RN - 21 April 2023

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Jack Courtez @JackCourtez 020 7689 3371

The multifaceted vaping scandal continues to widen. In the past week, we’ve seen many more bestselling lines taken off sale for “manufacturing-quality issues”. Then, on Sunday, the Sunday Mirror’s cover story splashed that almost half of 16 shops test purchased in Manchester had sold vaping products to children. The next day, The Guardian revealed that many allegedly nicotine-free vapes it tested not only contained nicotine, but also contained amounts of the addictive substance far above the legal limit.

For a long time, vaping suppliers have held the line that even though their products were illegal (too much e-liquid), they did not pose a risk to health, and so should remain on sale. It’s a very irresponsible position; a product is either legal or illegal, and, ultimately, it will be the retailer that follows this advice that risks getting stung through fines or stock seizures.

The Guardian’s testing data now shows examples of where this dubious position is evidentially false, selling addictive products that market themselves as not containing addictive substances is clearly damaging for people’s health.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s response to the article was also telling, stating that its £3m ‘vape squad’ originally billed as tackling underage selling has a much wider remit than just underage sales. The organisation stated: “The squad will have the powers to disrupt illicit supply, undertake test purchasing and testing of products, and will share knowledge and intelligence across the UK. We will not tolerate the sale of illegal products and will take necessary actions to remove them from shelves.”

The scale of non-compliance is so great that even customers are noticing. As brands have been dragged kicking and screaming towards making their products compliant, I’ve heard from a lot of stores that customers are complaining that the new versions last nowhere near as long as the old ones.

I believe the reduction in ‘value for money’ on legitimate disposables will have two effects. The first will be a rise in black-market stock and the second will be a customer transition towards other simple vaping products, especially pods.

HEADLINES

3 INDUSTRY NEWS

InPost to launch over-the-counter parcel service with indies

Booker ‘more competitive’ than Tesco on some lines

5 SYMBOLS & WHOLESALE

Today’s fascia refresh designed to attract bigger

29

34

InPost to launch new parcel collection service

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

A new over-the-counter parcel-collection service from InPost is set to launch in May, representing a new revenuegenerating opportunity for stores.

The InPost Shop Service scheme marks the first time that UK stores can partner with the company without needing to install parcel lockers.

Participating stores sign up and receive a free mobile phone to scan parcels in and out.

The company, which works with online sellers such as Boohoo, Missguided and Vinted, is launching the service with parcels from one online marketplace.

Shoppers will be directed to participating InPost Shops, from where they will be able to pick up their orders.

To address concerns about space pressures behind counters, applicants were reassured the service will focus on smaller parcels.

Unlike rival parcel companies such as Evri, DPD or CollectPlus, InPost Shop Service is understood to work on

PO ups drop-off service

Post Office (PO) has increased recruitment efforts for its Drop & Collect format in urban locations, with the number of Payzone sites offering the service reaching 250 stores.

Launched as a trial last year, the service enables stores to act as drop-off or return points for prepaid parcels. Analysis by RN shows the PO is currently announcing more than 50 new Drop & Collect sites per month.

a different model to the industry-standard system of commission paid per parcel handled.

While the fees remain officially undisclosed by InPost, RN understand they represent hundreds of pounds per year for every participating store.

There are no exclusivity terms, meaning InPost will allow installs in stores already partnered with rival parcel services. While limited to parcel pick-ups at launch, there are hopes to add in-store drop-offs and further online retailer partners to the service.

Driven by a team of InPost reps tasked with signing up independent shops, a trial of the

concept began in March and stores are now being added UK-wide, with an “unlimited” potential number of InPost Shops to be added.

Sources explained the idea was to complement InPost’s existing 5,000 UK parcel lockers in areas not capable of hosting a locker. Proximity to a InPost Locker or InPost Shop Service site is understood to be one of the only limiting factors in applications to take part.

The expansion from InPost to non-locker-based collections could ease recent space availabilty issues in InPost’s locker network.

An InPost spokesperson told RN: “Over the

past few months, we have been working with a select number of UK independent retailers to trial an over-the-counter service, which we’re pleased to confirm we will be rolling out more widely this year. Lockers will remain our primary focus, but we’re pleased to provide our retailer partners with an additional service to support the communities that they serve, while providing an opportunity to attract and retain new customers.”

As well as through the company’s rep team, stores are invited to sign up to the new scheme through the InPost website (business.inpost. co.uk/small-businesses).

Bestway van-sales ops expansion

Bestway is to expand its van-sales operation beyond the snacks and confectionery categories, as its fleet of vehicles has been upgraded to manage increased demand.

The service is currently split between the Vans Direct Snacks and Vans Direct Sweets divisions. A Bestway spokesperson told RN the wholesaler is

to extend the service to another product category following extensive trials.

They added: “Due to the success of the current model, we have many suppliers from different categories interested to see how this model could be replicated in different categories. The live ‘test and learn’ model will operate in a key category

for our independent retail customer base where we will look to grow distribution and sales.”

The company did not reveal which new category the service may get extended to, but said it was undergoing a trial to “optimise the potential before a national rollout”.

The expansion comes as the company has

replaced 56 vans in the Snacks operation with more fuel-efficient models to help improve the service for retailers.

More than 21,000 independent retailers are visited by the van-sales business every fortnight.

The figure represents 7% annual growth from nearly 20,000 retailers in 2022.

A Payzone spokesperson told RN: “We have been contacting Payzone retailers to ask them if they would be interested in hosting PO’s Drop & Collect format in their store. There were 250 Payzone retailers hosting the format at the end of March. Retailers can see the customer demand for a convenient place to pick up and drop off parcels is greatest and growing.”

Booker is Prime partner

Booker is to become the latest official distribution partner into independent stores for Prime Hydration energy drinks.

Londis and Budgens stores were notified in communication sent in April, which was seen by RN, with preorders for allocation closing on 16 April. Limited to one case per flavour, deliveries into stores are to be made in the week beginning 8 May. Flavours available are 500ml bottles of Blue Raspberry, Lemon Lime, Tropical Punch and Ice Pop. Booker is charging £15.29 for a case of 12, with RRP set at £2.50.

InPost’s new service sees parcels stored and served from shop counters, similar to rivals such as Evri, DPD, Wish and CollectPlus (pictured)

Energy

Bubble bill promise

A new energy buying group is promising to help independent retailers save up to 20% off their monthly energy bills.

Energy Bubble uses the collective buying power of its members to negotiate cheaper utility prices with its partnered energy suppliers. Managing director Aaron Dardi told RN the firm was in discussions with various symbol groups to see how they can provide their members with support.

He added: “We work with the major energy companies, and we usually add customers when they’re at the end of contracts and about to renew.

“Transparency is vital for us. We take a percentage of the savings, and this will vary dependent on factors such as the number of stores in a retailer’s estate.”

The service follows Booker launching its own energy-buying group earlier this year.

SGF in free ATM warning

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has warned retailers to check their ATM contracts before changing them due to mixed messaging over free-to-use ATMs.

The SGF said there is no plan to reduce the number of free-to-use ATMs across Scotland “by about 50%” following a letter sent from an ATM company to retailers, claiming it had no choice but to move retailers onto a pay-to-use system due to plans by Link. Link confirmed the statement is “simply not true”.

Tesco boss hails Booker symbol ‘success story’

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

Tesco chief executive

Ken Murphy described Booker’s 12% year-on-year growth as “the star of the show” in the grocery giant’s newly released preliminary results.

While much of the success was in Booker’s catering business, Booker retail still delivered 3.2% growth despite a 5.6% drop in tobacco sales and won 451 new Booker retail partners during the year.

Murphy attributed the new sites to the “success story” of Premier, Londis and Budgens, having “the best availability and the best pricing” and the rollout of 500 Jack’s own-label lines to Booker stores.

Despite Murphy predicting inflation-driven price rises would recede, Booker retailers had expressed alarm what they claimed is a growing gap between Tesco retail and Booker wholesale prices.

For instance, three white onions sell for £1 at Tesco, but comes with a £1.39 wholesale price at Booker.

Questioned by RN on

the gap, Murphy attributed it to reflecting lower volumes of some items, such as onions, through Booker and a “much more complicated supply chain”.

He added: “On the flipside, frequently we are seeing Booker are as, if not more, competitive than Tesco on a number of products because the economics favour the Booker supply-chain model.”

Murphy also claimed the introduction and increasing of delivery fees paid by Booker retailers had delivered a “positive impact” for shop owners and Booker.

He added: “What we’ve seen is an improvement in how retail customers

BAT to launch first combination gantry

BAT is to roll out combined tobacco, vaping and next-gen product gantries in independent stores. Installation of the backlit gantries is to begin in June, with the first unit already installed in Irfan Ahmad’s 800sq ft Day-Today store in Glasgow. The gantries are free for stores that are part of the My BAT Rewards platform and are modular to suit different shop sizes. At least 50% of space must be BAT stock to maximise reward payouts on offer to those that make the switch. To find out more, go to betterretailing.com/ bat-retailer-visit.

think about delivery, doing a lot of consolidation of deliveries improving the flow of goods from Booker into retailers and reducing the number of road miles we have to do, so reducing the carbon footprint by reducing the number and cycle of deliveries.”

Despite the closure of one Booker branch in the previous year, Tesco’s results forecast no further Booker branch closures in the year ahead.

Tesco said it saw “growing opportunities across convenience”, opening 50 Tesco Express and 18 One Stop stores.

Tesco saw an overall UK like-for-like sales increase

in convenience of 6.4%, with city-centre stores bouncing back from the Covid-19 pandemic.

For instance, London sites achieved sales 9.4% higher than the year before. Murphy predicted inflation to fall significantly over the coming months, and credited its revamped Tesco Clubcard scheme in helping it to retain market share.

Despite the Tesco brand appearing in independent stores for the first time through Jack’s products, the chief executive ruled out expanding Tesco Clubcard to Booker retailers, stating it had “no plans for Clubcard in independents”.

SYMBOL NEWS

Today’s gets rebrand and new fresh ranges

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

Dee Bee Wholesale has begun a refresh of the Today’s fascia, as part of plans to make the symbol group a destination for larger, supermarket-style shopping.

