples. Children buy gifts for their parents and friends celebrate their friendship. In fact, ‘Galentine’s Day’ – on 13 February – has been gaining traction for the past few years.

‘Galentine’s Day’ aims to celebrate women and female friendships, and can be a strong sales opportunity for retailers. Due to the cost-of-living crisis, those participating in ‘Galentine’s Day’ and Valentine’s Day are unlikely to go out, so retailers can boost sales by offering a full meal solution and other linked purchases, such as wine or spirits.

Suppliers recommend ensuring each spring event, such as Valentine’s Day, is tailored individually to maximise visibility for shoppers.

“We also recommend retailers promote the occasion in store up to three or four weeks before it takes place,” Sutherland says. “For example, using in-store displays that display the specific date is a great way to remind people of the big day, as some people don’t recall the date.” l

What products to stock

Stock traditional products designed for Valentine’s Day, but remember to include linked purchases.

CHOCOLATE

Chocolate is often bought on any seasonal occasion and can be the most cost-effective option. Purchasing chocolate as a gift isn’t just for those buying for their significant others, but also can be for families buying for parents. Premium chocolates can help boost spend and encourage trade-up.

FLOWERS

Flowers are a go-to on Valentine’s Day to show gratitude for your significant other, loved ones or your friend. You don’t need to stock a wide range of flowers, but make sure they stand out for customers buying them and to bring the occasion front of mind.

GREETINGS CARDS

A long tradition of Valentine’s Day, stocking greetings cards can help boost spend. From a sustainability perspective, make sure these are recyclable, if possible.

ALCOHOL

While some will be saving the pennies following Christmas and the ongoing costof-living crisis, others will treat themselves and their loved ones, so it’s worth making sure availability is high on key lines,such as prosecco.

Retailers should promote the occasion in store up to three or four weeks before it takes place

Gift boxes are in high demand – make sure they are visible to customers

30-MINUTE TASKS

Small tasks, big improvements

Charles Whitting finds out how retailers can create positive in-store impacts in only half an hour

The life of an independent convenience retailer is busy enough as it is without adding time-consuming tasks to the day-to-day running of their store or to wider strategic planning. And in times such as these, with rising prices and continuing availability issues, many retailers would agree they don’t have the time or money to invest in any large-scale projects to improve their store.

However, there is truth to the saying that it’s better to improve every part of a business by 1% than one part of it by 30%.

By identifying smaller, manageable and – most importantly – achievable tasks to take on, retailers can see big improvements in their store without sacrificing lots of time, energy or money.

ONE-OFF EXERCISES

There are some 30-minute tasks

that have the best impact if they are done on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. But there are also thought experiments and dataanalysis exercises that need only be done once or twice, and can have an enormous impact on your thinking for the rest of the year. Finding more efficient ways to look at your EPoS data – or finding an EPoS system that provides you with better, faster or more digestible information – will not only save you time spent looking at your screen, it has the potential to streamline how you run your business.

With the National Living Wage going up again in 2023, Dave Hiscutt, from Londis Westham Road in Weymouth, Dorset, has invested in a new EPoS system that produces an hourly sales report. Included in this is gross profit per hour, something he hadn’t had access to previously.

30 mins

The time it takes to declutter the store

“We’ve gone through all five sites and it’s given us a really good insight into how we schedule our shifts,” he says. “It’s opened our eyes to some of our more marginal stores to find the efficiencies within it, whether it’s reviewing opening times or staffing numbers. It’s one of the reasons we chose to go with that report. It took no more than half an hour to run the report, compare it to our staff rota and see where we can make efficiencies.

“It was the most productive halfhour I’ve spent for a while. It really makes a big difference to your bottom line. Staff will always tell you the store is busy, but if you can look at the facts and delve into the data, you can better work out what the amount of hours should be.”

A s well as looking in store, retailers could spend a worthwhile 30 minutes considering the world outside their own four walls. While most retailers will know the customer demographics within 300 metres of their own store, it is also important to look further afield and closer in at the same time. By examining who’s living close to your store and who’s actually doing their shopping with you, it’s possible to reassess your ranging to make it more appropriate for that local audience.

