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CONTENTS Editor

Head of insight

Jack Courtez

Chris Dillon @ChrisDillonNT

@JackCourtez

020 7689 3379

020 7689 3371 Features editor Charles Whitting @CharlieWhittin1

020 7689 3350

Senior features writer Priyanka Jethwa @PriyankaJethwa_

News editor

020 7689 3355

Megan Humphrey @MeganHumphrey_

020 7689 3357

Senior news Reporter Alex Yau

Features writer

@AlexYau_

Jasper Hart

020 7689 3358

@JasperAHHart

Insight reporter

020 7689 3384

Tamara Birch

Editor in chief

@TamaraBirchNT

Louise Banham

020 7689 3361

020 7689 3353 Head of digital

News reporter

Tan Parsons

Suhara Pavithri Jayasena

Head of design Anne-Claire Pickard Designer Jody Cooke Production editor Ryan Cooper Sub editors Jim Findlay, Robin Jarossi Production coordinator 020 7689 3368 Digital content editor Jody Porter 020 7689 3378 Director of sales and marketing Matthew Oliver 020 7689 3367 Senior account director Charlotte Jesson 020 7689 3389

@suharajourno

Account director Natalie Reeve 020 7689 3372 Account manager Adelice Tatham 020 7689 3366 Account manager (new business) Jimli Barua 020 7689 3364 Marketing manager Simon Joseph 020 7689 3388 Management accountant Abi Sylvane 020 7689 3383 Managing director Parin Gohil 020 7689 3363

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

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WELCOME

P

ennies make pounds, but pounds don’t make pennies, and the government’s plans to revert to imperial measurements are little more than a costly sideshow in a country facing the most prolonged supply problems in decades.

Retailers and shoppers aren’t focused on whether it’s kilograms or ounces on shelf labels, but whether there’s anything on the shelf itself. Combined with natural gas shortages, rising inflation, an upEditor tick in industrial action and Abba planning to release a new album, it really does feel like the return of the 1970s.

Jack Courtez One of the few upsides is the return of buying locally. In the past @JackCourtez two years, the links between local shops and local suppliers have 020 7689 3371 strengthened for very practical reasons. Buying from a local baker gives a level of reliability that the major players can’t match, and the same goes for meat, fruit and veg, and beer. Customers share the same approach, so it’s more important than ever that shops shout about their local credentials.

In my local area, three brothers in their early 20s have set up Greenwoods Grocers, delivering veg boxes to the neighbourhood. It’s been a smash hit. These intrepid grocers would have been in nappies when the so-called ‘metric martyrs’ were prosecuted in the early 2000s for continuing to sell in pounds and ounces. Good businesses should always be looking forwards and the same goes for governments. There are so many practical policies that have been kicked into the long grass that it’s insulting that resources are being spent on a nostalgia trip. The end of full business rates exemptions for many small shops is on the horizon, and the long-promised reform is still yet to materialise. We were promised new powers for the small business commissioner to help prevent small firms being exploited by larger companies, now we’ve been told it is years away.

It shows the importance of putting pressure on the government to tackle the issues that matter. As the saying goes – give them an inch, and they’ll take a kilometre.

HEADLINES 3 INDUSTRY NEWS

Jisp and Nisa partner on new digital promotions for local stores Stores prepare for Covid-19 winter plan B 5 SYMBOL NEWS

Eden Farm reassures stores over failed deliveries

6 NEWSTRADE NEWS

Guardian latest publisher to hide newspaper sales stats

7 NFRN NEWS

RN is published by Newtrade Media Limited, which is wholly owned by NFRN Holdings Ltd, which is wholly owned by the Benefits Fund of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. RN is editorially independent of the NFRN and opinions, comments and reviews included are not necessarily those of the Federation and no warranty for goods or services described is implied. Reproduction or transmission in part or whole of any item from RN may only be undertaken with the prior written agreement of the Editor. Contributions are welcomed and are included in part or whole at the sole discretion of the editor. Newtrade Media Limited accepts no responsibility for submitted material. Every possible care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information.

For trade use only

Maximise your margins on rum 16 STORE ADVICE

How retailers can work with suppliers to boost sales

18 COLUMNIST

Scott Annan on why stores are nearing their sustainability ‘tipping point’

20 MARS WRIGLEY

How to drive seasonal sales 22 HALLOWEEN & BONFIRE NIGHT

Concerns over trading standards

Remember, remember the sales

9 YOUR VIEWS

32 PREMIUM NIGHTS IN

enforcement plans revealed

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

14 PRICEWATCH

‘Getir is a colossal threat to local shops’

INSIGHT

opportunities running up to 5 November

Get shoppers to trade up on nights in 38 CHRISTMAS SOFT DRINKS

All the key seasonal lines and trends 42 COLUMNIST

Neville Rhodes on an increasingly crowded convenience market

10 PRODUCT NEWS

Discover the spirit lines worth

£2,792 in extra sales this Christmas

43 THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

The anniversary edition of Mountain Biking UK can make your sales jump

RN’s publisher Newtrade Media cares about the environment.

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21/09/2021 15:49

3

RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

NEWS Jisp promo scheme pays commission per scan

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

A new phone-based instore promotions tool from Jisp promises to pay stores commission each time a customer scans a barcode or purchases an item on its new Scan & Save scheme.

Nisa is the first group to sign up to the service, with 12 trial stores already utilising the new feature of Jisp – an app allowing independent stores to provide click and collect, delivery and customer loyalty schemes.

Jisp chief customer officer Greg Deacon told RN other major players including Bestway and Booker were also in talks to join Nisa in making Scan & Save technology available to partnered stores.

Shelf-edge labels and display units encourage shoppers to scan the barcodes on more than 65 common convenience products from brands including Mondelez, PepsiCo and Molson Coors.

The retailer receives 5p each time the customer scans the code, which reveals discounts of up to 60% on the participating lines.

The discount is subsi-

dised by the brands with retailers receiving the full margin plus a second commission fee when the customer purchases the item.

Deacon claimed the level of scans and purchases had “exceeded expectations” in the first three days of trading.

The company claimed 6,000 “interactions” had taken place with the vouchers in the trial stores, resulting in 400 associated purchases, equivalent to at least £320 in commission.

Jack Matthews, owner of Bradley’s Supermarket in Quorn, Leicestershire, is one of the 12 Nisa stores using the system. “The

early results are promising,” he said.

“Now it’s about building up the number of customers using it.”

Jisp claimed that alongside driving sales and commission payments in stores, the feature, which will be free to shops using Jisp, also cuts the staff time and environmental impact of printing and placing new promotional labels because the Jisp labels can be moved from one promotion to the next.

The scheme also offers stores larger than 2,000sq ft a way to continue offers on high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) lines after the promotions ban late next year, because they are

only available to customers that have expressed interest in purchasing an HFSS product.

Jisp chief executive Julian Fischer said the tool “will revolutionise the way brands advertise their products in physical stores while maximising sales for retailers”.

The launch is the second phone-based promotions tool to launch in local shops this year.

In-Touch’s smartcoupons.co.uk, ran initially in partnership with The Retail Data Partnership, gives QR coupons to shoppers that sign up to the scheme that can be redeemed at the tills of participating stores.

Tesco plans new ‘GetGo’ format

Tesco is soon to launch its checkout-less Tesco GetGo Stores, according to trademarks and other documents uncovered

by RN. Similar to Amazon Go, the technology enables shoppers to use the Tesco Clubcard app to sign in to stores and walk out with their selected goods, with payment then automati-

p3 Breaking News.indd 3

cally taken from their linked account.

Trademarks for the new GetGo store brand were filed on 26 July, a month after Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy confirmed plans to roll out a thenunnamed checkout-less technology trial to a site in an “urban location” in the coming months.

Terms and conditions

for Tesco GetGo customers seen by RN show the stores use “positioning technology” to track what customers “touch, pick up and interact with” and identify the items the customer plans to purchase.

Retail expert David Gilroy told RN the technology will be a major threat to independent retailers

if Tesco decides to embark on an estate-wide rollout.

He said: “Tesco has several advantages. It has an established reputation across the UK and it also has a real estate of shops.

“This will allow it to roll out the technology at a rapid pace. Given the choice, customers will pick the convenience of checkout-less technology.”

Vaping stock seizures Stores caught with illicit vaping products are having legitimate and illegitimate stock seized by trading standards, according to Geek Bar. The disposable vaping company’s UK marketing manager Jabir Ahmed said there were widespread incidents of counterfeit Geek Bar products being sold in stores and urged retailers to check their stock is legitimate. He added that store inspections by trading standards had resulted in seizures worth more than £8,000.

Describing the threat to shops, Ahmed said: “When they find some stock isn’t compliant, they aren’t differentiating between what is and isn’t legitimate to sell, and take the lot. Stores can get legitimate stock back, but it’s not quick.”

He added the firm was clamping down on those exploiting high demand for their products by selling counterfeit versions.

Imperial measures afoot Boris Johnson is looking to bring back the use of imperial measurements such as pounds and ounces in stores to “capitalise on new Brexit freedoms”.

The Cabinet Office confirmed it plans to “review the EU ban on markings and sales in imperial units and legislate in due course”.

The plans come more than 20 years after the first ‘metric martyr’ greengrocer Steve Thoburn, was convicted for selling produce in imperial measurements after warnings from trading standards.

21/09/2021 16:28

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

NEWS Impulse increase predicted

Convenience stores could benefit from an increase in impulse sales as schools and offices return, according to Kantar.

The analyst said that, while grocery sales in the 12 weeks to 5 September fell annually by 1.9%, sales were 8.7% higher than preCovid-19 levels.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, predicted a change in footfall as schools and offices returned. He said: “In the first week of September, we measured the highest supermarket footfall all year outside of the Easter period with more people out and about picking up items as they go.”

McKevitt suggested convenience stores could benefit from these buying habits. “That suggests a hint of change and could see shoppers shun the ‘big shop’ in favour of more frequent top-up buying,” he said.

S’bury’s increases magazines Magazine space in some Sainsbury’s stores is to be cut by as much as 70% as part of a new range review, but higher density shelves will minimise the impact on ranging.

Magazine distributor Intermedia said both supermarket and convenience sites will be affected, with 9% of outlets seeing the total number of titles stocked cut.

The maximum bay count will be culled from 24 to eight. Conversely, the distributor claimed rival supermarket M&S is looking to increase its magazine space in 132 stores.

p4 Breaking News.indd 4

Retailers prepare for Covid-19 winter plan B

by Suhara Jayasena suhara.jayasena@newtradeco.uk

Stricter winter Covid-19 measures could have implications on the footfall and supply across convenience stores, retailers and experts have warned.

Last week, prime minister Boris Johnson outlined his Covid-19 plan, discussing the government’s aim to tackle the surge in cases.

The speech included a plan A and plan B for dealing with Covid-19 during autumn and winter, when cases are expected to rise.

While plan A is expected to have little impact on stores, Plan B could see the re-introduction of mandatory mask wearing and the return of workfrom-home guidance.

Plan B is expected to only be put into force should Covid-19 cases in England threaten to overwhelm the NHS. Although the government said it was not planning a winter lockdown, it did not rule out the possibility of more “harmful economic and social restrictions” as a “last resort”.

Sajeev Gowrinathan,

of Greenacre Garage in Cheshire, said: “If a winter lockdown does happen, it will be about preparing beforehand.

That could involve bulk buying stock in the runup to Christmas.

“I also predict workingfrom home will create issues for my business.

We will see a decrease in sales and footfall because a lot of our customers visit while driving to work.”

Sam Coldbeck, of Premier Wharfdale Convenience in Hull, added: “It will cause us issues. I can imagine footfall will fall, especially among the commuting customers

who visit my store. But then it could mean more local people shopping at my store.

“If we enter a winter lockdown, I hope the public will continue to shop locally and safeguard retailers. We have always encouraged mask wearing by my staff and customers, so I do not think that being reintroduced will cause many problems.”

Retail expert Graham Soult told RN mandatory mask wearing would help ease the pressure on retailers. “It’s a bit of a free-for-all right now, and the public will hopefully

accept it as the price to pay to keep things going.”

Explaining how a more severe winter lockdown would affect stores, convenience analyst Bryan Roberts said: “You’ve got late deliveries amid a shortage of drivers and CO2. It’s winding up to be a brutal Christmas for those who work in the food and drink sector.”

Advising on how retailers can prepare, Soult added: “There’s an opportunity in sourcing from local businesses.

“It has a positive effect on availability, and supporting local businesses tells a good story.”

Police urge baked bean crackdown Police have attempted to clamp down on sales of baked beans in stores following an increase in antisocial behaviour as part of a new social media trend.

Multiple videos on TikTok have surfaced online, showing youths throwing baked beans onto driveways, doorsteps and onto the tops of cars.

Police across the UK

have issued statements urging shop workers to be aware of youths buying “large quantities of beans”.

In a statement, PCSO Michelle Owens, from Morley in West Yorkshire, said: “It has come to our attention that a new trend called ‘beaning’ has been started by groups of youths. This involves youths throwing

the contents of cans of beans over properties.