The new branding has been in the works for the past year, and the company will exclusively oversee the fascia’s development across England. It was previously operated by parent company Unitas.

The new look features a dark grey colour scheme inside and out, replacing previous bright-red branding. Photographs of premium products have also been added to the shop’s outer windows, as well as symbols inside and out, advertising the range of goods available. These include icons for categories such as grocery, food to go, snacks and confectionery.

Support is also being given for stores stocking fresh meat and produce to encourage customers to make larger grocery shops. There are new ‘Shop for’ slogans throughout the store,

Stores hit by egg shortages

prompting customers to purchase products for the week, and not just impulse items.

Commenting on the changes, Dee Bee Wholesale commercial director Colin Billing told RN: “We want to create a more modern and relevant brand that can help stores compete with supermarkets and other convenience stores. It’s more premium and recognisable.

“We recognise that local customers want more. Demands are changing and they might want to get more groceries for the week. It gives the brand a more professional image.”

Billing added that five stores in England with the new branding have had their design and layout gradually tweaked. Dee Bee plans to refine the model before expanding it further. Jason Callaby, of Callaby Stores in Alford, has one of the revamped sites.

He told RN: “Customers have really been commenting on the new design and it’s received a lot of praise saying it looks a lot more modern, and they’re really happy with

the new range. I’ve got targets of hitting £40,000 in average weekly sales during the peak summer period and the refresh can help me achieve this.”

New designs aren’t the only changes Dee Bee plans for Today’s stores. Billing told RN the wider strategy will include more support for services such as home delivery

and a revamp of their rebate system for stores.

The company is also working with data specialist TWC to help stores improve their ranging by identifying slow-selling lines. Callaby added: “It’s really useful as costs are going up continually. I need to find ways which can help me reduce any impact on my overheads.”

Nisa and Parfetts end supply deal

Nisa and Parfetts are to terminate their chilledand-frozen drop-shipment partnership from May, affecting Co-op own-label supply for retailers.

In communication sent to Go Local symbol stores this month, seen by RN, Nisa told Parfetts retailers the agreement will stop from 8 May to give them enough time to manage the transition. Affected

stores were given the option to open a direct account with Nisa instead.

As well as branded frozen and chilled products, the relationship enables Go Local stores to receive Co-op own label.

RN understands the termination would make Eden Farm Hulleys the only chilled and frozen drop-shipment partner of Parfetts. The company has its own Farmer

Jack’s own-label range, which consists of frozen desserts, produce and savoury foods.

Commenting on the impact, one affected store owner, who asked not to be named, told RN: “Chilled and frozen is a major area in my store and I order a lot through Nisa drop shipment. Coop is a major seller for me. I’m going to have to assess how I will get those

products into the store.”

When asked by RN about the termination, Parfetts joint managing director Guy Swindell responded: “Nisa supplied just 26 of the over 1,100 Go Local stores with chilled and frozen produce. Parfetts has moved quickly to source another supplier to ensure our retailers see no disruption in supply.”

Nisa failed to comment as RN went to print.

Widespread availability issues with eggs through independent stores are being compounded as one supplier has reportedly prioritised supermarket supply.

Jas Sidhu, of Sidhu Stores in Jarrow, northeast England, told RN he had received communication from supplier Lintz Hall Farm giving notice it was terminating supply due to “cost-cutting measures”. Sidhu claimed he was told the company was still supplying supermarkets, however.

Meanwhile, a notice sent last week to stores by Nisa, seen by RN, said availability of eggs was being affected by chicken flock sizes being 20% lower year on year. “There is still going to be a supply issue for many weeks,” it said.

Lintz Hall Farm was unable to comment as RN went to print.

Time Wholesale cutbacks

Time Wholesale Services is to scrap its delivered and store-refurbishment services, alongside its range of chilled products.

As reported by The Grocer, the company made the decisions due to the cost-of-living crisis and ongoing availability issues. This means the company would act solely as a cash-and-carry wholesaler.

The company’s managing director, Sony Bihal, said it would rebrand to Time Wholesale and the new model would see it add new cash-and-carry sites across London in the next few years.

NEWS & MAGS

News UKSmiths extension

News UK & Ireland Ltd has announced a new five-year contract with Smiths News.

The publisher of The Sun and The Times has signed a deal with Smiths News to distribute in their UK territories, which represent 19% of current newspaper and magazine revenues.

This is the fifth major publisher contract renewal secured by Smiths News recently. Its deals with Associated Newspapers, Telegraph Media Group, Frontline, Seymour Distribution and News UK are all confirmed until 2029. These companies account for 65% of Smiths’ current newspaper and magazine partners.

Smiths’ chief executive, Jon Bunting, said: “I am very pleased that we have secured this new contract with News UK and look forward to working with them on future supply chain opportunities. We have now secured almost two-thirds of our revenues through to 2029.”

Guardian and i win under-35s

The Guardian and the i are the most-read paid newspapers by younger readers, according to a new survey by Woburn Partners.

The data, published by Press Gazette, claimed 65% of Guardian readers and 43% of i readers of print editions were under 35, compared to just 24% of Mail on Sunday readers. The Daily Mail was the most-popular newspaper and had the oldest average age, with two in five readers past state pension age.

EXCLUSIVE

Smiths News tackles ‘root cause’ of issues

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

Smiths News has been running a “root cause” project to tackle the underlying causes of common retailer complaints in Birmingham, leading to service improvements and implementation of changes nationwide.

The Customer Complaints Improvement Plan project team was formed in September, leading to a review of processes, “quick wins” to improve service procedures in November and further “targeted trials” in Birmingham in January. Between September 2022 and March 2023, Smiths said its customer complaints at the depot had reduced by 39%, with consecutive month-onmonth improvement for nearly the entire period. There are now plans to roll out nine changes nationally.

Speaking to RN at the wholesaler’s Hemel Hempstead depot last week, Smiths News commercial director Simon Gage explained the measures as part of the wholesaler’s mission to ensure newspapers and magazines continue to play a fundamental role in stores: “We’re very aware we have to meet customers’ needs or they’ll drop the category.”

In the trial, at least 14 new steps were considered to address the three most-common customer complaint issues: missing newspaper titles, missed delivery times and uncollected returns. Head of operations, delivery and solutions Louise McCall listed some of the suggested changes as:

• ‘Calling cards’ when a returns collection is

missed by the store.

• Data from delivery drivers’ hand-held devices accessible by Smiths News careline staff to give stores more detailed updates on their queries.

• Daily driver debriefs to contain same-day and improved feedback on customer claims and complaints, using data from throughout the business.

• Higher percentage of packs to be checked for accuracy using bundle weight technology.

• Scheduled follow-up calls for stores experiencing repeat issues.

• Improved GPS technology for better analysis of route order, speed and scanning performance.

• Live distribution data to give stores up-to-theminute information on delivery issues.

After the new systems were implemented in January, uncollected returns and missing titles in Birmingham fell by more than half, which they attribute to their improved processes and communication.

Smiths News director of customer experience Mark McConnell said the firm is also undergoing a nationwide “technology transformation” with a raft of current and upcom-

ing changes to its app, SNapp, which is currently running at around 8,000 active users. The objective of the changes is to allow stores to carry out more actions on the app and to increase the number of stores using the service.

Recent updates include allowing stores to log temporary store closures on the app, more accurate estimated arrival times and quicker sharing of retailer claim outcomes.

Upcoming changes will include the ability for stores to opt out of receiving paperwork, live text chat services, helping stores resolve issues while serving customers – the ability to manage Smiths’ new recycling service collection days and app control of marketing preferences.

McConnell assured RN its call centre will remain an option for retailers who don’t want to switch to SNapp. “We will never switch off the phone lines to customers,” he said, adding that the average retailer waited just 12 seconds for their call to be answered in March.

Anya Ahmad, head of retail at Smiths News, stressed there was “still work to do” and efforts to improve won’t end with

those already outlined, with more to follow as part of its long term “continuous improvement” strategy.

The wholesaler highlighted its automatic compensation scheme introduced in 2019, which pays stores £5 each time their delivery is more than two hours late.

Figures shared with RN show Smiths News is on track to provide stores with nearly £38,000 under the scheme for the 12 months from last September.

Other improvements on the horizon include the much-requested sharing with stores of real-time delivery vehicles’ location via GPS, as they complete their rounds.

Gage acknowledged the functionality is now common and expected from delivery firms, and estimated a two-year timeline for the project.

In further good news for stores, RN understands Smiths News’ Oxford depot, normally serving 424 customers but closed due to a complex thirdparty gas-pipe leak since before Christmas, is closer to reopening, with the team awaiting the allclear from external safety experts.

FED NEWS

More vape lines pulled over ‘quality issues’

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

Vaping sales in stores faced further challenges last week as a leading wholesaler told stores to remove 20 lines from three more major brands from sale.

James Wilkinson, Fed Yorkshire district president and owner of Pybus Newsagents in York, described the issues as “the biggest headache facing stores”.

Distributor Phoenix Retail withdrew its SKE Crystal, IVG Bar and Elux disposable vapes sold through Booker last week.

Emails sent to stores on 12 April by Booker said the distributor was “voluntarily withdrawing” the lines, and advised stores to return any stock that was purchased with Booker to the wholesaler for full credit.

At least 40 batches were named, with Booker warning that products sold elsewhere “may

Scotland

Shops have poll power

also be affected”. All the withdrawals were chalked up to a “manufacturing quality issue” – a phrase previously used by vape suppliers when stock breaches legal requirements, such as containing illegal levels of e-liquid.

Elux lines affected include Mr Blaze, Tiger Blood, Sweet Blueberry Ice, Pink Lemonade, Blueberry Raspberry and Watermelon Ice.

IVG lines affected include Blue Raspberry Ice, Classic Menthol, Pink Lemonade and Strawberry/Watermelon.

SKE Crystal lines affected include Kiwi Passion Fruit Guava, Watermelon Ice, Bull Ice, Berry Ice, Cherry Ice, Lemon & Lime, Vimbull Ice, Fresh Menthol Mojito, Sour Apple and Rainbow.