“It may well be you’re attracting

sales. Understand that 300-metre catchment – the type of people, their journeys, their lifestyles, their children’s schools. There’s a lot you can look at to work out how people are living their lives. Then ask yourself if you’re set up to meet those needs.

“Go through a little checklist that you think your catchment is doing and then take a good look at your shop and ask if you’re really meeting their needs. Just because you’ve received an offer from a wholesaler on a product, it doesn’t mean that it would meet your catchment’s needs.”

R EGULAR HALF- HOUR JOBS

A s well as these occasional halfhour deep delves, retailers can also spend a short amount of time doing tasks on a more regular basis to make those incremental improvements that all add up to bigger savings and profits or reduced wastage.

“ The focus has got to be on being a really good retailer,” says David Gilroy, founder of Store Excel. “Going into next year, you’ve got to get the basics right. That’s what it’s all about. You’ve got to have stock because availability is so important. And that’s not as easy as it sounds. Service has to be great. It yields benefits and doesn’t cost anything but time.”

When it comes to availability,

30-MINUTE TASKS

what your spreadsheets are saying is critically important to ensure you are keeping on top of potential thefts, potential growths in demand and potential wastage – all of which can have a major impact on your bottom line.

“One thing I would do on a daily basis is the stock check,” suggests retail expert Steve Denham. “Get your staff involved as well, but you want to make sure the data is right because that impacts displays, what you’re buying and what you’re selling. We all lose stock to sticky fingers and other losses, so making sure the stock on the scanning system is right means your data is actually going to be usable.”

The amount of stock a store holds at any one time can be jawdropping, but Denham recommends chopping everything up into smaller, half-hour categories and sub-categories that can be gone through in a process, with topselling lines and sub-categories revisited more regularly.

TAKING THE STORE TO THE NEXT LEVEL

A s well as looking at the stock, retailers should look to spend that little bit of extra time analysing the store itself. After the busy period of Christmas, where the store may well have seen increased footfall and plenty of bulky, decorative displays, giving the place a regular once-over will ensure it always looks its best for your customers.

“ Take half an hour occasionally to declutter the store,” says Gilroy. “After Christmas, they’re usually

sure all your Christmas PoS has gone. Make sure that what’s up now is fresh, good and relevant. It seems obvious, but they’re not always implemented well.”

The store needs to be evolving constantly to better reflect the changing seasons, upcoming events and customer preferences. To ensure this happens correctly, Gilroy recommends regular and complete reappraisals of the store with “objective eyes”. With value becoming increasingly important, retailers can look into getting bigger pack formats – particularly for non-perishable items – and displaying them prominently around the store.

“It’s a great way of offering value and you can often acquire the stock yourself from all sorts of places and at good prices,” says Gilroy.

“I’ve seen nine-pack toilet rolls or

For my stores, it’s about making sure we have enough stock, and that the store is neat and clean. We’ve had issues getting stock recently, with price changes and price-marked packs not coming in on time. I have a 12sq ft storeroom and I keep hold of the stock level in there. It can be difficult for my colleagues to keep on top of things when it’s been busy, so I keep a regular eye on it and if something on the shelves has emptied, I can make sure someone goes and checks the stockroom.

This morning, I might have ordered some extra stock, but I took time and found eight or nine lines I didn’t need to order because they’re sitting in the back. Aligning the stock on the shelves and in the storeroom is a daily task.

Having a tidy store has such a big impact on customers. You need to make sure the floor has been mopped, there are no spare items scattered on the floor, and there’s room for pushchairs and wheelchairs to get through. You need to see if there are any shelves or fridges that need cleaning. We do a proper clean two or three times a week.