It’s very similar to the trend of throwing eggs at properties. If you work in a shop, please can you be aware of youths buying large quantities of beans.”

However, multiple stores have rejected the suggestion that it is their responsibility to stop sales of beans to youths.

Ravi Raveendran, of

Colombo Mini-Mart in Hounslow, said: “If the police cannot catch the children doing this, they shouldn’t be interfering with shopkeepers and our businesses asking us to keep an eye out. If the police want to stop this, they should do it themselves by going to the schools and talking to the children instead of putting the job onto us.”

21/09/2021 16:18

5

RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

SYMBOL NEWS Eden Farm takes steps to fix delivery crisis

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

Frozen and chilled wholesaler Eden Farm Hulleys is taking a raft of actions designed to help combat the impact of severe supply chain problems, following complaints from stores.

Independent shops had reported week-late deliveries and receiving chilled goods with less than two days shelf life.

Eden Farm Hulleys sales director Ben Lawrence said shortages of warehouse staff and drivers, EU importing problems, Covid-19 and the natural-gas shortages were the cause of the disruption.

He said “We’re in the same boat. Our suppliers are having issues. With lead times for instance, there are examples where our order lead time has gone from three days to 21 days. Even then, where we would order 10 pallets they are saying you can only have two.”

With fresh lines, Lawrence said: “Where [suppliers] are using third-party haulage firms, we can’t

guarantee when it’s going to turn up. We would book in Friday 10am, but that Friday delivery might arrive on Monday, or might arrive on Tuesday.”

One of the Eden Farm Hulleys’ affected customers is Mary Qassim, owner of Cross Stores & Post Office in King Somborne, Hampshire. She told RN: “They said delivery would be the next day. The next day came and they again said it would be tomorrow.

It ended up arriving eight days late.

“They don’t allocate the deliveries until after 5pm, and then they are closed, so I can’t check until the next morning if my delivery is coming.”

Asked about the instances like Qassim’s, Lawrence promised improvements were on the way. “Our systems, no matter how good they are, haven’t been developed enough in terms of communication,” he accepted, adding: “At the moment we can’t tell customers when they are going to have their delivery at the point of order capture, it’s our biggest

frustration. At the end of September we’ve got a change to our routing.

“It has taken two months to do this, and it means our IT system will tell customers what’s going to happen, and give them more of a time window at the point of order.”

He said the new system would go live within the next two weeks, and reassured the company was “seeing improvement day by day” on availability and deliveries.

Telesales staff, previously working remotely, are also set to return to the office over the next fortnight. Lawrence added that driver and warehouse staff pay had increased and work was underway to in-

crease the number of staff qualified to drive heavy goods vehicles.

The company also said it had “delayed mobilisation” of new customer accounts to avoid harming stores supplied by the firm.

Commenting on when he expected the disruption to be resolved, Lawrence said: “Our expectation was by the end of September, but it depends on the market and staff availability.”

Asked for advice for stores in mitigating the ongoing issues, Lawrence told RN: “We have been advising for a while – if you can, get as much as you can and fill up your freezers. But it is a hard request to tell people to spend more money.”

Aluminium crisis hits energy drinks Energy-drink sales in stores are being hit by an aluminium shortage affecting top selling lines from brands including Red Bull, according to shop owners and industry sources.

A field rep for an energy drink company told RN: “We’re seeing the impact on shelves, with medium and large Red Bull cans and flavours all missing.

“They are losing space in stores which may not return as other brands are filling in. September is

p5 Symbols.indd 5

usually an important promotions period for energy drinks, due to the start of university but they are all being cut.”

One retailer said: “I’ve been out of [Red Bull] for nearly two weeks now.

I’ve just replaced the two spaces with Relentless and any other energy drink that goes on promotion.”

Availability data from Bestway depots supported retailer and rep claims, with 473ml, 355ml and 250ml price-marked varieties of standard and sugar-

free Red Bull all reported as out of stock last week.

Asked when it expected availability to recover and for advice on how stores should fill gaps left by the outages, Red Bull failed to respond.

The challenges come as CO2 shortages are also set to return, compounding existing supply problems.

Most CO2 used in food production is a by-product of fertiliser production.

Two of the UK’s largest fertiliser plants shut down last week due to soaring

natural-gas price making production unprofitable.

The move is expected to have a ‘ripple effect’ through soft drinks, meat and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Food and Drink Federation chief executive Ian Wright warned on 21 September that gaps would start appearing on shelves due to the CO2 shortage “within days”.

As RN went to press the Government said it had reached a deal to restart CO2 production.

Bargain Booze birthday Bargain Booze owner Bestway is celebrating the brand’s 40th anniversary with a special scratchcard promotion running in centrally owned and franchise stores.

Until 11 October, customers spending £15 or more will receive a scratchcard with prizes ranging from beer and snacks to winning a share of £10,000 to spend in store.

Bargain Booze employees will also be invited to the brand’s ‘40th birthday bash’ to take place at its annual Drinks at Home trade event on 8 October.

One of the first Bargain Booze franchisees, Barbara Weightman, now owner of two sites in Macclesfield and Congleton, signed up in 1994. “Little did I think that here we would be today, nearly 30 years’ later with a great business that is embedded in the heart of the community,” she said.

Strike impact doubted Coca-Cola and Weetabix have downplayed the impact of strikes that unions have said will disrupt the companies’ ability to get goods in stores.

Alpla UK supplies Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) and Britvic with bottles.

A ballot on industrial action open to 150 staff at its Golborne factory in Wigan closed on 22 September after RN went to press.

Asked about the impact, CCEP said it was “confident that there would be no impact on our ability to supply our customers”.

21/09/2021 16:25

6

NEWS & MAGS

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

Guardian latest publisher to hide sales results

by Tim Murray editorial@newtrade.co.uk

The Guardian has become the latest national newspaper to make its ABC figures private, preventing stores from knowing how well its print titles are performing.

The publisher’s withdrawal from public reporting through the ABC also takes in The Observer.

The Guardian will still be audited by the ABC, but its circulation figures will only be made available to advertising agencies on application.

The withdrawal follows similar decisions by the Telegraph, which publishes its own audited monthly statement, and News UK, which, like the Guardian, makes its figures available to agencies and advertisers on request.

It leaves fewer measures for retailers and the industry to officially be able to compare a news-

paper’s success. None of the quality market – the Guardian, Telegraph and Times – publicly reveal their figures.

The news comes as the latest ABC figures show a continued downward trend, in month-on-month and year-on-year terms, although the i newspaper bucked the trend, with weekday sales up 4.1% month on month and 1% year on year.

The increase made it the strongest performer across the seven days.

A Guardian News & Media spokesperson said: “We have taken the decision to be privately audited by the ABC, effective from August 2021’s monthly report, and to focus on metrics that more accurately reflect our diversity of journalism, readership and business strategy. We remain members of the ABC with circulation figures still available to agencies.”

EXCLUSIVE

New edition of Rolling Stone aims to lure back older customers

The new UK edition of Rolling Stone will offer retailers a good return and could help bring older customers back to the newsstand.

This is according to Darren Styles, managing director of the magazine’s publisher, Stream Publishing. Styles, the son of a village newsagent, persuaded Rolling Stone to put its UK edition through his independent publisher rather than a major corporation.

Speaking exclusively to RN ahead of the magazine’s 30 September

p6 News and Mags.indd 6

launch, Styles said: “A new product stimulates people and sends them back into shops, perhaps even if they are out of the habit. And we’ll be making a lot of noise around the launch. At £6.95, it’s a great return from the shelf space, too.”

The first edition features three different covers, including leftfield pop act Bastille. Styles said it would cover music and entertainment as well as “politics with a small ‘p’”. l Read the 1 October issue of RN for the full interview with Styles

August Monday-to-Friday newspaper sales

Core sales*1

Daily Express Daily Mail Daily Mirror Daily Record Daily Star Daily Telegraph Financial Times Guardian i The Sun Times TOTAL

Monthly change

Yearly Estimated Total change retail margin (000s)*2 sales*3

218,296 -0.3% -8.0% £32.7 218,296 801,746 -0.9% -7.1% £143.1 801,746 329,110 -0.4% -9.8% £59.2 329,110 79,731 0.8% -9.9% £14.4 79,731 210,866 -2.1% -11.1% £23.2 210,866 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 12,554 -6.8% -5.0% £7.3 45,548 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 136,662 4.1% 1.0% £19.5 140,678 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 1,788,965 -0.5% -7.7% £299.5 1,825,975

August Saturday newspaper sales

Core sales*1

Daily Express Daily Mail Daily Mirror Daily Record Daily Star Daily Telegraph Financial Times Guardian i weekend The Sun Times TOTAL

Monthly change

Yearly Estimated Total change retail margin (000s)*2 sales*3

302,078 -0.2% -6.7% £72.5 302,078 1,487,259 -2.4% -6.1% £343.6 1,487,259 446,605 -1.4% -9.1% £134.0 446,605 95,350 -1.2% -10.7% £26.7 95,350 213,883 -0.8% -10.2% £38.5 213,883 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 66,287 -1.7% 4.4% £58.3 94,792 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 180,158 -0.2% -2.7% £46.5 184,113 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 2,791,620 -1.7% -6.7% £720.0 2,824,080

August Sunday newspaper sales

Core sales*1

Daily Star Sunday Mail on Sunday Observer People Sunday Telegraph Sunday Express Sunday Mail Sunday Mirror Sunday Post Sunday Times The Sun on Sunday TOTAL

Monthly change

Yearly Estimated Total change retail margin (000s)*2 sales*3

123,564 0.2% -12.4% £32.1 123,564 800,648 -0.5% -7.2% £302.6 800,648 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 111,050 0.0% -11.2% £42.2 111,050 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 203,935 -0.6% -7.9% £73.4 203,935 80,146 -1.7% -13.2% £32.1 80,146 278,647 -0.8% -11.4% £105.9 278,647 61,295 -1.2% -16.0% £24.5 61,295 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 1,659,285 -0.6% -9.4% £612.85 1,659,285

*1 Core sales are newstrade sales and pre-paid subscriptions in the UK and Ireland; *2 ERM is the total income to retailers for one day’s sales, calculated using margin statistics printed in RN; *3 Total sales includes bulk sales

21/09/2021 15:24

7

RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

NFRN NEWS

In partnership with

Head office

Concern over new illicit penalty plan for stores

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

Tobacco manufacturers and trade groups including the NFRN have expressed concerns over plans to give trading standards new powers to penalise shops in breach of tobacco trackand-trace regulations.

The new powers include confiscating legitimate tobacco products when non-compliant products are found on the same premises, applying higher financial penalties on illicit sellers and ‘deactivating’ store Economic Operator IDs (EOID) – effectively making it impossible for stores to legally buy or sell most tobacco products.

While HMRC said “all respondents” to its consultation on the change had backed giving trading standards the new powers, documents obtained by RN reveal concerns that legitimate convenience store owners could get caught out by the new sanctions.

Following Freedom of Information requests, HMRC handed over the 35 submissions from groups including tobacco manufacturers, trading standards departments and retail trade bodies on the proposed new penalties, including documents marked as confidential.

In its submission, the NFRN said it “cautiously welcomed” the new powers for local officers, but warned “clear guidelines” on EOID terminations would be needed to avoid “zealot-like” enforcement by some local trading standards teams.

It said stores having their EOID “wrongly deactivated” could cause

“significant damage” to legitimate businesses.

Similarly, the trade group for tobacco distributors (ITPAC) warned this was already taking place.

Describing trading standards previous enforcement of plain packaging laws, ITPAC said: “Perfectly legal product was seized on a number of occasions.”

Tobacco manufacturers warned that wellintentioned tobacco sellers could be caught out with non-compliant stock.

Philip Morris’ submission, marked ‘commercial and confidential’, admitted retailers may fail to spot that some slow-selling packs that do not have the required track-and-trace elements are still in their gantries.

One trade group agreed, adding that Covid-19 had delayed some manufacturer efforts to swap out noncompliant packs, resulting in non-compliant packs still being in stores.

British American Tobacco was one of many respondents to warn that retailers had no way of knowing whether the stock they purchased had been correctly registered under the track-and-trace system.

The company’s submission stated: “Where retailers are not the ones performing the scanning in the supply chain, they will receive stock from legitimate suppliers and will have no visibility of the level of scanning compliance further up the supply chain.

“Given this, it is unclear why or how they would be liable for non-compliance, which must be taken into consideration when extending [track-and-trace] enforcement powers to

trading standards.”

Imperial Brands also urged caution. Its submission read: “If a very small amount of non-[track-andtrace] compliant stock is found alongside a full retail stock of compliant product, we do not believe it would be proportionate to automatically seize all [track-and-trace] compliant stock.”

Under the proposed new penalties, illicit sellers will receive greater fines for smaller, repeated offences, including on-the-spot fixed penalty notices.

