Retail News Sept2013

SEPTEMBER 2013

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Contents

Exhibiting Our Strengths AFTER months of planning, the inaugural Food & Hospitality Ireland exhibition, incorporating SHOP, is ready to open its doors on September 18 and 19 in the Industries Hall, RDS, Dublin 4.

The event is set to welcome a wealth of exhibitors to the RDS, from artisan producers to multinationals, and should provide a host of opportunities for retailers wishing to add innovative new products to their shelves. There is also a seriously impressive line-up of expert speakers, including Frank Gleeson, Retail Ireland Chairman and Topaz Retail Director, and media personality Norah Casey, CEO of Harmonia, as well as Sheila Buckley, Head of eTail Excellence Ireland, General Manager of GrabOne, Ruairi Doyle, and Paula Donoghue, Insight & Brand Manager, Bord Bia. The Chef’s Table will see some of Ireland’s best known culinary stars displaying their talents, while the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s most prestigious awards, including the coveted ‘Shop of the Year’ accolade, will be presented at the event. See our full preview on Page 24.

Food & Hospitality Ireland will also become the exclusive home for the finalists’ products of the Irish Quality Food Awards on the first day of the event, with the overall award winners being showcased on day two. Retail News is the official media partner of the Irish Quality Food Awards (Page 30), and we will also be playing a part in Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013. Come and visit us at Stand E11.

Kathleen Belton Editorial Director kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie

News 6 What's On the Menu

Hot Beverages 50 Sandra Gahan, Head

for Superquinn Rebranding?

7

Grocery Market Gets Welcome Boost Over Summer with €30m Sales Surge.

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84% of the Adult Population Regularly Read Newspapers; IGBF Appoints Development Director.

GSK Restructures Consumer Healthcare Business; New EU Rules for Debit and Credit Cards?

Gala Bringing People Home; Research Fails To Demonstrate Smoking Changes; New CEO For Repak.

Retail Ireland: Monthly Update 16 Retail Ireland to meet

24 Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013 24 Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013, takes place on September 18 and 19 in the Industries Hall, RDS, Dublin 4.

Quality Food Awards have just announced the shortlisted products, bringing together some of the best food and drink products made in Ireland.

Tobacco Products 48 Packaging industry

expert Mike Ridgway writes on the potential implications of the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products for both retailers and brands.

50

Seafood 18 Are you aware of the

labelling requirements for the sale of seafood in your premises?

Published by: Tara Publishing Ltd, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2.

Managing Director: Patrick Aylward

Tel: (01) 6785165 Fax: (01) 6477127

Editorial Director: Kathleen Belton kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie

Web: www.retailnews.ie Email: kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie

Editor: John Walshe

Subscription to Retail News: e95 plus VAT Email: ciara@tarapublications.ie

Advertising: Brian Clark

brian@tarapublications.ie

Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen

Production: Jim Heron

Food Safety Training 59 Food retailers are

facing new challenges when it comes to food safety. However, you can protect your business reputation through food safety training, writes Marie Ryan, Senior Environmental Health Officer, EHOA.

Irish Quality Food Awards 30 The inaugural Irish

Minister for Finance; Proposed Commercial Rates Increases Unsustainable; Wexford the Location for Rounding Trial.

johnwalshe@tarapublications.ie

of Marketing for Mondelez Ireland, Beverages, talks us through Ireland’s dynamic coffee market and Kenco Millicano’s high profile collaboration with renowned designer Orla Kiely.

Printed by: W&G Baird

Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited.

On The Vine 68 Jean Smullen

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profiles Ireland’s top selling wine brands, highlighting the wines guaranteed to fly off your shelves

Staff Theft 72 With staff theft on

the rise, Linda Hynes, Leman Solicitors, advises on the steps to take if it happens to you.

Music Use In-Store 76 If you play music in your store via radio, TV etc, you need an IMRO licence, according to Brendan Griffin, Director of Licensing, IMRO.

Regulars & Reports

12 Industry News 32 Sauces 36 Drinks News 38 Market News 42 Confectionery 52 Hot Beverages 62 Fuels 78 Shelf Life

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6|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

News

What's On the Menu for Superquinn Rebranding?

ARTISAN food producers are concerned that the changeover from Superquinn to SuperValu, in February 2014, will jeopardise their business, Retail News reports.

“The whole issue of Superquinn own label products is very serious,” said a food producer, who asked to remain anonymous. “There will be a lot of ill feeling if you are creating an own label - a specific jar or packaging - only to be told the plug is being pulled. For loads of the bigger companies, it will be business as usual. For the smaller producers, I don't think it's going to be plain sailing. I have a colleague who is very nervous because he has quite a number of lines listed in Superquinn the majority of his business - and now there's a question mark over it.”

Musgrave is confident that combining SuperValu and Superquinn will create an unrivalled Irish national retail brand, offering customers an improved in-store experience.

“Musgrave has invested €15m in the Superquinn store network in the past two years,” said Sue Lamon-Diver, Head of Communications at Musgrave. “As part of the name change, SuperValu will invest €10m in completing the current store network refurbishment activity. This will include the introduction of the award winning SuperValu Own Brand range, which consists of over 2,000 products priced at up to 33% less than comparable brands.”

Where this leaves Superquinn's private label range - which at one stage included over 1,000 lines, as well as over 160 lines under the premium SQ (Superior Quality) label - remains to be seen.

Andrew Bradley, Director at Bradley Brand & Design, brand consultants who have worked within the Irish retail sector for 20 years, wonders what will happen to Superquinn's eclectic mix of artisan products. “Will it go, or will it stay? It will be interesting to see what they do with the shelves,” he said. “SuperValu's own label products will be pushed hard into former Superquinn stores. What products will have to give way concerns me. If they compromise on that, they could lose market share.”

Superquinn was renowned for its “fresh food and bakery products,”

Bradley continued. “Superquinn has a wide, eclectic range: unusual balsamic vinegars, mustards. Things you wouldn't normally get in a regular supermarket.”

The Superquinn brand actively encouraged local producers through trade fairs, in-store advertising, and festivals. According to one small food manufacturer, “Superquinn was the first port of call for an artisan producer. They went the extra mile to take on smaller producers at multiple level.

If you got a listing it was always very exciting. You could learn the ropes about how multiples worked.”

Deirdre Hilliard of Just Food in Cobh, Co. Cork, put two lines of her organic soup range into Superquinn in 2010. The following winter, the chain took eight of their products. “That gave us a significant presence,” she said. “It was enormous for us.” The rebranding will not affect Just Food, though. “There isn't going to be any change for us. We're still going to sell what we already sell to Superquinn and the same stores. The purchase orders will come from SuperValu rather than Superquinn,” she revealed.

While the name will change over the door, Superquinn’s heritage, in-store ambience, range and quality products (such as the famous Superquinn Sausages and Sean’s Brown

Bread) will still be available, promise Musgrave.

SuperValu also has a good name “for dealing with small, niche artisan food producers,” says Hilliard. “They have a lot of commonality. The model is different - SuperValu has individual store owners and we deal directly with the store owners rather than with Musgrave - but the ethos is quite similar. It's just that the artisan element is driven by the store owner as well as Musgrave, whereas it was a major part of Superquinn's strategy.”

Bradley believes SuperValu, “to their credit”, has emulated Superquinn since Musgrave's purchase of the brand in 2011. “I definitely think they've been chasing that 'indigenous Irish retailer who cares, goes the extra effort, and excels in customer service',” he said. “But although there are some overlaps, I don't think it's as simple as changing 'Quinn' to 'Valu' over the door.”

According to Lamon-Diver, staff uniforms, labelling, point of sale, and marketing collateral will change and “there will be no downtime during the rebranding process”. What will happen in the case of Superquinn and SuperValu stores located in the same area? “We do not see this as an issue,” she said. “There is very little overlap between stores, particularly in Dublin,

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|7

News

where SuperValu has a lower market presence. Many of our SuperValu retailers already compete with Centra or Daybreak stores and we see the addition of Superquinn as no different.”

Since the supermarket was started

by Feargal Quinn, Superquinn had developed a reputation for crowning the customer. “Superquinn always packed your bags,” said Bradley. “They had someone to carry the bags out to

your car; they had an umbrella for you.

If you wanted a product, they would find it for you. They did a lot of unique things for the customer.”

According to Musgrave, there will be “a comprehensive plan to inform existing Superquinn store staff about SuperValu and ensure that they have the training and knowledge to provide our customers with an excellent service. During the course of this plan,

Superquinn staff will be taken through SuperValu brand values, product range and ways of working.”

The writing was on the wall for Superquinn's demise since 2007, when the retailer's sales figures went into sharp decline. In 2011, the brand faced liquidation until Musgrave Group stepped in. As part of the current reorganisation, 2,500 store staff are unaffected but 102 workers in Superquinn’s support office may face losing their jobs. Considering the recent news that Marks & Spencer is closing four of its Irish stores - resulting in 180 job losses - this is a relatively good news story, insisted Gerry Light, Assistant General Secretary at Mandate trade union.

“At least there is a future for the business,” said Light, who is seeking redeployment for the support workers.

“Hopefully, it will lift it. That lift hasn't been very apparent over the last number of years. In fact, there has been a decline in Superquinn's market share.

It makes eminent sense to me that a business that has suffered probably the biggest decline within the retail grocery supermarket business is going to be transferred into one of the businesses that has seen the greatest growth: SuperValu.”

Grocery Market Gets Welcome Boost Over Summer with e30m Sales Surge THE latest supermarket share figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, for the 12 weeks ending August 18, show a €30m uplift in consumer spend as a result of the heat wave, when compared with the same period the previous year.

“The good weather has clearly had a positive effect on the grocery market, with consumers spending more on traditional barbecue and picnic foods,” explained David Berry, Commercial Director at Kantar Worldpanel. “Shoppers have spent an extra €2m on sausages, boosting sales by 12%.

However, sales of frozen burgers continue to decline despite the BBQ weather, with shoppers increasingly likely to buy chilled burgers instead. Cooked meats, bagged salads and bread rolls have all seen double digit sales growth, helping overall grocery sales grow by 1.5%.”

Other categories experiencing growth included ice creams and cider, with sales

of both growing by over 30%.

Among the retailers, Aldi and Lidl both continue to post impressive growth of 26.6% and 14.8% respectively, capturing a combined record market share of 15.1%. SuperValu has also performed strongly over the summer period, attracting new shoppers through the door and seeing them spend 60c more on

each trip. This has helped boost its share from 19.5% last year to 19.8% now, with sales growth of 3.1%,” Berry noted.

Tesco has seen a drop in sales compared with a strong performance last year, with fewer customers spending less in-store.

“Interestingly, there has been no negative effect for Superquinn following the recent announcement that

the stores will be renamed as SuperValu, with sales and market share remaining in line with last year,” Berry noted.

The coming weeks will be important for each of the retailers as they look to win new customers during the important back to school period and retain them as the winter season approaches.

For further information, see kantarworldpanel.com.

Total Take Home Grocery - Ireland Consumer Spend Total Grocers Total Multiples Tesco Dunnes SuperValu Superquinn Total Discounters Aldi Lidl Other Outlets**

12 Weeks to 13 May 2012 %*

12 Weeks to 12 May 2013 %*

change** %

100.0% 87.9% 28.8% 21.5% 19.5% 5.4% 12.7% 5.9% 6.8% 12.1%

100.0% 88.4% 27.0% 21.1% 19.8% 5.4% 15.1% 7.4% 7.7% 11.6%

1.5 2.1 -4.7 -0.2 3.1 0.3 20.3 26.6 14.8 -2.3

*= Percentage Share of Total Grocers **= Refers to share growth or growth or decline not change in market share ***= Includes stores such as M&S, Boots, Spar, Centra, Greengrocers, Butchers And Cross Border shops

8|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

News 84% of the Adult Population Regularly Read Newspapers

ALMOST three million people in Ireland read newspapers regularly, according to the latest Joint National Readership Survey (JNRS) 2012/2013.

The majority of adults in Ireland (62%) read a daily newspaper and the figure for readership of Sunday newspapers is almost as high (60%), the JNRS report finds. This level of readership ensures that newspaper brands have immense power to communicate with people throughout Ireland.

The new JNRS 2012/2013 is the first report of its kind in the Irish

market to provide data about newspaper readership online, as well as in print.

Thus, readership figures for printed newspapers can be directly compared with readership of newspapers online and the true reach of newspaper brands can be quantified. Furthermore, the report demonstrates that printed newspapers continue to attract strong readership levels, while readership of newspapers on digital platforms is now significant. “The publication of the new JNRS report is great news for the Irish newspaper industry. By looking at print

and digital readership, we see some remarkable numbers, which demonstrate the true value of news brands that readers trust,� said Frank Cullen, co-ordinating director of National Newspapers of Ireland.

80% of all adults read the newspaper in print form, while almost 13% read a newspaper online, providing a total reach for newspapers of almost 84% of the total population. Online readers bring an extra 158,000 readers to the daily market and an additional 42,000 readers to the Sunday market.

In total, 450,000 people read newspapers online, with many of these also reading in print. The report finds that over half (55%) of online daily readers also read a printed newspaper on the same day. There is also significant cross-over between newspaper websites, with many people choosing to engage with more than one Irish newspaper brand online.

JNRS 2012/2013 is the first readership report of its kind to include figures for print and digital readership of newspapers. The survey was re-designed to accommodate print and online readership into the survey and, as a result, the data provided by this report cannot be compared directly with that provided in any

previous reports.

In addition to changes to the survey questionnaire, a second development of the JNRS was introduced in June 2012. This involved introducing a new method for collecting data with the use of an electronic hand palm top device, HAPI, to administer questions and record answers. The introduction of this collection method has had a positive impact on daily readership by drawing in more occasional readers, which can be attributed to better prompting and greater respondent engagement.

Average Issue Readership Figures Topline Figures AIR (Average Issue Readership = read yesterday for daily newspapers and read within the past week for Sunday/ weekly newspapers) Print Any newspaper AIR = 80.6% Any daily AIR = 57.6% Any Sunday AIR = 59.1% Online Any newspaper AIR = 12.5% Any daily AIR = 9.9% Any Sunday AIR = 3.9% Combined Print and Online Any newspaper AIR = 83.5% Any daily AIR = 62% Any Sunday AIR = 60.3%

IGBF Appoints Development Director THE Irish Grocers Development Fund (IGBF) has appointed Des Redmond as Development Director. Des joins IGBF from Synergis Marketing and Communications, a specialist marketing communications company, specialising in consumer insights and strategic marketing.

Des is a senior consumer, retail and marketing specialist with over 20 years of international and domestic senior management experience, managing such retail brands as Boots Ireland, SPAR

Ireland, Thorn EMI, Xtravision and 7-Eleven, amongst others.

This appointment was made following a major strategic review by the IGBF so as to reflect the current charitable landscape, the difficulties encountered in recent years within the charitable environment and to adopt a greater emphasis on sustainable fundraising and repositioning of the organisation over the coming years so as to reflect its on-going commitment to provide assistance to those in need.

Des Redmond, Development Director, IGBF.

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|9

News GSK Restructures Consumer Healthcare Business GSK has announced the restructuring of its Consumer Healthcare business in Great Britain and Ireland into two separate business operations. The separation will create two senior leadership teams that will each focus on driving the sales of all GSK brands in Great Britain and Ireland during the divestment of Lucozade and Ribena. It will also ensure a smooth and swift transition for the divestment of the brands.

GSK Consumer Healthcare – which spans Oral Health, Wellness, Nutrition and Skin Health – will be led by Dave Barrett, Commercial Director for Consumer Healthcare GSK Ireland.

“GSK Consumer Healthcare is a leading consumer healthcare company and includes well-loved brands such as Sensodyne, Aquafresh, Beechams, Panadol, NiQuitin and Maxinutrition.

My aim is to work closely with retail partners and healthcare professionals to meet consumer and patient needs and to grow their businesses alongside our own,” said Barrett.

“We have a number of exciting new products either hitting shelves now or in the next few months. Niquitin Strips, Sensodyne Complete, Aquafresh High Definition and a new range of Maxinutrition products will attract new shoppers, unlocking incremental sales for retailers and adding value to the category by offering consumers something that is new and unique.”

As part of the divestment programme, leading brands Lucozade and Ribena will be consolidated into one

business.

The global Lucozade and Ribena business will be led in Ireland by Country Manager, Rory Brennan, previously head of Sales Operations and Specialist Channels, GSK. “Lucozade and Ribena are two of the most recognised brands in Great Britain and Ireland, with significant upside potential on a global basis,” Brennan said. “My goal is to continue to drive success on Lucozade and Ribena by executing our highly competitive plans for 2013. Our advertising and promotional spend behind these brands will continue, as will our investment in new product development.”

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year THREE well known figures from Ireland’s food industry are amongst the 24 finalists in this year’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards. Mash Direct’s Martin Hamilton, Caroline Keeling from Keeling’s and Callan Bacon Company’s John Walshe are amongst those nominated for the prestigious title across the Emerging, Industry and International categories.

New EU Rules for Debit and Credit Cards?

THE EU Commission has proposed new rules to cap charges on debit and credit card payments across the EU. The package would also see increased security for payments and clearer rules for all operators.

The idea behind this update of current rules is to make it easier and safer to use cards in cross-border transactions.

“The interchange fees paid by retailers end up on consumers' bills,” said EU Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia. “Not only are consumers generally unaware of this, they are even encouraged through reward

systems to use the cards that provide their banks with the highest revenues. Complementing the enforcement of antitrust rules, the regulation capping interchange fees will prevent excessive levels of these fees across the board. A level playing field will be created for payment services providers, new players will be able to enter the market and offer innovative services, retailers will make big savings by paying lower fees to their banks, and consumers will benefit through lower retail prices.”

Capping the interchange fees will reduce costs for retailers and consumers and

EU Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia.

help to create an EU-wide payments market. This should also encourage inno-

vation and give more scope for payment providers to offer new services.

10|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

News Gala Bringing People Home TO celebrate its 15th anniversary and The Gathering, Gala is delighted to announce an exciting giveaway whereby 15 lucky people will have the chance to come home to Ireland for The Gathering. No matter how near or far, the giveaway enables Ireland’s mums, dads, grandparents, siblings and friends to nominate a loved one to return home for a gathering of their choice.

The month-long promotion, which runs until September 29, is the first of two initiatives from Gala to celebrate its 15th anniversary. There are a number of ways to enter the giveaway and win a return trip home for a loved one - post, email

and Facebook. For more information, visit Gala’s Facebook page: www. facebook.com/galaretail.

“We are really excited to be celebrating our 15th anniversary and wanted to mark the occasion by giving back to our loyal customers,” said Gary Desmond, CEO, Gala. “Gala is at the heart of many communities across Ireland and this giveaway enables us to reunite our customers with their, in some cases, long lost relatives or friends. No doubt, with Christmas fast approaching, there will be a lot of tears and celebrations to follow as our 15 lucky winners return to the Emerald Isle!”

To celebrate Gala’s 15th anniversary, Kate Monahan (left) and Nadia Forde were on hand to announce Gala’s exciting giveaway, whereby 15 lucky people will win the chance to come home to Ireland for The Gathering.

Research Fails to Demonstrate Smoking Changes RECENT research published in the British Medical Journal does not demonstrate any change in smokers’ behaviour since the introduction of ‘plain’ packaging in Australia, according to JTI Ireland. The study’s focus, the company said, was rather on people’s attitudes and perceptions, and predictions about their future behaviour.

“The study was conducted on a small sample of adult smokers (536 people) in Victoria, Australia, during one month, just as plain packaging was being rolledout. Combined with the fact that the study did not test any changes to actual smoking behaviour, this is insufficient to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness of plain packaging on tobacco consumption”, commented John Freda, General Manager of JTI Ireland.

Rather than testing if participants’ actual smoking behaviour has changed, the study focused on how people believe their attitude towards smoking will change, drawing the questionable conclusion that ‘there is more urgency to quit among adult smokers’.

“This is pure speculation”, emphasised John Fre-

da, “as it is well established that consumers are unable to predict with any accuracy what their future behaviour will be. There is no indication that the participants’ attitudes and intentions align with their actual or future behaviour.”

In addition, the fact that some participants using plain packs perceived the cigarettes to be of lower quality or less satisfying says nothing about how their attitudes may change as a result of plain packaging. Again, this is linked to perception rather than a real change in behaviour.

It should be noted that many of the questions to participants were worded in a way that may well have

influenced their answers.

For example, participants

were asked to provide their view on whether they supported the introduction of plain packaging in Australia. The question was prefaced with the statement, “Tobacco companies often use cigarette packaging for promotional purposes”.