Making sure data is right impacts displays, what you’re buying and what you’re selling

Value Centre Whitley Bay Limited, Tyne and Wear

six-pack kitchen rolls, larger packs of detergents, catering-size teabags – you’ve got to gear it towards the area you’re trading in, but it offers value and is a differentiator.”

epending on your store’s location and subsequent customer demographic, Gilroy recommends researching and implementing a delivery service for your store. “It could bring in more business and a lot of stores that are doing

30 mins

without shelling out thousands. It can be time-consuming, though.”

owever, by setting up rotas, objectives and website updates, retailers can turn the delivery behemoth into a series of smaller tasks in a similar way to the running of their rest of the store.

Additionally, it is always worth taking half an hour to sit down with a sales rep when they come

into the store. Building up a rapport with them will not only provide you with insights on wider customer trends and product launches, but can also ensure you are better placed to benefit from any deals, promotions or trials that the supplier might be running. Similarly, taking the time to arrange a halfhour conversation with an energy supplier, a store equipment company or an energysaving expert could save hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds in the current costof-living crisis. And, of course, it shouldn’t take much more than half an hour to read RN cover to cover for all the latest product launches, news and insights.

There are only so many hours in the day for retailers, but by dedicating a half-hour here and there to certain important aspects of the store, it’s possible to not just ensure standards are maintained, but also to make changes and improvements that have a positive impact on sales, efficiencies and customer loyalty.

SOME HALF-HOUR TASKS TO THINK ABOUT

• Cleaning the store: Cleanliness and hygiene are so important in this industry and have a huge impact on customers’ opinions of your store. Weekly, bigger deep cleans are necessary, but retailers can also look at taking on smaller tasks that still make a big difference. “Sweep the outside of the store or even hose it down,” suggests David Gilroy. “Clean the windows, clean the door and clean the fascia. Dust and wipe inside as well. It smartens the store up and doesn’t take much time or money.”

• Mechanical updates: Whether it’s your fridges, freezers or light fittings, there is plenty of mechanical and electrical equipment in your store. By taking half an hour to check on all of them, retailers can ensure their stores are well lit and the machines are running effectively and –importantly in a cost-of-living crisis – efficiently.

• Looking at the till: The counter doesn’t just represent a prime selling space for retailers, it’s also one of the few places in a store that every customer will interact with. Therefore, taking the time to make that space look right will not just increase impulse purchases at the till, but potentially customer loyalty as well. “Everyone wants their products to be at the till, so it tends to get cluttered up with nonsense. But if it’s a cluttered mess, then people will notice and form a subconscious opinion as they walk in,” says Gilroy. “It needs to look like it has a purpose.” l

PANCAKE DAY

Pancake Day is a big sales op portunity for convenience re tailers, and a chance to push sales of grocery items, such as flour, eggs and milk, that other wise wouldn’t receive a prominent display in store.

Done correctly, it can also give retailers the chance to get creative with their food-to-go offering, with many choosing to push their pan cakes range on social media to gain traction ahead of the big day.

PANCAKE PROMOTION

Creative ways to liven up Pancake

AJ Singh, of Premier Morley in Leeds, has already jumped on the bandwagon, and earlier this month, posted a video on TikTok of his pancake offer. He tells RN he is already selling fresh pancakes in store and through delivery services for £2.99.

“Whenever we offer something like this in store, we equally make the effort to push it online. By promoting things like this on social media platforms such as TikTok, we’re now earning £15,000 per week online, and the target is to reach £20,000 by the new year.

“The pancake promotion will hopefully help us meet this goal. We’re doing around £5,000 per week on desserts online and in store now,” he says.

Creative use of social media will help entice customers to come and check out your pancake offer, and with ‘foodie’ trends generally taking off on platforms such as TikTok, people tend to use this to judge whether what you are offering is appealing or not.

Ben McKechnie, managing director at Epicurium, says retailers considering posting on social media for the first time need to first take a look at their shoppers and create a customer profile. He says retailers should know their demographic, which includes things like age and type of customer – student or office worker – and then select the right social media platform for that market – whether that’s TikTok, Instagram or Facebook.

“Content is key no matter the platform, so take the time to create a reel or video that educates and engages the audience, this will perform better than a static product image,” he stresses.