The first court penalty for having less than 100 illicit packs will increase from £1,000 to £2,500, while the fourth offence for the same illicit stock holding rises from £1,500 to £10,000. The increased penalties were welcomed, but manufacturers called for HMRC to go further.

JTI said legitimate and illegitimate alcohol stock should also be seized where non-compliant tobacco products are discovered.

Philip Morris called for tougher punishments for what it described as the “growing phenomenon” of

stores selling counterfeit plain packs to customers as legitimate stock at or close to full price.

Imperial called for stores to lose their EOID for a minimum of a year, rather than the currently proposed six months, and for the tactic to also be used against stores caught with lower amounts of illicit goods.

In its response to the consultation published in July, HMRC said the extension of the powers to trading standards departments would be delayed in order to resolve “the operational concerns highlighted”.

The tax body seemed to accept calls for even heavier fines, stating that an “updated model” would be published “to ensure a tougher yet proportional approach”.

The concerns around legitimate reasons to be in possession of non-compliant stock were also heeded.

HMRC said “safeguards will be built into operational procedures and guidance to ensure innocent parties can be dealt with under reasonable excuse provisions”.

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

p7 NFRN News.indd 7

Wales

Crime strategy demanded Waiting times and CCTV handling topped the agenda in a recent meeting between NFRN Wales district members and Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn.

At a meeting on 15 September, the NFRN pushed for the recently re-elected PCC to include a strategy and resources for tackling crime in the plans that must be published by all PCCs by the end of the year.

NFRN member Vince Malone called for action after waiting 11 days for a response to a shoplifting incident and reported rural broadband issues in using the police’s CCTV evidence upload system.

The NFRN said Llywelyn “understood the severity of retail crime” and outlined steps including having at least one officer dedicated to every town centre and greater CCTV funded by the local Business Improvement District.

Northern Ireland

New card to support high st NFRN members in Northern Ireland are eagerly awaiting the start of a government scheme to give 1.4 million people £100 each to spend on the high street.

Registration to receive the £100 pre-paid card opens on 27 September, with the first set to arrive on 4 October.

NFRN Northern Ireland district president Joe Archibald told RN: “It’s great news. The pre-paid card works just like a debit card so there’s nothing stores have to do.”

21/09/2021 11:50

82% of consumers are unable to name a retailer doing a good job of reducing plastic waste*

To find out more, please call Simon Joseph on 020 7689 3363

Stat AD.indd 1

*Kantar

Newtrade Media is passionate about helping independent retailers to become more sustainable.

20/09/2021 16:47

9

RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

YOUR VIEWS

Get in touch

letters@newtrade.co.uk 020 7689 3357

VIEW FROM THE COUNTER with Ken Singh

New beer packs are disintegrating I read the article about the issues other shops have been facing with the new packaging on beer cans.

No kidding – it’s almost impossible to get the Bud Light down from the shelves in the nearest Booker now without nearly giving yourself a concussion since they removed the plastic wrap from the cases.

At least Heineken had the sense to keep the

wrap on its products to help contain the cans during handling.

A few weeks ago, the weather was nice when I got to the cash and carry, but raining by time I’d got through the checkout.

While I was loading the car, the new ‘woke’ eco-packaging on the Budweiser melted, and one of the cans jumped off the trolley without me touching the case.

The Heineken I got at the same time was wrapped in plastic, and fared better. I was able to carry the whole thing

GETIR IS A HUGE THREAT TO INDEPENDENT RETAILERS Amrit Singh, Nisa Local High Heath, Walsall Last week I attended the Convenience Conference in London. One of the most talked-about inclusions in the run-up to the event was Getir.

I believe the instantgrocery-delivery company is a colossal threat to convenience retailers, and listening to its spokesperson did little to change my mind.

Getir claimed the 15-minutes-or-less delivery ‘grocery now’ mission it serves is a new grocery market, and it

p11 Your Views.indd 9

will add to, rather than subtract from, existing services.

It suggested its limited ranging would insulate other local shops selling online.

Getir also said it has no plans to expand beyond cities and hubs, but I do not believe any of this is true.

We run convenience stores, convenience being the key word. It’s the same mission as ‘grocery now’ by another name, with the same

through the shop door in one piece when I got back, but the loose Budweiser was in such a state I had to carry the surviving four-packs through individually.

John Duck Devizes, Wiltshire

The shortages continue, and it seems Lynx lager, Special K and energy drinks are this week’s casualties. Brands spend a lot of time encouraging stores to stock their full range, and you can lose sales if you don’t. For instance, without the big cans of Red Bull, we’ve had customers walk out without opting for a replacement.

I would like stores to get more supplier support and advice when there are outages. It’s a battle to list, delist, replace and reface to avoid gaps, and it can be upsetting that so many reward schemes don’t seem to take outages into account when measuring performance. We also need explanations for outages, not just reasons like Covid-19, aluminimum or drivers, otherwise it’s hard to decide how long a line is likely to be out and what should be done about the gap.

Whether from reps or trade press, an honest account from a brand can be the difference between a line keeping its space or being replaced.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK There doesn’t seem to be much correlation between the advertising and promotions, and the number of orders we are getting through Snappy Shopper. We’re getting five-to-10 orders a day and around three are regulars, so we need to look again at how we and Snappy Shopper are marketing the service.

customers and the same share of grocery spending that shops rely on now.

I’ve also looked at Getir’s ranging online. Compared with a typical small convenience or newsagent’s range online, Getir’s is equal, if not larger. It is also tailored to the local area, and even includes some local lines.

Getir may just have plans to expand into cities and hubs at the moment, but it would be foolish to think that it will simply stop there once this has been achieved.

Amazon Fresh started out as an urban oddity – now it’s everywhere.

Former Sainsbury’s boss and Snappy Shopper investor Justin King spoke afterwards and hit the nail on the head with his description of services

like Getir. ‘It’s easy to sell £10 for £5’ was the mantra, alongside that, we are not competing on an equal playing field.

Previously, new competition has been a fair fight.

Whether you are a Sainsbury’s Local or a newsagent, you have to pay staff and business rates, and provide additional services and functions for the local community while trying to turn a profit.

Getir and its ilk have none of these responsibilities. The gig economy they rely on is just the return of Victorian ‘piece rate’ employment practices, and their venture-capital backing means they don’t have to break even, let alone turn a profit. In effect, they fund an unsustainable model that we then have to compete with.

YOUR SAY

Yes

27%

No

73% Would you add a customer loo to your store?

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Do you expect Covid-19 to affect how your store performs this winter?

Vote now @ThisIsRN

21/09/2021 12:27

10

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

PRODUCT NEWS SPECIALIST CHOICE

Grow Xmas booze sales by £2,792

Find your Vocation with beer rebrand Craft brewer Vocation has undergone a rebrand to better reflect the difference in each of its beer varieties and to make the brand more recognisable.

RRP £2-6 (single) Contact vocationbrewery.com

A Boundless crisps opportunity Boundless Activated Snacking’s Activated Chips are designed to help better digestion. It comes in Chipotle & Lime and Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar options.

RRP £1.80 Available from specialist wholesalers

Grow sales with Sweet Botanist The Sweet Botanist’s range includes boiled sweets and gum. Each pack of gum contains 45mg of CBD oil; the 30g bags of sweets contain 30mg of CBD oil.

RRP £3.50-3.99 Contact thesweetbotanist.co.uk

p10-12 Product News.indd 10

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

Convenience retailers could profit from an additional £2,792 per store this Christmas by stocking key Pernod Ricard UK (PRUK) lines during the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas day, according to the supplier.

Convenience stores are best for facilitating two missions in the alcohol category – grabbing a bottle on the way to a party or gathering, and picking up a bottle to host family and friends at home, according to PRUK. A study commissioned by the company found independent stores were useful to shoppers when picking up spirits before going out, with 87% of shoppers buying spirits at convenience stores to consume at their destination. Thirty-one per cent of these missions were spontaneous.

With the closing of pubs and restaurants, there are now more online shoppers and a broader demographic of people shopping locally due to an increase in people working from home.

The supplier added there has equally been an increase in people buying premium spirits, with its value growing twice as fast as the spirits category in total.

When it comes to people trying something new, it now takes two more spirits sub-sectors to make up 95% of impulse value sales than it did a year ago.

This means instead of making all sales through one type of spirit, such as vodka or gin, retailers must now invest in a broader range of categories to hit the same level of sales.

For these reasons, PRUK said retailers must be able to cater to a wider

variety of tastes and occasions than in the past with premium options that will “make visibly generous and special party contributions”.

Chris Shead, off-trade channel director at PRUK, said the off-trade is likely to retain an inflated share of the total beer, wines and spirits market this year.

“It’s important to stock not only the familiar core lines of premium spirits and wines shoppers will expect to see, but also something new and exciting from those brands, due to the increased knowledge of spirits and wines shoppers have acquired in lockdown,” he added. l To find out which alcohol lines can help you generate an additional £2,792 of sales this year, head to betterRetailing.com and search ‘Pernod Ricard UK what to stock’

21/09/2021 12:53

SBF Bra

11

RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

Biodegradable wipes and spray

Chilean additions to Mud House

RRP £1.50 (wipes)

RRP £9

Petits Filous focuses on no added sugar

Yakult celebrates 25 years

Campaign spans TV

Campaign spans TV, radio, print, outdoor and digital

Carex has expanded its range in time for winter and the cold and flu seasons with Biodegradable Wipes (pack of 15) and Aloe Vera Antibacterial Hand & Home Surface Sanitiser Spray 250ml. The wipes are made from plant fibres and are intended as the first step of a consumer’s regime when hand washing with water is not possible. The spray can be used on both hands and surfaces around the house.

Petits Filous is showcasing its No Added Sugar Pots and Mess Free Drinking Yogurt range on TV screens for the first time.

Live until 10 October, the £1m campaign is set to reach 64.1% of UK parents with kids throughout this month and next. The brand is also partnering with Netmums, a parenting website.

Mess Free Drinking Yogurt No Added Sugar comes in two flavours – Raspberry & Apple and Banana & Apricot.

Accolade Wines has unveiled two new Chilean varieties under its Mud House brand, Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé.

Mud House saw a 31% increase in volume and 28% rise in value sales year on year in 2020 and is the sixth-most recognisable wine brand in the UK. To provide distinction on shelf between the ranges, the new wines will feature Chile’s national bellflower on-pack.

To coincide with its 25th anniversary, Yakult has premiered its new campaign, ‘Yakult. The little bottle on a mission’, which aims to recruit new drinkers into the brand, while strengthening its ‘well-being’ positioning within the category. The campaign, live now, will include a new TV, radio, print, outdoor and digital campaign. The supplier said it currently holds a market share of 11.9%.

»

Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I is launching something new this month

Seventy-five per cent1 of adults report concerns about tiredness, making Lucozade Alert a great way to meet demand.

…stock up on Lucozade Alert 500ml cans to drive sales today

Lucozade Alert contains naturally sourced caffeine and vitamin B3 to help reduce tiredness without compromising on the great Lucozade taste.

1

Lucozade Alert is a naturally sourced caffeine energy drink and is available now in price-marked and standard 500ml cans.

Stimulation drinks is the fastest-growing soft drinks segment…

SBF GB&I category strategy insight

In partnership with

SBF Brand Snapshot.indd 11 p10-12 Product News.indd 11

17/09/2021 16:44 21/09/2021 12:53

12

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN Priyanka Jethwa Senior features writer @PriyankaJethwa_

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

Britvic moves to recycled plastic

Britvic is moving several brands to 100% recycled plastic across 500ml and/or 600ml bottles by the end of September. These brands include Pepsi Max, 7Up Free, Tango, Lipton, Robinsons Ready to Drink and Drench. According to the supplier, 80% of Brits think it is important for manufacturers to use recycled plastic. It aims to make all its bottles from 100% recycled plastic by the end of next year.

Campaign spans PoS, TV, on-pack

Ferrero unveils eco packaging

Ferrero has introduced a new eco-designed box for its Ferrero Rocher 30-piece and 16-piece boxes as part of a commitment to making all of its packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. The supplier hopes to save approximately 2,000 tonnes of plastic globally in the first year its new packaging is in use. It uses 38% less plastic for the 30-piece box and 40% less plastic for the 16-piece box.

Available now

Aunt Bessie’s revamps Roasties recipe

Aunt Bessie’s has revamped its frozen roast potatoes range with a new recipe and updated packaging. The supplier has also invested in a £2.1m extension to its current advertising campaign, which will run through to December on TV. According to the supplier, 22% of roast dinner shoppers only buy Aunt Bessie’s, giving the brand an important association with the occasion. The refreshed Roasties are available now.

Campaign runs across TV and on-pack

p10-12 Product News.indd 12

21/09/2021 12:54

BACKED BY SCIENCE OUR VAPES ARE TESTED FOR 1000s OF HOURS BY MORE THAN 50 SCIENTISTS BEFORE REACHING CONSUMERS’ HANDS. VUSE IS A PIONEER IN VAPOUR SCIENCE ✔ Consumers are at the heart of product development. That’s why our specialist vape team of technical, scientific and engineering experts carefully craft our devices and E-Liquids.