Phoenix Retail’s operations manager, Jack Kelly, reassured retailers: “Crystals will be back on shortly, so it won’t be a big withdrawal. Elfbar and Lost Mary should be

back to full strength over the next couple of weeks.” Batch codes for stock affected are available from Booker.

Fed members react

Fed members, such as Wales Fed district president Vince Malone, had already taken steps to offset potential further product withdrawals, such as expanding the range of brands stocked.

Fed member and Malik Newsagents owner Shumaila Malik said: “People have got used to these products, so they are difficult to change. We will wait for government guidance before making any decisions.”

South East district vice-president Hemanshu Patel, of Saltwood Post Office General Store in Hythe, Kent, told RN: “We keep seeing these product withdrawals, and each time suppliers tell us not to worry and to keep selling them, but if it lands stores in trouble, it will be the store that has to

deal with it. The suppliers should be responsible for sorting this out.”

Northern district president Martyn Ward, of Cowpen Lane Convenience Store in Billingham, Teesside, commented: “It’s difficult to understand why some wholesalers withdraw products while other continue to sell them.

“Shops are reliant on their suppliers to advise on what should be sold, so why are they taking different approaches?”

Call for DRS grants as scheme delayed

Scotland Fed president Hussan Lal has called on the Scottish government to imitate Ireland’s planned deposit return scheme, including financial support for stores.

The call comes as the Scottish government announced a six-month delay to the scheme, which will now go live on 1 March 2024.

Writing in the Herald, the owner of St Mirren

Food Store in Paisley highlighted the tapered €6,000 of support over three years for Irish stores that opt to use a reverse vending machine (RVM).

Speaking to RN following a meeting with Scottish scheme administrators Circularity Scotland, Lal explained: “The details are starting to emerge over how much RVMs are going to cost, between £5,000-£15,000,

or around £320 per month plus servicing costs on leases for the cheapest machines.

“I made it clear at the meeting that, while the Fed is fully supportive of the Scottish government’s DRS, the government needs to look at financial support to enable retailers to make the store investments needed.”

Lal added that even stores accepting returns

over the counter would need financial support to adapt to meet hygiene concerns over cashiers handling groceries and bottles returned, as well as storage requirements.

Despite the grants for stores using an RVM in Ireland’s scheme, set to launch in February 2024, Republic of Ireland Fed president Martin Mulligan said stores still had many unanswered questions.

Shop owners have an opportunity to influence councillors and MPs ahead of the upcoming local elections in England and Northern Ireland, says former London district president Hetal Patel.

The owner of HRDV News in Maidenhead was visited by former prime minister and local MP Theresa May earlier this month to support local council candidates.

Patel told RN: “It was useful to get a couple of minutes to talk with her about the big retailer issues – crime and energy bills. On retail crime, I was asked to send details over to her.”

Candidates are often happy to visit shops when invited. Contact details for candidates are listed on local authority websites.

Polls in England open on 4 May, while Northern Ireland’s local elections take place on 18 May.

West Midlands

Fed asks for PCC meetings

The Fed has asked for meetings with the police and crime commissioners (PCCs) for the West Midlands and Leicestershire to discuss steps to reduce retail crime in local shops.

Letters sent to the PCCs last week from Fed president Jason Birks claimed the average store is spending £5,239 per year on crime prevention. Combined with rising energy costs, Birks said the investment needed to tackle the “daily struggle” against retail crime represent a financial strain on many Fed members.

We need real action on illicit vapes

I’m encouraged about the latest government announcement to introduce an illicit vape enforcement squad to tackle illegal products and underage sales, but I need to see action to believe it.

In the past, I’ve been told that trading standards in my area didn’t have the resources to deal with a report I made regarding a vape shop

close by selling illegal products. This was disappointing, especially when they visited me three times to ensure I was licensed to sell fireworks.

If something like this is going to be introduced, and the attention is going to be on convenience stores, it also needs to be on other outlets selling vapes, including specialised shops.

Don’t get me wrong, anything that is working to combat this issue is fantastic in my eyes, but initiatives like this

have been introduced and no change has been seen. The government and trading standards need to ensure there is an impact, as I think this has the potential to really help and ensure compliant retailers are able to continue selling legal products, knowing that those who are not, are being held accountable.

Premier Eldred Drive Stores, Orpington, Kent Kent trading standards refused to comment when approached by RN

VIEW FROM THE COUNTER with Serge Notay

I recently went on a family trip to Disneyland and, surprisingly, I was able to take a few learnings away to apply to my business in relation to home delivery. We wanted to save money, so a few of the nights we got food delivered to our hotel room from nearby restaurants, which was cheaper.

Doing so reminded me how important it is to captivate your audience. People will shop around when they have so much choice, so ensuring your store has a point of difference is really important. It’s what led us to making decisions on where to get our dinner from when we were away. Sales across the Easter bank holiday were up 17%, and this went up even further to 23% including Snappy Shopper. Footfall has fallen, but Snappy has enabled us to compete within the neighbouring area and secure extra sales. Ultimately, we had to do something in order to ensure we survived.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK

I’ve been speaking to other retailers about how poor the cash margins are on price-marked packs. I had a look at what I earned on particular products and was shocked. On multi-buy, WKD are offering two bottles for £6.50, when it used to be £6. I’m making 12% profit; I need to be earning at least 30% to make this worthwhile. We need suppliers to do better for us.

Whenever we talk to retailers, the biggest issue is always crime. The most widespread crime that retailers experience is theft. We’ve tracked levels of shop theft in the convenience sector for more than a decade through our Voice of Local Shops survey (VOLS) to provide an accurate picture of the impact these incidents have on our sector. While there have been ups and downs over the years, the recent trend

is concerning.

Since the start of 2021, the proportion of retailers that tell us that theft in their businesses is increasing has slowly been going up, reaching record levels in the results of our most recent survey in February. This has correlated with the cost-of-living crisis, and so we get questions, primarily from the media, about whether there is a link between the cost of living and levels of theft in convenience stores.

The question we get asked a lot is, ‘Are people stealing to feed their families?’

This isn’t what we’ve been hearing from retailers and our view on this hasn’t changed. The motivations for shop theft are the same as they have been for years now, but the difference is, these incidents are happening more frequently and are increasing in severity.

It’s essential that we send the message to consumers and policymakers that theft is not a

victimless crime – these incidents can and do escalate. Theft remains the biggest trigger for abuse of colleagues and violent incidents in stores.

We urge retailers to ensure that all crimes are reported to the police to demonstrate the scale of the problem. We’ll be talking about this more around the launch of our Crime Report in June, looking to hold parliamentarians and police and crime commissioners to account.

Anita Nye

THEFT IN SHOPS IS RISING – THESE ARE NOT VICTIMLESS CRIMES

James Lowman, chief executive, ACS

PRODUCT NEWS

Grenade adds to milkshake range

Grenade has launched a protein shake version of its Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Protein Bar packed with 25g of protein. It has an RRP of £2.85 for a 300ml bottle and is available to buy online and as a limited grocery exclusive to Asda, before being rolled out to wholesalers including AF Blakemore, Muscle Finesse and Tropicana. It will also be available through Nisa and Costcutter.

RRP £2.85 Available from AF Blakemore, Nisa, Costcutter

Mars taps into gluten-free market

Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats has launched two glutenfree cookies under its Galaxy and Twix brands. The cookies contain gluten-free oats with the signature flavours and chocolate of each brand. Free-from cookies now contribute over £12m to the cookie category, and in volume terms have grown by more than 6% over the past two years. They will first launch in Sainsbury’s before a full roll out this summer.

RRP £2.89 (four-pack)

Citrus flavours from JJ Whitley

Halewood Artisanal Spirits has launched a Lemon Citron variety of its JJ Whitley Vodka. The supplier said citrus flavours rank high among consumer preference within the spirits category, and lemon flavours work particularly well with its JJ Whitley Vodka, so is confident that it will be a popular choice in the spring months. JJ Whitley Lemon Citron is available for retailers to order now.

RRP £17

Kettle drives flavour range

In time for summer, Kettle Chips is adding to its line up with Sriracha Mayo and Dill Pickle & Jalapeño varieties. Both will launch as sharing bags into Waitrose from this month, with further supermarket and convenience listings from May onwards. The supplier will support the launch with an experimental consumer campaign in London’s Shoreditch, alongside shopper support to drive awareness of the new flavours.

On sale May

Limited-edition Plymouth bottle

Plymouth Gin has launched a limited-edition Ocean Bottle created in partnership with charity the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT). For each bottle sold, Plymouth Gin will donate £1 to the OCT. While it is mainly a supermarket and online launch, it will be able in Spar stores across the south-west area. Like the rest of the Plymouth Gin range, its label is made from recyclable paper and the glass used is 100% recyclable.

RRP £26

Cadbury chocolate sauce

Mondelez International has added a Cadbury Chocolate Topping Sauce to its range. The supplier said it saw potential in the category as many retailers are now offering in-store dessert bars. As well as this, desserts are a growing trend across the market in line with consumer demand for special treats, so retailers can tap into this by expanding their dessert offering with premium, branded products.

RRP £6.99 (950g)

SPECIALIST CHOICE

Black Heart’s new deal with Booker

La Tua Pasta

Premium Italian pasta brand La Tua Pasta’s range comes in Pappardelle (RRP £3.50) and Tortelloni Black Truffle & Ricotta (£7.50) varieties, which consumers can cook at home.

RRP £3.50-£7.50

Contact adriana@wildfarmed.co.uk

Mighty Fine

Mighty Fine has added two honeycomb flavours to its chocolate-covered treats range, which includes a Blonde Honeycomb variety and a Sicilian Lemon White Chocolate variety.

RRP £1.35

Contact mightyfine.co

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

Following its launch into Tesco, BrewDog Black Heart is to be available to convenience retailers through an exclusive deal with Booker.

Available from 24 April, Black Heart will come in single 440ml, 4x440ml and 10x440ml can multipacks. The brand said the stout segment is currently worth £150m in the off-trade, with 93% of sales made up of just one brand – Guinness.

It explained that despite holding a steady 3% share of total beer sales for the past three years, overall stout sales have struggled, and, as such, it hopes to attract a new and younger audience through Black Heart.