Kenton Burchell, trading director at Bestway Wholesale, says when it comes to in-store displays, retailers should use a main location to create a theme for Pancake Day using PoS window displays, banners and

shelf talkers, directing customers to where they can find the products.

“Retailers need to ensure necessary supplies are in place leading up to Pancake Day to accommodate their customers’ needs and for those on last-minute Pancake Day missions. They should also display promotional materials to attract commuters and regular customers to increase revenue,” adds Burchell.

WHEN TO GET STARTED

For those stores who aren’t able to offer an early pancake food-to-go service like Singh, there are plenty of other ways to create excitement in store closer to the time in preparation for Lent.

Burchell says Pancake Day should

be promoted in the beginning of February, but the best time to promote the occasion is on the day itself in the morning, when customers visit for impulse purchases and topup missions.

This first involves mak ing sure you have good availability of core pancake ingredients, including milk, eggs, sugar, lemon, spreads such as Nutella and Pip & Nut, readyto-eat options like the Rustlers

All Day Breakfast Pancake Stack, and pancake mix.

When looking at toppings, it’s important to offer a balance between own-label and branded items – this will help increase sales opportunities and target a larger customer base.

McKechnie says the wholesaler has seen a trend toward Pancake Day as a ‘small indulgence’ at home.

“When times are tough, people will look to these little moments to replace more expensive activities such as meals out. Products like the Pip & Nut range offer an economical way to liven up a pancake in an easyto-make way. Pancake Day doesn’t need to be about the traditional lemon and sugar topping,” he says.

Creative toppings like this, he explains, will turn a standard pancake into an ‘Insta-worthy’ option. “There is also a continued trend toward nondairy alternatives, such as oat milk,” adds McKechnie.

He says it’s important to allow customers to pick everything up from one display. He adds: “Add in some ‘of the moment’ brands and hit key food trends – particularly non-dairy and vegan options. Inspire a customer’s creative side by suggesting new product combinations and matching complimentary ideas.” l

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

Opportunity of the week

GAL-DEM

This annual magazine for women of colour from marginalised genders has just published its latest issue. Its editor-in-chief reveals the opportunity for independent retailers in stocking it

Suyin Haynes Editor-in-chief, Gal-dem

What’s the idea behind the magazine?

Gal-dem is an awardwinning magazine and media platform committed to sharing the perspectives of people of colour from marginalised genders.

Since 2015, we have been dedicated to this mission, empowering emerging and underrepresented journalists and creatives to tell their stories autonomously.

Our storytelling is through three main mediums: our annual print edition, our digital site and social channels, and through podcasting.

What’s your target audience?

We’re accessible to everyone, but will always centre people of colour from marginalised genders.

Although we’re a relatively young brand, our cultural impact and influence is huge. Our audience is mostly under 35 years old and are based in the UK; 20% are under 24.

They are generally selfdefined as women and people of marginalised genders beyond binary terms.

What coverage do you have coming up that stockists should be aware of?

Our annual print edition was released last month.

It’s on the theme of utopia/ dystopia and is a collection of our community’s thoughts, feelings and stories from 2022. We also publish daily on gal-dem. com across our six sections: politics, life, first-person, culture, music and climate.

How important are print and traditional retail to the title?

Crucial. The print magazine acts as the physical Gal-dem archive. It’s so important for us that we work with our creatives to document the issues, thoughts and experiences that are affecting the communities we represent, to record and preserve these perspectives for years to come.

Print complements our daily coverage and is an

opportunity to highlight the best of our journalism, storytelling and creativity.

Why should independent retailers stock it?

Gal-dem’s print magazine provides a unique perspective. The product of months of work, it’s an opportunity for our communities to see themselves and their stories reflected in the pages, sparking joy, inspiration, healing and action.

For wider audiences, it’s a site for learning, understanding and empathy. Within its pages, we can share our multitudes through our lenses, unfiltered and in our own voices, with beautiful design and illustration.

When you see it on the shelf, you immediately feel how much love and care has gone into it. In the fast-paced world of digital media we live in, that’s a really special feeling.