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✔ An important part of this is vapour testing. Before a new product is launched, we collect and analyse the vapour using analytical testing methods.

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RN Full page ad.indd 1

21/09/2021 15:23

14

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

PRICEWATCH Profit checker Rum

CAPTAIN MORGAN ORIGINAL SPICED GOLD RUM 35% 70CL Price distribution % 40%

38.24% of transactions are processed at £17.99

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

£26.99

£24.99

£21.99

£21.75

£20.99

£20.69

£20

£19.99

£19.49

£18.99

£18

£17.99

£16.99

£15.99

£15.79

£15.49

£14.99

£14.79

£13.99

0%

Behind the numbers Rum is growing significantly in convenience, with spiced rum growing by 70%. This week’s data shows while rum can be competitive, there’s plenty of opportunities to drive profits.

Sixty-five per cent are increasing profits by charging up to £24 on Bacardi Carta Blanca 70cl – an £8.01 increase on the most-common price

Chaz Chahal STORE Simply

Fresh The Forge LOCATION

Worcester SIZE 900sq ft TYPE Village

TOP PRODUCTS Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold Rum 70cl Captain Morgan’s Dark Rum 70cl Bacardi White Rum 70cl

p16-17 Pricewatch.indd 14

of £15.99, charged by 34%. This could be due to it being a well-known brand, and shoppers new to the category being unlikely to shop for alternatives. Similarly, 76% charge up to £33.99 on Wray & Newphew’s White Rum 70cl, as opposed to the 24% charging £15.99.

There’s less opportunity with 1l variet-

We stock about eight varieties.

Rum is not as popular as gin and vodka, and I don’t stock as wide a range as those two, either. If you look at value sales over quantity, then I’d argue the premiumisation of rum has brought in new drinkers. Therefore, even if it’s not the same quantity as gin and vodka, there’s an increase in value because Bumbu Rum, Kraken and Dead Man’s Fingers bring in sales of more than £20 per unit. At our Kidderminster store, we’ve zoned our spirits in vertical blocks to ensure rum has a good presence.

ies, though. Seventy per cent charge £21 on Bacardi Carta Blanca 1l, while just 24% are going as high as £26.99. This presents a trade up opportunity for stores, though, if they’re charging the higher or most-common price on the brand’s 70cl variety, but it does beg the question: are you pricing correctly?

Jai Singh STORE MJ’s Nisa

Local

LOCATION Sheffield SIZE 1,300sq ft TYPE Residential

TOP PRODUCTS Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold Rum 70cl Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum 70cl Kraken Spiced Rum 70cl

We stock quite a few different rums. Vodka and gin are still the biggest sellers, but rum is definitely increasing. This is because there are regular launches of new flavours in this category and people always like to try things.

Vodka is the easiest seller in that respect, but rum is also going that way. I would say the new flavours appeal to people aged up to 40, which is the millennial age group. We have increased the number of flavours of Dead Man’s Fingers we stock and sales have gone up. Also, our backlit display helps the range stand out.

21/09/2021 11:04

15

RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com Data supplied by

Next week’s Pricewatch: Premium cigarettes

Price distribution chart

Tamara Birch

Visit the website

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

Insight reporter @TamaraBirchNT

020 7689 3361

betterRetailing.com/ pricewatch

tamara.birch@newtrade.co.uk

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

LOWEST PRICE

MOST COMMON PRICE

HIGHEST PRICE

DEAD MAN’S FINGERS MANGO RUM 37.5% 70CL

£16.99

£22.49

£25.99

BACARDI CARTA BLANCA WHITE RUM 37.5% 5CL

£1.49

£2.25

£2.99

KOPPARBERG DARK FRUIT RUM 37.5% 70CL

£17.99

£17.99

£25

BACARDI CARTA BLANCA WHITE RUM 37.5% 1L

£15.99

£21

£26.99

WRAY & NEPHEW WHITE RUM 63% 35CL

£14.99

£16.99

£20

BACARDI CARTA BLANCA WHITE RUM 37.5% 70CL

£13.99

£15.99

£24

WRAY & NEPHEW WHITE RUM 63% 70CL

£24.99

£24.99

£33.99

PRINCE CONSORT DARK RUM 37.5% 20CL

£3.99

£4.99

£5.99

PRINCE CONSORT WHITE RUM 37.5% 20CL

£3.99

£4.49

£5.99

CAPTAIN MORGAN ORIGINAL SPICED GOLD 35% 1L

£17.99

£19.99

£28.19

CAPTAIN MORGAN TIKI PINEAPPLE & MANGO 25% 70CL

£12.99

£17.99

£26.99

CAPTAIN MORGAN ORIGINAL SPICED GOLD 35% 70CL

£13.99

£17.99

£26.99

Must-stock products Dead Man’s Fingers Mango Rum 37.5% 70cl

6%

83%

Bacardi Carta Blanca White Rum 37.5% 5cl

75%

Kopparberg Dark Fruit Rum 37.5% 70cl

26% 29%

70%

Wray & Nephew White Rum 63% 35cl

10%

63%

Bacardi Carta Blanca White Rum 37.5% 70cl

27%

34%

Wray & Nephew White Rum 63% 70cl

65%

24%

76%

Prince Consort Dark Rum 37.5% 20cl

91%

Prince Consort White Rum 37.5% 20cl

8%

37%

Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold 35% 1l

61%

27%

72%

Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold 35% 1l

79%

Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold 35% 70cl

20%

50%

0

49%

20

40 Below most common price

p16-17 Pricewatch.indd 15

24%

74%

Bacardi Carta Blanca White Rum 37.5% 1l

How to use this data

11%

1

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

2

60

80

Most common price

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

3

100 Above most common price

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

21/09/2021 11:05

16

STORE ADVICE

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

Working with suppliers Brands and suppliers can do more than just provide stores with products to sell. RN finds out how retailers have improved their businesses through supplier collaboration

W

ith retailers working harder than ever to keep stock on the shelves and provide good availability for their customers, building relationships with your symbol group and suppliers has never been more important. The added impetus that a brand can bring to a product launch or promotion around a nationally celebrated event cannot be understated, with benefits including staff well-being, customer engagement and, crucially, sales.

“I’m a big advocate of partnering with brands, more so than ever post-pandemic,” says Aman Uppal, from One Stop Mount Nod in Coventry. “It’s giving customers something exciting to see. It’s

p18-20 RN Store Advice.indd 16

giving staff something to brighten up their day. It’s something that we can plan and execute and take credit for. And all these activations result in more sales of the products promoted.”

For retailers looking to get involved and collaborate with suppliers, engagement and networking is key. Events and projects run by trade press are a good way to get introductions to the people who can help you set up profitable collaborations. “Conferences and events that are held by magazines, the NRFN and the ACS all help,” says Atul Sodha, from Londis Peverills in Harefield, Uxbridge, who regularly works with suppliers to help launch new products. “We’re

all leaning on each other, even more so over the course of Covid-19.

There are no drawbacks. We both learn so much by working together.

It’s really good to share that way.”

On a more everyday, start-up level, talking to reps regularly and at length is the quickest way to start building a longstanding and beneficial relationship.

“Some retailers don’t take the time to chat with sales reps, but they’re missing the point about why these guys are out in the field,” says Vasanti Jesani, from Cellar 57 in Atherton, Manchester.

We’re all leaning on each other ATUL SODHA

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

21/09/2021 11:35

17

RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

I’ve not shied away from asking if there’s any PoS AMAN UPPAL

Plan well in advance

Build relationships with reps

Boosting sales of new products

Working with your symbol group

Aman Uppal, from One Stop Mount Nod in Coventry, has forged relationships with brands over the years via networking events such as the Independent Achievers Academy and also by talking to his reps when they arrive.

He is now able to ask for PoS and other marketing materials to support events far in advance. “They get made well in advance, so I plan well in advance and preorder,” he says. “I’ve not shied away from asking if there’s any PoS that will support an event or a theme.”

His store transformation during the Euros came about through supplier collaboration and brought customers from far and wide, boosting his reputation, footfall and sales. “It gave us a point of difference,” he says. “We had customers bringing their friends in to see the displays. People were taking selfies with our Gareth Southgate cut-out. We’ll look for any way to engage with the customer and raise a smile.”

When a brand launches a new product, they often do so with considerable fanfare.

If your store can be a part of that, you can not only bolster your own sales, but also strengthen your relationship with that supplier.

Atul Sodha, from Londis Peverills in Harefield, Greater London, has worked with Ribena to give away free bottles to local charities, with Ferrero to create Easter egg hunts around his store and with Ferrero again when they launched Kinder Bueno Coconut.

“They sent us some inflatable pink flamingos and beach balls so we could set up a beach scene with Kinder Bueno Coconut at the centre of it,” he says. “It creates attention initially and then you can give the freebies away to kids. We had a child take one of the flamingos and it made it all the way to Poland. We did something similar with Orange Buttons and customers now define us as a destination.”

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Since becoming a fully unaffiliated store, Vasanti Jesani’s Cellar 57 in Atherton, Manchester, has reached out to suppliers at all levels and areas for collaborative opportunities that improve the business.

“I like working with different suppliers because each one brings a different perspective,” she says. “We sell so many different products, so it’s good to work with different people.”

To build these relationships, she takes time to talk to reps whenever they visit her store to find out what’s new and how they can get hold of products quickly.

“I love speaking with the reps. Julian, my Monster rep, is brilliant. We have a great rapport and if I need anything, I text him.

He’ll tell me about new products.

“It’s like having a friend but in a business context. It’s great to get feedback straightaway rather than jumping through hoops to find the right person.”

A symbol group offers another avenue for building a strong range.

Terry Caton, from Londis Chesterfield in Derbyshire, gets his presells and new products through Londis itself, ensuring that he has the correct seasonal options throughout the year.

“We’re always very proactive in that area, making sure we’ve got all those additional products and ensuring we’ve a good seasonal offering,” he says.

“When it comes to new product launches, we work very closely with them to understand what’s coming through. We work quite closely with Londis on that.”

This trading relationship – supplemented by insights from social media and trade press – enables Caton to get what he needs in good time and stay informed of what’s coming up.

He talks to local suppliers, building relationships to understand their seasonal offers, but when it comes to preselling, his trading group is his first port of call. l

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

GUEST COLUMN Avoiding the sustainability tipping point Ahead of the launch of a new report, Scott Annan explores where changes can be made to help retailers, suppliers and customers become more sustainable

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new report – The Shape of Food Retailing in the New Normal 6: Sustainability – will be published this month. It contains views from industry leaders across the UK and beyond; markets with different levels of optimism on the future.

Their perspectives are compelling and insightful. Themes such as packaging, recycling, net-zero carbon, reducing greenhouse gases, clean water, agriculture, plant-based foods, supply-chain efficiencies, authenticity, greenwashing and full-life calculations Scott Annan is the founder of The Independent Retailer Owners Forum, a closed group of top store owners who visit the best food businesses on the planet and exchange insight and ideas.

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RETAILER VIEWPOINT Tom McAvoy

The Milestone, Rathfriland, County Down

As a business within the foodservice industry, we are constantly reflecting on our carbon footprint and the effect we have on the environment and our society. Single-use food packaging is directly responsible for a broad range of environmental concerns such as litter pollution (both on the land and in the ocean), overcrowded landfills and greenhouse gas emissions.

One effort we are proud of is our switch from plastic containers to sustainable packaging, ‘made from plants not plastic’, which we use in a range of our homemade products and ready meals.

We replaced plastic containers to Vegware’s biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) containers, which are made using a renewable plant-based material such as recycled sugar cane. Our soup containers and branded coffee cups and lids have also been switched to a fully compostable plant-based material.

Another area for concern within our business was waste management. Food waste is huge in any food manufacturing business, and it is undoubtedly one of our biggest environmental issues.

We have now started to sort and dispose of waste in the most environmentally friendly way. All our food waste is collected and sent to a local anaerobic digester, which is used to produce electricity, all cardboard gathered from our shop floor is bailed and burnt for heating hot water and heating for our store, glass bottles are recycled, and general waste is compressed in a compactor and sent to an incineration plant to help produce electricity.

These changes, although small, are the building blocks to a brighter future.

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RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

EXPERT VIEWPOINT James Lowman CEO, ACS

If a problem looks complex and beyond the control of the convenience sector, my rule of thumb is always to start at the most local level with the store itself. Is the local area free of litter? Are you offering recycling facilities (something you will be required to do much more of by law within the next few years)? Are you lighting and heating your stores efficiently? Getting this right is usually a win-win and builds on your credentials as a fundamentally sustainable business model. Most customers and colleagues arrive on foot, and selling food in smaller quantities more frequently reduces food waste.

Sustainability can sound quite abstract, but we can achieve good outcomes just through thoughtful, innovative and well-executed convenience retailing.