This method is by no means objective, argue JTI. “This research demonstrates that there is a need for sound, robust data before it is assumed that tobacco control measures can achieve public health objectives. Put simply, this study fails that test,” concluded John Freda.

New CEO For Repak THE board of Repak has terminated its contract for the services of Andrew Hetherington as Chief Executive, following an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities.

“The board has now placed the matter in the hands of its Lawyers and for legal reasons no further comment can be made,” said a Repak statement.

Repak is now in the process of seeking a new Chief Executive to take the organisation forward

to a fresh phase of development, and recently advertised the position in national newspapers.

Retail News understands that the existing board of Repak will be phased out over the next two months, having overrun their allotted time as board members. Board elections are happening now and should be completed by the end of September.

There will then be a transition period, before the new Repak board is in place.

WIN WITH BRANDY & RETAIL NEWS A Fantastic Stena Line Trip for You, Your Family, Your Car and Your Dog! Brandy, Ireland’s number one Irish made dog food brand, is delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Stena Line, offering your customers the chance to Win 1 of 50 Stena Line Trips. Each prize consists of a return crossing for the winner, their car, up to 3 passengers and of course their family dog! Each competition winner can choose to travel on any of the five Stena Line Irish Sea Routes. There are also 300 runners up prizes of Brandy Travel Sets to be won.

This on pack competition offer will run from August to the end of December on all Brandy 6 Packs, including Traditional Loaf, Chunks in Jelly and Chunks in Gravy 6 packs. It will also run on Brandy Complete Original 2.5kg and Brandy Complete Chicken & Rice 2.5kg bags. This on pack promotion will also be supported by a radio campaign running in October.

As well as giving your customers the chance to win, we are also giving you the chance to win a fantastic return trip for you, your car, up to 3 passengers and of course your family dog!

To be in with a chance of winning this trip, please answer the following question and send, together with your name, address and telephone number, on a postcard to BRANDY COMPETITION, Retail News, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2 or email your details and correct answer to: retailnews@tarapublications.ie Q. What breed of dog, is the dog featured on Brandy Dog Food?

Closing date for entries is 6th October 2013.

Terms and conditions apply. Judge’s decision is final. No cash alternative will be offered.

Restrictions may apply to travel dates.

For product information and distribution please call Mackle Petfoods 048 87784641 or visit www.macklepetfoods.com www.facebook.com/brandydogfood

12|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News

XL To Open 30 New Stores XL is on track to add 30 new stores by the end of this year, it was announced recently by BWG Foods. This comes on the back of a landmark year for XL in 2012, when the brand reached the 200 store mark, making it Ireland’s fastest growing convenience group. The XL stores will be located across the country, with over half already opened and another eight scheduled by the end of the summer. By year-end, there are expected to be 230 XL stores across Ireland, providing employment to approximately 2,200

people locally. “XL stores are operated by independent retailers and this is part of what makes the brand such an attractive proposition to neighbourhood stores, who want to maintain their autonomy, while benefitting from the support and buying power of one of Ireland’s largest wholesale groups, BWG Foods,” said John Moane, Managing Director of BWG’s Wholesale Division, pictured (left) with Willie O’Byrne, Managing Director, BWG Foods, outside Lynch’s XL Passage West, the latest addition to the XL network.

Avonmore Launch Geo-Targeting Campaign AVONMORE, Ireland’s most chosen brand (Source: Kantar Worldpanel), has launched a new geo-targeting campaign at Dublin airport. This summer, up to 20,000 passengers returning home from holiday can receive a ‘welcome home’ text from Avonmore to redeem a free carton of their favourite fresh Irish milk at SPAR stores in the arrivals hall. The mobile marketing campaign is a first of its kind for both Avonmore and Dublin Airport.

The campaign has been developed in response to the latest research findings from Avonmore, which reveal that 49% of people worry more about having fresh milk in the fridge than lost car keys, dead plants in the garden or not being able to find their car in the car park.

Returning holiday makers Alison Canavan and her son James are pictured in the arrivals hall at Dublin airport, promoting the fact that having fresh milk in the fridge is biggest concern for half of returning Irish holiday makers.

CBE Announced as IGBF Title Sponsor CBE, Ireland’s largest supplier of retail IT systems, has been announced as the title sponsor for the IGBF 2013 Retail Charity Campaign. The North West Region IGBF held their 2013 Golf Fundraiser at the Westport Championship Golf Course on September 2. The funds raised from this event will go entirely to the IGBF National Fund for distribution to the 60 families in the North West region, who through illness, accident or business failure, now find themselves in difficult financial circumstances. “Over the past 30 years the retailers of Ireland have supported CBE by continuing to select us as the preferred EPoS supplier of choice for their stores,” said Sean Kenna, Managing Director at CBE. “In fact, many of our clients are on their third or fourth

generation CBE system. By supporting the IGBF, we welcome the opportunity to give something back to the Irish retail community.” Pictured are (l-r): Gerry Munnelly (formerly Mangan Bros), John Henry (CBE), Richard Lennon (Musgrave), Gearoid Surlis (SuperValu Tubbercurry), Sean Kenna (CBE), Liam Campion (SuperValu Westport), Jim Coyne (formerly BWG ).

GS1 Helps Poultry in Motion

GS1 Ireland facilitated a visit by senior executives from the Russian Egg and Poultry Industry and the Polish Ministry of Agriculture to see at first-hand how two of Ireland’s leading poultry and egg producers have implemented best in class food production and traceability processes incorporating GS1 Supply Chain Standards. The visit commenced on August 13 at the Carton Brothers facilities at Shercock, County Cavan, followed by a tour of the Riverview Eggs plant at Watergrasshill, County Cork on August 14. Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food, addressing the visiting party prior to touring the Riverview Eggs facility, said, “The visit of such an influential international delegation is of huge significance not only to Riverview Eggs and Carton Brothers, but also to Ireland as it reinforces just how rigid we are with our traceability from farm to fork. I would like to congratulate Riverview Eggs, Carton Brothers and their counterparts GS1 on a truly important traceability and stock system.” Minister Coveney is pictured with DJ Kelleher, MD, Riverview Eggs, and the European delegates.

14|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News

Moy Park Relaunches Brand MOY Park has re-launched with a new marketing campaign that will run throughout the island of Ireland.

The campaign sees a new TV ad, billboard advertising, a new website and a new look Moy Park logo on all packs.

The TV ad introduces Moy Park as the ‘chicken experts’ and follows the stories of the characters behind the brand.

“Our new marketing campaign and new look packaging builds on our heritage and our down-to-earth approach.

At our core, we’re all about tender, tasty, trusted chicken that is 100% Irish and Bord Bia Quality Assured, and this campaign reflects these values and shows consumers the light-hearted side of the Moy Park brand,” noted Andrew Nethercott, Director of Brand Marketing, Moy Park, who is pictured (right) on the set of the new Moy Park TV ad with Briege Finnegan and Paul Burch from Moy Park, along with ‘Chef Michael’ who stars in the new ad.

Nationwide Chill Distribution for Barry Group BARRY Group has announced plans of its launch of a €1m nationwide chill distribution solution, which is expected to yield up to €200m in business over the next five years. The introduction of the centralised chill distribution solution will also result in significant increases in sales and profit margins for Costcutter retailers, via better buying, cost and time efficiencies, while also incorporating a new intuitive IT system. This specially developed retail software supporting chill distribution solution, called BEACON, gives the retailer increased business intelligence when placing orders through the Barry Group. Pictured at the announcement are Jim Barry, Managing Director of the Barry Group, and Holly Barry.

Gala Climbs for Jack & Jill SEPTEMBER 5 saw Ben McGinn and John Ireland, Gala’s Fresh Foods Managers, together with Gala’s regional managers, climb Croagh Patrick in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation. This fundraising effort added to the tremendous success of the ongoing Gala BBQ series.

“We are very passionate about providing continued support to The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation as it is a wonderful charity that raises much needed funds for sick children,” said Denise Lord, Customer Service Manager, Gala. “Funds raised through Gala’s ‘Up the Hill’ and BBQ initiatives will provide much needed home respite care for brain damaged children, while also providing fun days out for our customers and staff.”

Pictured turning up the heat at the launch of Gala Retail ‘Summer BBQ Series’ was model Daniella Moyles.

Scrumptious Winner from Topaz

THOMAS Vainio-Mattila from Finland and his wife Niamh Keon from Artane in Dublin are preparing to embark on a fantastic gourmet trail to three of Europe’s finest restaurants after claiming the prize in the Topaz Play or Park loyalty game.

Thomas, who lives in Mell, Drogheda, Co. Louth,

won the prize, valued at €20,000, for three trips for four people to Michelin starred restaurants in London, Paris and Vienna.

Thomas is pictured receiving his prize from Laura Murphy, Topaz Loyalty Manager, and sous chef Stuart Reilly from Scholars Townhouse Hotel in Drogheda.

Fresh Baked Deal for JMOB ONE of Ireland’s leading food and support services companies, Compass Group Ireland, has signed a deal which sees Johnston Mooney and O’Brien provide fresh bread to all of its units in the Republic of Ireland. The two year contract, estimated at €1m was awarded to Johnston Mooney and O’Brien following a competitive tender process. “This new contract will represent 2% of our total volume and is a very welcome addition to distributors’ rounds. We will be working closely with Compass Group so that we provide the best baked bread to meet each of our

units’ catering needs,” said John Rooney, Managing Director, Johnston Mooney and O’Brien, pictured (right) with David Harding, Johnston Mooney and O’Brien, and Mark Lee, Commercial Director, Compass Group Ireland.

TA S T E T H E F U T U R E 10 specialized trade shows under one roof Cologne, 05.– 09.10.2013 | www.anuga.com

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Retail Ireland: Monthly Update Retail Ireland to meet Minister for Finance RETAIL Ireland will again meet with the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD ahead of his Budget on October 15.

While we are happy that the Budget date has been moved to earlier in the year, the Minister could still provide the sector with bad news if he does not encourage consumers to start spending. With the prospects for the wider economy starting to look up, it is vital that retail is given the chance to start growing again.

We will take the opportunity to explain to him the continuing difficulty in the retail market, which has seen a huge fall in sales in recent years. Our key messages to him are the urgent need to freeze taxes, to impose no new costs on retailers, to instil confidence in Minister for Finance, consumers and tackle the black market, which Michael Noonan, TD. costs retailers so much in lost revenues.

Wexford Town the Location for 1c and 2c Rounding Trial THE Central Bank is in the final planning phase of a 1c and 2c rounding trial, which is to take place in Wexford Town for a period of 8 weeks, launching in mid-September. The trial has been designed to establish how rounding will work in practice and assess the reaction of consumers and retailers alike.

Retail Ireland is supporting the trial as the best way to see if the policy would work nationally. According to the Central Bank, the rules are simple and fair for all. Cash transactions are rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cent at the till to remove the need for 1 and 2 cent coins in giving change. The price of individual goods or services will remain unchanged as only the total bill will be rounded. Non-cash transactions are not affected.

Participation is entirely voluntary for retailers. Training and briefing sessions for retailers will be facilitated in Wexford Town over a two-week period immediately prior to the launch of the trial and in-store display material will be provided. Consumers in the area are to be made aware of the initiative by way of an information campaign involving a leaflet drop, in-store displays and adverts on local radio and in local press. A special website has also been designed and there will be a social media dimension to ensure that consumers are fully aware of the initiative. There will also be an information helpline available to consumers and retailers.

Retail Ireland is pleased that a number of our locally-based members have already pledged their support. We look forward to updates from the Central Bank on the progress of the Trial and all such progress reports will be communicated to members.

Proposed Dublin Commercial Rates Increases Unsustainable A SURVEY of key Dublin retailers

by Retail Ireland has found that many are facing an increase in their annual rates bill next year of between 30% and 80%. The increases are on foot of the rates revaluation process, which culminated in bills being sent to many retail businesses in recent weeks and months. Rates for retailers are based on a multiple of the total market value of the premises. Some other sectors have their rates calculated on the basis of their turnover.

The news that the cost of commercial rates for many retailers in the city is set to soar is unacceptable. Retail sales have fallen by 25% in recent years, and tens of thousands of jobs have been lost as a result. Retailers have had to keep prices low to attract price-sensitive customers, despite the fact that rents remain too high and the cost of doing business has increased.

According to our survey, increases of 30-80% are being proposed. Such increases are not sustainable, given the state of the retail market, and will costs jobs.

This money should be invested in store upgrades and staff numbers, not in higher local authority charges.

If Dublin city centre is to have a thriving retail sector, it must be conscious of the need to keep costs down for retailers, large and small. Retail Ireland has written to the Dublin City Manager and the Lord Mayor to raise the serious concerns of the city’s retailers on the issue.

Tel: 01-6051558 www.retailireland.ie

18|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Seafood

A Guide to Seafood Labelling Are you aware of the labelling requirements for the sale of seafood in your premises?

TO ensure that you are aware of the current labelling requirements for fish and fish products, BIM has produced a comprehensive guide to labelling. This article covers the regulations for all the main areas from fish sold loose on the counter to pre-packaged and processed products.

Raw Fish Sold Loose from a Wet Fish Display This applies to fish to which no other ingredient except salt has been added and includes: live fish, fresh chilled and frozen fish, fish fillets and other fish meat (whether minced or not), dried, salted or brined fish, smoked fish (whether hot or cold smoked), crustaceans (except when they are both cooked and peeled), molluscs (except when cooked).

The species name, production method, origin and price should be included on a counter label placed in close proximity to the fish to which it relates.

The Commercial Designation of the Species of Fish: The commercial designation is the common name associated with the particular species of fish e.g. the commercial designation for ‘Gadus morhua’ is Cod. Production Method: For fish produced through aquaculture (farmed species), either the word

“farmed” or “cultivated” must be used. For fish caught at sea, the word “caught” should be used.

However, if it is obvious from the commercial designation and/or catch area that the fish were caught at sea, then the method of production may be omitted. For freshwater fish, “caught in fresh water” must be used.

Origin: Country of origin for farmed species must be stated. For fish caught at sea, the origin must be specified by reference to one of 12 “catch areas”. These are: •North-West Atlantic •North-East Atlantic (excluding the Baltic Sea) •Baltic Sea •Central-Eastern Atlantic •South-East Atlantic •Mediterranean Sea •Central-Western Atlantic •South-West Atlantic •Indian Ocean •Pacific Ocean •Antarctic •Black Sea. For fresh water fish, reference should be made to the country of origin.

Price: Price per kilogram or actual selling price.

Previously Frozen Products: For products that have been frozen before sale and which are sold defrosted, the name should be accompanied by the word “defrosted”.

Scientific Name: The scientific name of the species must be available to the consumer. This information does not have to go on the counter label but can be displayed on a billboard or poster in close proximity to the fish counter.

Examples of Appropriate Wording that May be Used: •Salmon, Farmed in Ireland •Salmon, Cultivated in Scotland •Sea Bass, Farmed in Greece •Tuna, Caught in the Indian Ocean •Cultivated Irish Mussels or Mussels, Cultivated in Ireland •Cod, Caught in the North-East Atlantic or North-East Atlantic Cod •Irish Eel, Caught in Fresh Water •Defrosted Smoked Coley, Caught in the North-East Atlantic.

In addition, optional information may be included on the label e.g.

“Landed in Castletownbere” or “Farmed in Ireland in Bantry Bay”.

Pre-Packaged Raw Fish (Including Smoked Salmon) This applies to pre-packaged fish to which no other ingredient except salt

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|19

Seafood and vegetables.

If a food business is manufacturing a composite product where cooked (processed) fish is bought in and used as an ingredient, an identification mark is not necessary on the label. These products must only comply with the general labelling requirements outlined earlier.

Examples include: •Pizza with cooked fish topping; •Sandwiches containing cooked crab meat; •Fish pies (made using processed fish).

If a composite product is produced in a food business which requires approval for handling foods of animal origin, then the food business can voluntarily place their identification mark on the labels.

An example of incorrect labelling.

has been added and includes: live fish, fresh chilled and frozen fish, fish fillets and other fish meat (whether minced or not) dried, salted or brined fish, smoked fish (whether hot or cold smoked), crustaceans (except when they are both cooked and peeled), molluscs (except when cooked) General Labelling Requirements •Name under which the product is sold. Details of the physical condition of the foodstuff or processes it has undergone must accompany the legal name of the food e.g. smoked salmon.

•List of ingredients and declaration of allergens (See later sections for further details on allergens).

•Quantity of certain ingredients.

•Net quantity.

•Date of minimum durability (use-by date).

•Any special storage instructions or conditions of use.

•Name or business name and address of the manufacturer, or packager, or of a seller within the European Union.

•Place of origin of the foodstuff if its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree.

•Instructions for use where necessary.

Fish Labelling Regulations: •Commercial designation of the species of fish.

•Production Method: For fish produced through aquaculture, either the word “farmed” or “cultivated” must be used. For fish caught at sea, the word “caught” should be used. For freshwater fish, “caught in fresh water” must be used.

•Origin: country of origin for farmed species or catch area if caught at

sea.

Identification Mark: This is a unique identification mark which indicates that the product has originated in a premises approved by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) or other competent authority. It takes the form of an oval shaped mark and includes reference to the country where produced, the factory approval number and the EU community mark, usually the letters EC. If the product was produced outside the EU, the identification number may take a different format but must still be present. Example:DL XXXX EC Additional Labelling Requirements: •Batch or Lot Number (the durability date can double up as a lot, provided it is sufficiently precise to identify a particular batch).

•Selling price and an equivalent price per unit i.e. per kilogram (if the shop doesn’t have equipment for printing shelf-edge labels or for point-of-sale scanning, then it doesn’t have to display the unit price, only the selling price).

Pre-Packaged Processed Fishery Products Fish that has been further processed (beyond simple slicing or mincing), preserved, treated or cooked must comply with the labelling requirements outlined earlier. However, they do not have to comply with the specific fish labelling requirements outlined. Examples include: •Frozen breaded fish fillets and fish fingers; •Cooked crab claws/cooked crab meat; •Fish pie/cakes/chowder (made using raw fish/unprocessed fish); •Fish skewers containing raw fish

Exemptions Fish packaged at customer request and fish packaged on the premises from which it is sold are exempt from most of the general labelling requirements. However, when the person packaging the fish sells it from other premises owned by him/her or to another business, the exemption no longer applies and the fish must be labelled in full.

Allergens The presence of allergenic ingredients must be declared on the label so that consumers who have allergies or intolerances are able to identify the ingredients they are sensitive to. There are some exceptions where the nature of the food clearly indicates that it contains an allergen and therefore, would not need to be declared separately as an allergen. There are currently 14 categories of ingredients (and products thereof) legally defined as ingredients that are known to cause allergic reactions. These are: •Cereals containing gluten and products thereof (with some exceptions); •Crustaceans and products thereof; •Eggs and products thereof; •Fish and products thereof (with exceptions for fish gelatine); •Peanuts and products thereof; •Soybeans and products thereof (with exceptions); •Milk and products thereof ,including lactose (with some exceptions); •Nuts i.e. almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia nuts and queensland nuts, and products thereof (with exceptions for nuts used for making distillates and alcoholic beverages); •Celery and products thereof; •Mustard and products thereof; •Sesame seeds and products thereof; •Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations of more than 10 mg/ kg or 10 mg/litre expressed as SO2; •Lupin and products thereof; •Molluscs and products thereof.

For further details, see Annex 111A

20|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Seafood

Labelling Exercise – Can you spot what’s wrong with these labels?

of Council Directive 2000/13/EC as amended.

Packaging Gases: Fish packaged with packaging gases must be labelled “packaged in a protective atmosphere”.

Nutritional Information: If a nutrition or health claim is made, nutritional information must be given.

If no such claims are made, nutritional information is optional. If nutritional information is given, it must follow specific formats outlined in nutritional labelling legislation.

Organic Labelling: Retailers selling loose organic fish and fish products (labelled as organic) must be registered with the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine as an organic operator. The only products labelled as organic that can be sold by non-licensed operators are pre-packed, pre-labelled organic products.

•Product may only be labelled as organic if it contains at least 95% organic ingredients.

•Fish can only be labelled as organic when produced on a farm certified as organic and inspected by an official certification body.

•Smoked salmon and smoked trout can only be labelled as organic when the farm where it was produced and the processing facility has been certified as organic and inspected by an official certification body.

•Organic produce certified in Ireland must carry the words “certified organic” on the label along with the code of the certifying body.

Mixed Batches If a batch consists of fish of the same

species from different catch areas or countries, the origin that is most representative of the batch must be stated, along with an indication that some of the fish has come from another area.