Financial support for newstrade families who are unable to meet the costs associated with their children’s pastimes.

Freephone: 0800 917 8616

In partnership with

GUEST COLUMNIST

Will Sherrington, editor, Kennedy Publishing

MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN ON THE LATEST KRAZE

Kraze is a mix of pre-teen content with a wide array of gaming features, blockbuster film coverage and teen TV, making it the perfect title for readers between seven and 12 years old.

Regularly featuring brands such as Marvel, Minecraft, Fortnite and more, Kraze has become a title in which readers can explore the brands they love with a sprinkling of krazey-ness – and toilet humour – along the way.

Independent retailers account for a large share of Kraze’s sales, and it consistently performs highly in that space, so we understand the importance of that commercial area. It's currently ranked as the seventh-most-sold pre-teen magazine in independent convenience stores.

Next year is one to look forward to for Kraze readers, as we’ll be maximising all of their favourite features and supporting the magazine with covermount offerings.

The team at Kraze have recently undertaken a content refresh, and we are increasing our gaming coverage and focusing on the brands and characters our readers love to interact with.

What’s even better is that we are pairing this with opportunities for readers to win games consoles, merchandise and highvalue prizes.

In the first issue of the year, for example, we've teamed up with Sega to give readers the chance to win an OLED Nintendo Switch and Sonic Frontiers.

Email: helpforhobbies@newstraid.org.uk www.newstraid.org.uk/help-for-hobbies

PJ MASKS

l The first issue of this pre-school superhero magazine is packed full of activities, stories and puzzles, and comes with a play pack and stickers.

l It has a new higher cover price meaning each copy sold will generate more revenue for independent retailers stocking it.

CONTINENTAL MODELLER

l Since its launch in 1983, the magazine has devoted itself exclusively to scale models of railways outside the UK.

l Each issue tells readers how to reproduce foreign railway scenes and is filled with regular tips and articles.

ENKI

l With an emphasis on modern and sustainable design, this monthly magazine focuses on architecture.

l Not only does it show how creative and unique designs can change homes, it also shares how they can create more mindful environments.

KINDRED SPIRIT

l This lifestyle and therapy magazine is perfect for those with an open mind, wanting to improve their health and happiness.

l It includes features on mediums and the healing powers of various items, from orbs to crystals.

KRAZE

l This issue looks forward to an epic year of 2023 Marvel releases, as well as offering insider gaming tips for hot titles including Fortnite.

l This special issue teams up with Sega to give readers the chance to win an OLED Nintendo Switch and Sonic Frontiers.

On sale 14 December

Frequency monthly Price £5.99

Distributor Frontline Display with CBeebies, Paw Patrol Barcode 9772514401956

On sale 15 December

Frequency monthly Price £5.99

Distributor Marketforce Display with Model Rail, British Railways Illustrated Barcode 9770955129163

On sale 15 December

Frequency bimonthly Price £5.99

Distributor Marketforce Display with Mindful Barcode 9770955706081

l

on the heels of the

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

Title

Disney

Disney Encanto Sticker Collection 5.99 1.50 Disney Princess Today is Magical 4.99 0.90