RETAILER VIEWPOINT David Sands

David’s Kitchen Ltd, Glenrothes, Falkirk and Kirkcaldy

I have been thinking a lot about our responsibilities as individuals and for the businesses we run. We are all to one degree or another compromised. Few of us can really claim to live our lives in a sustainable way. From a business perspective, the topic of sustainability is now on our agenda.

In many ways, true local community convenience stores can go a long way to claiming a sustainable way of operating.

Two-thirds of our customers walk to our stores. We constantly are seeking more energy-efficient refrigeration and equipment. We are often frustrated when suppliers are unable to back up their energy consumption claims. Our local suppliers, which account for about 20% of our total sales, ensure our food miles are very low.

At David’s Kitchen we aim to make products in store and these account for almost 40% of our sales. On reflection, we do a great deal on sustainability, but we are probably very poor at promoting this.

appear throughout the quotes.

Some of these are incorporated in this article.

Convenience, grocery, roadside and foodservice retailers have included sustainability objectives into their retail strategies and strategic plans for years. Every retailer has a different priority, however, reducing energy usage costs and single-use plastics and an awareness of the environment are motivating sustainability programmes. There is, however, so much ‘fake news’. Analysis of the contributions shows marketing masquerading as sustainability to be dominant in many businesses.

Sustainability means different things to different businesses and there are strong opinions at both ends of the action axis. There are

p20-21 Scott Annan.indd 19

also strong opinions – often from a vocal minority – that would have us all cease driving or flying, stop using all plastic packaging and follow a fully vegan diet to ‘save the planet’. Equally, talk of fining or taxing manufacturers whose packaging is found on beaches and in our waters around the world misses the point that it is us ‘the public’ that chooses to discard the packaging rather than have it properly captured and then recycled or reused. I am reminded of this when I visit Japan, where not even a cigarette butt is to be found on the street. Taxation is a very blunt tool versus culture and education.

How do we create more engagement with people and businesses of the need to change our behav-

If there’s a clear benefit, we will engage with it

iour? It comes down to cost versus benefit. If it’s more expensive to do, we are hesitant; if there’s a clear benefit, we will engage with it. The value chain from product development to final consumption must truly participate if we are to operate our businesses for the ‘triple bottom line’: people, prosperity and planet.

Many retailers will soon reach that tipping point where the absence of a coherent strategy and execution will be damaging to their business. Putting sustainability at the centre of strategy makes for good business.

These are three of the 45 contributions in The Shape of Food Retailing in the New Normal 6: Sustainability to help you further on your journey. l

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CONFECTIONERY

Drive seasonal confectionery sales Worth £82.6m in retail sales, Halloween continues to present a strong opportunity for retailers, particularly when driving seasonal confectionery sales

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s 2020 was a challenging year for all Halloween celebrations, with many social occasions celebrated at home with family or friends, this season is anticipated to present a profitable opportunity for retailers and the wider category. Retailers can not only increase consumer confectionery spend with Halloweenthemed sharing bags and tubs, but the occasion also helps to grow the confectionery category overall.

According to Sophie Padt, senior brand manager, Easter & Halloween, at Mars Wrigley, Halloween remains the UK’s fourth-biggest annual event1. “To help retailers leverage the diary date, drive sales and boost margins even further, we have conducted comprehensive research into the occasion to offer relevant and useful retailer advice,” she says.

“We are always looking at ways to innovate our product offering to tie in not only with consumer needs, but also with current, evolving trends.

“We hope to continue to bring to the market breakthrough experi-

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STOCK CUSTOMER FAVOURITES In order for retailers to succeed during the busy Halloween season, it’s vital to stock customer favourites in a variety of formats.

‘More to share’ formats remained in growth in 2020, with Mars Wrigley sales increasing by 32.6% on the previous year 2, proving a staple for Halloween celebrations.

Tins and tubs also grew in sales, with Celebrations 650g tub remaining the number-one product for Halloween from 2018-20203.

It’s also important to display a variety of flavours, with research showing that a mix of flavours drives short-term excitement in shopper behaviour.

Retailers have the opportunity to increase basket spend through offering a variety of customer favourites and presenting the opportunity to trade up in store.

Almost 50% of Halloween chocolate confectionery sales in 2018-19 came from displays3, so making

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your Halloween offering visible to customers is crucial to increasing overall seasonal profits.

Retailers can increase spend with Halloweenthemed sharing bags and tubs

CATER TO DIFFERENT HALLOWEEN OCCASIONS Scary movies are becoming an increasingly popular ritual that starts to build excitement in the run-up to Halloween. This presents a huge opportunity for retailers to stock a range of sharing bags, perfect for nights in.

‘More to share’ bags from Mars Wrigley are the ideal accompaniment, whether watching a scary film at home or at the cinema, now restrictions have been lifted.

Key opportunities also include sharing with friends and families during a Halloween party, and, of course, trick-or-treating rituals.

As trick-or-treating was incredibly limited last year due to Covid-19 restrictions, Mars Wrigley expects to see a great rise in participation this year. However, expect to see some lasting impacts, including the

demand for individually wrapped confectionery.

STOCK FUN-SIZE FORMATS Fun-size packs remain a staple for the Halloween season, with Mars Wrigley holding the largest share of fun-size sales with 28.1% of the category in 20202.

Many consumers purchase a mix of chocolate and sugar confectionery, so retailers should look to stock a variety of treats that are available in different pack sizes to support consumer missions during the occasion.

Last year, Mars Wrigley’s most-loved brands accounted for six of the top 10 fun-size lines across blockbuster brands, including Mars, Skittles, Maltesers, Twix and Milky Way, as well as fun-size variety packs.

We know fun-size products are a relevant format during Halloween due to their shareability – the formats generated £27m in value sales last season alone. l

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ences through our products – across all occasions, not just Halloween.”

Nielsen Homescan Survey, January 2017, 2Kantar Halloween Confec | four w/e 01.11.2021, 3Nielsen Scantrack, six w/e 31.10.2020, Market = Total GB

In partnership with

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

Bringing in spooky sales This year, with restrictions lifted, will Halloween and Bonfire Night roar back to life? And, if so, how can retailers capitalise?

Charles Whitting finds out

W

ith the summer almost over, minds turn to autumn and winter festivals. Christmas is on the horizon, but Halloween and Bonfire Night are approaching rapidly. After the disappointments of last year’s restrictions, this year could well be a return to normality, with even bigger celebrations than in previous years, sparking a serious sales uplift for retailers that have prepared properly for it.

“Halloween

represents a significant opportunity for retailers to grow sales during what is now a key period in the UK retail calendar. Pre-Covid-19, one in three people celebrated either by attending or hosting a Halloween party, but seven out of 10 shoppers did not celebrate Halloween at all in 2020,” says Adrian Troy, marketing director at Barr Soft Drinks. “After more than a year of restrictions and many missing out on trick-or-

treating last year, Halloween is set to be bigger than ever in 2021.”

GETTING IN ON THE ACT Halloween is a time of fun and festivities that is primarily enjoyed by children, and retailers can lean into this by embracing the childish side of things. Soft drinks and confectionery will be the order of the day, whether it’s parents stocking up for parties or people making sure they’ve got small sweets

No.1 sweets manufacturer

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RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

to give to trick-or-treaters that may well be out and about.

Muhammad Khalid, from Costcutter Middleton Park Service Station in Leeds, has already started stocking and merchandising his Halloween products that he pre-ordered through Costcutter. “You can never start planning too far ahead,” he says.

“We’ve reserved space for Halloween lines and have stocked whatever Costcutter suggested or had on offer.”

Themed products, particularly in confectionery,

can inspire the imagination and encourage parents to make additional purchases. For retailers, embracing these themed products can help to generate extra sales.

“Halloween is a great time of the year and one of the first occasions when we’ve all been able to celebrate and have fun together for some time,” says Chris Smith, marketing communications manager at Hancocks. “For retailers it’s the perfect time to go all out on fun confectionery for those hosting

Halloween parties, for trick and treat and simply for shoppers to grab and enjoy in the run up to the festivities.”

When it comes to confectionery at Halloween, variety and portion control are also very important.

Sweets for trick-or-treating need to be individual, but customers will need to buy in bulk to provide for the The value of the numerous costumed kids Halloween period for arriving on their doorstep. retailers in 2020 As a result, large packs

£454m

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HALLOWEEN

of easily dividable products will be in high demand at Halloween, so retailers should stock up.

“Two of the most popular attributes when purchasing Halloween confectionery is value and large formats. This is why shareability is the perfect potion for Halloween,” says Claire James, trade marketing manager at Haribo. “Themed treats and offering variety are also important trends.

At the same time, individually wrapped products provide protection and allow people to adhere to strict hygiene measures, while also supporting portion control. Together this creates a happy Halloween for retailers, shoppers and those receiving seasonal treats.”

It’s not just in confectionery where brands are ‘spookifying’ themselves.

From snacks to soft drinks, there are opportunities to create stand-out, themed product sections in your store that will attract attention and potentially encourage further sales.

“Soft drinks is one of the fastestgrowing categories at Halloween, growing in value ahead of seasonal favourites such as pumpkins,

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sugar confectionery and bakery products,” says Amy Burgess, senior trade communications manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP). “Shoppers pick soft drinks up to support Halloween occasions like parties, movie nights in with family or social events or a party with friends – all of which sit within the ‘together time’ driver in our Taste Tomorrow soft drinks category, which identifies key opportunities for category growth in the months ahead.

That’s why it’s important to ensure soft drinks are visible in store and on shelf, especially for leading brands that are supported by seasonal marketing activity.”

GOING THE EXTRA MILE Halloween isn’t just an opportunity to grow sales in existing lines of confectionery and soft drinks. By stocking a range of masks, costumes and face paints, your store can become a one-stop shop for all things Halloween, driving footfall and spend. Many retailers will rearrange their store layout to bring these things to the fore, creating a special Halloween section at the front of the shop to encourage passers by to come

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

in. Additionally, it is worth getting involved in any communitybased initiatives as this can further draw people to you.

“We’ve done all the preordering with One Stop for Halloween, which should come in soon,” says Serena Khan, from One Stop Walmsley Street in Lancashire. “We’ll set something up at the front of the shop and everything will be promoted. I think it’s going to be very exciting.

It’s our first Halloween here. The local community has organised a Halloween event where people go around and find clues. We’ve opted to join in with that.”

A spookified

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HALLOWEEN shop front, complete with cobwebs and signage, can draw customers in, while a dedicated Halloween section inside will not only attract further attention, but can also drive incremental sales, as customers remember other things they need to pick up for the perfect Halloween party.

“Displaying such promotional packs prominently in store at end of aisle or alongside Halloween merchandising will help to attract shoppers and boost sales,” says a spokesperson for Swizzels. “The nonseasonal packaging also ensures retailers can continue to sell surplus stock after Halloween, into Bonfire Night and beyond, making it an attractive range to stock.”

Keeping the event front of mind is key, so consider placing your most impulsive purchases throughout the store as well, so there are always

opportunities for customers to pick up some sweets.

“You can stack up confectionery items in bins around the store,” says Anil Patel, from Costcutter Chislehurst in Kent. “Having headers around the store and dump bins everywhere means that it’s in peoples’ faces. In a supermarket, the Celebrations tubs are plastered around the store regardless of the department so you pick it up.

Independent retailers need to do that and not just put confectionery in the Halloween section.

“If you have a promotional bay, you need to make it a feature. Make it so that the whole bay is about Halloween.”

HALLOWEEN IS FOR ADULTS, TOO Halloween and Bonfire Night aren’t just big events for children. There is also a large number of adults

Themed treats and offering variety are also important trends

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

who enjoy these two dates in the diary, hosting parties or going out to celebrate. And with the disappointments of last year, they may be more keen to get out and enjoy themselves with friends and family.

Halloween and Bonfire Night are the perfect opportunity to sell themed snacks, drinks, burgers and hot dogs, especially with both days falling on the weekend. But they also give retailers a chance to champion and promote more autumnal products in their range in the longer term.

“Traditionally, cider sales peak during the summer season, but mulled ciders have come into their own in recent years, and as the weather gets colder, warming and comforting drinks often pique consumers’ interest,” says Nicola Randall, senior marketing manager at Brothers Drinks Co. “One way retailers can help encourage exploration in store, is to ensure certain ingredients from simple recipes, such as mulled cider, are

ITY HALLOWEEN AND BONFIRE SECUR to protect their “Businesses must consider how burglary and for s rate premises at a time when ises Peter adv ” est, high r thei at are vandalism ADT. “In the at ert exp Stanton, security product evaluate uld sho ilers reta s, date e run up to thes to avoid res edu proc their security systems and eillance surv ting exis ng ewi revi , being targeted ss to acce ting limi , cameras, employee training are l-lit wel area the ping kee and the property n. all steps that should be take rklers more “With fireworks, matches and spa prevent To at. thre a accessible, arson is also away any lock uld sho ses ines bus s, any fire risk g used in bein them flammable materials to stop ad of spre the en less help to and ck an arson atta in are rs ishe ngu exti fire. It’s also vital that fire .” ked mar rly clea are s exit fire place and

» p24-32 Halloween.indd 26

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HALLOWEEN

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

SPOOKY NEW CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS FOR HALLOWEEN Hancocks has launched a new range of Bubs vegan confectionery to its pick and mix range for Halloween, including Bubs Cool Cola Skulls, Liquorice Skulls, Big Sour Skulls and Mini Sour Skull Mix. Hancocks will also be introducing new pick and mix ranges from Kingsway. Among them, Monster Jellies, Pumpkin Marshmallows, Tongue Painter Jelly Filled Marshmallows and Pumpkin Jellies.