In order to give the customer accurate and meaningful information on the true place(s) of origin, it is recommended that the other catch areas or countries are also named.

If the fish in a pack originates from only one country or catch area, then only this one country or catch area can be listed on the label. It is not acceptable to list two or three countries of origin on a label when the product only came from one of those countries.

For example, if a food business operator sources salmon from both Ireland and Scotland but packages and sells both products individually, a labelling reference “farmed in Ireland or Scotland” cannot be made as a catch-all phrase on the label as it does not reflect the true origin of the salmon in that particular pack and is misleading to the consumer.

Future Developments in Food Labelling The New Food Information Regulation will introduce some additional labelling requirements. The new legislation refers to food information rather than food labelling. It states that food information means: “information concerning a food and made available to the final consumer by means of a label, other accompanying material, or any other means including modern technology tools or verbal communication”.

It will apply to businesses at all stages of the food chain where their activities concern the provision of food information to consumers. Among the new requirements are:

Labelling Exercise Results – Did you figure out the mistakes?

•Mandatory nutritional information for most pre-packed foods.

•Additional requirements regarding the product name.

•Additional requirements for provision of information on allergens including: •Specific ingredients which have been identified as causing allergenic reactions to be emphasised through a typeset that clearly distinguishes them from other ingredients.

•Requirements will also apply to foods sold loose.

•Additional requirements regarding date of minimum durability.

•For frozen unprocessed fishery products, the date of freezing or the date of first freezing to be indicated.

•Introduction of minimum font size for all mandatory information on most labels.

For More Information Further requirements are detailed in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) booklet, ‘Overview of Changes to Food Labelling Introduced under the New Food Information Regulation’, available on the FSAI website, www.fsai.ie.

Most of the new requirements under the Food Information Regulation will apply in December 2014, with nutritional information becoming mandatory in December 2016.

The information contained in this article is for guidance purposes only. If your company is designing new packaging or labels, we recommend that you contact the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) www.fsai.ie in advance to ensure that it is fully compliant with all relevant labelling regulations.

BIM runs a series of workshops on topics including Labelling, Cold Chain Management and Fish Handling and Filleting on a regular basis. For more information, visit www.bim.ie.

Strong products for stronger profits

So stock and display SCA brands & watch your sales soar!

Contact your local SCA representation for additional information.

24|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Food and Hospitality Ireland 2013

Inaugural Food & Hospitality Ireland Expo to Take Flight

The countdown is on for Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013, which takes place on September 18 and 19 in the Industries Hall, RDS, Dublin 4.

ARE you in the food, hospitality or retail trade? A shop owner, restaurateur, chef, wholesaler, retailer, butcher or baker? Well, in just a few weeks’ time, the first-ever Food & Hospitality Ireland trade show will open its doors at the Industries Hall in the RDS, Dublin 4.

Featuring expert speakers such as Norah Casey and Retail Ireland’s Frank Gleeson, as well as exhibitors showcasing innovative new products and services, award-winning chefs, hundreds of butchers and the Irish Quality Food & Drink Award winners, Food & Hospitality Ireland is a free to attend show that’s not to be missed!

Taking place from September 18-19, Food & Hospitality Ireland, incorporating SHOP, is now owned by world-renowned food and hospitality trade event experts, Fresh Montgomery, and

run by its Dublin office, Irish Services Montgomery.

Welcoming the who’s who in food, retail and hospitality, the event is set to be jam-packed. Over 50% of exhibitors are new to the show, and they will join those companies who benefitted from the SHOP trade show over the past few years. What all exhibitors have in common is the desire to establish new contacts, generate business and celebrate the vibrancy of the food and hospitality sectors.

“The response to Food & Hospitality Ireland in year one has been really encouraging,” enthuses Tim Graham, General Manager of Irish Services Montgomery. “We widened out the show’s appeal, to include hospitality, due to the increasing cross-over between retail and hospitality, and it’s been a great move. The show has

Media personality and CEO of Harmonia, Norah Casey will open Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013 with a keynote presentation.

attracted exciting new partners, is still supported by established associations and has welcomed many new exhibitors.

“We have worked hard to create an event that is absolutely relevant to everyone in the food, retail, drink and hospitality sectors,” Tim continues.

“The show is going to feature a content-rich Spotlight Stage over the two days and unlike most events that host a platform of expert speakers, it’s free to attend for all visitors. We’re looking forward to an excellent Food & Hospitality Ireland expo, where business will be done.”

Chef’s Table There’s set to be hundreds of new prod-

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|25

Food and Hospitality Ireland 2013

Charlie Sheil, General Manager of Dublin’s newest 5-Star hotel, The Marker, will be discussing how the hotel has made its mark in Irish hospitality.

ucts and services, expert learning, winning products from the Irish Quality Food Awards and the Craft Butchers’ annual competitions.

Additionally, the Restaurants Association of Ireland is playing a key role in this year’s event with its Chef’s Table feature.

At the Chef’s Table, visitors will be able to watch live demonstrations from some of the country’s most-respected chefs. Each day, four award-winning chefs will be cooking up a storm, using local provenance from their region.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland and Food & Hospitality Ireland are hoping that this new feature will inspire budding culinary aficionados from across the country and share ideas with chefs and restaurateurs.

On Wednesday, September 18, Dublin and Cork will be represented with demonstrations from the Dublin Wine Rooms’ chef, James Ainscough, and chefs, Pat Kiely from O’Connors Seafood in Bantry and Fenn’s Quay Proprietor and Chef, Kate Lawlor from Cork City.

Thursday, September 19, will see Kevin O’Toole from Chameleon in Temple Bar first up, followed by demonstrations from Shamzuri Hanifa, The Cottage in Carrick On Shannon, and Bray’s Marco Roccasalvo from Campo di’Fiori.

“It’s important that our members support as many industry events as possible to share best practise, learn

Kate Lawlor, Fenn’s Quay Proprietor and Chef, will be demonstrating her culinary talents at the Chef’s Table.

Dublin Wine Rooms’ chef James Ainscough, will be cooking up a storm at the Chef’s Table.

from fellow restaurateurs and chefs, and source new suppliers,” notes Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland. “By taking a couple of hours from your day to attend the event, you’ll leave with new-found knowledge, inspirational ideas for your menus and have met with quality producers who could be a great addition to your suppliers’ portfolio.”

To view the final schedule and demonstration timings, check out www.foodhospitality.ie.

Putting Industry in the Spotlight Food & Hospitality Ireland will see the introduction of the Spotlight Stage, which will bring together a ‘who’s who’ of retail and hospitality.

Day One: Opening the show and delivering a keynote presentation will be Norah Casey, CEO of Harmonia and media personality. Also featuring on Wednesday’s line-up is a presentation from Paul O’Mahony on ‘Setting up

‘Insights into retail in Ireland’ will be discussed by Frank Gleeson, Chairman of Retail Ireland and Retail Director, Topaz.

an effective social media strategy on a shoestring’, while ‘Insights into retail in Ireland’ will be discussed by Frank Gleeson, Chairman of Retail Ireland and Retail Director, Topaz.

Concluding the line-up for day one will be James Burke, who’s chairing a discussion on ‘The role of private label in Ireland’, and Sheila Buckley, Head of eTail Excellence Ireland, who will be delivering insights into ‘Retailing Online and Multichannel’.

Day Two: Insightful presentations feature heavily on Thursday, September 19. General Manager of GrabOne, Ruairi Doyle, will demystify how companies such as GrabOne can help businesses increase their customer base, and Paula Donoghue, Insight & Brand Manager, Bord Bia, will be looking at European trends in purchasing and eating.

Charlie Sheil, General Manager of Dublin’s newest 5-Star hotel, The Marker,

will be discussing how the hotel has made its mark in Irish hospitality, while the CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins, will chair a discussion into the merits of Food Tourism.

Complementing the Chef’s Table feature and the Spotlight Stage is the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s most prestigious awards - the coveted ‘Shop of the Year’ accolade, the National Sausage & Puddings Competition and the Speciality Foods competitions.

Food & Hospitality Ireland will also become the exclusive home for the finalists’ products of the Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards on the first day of the event, with the overall award winners being showcased on day two.

Innovative Exhibitors And finally, central to the event are the many exhibitors who are looking forward to greeting the thousands of visitors expected on September 18 and 19. From artisan producers to big brand names, visitors are set to uncover exciting products and services, and avail of show-only offers, that could really set their businesses apart from those of their competitors.

Exhibitors include: •Rosie & Jim Gourmet

26|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Food and Hospitality Ireland 2013

From artisan producers to big brand names, Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013 will play host to a range of innovative exhibitors.

Foods, who will be showcasing their vast range of gourmet chicken products, including the 2013 Great Taste award-winning Garlic Chicken Kiev and Southern Fried Chicken Goujons.

• Mrs Doyle’s Tea Company and its new products, including several fun tea blends, such as Chill Out Tea and Hangover Tea, herbal infusions and gluten free cookies.

• O’Donnell’s Bakery from Killorglin, who will be displaying its range of handcrafted contemporary and traditional bread.

• Advanced Labels will be ad-

vising visitors on how well designed and eye-catching labels can upgrade products to deliver a premium look and create stand-out.

• Leah’s Gourmet Foods are mar-

rying old Irish with oriental recipes to produce a unique breakfast meat range, which includes puddings, rashers and sausages.

• Utterly Nutty’s product range is tailored for consumers with a high intolerance to wheat, and specialising in gluten-free, high quality products that both taste and look beautiful.

• Asgaard Packaging, the market leaders in the supply of machinery and packaging to the retail and hospitality industry in Ireland.

• O’Neill’s Irish Atlantic Sea Salt with its range of pure and natural gourmet sea salt flakes from West Cork.

For the full exhibitor listing, please log onto www.foodhospitality.ie.

FOOD & Hospitality Ireland is taking place on September 18 and 19, 2013, at the Industries Hall in the RDS, Dublin 4. On Wednesday, the event opens at 10am and runs until 6pm, and on Thursday the opening hours are 10am-5pm. For further information and to pre-register your attendance, please log onto www.foodhospitality.ie. Become part of the conversation by following the show on twitter @FHIexhibition.

Poland Tastes Good Poland continues to export massive amounts of food despite an economic crisis in many of its key export markets.

Last year, Polish exports to Ireland in this category almost doubled because of a high interest from Irish buyers in Polish grains, mainly corn and wheat, and beef.

Thanks to consistent work and funding from both European Union and Polish sources, Polish agriculture continues to be modernised, while Polish processing plants are among the most modern in Europe. At the same time, Poland is achieving record levels of exports. Total Polish exports of food and agricultural products were worth €17.5 billion in 2012, up almost 15% on 2011.

Polish agri-food product sales are one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. Polish food has a strong and stable position on European markets, which account for nearly three-quarters of Poland’s overall food exports. For many years, Polish foreign trade has been dominated by sales of poultry, beef, pork, dairy products, chocolate, bakery and confectionery, juices, beer, sugar syrups,

www.dublin.trade.gov.pl

frozen fruit, smoked fish, sugar, preserved or tinned fish.

Sales abroad are growing because consumers across Europe are impressed by the quality of Polish food. With agriculture based largely on traditional farming methods and family farms, it would be a sin not to utilise such advantages in international trade. Poland enjoys excellent conditions for developing organic farming and this type of agriculture is developing very rapidly in Poland. The return to natural food, with as little artificial processing as possible, also acts in organic farming’s favor. Polish “homemade” foods made on a small scale, using only natural products, are very much in demand.

“We have a lot to boast about: good raw materials and a rich culinary tradition,” admits Polish Agriculture Minister, Stanislaw Kalemba. Poland’s location and its multicultural history, spanning more than a thousand years, has led to an intermingling of cultures and cuisines. That is why Polish dishes are rich in flavours, herbs and there are so many ways to prepare them.

Polish food exports are setting records, despite a PR campaign against them. In

response to foreign media discrediting Polish produce, the Agriculture Ministry established a special team to ensure an efficient flow of information between institutions responsible for supporting and promoting agri-food products, as well as producer organisations. At the same time, Polish authorities are not turning a blind eye to any shortcomings at any stage of the food production process. Poland is sending a clear signal that there is no tolerance for reduced standards or for failure to pay attention to maintaining the highest quality of Polish food.

Recent measures to raise the profile of Polish food are just some of many initiatives undertaken by the Polish authorities in a bid to promote exports. Polish producers are also present at international trade fairs. The most renowned in Poland is the annual Polagra international food industry trade fair in Poznan. However, representatives from the Polish food industry will also be attending Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013, which is taking place in RDS Dublin, on September 1819. We hope to meet you there!

Visit the stand of the Embassy of Poland (C7) during Food and Hospitality Ireland 2013. We offer free and comprehensive information on business opportunities and partners in Poland. We will help you find a supplier of competitive products and increase your profit.

Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards 2013 Shortlist IRISH QUALITY FOOD AWARDS BREAD Buttermilk Soda, Aldi Stores Ireland Musgrave Excellence Ciabatta, Panelto/Musgrave Wholesale Wheaten Soda Loaf, SuperValu Sunflower & Honey Bloomer, Tesco Ireland Sourdough Bloomer, Tesco Ireland Trio of Olivespave, Tesco Ireland CAKES AND MORNING GOODS Streat Double Chocolate Muffin, Spar/Henderson Group SuperValu Supreme Belgian Chocolate Birthday Cake, SuperValu CEREALS AND CEREAL BARS Kavanagh’s Luxury Fruit Porridge Sultana/Apricot/Sunflower Seeds, Aldi Stores Ireland/Kavanagh’s Organic Nutrient Bar - Coconut & Cranberry flavour, Chia Bia Organic Nutrient Bar – Apricot & Pumpkin flavour, Chia Bia Crownfield Seeds for Cereal- Crunchy Linseed Pink Apple & Toasted Hazelnut, Lidl Ireland/Virginia Health Foods Oatilicious Jumbo Porridge Oats, Lidl Ireland/White’s Speedicook Ltd Oatilicious Luxury Fruit Porridge, Lidl Ireland/White’s Speedicook Ltd CHEESE Specially Selected Tipperary Blue, Aldi Stores Ireland Specially Selected Irish Vintage Cheddar Red, Aldi Stores Ireland Deluxe Luxury Irish Cheese Selection, Lidl Ireland/Fivemiletown Creamery CHOCOLATE AND CONFECTIONERY Roisins Seriously Scrumptious Caramel Sensation, Aldi Stores Ireland/Roisins Butlers 180g Chocolate Collection, Butlers Chocolates CHRISTMAS SuperValu Supreme Christmas Pudding, SuperValu SuperValu Supreme Fully Iced Christmas Cake, SuperValu The Scullery Handmade Christmas Pudding: 4 x 90g Individual Puddings and 1 x 140g Luxury Brandy Butter, The Scullery The Scullery Christmas Mulled Chutney, The Scullery COFFEE, TEA AND OTHER HOT BEVERAGES Specially Selected Single Origin Roast & Ground Coffee - Ethiopian, Aldi Stores Ireland Specially Selected Single Origin Roast & Ground Coffee - Java, Aldi Stores Ireland Homestead Tea Bags, Homestead Brands/Stonehouse Marketing SuperValu Reserve Fairtrade Teabags, SuperValu Wilkies Organic Hot Chocolate, Wilkies Chocolate COLD BEVERAGES (JUICES, SMOOTHIES, SOFT DRINKS AND CORDIALS) Vive Rock Shandy, Aldi Stores Ireland Aj - Apple Juice, Armagh Cider Co Deluxe Sparkling Italian Apple Pressè, Lidl Ireland/Glenpatrick Spring Water DAIRY AND MILK PRODUCTS Specially Selected West Cork Indulgence Lemon Curd Yoghurt, Aldi Stores Ireland

Handmade Farmhouse Raspberry Yogurt, Aldi Stores Ireland SuperValu Supreme Champagne Rhubarb and Irish Cream, SuperValu Simply Better Farmhouse Blackberry Yogurt, Dunnes Stores/Greenvalley Farms Simply Better Farmhouse Caramelised Orange Yogurt, Dunnes Stores/Greenvalley Farms Dairy Manor 100% Irish Creamery Butter, Lidl Ireland/Town of Monaghan Deluxe Irish Premium Yogurt Lemon Curd, Lidl Ireland/Irish Yogurts DELICATESSEN Fresh Green Pesto, Aldi Stores Ireland Salmon Pate, Blue Haven Food Co Chicken Liver Pate, Blue Haven Food Co Simply Better Glazed Ham on Bone, O’Briens Fine Foods/Dunnes SuperValu Supreme Carved Angus Beef, SuperValu SuperValu Wiltshire Ham on Bone, SuperValu SuperValu Supreme Coleslaw Salad, SuperValu DESSERTS AND PUDDINGS Deluxe Sherry Trifle, Lidl Ireland/ Cottage Catering Ltd. Musgrave Excellence Banoffee Pie, Couverture/Musgrave Wholesale SuperValu Panna Cotta, SuperValu SuperValu Kevin Dundon Sherry Trifle, SuperValu SuperValu Supreme Billionaire, SuperValu FISH (FRESH AND FROZEN, UNPREPARED AND PREPARED) Deluxe Wild Dublin Bay Prawn Cocktail, Lidl Ireland/William Carr & Sons Ltd. Deluxe Salmon Sensation, Lidl Ireland/William Carr & Sons Ltd. Deluxe Irish Organic Smoked Salmon, Lidl Ireland/William Carr & Sons Ltd. Inismara Fresh Cajun Salmon Darnes, Lidl Ireland/Keohane Seafoods Ltd. Deluxe Irish Organic Hot Smoked Salmon, Lidl Ireland/William Carr & Sons Ltd. Irish Organic Salmon Fillets, Marine Harvest FISH (FISH DISHES) Kinsale Fish Pie, Blue Haven Food Co Heat Eat & Enjoy Cod Fillets with Basil & Parmesan Crumb, Lidl Ireland/ Keohane Seafoods Heat Eat & Enjoy Salmon Medley with Basil & Pamesan Crumb, Lidl Ireland/ Keohane Seafoods SuperValu Hake with Lemon and Pepper, SuperValu FRESH MEAT, GAME AND POULTRY Bacon Nature’s Isle - Smoked Bacon Eye Loin, Aldi Stores Ireland Simply Better Dry Cure Mild Back Rashers, Dunnes Stores/Karro Food Glensallagh Streaky Bacon assorted, Lidl Ireland/Honeyvale Foods Limited Deluxe Irish Smoked Maple Cure Back Bacon, Lidl Ireland/Honeyvale Foods Limited SuperValu Supreme Honey Roast Rasher, SuperValu Beef Steaks Specially Selected Irish Angus Sirloin Steak, Aldi Stores Ireland Superquinn Irish Hereford Beef Fillet Steak, Superquinn/ABP Cahir

Irish Angus New Yorker Rib Steak, Tesco Ireland Tesco Finest Angus Fillet 400g, Tesco Ireland Chicken and Poultry Deluxe Fresh Whole Irish Duckling, Lidl Ireland/Silver Hill Foods Moy Park Pesto Fillets with Spinach and Tomato, Moy Park Confit of Duck, Silver Hill Foods Crispy Duck & Pancakes, Silver Hill Foods Fresh Meat and Game Specially Selected Wicklow Lamb Rump Steaks, Aldi Stores Ireland Deluxe Fresh Irish Stuffed Carvery Leg of Lamb, Lidl Ireland/Irish Country Meats RibWorld Barbecue Pork Loin Spare Ribs, Ribworld FRESH PRODUCE — IRISH AND IMPORTED SuperValu Supreme Baby Potato Salad, SuperValu SuperValu Irish Flavorita Tomato, SuperValu SuperValu Supreme Herby Aromatic Salad, SuperValu FROZEN FOODS (SWEET) Brodericks Mixed Tray Bake by 36, Broderick’s Luxury Irish Ice Cream Caramel Supreme, Aldi Stores Ireland GROCERY AMBIENT SAVOURY Ballymaloe Mint Jelly, Ballymaloe Happy Heart Organic Rapeseed Oil, Second Nature Oils Happy Heart Organic Mandarin Infused Rapeseed Oil, Second Nature Oils Cococrazy Korma’ Cook-in Sauce, Green Saffron Spice GROCERY AMBIENT SWEET Manuka 15+ Honey, Aldi Stores Ireland Homestead Honey, Homestead Brands/Stonehouse Marketing Deluxe Acacia Honey with Cut Comb, Lidl Ireland/Mileeven Deluxe Acacia Honey with Walnuts, Lidl Ireland/Mileeven SuperValu Supreme Conserve Raspberry, SuperValu SuperValu Supreme Conserve Strawberry, SuperValu PIES AND PASTIES Premium Quiche - Goats Cheese Spinach & Red Pepper Quiche, Aldi Stores Ireland Premium Quiche - Bacon & Leek Quiche, Aldi Stores Ireland SuperValu Saucy Steak Pie, SuperValu PIZZAS Specially Selected Italian Stone Baked Pizza Prosciutto Ham & Mushroom, Aldi Stores Ireland DIY Pizza Kit, O’Keeffes Bakery SuperValu Goats Cheese and Mediterranean Vegetable Pizza, SuperValu SuperValu American Hot Pizza, SuperValu READY MEALS Roast Beef Dinner, Aldi Stores Ireland Cloughbane Farm Shop Chicken Curry, Spar/Henderson Group SuperValu Supreme Pork belly with an apple cider gravy, SuperValu