Disney Pixar Luca Movie Sticker Collection 3.99 0.90

FIFA World Cup 2022 Official 3.99 0.90

Premier League 2023 Sticker Collection 3.99 0.70

Spiderman 60th Anniversary 4.99 4.99

Super Mario Trading Cards 8.99 2.50

Unicorns Stickers 4.99 0.90

Warhammer Trading Cards 8.99 2.50

Creative Toys Company

SoccerStarz Foil Bag 2.99

SoccerStarz Blister Pack 3.99

Hexa-Plex

Smiley-Halves 2.99

Match Attax Xtra 22/23 5.99 1.00

UEFA Nations League Stkrs 4.99 1.00

Pokémon Pokémon Astral Radiance 3.99

Pokémon Battle Style 3.99

Pokémon Brilliant Stars 3.99

Pokémon Chilling Reign 3.99

Pokémon Darkness Ablaze 3.99

Pokémon Fusion Street 3.99

Fortnite Official Trading Card Collection Series Three 4.99 0.90

Harry Potter

Evolution Sticker Collection 6.99 1.70

Jurassic World 2022 4.99 0.99

Lightyear Sticker Collection 4.99 0.90

Minecraft Treasure Sticker Album 4.99 0.90 NFL 22 4.99 0.90

Topps

ECB 2022 Attax 10.00 200

F1 Turbo Attax 2022 8.99 2.00

Gonkers Figurines 22 6.50 2.99

I Love Bunnies Figurines 7.99 2.99

I Love Penguins Figurines 6.99 2.50

WWE Stickers 7.99 0.90

UEFA Champions League Match Attax 22-23 5.99 1.00

Pokemon Lost Origin 3.99 Newspapers

Sunday newspapers

Sun £1.10 23.1p 21%

Mirror £1.80 34.2p 19%

Mirror (Scotland) £1.80 34.2p 19%

Daily Record £1.60 32.3p 19%

Daily Star £1.20 22.8p 19%

Daily Mail £1.30 27.3p 21%

Express £1.65 31.35p 19%

Express (Scotland) £1.65 31.35p 19%

Telegraph £3.50 70p 20% Times £3 60p 20%

FT £4.80 £1 21%

Guardian £3.50 77p 22%

iWeekend £1.30 27.95p 21.5%

Racing Post £4.50 90p 20%

Herald (Scotland) £1.95 42.9p 22% Scotsman £2.40 54p 22.5%

Sun £1.40 29.4p 21%

Sunday Mirror £2.10 40.95p 19.5%

People £2.10 40.95p 19.5%

Star Sunday £1.50 26p 19%

Sunday Sport £1.50 36.45p 24.3%

Mail on Sunday £1.90 39.9p 21%

Sunday Mail £2.40 46.80p 19.5%

Sunday Telegraph £2.50 51.25p 20.5%

Sunday Times £3.50 70p 20%

Observer £3.50 85.7p 24.5%

Scotland on Sunday £2.50 55p 22%

Racing Post £4.20 84p 20%

SundayHerald(Scotland) £2 42p 21%

Sunday Express £2.10 39.9p 19%

15 30

Scale of third-party advertising insert payments Insert Original Mail Mirror News Express Guardian Telegraph Observer weight scheme UK Cumulative? no no no no no no no no 0-69g n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 70-100g 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 * * * * * * 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 *Bynegotiation Weight Watchers ember Total Supplements Ad inserts Number of Heaviest weight weight weight Inserts ad insert Sunday Times 965g 490g 60g 3 50g Daily Telegraph 760g 510g 0g 0 0g Observer 575g 30g 10g 1 10g Sun 565g 220g 100g 5 35g Daily Mail 515g 440g 75g 3 35g Mail on Sunday 405g 395g 10g 1 10g Guardian 370g 350g 20g 2 10g The Times – – – – –Weight Watchers 10-11 December Total Supplements Ad inserts Number of Heaviest weight weight weight Inserts ad insert Sunday Times 935g 410g 35g 2 20g Times 730g 135g 35g 2 30g FT Weekend 690g 410g 0g 0 0g Telegraph 645g 130g 30g 4 15g Guardian 550g 285g 10g 1 10g Mail on Sunday 540g 155g 15g 1 15g Daily Mail 505g 200g 15g 2 10g Observer 485g 115g 50g 4 15g Title No Pts £ Title Starter Stkrs/cards Title Starter Stkrs/cards Title Starter Stkrs/cards RBA Coleccionables Timeless Classics 10 75 11.99 Byline Bob Dylan Vinyl 29 41 16.99 Total Tarot 25 120 7.99 DeAgostini Fast & Furious: Build The Dodge Charger 62 110 9.99 Hachette 2000 AD Ultimate Collection 138 180 9.99 Build Eddie Stobart 64 140 9.99 Build The Titanic 42 140 9.99 DC Comics Heroes & Villains 51 100 9.99