Crazy Candy Factory’s brand-new Skull Suckerz are new brightly coloured skull shaped treats available in a mixed case of flavours including orange, strawberry, blue raspberry and cherry.

Bonds has launched a Spooky Mix Shaker Cup for Halloween gifts, featuring Bonds’ favourite Halloween treats from the Halloween Pick N Mix line. Bonds has also launched the Single Halloween Mallow Pops, which come in favourite Halloween-themed characters like Dracula, a pumpkin and a ghost.

Frubes is launching its first ever limited-edition Halloween ‘spooky’ pack design and gift-in-pack promotion. Kids will be able to collect one of three spooky stickers – a mummy, skeleton or vampire – which are hidden inside. A cut-out Halloween mask will also feature on the back of each Frubes variety pack.

Mondelez is launching Mini Oreo Spooky Bags, which are larger packs with eight treatsize bags containing Mini Oreo. Cadbury Skeleton Fingers are also making a return, adding a seasonal touch to a Cadbury classic.

Cadbury Oreoooo will also return for Halloween 2021 in the form of a 72g bag of Oreo Mini Filled Eggs, with Halloween branding designed for strong standout on shelf. Both Cadbury Oreoooo and Cadbury Goo Heads bags will be available with cupboard clip strips for retailers.

Swizzels’ Trick or Sweet bag contains a selection of Swizzels products including Double Lollies, Parma Violets, Refresher Bars, Love Hearts, as well as the Sour Apple Refreshers chew bar. It has special Halloween-themed packaging.

p24-32 Halloween.indd 28

displayed together – for example, placing cinnamon sticks next to cider will help support that decisionmaking and drive sales.

It also pays to look for products that are linked with Halloween. Casillero del Diablo has launched a campaign in partnership with Hollywood star Pedro Pescal, with a strapline ‘Wine so special, it’s protected by the devil’, which links with the season.

BONFIRE OPPORTUNITIES Hot on the heels of Halloween is another celebration – Bonfire Night.

With its focus on fireworks and outdoor barbecues, this is another opportunity for retailers to refocus their offer and bring out food and drink that will help customers to create an amazing event in their back gardens, with mulled drinks and hot food high on the agenda.

“Any gatherings last year – and likely this year, too – will be taking place outdoors. Winter barbecues are a growing trend and entertaining

outdoors calls for different types of food,” says Paul Baker, founder of St Pierre Group. “Guests need to be able to eat handheld items, but hosts don’t want to compromise on flavour. The two weeks covering the Halloween and Bonfire Night period in 2020 saw total burger buns and hot dog rolls sales jump from £925,000 to £1.16m – so clearly there is opportunity in this occasion for retailers.”

Similarly, anything exciting on the sweet front – marshmallows come to mind – will see significant demand for Bonfire Night, so it’s worth stocking up to keep the magic alive.

“Bonfire Night is the perfect time for retailers to advertise ‘light up’ sweet products to customers with children,” says Chris Smith, marketing communications manager at Hancocks. “The Crazy Candy Factory light Unicorn Light Pop is a fun and interactive sweet for children to use when out in the dark.

“When it comes to our bonfire night offering, we have lots of options for retailers including the allimportant Mega Marshmallows.”

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TOP TIPS FROM MONDELEZ l Drive sales by focusing on products that help shoppers cater for trick-or-treaters or parties l Dress up in store and create themed displays to get customers excited about the season l Enjoy a longer season by stocking a targeted range of bestsellers and new products from the start of October

p24-32 Halloween.indd 30

Bonfires and fireworks need to be lit, offering another chance to boost sales of lighters and matches as well. Retailers can use Bonfire Night and Halloween not just as stand-alone events. They are largescale introductions to autumn and winter, channelling customers into purchases of more wintry products.

“Virtually every household in the country has a use for matches or lighters at this time of year, as families enjoy key celebrations such as Halloween, Bonfire Night and Diwali, providing a major opportunity for sales uplift,” says Gavin Anderson, head of sales at Republic Technologies UK. “The UK’s booming candle sector shows no sign of slowing, particularly during seasonal occasions in the autumn and winter, presenting retailers with a key sales opportunity for candle lighters, which can be boosted by the right range and cross-category display.

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

“We are recommending that retailers use these key sales periods to promote lighters and matches as part of a strong seasonal offer.”

Halloween and Bonfire Night are two of the biggest nights of the year, so retailers should expect an increase in sales. By stocking the right products, creating a spooky display in store and engaging with customers, you can enjoy successful successive weekends, while setting yourself up for the rest of the season. l

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PREMIUM NIGHTS IN

Selling a special night at home Despite the return of pubs and clubs, there remains a healthy opportunity to successfully sell for the big-night-in mission, finds Jasper Hart

T

he big night in was a hot topic in convenience retail last year. With clubs shut down for 16 months, and pubs only intermittently open to varying degrees, people were left to make their own entertainment at home. Savings from remote working and a desire to treat oneself throughout lockdown contributed to premium products selling more.

There were questions around whether such a spending occasion would persist into the second half of 2021, now that everyone is free to mingle as they

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please. But it isn’t just getting back to the pubs and clubs that people have been looking forward to; parties and gatherings at friends’ and family members’ houses are also re-emerging, as these places become social hotspots. The lockdown frustration big night in is over, to be replaced by the regular big nights in we know and love.

“Sales have settled down, but at the same time are still quite high,” says Jai Singh, of MJ’s Nisa Local in Sheffield. “People want to make the most of their new freedom, but they still want to drink at home, so we

It will be big weekends all-round as families get together once again

position ourselves for people having an afterparty or some pre-drinks before they go out.”

“With the re-emergence of hospitality occasions and longedfor get-togethers in pubs and restaurants boosting on-trade sales, we’re likely to see a balance with the bigger family gatherings and parties at home we missed out on last year,” says Chris Milton, off-trade sales director at Thatchers Cider. “With Christmas and New Year falling over long holiday weekends, there will be plenty of time for social occasions.

It will be big weekends all-round as families get together once again.”

“We expect nights in to remain popular over the coming months,” adds Kevin Fawell, off-trade sales director at Molson Coors. “Nights

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

PREMIUM NIGHTS IN in contribute more to total alcohol sales now than they have at any other point in the past five years.”

PREMIUM PUSH The benefit of a big night in compared with a night out is in the volume of food and drink customers can buy for less, and this is borne out in the sales rise of premium options.

Last year, this was driven by the desire to make locked-down nights in feel a bit more special, but now customers have a taste for the finer things. “Fifty-one per cent of shoppers think it’s worth paying extra when it comes to buying alcoholic drinks to have at home,” says Toby Lancaster, category and shopper marketing director at Heineken.

“Birra Moretti is one of the fastestgrowing alcohol brands in the UK off-trade, experiencing growth of 122% in the past year in the impulse channel, largely due to its exceptional food-pairing credentials, especially when consumers are at home.”

Brands such as Birra Moretti provide retailers with a beer that can be viewed as premium without looking too sophisticated, making it an appealing trade-up option.

“World beers are also a popular choice and the category has remained a key driver of growth in the off-trade, where it continues to track ahead of the overall lager category, seeing a 27% sales increase in the 12 months to March this year,” says Molson Coors’ Fawell. “As a result, brands such as Staropramen are increasingly popular, giving people a chance to experiment and explore new tastes.”

It’s not just alcohol sales that stand to benefit, however, as the rise in large interpersonal at-home gatherings feeds sales of ancillary products, driving overall category growth.

“With the easing of restrictions, people returned to dining in pubs and restaurants and have also been able to return to larger-scale at-home events and gatherings with friends and family,” says Phil Sanders, out-of-home commercial director at Britvic.

“As a result, social occasions at home are worth £1.49bn and are growing by 6.1% versus the previous year.”

As spirits sales have grown, so have mixer sales. Leading the mixer growth charge are premium brands, which, according to Sanders, are growing by 20% year on year and now account for 42% of all mixers sales. Larger-pack formats remain the dominant driver

p34, 36, 38 RN Premium nights.indd 34

of growth as well, as evidenced by the launch of Britvic Tonic Water in an 850ml bottle.

According to Amy Burgess, senior trade communications manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), Schweppes has increased in value by almost a third over the past year, making it the UK’s fastest-growing mixer brand. “During lockdown, many consumers recreated a restaurant-like experience with their evening meals at home, including drinks that capture the excitement of going out, such as mixed drinks, cocktails and non-alcoholic mocktails,” she says.

“While it’s fantastic to see the hospitality sector reopening again, we expect this trend to continue.”

KNOCK-ON EFFECT A key aspect of shoppers’ in-home alcohol purchasing is how their

Social occasions at home are worth £1.49bn

drinks go with food, which means highlighting the joint strengths of your drinks and snacks ranges can be a key part of maximising success with this shopper mission. “Since we had a refit, we’ve put more snacking and proxy purchases in and around the alcohol,” says Singh. “If people are going to save money by drinking at home, they’ll spend more on snacks.

We have pretzels, nuts, crisps, pork scratchings, and olives with wine.”

“We know there is a high demand for premium lines as consumers look to replicate night-out experiences in home,” says Matt Collins, trading director at KP Snacks. “Forty-six per cent of shoppers are more inclined to trade up to premium food and drink options when dining at home.”

Check to see if your wholesalers are offering promotions on sharing formats. “I’m looking at my promotion bay and I’ve never had so many sharing products on it, whether it’s crisps, popcorn, Bombay mix or beers. Sharing packs are definitely on trend right now,” says Sasi Patel, of Go Local Oldham Road in Rochdale.

»

21/09/2021 14:36

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15/09/2021 09:25

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

PREMIUM NIGHTS IN

THE PLACE TO BE The rising phenomenon of the home bar has also been pivotal to maintaining premium alcohol sales.

“We’ve absolutely revelled in the home bar because of people topping theirs up with premium spirits,” says Patel. “I find my customers get competitive with their friends over how good their bar is.”

The rise in home bars has also fuelled the hunger for beer kegs, and Patel will be getting his first delivery of Beerhawk kegs to supply to his customers. Retailers also have a chance to position their stores as the place to go to get their weekend partying essentials through small, but significant changes.

Singh’s store has a backlit spirits display behind his counter, which

p34, 36, 38 RN Premium nights.indd 36

helps his new flavoured brands, such as Dead Man’s Fingers Rum, to stand out. “We want to be a place people come to on a Friday and Saturday night to get what they want for a good night,” he says.

“We try to create a good atmosphere – the music gets turned up. We play to that Friday feeling.”

Retailer Chaz Chahal, meanwhile, blocks spirits vertically behind the counter by category at his Costcutter in Kidderminster. This way, lines such as rum, of which he has a smaller range than vodka or gin, get equal footing.

Changes such as these can help make customers think of your store as the place to go for their night-in essentials, without compromising any of your store’s wider selling points.

MAKING PREMIUM NIGHTS IN WORK IN YOUR STORE Highlight new products: New snacking and drink products are increasingly characterised by bright colours and new flavours.

Try stocking them in impulse areas to gauge customer interest before incorporating them into your wider range.

Importance of no- and low-alcohol: Retailers should consider implementing no- and low- zones in their store to highlight non-alcoholic adult drinking options. These can be permanent or semi-permanent fixtures that give your low- and no-alcohol offerings maximum visibility.

Cross-merchandise: Where possible, keep the food and drink that you know goes best together in close proximity so shoppers who know what they’re after can grab it quickly, while others may be inspired to make a combined purchase. l

21/09/2021 14:37

ASSESS. COMPARE. IMPROVE

IAA

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BENCHMARKING ARE YOU THE NEXT BEST SHOP? The Independent Achievers Academy gives you the tools to grow — it’s a springboard for success. Take part and see for yourself.

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IAA Benchmarking - 2021 RN.indd 1

20/09/2021 13:57

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

XMAS SOFT DRINKS How to capitalise on soft drinks this Christmas Soft drinks success at Christmas mainly hinges on multipacks and larger formats. But with availability issues a big concern for independents, how are they preparing to meet demand? Tamara Birch finds out

“S

oft drinks at Christmas is all about big take-home multipacks and larger bottles, especially Coca-Cola and J2O,” says Sue Nithyanandan, of Costcutter Epsom in Surrey. “We also see an uplift in tonic water and other spirit mixers, such as Fever Tree.”

While restrictions affected last year’s celebrations, the country is hopeful it won’t happen again this year. The biggest challenges retailers face, however, are the driver and availability shortages. Meten Lakhani, of St Mary’s Supermarket in Southampton, has had to start his Christmas ordering early to avoid running out of stock – especially in core categories, such as soft drinks.