READY MEAL ACCOMPANIMENTS Dunnes Stores Sage & Onion Stuffing, Dunnes Stores/Mr. Crumb Musgrave Excellence Seasoned Potato Wedges, Musgrave Wholesale/ Lambweston SuperValu Fruits Breadcrumb Stuffing, SuperValu READY TO COOK Heat Eat & Enjoy Italian Meatballs w Arrabiata Sauce, Lidl Ireland/Linden Foods Ltd. Heat Eat & Enjoy Somerset Style Pork Fillet Medallion, Lidl Ireland/Linden Foods Ltd. K & G McAtamney Smokey Burbon Steak Stirfry, Spar/Henderson Group Sauces and Salad Dressings SuperValu Squeezy light mayo, SuperValu Meadow Fresh Salad Dressings Caesar, Lidl Ireland/Spice O’Life Meadow Fresh Salad Dressings Honey & Mustard, Lidl Ireland/Spice O’Life SAUSAGES, BURGERS AND MEATBALLS Mallons Breakfast Sausage, Arthur Mallon Foods Specially Selected Butchers Choice Sausages, Aldi Stores Ireland Dee’s Traditional Vegan Sausage, Dee’s Wholefoods Deluxe Premium Pork Sausages, Lidl Ireland/O’Briens Fine Foods Premium Pork and Apple Sausages, SPAR/Henderson Group

IRISH QUALITY DRINK AWARDS ALES O’Sheas Traditional Irish Stout, Aldi Stores Ireland Hoppelhammer, Whitewater Brewing Company CIDERS Taurus Irish Cider, Aldi Stores Ireland Maddens Mellow Cider, Armagh Cider Company Carsons Crisp Cider, Armagh Cider Company LAGERS Tom Crean’s, Dingle Brewing Company Belfast Lager, Whitewater Brewing Company LIQUEURS AND SPECIALITY SPIRITS Coomara Poitín, Coomara Irish Spirits Limited Coomara Wild Berry Poitín, Coomara Irish Spirits Limited Coomara Orchard Fruits Poitín, Coomara Irish Spirits Limited The Dubliner, First Ireland Spirits Deluxe Irish Cream Liqueur, Lidl Ireland/Terra Ltd. Dundalgan Irish Country Cream, Lidl Ireland/Terra Ltd. Ruby Blue Bottle-Aged Liqueur ‘Blackcurrant’, Spirited Drinks Ltd WHISKIES Clontarf Irish Whiskey, Aldi Stores Ireland Dundalgan Irish Whiskey, Lidl Ireland/ Terra Ltd

The Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards 2013 18 September 2013 Round Room Mansion House, Dublin

book your table today Expand your contacts amongst Irish food and drink producers, wholesalers, retailers and caterers Network with judges, food and drink critics, journalists and bloggers Hear Neven Maguire reveal Irish Q winners Celebrate with the victorious companies

Mansion House, Dublin

Neven Maguire

For more details please contact:

Sacha Macias (sacha.macias@irishqualityfoodawards.com) Bethany Treleaven (bethany.treleaven@metropolis.co.uk) +44 (0)20 8253 8701

www.irishqualityfoodawards.com Please quote the promo code: ATIRN when securing your place.

In partnership with:

Media partners:

<N E

Ireland’s most vibrant food, drink, hospitality and retail event

30|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Irish Quality Food Awards

Shortlist Announced for Irish Quality Food Awards The inaugural Irish Quality Food Awards have just announced the shortlisted products for this most coveted of awards, bringing together some of the best food and drink products made in Ireland.

FOLLOWING a huge wave of entries and 10 days of tough judging, the shortlisted products for the Irish Quality Food Awards have been announced.

The 131 shortlisted food and drink products in 34 categories are now in with a chance to win one of the very first Irish Quality Food Awards in a glittering ceremony taking place on September 18 in the

development for food and drink producers, retailers and catering companies in Ireland, and to reward those products that are leading the way in terms of quality and innovation, flavours, textures, aroma and fantastic ingredients.

The awards draw on the success of the UK Quality Food and Drink Awards, which, over their 35 year history,

official media partner of the Irish Quality Food Awards, while top UK packaging manufacturer, Benson Group, has also been confirmed as a sponsor of the Irish Quality Food Awards.

All excess food from the judging was donated to The Capuchin Centre for Homeless People, which provides over 730 warm meals daily to and more than 1,500 food hampers

“

These new accolades set out to recognise excellence in product development for food and drink producers, retailers and catering companies in Ireland, and to reward those products that are leading the way in terms of quality and innovation, flavours, textures, aroma and fantastic ingredients.

”

Helen Lyons, organiser, Irish Quality Food Awards.

Round Room, Mansion House, Dublin.

Organiser, Helen Lyons, is thrilled with the success of the awards so far and said the judging was a “fantastic 10 days which brought together some of the very best food and drink produced in Ireland and many of the nation’s top foodies”.

Excellence in Product Development These new accolades set out to recognise excellence in product

have become a consumer recognised brand in their own right. With Irish Q Awards being awarded across 34 different categories, these are rounded off by the Overall Gold Q, awarded to the one product that stands out among all the other entries and chosen from among all the winners of the main categories, representing the very best of the best.

Media Partner & Sponsors Retail News is the

a week to vulnerable people in Dublin.

To find out more about the very first Irish Quality Food Awards, visit: www. irishqualityfoodawards. com, become a friend on Facebook (www. facebook.com/IrishQualityFoodAwards) or follow them on Twitter, @IrishQFAs. To attend the event, please visit www.irishqualityfoodawards.com and follow the table bookings button, or email bethany.treleaven@metropolis.co.uk.

32|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Sauces

Saucy Secrets Is your sauce category stocked with the brands guaranteed to help consumers spice up their meal-times?

VALUE sales of sauces, dressings and condiments in Ireland are expected to remain flat, while volume sales are set to continue to see positive growth, according to the latest report into the Irish sauce sector from Euromonitor International. This, they maintain, indicates consumers’ ongoing endeavours to make savings where possible in a bid to maximise ever-decreasing levels of disposable income, as evidenced by the continued growth of private label.

However, the Irish sauces, dressings and condiments category can be described as fragmented, due to the large number of players, producing a vast array of different products. Recent developments in sauces have included a notable rise in demand for exotic cooking sauces, as adventurous Irish consumers seek to recreate restaurant quality dishes in the comfort of their own home.

Knorr Knorr, from Unilever Ireland, is Ireland’s fourth largest brand and is

bought by over eight in 10 households, with market leading product ranges including Knorr Packet Soups and Pour-Over Sauces. At the same time, Knorr continues to bring new product innovations to the market, such as Knorr Stock Pots and Gravy Pots, which have proved hugely popular with Irish shoppers.

In September 2013, Knorr will answer a question that is asked in 1.2m Irish households at 4pm every day: ‘What’s for Dinner?’ The campaign will be supported with a €500,000 media investment, including TV, outdoor, press, digital and radio. A key element of the campaign will be bringing ‘What’s for Dinner?’ to life in-store through a dedicated suite of Point of Sale, including a wide variety of meal ideas all based on Ireland’s Top 10 Dishes (Source: Bord Bia, Last Night Dinner Survey 2012).

‘What’s for Dinner?’ is a proven global model for Knorr, driving category sales and sales of adjacent categories such as protein and vegetables. In Canada, nearly 40% of ‘What’s for Dinner?’

WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Knorr’s latest campaign, ‘What’s for Dinner?’ is being supported with a €500,000 media investment, including TV, outdoor, press, digital and radio.

sales were incremental to the category; while the Irish trial delivered a 7% uplift in spend per customer (spend uplift is based on pre and post measurement of consumer spend on introduction of ‘What’s for Dinner?’ Point of Sale).

For more information and to ensure that you are part of this sales driving campaign, be sure to talk to the Knorr Sales Representative next time they are in store.

Knorr is committed to delivering great tasting, convenient products – with dedication to flavour at the heart of everything - to help inspire mealtimes in busy Irish households.

Dolmio have just launched Lasagne Kits, a break-through in home-made meals.

For the first time, you get convenient sachets of tomato and creamy white lasagne sauce, pasta sheets and crunchy toppers in one easy-to-use kit, to make Lasagne just the way you like it. The result - a meal that’s easy to prepare and tastes delicious.

No wonder Dolmio are the category leader in Italian wet cooking sauces.

With major advertising support on TV, outdoor, digital and dynamic in-store promotion, Dolmio’s new Lasagne Kits are a guaranteed best-seller.

When’sa your

day?

34|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Sauces

Dolmio is launching a new Lasagne Kit range, with convenient sachets of tomato and creamy white lasagne sauce, pasta sheets and crunchy toppers all in one easy-to-use kit.

Dolmio With 64.4% market share of Italian sauces (Source: ACNielsen, Total Scan, Value Sales to 16/06/13), Dolmio, from Mars Incorporated, is Ireland’s leading pasta sauce brand, providing Irish consumers with an extensive portfolio that includes a wide range of nutritious, tasty and easy-to-prepare Italian inspired meals. Building on the success of its best selling 100% natural Bolognese sauce range and demonstrating its continued commitment to category growth and innovation, Dolmio is launching a new Lasagne Kit range.

Lasagne can no longer be considered a special occasion dish, as Mama Dolmio unveils her new Lasagne Kit Range nationwide. With busier lifestyles driving convenient meal-planning and purchasing decisions, the new Kits range has great relevance for today’s consumer, providing busy family meal-makers with the essentials to easily prepare a great tasting, healthy, homemade Lasagne with a personal twist. For the first time, convenient sachets of tomato and creamy white lasagne sauce, pasta sheets and crunchy toppers all come in one easy-to-use kit. The range will be available in two varieties: Original (2 and 4 serving formats) and Mama’s Little Extras (Onion & Bacon and Light Garlic & Herb flavours).

Dolmio is investing significantly in the launch of the new Kits range, with a nationwide TV, PR, radio, digital advertising, in-store POS and price promotional campaign. Traditionally viewed as a challenging dish

that takes time and skills consumers may not have, the new Dolmio Lasagne Kit Range is perfect for two or four people and the delicious, table pleasing dish is now easier than ever to make.

The kits are a guaranteed best-seller and retailers are encouraged to stock-up in order to meet demand.

To find out more about the new Dolmio Lasagne Kit Range and how to prepare a personalised mouth watering Italian meal for all your family, log onto www.dolmio.ie Heinz Heinz Tomato Ketchup is undoubtedly the world’s number one sauce brand. Its unmistakeable flavour has been enjoyed by consumers around the world for more than 120 years and is sold in over 150 countries. Heinz Tomato Ketchup is an Irish

household favourite and is the best selling tomato ketchup brand in Ireland with a 60.7% value share (Source: ACNielsen, July 2013) Heinz Tomato Ketchup, with its vibrant labelling, highlighting provenance of the tomatoes used in its famous recipe and its natural quality, is available in a variety of sizes and formats including Top Down, Glass and Squeezy. Heinz Top Down Tomato Ketchup offers all the taste of Ireland’s favourite tomato ketchup but with the added benefit of its no mess, no waste, stayclean cap. The Heinz Tomato Ketchup range, in keeping with increasing consumer demand, also includes Reduced

time barbeques and for dining indoors all year round.

The Heinz Barbeque Sauce range offers a choice of two varieties in handy Top Down format, Classic Barbecue and Sticky Barbeque, both of which are delicious accompaniments for both red meat and chicken all year round.

Heinz Mayonnaise and Heinz Light Mayonnaise, with their smooth creamy texture and distinctive flavour, are made with 100% free range eggs and are available in 430g glass jars and handy 420g Top Down format.

Recently relaunched in a handy 280g Top Down pack, the Heinz Deli Mayo range offers two varieties with the same creamy texture as Heinz Mayonnaise but with the added zing of Roasted Garlic or Caramelised Onion, making them ideal to jazz up a humble sandwich!

Also from Heinz are the

The hugely popular HP Sauce: a long-time favourite with Irish consumers.

Heinz Mayonnaise is made with 100% free range eggs and is available in a handy 420g Top Down format.

Heinz Top Down Tomato Ketchup offers all the taste of Ireland’s favourite tomato ketchup but with the added benefit of its no mess, no waste, stay-clean cap.

Sugar & Salt and Organic varieties.

Heinz Salad Cream and the recently relaunched Barbeque Sauce range remain a family favourite for summer

HP range of Brown and BBQ sauces, which make a popular addition to any household’s sauce repertoire. Also available in a handy Top Down pack, HP is the only Brown Sauce on the market to offer stay-clean technology while still offering the distinctive fruity HP flavour.

Aruna Sauces

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|35

Sauces Bombay Pantry Wins Gold

Pictured are Neill McCay, Commercial Manager, Moy Park, with Sarah Nic Lochlainn and Sarajit Chanda from Aruna Sauces.

Aruna Sauces, famous for dazzling the ‘Dragon’s Den’ with their authentic Indian curry sauces, recently teamed up with Moy Park for an in-store promotion, designed to encourage home cooks to make delicious curries from Moy Park 100% Irish chicken breast fillets and one of five Aruna Sauces.

“Aruna Sauces provide consumers with the opportunity to create restaurant-quality food in their own kitchens, without compromising on quality or heritage,” noted Sarah Nic Lochlainn from Aruna Sauces. “Aruna Sauces are fresh sauces, found in the fridge in supermarkets and are created by Sarajit Chanda, a professional chef, using his mother Aruna’s recipes. We were delighted to partner with Moy Park to enable shoppers to produce wonderfully authentic chicken curries in the comfort of their own kitchens.”

The promotion saw Moy Park 425g chicken breast fillets and any Aruna Sauce on offer for €6 in participating Tesco Ireland stores and proved a great success.

“Trends have shown that consumers are seeking convenient and tasty meal solutions for families, which is why the partnership with Aruna Sauces was a perfect fit for Moy Park,” said Neill McCay, Commercial Manager from Moy Park.

Philadelphia Simply Stir Philadelphia Simply Stir, from Mondelez International, is a brand new range of

simple cooking sauces that taste delicious. This latest mouth-watering innovation from Philadelphia is available in two flavours, Mushroom Sauce and Garlic & Herbs. In just a few short minutes, Philadelphia Simply Stir can help consumers to make a tasty meal from pouch to plate, and the end result is always smooth, creamy and fantastically Philly!

“We are so excited to launch our Philadelphia Sim-

BOMBAY Pantry, based in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, has been awarded two Gold stars at the prestigious 2013 Great Taste Awards. The company, which recently celebrated its 16th birthday, won a coveted one-star Gold Great Taste Award for each of the following: Tikka Masala Sauce and Chana Masala (chickpea).

Bombay Pantry is dedicated to producing authentic Indian food, using only the finest 100% natural ingredients.

All food is cooked by hand using traditional methods by its team of Indian chefs - many of whom have been with the company since its inception - thus ensuring that quality, authenticity and taste are first class.

John Sheehan, Chairman and founder of Bombay Pantry, said: “We are delighted to win two stars; this is the fourth year in a row that we have been bestowed with this honour. Winning a Great Taste Award recognises the hard work and dedication that goes into making great food, and we will continue to strive for excellence with our products.”

Philadelphia Simply Stir recipes at www.philadelphia.ie or download the Philadelphia recipes app.

Chef

The Chef brand has been helping Irish consumers to enhance mealtimes since the late 1920s and claims leadership in many of the segments of the sauces and condiments market. Chef sauces and condiments, from Valeo Foods, will add full on flavour to any occasion. With its range of high quality and much loved products, Chef is the ideal accompaniment for food. Chef BBQ sauce, with its smoky aroma, is sure to enhance the taste experience and goes perfectly with steaks, burgers, chicken wings or sausages, while consumers can add some zest to dining with Chef Beetroot, Mixed Pickles and Silverskin Onions.

Philadelphia Simply Stir is available in two flavours, Mushroom Sauce and Garlic & Herbs.

ply Stir range to the market as the ideal solution to midweek meal dilemmas,” noted Emma Hodgson, Marketing Manager for Philadelphia.

“We have all come home from work, tired, hungry and seeking an instant food fix that will give palatable satisfaction in minutes. Simply Stir is that solution. In a matter of minutes, Simply Stir is sure to get your taste buds stirring!” Check out the

The Chef range of sauces are a real winner with Irish consumers.

36|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Drinks News New Heineken Packaging HEINEKEN constantly strives to remain at the forefront of innovation when it comes to brand identity for its consumers. As a result, Heineken is pushing boundaries and launching its brand new ICON packaging design, which off-trade accounts can expect to start seeing from the end of September. Heineken’s new ICON design brings a fresh feel to the three elements that combine to make its instantly-recognisable identity – the colour green, the red star and the unique smiling ‘e’. Heineken’s infamous red star takes centre stage on the new packs to become a more prominent element to the overall design, while a newlook embossed bottle cap will also be introduced, featuring a sleek 3D design. This fresh look and design will appear on all bottle and can packs in off-trade accounts this autumn. For more information contact your local Heineken sales representative or visit www.heineken.ie.

Wolf Blass Partners with Leinster Rugby WOLF Blass is to be the official wine partner to Leinster Rugby from the beginning of the 2013/14 season. This is a winning pairing of two teams that are no strangers to silverware: Leinster have three European titles, three League trophies and one Amlin Challenge Cup to their name, while Wolf Blass have won four distinguished Jimmy Watson trophies plus over 3,000 medals and other trophies in their relatively short existence. Pictured are Leinster rugby players Leo Cullen, Eoin Reddan and Kevin McLaughlin with Wolf Blass Chief Winemaker, Chris Hatcher, who was in Dublin recently after collecting his award for Best International Red Wine Maker at the prestigious International Wine Challenge in London.

Donegal Blonde Turns Heads BRENDAN O’Reilly of the famous Dicey Reilly’s Bar and Off-License in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, is busy planning his next stage of growth for his relatively new venture, Donegal Brewing Company. Supported by Donegal Local Development Company Ltd at the end of 2011, Brendan is now selling every single drop of his craft beer, Donegal Blonde, that he produces at his custom-built brewery at the back of Dicey Reilly’s bar and Off-License.

“Demand for the product has outstripped the capacity of the brewery so we need to increase capacity to develop the brand,” says Brendan (pictured), whose off-licence was recently named 2013 NOffLA OffLicense of the Year at the national awards ceremony.

New Guinness TV Ad on Air GUINNESS and Co. have unveiled their latest TV campaign, ‘Arthur Guinness Projects’, which champions and celebrates the next generation of creative talent in Ireland. Created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, the TV campaign was filmed in Ireland earlier this month and showcases a cast of Arthur Guinness Project applicants from the worlds of food, arts, sport and music; people whose ideas, passion and spirit are enhancing and shaping Ireland’s culture and identity. “Over 600 projects from across the country have submitted to the Arthur Guinness Projects and the depth of creative talent and innovation has been exceptionally impressive and inspiring,” said Stephen O’Kelly, Marketing Director, Guinness. “We are thrilled to celebrate and showcase some of this creativity in our latest TV ad, which we believe reflects the energy, passion and determination evident in Ireland today.”

Senior Appointment at Molson Coors ROBERT Blythe, has been appointed Head of Marketing – Ireland, Scotland and Craft Beer at Molson Coors (UK) Ltd, based in the Molson Coors offices at Maynooth in Co. Kildare.

He joins Molson Coors from the Kerry Group, where he was Marketing Manager of the Group’s raw meat business. “This is an extraordinarily exciting time for Molson Coors in Ireland,” he said. “Our horizon is firmly set on expansion across the entire brewing sector, from our Carling Brand to our recently launched Canadian Brand and into what I believe to be the category with phenomenal potential, Craft Beer, both in terms of the domestic market and internationally through Molson Coors’ network.”