Alex Dullard, head of customer marketing at BrewDog PLC, said: “We believe drinking beer is about discovery, with a mountain of different types and styles available. However, when it comes to stout, there really is only one choice on

shelf currently.

“Consumer testing and insight indicates Black Heart has the potential to drive further growth into the category and deliver profit for our customers, by attracting younger, more affluent consumers that have all but given up on the chance of an alternative to the category leader.”

BrewDog will be supporting the launch with a media campaign creating noise around the stout. PoS materials will also be available to retailers.

Raspberry Ripple flavour joins Brothers’ cider range

Brothers Drinks Co has added to its flavoured cider range with a Raspberry Ripple variety.

The flavour combines raspberry flavours with vanilla, and is best served over ice. The sup -

Higgidy

Higgidy has expanded its Little Lattices range with a Sweet Potato Katsu Curry with butternut squash pastry and Spinach, Feta & Red Pepper with butternut squash pastry.

RRP £3.85

Contact higgidy.co.uk

plier explained that introducing an ice cream-inspired flavour to the cider category will help independent retailers tap into consumer excitement around summer socialising occasions.

The cider is available in 500ml and 330ml glass bottles, and in 6x330ml and 10x330ml multipack can formats.

The supplier added that Brothers is the only brand in growth in the fruit cider category, with value up 3.3% and volume sales up 9.6%. Over the past year, the brand’s

volume per trip has increased by 12.5%.

The launch will be supported with a campaign comprising influencer partnerships, social media activations, and PoS materials available to drive visibility in depots and in-store.

Nicola Randall, head of marketing at Brothers Drinks Co, said: “The new flavour will hold strong appeal for impulse shoppers and comes hot on the heels of our alreadypopular Cherry Bakewell variant, launched in 2022.”

Protection of shopworkers

The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) act created specific offences with harsher penalties for physically or verbally assaulting retail employees.

Freedom of information requests by RN to Police Scotland show the averaged offences logged under the act per month rose from 113 in 2021 when the law was introduced to 291 in 2022 and 165 for the first month of 2023.

There was also a rise in the number of more serious physical assaults being tracked and investigated under the legislation, rising from four per year in 2021 to more than one per month in 2022.

Overall, the results mean those responsible for nearly 5,000 crimes against shop staff logged since the act came into force face potential tougher penalties if convicted, and also lay bare the scale of the risks faced by retailers.

When the laws were introduced, the MSP who led the fight for the introduction of the new offences in Scotland, Daniel Johnson, stated the change would bring “an increased awareness of the issues posed by the physical and verbal abuse faced by many retail workers; a possible increase in the reporting of such crimes to the police; and, as a result, a reduction in the number of occasions on which retail workers would have to face this type of verbal abuse or assault.”

The strategy in Scotland contrasts with the rest of the UK, where successive Conservative governments have claimed there is no need for a separate offence for assault against shopworkers, despite acknowledging that a lack of retailer trust in existing measures was leading to low reporting of retail crime incidents.

Instead, attacking a shopworker was made an ‘aggravating factor’ in assault prosecutions in mid-2022.

Johnson met with RN in March to discuss the success of the bill and his plans for the future, where he explained that he currently plans to push for legislation which will expand these protections across public-facing workers. He also welcomed the possibility of similar legislation being introduced in England.

“I’m acutely aware of the pressure retail workers are under,” Johnson said. “There needs to be more public awareness, to make it very clear that it’s unacceptable. There’s a bit of an attitude in society today that if someone’s standing behind a counter wearing a name badge, you can say what you like to them.”

Asked about how retailers and the police should be working together, Johnson said: “We need swifter responses, improved communication. There’s still an issue there in terms of general attitudes and the prevalence of the issue.”

He went on to reference the pilot programme currently underway in Sussex which has brought in onetouch reporting for a number of Coop stores, generating easier incident reporting, quicker police response times and successful prosecutions of ‘prolific’ shoplifters.

“We worked to implement software to make it really easy for them to report to the police,” explained Katy Bourne, police and crime commissioner for Sussex. “At the moment, a lot of stores have their own internal reporting systems and then have to report separately to the police, and then sometimes have to report separately if there’s a local business crime-reduction partnership in place. It’s a real challenge for businesses to have to do double or

A ground-breaking law created to tackle crime against shopworkers in Scotland is successfully being used to document and tackle incidents in stores, analysis by RN suggests. Dia Stronach reports

PCC Katy Bourne has been working on a number of schemes to simplify crime reporting for retailers

Scotland is the only nation in the UK with a separate offence for crimes against shopworkers

triple time reporting; so what we’ve done with these stores is a software solution that allows them to report at a touch of a button.”

Bourne claimed that the tool has taken reporting time in the selected Co-ops down from 13 minutes to two, and also that reports from those stores had tripled in just the first month after it was introduced.

She added: “What we then had to do was make sure that when those reports come in, police were prepared to cope with them. We set up a dedicated Business Crime Unit to take those reports when they come in and to triage them, do some investigations and send an investigation package together to the local policing.”

Bourne told RN that the pilot scheme had quickly identified a number of prolific offenders who had struck multiple stores, as the Business Crime Unit was able to

put their profile together from multiple reports.

“It sends a really strong message to them that, in Sussex, you’re not going to get away with it because we’re onto it and we’ve got a team who are tracking you,” she added.

The pilot scheme remains available only to select Co-ops within Sussex, but other similar programmes are being introduced.

Johnson agreed that these schemes can do a huge amount to improve working between the police and individual stores. However, he also stressed that there are measures small stores can take to keep their workers safe.

One such suggestion was making signage clearly visible in your store. Several Scottish retailers spoken to by RN confirmed that they had seen fewer incidents with aggressive customers after adding signs to their store which explained the legislation and the consequences members of the public could face for abusing workers.

“It does help if you have that signage up,” Johnson agreed. He added that having set de-escalation practices and responses in place which the workers are familiar with was another key element in maintaining their safety.

Mark Jones, who owns a Premier store in Edinburgh, confirmed that having a clear policy had been a huge benefit to him and his staff. “For three years, so before this law came in, I’ve had a zero-tolerance policy. My staff know and the customers know, if anything happens,

it won’t be tolerated.”

Johnson went on to add that he views serious investment in tech as the most important step for retailers in keeping their stores safe. “You should have at the very least high-quality CCTV, with audio. Body-worn cameras are also a really good idea to install.”

Fully equipping a shop’s staff with body cameras can be a hefty cost for retailers, placed at £70m by former Fed national president Stuart Reddish at a parliamentary reception in 2020. However, there are schemes through which retailers can be supported in buying them available in several local areas.

Investing in higher-quality CCTV may be a more achievable target for most retailers. Police forces have standards for acceptable CCTV footage, which many stores do not currently meet. While underperforming CCTV will not prevent police from investigating, a clearer picture can make it more likely the investigation will result in an arrest.

However, CCTV in stores can bring its own pitfalls if retailers aren’t fully aware of their GDPR responsibilities. In order to comply with the law, stores with CCTV must follow the CCTV Code of Practice, carry out an impact assessment to balance the benefits of CCTV against the loss of employees’ privacy, and register their use of CCTV with the Information Commissioner’s Office. In 2018, one retailer was ordered to pay fines of more than £600 after breaching these rules. l

If anything happens, it won’t be tolerated

Daniel Johnson MSP at an USDAW Freedom From Fear demonstration

PRICEWATCH

Profit checker Gin

Behind the numbers

London Dry gin offers the most potential for retailers to charge more, as shown in this week’s data. Take Tanqueray London Dry, for example. When RN reviewed gin in February 2022, only 15% charged at up to £34.99, a £8.74 increase on its most-common price of £26.25. However, the most-common price and highest price have in-

creased to £26.99 and £39.99, respectively. Only 71% charge the most-common price compared with 84% last year, with 28% pricing above.

Bombay Sapphire London Dry is another example. Last year, the most-common price was £19.99, charged by 63%, but has since risen to £24.49, charged by 57%. These retailers,

Five years ago, gin wasn’t in the market as much as it is now. It’s down a bit this year, but up until now it’s been the ‘in’ drink. There are so many flavours – it’s an important part of my store, though it’s not quite as big as vodka or whiskey. My shoppers like trading up; we have a lot of Chinese students over 18 and they love Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray, but UK students over 18 prefer Gordon’s flavoured gins. Where we are, Booker is the predominant delivered wholesaler. I’m wary of getting counterfeit stock – I’d rather shop from Booker.

however, could still be missing out, with 42% pricing as high as £29.99.

Flavoured gin shows less flexibility. Gordon’s Premium Pink has more retailers (89%) charging the most-common price of £20.99, compared with last year’s 75% charging £20.25. Only 10% price above, going as high as £22.99.

Gin is my second-bestselling spirit, behind vodka. It has certainly overtaken whisky, but is selling at about half the rate it was this time last year. I think that’s partly influenced by the weather and once we see sunshine, I expect gin to go back up, but was it only a novelty for a period of time? It wasn’t as busy gin-wise over Christmas, but general spend on higher-priced items is down. The range is about the same as last year, we’ve got everything from £18 bottles through to Tarquin’s at nearly £40, which is made nearby.

Gordon’s Premium Pink 70cl

Whitley Neill Parma Violet 70cl

Gordon’s London Dry 70cl

54.68% of transactions are processed at £14.25

Must-stock products

Price distribution chart

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

STORE ADVICE

RN

Raising store awareness

talks to retailers about how they generate more interest and footfall from new or irregular customers

To grow sales, there are two routes a retailer can take: grow the customer base or grow the basket value. The advantage of first focusing on customer base is that it creates a more resilient shop and multiplies the impact of any efforts to grow basket spend at a later point.

D espite the importance of reaching new shoppers, it’s all too easy for shops to stick to who and what they already know. Anything that gets your store into people’s consciousness should be considered. But retailers also need to think about their local demographics – as well as others that would come to them from further afield – and find

out what they want and how to tell them you’ve got it.