“Because of our demographic, we’ve only had to push Christmas hard from the first week of December. However, with the availability issues, we’re planning to stock up from October. This year will be different,” he says.

Samantha Coldbeck, of Wharfedale Premier in Hull, is also planning ahead and ordering soft drinks early. “The shortages haven’t necessarily affected our strategy,

p42-44 Christmas confec.indd 38

but it does mean we have to be more organised. Our most important goal with the shortages is ensuring our customers stay informed,” she says.

Rachael Hockmeyer, of Spar Sleaford in Lincolnshire, has high sales of soft drinks throughout the year but is also planning ahead to maintain sales at Christmas. “There are some lines that are difficult to source, which are going to continue to Christmas, but all we can do is try and keep everything as well stocked as possible,” she says.

Coldbeck stocks up on multipacks of Coca-Cola, Schweppes and mixers to enhance her store’s offering, but with the availability issues, she recommends utilising supplier relationships. “You need to ask the questions to suppliers about missing products, and make sure you get an honest answer,” Coldbeck says.

Having multiple sources to buy soft drinks from – while more admin – can help you to avoid disappointment and running out of stock. Hockmeyer says the key is making the most of wholesaler support and ensuring they keep you informed about any lines that are out of stock, such as multipacks.

“We source most of our soft drinks – if not all – from Blakemore,” Hock-

You need to ask the questions to suppliers about missing products

meyer says. “Since the beginning of the shortages, they’ve been open with us about what’s missing and we’ve been given a lot of advice.”

The availability issues of soft drinks and other products are also an opportunity to drive footfall, according to Lakhani. “All of our customers know about the shortages and have begun to shop with us as our availability is better than supermarkets,” he says.

Keep customers informed There’s no guarantee the availability and driver shortage will end by the time stores need to stock up on soft drinks to meet Christmas demand, so make sure customers are kept informed to avoid disappointment – especially as soft drinks are a key purchase during the festive season.

“Customers don’t always notice gaps on shelves, but when they do, it’s best to be open and honest about it,” says Coldbeck. “Make sure to have an alternative.”

It’s likely some lines will become out of stock, especially popular lines. If this is the case, offer an alternative, such as an own-label or more premium local option.

Place signs around out of stock that explain the issue and encourage

21/09/2021 15:15

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RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

MUST-STOCK FESTIVE PRODUCTS We’ve rounded up the key products typically in demand at Christmas

Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar

Available in: Cans: 6x330ml, 10x330ml and 12x330ml Bottles: 1.75l, 1.5l and 4x1.5l

J20 Orange & Passionfruit Available in: 12x275ml

J2O Apple & Raspberry Available in: 12x275ml

Shloer

Available in: 750ml

Red Bull

Available in: 250ml-473ml shoppers to ask someone for an alternative. This not only enhances your customer service, but means you’re less likely to lose a sale, too.

Also, take note of any soft drinks you won’t be able to obtain in the final few weeks before Christmas and alert your customers ahead of time using social media. Have staff alert them in store, too. This gives you an opportunity to offer an alternative or allow customers to source a different product.

What to stock at Christmas It’s predicted shoppers will be going bigger than ever before to make up for last year, so multipacks of bottles and cans are imperative. Stock mixers, such as Fever Tree, 7Up and Appletiser, to capitalise on increased alcohol spend.

Bay Bashir, of Go Local Belle Vue Convenience in Middlesbrough, says: “We merchandise all of our multipacks of mixers, such as Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and lemonade near spirits to help sales, as alcohol is what customers are looking for.”

For Bashir, four-packs and sixpacks of cans and multipacks of 1.5l and 1.75l sell best throughout the festive period. Health also plays a

p42-44 Christmas confec.indd 39

factor in buying decisions in the run-up to Christmas. “Christmas is indulgent, but we find some shoppers will watch the calories in the lead up to Christmas Day and then go a little crazy,” says Bashir.

Coldbeck echoes this and says striking a balance is key to meeting shopper missions. “Low-sugar soft drinks sales are increasing, so it’s important we offer that option. We stock lemonade, Diet Coke and CocaCola Zero Sugar to ensure customers don’t need to go elsewhere,” she says.

“It’s all about offering that option because customers will lose trust in you if you don’t.”

Lines such as J2O and Shloer are often associated with festive celebrations, especially for families with children. “It’s a key line for us, and we stock it at £2,” says Meten Lakhani. “We’ve already sold out.”

Encourage trading up by stocking one or two premium lines. Build a dedicated area near other festive lines to help cusomters shop more easily and ensure it’s seen as they enter the store. Some won’t be ready to stock up, but the display will get them thinking about the season.

Drive linked purchases by siting mixers with spirits as alcohol is a key festive purchase.

Appletiser

Available in: 275ml

Schweppes Lemonade and Tonic Water

Available in: Lemonade: 200ml-2l (normal and slimline) Tonic Water: 200ml-1l (normal and slimline)

Fever Tree

Available in: 200ml, 500ml, 24x150ml, 24x200ml Flavours: Premium Indian Tonic Water, Refreshingly Light Premium Lemonade, Light Aromatic Tonic Water, Refreshingly Light Mediterranean, Refreshingly Light Ginger Ale, Elderflower

Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max

Available in: Cans: 6x330ml, 8x330ml, 12x330ml and 24x330ml Bottles: 1.5l and 2l Flavours: Cherry and Lime

7UP

Available in: Cans: 8x330ml Bottles: 2l, 12x330ml (glass bottle)

» 21/09/2021 15:15

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

XMAS SOFT DRINKS THE MOST RETAILER VIEWS: HOW WE MAKE OF SOFT DRINKS AT CHRISTMAS Dee Sedani

Meten Lakhani

Samantha Coldbeck

Soft drinks is a category to focus on all year round, not just Christmas. We do experience an uplift in sales, but it’s a struggle to compete with supermarkets and online retailers, such as Amazon. At Christmas, everyone is competing for those savings, making it difficult to drive sales. With the availability issues, I am stockpiling to ensure my customers are catered for, but it will only be on lines such as lemonade and tonics. Our symbol group is also stopping stockpiling to ensure all retailers are able to get stock.

We’ve started getting in four-packs of soft drinks and we’ve already sold through our J2Os. Due to the availability issues, we decided to bring our range in early. Since doing this, we’ve already sold out of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. With talk of some restrictions this winter, it’s likely they’ll be a further shortage of stock, so we’re trying to stock up in preparation. You’ll perform well at Christmas if you’re prepared.

Coca-Cola is our bestseller at Christmas, and our most in-demand product. We work with the company through the festive period, making use of PoS and we go heavy on promotions.

We run festive promotions with Schweppes and other mixers, which helps sales.

We also stock premium mixers alongside our spirits to enhance our offering and increase spend. While we stock these lines all year round, it’s important to make your displays more prominent at Christmas.

One Stop Etwall, Matlock, Derbyshire

St Mary’s Supermarket, Southampton

Bay Bashir

Go Local Belle Vue Convenience, Middlesbrough

Health and low-calorie options are becoming more prominent in buying decisions from our shoppers at Christmas, so it’s something we have to offer. That said, it’s not always possible to get the multipack option of zero-sugar soft drinks from the wholesaler. Health is very dependent on the customer, too. Christmas is the time to indulge, so we make to sure to offer the standard and low-sugar soft drink option where possible.

p42-44 Christmas confec.indd 40

Wharfedale Premier, Hull

Rachael Hockmeyer Spar Sleaford, Lincolnshire

We sell up to 500 bottles a day throughout the year and always stock a large range. Buying habits do change at Christmas to larger formats, but our range is adjusted for this already. Covid-19 has had an impact on buying habits and customers have got used to buying soft drinks as a multipack or as a larger format. It’s a permanent fixture and is no longer exclusive to Christmas. l

21/09/2021 15:16

Run a more profitable and efficient store with our Technology issue

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

Handbook

TECHNOLOGY

On sale 26 October

Only £4.99

This edition of the Retail Success Handbook focuses on the technology available to keep your store competitive, up to date and able to excel at serving the community. It will explore the tools you can use to make your business more profitable, how to communicate and engage with shoppers more effectively, and how you can expand the services you provide.

The Retail Success Handbook: Technology will focus on the following areas, with an overview of how to implement the technology available in a way that will benefit your store, as well as advice from industry experts and suppliers:

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Running a more efficient and sustainable business Security and CCTV Crime prevention, and staff and customer safety Apps and digital technology for marketing, payment and services Making food to go, home delivery and click-and-collect a success

PLUS Three interviews with leading retailers on the technology they use to boost profits, with in-store photos so you can see for yourself how they are making it a success.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to increase your profits – order your copy from your magazine wholesaler or contact us on 020 7689 3363

RSH Sell.indd 1

20/09/2021 13:58

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COLUMNIST

betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

Neville Rhodes

Crowded market

The convenience sector is expanding, but competition is fiercer than ever and the way consumers shop is evolving

R

eturning from a Spar event in 2002 with one of the group’s managers, a news report on the car radio said Tesco had made an offer for T & S Stores, the owner of 870 convenience stores, including the One Stop chain.

My travelling companion was shocked. “If the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) allows this, it’ll change everything,“ she said, and as it turned out, she was right.

Despite objections from representatives of the symbol groups and other independent retailers, the OFT soon cleared the takeover, and a wave of acquisitions

by Tesco and Sainsbury’s of other c-store groups followed, paving the way for Tesco Express and Sainsbury’s Local to become big players in the convenience sector.

Less than 20 years later, they have more than 1,900 and more than 800 convenience stores, respectively. Tesco still owns the One Stop chain, although its stores are operated separately

*+

from Tesco Express and include over 200 franchised outlets.

I was reminded of these events by the recent announcements by the two other Big Four supermarkets – Asda and Morrisons – of plans to expand into the convenience sector.

Following its acquisition of Asda earlier this year, the EG petrol station group, owned by the Issa brothers, is to roll out an Asda On the Move c-store format to 28 EG forecourt sites this year, and to a further 200 by the end of 2022.

The stores will carry a range of up to 2,500 lines, a mix of branded and Asda own label, including fresh and chilled foods.

Meanwhile, Morrisons has been rolling out its Morrisons Daily convenience format, initially to some petrol forecourt stores, followed by a conversion programme with McColl’s.

This has led so far to around 80 McColl’s branches already trading as Morrisons Daily stores,

Delivering on value?

One of the NFRN’s long-standing aims has been to deliver magazine subscriptions for the publishers, and although the idea has been talked about on several occasions, it’s never got off the ground. Now Lucid Retail has come up with a similar scheme, with the retailer initiating the subscription and then providing copies for the customer. It is currently being trialled, with Bestway involved, in some Costcutter and Central Stores. Although I hope the Lucid scheme succeeds, I cannot see any benefit in it for retailers.

Surely they would be better off simply asking the customer to order the magazine for shop-save or delivery – highlighting the advantages for the customer of not having to pay for copies in advance and being able to cancel at any time.

p42 Nevilles Column.indd 42

Is there enough demand for convenience shopping, and particularly for fresh foods, to sustain so many businesses?

with a target of 350 to be converted by the end of 2022.

McColl’s says the Morrisons Daily format “allows us to grow customer spend, frequency and loyalty by growing the basket size, offering customers access to great-value fresh food at close to supermarket prices, on their doorstep”, and to combine it with McColl’s existing expertise in services such as the Post Office.

With more than 1,100 stores, McColl’s has plenty of catchingup to do in the convenience fresh food stakes, and the competition is intensifying.

Tesco Express and Sainsbury’s Local had a head start and have staying power, but there’s also the Co-ops, the best of the symbol and independent sectors’ stores, M&S Simply Food on BP forecourts, Little Waitrose on Shell’s and now Asda On the Move – plus the competition from discounters, Waitrose, Iceland and the Big Four’s 2,400 large stores.

Is there enough demand for convenience shopping, and particularly for fresh food, to sustain so many businesses? Or will home delivery of groceries and fast-food orders by bike stunt its growth? And will the next big move in the industry be the one that starts to change everything?

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

21/09/2021 10:55

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RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

In partnership with

GUEST COLUMNIST

Opportunity of the week

MOUNTAIN BIKING UK

Mountain Biking UK celebrates its 400th edition on 29 September. Editor James Costley-White tells RN how stores will benefit from coming along for the ride

Ashleigh Dennis, circulation manager, DC Thomson

James Costley-White

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY AT THE PEOPLE’S FRIEND

Editor, Mountain Biking UK

Why do you think the magazine has had such longevity?

It’s moved with the times while sticking to its core values – sharing the joy of mountain biking, focusing on fun over fitness, and appealing to a wide range of readers with a great mix of content.

Is there such a thing as a typical reader in 2021?

The average reader is older than you might think, but still feels like a teenager at heart. However, MBUK is read by everyone from teenagers to septuagenarians.

Has there been a biking boom during the pandemic?