New iconic secondary packaging Inspired by Heinekenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most iconic brand features, the new packaging is designed to attract attention. Instantly recognisable, the highlighted elements catch the eye at every corner to reinvigorate your store displays.

Pack your shelves with the new look Heineken, available from October 2013.

6-Pack bottles

12-Pack bottles

8-Pack cans

12-Pack cans

38|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Market News Fuss Free Potatoes from Country Crest COUNTRY Crest have introduced new Baby Potatoes Microwave Steam Pack. Developed in response to changing lifestyles, these new microwave packs are ideal for busy people on the go. An innovative steam release valve ensures the potatoes are perfectly cooked through in just eight minutes! With no need for washing, peeling or chopping, these new microwavable potatoes make a quick and delicious accompaniment to any mealtime favourite and are currently available in Tesco stores in 500 kg packs, wjth an RSP of €1.49. “We felt there was an opportunity to present potatoes in a format that made them quicker to prepare for people under time constraints but who still want to enjoy this great natural food,” said Julie Curtin, Country Crest Marketing Manager.

Great Offer from Holy Molys NOW that Holy Molys have cemented their place on retailers’ shelves, they are growing from strength to strength. These delicious biscuit bars are individually wrapped in a box of six, perfect for indulging with the family or on-the-go.

They’re fast becoming a lunch box favourite as well as a not so guilty calorie counting treat. The really good news is that Holy Molys are offering 33% Extra Free! That means 2 bars free in every promotional box. Make sure to stock up today and avail of the promotional packaging available from August 2013. With major marketing campaigns across the country in 2013, such as bus shelter advertising and ad boxes, alongside sampling activities and consumer print advertising, Holy Molys are continuing to encourage new customers to the biscuit aisle on a daily basis. For more information, contact Flanagan’s Foods on (01) 4506100 or visit www.flanagansfoods.ie.

New Radox Range Launched RADOX is launching a new range of citrus fragranced shower gels and liquid hand washes.

Available in three variants – Radox Uplifting with Pink Grapefruit & Basil, Radox Revive with Mandarin & Lemongrass and Radox Energise with Key Lime & Peppermint – the new range is guaranteed to leave skin feeling refreshed this summer. The zesty range is being supported with PR and digital activity which, alongside paid for media, will see an updated 20-second TV commercial with a new 10-second tag to promote the NPD run across Facebook and the Unruly network. Rolling out now across all channels, the new range of shower gels and liquid hand washes feature exotic citrus fruit scents with a herb twist to deliver a punchy summertime fragrance. The bright and colourful pack design reflects the brand’s energising qualities and provides excellent standout on shelf.

Powerful Yogurt Coming to Ireland IREPAK Ltd has reached an agreement with Powerful Yogurt, the first-ever Greek yogurt designed for men, which will bring the Powerful Yogurt line of products to Ireland and the UK in the first quarter of 2014, the first time the product has been available outside the US. Irepak will produce Powerful Yogurt in Ireland with the same all-natural standards and recipe guidelines that have been critical to the company’s success in the US market. Irepak plans an initial rollout of four flavours, including plain, banana, mango, and strawberry. “Irepak is delighted to be teaming with Powerful Yogurt at such an exciting juncture – not only in Powerful Yogurt’s impressive growth trajectory but also at a point when the European market for nutrition products is experiencing double digit growth,” said Irepak Managing Director, Robert Doyle. For more information, visit www.powerful.yt.

Camel RYO is Here!

CAMEL joined the rolling revolution on August 26, bringing 100 years of heritage to the Roll-Your-Own category. Camel, with its indie style and innovative nature, will be the first American blend rolling tobacco in the Irish market. It will be available in a 12.5g crush-proof box, which includes a mini pouch, premium Swan papers and filters. Camel Blue RYO will be priced at €5.30 ,which will result in an improved retail trade cash margin in comparison to other crush-proof boxes currently available.

Pot Noodle Piri-Piri Chicken

Pot Noodle, the number one player in the instant hot snacks category from Unilever UK and Ireland, is strengthening its offering by rolling out a new Piri-Piri Chicken flavour. The packaging will be in line with the current range but come in deep red and black to highlight the fiery flavour of the product. The rollout of Pot Noodle Piri-Piri Chicken to all retailers will add to the eleven delicious variants currently available which includes Chicken and Mushroom, Original Curry and Beef and Tomato - and is a fun, convenience offering. Pot Noodle Piri-Piri Chicken retails at €1.31 (RRP) for a 90g pack and cases will have 12 single pots inside.

PROTECT

your Business KNOW THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING TOBACCO AND TOBACCO RELATED PRODUCTS

‘Show Me I.D – Be Age OK’ is a FREE online service to make sure you and your staff know the law when it comes to selling tobacco and tobacco related products.

Show Me I.D – Be Age OK is aimed at assisting retailers in preventing the sale of tobacco and other age-restricted products to minors.

This campaign is supported by Ireland’s trade associations RGDATA, CSNA, NFRN and also by VFI, NOffLA, JTI Ireland Ltd. and the South Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

Log on to

WWW.SHOWMEID.IE & make sure your business is protected

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42|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Confectionery

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IRISH people are amongst the highest consumers of chocolate in the world, and while the sector has experienced pressure over the last few years, with discounting a regular occurrence, Ireland remains a nation of chocoholics. In its latest report into the sector, Euromonitor International expects chocolate confectionery to see positive growth to 2017 as the economy improves and pricing levels start to rise.

Organic chocolate and diabetic chocolate are likely to remain important.

Amongst the largest catego-

Cadbury Dairy Milk, the biggest selling brand of chocolate in Ireland, has had a makeover, with an easy-to-open, modern and colourful new wrapper.

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44|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Confectionery ries in chocolate confectionery, bagged selflines/softlines is expected to see a constant value growth of 1% per year, as the sharing pack concept continues to find favour with consumers. When it comes to sugar confectionery, Euromonitor report significant variance in the market. Certain categories, such as liquorice and toffees, caramels and nougat, would appear to be in decline, as they are perceived as old-fashioned tastes which are more associated with elderly consumers. On the other hand, pastilles, gums, jellies and chews showed incredibly strong growth of 8% per annum, thanks primarily to new product developments and promotions by the big players in the market, which have completely revitalised the category in terms of growth profile. Indeed, Euromonitor expect sales of sugar confectionery in Ireland to continue to grow, with a constant value CAGR of 2% to reach €203m by 2017. Strong positive performances are expected from pastilles, gums, jellies and chews and standard mints, with constant value CAGRs of 4% and 1% to reach €105m and €30m respectively.

Mondelez International Mondelez International, owners of Cadbury, is the leading supplier to the chocolate category in Ireland, which is now worth over €418m RSV (Source: ACNielsen, Market Track, MAT, June 30, 2013). With its varied brand and product portfolio, Mondelez International is the chocolate share leader to the grocery and convenience sectors.

Cadbury Dairy Milk is the fifth biggest FMCG brand in Ireland (Source: ACNielsen) and Irish consumers’ favourite chocolate brand (Source: Ipsos, July 2013). Cadbury Dairy Milk is the biggest selling brand of chocolate in Ireland, over three times bigger than the second biggest chocolate brand (Source: ACNielsen, Market Track, MAT, June 30, 2013).

The big news coming out of Mondelez International is that the iconic eight square Cadbury Dairy Milk range has had a makeover!

The modern and colourful new wrapper makes the Cadbury Dairy Milk range easier to open, so you can discover the delicious chocolate inside; and the new re-closable wrapper means you can save some for later - if you have the will power.

The new wrapper replaces the long-standing foil and paper band, creating less packaging overall, and all eight variants will have their own unique twist, with a new symbol for each flavour in the range being

unveiled.

The size and weight and taste of each chocolate bar in the range will stay the exact same. The Cadbury Dairy Milk range includes Caramello, Mint Crisp, Turkish, Fruit and Nut, Golden Crisp, Milk Chocolate, Wholenut and Tiffin.

The new look Cadbury Dairy Milk range will be supported with a new €1.5m TV, outdoor, digital, PR and BTL campaign.

Nestlé Confectionery Nestlé Confectionery is bringing the spirit of Willy Wonka to life with the launch of the deliciously imaginative

in smooth milk chocolate.

Wonka’s Chocolate Nice Cream is a smooth vanilla crème topped with chocolate sauce and covered in delicious milk chocolate. It’s not cold like an ice cream but it certainly tastes like one!

Wonka’s Crème Brulee is a smooth vanilla crème topped with a caramel crunch, surrounded by a milk chocolate shell.

Wonka’s Millionaire’s Shortbread (36g) and Chocolate Nice Cream (37g) will be available as impulse bars, while all three flavours will also be available as 100g sharing blocks. They also contain no artificial colours, fla-

Wonka’s Millionaire’s Shortbread is a tasty combination of delicious caramel and shortbread biscuit pieces covered in smooth milk chocolate.

Wonka’s Chocolate Nice Cream is a smooth vanilla crème topped with chocolate sauce and covered in delicious milk chocolate.

Wonka chocolate brand. The brand will launch with three wonderfully inventive, scrumdiddlyumptious new products this September.

Wonka’s Millionaire’s Shortbread, just like the classic sweet treat, is a tasty combination of delicious caramel and shortbread biscuit pieces covered

vours or preservatives and are made from 100% sustainably sourced cocoa.

The Wonka brand’s core target audience will be mums aged 30-45, amongst whom there is already a huge affinity for the Wonka brand and its heritage.

Also from Nestlé Confectionery,

Rowntree’s Randoms Rip‘ems consists of eight peelable strips in four fruity flavours (apple, blackcurrant, orange and pineapple).

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46|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Confectionery Rowntree’s Randoms launched its second brand extension earlier in the year with the highly innovative Rowntree’s Randoms Rip’ems.

Rowntree’s Randoms Rip‘ems consists of eight peelable strips in four fruity flavours (apple, blackcurrant, orange and pineapple). Its unique peelable format is the first of its kind for the sugar confectionery market. In line with the rest of the Rowntree’s range, each pack also contains 25% fruit juice, as well as no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

The launch is in keeping with Rowntree’s Randoms quirky brand personality, offering an innovative, unique product experience, with the ‘peel away’ strips bringing playful fun to the eating experience. All four fruity flavours taste great together and can be eaten separately or in any mixed combination. Rip’ems launched with a major support campaign, including TV, outdoor, digital and experiential sampling.

Rowntree’s Randoms’ first brand extension, Rowntree’s Randoms Squidgy Speak, launched earlier this year.

Mars Ireland 2013 is proving to be a strong year for Mars Ireland. The confectionery market is outperforming the total grocery market with +4% growth and Mars is tracking ahead of this at an impressive +5% (Source: ACNielsen, Scantrack, Total Chocolate, July 14, 2013). Chocolate makes up over 60% of the market and is the engine fuelling the

Galaxy is rolling out a full rebrand, which sees the introduction of new Galaxy Honeycomb Crisp.

category growth. Mars is the number two manufacturer within chocolate and key to its success this year has been driving growth in line with consumer trends.

sharing formats, including multipacks and sharing bags.

Mars claim four of the Top 10 chocolate brands in Ireland, with Galaxy, Mal-

Earlier this year, the Maltesers brand launched the new Teasers Bar, which has proved exceptionally popular with Irish consumers.

Mars is currently outperforming the market in key

tesers, Mars and M&M’s, and the company attributes

2013 is proving to be a strong year for Mars Ireland.

a great deal of its success to consistently utilising events to drive retailer and consumer engagement. The recent exceptional execution of the M&M’s ‘Kiss Me

I’m Irish’ campaign for St Patrick’s Day is a prime example of this, giving Mars its highest four-weekly share this year. Mars will continue to invest behind big events that engage consumers in the category and has several more brand events planned across its brand portfolio this year.

For example, this month marks some exciting news on their biggest chocolate brand, Galaxy. Silk just got silkier as the brand rolls out a full rebrand that

The Jelly Bean Factory Announce New Distributor Partnerships AS part of their on-going drive for category growth in their home market, The Jelly Bean Factory is delighted to announce new distribution partnerships with Richmond Marketing and Simply Wild in the

Republic of Ireland. These two distributors will distribute The Jelly Bean Factory range of products, with Richmond Marketing servicing the mainstream retail and wholesale channels, while Simply Wild will concentrate

on speciality channels.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for us,” said Richard Cullen, Joint Managing Director, The Jelly Bean Factory. “We are delighted to be working with these two distribution partners, who

are specialists in their field of expertise and who have embraced the ethos of The Jelly Bean Factory brand.

With their support, we expect to significantly increase our presence in our home market.”

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Confectionery will see two new variants added to the range in the form of Honeycomb Crisp and Nut Crunch, along with a full packaging redesign and a new product shape. This will be marked with engaging in-store displays and strong promotional offers, coupled with heavyweight media support.

Consistently innovating and delivering the right new news to the category is another key to Mars’ success. Earlier this year, the Maltesers brand launched the new Teasers Bar in both a single and large block format, contributing just over €1.4m to the chocolate market to date. The single format was also the top selling chocolate product after launch, according to Mars Ireland.

With a comprehensive programme of activation still to come this year and throughout 2014, Mars Ireland is on track to continue its strong performance.

Wrigley The much loved Skittles brand continues to enjoy strong momentum in the Irish market. The brand is currently worth €2.8m and in 9% sales growth (Source: ACNielsen, ST MAT, July 2013). This has been delivered by product innovation and engaging consumer promotions.

Maintaining its popularity around

Skittles Crazy Sours: one of the top selling Skittles variants in Ireland.

Launched at the beginning of the year, Skittles Confused continues to surprise consumers with flavours that don’t match the colour.

The much loved Skittles brand continues to enjoy strong momentum in the Irish market.

the world, Skittles now has an amazing 25m fans on Facebook, which places the brand within the Top 10 global Facebook pages.

2013 has been an exciting year for the Skittles brand in Ireland.

Highlights include a range re-design, as well as the launch of Skittles Confused. The eye catching range re-design displays the iconic Skittles rainbow flipped upside down on-pack, creating great stand-out on-shelf.

Launched at the beginning of the year, Skittles Confused continues to surprise consumers with flavours that don’t match the colour. Skittles Confused has proven popular with consumers since launch and along with Skittles Fruits, ranks within the top 10 sugar single fruit lines (Source: ACNielsen, ST YTD, July 2013).

Skittles supports three top selling variants including, Fruits, Crazy Sours and Confused, and all three variants are available in 55g and 174g formats. With further innovation in the pipeline for 2014, retailers can look forward to more exciting news from Skittles, which will drive further sales penetration and profits.

Butlers Chocolates Butlers Chocolates are delighted to announce that they have been selected once again to partner with the National Lottery’s Hampers, Sweets and Treats Scratch card game, launching in October.

This year, Butlers have revamped the look of the assortment, which is exclusively produced for the National Lottery. The 225g

Ballotin, which is the chocolate prize in the game, features a collection of 20 alcohol-free truffles and pralines in milk, dark and white chocolate, beautifully presented in a luxury gold box with coordinated wraparound and a stunning gold ribbon.

The chocolate selection features 10 different chocolates; Caramel, White Cocoa, Dark Truffle, Hazelnut Crunch, Chocolate Truffle, Honeycomb Crisp, Orange Truffle, Lemon Sorbet, Almond Praline and Vanille.

The Butlers 225g Ballotin will be distributed by Richmond Marketing.

Call Richmond on (01) 6233222 or email sales@richmondmarketing.com for more details or to place an order.

This is a great opportunity for retailers to maximise revenue from the National Lottery, who are making 225,000 boxes available as prizes this Christmas. Not only do retailers make a margin on the ticket, but they can also make a margin on the box of chocolates. There are display stands and POS available.

Butlers Chocolates are partnering with the National Lottery’s Hampers, Sweets and Treats Scratch card game, launching in October, with a delicious collection of 20 alcohol-free truffles and pralines in milk, dark and white chocolate.

48|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Tobacco Products

The Plain Truth Packaging industry expert Mike Ridgway writes on the potential implications of the introduction of plain packaging on tobacco products for both retailers and brands.

IN December 2012, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.

Manufacturers of packaging for tobacco products all agree that the removal of brand identity is a gross distortion of free market practices, damages the retail sector and provides criminal gangs with an easier product to counterfeit and sell.

The plain packaging debate has been on-going for some considerable time across the globe, beginning in Australia and New Zealand, and now has spread to Europe.

Within Europe and the European Union, no country has adopted the proposal for plain tobacco packaging. The UK has put a decision ‘on hold’, while the German Government, the European Parliament, the European Commission and Council have rejected the idea. However, the Irish Government seems intent on progressing with the concept. For example, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel remarked in the past month that health warnings on tobacco products are an acceptable compromise, and protecting intellectual property rights is imperative.

The introduction of plain packaging raises a number of issues, not all of which are directly linked to the tobacco packaged product. Aspects such as branding, packaging, design, innovation, logistics and transportation, and of course, retail, will all be seriously affected by such a government de-

cision. In addition, there are also legal and financial implications for national governments to be taken into account and considered if such a move is challenged in the courts.

The Role of Branding The role and value of branding is primarily aimed to assist the consumer to distinguish between different products.

Branding has the power to provide a basis of trust and authenticity of the product to the purchaser. Branding also facilitates competition on a non-price basis, avoiding market conditions where low prices are pressurising the consumer.

Packaging design and innovation are closely linked by the technical processes that help combat the counterfeiter.

The application of innovation into both packaging design and the limitations of manufacturing are very important aspects that allow high-value consumer products in the market to stay ahead of the fake products produced by the counterfeiter.

Examples of this within the tobacco sector are the introduction of ‘bevelled edges’ onto a standard 20’s cigarette pack. One leading tobacco producer revealed that they have not seen one counterfeit product with this feature anywhere in the world! In contrast, a standardised ‘plain’ pack would be to a constant design, produced by a simple printing pro-

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Tobacco Products from sources where Irish tax duty was not paid.

Whilst in 2013, Customs Officers confiscated over 22m cigarettes with a retail value of over €9m, demonstrating that the Government is trying to tackle the problem, gangsters continue to make inroads on the legitimate trade. This is hurting businesses, with retailers particularly feeling the squeeze on their bottom line.

The absence of any effective deterrent is also a major issue for all concerned. In 2012, the average fine imposed by courts for unstamped tobacco products was €2,840. This pales into comparison to the profits made from the illicit trade of tobacco products. It is estimated that criminals make up to €3m a week from illegal tobacco sales.

The demand for the Irish Government to address this issue is now overwhelming from retail organisations and to do so would be only fair to the many individual retailers throughout the country who sell the genuine duty and tax paid product. cess, that could easily be reproduced by much simpler machinery almost anywhere in the world.

The fine cut loose tobacco Roll-YourOwn market would also be affected.

Traditionally packaged in quality printed plastic laminated pouches, evidence has already emerged that reproduced pouches are imported in flat format and then being used to pack ‘uncontrolled’ rough tobacco by back-street unregulated operations.

The level of non-Irish duty paid tobacco in Ireland is currently estimated at 20-28% of all tobacco consumed.

Plain packaging for tobacco products, if introduced, would only escalate the problem.

What About the Retailer?

Establishing and building relationships with retailers is an important aspect of the supply chain and especially those who directly interface with the final consumer. The supplier of branded products works to a high standard of quality and consistency. A smuggled tobacco product with no identifiable branding has recently been found in the UK which contained examples of rat droppings and toxic chemicals, while some illicit tobacco products from China have even contained re-cycled tobacco from ends collected in street gutters.

Financially, the effect on retailers could be dramatic, with different purchasing habits being adopted by consumers. The tobacco market will be commoditised, with down-trading to value products becoming the norm, which will result in revenue losses for

Packaging industry expert, Mike Ridgway.

the retailer. It is plausible to think that there will also be a shift in sales to the illicit market as customers are driven by a desire and temptation for cheaper products. Retailers are already experiencing difficult trading conditions, and as intrinsic parts of the local community, they need to be protected.

Exchequer Losses The potential revenue losses for the Government are truly enormous.

Ireland has one of the highest rates of illegal trade in tobacco products in the EU. According to Government figures, some 20% of tobacco sales in Ireland are products with no excise duty paid. Tax on tobacco products has risen steadily over the last number of years, which according to Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD also “makes the state a particularly attractive market for tobacco smugglers”.

It is estimated that the revenue loss to the exchequer from this trade is around €250m. The tobacco industry recently released figures showing that the illegal tobacco trade in Ireland is at an all-time high, with approximately 28% of cigarettes consumed coming

A Lack of Evidence There is no evidence in existence that suggests plain packaging will work.