“It’s about raising awareness and giving people a reason to come to your store,” says Harris Aslam, who runs Greens stores in several locations in Scotland. “There are 101 forms of external media, but you need to understand your local market to get the best results. If I put the same image on every store’s social media, it won’t have the same impact as tailored content. You’ve got to give them a reason to come to your store. It’s about making sure you’re not flooding them with information, but you’re also not just posting once in a blue moon.”

Retailers can use local news, so -

cial media and even word of mouth to get their store in the public eye. Highlight products that make your store stand out, whether that’s the latest shipment of Prime energy drinks, a strong food-to -go offer or a range of locally produced items that link customers to their community.

“We have exceptional bakery partners who are fifth generation and sell them to customers exactly as they are: a double royal-warranted, family owned award-wininng craft bakery that hand-makes their products,” says Aslam.

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

You need to understand your local market to get the best results

HARRIS ASLAM

The

team

Highlight what you are doing on social media

It’s important to make sure you’re telling people the right things about your store. A bombardment of promotions and product shots could prove too much, so Ajmer Kaur, from Premier Ken’s Convenience Store in Winsford, Cheshire, focuses on showcasing what her store is doing instead.

“Word of mouth has seen lots of new customers coming in as people told them about our refit. With social media, you want to be saying what you’re getting in and highlighting what you’re offering,” says Kaur. “So, we’ll do a post when we get a delivery and we posted when we got the Fanta and F’real machines going.”

Kaur’s store also sponsors the local football team and posts about them as well, which also generates interest and increases footfall into her store.

Video content builds excitement

Shuayb Hamid, from One Stop Keresley Post Office in Coventry, focuses heavily on TikTok videos to raise awareness of his store – particularly when he’s able to get something that’s really capturing the public’s imagination, like Prime energy drinks or the Pickle Challenge.

“When we had our first Prime delivery, I posted the time it was due to arrive –3:30pm – and we had kids queuing up outside the store at 3pm,” he recalls. “Within two hours, I’d sold 200 bottles. And then I made another video telling people when the next Prime delivery was coming in.”

Hamid was also able to capture that level of excitement on video, showcasing just how busy his store was. He’s currently working out a responsible way to put the video of queuing customers up on TikTok which would generate more excitement and interest in his store.

A store’s online presence can be a good platform for promotion

TikTok is a fantastic tool for drumming up interest in newly launched products

STORE ADVICE

Find your point of difference

Harris Aslam focuses on the local elements when looking to promote one of his Greens stores, working with marketing and suppliers for hours to find out what makes a certain community tick.

“It’s not a case of slapping a product and a price up there. If we’re competing on the price of a tin of beans, then we’ve lost the battle before it’s begun,” he says. “Our major advantage over the multiples is our ability to tailor the proposition to local consumers.

“Our manager in Kinross has been uploading fantastic content about them, the team and the special offer in that store. It’s all local stuff that consumers want to see.”

And while he relies heavily on social media to get the word out, he also knows that not everyone has TikTok and that it would be complacent to ignore more traditional formats, such as banners, and national and local press.

Get involved in the local community

Andrew Cruden’s son does a bit of social media for his Market Square News store in Northampton, but he still relies heavily on word of mouth. However, he doesn’t just sit back and wait.

“I’m on the board of the Northampton Business Movement and the crime board for Northamptonshire,” he says.

“We do events in the town centre, we lobby the council and from that we get a lot of publicity from the Northampton Chronicle & Echo or local TV news. They’ll come down and interview me in the store.

I’m always up for it because anything that promotes the shop is good for business.”

When Liz Truss resigned as prime minister, Cruden got onto national news to talk about it and says the uplift in footfall after his appearance was “unreal”. By getting involved with community issues, retailers can get themselves and their stores into the public eye. l

Andrew Cruden is involved in community groups, which grows his store’s exposure

Highlighting the local things a store does heightens their impact

CELEBRATE THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III

6-8 MAY 2023

Whether you’re having a Coronation Big Lunch, a street party or a family barbecue, come in store and you will find

Please use this space to let your customers know what you will be doing in store to celebrate the coronation with them

to help you celebrate the long coronation weekend in style!

COLUMNIST

Neville Rhodes

Magazine strategies

Anew survey of newspaper and magazine publishers reveals plenty of pessimism about the future of the newsstand as one of their routes to market.

The research, undertaken by Wessenden Marketing, finds that feedback from senior media executives about the retail newstrade has never been as negative as it is now.

It quotes one publisher saying: “Our newsstand presence is reducing due to falling shop numbers and range reductions. Our rising costs at every step in the supply chain are simply closing down the channel.”

This won’t come as a surprise to news retailers. They’ve been experiencing declining demand for publishers’ products for many years.

In RN’s coverage of the magazine ABCs for the year 2006, there were 82 titles with average newstrade sales of more than 100,000 copies per issue. In our 2022 list (RN 17 March 2023), there are only nine.

Retailers have also seen that, with a few exceptions, the publishers are doing very little to try to stop the decline, or even to slow it down.

Their print ambitions are focused on subscriptions, and their dreams are of a digital future.

This leaves retailers with three options to consider for their print publications: to make the most of what’s left of the market and try to build on it; to downgrade their news and mags operation by closing their news wholesaler account(s) and making do with a sub-retail supply; or to discontinue the category completely. The contribution newspapers and magazines bring to the value and profitability of the business should be the determining factor.

The first option – sticking with the category – comes with a major hurdle for magazines: how do you build or maintain a range when there is only a handful of titles that, until fairly recently, would have been regarded as bestsellers?

The standout sector is TV list-

* Where people get their news

+ A LARGE-SCALE survey to find out how and where people get their news revealed huge generational differences for their sources. The results, as reported by Press Gazette, show that websites of professional publishers are the most popular news sources, followed by TV, social media and radio. Only 15% of the adults surveyed included print newspapers as one of their news sources. More than a third (36%) of over-65s said they use traditional print media as news sources, compared with only 7% of 18-to-24year-olds and 6% of 25-to-34-year-olds who do so. Social media, principally Facebook, are the main sources of news for young people, the survey found.

ings, with the three most-popular titles having combined sales of 1.7 million copies a week. The women’s weeklies include five titles with average sales of more than 100,000 copies per issue, and a further seven with sales of more than 50,000, while there are also eight women’s monthlies with sales of 50,000 or more.

These sectors have traditionally been the backbone of most retailers’ newsstand displays, and the challenge is to decide what else to stock alongside them.

Children’s and puzzle titles are widely stocked, but both sectors’ sales are volatile and therefore need to be closely managed.

R ange retailers who stock several hundred titles are probably on the distributors’ and wholesalers’ radar for promotional opportunities, but for retailers with display stands of only one or two metres, my recommendation for today’s market is to focus on just two other sectors, home interest and motoring – each of which touch the lives in some way of nearly everybody.

Retailers will have their own ideas, and they should follow their hunches, but my overriding advice to all magazine retailers is to stock only the number of titles you can display full face.

It should lead to more impulse purchases, boosting your chosen sectors, and should help you believe that you can overcome the publishers’ pessimism by growing your magazine category.

Neville Rhodes is a freelance journalist and former retailer providing his views on the major topics affecting news sellers

With publishers’ minds elsewhere, it’s up to shops to set their own path in magazine retailing

Retailers have three options to make the most of what’s left of the market

PROTEIN & ENERGY

Pumping protein sales

Anne Bruce finds out how retailers can capitalise on the opportunities within protein products

If the protein and energy products category had a soundtrack, it would be the pumping disco beat of the city gym. By all accounts, this is a young, maledominated category that is still quite niche. It has its own vocabulary, such as BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) and beta alanine, all muscle-boosting amino-acids.

The category may still be evolving, but there is every reason for convenience stores to take a closer look at listing added-value and high-margin sports nutrition products such as sports and protein bars.

HOW TO SELL PROTEIN PRODUCTS

If you were looking at the best- case scenario for protein, that comes from Ahmed Nazir, who runs a Best-one store in a busy location in Kilburn, north London. The shop sells a range of protein and energy bars. Grenade-branded bars are the bestsellers, and Nature Valley with protein and Eat Natural Protein bars are also on sale.

“Grenade bars do best. People know the brand and they taste great, so they are popular even though the price is quite high at £3,” says Nazir.

It is younger men that buy these sorts of products most, guys in their late-teens. The bars don’t take away sales from confectionery, he reports. In fact, people often come in and buy a protein bar and add on a chocolate bar, an energy drink or

and offer incremental sales alongside the protein bars.

The margins are good on all these products, and the prospects for the future are exciting.

“I think this category is going to carry on growing. We will keep trying out new bars and stick to the main bestsellers,” says Nazir.

He plans to keep a look out for new products to add to his range, and as the category matures, he hopes suppliers may include more promotions and merchandising materials to boost sales.

hloe Taylor-Green, of Spar Lindford in Hampshire, is also interested in the possibilities that protein and energy bars hold for convenience retailers. he store currently has a range of four bars from Nocco, in flavours such as ookies & Cream,

sold alongside sports nutrition milkshakes and drinks, all merchandised together on a split stand, sited near the tills.

The stand is a new development. The milkshakes had been selling very well over 18 months, so TaylorGreen took up the suggestion from Nocco to trial it.

With a gym down the road, the shop is finding a new customer base to tap into.

Grenade energy bars had previously been on sale, but the store was moved around when the high fat, sugar and salt legislation came in, and these lost their spot.

THE DIFFICULTIES IN DRIVING DEMAND

For all the positivity from some quarters, other retailers feel there is a mountain to climb with these products. Imityaz Mamode, of Premier, Wych Lane in Gosport, Hampshire, feels protein bar sales »

I think this category is going to carry on growing

Shape,

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Flavours are back

PROTEIN &

are a bit of a damp squib in his store at the moment.

The shop, which serves local schools and a residential district, carries a range of protein and energy bars, including Grenade, Snickers, Mars, Bounty and a Euroshopbranded cheaper option. However, none are much in demand, and Mamode does not think it is the typically premium price of the bars that is an issue.

“We sell a lot of American candy and prices are high for that I don’t think customers are interested in the healthy eating message. We have a lot of fruit and veg in store, but they prefer strawberry flavour to real strawberries,” he says.