Yes. Mountain biking is booming now in terms of the number of people on the trails and the number of bikes being sold.

We’re seeing a lot of people who used to ride mountain bikes in their teens getting back into it in their 30s and 40s.

This was a trend before the pandemic, too, but it’s definitely accelerated it.

Others are experiencing it for the first time, after buy-

ing a bike during lockdown and finding they enjoyed it.

promoting the anniversary issue on social media

How are you communicating the anniversary issue to readers?

A couple of months ago, we asked our readers to nominate their mountain biking heroes and said we’d be featuring them in our 400th issue, to start building some hype.

A whopping 50 of these heroes are featured on the front cover, and we’ll be giving each of them a copy of the cover so they can share it with their own social media followers.

We’ve run a preview in issue 399 and will be

How important are print editions and the free gifts that accompany the mag to your strategy?

Very. The gifts help set us apart from our market rivals and give us a small boost in sales, but it’s the print magazine people love.

Why should independent retailers stock it?

Because it’s a brilliant mag, the market leader, and more and more people are getting into the sport.

Plus, our eye-catching, dynamic covers will brighten up your newsstand.

It was important for us to get our Christmas specials on the shelves early. Planning ahead and building up that sense of anticipation as the big day draws near is part of the fun. And with so many Christmas editions and special publications on the market, it’s good to be on sale early.

We’re anticipating earlier demand for The People’s Friend The Magic of Christmas special, especially as we know readers of The People’s Friend like to plan ahead. We expect customers to be starting their Christmas preparations earlier this year and planning bigger family get-togethers and celebrations after the restrictions in 2020.

Independent retailers are incredibly important to The People’s Friend, making up a 33% share of sales and, with our older readers switching to shopping more locally during the pandemic, there is a real opportunity for independent retailers, so I’d encourage them to display The Magic of Christmas front of shelf next to the weekly edition to drive dual purchases.

The People’s Friend is a premium-priced weekly magazine at £1.60 and there is a huge opportunity for some strong revenue growth with this brand extension and its higher cover price of £7.99.

The People’s Friend is the seventh-bestselling magazine in the independent channel, and the team want to thank independents for the work you do every week. We really appreciate all the support in making it easy for the reader to find their favourite magazine.

BRAND

NEW!

STICKER COLLECTION DP_BANNER AD 190 x 40 NO PRICES.indd 1

p43 TWIM 1.indd 43

www.paninigroup.com

ON SALE NOW! IN ALL GOOD RETAILERS

16/09/2021 14:57

21/09/2021 10:29

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betterRetailing.com // 24 September 2021 RN

THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

SYMBOL KEY

Terms change

Launch activity

One Competition Special shot issue

Free gift

Sales Bumper Redesign Spotlight Newspro issue recommends trend

SPECIALIST CHOICE PIXAR FEST STICKER COLLECTION

l This compilation sticker collection features favourite characters from animation giant Pixar. l The set comprises 192 stickers, including holographic ones, and also comes with 50 trading cards for children to collect and swap.

CBEEBIES SPECIAL

l It’s a bumper edition of the ongoing CBeebies Special publication, with even more freebies than usual. l As Newspro notes, it’s a Halloween special, with increased cover price, giving a great opportunity for incremental income.

THE PEOPLE’S FRIEND SPECIAL

l The offshoot from the long-running women’s weekly magazine offers incremental revenue and additional sales from its loyal readers. l This special issue comes with a free 15month diary.

CYCLING PLUS

l This bumper edition of the magazine for keen road and mountain cyclists comes with a range of free gifts. l This issue includes a supplement alongside reviews of bikes and gear, as well as a guide to the best places to ride in the UK and beyond.

On sale 23 September Frequency collectable Price starter pack £3.99, stickers 90p Distributor Marketforce Display with Disney Frozen 2

On sale 29 September Frequency monthly Price £5.99 Distributor Frontline Display with CBeebies Weekly, CBeebies Art Barcode 9772041854997

On sale 29 September Frequency monthly Price £3.99 Distributor Frontline Display with The People’s Friend, Women’s Weekly Barcode 9771479046974

On sale 29 September Frequency monthly Price £6.99 Distributor Frontline Display with Cycling, MBUK Barcode 9770964686961

SHAILESH PATEL, JANS OF COCKFOSTERS, NORTH LONDON

On sale 30 September Frequency bimonthly Price £5.99 Distributor Marketforce Display with Mojo, Uncut Barcode 9772054357003

VINTAGE ROCK What’s it about?

It’s a music magazine for serious fans.

Music mags have been doing well, so I ordered two copies of Vintage Rock, and have now increased that to five.

Who buys it?

There are still a lot of rock music fans and they’re looking for titles to buy. Retailers have to to use their brains to look for and source titles that are similar to ones that are doing well.

Bestsellers MONSTER MEGAPACK

l The autumn is a crucial season for this monster-themed magazine, giving it a further boost as Halloween approaches. l This bumper pack includes three separate magazines full of things to do, as well as several free gifts.

VALET

l This new men’s magazine mixes things up by using different paper stock in different sections.

Glossy paper is used for fashion spreads, while matt paper is used for features. l The publication covers “classic menswear and timeless style”, and its high cover price means strong RSV.

p44 TWIM 2.indd 44

Cycling On sale 24 September Frequency quarterly Price £4.50 Distributor Marketforce Display with The Beano, Lego Ninjago Barcode 5010791881011

Title

1 Cycling 2 MBUK 3 Cycling Plus 4 Cyclist 5 MBR Mountain Bike Rider 6 Procycling 7 Essential Cycling 8

On sale 21 September Frequency quarterly Price £16 Distributor Seymour Display with GQ, Esquire Barcode 9772634869001

Road Bike Action

On sale date

In stock

30/09 29/09 29/09 06/10 13/10 01/10 20/10 08/10

9 Bicycling 22/10 10 Mountain Bike Action 24/09

Data from independent stores supplied by

21/09/2021 10:46

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RN 24 September 2021 // betterRetailing.com

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

Partworks and collectables Title

No Pts

£

Title

Byline 2 41 7.99

Bob Dylan Vinyl

No Pts

£

The New Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection 252 280 9.99 Warhammer Imperium 4 80 5.99

DeAgostini

Panini Partworks

Fast & Furious: Build The Dodge Charger Star Wars: Build Your Own X-Wing

96 100 9.99

Eaglemoss

Title 95 100 11.99

Legends of Batman

127 140 10.99 34 46 10.99 59 100 8.99 66 80 11.99

F1 Collection Rossi Bike Collection Ferrari F40 Supercars

3 110 4.99

Starter Stkrs/cards

Baby Shark My First Sticker Album Disney Frozen 2 Sticker Collection Disney Pixar Luca Movie Sticker Collection Fortnite Official Trading Card Collection Series Two Minecraft Treasure Sticker Album

2000 AD Ultimate Collection 106 140 9.99 Battleship Bismarck 129 140 8.99 Build Eddie Stobart 1 140 1.99 Build The Spitfire 79 120 9.99 DC Comics Heroes & Villains

19 100 9.99 Disney Cross Stitch 54 90 3.99 Disney My Little Library 56 100 2.99 Peter Rabbit Patchwork Quilt 93 139 4.99 The All Killer No Filler Deadpool Collection 80 100 9.99 The New Marvel Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection (Relaunch) 146 170 9.99

Starter Stkrs/cards

Pixar Fest Sticker Collection Premier League Adrenalyn XL Plus

UEFA Euro 2020 Tournament Edition Official Sticker Collection 3.99 1.80

Squishy 2.99

3.99

0.90

Topps

3.99

0.90

8.99

2.70

I Love Koalas Figurines WWE Slam Attax UEFA Champions League Best of the Best Match Attax Xtra Match Attax Xtra 21/22

– 5.00 –

3.00 1.00 1.00

WWE Sticker Collection

5.00

1.00

N/A

1.00

Intermedia Brown Box

Hot Wheels 1.85

0.70

0.90

Magiki Princesses 2.50 Magiki Unicorns 2.99 Sharks & Co 3.50

Frozen 2 3.99

3.99

3.99

Starter Stkrs/cards

DeAgostini

Zomlings Series 6 0.50 Star Monsters 1.00 SuperZings Series 2 5.00

3.99 0.90

Title

Puppies and Me! Sticker Collection 3.99 0.90 Raya & The Last Dragon Sticker Collection 3.99 0.90 UEFA Euro 2020 Adrenalyn XL 2021 Kick Off Official Trading Cards Collection 4.99 1.80

Magic Box

Panini

Hachette

Title

Pokémon Pokémon Sword & Shield 3.99 Pokémon Darkness Ablaze 3.99

– 2.79 – 1.75

Newspapers Daily newspapers price/margin pence/margin %

Saturday newspapers

22.3%

Sunday newspapers

Sun

65p

14.5p

Sun

95p 20.3p 21.4%

Sun

£1.30 27.3p

21%

Mirror

90p

18p

20%

Mirror

£1.50 30p

20%

Sunday Mirror

£1.90 38p

20%

Mirror (Scotland)

95p

19p

20%

Mirror (Scotland)

£1.40 28p

20%

People

£1.90 38p

20%

Daily Record

90p

18p

20%

Daily Record

£1.40 28p

20%

Star Sunday

£1.30 26p

20%

Daily Star

55p

11p

20%

Daily Star

90p 18p

20%

Sunday Sport

£1.10 26.73p 24.3%

Daily Mail

80p

17.85p

Express

80p

16p

Express (Scotland)

80p

Telegraph

£2.50

Times

£2.20

46.2p

FT

£2.90

58p

Guardian

£2.50

55p

i

65p

14.3p

i (N. Ireland)

65p

14.3p

Racing Post

£3.90

Herald (Scotland) Scotsman

22.31%

Daily Mail

£1.10 23.1p

21%

Mail on Sunday

£1.80 37.8p

20%

Express

£1.30 26p

20%

Sunday Mail

£2 40p 20%

16p

20%

Express (Scotland) £1 20.6p 20.6%

Sunday Telegraph

£2.50 51.25p

51.25p

20.5%

Telegraph

£3 57.4p 19.1%

Sunday Times

£3 63p 21%

Times

£2.50 52.5p

21%

Observer

£3.50 85.7p

FT

£4.30 94.6p

22%

Scotland on Sunday £2.40 52.8p

22%

Guardian

£3.50 77p

22%

Racing Post

22%

iWeekend

£1.20 25.8p

21.5%

SundayHerald(Scotland) £2

22%

i (N. Ireland)

£1 21.5p 21.5%

Sunday Express

£1.90 38p

20%

80p

20.5%

Racing Post

£4.20 86.1p

20.5%

Sunday Post

£2.20 44p

20%

£1.50

33p

22%

Herald (Scotland)

£1.95 42.9p

22%

£1.80

40.5p

22.5%

Scotsman

£2.20 49.5p

22.5%

21% 20%

Weight Watchers Watchers 18-19 17-18 September December Weight

Sunday Sunday Times Times

Total Supplements Supplements Total 15 weight weight weight weight

£3.90 80p 42p

21% 20.5% 24.5% 22% 20.5% 21%

Scale of third-party advertising insert payments Ad inserts inserts Number of Ad Number of 30 weight Inserts weight Inserts 60g 3 65g 5

Daily Telegraph Times Observer FT

965g 490g 1,105g 540g 760g 510g 0g 830g 125g 95g 575g 30g 10g 795g 480g 0g

Sun Telegraph Daily Mail Sunday Telegraph

565g 220g 100g 750g 120g 10g 515g 440g 75g 710g 250g 35g

Mail Mail on on Sunday Sunday Guardian Daily Mail

405g 395g 595g 145g 370g 350g 570g 205g

The Times Observer

– – – 570g 195g 25g

10g 25g 20g 25g

Heaviest Heaviest ad insert insert ad

0 4 1 0

50g 20g 0g 50g

10g 0g 5 1 35g 10g 3 35g 3 20g

1 10g 3 15g 2 10g 4 15g – – 3 15g

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

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

Insert Original Mail Mirror News Express Guardian Telegraph weight scheme UK

Observer

Cumulative? no no no no no no no no 0-69g 70-100g

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1.5p

3.1p 2.57p 2.7p 2.93p 2.93p

2.93p

2.75p

101-200g

2p

3.9p 3.36p 3.3p 3.65p 3.65p

3.65p

3.35p

201-300g

4p 6.65p 6.09p 5.5p 6.26p 6.26p

6.26p

5.75p

301-400g

5p

7.06p

7p

8.5p 7.43p 6.7p 7.06p 7.06p

401-500g * 9p

* * *

*

*

*

Over 500g

*

*

*

*

*

9.5p

*

*

* By negotiation

GET WHILE THEY’RE HOT! ©

Brownie ranked top 3 preferred new M&M’s® flavour* Huge media campaign reaching 5m+ people Rotating NEW flavour products, helps deliver continuous sales peaks!

*Source: Nielsen Quick Screen, 2018.

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© 2021 Mars or Affiliates.

14/09/2021 15:55