The UK Government recently announced, after a year-long consultation, that they would wait for evidence from Australia before making any decision on plain packaging in the UK. It is no surprise also to see that New Zealand want to see the outcome of legal challenges made against Australia at the World Trade Organisation before committing to the introduction of plain packaging.

From my perspective, as a packaging industry expert with over 40 years’ experience, my fear is that the introduction of plain packaging will only exacerbate the already high level of non-Irish duty paid tobacco.

Standardising packs will only make it easier for counterfeiters to copy packs and place an even greater burden on Government to deal with the problem.

What happens in Ireland could be replicated in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, so this measure has the potential of seriously damaging the packaging industry.

The sensible alternative approach is to support regulation that is proportionate and based upon evidence and achieves the objectives of the proponents of the measure rather than damage the lawful retailers in the country.

About the Author MIKE Ridgway has worked in the packaging industry for over 40 years and is a packaging industry spokesperson in the tobacco sector.

50|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Hot Beverages

Hot Profits Sandra Gahan, Head of Marketing for Mondelez Ireland, Beverages, talks us through Ireland’s dynamic coffee market and Kenco Millicano’s high profile collaboration with renowned designer Orla Kiely. real market opportunity for innovators in the market like Kenco Millicano, Kenco’s first Wholebean Instant to launch in Ireland.

Has the current economic climate had a massive effect on the sector?

The economic environment has had a direct effect on the sector in the sense that volumes are down but Irish consumers are becoming more discerning and educated in their coffee choices and are now trading up to better-quality and better-tasting coffee, which is driving significant value growth.

How does the market break down?

The market is broken down into eight key segments – Powder, Granules, Premium, Super Premium, Wholebean Instant, Speciality, Roast & Ground and On-Demand.

Sandra Gahan, Head of Marketing for Mondelez Ireland, Beverages.

IRELAND loves hot drinks. From Ballybofey to Ballybunion, Irish consumers need their daily (if not, hourly) cuppa. The good news for retailers is that the coffee market here has bucked the recessionary trend, as Mondelez Ireland’s Head of Marketing for Beverages, Sandra Gahan, explains.

What is the size of the Irish coffee market in value and volume terms?

Coffee has bucked the recessionary trend and is a strong-performing and well-established category in Ireland, valued at €46.5m in value and 1.8m kilograms in volume (MAT Data Source: ACNielsen, Total Scan Coffee data, w/e July 14, 2013).

Is the market growing, static or in decline?

Irish consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their coffee tastes and choices. While Ireland’s coffee market is declining in volume of -5.2% MAT, it has increased in value growth of 1.4% MAT (MAT Data Source: ACNielsen, Total Scan Coffee data, w/e July 14, 2013), which signals a

Which sectors are showing the strongest growth or the most potential?

Wholebean Instant and On Demand are witnessing significant growth. As Kenco’s first Wholebean Instant, Kenco Millicano has revolutionised the coffee market and is the most sector-defining innovation in coffee for over 50 years. The brand leads the Wholebean Instant category, accounting for 71% of total category growth over the last year (Data Source: ACNielsen Total Scantrack data (not including Dunnes and Discounters), MAT, w/e June 16, 2013).

The On Demand segment is also a segment on the rise, growing by 54.9% MAT (Data Source: ACNielsen, Total Scan Data, MAT & L 12 weeks, w/e July 14, 2013). The concept is higher quality coffee in your home. The product is sold in capsules which are inserted into your coffee machine at home.

The machines allow consumers to make a variety of drinks, from cappuccinos to lattes and hot chocolate.

What is influencing this growth?

The ‘Celtic Tiger’ era had spawned growth in coffee shops and a sophistication in consumer tastes. There’s been a clear move from out-of-home coffee consumption to in-home, as more people opt to have coffee with friends at home, while still insisting on a high quality offering. This trend towards premiumisation means that consumers are trading up within the category, resulting in premium coffee brands like Kenco Millicano becoming the new mainstream everyday coffee.

How do you expect the Irish coffee market to perform over the coming months and years?

We expect that the market will perform strongly in the next few years. The demand from consumers is certainly there.

The challenge is to ensure this demand is met with the best quality product and excellence in innovation.

With on-the-go snacking increasing (Source: NPD Crest Data, December 2012), cross category selling is another

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Hot Beverages huge opportunity for the coffee category. Research shows 60% of customers also buy a snack when buying a hot drink (Source: Kraft Foods, Snacking and Impulse Trends, Feb/March 2011 - Base 108). To help drive incremental sales, we recommend operators promote hot beverages alongside complementary snacks, adapting the offer depending on the time of day, for example promoting Kenco with a Belvita Breakfast biscuit in the morning.

What more can we expect in terms of New Product Development?

Category innovation will continue to focus on premiumisation of coffee as this is where the demand is.

Demonstrating value will be an important purchase driver for our target audience. Kenco Millicano recently announced a major fashion collaboration with acclaimed Irish designer Orla Kiely, who has created a limited edition coffee travel mug exclusively for the brand. Partnering with such a successful and world-famous brand like Orla Kiely helps to reinforce Kenco Millicano’s category leadership and the quality, high-end brand values that have seen it dominate the Wholebean Instant coffee category.

The mugs will be free with purchase of special RRP €10 promotional packs of 100g Kenco Millicano tin and 85g refill from mid-August in all major retailers nationwide.

Tell us about your Irish Exclusive Orla Kiely for Kenco Millicano eco travel mug.

The limited edition Orla Kiely for Kenco Millicano ceramic eco mugs are the stylish way to enjoy coffee-on-the-go and bear the distinctive bold print and colours that have made Orla Kiely famous worldwide. The Irish exclusive design collaboration will be supported by a heavyweight and fully integrated marketing campaign with PR, advertising, digital, social media, retail and out of home promotional activity.

For more information, see kenco.ie or facebook.com/KencoIreland

Orla Kiely on the Kenco Connection

ACCLAIMED Irish fashion and homewares designer Orla Kiely flew into Dublin recently to announce her exclusive collaboration with Ireland’s leading coffee brand, Kenco Millicano.

Speaking about her reusable travel coffee mug design, Orla said , “I love my coffee and I often enjoy a ‘coffee-on-the-go’, but the throwaway nature of all those paper cups bothered me. So, when Kenco Millicano approached me with an idea of creating an eco coffee mug that would be reusable, I jumped at the challenge.

“The opportunity to design something that was environmentally friendly, beautiful and practical for everyday use really appealed to me,” she continued. “I deliberately used fun, happy colours so that people can enjoy a bright start to their day while drinking their coffee in style. I hope Irish coffee lovers enjoy using the mug.”

Speaking about the distinctive coffee bean print used on the Kenco Millicano mug, Orla added, “I wanted to design something that would really stand out on the street if you saw someone holding it in their hand. The design had to have immediate impact from a colour and print point of view, without losing its core value, which is all about the quality of coffee.

“We developed this by using the roast coffee bean as the repeat signature print. I love how it looks - it’s symbolic of coffee yet looks so eye-catching and would certainly make you look twice.”

If you like the Orla Kiely for Kenco Millicano eco coffee mugs, please share your feedback via Twitter: #OrlaKielyforKenco

52|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Hot Beverages

Drinking Culture

Ireland’s love affair with hot beverages shows no signs of abating.

IRELAND’S collective love of a cuppa remains unphased by the economic downturn of the last five years. The country’s leading tea and coffee brands are amongst the largest, right across the beverages sector.

According to the latest report into the hot beverages sector from Euromonitor, although tea sales declined slightly during the recession, it is nevertheless remarkable that they did not decline more. Meanwhile, the super premium coffee pods sector is growing in popularity, while the range of hot drinks consumed has diversified, with teas, such as Rooibos continuing to enjoy the affections of an increasingly stable niche.

Some of the “new” teas are making their mark with Irish consumers by actively promoting their health benefits, like green tea’s high antioxidant content, which sees it bucking the recessionary trend, according to Euromonitor. However, growing even faster than this has been fruit/herbal tea, which has long been associated with health. Going forward, it would be unusual if they were not joined on Irish shelves by more white tea, which has been making good ground across European markets.

Euromonitor also predict that coffee will continue to grow in volume and value over the coming years, as increasing numbers of Irish consumers will continue to turn to high quality fresh coffee. This will mainly be seen in the off-trade channel, as consumers will look to enjoy the on-trade expe-

rience at home wherever possible, which is great news for retailers who are willing to cater for this growing trend.

Bewley’s Bewley’s continues to lead the way with both retailers and consumers for their famous coffee and tea. Whether it’s in the ‘To Go’ coffee and tea categories or the ‘at home’ packaged coffee and tea products, Bewley’s range and quality is still a clear retail winner.

The quality of Bewley’s products was again recognised at this year’s Great Taste Awards, where Bewley’s coffees and teas scooped eight Gold Stars. Run by the Guild of Fine Foods in London, the The quality of Bewley’s products was again recognised at this year’s Great Taste Awards, where Bewley’s coffees and teas scooped eight Gold Stars.

When it comes to your customers, you don’t take half measures Neither do we In fact, we go to great lengths to measure up to your expectations.

For starters, we travel to sixteen different countries to source the finest Arabica coffee beans at the highest altitudes. Then we insist on our beans being roasted in house by our Master Roaster whose years of experience and sophisticated senses create the smooth, delicious coffees we’re famous for. Our Barista Academy offers complimentary training of the highest international standards to everyone who serves Bewley’s coffee. Our ethical trading policy ensures that all our coffee comes from the world’s best coffee producers while our environmental policy means that we are Ireland’s first coffee company to be certified as carbon neutral.

So now that you know how we do business, we look forward to doing more with you!

To find out about the way we do business,

call 1850 248 484 or visit bewleys.com

54|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Hot Beverages

For retailers, Bewley’s offers significant advantages in promoting increased hot beverage sales.

awards recognised Bewley’s Irish Afternoon Tea, Bewley’s Kenya, Gold Roast, Rich Roast, Java, Araku India Coffee and Bewley’s Kenya retail products for their exceptional quality and taste.

The Great Taste Awards are the most prestigious and trusted of food and drink awards, and the acknowledged benchmark of outstanding quality in the food industry. All products are judged by at least three different judging panels, including fine food retailers,

chefs, restaurant critics, food writers and other industry experts. All tasting is blind, ensuring that the quality of taste, flavour and texture are the only criteria taken into account.

“This is the sixth year in a row that Bewley’s Teas and Coffees have been awarded Gold Stars by the Guild of Fine Food,” said Mark Saunders, General Manager, Retail and AtHome Division, Bewley’s.

“We are once again delighted that the quality of our products continues to shine

through and we are very proud to be an Irish company, judged by our peers and excelling on the international stage. Our tea and coffee is manufactured locally in our headquarters in Northern Cross in Dublin and the products awarded Gold Stars today are readily available in Irish supermarkets nationwide.”

Describing the unique characteristics of some of the individual winning products, Mark said, “Bewley’s Irish Afternoon Tea is a strong and invigorating all day

Wispa Hot Chocolate CADBURY Wispa has shaken up the instant hot chocolate category with the launch of its first ever hot beverage, Wispa Hot Chocolate. This exciting new product development introduces the famous Wispa bubbles to cups across the country, with a luxurious, frothy, foamy top helping to create a coffee-house experience at home. This new innovative hot drink will bring younger consumers to the instant hot chocolate category, giving them a great tasting drink with the added fun of froth and bubbles.

Available in a 246g jar and a convenient 27g sachet, both of which are Fairtrade Certified, Wispa Hot Chocolate makes it quick and easy to prepare a delicious drink, by simply adding hot water and stirring.

The launch of Wispa Hot Chocolate is supported by a fun creative TV advertising campaign featuring the Frothy Beast, digital activation and in-store activity to help drive awareness and trial purchases.

“Wispa Hot Chocolate brings a new, bubblier dimension to the instant hot chocolate market,” noted Mary Moran, Brand Marketing, Mondelez International. “With Cadbury the number one hot chocolate brand (Source: Kantar, 52 week ending April 15, 2012), we think we’re in a great position to drive the category back into growth in 2013.

“We’re aiming to capture younger consumers looking for the froth and bubbles they experience with their favourite coffee-shop hot chocolates, encouraging them to try a branded, high quality product that’s a delicious treat at any time of day – not just before bed.”

blend of the finest Rwandan, Assam Indian and Kenyan Teas”.

“We are particularly delighted that our Bewley’s Kenya fresh coffee, which is one of our most popular and best-selling coffees with Irish consumers, was awarded the honour of two gold stars,” he continued.

Available in every supermarket nationwide, this single origin coffee is 100% Arabica coffee, grown between the Great Rift Valley and Mount Kenya in light volcanic soil, which gives it its unique freshness and smoothness.

Consumers continue to show very strong loyalty to the Bewley’s brand for both ‘To Go’ and ‘At Home’ ranges of coffees and teas, according to Mark. For retailers, Bewley’s offers significant advantages in promoting increased hot beverage sales.

Recent research shows that Bewley’s is still the favourite coffee among purchasers of coffee to go, Mark maintains, as consumers still regard Bewley’s as the brand that offers great tasting coffees and teas, a wide range of quality products and a trusted brand that understands their needs.

The research also shows that Bewley’s is the first brand consumers think of for ‘to go’ coffees and teas. In fact, consumers are significantly more likely to make a purchase of ‘to go’ hot beverages if there is a Bewley’s branded machine in your store, rather than a private label offering, according to Mark. Consumers are also more likely to spend more on a Bewley’s branded hot beverage offering than on an alternative. Similarly, Bewley’s continues to be the strongest performer for converting trial ‘to go’ consumers to regular purchasers of hot beverages.

Kenco Millicano As Ireland’s number one Wholebean Instant coffee (Source: ACNielsen, MAT, June 16, 2013), Kenco Millicano has revolutionised the coffee market and is the most sector-defining innovation in Ireland in coffee

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|55

Hot Beverages for over 50 years. The brand leads the Wholebean Instant category, accounting for 71% of total category growth over the last year (Source: ACNielsen, Total Scantrack data (not including Dunnes and Discounters), MAT, w/e June 16, 2013).

Kenco Millicano offers the convenience of instant with the quality and taste reminiscent of roast and ground coffee. Kenco knows that busy lives mean coffee lovers don’t always have time to make ‘proper’ coffee, so Kenco Millicano serves to fill the gap between wanting a roast and ground coffee taste with the convenience of making an instant coffee.

Like the rest of the Kenco range, all of the beans for Kenco Millicano are 100% sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, which means every sip taken helps coffee-growing communities and helps to protect the environment.

Kenco Millicano is available in 100g fully-recyclable tin, an 85g refill pack and a 10 individual portion stick pack. Kenco Millicano is now available in a decaff version: Millicano Caff Free 100g tin and 85g refill pack.

Kenco Millicano re-

Kenco Millicano offers the convenience of instant with the quality and taste reminiscent of roast and ground coffee.

With an increasing demand for smaller pack sizes, Barry’s Tea are proudly launching their new pack of Gold Blend 20s this autumn.

Kenco Millicano has announced a major fashion collaboration with acclaimed Irish designer Orla Kiely, who has created a limited edition coffee travel mug exclusively for the brand.

cently announced a major fashion collaboration with acclaimed Irish designer Orla Kiely, who has created a limited edition coffee travel mug exclusively for the brand (See Page 50 for more information). The Ireland-exclusive ceramic eco mugs are the stylish way to enjoy coffee-on-thego and bear the distinctive bold print and colours that have made Orla Kiely famous worldwide. The mugs are free with purchase of special RRP €10 promotional packs of 100g Kenco Millicano tin and 85g refill available in all major retailers nationwide while stocks last.

The exclusive Orla Kiely for Kenco Millicano design collaboration is supported by a heavyweight €600k fully integrated marketing campaign, with PR, advertising, digital, social media, retail and out of home promotional activity. For more info., see www.kenco.ie or facebook.com/kencoireland Barry’s Tea Barry’s Tea is a family owned business, spanning over 100 years. The longevity of the business is a testament to the high quality teas that are consistently produced from its home in

Cork.

As always, Barry’s Tea keep a keen eye on their consumers’ needs. With an increasing demand for smaller pack sizes, Barry’s Tea are proudly launching their new pack of Gold Blend 20s this autumn. This pack is ideal for people that are shopping to a tight budget, but still want a good cup of tea as one of life’s

little pleasures. The pack is also very useful for top-up shops mid-week, or indeed a handy travel pack to take on holidays or to work.

The new 20s pack will be in a unique dispensing unit. This unit is ideal as it saves valuable shelf space at the tea fixture, but it will also allow retailers to duel site the product in the store near complementary prod-

Tim Hortons AVAILABLE in almost 4,500 outlets worldwide Tim Hortons coffee and baked goods are recognisable across the globe.

Today, the Tim Hortons concept delivers outstanding service and excellent product quality to over 250 stores in Ireland including SPAR, EUROSPAR and SPAR Express.

While Tim Hortons is synonymous with smooth, high quality coffee made from 100% Arabica beans, the brand concept is based on complementing excellent coffee with a range of delicious baked goods, including donuts, muffins and wrapped confectionery bars. This full-service concept offers retailers an integrated service and extensive cross-selling opportunities in-store, while delivering value to customers. The diverse confectionery range is ‘thaw and serve’, meaning maximum product availability and minimum waste.

Bringing global experience and expertise to all of its outlets, Cuisine de France support the Tim Hortons concept in store with best-in-class equipment, on-going support and staff training. The Tim Hortons concept is proven to increase hot beverage sales by 20%, delivering results and peace of mind to Irish retailers.

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Hot Beverages ucts like cakes, biscuit and magazines. Barry’s Tea are proud supporters of Love Irish Food and are very much committed to supporting Irish jobs.

Lyons Tea Lyons Tea has been putting the talk into the Irish nation’s tea for years and earlier this year saw the brand announcing its sponsorship of Today FM’s popular KC Show, which airs each weekday from 12-2:30pm.

“Lyons puts the talk into tea and the KC Show is renowned for its fun, chatty style so it’s the perfect combination to get you through your day,” said Liz Finlay, Marketing Manager, Lyons Tea. Lyons Tea recently unveiled some interesting research into the tastes and trends of the Irish diaspora as part of its ‘Bring The Talk Home’ campaign,

in the pub, a surprisingly 69% of Irish people surveyed said they missed enjoying a cup of tea most, ahead of a pint in the local. Tea was the most missed Irish product for Irish men abroad (54%), while Irish chocolate and crisps came in close behind.

Lyons Tea came out on top as the tea brand people yearn for most while living in other countries.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Dublin, UK based TV presenter, Liz Bonnin, was delighted to return home for the event: “There is really nothing like the cups of tea and chats with friends and family, so a campaign like this is a great way to bring loved ones home for a treat.”

To take part in Lyons Tea ‘Bring The Talk Home’, consumers simply pick up a special promotional Lyons Tea pack and enter the ‘Bring The Talk Home’

Pictured at the launch of Lyons Tea ‘Bring The Talk Home’ were TV presenter Liz Bonnin, expert on Irish emigration Diarmaid Ferriter, and Lyons Tea Brand Manager, Liz Finlay.

which gives the tea drinking population of Ireland the chance to bring loved ones home from abroad over the next year. Lyons Tea commissioned in-depth research with Irish people who had lived abroad to find out exactly what they missed about Ireland while living abroad, with some surprising results.

Although Irish people are famed for enjoying a pint

competition via Lyons Facebook (www.Facebook.com/ lyons.ireland) or post. Lyons Tea will give eight people a month the chance to fly a friend or family member home from abroad.

Nescafé There has been a strong trend towards premiumisation within the coffee category over the last few years, driven primarily by con-

Super Premium brand, Nescafé Azera was launched to capitalise on the trend towards premiumisation within the coffee category.

sumers who recognise good quality coffee, gained from a heightened experience visiting their local coffee shops.

Nescafé launched its own Super Premium brand, Nescafé Azera to capitalise on this and such has been the brand’s success that three new varieties – Intenso and white coffee varieties in Latte and Cappuccino, were introduced in early 2013.

Robert Roberts Irish coffee and tea company, Robert Roberts has been awarded four Golds at the Great Taste Awards 2013 for its Colombian Coffee, Java Beans Coffee, Luxury Fairtrade Tea and Espresso Segovia Beans.

Highly regarded as the Oscars of the Food and Beverage Industry, the accolades were announced recently, with only three Irish tea and coffee companies listed as being a ‘Great Taste Award’ winner in 2013.

Renowned for its quality tea and coffee products, this is the fifth consecutive year that Robert Roberts has been recognised by the Great Taste Awards, which are organised by the Guild of Fine Food.