The success of energy bar sales must be all about location, he believes. “In London, or if you are near a gym, protein bars will sell well, otherwise, the message isn’t out there, the appeal is not there for customers,” he says.

He will keep adding new flavours when they launch, and is keeping an eye out for Grenade’s new Oreo flavour, although it won’t be a “must-have”.

THE PROTEIN MARKET

L ooking to the data for a steer, protein varieties added £25m to the UK snack bar market in 2022 , according to IRI. This is expected to grow by an estimated 6.2% between 2022 and 2028.

K ieran Fisher, founder and m anaging director of sports nutrition brand Warrior, says it is hard to define how much the protein and energy category is really worth, as protein snacking gets grouped with lots of other categories in most data.

“Essentially, we know the total healthier snacking market in the UK is probably around £800m and growing at 5.5% per year, well outpacing traditional confectionery, which is in decline. Within that, I’d expect protein bars specifically to be around £300m and again, growing fast,” he says.

P rotein bar buyers tend to be 70-80% young men, similar to the market for energy drinks, he says, but currently most sales statistics available include diverse cereal bar consumers, which could include purchases for a child’s lunchbox or in a meal deal.

Epicurium managing director

Ben Mckechnie adds: “The core shopper is not necessarily looking for a protein snack, but looking for a snack that they can justify as it has health credentials, meaning they feel less guilty for choosing it. Nowadays, more and more snackers are expecting their snacks to have some form of health credentials.”

There are big prospects here to watch, says Jo Agnew, marketing director at Natural Balance Foods, which supplies the Nakd brand. She comments: “The functional health market is booming and it’s a sector that’s becoming increasingly important to shoppers. Forty per cent of consumers now want to structure their diets to help improve their mood, with protein content ranking high as a reason to purchase.”

With those pull factors to consider, retailers should also bear in mind that protein and energy bars can bring in strong margins. Margins are around 40%, according to Taylor- Green, and although the bars currently have a niche audience, this is likely to grow as consumer awareness builds.

“With those margins, you can put the bars in a deal, priced at lower than your competitors, and build a customer base that will come back to you, rather than the supermarket. There’s a market there, people don’t know enough about this yet,” she says.

F isher makes a comparison between his Warrior energy bars and standard confectionery bars on margins.

“If a customer comes in, grabs a drink and a snack bar, t hat might be a traditional confectionery bar at 60p with 30% profit on return (PoR). Now, if it’s a protein bar at £2 with 30% PoR, the cash margin is substantially more. Giving up confectionery space for protein bar space is a no -brainer, given the cash margin is so much higher,” he says.

DEALING WITH THE PRICE

P rice is still a factor and so it is important to offer a range of price points, F isher advises. “The average protein bar consumer is a young lad on £60 a day after tax, so we try to ensure all our Warrior bars are £2 or less on the shelf,” he says.

Meal deals are an option for retailers to consider when promot-

ENERGY

L AUNCHES IN PROTEIN

Natural Balance Foods is upsizing to persuade customers to take its Nakd bars home, with the launch of Nakd Big Bars. Available in Cocoa Orange and Blueberry Muffin, Nakd Big Bars will be 45g, 10g bigger than the standard size.

Grenade has added a new Oreo flavour to its range of protein bars. Available at Booker and Bestway since February, the bar has an RRP of £2.85 and contains 21g of protein and 1g of sugar.

Foodspring is launching a new recipe for its Extra Chocolate Protein Bar, which has 25% less sugar and 50% more chocolate than its previous incarnation. It is available in five flavours: Soft Caramel, Crunchy Peanut, Crispy Coconut, Double Chocolate Cashew and White Chocolate Almond. Each bar contains 13g of protein.

Epicurium has expanded its Nocco range with the addition of a Ramonade flavour. The Ramonade is the brand’s first sugar-free energy drink and complements the existing collection of sugar-free BCAA drinks on offer. It is vegan, and contains 180mg of caffeine and six different vitamins.

Flavours are back

ing protein bars to customers, Fisher suggests.

“If I was running a shop, I’d try to get protein bars into my meal deals. While a standard meal deal is £3.50, why not offer a premium meal deal with a protein bar for a fiver?”

A gnew says that a bigger portion size will help bring customers in: “With good portion size now being an important decider for choosing snacks, and bigger bar sizes driving single snack bar growth, now is the right time to increase the size of some of our bars.”

Whether it is meal deals or bigger bars, to take things forward, retailers should research what the options are and what sells well locally and online, says Fisher.

“Stock what you see true consumer demand for, and ask the brand to help you promote the product,” he says.

If you can bring your customer demographic on board, protein and energy bars have a lot going for them. They tie in with the wider healthy eating agenda, offer good margins and there is plenty of product innovation coming through. l

BEER & CIDER

The bestsellers in each segment

Priyanka Jethwa finds out which beer and cider lines retailers should focus on, and how craft and premium are going to help grow sales

The beer and cider category benefits from big growth during the summer period, and convenience retailers should familiarise themselves with the bestsellers and pack formats, alongside being aware of any flavour trends.

CIDER

Looking at cider first, the top three brands in value sales – Strongbow Original, Strongbow Dark Fruit and Thatchers Gold – are in the same place as last year.

However, Henry Westons Vintage has moved up from sixth place last year to fourth, overtaking both Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime and Mixed Fruit, while Heineken’s Inch’s is new to the top 10 in ninth place, indicating an increasing shift towards craft ciders, which are defined by brands that focus on heritage. Meanwhile, Frosty Jack’s has moved down one place to the 10th spot, and Lambrini has dropped down to 11th, perhaps showing that if customers are willing to spend money on cider, they’re looking for more premium options. Interestingly, Henry Westons Vintage and Inch’s are the only two top 10 brands in growth on the top 10 chart.

When it comes to flavour trends, in its annual cider report, Westons Cider states that apple cider accounts for just under two-thirds (63%) of cider sales in total retail. This has been gradually increasing for a few years now, up from 60% in January 2021.

“It’s important to note apple cider shoppers spend almost double the amount on cider compared to flavoured cider shoppers – £77.91 verses £31.54 annually. In other words, it’s apple cider shoppers who are most important to this category – and in order to maximise sales, retailers

must ensure these shoppers are catered to with the bestsellers. As for flavoured cider, this has now balanced out at one-third of the offtrade market,” the report says.

Meanwhile, premium ciders (which often refers to flavoured ciders) have also retained their popularity, and within this, Jonathan Nixon, commercial director at Thatchers Cider, says the company has noticed a shift towards lighter flavour profiles, such as citrus and tropical varieties.

As such, according to Weston Cider’s report, Thatchers Blood Orange canned cider came in at number four on the top flavoured cider chart, and in first place on the new products chart.

Demand for flavoured cider has also been witnessed by David Sheppy, managing director at Sheppy’s Cider, who tells RN that while consumers are being driven to the category through premium lines and interest in exploring new flavours, there is the risk that retailers

are oversaturating their shelves and chillers with “overly sweet flavours”.

“Premium ciders flavoured with pure fruit juice cater for those customers who enjoy a drier taste and balanced sweetn-ess, providing a more premium mouthfeel to more commercial alternatives. This is clearly communicated on bottles [of Sheppy’s], and with consumers paying closer attention to ingredient lists than ever before, it will pay dividends to retailers looking for repeat customers,” he says.

WHAT’S NEW IN BEER?

Like in the cider category, craft and premium beer is the one to watch this summer, as identified by several suppliers. These areas, says John Price, head of marketing at KBE Drinks, is continuing its journey into the mainstream, and despite cost-of-living pressures, consumers are still turning to them.

“Obviously it depends on the location of the store, and even then, it’s always advisable to have some value-

ASTON MANOR’S SUMMER CIDER TIPS

When it comes to considering what to stock during the summer, alongside valuing convenience, consumers are focusing on their drink experience at home, something which can become a bigger focus for celebrations and get-togethers throughout the year. From upgrading to more premium ciders, through to branching out from wine into perry with our new-look Chardolini, consumers welcome the chance to try something new at home.

Customers also like to be experimental with their drinks and many are open to trying new things. One of the reasons why consumers opt for flavoured ciders is because there are many different accessible flavours to choose from. Consumers of flavoured ciders tend to traditionally be a younger audience who like to know the ingredients of what they’re drinking and see flavoured cider as an easy-to-drink beverage.

STOCK UP ON THE UNEXPECTED

BEER & CIDER

for-money brands in the chiller, but in general terms, the cost-of-living crisis doesn’t seem to have affected consumers’ choices, with our latest data showing standard lager sales in the off-trade down by 17%, whereas world lager sales are only down by 5%,” adds Price.

He explains that the ‘drinking less but better’ trend is still very much prevalent, which has seen consumers willing to spend more to treat themselves to premium and super-premium lager brands, which is, in turn, driving increased value in store.

Premium world lagers, such as Kingfisher and Sagres, can typically be charged at a minimum of 30% more than other more mainstream options.

BrewDog has also seen a sales rise in its craft beer products, with a noticeable growth in distribution

in total impulse taking its share to 65%, with key supply wins for Hazy Jane, Lost Lager and mixed multipacks.

Despite this, Miriam Thompson, off-trade category development manager at BrewDog PLC, says with 28.1% of beer sales going through the impulse channel, verses 8.4% for craft beer, the category still under-indexes in impulse with huge headroom for growth.

Thompson adds that four-can packs remain the most important craft beer format, with 47.4% share.

“As craft beer grows in popularity and consumers broaden their style horizon, the fruity flavour of Hazy Jane has become a fan favourite. Four-packs are the most important format for craft beer and BrewDog shoppers, and Hazy Jane 5% has been a core growth driver in this area,” she adds l

Capitalising on the coronation

ager at Three Point, says such a rare event will see shoppers seeking products and mementos to truly mark the occasion.

“Shoppers can be expected to be more open to fun and novelty products that will provide entertainment, add excitement and fun experiences to make significant memories,” Branney says. “Dressing your store with relevant products and point of sale also creates a sense of excitement and anticipation among customers.”

Ken Singh, owner of BB Superstore in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, says he is backing the coronation in terms of getting flags and bunting for his store.

“We increased sales by 20% over the Platinum Jubilee,” Singh says. “We will be preparing exactly in the same way as we did with the Platinum Jubilee; the coronation hasn’t captured the imagination yet, but there’s still time to go.”

The coronation of King Charles III is a significant event that marks the beginning of a new era for the United Kingdom. Like the Queen’s funeral last year, it is something that the majority of the population will not have witnessed before in their lives.

As such, it is not surprising that retailers and businesses would want to capitalise on this momentous occasion by putting up retail displays that celebrate the coronation and promote their products.

Ann-Marie Branney, sales man-

WHAT TO STOCK

As a major event and one of many May bank holidays, the coronation weekend should see retailers bringing in more stock than they normally would to ensure they have strong availability for customers. As a comparison, the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations last year increased footfall by more than 17% on average, as families, friends and neighbours took the opportunity to celebrate together. Stocking limited-edition products and decorating your

The coronation of King Charles III gives retailers a golden opportunity to boost sales, as communities celebrate this historic event, as Simon King reports

CORONATION

store appropriately will help to get customers in the mood and draw out incremental and impulse sales.

“Red, white and blue themes are going to be the biggest way to draw attention to any Royal-themed displays, and we would recommend retailers use special seasonal stock, as well as relevant lines that usually feature in permanent ranges, to create a sense of occasion that will drive customers to purchase these products and to bake for the special occasion,” says Jen Johnson, head of marketing for cake at Dr Oetker Baking. “By creating an eye-catching coronation-themed display, shoppers will be more drawn to the display and take more time to browse relevant products, which could, in turn, lead to a rise in impulse purchases.”

But by also showcasing products that are associated with the coronation, retailers can tap into the public’s enthusiasm for this historic event and create a buzz around their store. This can help to build brand awareness and loyalty, as customers are more likely to remember and return to stores that offer special and memorable experiences.

For Jeet Bansi, owner of Meon Vale Londis in Stratford-upon-Avon, West Midlands, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee boosted sales at his store by 5-7.5%. He says: “The Platinum Jubilee was a big occasion and it was a brilliant summer for us as a country. People were coming in buying scones and cream, and we’ve taken the lessons out of that, so we have made sure we have a more plentiful supply for the coronation.”

Bansi points out that while coronation-themed products will likely

sell well in the build-up to the event, more generic items of disposable tableware and barbecue lighter fuel can be used throughout the summer with people having barbecues. And being non-perishable, he can order in plenty and not worry about wastage

“From a retailing point of view, we want to make sure we keep the basics in stock. If people are having parties, paper plates and disposable cups will be key and we’ve found a supplier that we can order Union Jack plates, cups and bunting from, but I’m not sure what I’ll do with it after the coronation,” he says.

Other retailers might be concerned that the cost-of-living crisis and the difference in popularity between the queen and the new king might make this year’s event less impactful. Fiona Malone, owner of Premier Tenby Stores & Post Office in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, doesn’t think that the coronation is going to be a big event in Tenby and is focusing on more generic items for her store rather than Charles-specific ones. Last year, the Platinum Jubilee grew sales by 10-12%, but she is not seeing the same levels of engagement yet for the coronation.

“Not many people are as excited and talking about it, but we’ve got a coronation range that includes cups and plates,” Malone says. “I must admit, I was a little bit hesitant in actually getting anything that actually had King Charles on it, so I’ve just gone for Union Jack flags and cups. We have started to sell a couple of coronation items, including bow ties and bows that you can wear in your hair, and we’ve also got sunglasses and an umbrella.”

SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT

Kenton Burchell Trading director, Bestway Wholesale

Retailers should focus on planned events for their community, including announcements in their local press about the occasion.

It is expected that during street parties, communities will be sharing food and drinks, with neighbourhoods coming together to celebrate the occasion. Retailers need to prepare their stock to meet customer demand for those impulse buys before and during the celebration.

With the cost-of-living crisis still here, customers will be looking for value for money and stocking up on drinks, crisps and snacks, biscuits to share and desserts.

Retailers should have posters and promotional materials advertising that their store is also joining in the celebrations and that there are items in the store that they may need and are available for purchase.

Retailers should create theatre and a coronation theme section for customers who want to purchase bunting, balloons and novelty crowns. For non-food items, paper hand flags, kitchen towels, foil, paper plates and cups, and cutlery should be placed next to hot beverages, such as tea and coffee.

Retailers should create posters and promotional adverts to inform customers of special deals and promotions of products from this month as communities who plan to organise a street party will need permission to organise an event planned for early May.

Speak with customers visiting the store and ask them what they plan to do and stock the items that they will need to purchase to meet customer demand.

Images compiled from: Getty Images Plus/Paper Trident

Paper plates and disposable cups will be key

CORONATION

LIMITED-EDITION CORONATION PRODUCT LAUNCHES

Pimm’s has introduced a limited-edition design of its Pimm’s No.1 bottle to celebrate the coronation of King Charles. The Coronation Edition bottle has been rolled out across the off-trade and will temporarily replace the standard Pimm’s No.1 label design in 70cl and 1l while stocks last. The Pimm’s limited-edition label features a crown-shaped illustration that features Buckingham Palace at its heart, decked with purple and gold bunting and a banner proclaiming the Coronation Edition for 2023.

Whitley Neill has launched a limited-edition bottle of its Connoisseur’s Cut London Dry Gin to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III. Rachel Adams, global marketing director at Hale wood Artisanal Spirits, says: “With an extra bank holiday and a weekend full of cel ebrations, the corona tion will present a huge sales opportunity for retailers this May.”

Urban Eat has launched a limited-edition range to cel ebrate the coronation of King Charles III with two quintes sentially British sandwiches – the perfect additions to lunches, afternoon teas and street parties up and down the UK. The range consists of Smoked Ham & Egg as well as Urban Eat’s crown ing glory: the Coronation Chicken sandwich. Both ad -

GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY

Avtar Sidhu, owner of St John’s Budgens in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, has taken the lead in his town and has arranged for the road outside his store to be closed so that a street party can take place. The road is going to be closed from 12-5pm on Saturday 6 May

“We’ve been given the opportunity to close the street off by the local authority,” Sidhu says. “We will be the only street to close. I put an application in for it, and I have to

employ a traffic-management company to close the road.

“We’re inviting everybody and are going to have a massive street party; the coronation finishes at 11am and we’re going to start putting up tables and chairs, and have food and drink, and have a fun day.

“This will bring the community together. It’s cost £250 to close the road and get a professional trafficmanagement company to put diversions in place. I think we’ll be rammed on the day and we are expecting up to 1,000 people. As we’ll

Walkers’ premium crisps range Sensations is launching two new limited-edition flavoured crisps to celebrate the coronation: King Prawn Cocktail and Regal Lamb & Mint. The new flavours will feature a regal themed design, which will also be extended to the brand’s bestselling SKU, Thai Sweet Chilli. This activity follows the brand’s specialrelease flavours for the Jubilee

be trading on the day, we’ll benefit as people will be buying drinks and other items.”

Sidhu expects that on the Satur day alone, sales could rise and is looking at certain areas where extra stock will be required to cope with added demand.

Meanwhile, Bansi says that while he won’t be actively hosting events himself, as a community store he will donating items to locally occur ring events and activities.

“It’s all about being part of the community,” he says.

NEWLIMITED EDITIONBOTTLE

CORONATION & JOIN THE NATION IN CELEBRATION

ALCOHOLIC SLUSHIES

Are alcoholic slushies worth it?

Charles Whitting finds out what retailers need to know and do to ensure they are selling alcoholic slushies responsibly and legally, and whether the advantages are worth the legislative hurdles

With retailers across the country seeking ways to give their store a point of difference, machines offering food and drink to go have been seen by many as a considerable success story in driving footfall and growing sales with a popular and high-margin category.

Over the years, slushie machines such as Slush Puppie and Tango Ice Blast have been touted for their popularity with customers of all ages, drawing in customers who might not have come to the store for other reasons, and giving them a strong reason to come back again.

In recent years, some retailers went one step further and started selling alcoholic versions of these drinks for people to take away. When the pubs were closed during Covid-19 lockdowns, the potential demand for these products encouraged many more retailers to get involved.

When it comes to alcoholic slushies, retailers have a responsibility to their customers and the law to ensure what they are selling is above board, with some legal experts considering the potential profits to not be worth the risk, and some retailers avoiding these drinks on ethical grounds.

“Do you value the incremental sales of slushie above the potential risks?” asks Paul Neades, director at The Licensing Guys. “That short-term gain might lead to longterm pain and your licence being brought in for review by the police. While it might not be against your licence, you could still be leading

yourself into problems. It has the same pitfalls as draught cups.”

In Scotland, the laws surrounding this are even tighter, which prompted Ferhan Ashiq, of Prestonpans Village Store in Musselburgh, East Lothian, to shut down his alcoholic slushie offer entirely five years ago after a few weeks of opening it.

THE RISKS

It’s important that retailers do their due diligence legally before entering into this market. For example, if you’re selling slushie cocktails in your store and you don’t have an on-premises licence –a situation that is true for practically every store in the country – then customers will have to take the slushie away before they can drink it. And they need to take it

LEGAL CHECKPOINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE EMBARKING ON ALCOHOLIC SLUSHIES

Gill Sherratt Director, Licensing Matters

What retailers have to do first and foremost is check their licences. If a licence was issued pre-2005, it won’t permit alcoholic slushies, because it will prohibit having any open containers. Authorities are aware that, although that condition is no longer on the newer licences, it can be put on them.

Once they’ve checked their licences, retailers need to examine the mechanics of what they are doing, and how the authorities will view it. Selling slushies with miniature bottles of spirits with them is one thing, but if the alcohol is being poured in store, retailers must take the alcohol weight and measures into account. It’s not the easiest thing to manage with the police and other authorities.

Take good advice from people, because this element of the law is very technical and, while there may be many licensing practitioners, not all of them will be able to give good advice.

away in a closed container. Defining a closed container could be a potential headache for your store, and it’s worth seeking advice about what your licence allows and your local authority might prefer.

“For an old-fashioned licence, it’s got to be a sealed container,” says Gill Sherratt, director at Licensing Matters. “A lid like you get on a McDonald’s milkshake isn’t going to cover it.”