“In 2012, our Java Beans Coffee was awarded the highest-possible accolade, which was amazing achievement for the company and we are thrilled that Robert Roberts has been recognised yet again by the Guild of Fine Food,” said Garath Scully,

Master Coffee Roaster at Robert Roberts. “The awards underpin both the superior quality and consistency of our coffees and teas, which is why we roast four million bags of coffee annually for our thousands of retail and foodservice customers, including Dublin’s newest luxury hotel, The Marker Hotel.”

On explaining what makes winning gold at the Great Taste Awards so special to Robert Roberts, Marketing Manager, Roisin O’Shea added: “The illustrious Great Taste Awards logo is a clear indicator of quality food and drink products. As the world’s largest blind-tasted food and drink accreditation scheme, gold stars

Garath Scully, Robert Roberts’ Master Coffee Roaster, celebrates the company’s four gold stars at the Great Taste Awards 2013.

are widely-recognised and are a trusted benchmark for shoppers and our foodservice customers. Being awarded ‘gold’ conveys ‘the best of’, not just in Ireland but on an international level, and we’re thrilled that four of our products will proudly display the Great Taste Awards logo in the year ahead.”

June of this year saw Robert Roberts investing €350,000 in a new Brambatti roaster – Gaynor – a first for the company since 1989 – which will now roast all of the company’s coffee moving forward.

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|57

Hot Beverages

Tassimo Hot Drinks System Launched The Tassimo hot beverage system is being launched in-store in Ireland, giving consumers the ability to enjoy 40 branded hot drinks at home.

MONDELEZ International is launching Tassimo, the market-leading hot beverage system, into the Irish market. With Tassimo, Irish consumers can now enjoy a wide range of 40 of their favourite brands of coffees, teas and hot chocolate in the comfort of their own home, including Kenco, Cadbury, Twinings and Carte Noire, as well as high street coffee specialists, Costa.

Previously only available online, three different Tassimo machines the Tassimo T20, T40 and T65 – are now widely available in Ireland, with major supermarkets and retailers stocking the innovative barcoded T-DISCs. Engineered by Bosch and finished in a glossy design, the Tassimo hot drinks system is compact, elegant and makes a stylish statement in any kitchen. It’s effortless to use and offers an impressive range of flavours and strengths of famous brands of coffees, teas and hot chocolate at the touch of a button. Simply insert the T-DISC into the compartment and let Tassimo read the barcode, which carefully adjusts the brewing time, pressure and water temperature to produce the perfect hot drink, every time.

Barista-Style Beverages “There’s a vibrant coffee culture across Europe and we’re witnessing a significant growth in demand for barista-style drinks at home here in Ireland,” noted Sandra Gahan, Head

With Tassimo, Irish consumers can now enjoy a wide range of 40 of their favourite brands of coffees, teas and hot chocolate in the comfort of their own home.

of Marketing for Mondelez Ireland, Beverages. “Tassimo offers coffee lovers a unique method of enjoying barista style coffee, including Kenco, Carte Noire and Costa coffee, and other hot drinks, in the comfort of their own home at just the touch of a button, with no mess and no fuss.”

Describing Tassimo as “much more than a coffee machine”, Sandra said, “it’s an intelligent hot beverage system that delivers a selection of 40

Tassimo offers consumers a unique method of enjoying branded hot drinks, including Cadbury, Kenco and Costa, at just the touch of a button.

hot drinks from coffee shop quality coffee, teas and hot chocolate, all made at home in seconds. This versatility makes Tassimo the perfect gift, especially for families who can now keep their options open and choose from a wide range of their favourite hot drinks that will keep the kids, and Mum and Dad, happy!”

Improved Consumer Choice BSH Director, Brian McMenamin, says, “Tassimo has been immensely popular with consumers around the world and we’re looking forward to growing the brand in Ireland. Although Tassimo has been available online, we can now make both the machines and T-DISCs more readily available to the Irish consumer through supermarkets and retailers, making it even easier for the Irish public to enjoy their favourite hot drinks with ease! Together with Mondelez International, we are delighted that Tassimo can offer more choice and availability to our Irish customers.”

As well as automatic drink preparation, adjustable cup stand and virtually no heat-up time, each Tassimo comes with automatic cleaning and descaling and an energy saving auto-off feature. Add to that an easily refillable water tank and self cleaning steam rinse to guarantee perfect taste with no transfer of flavours after every drink.

Mondelez Ireland will make seven T-DISC SKUs available to buy in supermarkets and major retailers across Ireland from early September. These include: •Kenco Caffe Crema •Kenco Columbian •Carte Noire Espresso Classic •Carte Noire Latte Macchiato Caramel •Costa Americano •Costa Cappuccino •Costa Latte •Cadbury Hot Chocolate The remaining branded variety T-DISCs will be available to purchase online via www.tassimo.com.

The high-impact launch campaign will be supported by a heavyweight fully integrated marketing campaign with PR, advertising, TV sponsorship, digital, retail and out of home promotional activity.

Ireland’s No.1 Wholebean Instant coffee* proudly presents an exclusive partnership with Orla Kiely

Limited Edition ceramic travel mug designed by Orla Kiely FREE with Kenco Millicano Tin and Refill LIMITED AVAILABILITY

IRISH EXCLUSIVE

Heavyweight €600k marketing support including Press, T.V, PR, Online, Consumer Promotions and in-store POS

*Source: ACNielsen MAT June 16th 2013

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|59

Food Safety Training

Could You Survive a Food Scare?

Food retailers are facing new challenges when it comes to food safety.

However, you can protect your business reputation through food safety training, writes Marie Ryan, Senior Environmental Health Officer, EHOA. RAPID changes in how our food is sourced and produced are creating new challenges for food retailers, who may end up suffering the collateral damage caused by a food scare. Food is no longer, as we once thought, produced in a straight line from farm to fork. In reality, livestock in the field go through an increasingly complicated chain of processing and finishing plants before finally landing on retail shelves.

The recent horsemeat scandal demonstrates how this chain can become tangled and subject to fraud. In fact, the term ‘food fraud’ is one that we are likely to hear a lot more of. And even when fraud isn’t an issue, contamination of a food product in one manufacturing plant can result in shock waves throughout Europe. E. coli in your cucumber, anyone?

Hepatitis A in your frozen berries?

Increased Legislation and Awareness And there are other concerns. Environmental Health Officers now enforce an increasing raft of legislation, much of it originating in Europe. The year 2012 saw over 90 food businesses served with closure orders by Environmental Health Officers, an increase of 36% on the previous year. It can take years to recover from the reputation damage of a closure, as local and national media often cover the story.

In addition, retailers now serve a public that is increasingly aware of food scares and bad food practices - and increasingly likely to complain if they see something they don’t like. According to the Food Safety Authority, complaints jumped by 28% between 2009 and 2012. Consumers have become highly sensitised to what they hear on the news and have never been more vocal.

In such an uncertain environment, reputation is king.

We cannot know where the next food story or complaint will come from. Nor can the manager or owner be in their retail store 24 hours a day. So in order to protect the reputation of a retail store, it is imperative to have properly trained staff.

A well trained staff member will be able to identify and control hazards in the retail environment. They will also be able to implement strong traceability and recall procedures.

It is good news, therefore, to learn that the Environmental Health Officers’ Association (EHOA) has launched its flagship primary food safety course in an online version.

Already, over 90,000 EHOA Certificates in Primary Food Safety have been awarded to the food service and food retailing industry. This eLearning programme is the only online course in Ireland that is designed and certified by the Environmental Health Officers Association.

Environmental Health Officers have recently seen an explosion in the German cockroach population in Ireland.

Food Complaints: What Gets Us Hot and Bothered?

Some of the most common complaints made about retail environments include: 1. Poor food handling practices, e.g. servers using the same glove for handling food and money; 2. A taste of chemicals on foodstuffs as a result of improper cleaning practices; 3. Alleged food poisoning complaints; 4. Dirty, greasy surfaces; 5. Pest complaints, including large amounts of house or fruit flies, mice and even cockroaches!

The Pest Medicine?

The big stories that can close down a premises and hit the headlines are often about pests, particularly rodents. In the UK, which is comparable with Ireland, figures show the rat population has been rising, with estimations that 81m rats now reside in the UK, that is 1.3 rats per person. High rat populations in the UK and Ireland are often attributed to the mild climate, enabling higher survival rates during the winter months. Building works and flood defences can result in a loss of habitat for our furry friends, who then migrate to the smelly waste receptacles at the back of your store, and indeed into your store itself. The presence of even one of these creatures can be sufficient to cause closure.

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Food Safety Training infestation can also lead to closure. Some retailers can unwittingly bring cockroaches onto their premises if they purchase infested second hand equipment.

This year, an outbreak of Hepatitis A was linked to contamination from frozen berries.

Environmental Health Officers have also recently seen an explosion in the German cockroach population in Ireland. These at least have the decency to be a bit smaller than their American colleagues, measuring about one and a half centimetres in length but a significant

Highest Training Standards Given the reputational damage a closure can have on any food retailing operation, the greatest way to protect any business is to have proper systems in place and properly trained staff.

The regulations around food hygiene and foodstuffs state that food workers have to be trained and/or supervised in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity [Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on Hygiene and Foodstuffs].

The EHOA is at the forefront of training and education, as well as promoting the highest standards in the management of risk and compliance in catering and retail environments.

This is one reason why so many businesses opt for the reassurance of an EHOA certified Primary Food Safety Programme. The Certificate

is valid for five years.

The Benefits of eLearning Accessing food safety

“

It can take years to recover from the reputation damage of a closure, as local and national media often cover the story.

In addition, consumers have become highly sensitised to what they hear on the news and have never been more vocal.

”

Environmental Health Officers Association Chairman, Caitriona Stack.

training through eLearning makes sense for retailers who may find it difficult to release staff for day-long training sessions. Often, these training days are at locations that are some distance from the retail outlet, leading to additional travel costs. With online learning, employees can take bite-sized pieces of the programme at times that suit the learner and employer.

The demand for eLearning is increasing. People taking online courses enjoy the

fact that they set the pace of learning. Today, eLearning has improved vastly so that self-directed learning is fun.

The programme has been designed so that it is particularly accessible for people whose first language may not be English.

The EHOA has spent months developing the programme, working with Irish company, Dulann.com, to ensure the materials are user friendly and fun, while still meeting all Irish legislation and HACCP standards. The course has lots of videos and interactive games and takes approximately eight hours to complete. The content and duration of the programme is, therefore, broadly similar to the programme that is already available through over 200 EHOA registered trainers.

Offering Reassurance Speaking about the new programme, the EHOA Chairman, Caitriona Stack, said, “The EHOA wants to enhance the industry standard we have in this country.

We have worked very hard to ensure that our eLearning Primary Food Safety course meets the high standard the food industry expects from our organisation. We continue to guarantee the integrity of this programme by enabling participants to take a one-hour written assessment, leading to the coveted EHOA Certification. For companies who wish to protect their reputation and their brand, this offers great reassurance.”

Retailers can avail of corporate packages or buy individual programmes that can be accessed through the EHOA website at www.ehoa.ie. The course costs €150 per participant and significant discounts are available on larger corporate packages. The course includes all online learning materials plus exam assessment, a copy of the Food Safety Workbook, and EHOA Certification on successful completion of the assessment.

For further information, contact Deirdre Fitzsimons at the EHOA on info@ehoa. ie or call (01) 2761211.

IN Two Superser

W Heaters to be won from The exclusive distributor of Superser heaters in Ireland!

Two lucky Retail News readers have the chance to win a brand-new Flogas Superser heater!

For instant, controllable heat thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s both stylish and cost-effective, Flogas supplies the Superser Radiant and Superser Catalytic heaters. The Superser Catalytic burns without a flame and has lower touch temperatures. Both models are fitted with easy glide castors for trouble-free moving from room to room.

Retailers looking to stock up before the cold weather hits can source them exclusively from Flogas on 041-9831041 or www.flogas.ie To be in with a chance of winning this prize, please answer the following question and send, together with your name, address and telephone number, on a postcard to

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62|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Fuels

Heating Up the Market Demand for spot heating in the home has fuelled demand for mobile heating appliances and a return to real fires.

SPIRALLING central heating costs are fuelling consumer demand for ‘spot heating’ at home, as consumers can save money by heating specific areas, rather than running their central heating throughout the whole house. There has been a significant return to real fires right across the country, while the growth in sales of mobile heating appliances continues apace as more and more consumers seek to curb spending wherever they can.

Flogas After a relatively mild winter, this year’s unexpectedly cold spring brought a welcome boost in sales of bottled gas and Flogas Superser heater sales for retailers.

As central heating costs continue to rise, retail customers will be urgently seeking cost-effective solutions to control their home heating bills. Superser heaters offer your customers the opportunity to spot-heat a room quickly and cost-effectively and demand for Superser heaters is likely to be strong this winter. “We are urging retailers not to be caught out and stock up on Superser heaters to meet the potential demand,” warned Eoin O’Flynn of Flogas Ireland, the exclusive distributor for Superser in Ireland and the UK. Retailers who want to stock up on Superser mobile heaters for the winter months should contact Flogas, the exclusive Superser distributors, on (041) 9831041 or www.flogas.ie.

“Flogas Superser heaters are the perfect solution for cost-conscious customers looking to control their heating bills,” Eoin advised. “They are extremely useful as an instant, economic and portable way to ‘spot-heat’ a room

Flogas has made some changes to its corporate logo, which is being rolled out across the business and its entire product range throughout 2013.

quickly, as many customers find it far cheaper than turning on the central heating for an hour or two.”

For homeowners who want instant heat that’s both stylish and useful, Flogas supplies two very contemporary looking and stylish mobile heaters, the Superser Radiant and Superser Catalytic. In particular, the Superser Catalytic burns without a flame and has lower touch temperatures, making it safer, and it’s fitted with easy glide castors, which allows for trouble-free moving from room to room.

Flogas is of course very much a fuel for today. Flogas

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64|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Fuels

For homeowners who want instant heat that’s both stylish and useful, Flogas supplies contemporary and stylish mobile heaters, including the Superser Radiant.

cylinders are a familiar sight at retail outlets throughout the country. The butane cylinder is a clean and economical choice for consumers and is hard to beat as a low cost, versatile energy package.

Propane direct dealers have been reporting strong annual sales growth and many customers want the benefits of gas in the home for fires and cooking but are either not on the natural gas grid or don’t want to go through the hassle of changing, so find propane cylinders in a discreet corner of their back garden a very practical alternative.

Flogas was the first company in Ireland to introduce the Securiseal (gas cylinder seal) for Propane cylinders, once again proving total commitment to their bottled gas brands. Similar to the Butane seal, the Securiseal is a solid, tamper-proof cylinder seal made from a resilient polyethylene material of the highest quality, and is superior to other shrink-wrapped bottled gas seals currently on the market.

In May 2013, Flogas also won two Commercial High Court actions against Tru Gas Limited, Patrick Morgan and separately Langan Fuels Limited. The proceedings included claims by Flogas Ireland Limited that Tru Gas Ltd of Castlebellingham, Co. Louth, was a leading “pirate filler”, supplying retailers of liquid petroleum gas (“LPG”) cylinders nationwide and involved in a joint operation with Langan Fuels Ltd of Kilmacow, Waterford,

in unlawfully interfering with and selling Flogas LPG cylinders.

Following the decision of the High Court, Richard Martin, Managing Director of Flogas Ireland, commented, “Flogas is very pleased that its property rights have been upheld by the Court and that the activities of the defendants in this case have been heavily punished by the Court. It sends a powerful signal to the market about the damaging aspects of illeAfter the launch of the Homestead brand in 1986, the gal cylinder filling activity.” firelighter range quickly became a stable product He went on to state that within the brand’s portfolio, and continues to perform Flogas will continue to invest extremely well. in its cylinder market in Ireland to support its dealers in the brand’s portfolio, generating and consumers with the very best cylconsiderable sales in this category. inder products available: “We acknowlIt is estimated that Homestead fuels edge and appreciate all the support account for 53% of the total fuels sales we have received from our dealers and within symbol groups and independent distributors in this case and we are retailers, while rivalling the two leadprepared to take legal action against ing brands in Ireland. any pirate fillers to defend our reputaOver 70% of households have open tion and market position.” fires and the ignition sector is one Flogas has also made some changes of the fastest growing sectors in the to its corporate logo, which is being household category. rolled out across the business and its The Homestead fuels range conentire product range throughout 2013. sists of two skus of firelighters, 30’s Flogas has an excellent distribuand 60’s, and a Fire log which was tion system, with maximum coverage. introduced to the range in early 2005.

The company has three marine gas terminals, at Drogheda, Cork and Belfast, and a land terminal at Ballyhaunis. Flogas operates a nationwide network of distributors who fill cylinders and deliver bottled gas to dealers in their area. Distributors are strategically located all over the country to ensure constant and speedy delivery of bottled gas, even in winter on the cold, icy roads, when demand for bottled gas is high.

A nationwide network of Flogas after-sales personnel are on 24-hour call for appliance repairs and maintenance.

Flogas supports all its products and services and plans through innovative dealer promotions, excellent point of sale material, targeted advertising and public relations.

For retailers looking to save money Firelighter sales now account for 51% of on their own overheads either at work the total fuel sales in Ireland, and Homeor at home, Flogas also supply natural stead Firelighters continue to grow in line gas to the commercial and residential with the market. natural gas market. Flogas Natural Gas offers a very competitive rate to small to medium business customers.

Homestead fuels continue to grow year-on-year. Fire logs are the largest Homestead contributor to this growth, accounting After the launch of the Homestead for 25% of total Homestead fuel sales. brand in 1986, the firelighter range Firelighter sales now account for quickly became a stable product with51% of the total fuel sales in Ireland,

66|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Fuels and Homestead Firelighters continue to grow in line with the market.

This year, Homestead is celebrating its 30th birthday and to mark this occasion, the brand has been given a face-lift. Homestead Brand Manager, Janice Gibney is delighted to introduce the new Homestead logo: “The Homestead house remains the key icon of our brand and it was essential that it remained an integral part of the new logo. The new logo brings the brand into the 21st century and customers can rest assured that Homestead continues to bring value home.”

Bord Na Móna Fuels For over 80 years, Bord Na Móna, the largest supplier of solid fuel in Ireland, has led the way in designing an innovative and convenient range of quality fuel solutions for Irish consumers. The Bord Na Móna range mostly includes coal, smokeless coal, peat briquettes and convenience products.

At the heart of the Bord Na Móna range is their authentic Irish peat briquettes. As relevant now Bord Na Móna offer a as they were broad range of coals, in80 years ago, cluding Black Diamond there is no peat Premium Stove Fuel. substitute that gives off the same level of heat and burn time that you get from briquettes. Bord Na Móna’s peat briquettes are clean and suitable for stoves, as well as open fires, and are a smokeless fuel.

Bord Na Móna also offer a broad range of coals, which are designed For over 80 years, Bord to meet a wide Na Móna, the largest range of fire supplier of solid fuel in Ireland, has led the performance needs. These way in designing an innovative and conve- coals, under the nient range of quality Bord Na Móna, fuel solutions for Irish Black Diamond consumers. and Suttons

Bord Na Móna’s peat briquettes are clean and suitable for stoves, as well as open fires, and are a smokeless fuel.

brands, are widely available and deliver on the high quality associated with the brand.

October 2013 will see the introduction of Bord Na Móna’s exciting new pack designs. The new design, combined with a diverse quality range, will further copper-fasten Bord Na Móna’s position as the market leader in solid fuels in Ireland.

When choosing Bord Na Móna products, consumers can be assured that they are purchasing the best quality and most economical fuel solutions to suit their lifestyles and

budgets. Bord Na Móna continuously strive to bring the best in innovation to their consumers, a fact which is illustrated by their on-going commitment to providing Irish shoppers with a variety of choice and value when it comes to home heating.

Calor Calor have been investing in new cylinders and innovations to suit changing consumer demands. Last year, Calor introduced the new 6kg cylinder to the Irish market, and it was a big hit due to its unique and compact

Ireland’s Leading Lights MAGUIRE & Paterson continue to lead the match market with over 80% market share, and 90% brand awareness, making it one of Irelands best known and longest established brands. A combination of attractive packaging, added consumer value and excellent trade deals have all contributed to establishing Maguire & Paterson as the market leading match brand.

The range of Maguire & Paterson safety household matches are The Maguire & Paterson and Cricket brands, distributed by a must stock in the run-up to the winter SHS Sales & Marketing. mal display options in your outlet, season. The match of Cricket Firepower is available in a choice with Irish consumers, Maguire standard shelf ready tray, clip strip & Paterson matches offer great value, and free standing floor display. reliability and safety for Irish homes.