As well as legal and licensing concerns, retailers also need to consider their local area because different police forces and councils will have different views on what they find acceptable and how they might react to customers drinking alcoholic slushies outside your store.

“A slushie is only going to last so long once it’s been poured, so if people are buying it and taking it home, it will be more liquid than slush by the time they get to their door,” says Neades. “More likely, once someone buys an alcoholic slushie, they’re going to start drinking it as soon as they’re outside the shop. The spirit of offlicence sales was not to encourage street drinking and that’s the biggest issue we have when we’re applying for these licences. During the pandemic, everyone started selling beer in plastic polyglasses to drink in the park and there was mayhem and the police really clamped down.

“If you’re selling slushies, you’re encouraging street drinking –there’s no two ways around it – and the police aren’t keen on them for that reason. If people keep coming back for more slushies and end up getting drunk, chances are your licence will be brought in for review by the police because you’re letting people get drunk in the street.”

Finally, non-alcoholic slushies are predominantly purchased by children and teenagers, meaning retailers will need to be especially careful about selling – and importantly promoting – their alcoholic varieties to make sure they’re not breaking the law by selling or being seen to be marketing alcoholic drinks to underage customers.

RETAILERS WHO ARE MAKING IT WORK

While some retailers have been put off by the potential risks or have been told not to offer alcoholic slushies by law enforcement or legal advisors, others have embraced them as an opportunity that’s not to be missed. Every alcoholic slushie that Serge Notay makes at

ALCOHOLIC SLUSHIES

Premier Notay’s in Batley, West Yorkshire, costs him £2.30 and he then sells it for £7, bringing him an excellent margin during a cost-ofliving crisis.

“I have three machines at the moment, but if there wasn’t an energy crisis, I would have bought another three,” he says. “It’s a legal grey area, but if you do it right, then you’re covered.”

Notay was inspired by old offlicences that used to sell alcohol on draught and, following his due diligence, converted one of his three slushie machines to an alcoholic one three years ago.

Using a cocktail content calculator – available online – he puts in the ingredients and finds out what the ABV will be for his slushie.

He then mixes the ingredients into the alcoholic tank and serves it with a lid, and the ABV clearly displayed. “It’s important to show them the alcohol content because they need to know what they’re drinking. I mix it in the tank, so it’s usually lemonade and whatever vodka is on trend at the time,” he says. “At the moment, it’s AU Pink Lemonade.”

Amit Patel, from Premier Sandiacre in Derbyshire, has taken a different approach which he says saves time and allows for more variety in his offer.

His slushie machines are out on the shop floor, but he sells prepoured shots of alcohol in sealed cups at the counter, allowing customers to go and make their own drinks.

“You’re limited to just one kind of slushie if you pre-pour. We can get eight varieties of slushie, as well as energy drink slushies,” he says. “As soon as a new spirit comes out, we jump on the bandwagon. We’ve got seven AU vodkas available for slushies and we do things for Halloween and market trends.

“We promote it on social media as well. We have a menu on our app with 30 different cocktails that we can serve.”

Patel uses a heat-sealing machine used in bubble tea to seal the cups into which he pours the spirits. He says selling alcoholic slushies his way means he’s sure of the ABV of the finished product.

“You don’t want to get into trouble for that,” he says. “We open a big bottle, measure the shots into the cup and seal it. The customer makes the drink, has it in their hand and then they can open it once they’re off our premises.”

Both retailers ensure the alco -

holic part of the slushie – whether that’s the shot or the whole thing –is served from behind the counter. All three of Notay’s slushie machines are behind the counter, so staff are involved in every aspect of the process and customers can’t access it at all, like in a pub.

By selling the shots at the counter, Patel ensures staff check IDs thoroughly before selling anything alcoholic. Not that either retailer has found much demand for slushies from underage customers.

“It’s millennials buying it, though, really,” Notay says. “Anyone aged between 20 and 40 years old. You’ve got to cover your own back and make sure they’re not drinking on your premises – the same as for any other alcohol.”

Traditionally associated with nonalcoholic brands such as Tango Ice Blast, stores are increasingly looking to make their own highmargin boozy varieties

Patel adds: “We don’t get anyone under the age of 25 buying it, it’s a completely different clientele. We did originally get slushie machines for the kids, but now you’re attracting their parents as well, so they’ll buy a non-alcoholic one for their children and an alcoholic one for themselves.”

As a high-margin product that acts as a point of difference and footfall driver, alcoholic slushies could be a fantastic addition to your store’s offer.

Retailers need to consider very carefully whether it’s worth wading into such a legally grey area and weigh up the benefits in sales and profits against the potentially very real consequences around licensing and police goodwill. l

It’s important to show them the alcohol content

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

GUEST COLUMNIST Opportunity of the week PROSPECT

Managing editor Alex Dean reveals the ways in which this current affairs title has changed since it was founded nearly 30 years ago, and how it is supporting independent retailers

Alex Dean Managing editor, Prospect

How has the publication changed since it was founded in 1995?

When the magazine was founded, it published thoughtful, high-quality essays, just like today – but we are trying to appeal to a broader audience with a mix of long-form reporting, analysis and ideas across the political spectrum.

We still spend a lot of time ensuring the journalism we publish is worldclass in its accuracy and rigour, but it is just as likely to delight as to inform. An intellectual magazine shouldn’t be intimidating. Another obvious but important difference is that 30 years ago, we didn’t have a digital presence.

We have just launched a new website. We hope it will increase newsstand sales, while displaying our excellent podcasts and newsletters.

Can you tell us what is in your upcoming issue?

We’ll be running an essay about the big phone-hacking trial involving Prince Harry that’s set to begin on 9 May, a debate about how

we should be organising our economy in the future and whether conventional understandings of growth are fit for purpose.

Who is your typical readership?

Prospect readers are discerning and open-minded, prepared to read all sides of a story and challenge their own convictions. They don’t want snap reactions to the news – they can get that elsewhere – so they come to us for slower, considered analysis.

How important are newsstands to Prospect?

They are really important in helping us to reach a new audience, especially as the magazine seeks to expand its reach – we are Britain’s bestselling current affairs monthly, but we

NEWSSTAND SALES OFFER REAL ENGAGEMENT

I’ve always loved being on the newsstand. It means we get discovered by new people. It makes it real. The idea behind Idler was to celebrate the fine art of doing nothing.

hope to grow our readership further.

Our creative director, Mike Turner, puts a lot of thought into designing front covers that will catch the eye and still look relevant after weeks on sale.

Prospect is an ideal complementary purchase to the quality newspapers and weekly magazines, and we hope it can offer significant incremental sales to newsagents from existing customers, as well as new ones.

Our relatively high cover price is a reflection of the quality of the product. Those without a subscription can buy an individual edition they like the look of – perhaps one with a recognised contributor on its cover – so newsstands will continue to be a central plank of our strategy.

We’re all brought up with the idea that hard work leads to happiness, but that’s not true. Idling makes you happy.

I also wanted to bring together brilliant writers and artists to create a beautiful magazine that people want to keep.

Our tagline is ‘Slow down, have fun, live well’, and these are the things Idler aims to help its readers to do.

We’re more book-like – we last longer, are more beautiful and there’s more to chew on. Idler is a magazine that people don’t throw away. I’d say our typical readers are aged 50plus, although we have a healthy smattering of millennial – and even Gen Z – readers.

Our upcoming issue has actor Rachel Weisz on its cover. She’s starring in a remake of Dead Ringers, and I went to New York to interview her.

We’ve also got an interview with comedian and actor Griff Rhys Jones, a guide to taking a sabbatical, an argument in favour of slow sex, a piece on Goth culture, some reflections on anarchy and a music column from comedian Stewart Lee.

Independent retailers can get Idler from MyMagShop or from Central Books. If any retailers would like a poster of the new cover or would like me to do an event in store, contact mail@idler.co.uk.

Tom Hodgkinson, editor, Idler

Women in Convenience aims to connect, support and empower female retailers across the UK and Ireland.

Please share your thoughts via our 2023 survey, and help shape the programme for this year and beyond.

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

THE DARK SIDE

l This publication takes an in-depth look at the latest horror films, featuring reviews of everything ghoulish and ghastly.

l The Dark Side also delivers interviews with key figures of the horror industry, along with articles that keep readers updated on new trends.

INFINITY

l Infinity includes articles on sci-fi films and TV shows, from what’s hot in sci-fi now, to fan favourites and cult classics.

l Readers can enjoy interviews with film stars, keep up to date with modern blockbusters, and explore hidden sci-fi gems and trivia.

ONE ENGLAND OFFICIAL STICKER COLLECTION

l The latest sticker collection from Panini celebrates male and female players equally.

l This collection includes a timeline of success for senior squad managers, plus special England memorable moments in time.

QUANTUM

l This new and original comic title is aimed at a 12-years-old-and-over audience, and brings together science-fiction, superhero, steampunk and historical adventure stories with diverse characters.

l This independent comic has been designed specifically for newsstands.

THE PEOPLE’S FRIEND –CORONATION SPECIAL

l This issue contains a 16-page pullout focusing on the pomp and ceremony surrounding the coronation of King Charles III.

l The world’s longest-running weekly women’s magazine also includes short stories, recipes and advice.

BBC GOOD FOOD

l Each month, BBC Good Food includes a raft of recipes, from ideas for Sunday lunches to freefrom dishes.

l The publication also features cooking advice from experts and celebrity chefs, as well as advice on nutrition.

On sale 27 April

Frequency monthly

Price £4.50

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SPECIALIST CHOICE

FIONA MALONE, PREMIER

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On sale 27 April

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POKÉMON

What is it?

It’s the official magazine of the popular Nintendo franchise. It has been performing well for us recently, particularly since the release of the latest Pokémon game, which has helped to generate more interest for the title.

Who buys it?

On sale 20 April

Frequency bimonthly

Price £5.99

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Children and adults. The series has been going for decades, so there are some adults who will buy it for nostalgia.

Bestsellers Music

On sale 26 April

Frequency weekly

Price £1.85

Distributor Frontline

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Frequency monthly

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Partworks and collectables

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