Maguire & Paterson and Cricket For extra convenience, they also are both managed by SHS Sales & offer the Cricket Firepower houseMarketing. Both brands conform to hold utility lighter. With increasing and exceed all international and EU popularity year-on-year, the Cricket safety standards for ignition prodFirepower is supported by a strong ucts. promotional programme. For opti-

Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie|67

Fuels

The new Calor Mini-BBQ is lightweight, stylish and highly portable.

features: lightweight, easy to carry and the first cylinder on the market to have a handy contents gauge, so customers never have to worry about running out

again. Additional lightweight cylinders with contents gauge are also being introduced to the market, to make cylinders more user friendly for customers.

Calor have a range of cylinders for both domestic and commercial customers, offering solutions for portable heating, cooking, gas fires and outdoor cooking. They also offer Calor branded regulators, contents gauges and 400g gas cartridges for portable BBQs. Mostly recently, Calor have launched the very latest innovation in outdoor cooking, the Calor Mini-BBQ. The new lightweight and portable BBQ has been specifically designed and manufactured by the team in Calor and is the first of its kind to be launched onto the Irish market.

This clever piece of essential cooking equipment is lightweight, stylish and highly portable. It’s also easy to

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use, whether consumers want to BBQ in style at home or enjoy superior gas cooking on the go, anytime, anywhere! Its unique lid can double as a chopping board, with the base area turning into a prep counter when you’re out and about. The 400g gas cartridge is designed to fit in the base of the BBQ, allowing customers to carry everything in one unit! It also comes with a patio regulator for the 6kg patio cylinder, so it can be used at home, or out and about!

To find out more about Calor cylinders or appliances, phone 1850 812 450 or 028 9045 5588, or visit www.calorgas.ie.

Calor’s 6kg cylinder has proved a big hit with consumers thanks to the fact that it’s lightweight, easy to carry and the first cylinder on the market to have a handy contents gauge.

68|www.retailnews.ie|September 2013|Retail News

On The Vine

Top Cellars

Jean Smullen profiles Ireland’s top selling wine brands.

AS the Irish wine industry faces up to all kinds of challenges, some wines and country of origin are dealing with it better than others.

The reality of the moment is that ‘brand affinity’, once a stalwart of the Irish wine industry, has suffered because of a number of factors, the most significant of which was the 2012 increase in wine duty. Brand affinity describes the consumer’s perception of whether a particular wine brand is right ‘for people like me’.

Brand loyalty, once an integral part of the Irish wine market, is facing a huge challenge. The Irish consumer tended to be comfortable with their chosen brand and that led to regular repeat purchases.

However, the last six months have seen a radical change.

Recent consumer research indicates that almost 60% of consumers place price ahead of brand, grape variety or region when purchasing a wine; meaning that brand affinity and brand loyalty, once key factors, no longer have the same influence.

Anecdotally, this is borne out by my own experience of sampling wine in the multiples. I have seen first-hand the customer sample and enjoy a wine on promotion, but when asked if they would purchase when the wine is returned to its normal sale price, the answer was most emphatically that they would not. The consumer tends to move from offer to offer: selling a bottle of wine

these days is all about the price.

The brand owners have to get their pricing right, especially now that the customer is particularly price sensitive.

Ireland now has the highest excise levels in the EU and as a result is one of the most expensive countries to purchase wine. There is currently a 28% difference between the Irish and UK excise rates. Coupled with a VAT difference of 3%, there is real potential that consumers could return to purchasing wine in Northern Ireland and abroad. Currently, approximately 50% of the cost of an average bottle of wine goes to the Exchequer. The average price for a bottle of wine on the Irish

market in 2012 was €7.72 (Source: Irish Wine Association June 2013).

While the volume end of the market is important, the key potential for the wine market is to extend brand value by encouraging the consumer to trade up.

Countries like Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, USA and some European producers are offering stylish good quality wines in the €13+ price point. This price point has seen a small increase in sales. Education is the key here: the industry is working to promote these wines and most are finding good homes in the independent off licence sector, where specialised knowledge and trained staff are a key selling point.

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© 2012 Gallo Family Vineyards, Modesto, CA All Rights Reserved

70|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

On The Vine McGuigan: Australia (Barry & Fitzwilliam) McGuigan wines continue to outperform the Irish market, with the flagship McGuigan Black Label proving particularly popular.

The big brand news for 2013 is that McGuigan now tops the Irish brand chart. The flagship brand is the McGuigan Black Label, which includes a number of key varietals, including a sparkling wine. Last year they launched their Semillion Blanc in Dublin at the City Vineyards. McGuigan spent a considerable amount on this innovative wine marketing event and it certainly paid off.

2012 was a great year for McGuigan, Neil McGuigan was voted best wine maker for the second time by IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition), which helped to increase his profile. McGuigan’s policy of offering great support to their retail partners also helped enormously in terms of raising the visibility for the McGuigan brands. Their promotion initiatives, coupled with good offers, resulted in a huge sales upsurge, which was no mean feat!

Blossom Hill: California

(Gleeson Incorporating Gilbeys)

this has helped to keep them on top during the last five years. Their range includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, White Grenache and of course, the much loved White Zinfandel. They are widely available and brand recognition is very strong. They are actively involved in promotion and sponsorship of key events, which helps to keep the brand visible and fashionable.

brand which enjoys enormous recognition with the Irish consumer. The brand also has great visibility and a very good distribution range.

Jacob’s Creek: Australia

(Irish Distillers/Pernod Ricard)

Santa Rita: Chile

(Gleeson Incorporating Gilbeys) The hugely popular Santa Rita 120 brand.

Santa Rita has a reputation for making some of the most internationally acclaimed wines from Chile and it is the leading Chilean wine brand in Ireland. Premium wines are also strong with this label, including Casa Real, Medalla Real, Pehuen and Floresta, all produced from the company’s own vineyards in Limari, Casablanca, Leyda, Maipo and Curico Valleys. One key factor in their success has been highlighting the Irish links with their Santa Rita Heroes promotion.

Santa Rita Estates also work closely with the trade to educate and inform about the emerging wine styles, the quality of the vineyard sites, as well as other innovations. This focus on education and promotion for all categories, from entry level to premium wines, is the reason why Santa Rita is the strongest Chilean wine brand on the Irish market.

Wolf Blass: Australia (Findlater

The much loved White Zinfandel from Blossom Hill, one of the best selling wines in Ireland.

Wine & Spirit Group)

North American wine brands are still a strong feature of the Irish wine industry. Californian wine still holds much appeal for the female wine consumer, who is the main source of wine purchases in Ireland.

Blossom Hill focus on key grape varieties and

The hugely popular Wolf Blass brand moved last year to its new home with Findlater Wine & Spirit Group and continues to perform extremely well for both Wolf Blass and their second label, Eagle Hawk. Wolf Blass is perceived by the consumer to be a “quality wine” and the consumer likes to purchase the premium wines from this range for special occasions. This is a very strong premium Australian

The Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest range caters to consumer demand for lower alcohol wines.

Jacob’s Creek, another of Australia’s iconic wine brands, has maintained its 2012 position. Last year, the brand entered the lighter/low alcohol market with its Cool Harvest range, in response to the consumer demand for lower alcohol wines. They have been keeping away from bargain bin offers and have been emphasising their midprice range. The Cool Harvest range comes in three varietals, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino (a Spanish grape variety) and a Rosé wine. In terms of price and quality, it offers great flavour and is one of the best of the lower alcohol offerings.

Casillero Del Diablo: Chile

(Richmond Marketing) The second key Chilean brand from Conchy y Toro, has, as predicted last year, made a huge jump in sales since moving to Richmond Marketing. The flagship brand of Concha y Toro, Casillero del Diablo (Castle of the Devil) has succeeded well in both the UK and Ireland, thanks to the current multi-channel TV advertising campaign. Diablo wines have also received more than 125 awards from global internationally recognised wine competitions, including 13 Gold med-

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On The Vine als and 30 Silver medals. The winery has come along way since Don Melchor first planted his vines in the Maipo Valley in 1830.

Torres: Spain

(Findlater Wine & Spirit Group)

Torres has established a niche as Spain’s best known producer. They have a solid reputation for producing good, affordable wines such as Vina Sol and Sangre de Toro. Some of their best known brand names include Coronas, Atrium, and Vina Esmeralda.

Its most acclaimed wine is Coronas Mas la Planta which is made in the Penedes region from Cabernet Sauvignon. In recent years, Torres have also purchased vineyards in the DO’s of Priorat, Jumilla, Ribero del Duero and Rioja. They also operate a Chilean winery called Santa Digna. Torres is one of the Spanish wine industry’s greatest success stories.

JP Chenet: France

(Groupe GCF Les Grand Chais de France, www.lgcf.com)

The JP Chenet range has very wide distribution here and their entry level wines perform well. Sales of French wine have seen a considerable improvement in 2013, showing a good increase in all sectors in both volume and value terms. JP Chenet produce an everyday French wine brand that can compete with the New World on its own terms. The distinctive crooked bottle shape known as Josephine has its own customised bottling line and makes this wine brand stand out on the shelf. The varietal core range, including Cabernet/Syrah, Merlot, Colombard/Chardonnay, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache/ Cinsault Rosé, all perform well on this market.

Vina Carmen: Chile

(Gleeson Incorporating Gilbeys) Vina Carmen moved to Gleeson Incorporating Gilbeys in 2012 and has performed extremely well.

Vina Carmen moved to Gleeson Incorporating Gilbeys in 2012 and has performed extremely well. Part of the

Santa Rita stable, Carmen has always held on to its mid-priced and premium status and its pricing reflects this.

E&J Gallo: California

(10 International)

in 1861. The Faustino brand, launched here in 1960, is one of the best known internationally and is the best selling Rioja in Ireland – appreciated particularly for its price/quality value. The entry level wine Faustino VII has good brand recognition and the Gran Reserva Faustino I is a must stock. Faustino accounts for one in every three bottles of Rioja wine sold in Ireland.

Hardy’s: Australia (Barry & Fitzwilliam)

The Gallo range includes the massively popular Gallo Family Vineyards range.

The Gallo Family is one of the most famous in the wine industry, with 10 members across three generations still working in the industry. They have about 60 brands in their portfolio but California remains the heart of the business. Gallo have innovated with Summer Red, a Zinfandel/Pinot Noir blend, launched on the Irish market last year. Gallo run their own office in Ireland headed up by Philip Lynch.

The flagship brands include Gallo Family Vineyards and Turning Leaf, both in the mid-price category. The Barefoot brand is also part of their portfolio. E & J Gallo work in partnership with 10 International, who handle their national distribution.

Cono Sur: Chile (Findlater Wine & Spirit Group)

Cono Sur is part of the Concha y Toro company in Chile. Here, Cono Sur continues to go from strength to strength. The company’s green credentials, clever marketing and clear concise labelling have all helped to create greater awareness for this brand.

Faustino: Spain

(Gleeson Incorporating Gilbeys)

Bodegas Faustino is a family run estate which was founded Faustino I: the Gran Reserva is a must-stock.

Quality, flavour and character remain the cornerstones of Hardy’s contemporary wines, while respect for Hardy family history ensures the wines benefit from the lessons of long tradition. The Hardy’s range includes Hardy’s Nottage Hill and The Riddle, good performers in the mid-price sector and mostly single varietal and blends.

They also have a range of premium wines, the Private Bin Hardy's: hugely popular in Ireland. collection.

Rosemount: Australia

(Richmond Marketing)

The distribution of Rosemont was taken over by Richmond Marketing in January 2013. One of Australia’s best known wineries, Rosemount Estate is best known for its distinctive Diamond Label wines.

Oyster Bay: New Zealand

(Delegat’s Wine Estate) Delegat’s Wine Estate produce this wine and the company set up its own distribution network in Ireland in 2011, managed by Dave Kelly. Oyster Bay continues to perform well here in Ireland and the future should bring more of the same. The 2013 New Zealand grape harvest has been completed, with winemakers across the country heralding it as one of the best vintages in history.

72|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Staff Theft

Staff Theft: How to Handle It!

With staff theft on the rise, Linda Hynes, Leman Solicitors, advises on the steps to take if it happens to you.

EMPLOYEE theft is on the up and security experts predict that this trend will continue to rise. While alarm and CCTV systems go a long way towards protecting your business from shoplifting and burglary, what do you do if it is one of your own stealing from you?

Pre-Employment Screening Loss prevention research shows that the highest risk employees are those with less than a year’s service, as well as part time employees who do not have a stake in the business. The amount of work you put into your hiring procedures will pay off

in the end. Ask questions in your application forms and interviews about previous roles and disciplinary action but make sure you are asking the same questions of all candidates to avoid potential discrimination claims.

Offers of employment can be made conditional on rel-

Linda Hynes, Leman Solicitors.

evant references and checks being carried out. These items should be followed up ASAP. Candidates should be clearly advised of what information will be checked and what data is being processed in order to give their consent. Don’t rely on any sources that you don’t trust. Make sure you give the applicant an opportunity to explain any information that is not favourable. State in the employment contract/ application forms that if any false information was provided at interview or application stage, this will lead to dismissal.

Procedures The importance of procedures cannot be underestimated. Take the example of a sports retailer in Donegal

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Staff Theft who became suspicious when stocktaking showed up some anomalies.

Having been away from the store for a day, the owner checked his security cameras when he returned and caught one of his staff pocketing cash from a friend who “bought” sunglasses.

Following some further incidents, the employee was ultimately dismissed for gross misconduct. Two years later, the employee brought a successful claim for unfair dismissal. How did it happen? In one word – procedures. The EAT found that although the employee had stolen the goods, the employer had not followed fair procedures in investigating the case and disciplining the employee.

This is a common problem for employers – they have a bad employee but move too hastily and end up with an award against them.

Prevention is always better than cure. Look at your security procedures and your staff handbook. Are there any gaps? Is there enough detail about what will happen?

It is perfectly legitimate for retailers to implement a search policy for staff entering and leaving shops. In White – v – Cadbury an employee was dismissed for refusing to submit to a search. The EAT found that while the search procedures were in order, the employee should have been given the opportunity to make his case prior to dismissal. While he was successful in his claim, he received no compensation because of his contribution to dismissal.

In Sharon Donohue –v – Professional Contract Services, the EAT held it was unreasonable for the employee not to submit to a search of her bag and her ultimate dismissal because of this was fair. In that case, the employer had very clear search provisions in the contract of employment. If you don’t have a search policy in your handbook/ contract, now is the time to bring it in.

The Watcher Using CCTV to prevent and record theft has been around a long time.

However, using it to monitor your employees raises complicated issues about their right to privacy in the workplace.

Whilst you can legitimately install cameras throughout your shop to watch your customers and staff, you must make sure that you have signs informing people that they are under surveillance and that you do not use hidden cameras to watch your staff.

Use of CCTV is regulated under Data Protection legislation. Consent is key. The commissioner constantly reminds employers that use of such CCTV cannot be excessive and the purpose for collecting data must be clear to the employee. If you are going to use CCTV to monitor staff, they must be informed about it. This can be through signage, policies and internal communications. The use of hidden cameras

to watch staff is only permitted in very limited cases where the data is being used for the purpose of preventing, detecting or investigating offences, or apprehending or prosecuting offenders. This means the Gardaí must be involved (or you must intend to involve them). Any such use should be checked in advance with your legal advisor and can only be for a short period.

In a particular case relating to the use of CCTV in the Gresham Hotel, a supervisor was called to a meeting with management and showed compromising footage of cash handling issues. The footage was taken with covert cameras over the till area. The supervisor had never been informed that any such monitoring or investigation was taking place. The supervisor was dismissed.

The Data Protection Commissioner reviewed the complaint by the employee and stated that use of hidden cameras to watch staff is only permitted in very limited cases, as above. The Gresham Hotel were held to have unfairly processed the employee’s data.

Disciplinary policies should clearly state that CCTV footage may be reviewed as part of any investigation into misconduct.

Caught Red Handed: What Should Happen Next?

There will generally be a sense of anger if you catch a staff member stealing from you. In the heat of the moment, mistakes can be made and often em-

ployers rush to a decision to dismiss, only to end up at the wrong end of an unfair dismissal claim. Showing employees the door immediately is not the way to go. It is best to take a deep breath and a measured approach to avoid any nasty surprises down the line. If you have uncovered evidence of theft, you need to consider (a) your discipline procedures and (b) whether you need to involve the Gardaí.

Get Your Procedures Right Most staff handbooks provide for an investigation procedure with suspension (on full pay) and this should be considered as your first step. You need to make sure that you have your facts right before taking any action. In one case, a former Ann Summers employee, who claimed she had been publicly accused of trying to steal a French maid’s outfit from the shop, was awarded €17,000 damages for defamation. She claimed an accusation had been made out loud in front of staff and customers.

Once an investigation has been completed, there should be a disciplinary hearing, with all evidence being provided in advance to the employee.

Hearings should be independent of investigations and there should be an opportunity for the employee to put their side of the story across and to appeal any decision. In many smaller businesses, there may not be a sufficient number of management levels to allow for this. If that is the case, you

74|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Staff Theft should tailor the process to suit your business.

The key element is that the employee is given a fair opportunity to review the evidence and make his or her case. Where necessary, consider appointing an external independent investigator to keep your procedure as clean as possible. Where an employee admits guilt, it may not be necessary to carry out the same level of investigation but you should still allow the employee to make submissions on what happened and why they should not be dismissed.

Mitigating circumstances should be taken into account when arriving at your decision.

The importance of procedures is clear from Raymond Roche – v – Tesco. The employee was a charge hand in the supermarket who had 18 years’ service without any disciplinary issues. He was accused of stealing 40 cigarettes. He took them out of a locked cabinet and concealed them beneath a pair of gloves before putting them into his pocket.

Later, he stated he simply forgot to pay for them. Staff purchase policy dictated that employees pay on purchase/ selection, but it was possible to pay at a later stage. The events were recorded by the security officer on CCTV. The employee was approached by the security officer and duty manager and asked to review the CCTV footage. At this meeting, the employee voluntary emptied his pockets. The security officer said to the duty manager that the employee should be suspended.

The duty manager sent the employee home and told him that the personnel manager would contact him. The store manager was satisfied that all employees knew the company’s policies. Before deciding to dismiss the employee, the store manager took into account his long service, he spoke to the employee’s previous managers and the employee relations officer. The employee relations officer

–v – Supermacs, the employer notified Gardaí about its suspicion against an employee. The employee was approached by Gardaí while entering work a few days later. He was questioned about missing cash lodgements and CCTV footage and subsequently arrested.

While in custody, his home was searched by Gardaí.

The employee was released and arrived for work two days later. He was phoned by the general manager and told not to enter the premises and go home. He was subsequently dismissed in a disciplinary meeting, of which he had received no notice in writing. The EAT noted that all theft charges had been dropped against the employee. The EAT criticised the employers for being too hasty in their conclusions that the employee was responsible for missing cash lodgements. The EAT noted that if a thorough investigation had been conducted, a number of people could have been responsible for the theft and awarded €32,000 for a failure to follow fair procedures. later heard the employee’s appeal. The EAT held it was reasonable for the employer to accept the employee did not intend to pay for the cigarettes. It was also held that the employee was in breach of the Company Honesty Policy and his dismissal was substantively fair. However, because the store manager had consulted the Employee Relations Officer and then appointed him to hear the employee’s appeal, this made the dismissal procedurally unfair. The employee’s case succeeded but he was only awarded €2,000 as he made a substantial contribution to his dismissal. Whilst the cost of the award was limited financially, the employer also incurred legal and management time costs.

Can I Call the Gardaí?

Statistical reports show that ‘employee theft’ accounted for 36.8% (€166.7m worth of items) of shrinkage in 2009 in Ireland, the highest

rate in Europe. Involving the Gardaí whilst you are disciplining an employee can cause difficulties. If the Gardaí have been involved, the employee can refuse to answer questions in an investigation, for fear of self-incrimination. The courts have also allowed a disciplinary procedure to be put on hold whilst criminal proceedings are underway.

Therefore, you may need to suspend any internal investigation while the Gardaí investigate. If a crime has been committed, you can of course contact the Gardaí but the timing of this notification is critical.

In a recent case involving Lidl, an employee was convicted of carrying out a series of 21 thefts that amounted to €2,000 over a three week period. The judge held the employee had to repay the money to Lidl along with a fine. Failure to repay the money would lead to a prison sentence. In Mason

Key Tips & Traps • Review your discipline procedures. Make sure they deal clearly with theft as gross misconduct.

• Don’t spy on staff with hidden cameras.

• Tighten up on your policy for searches.

• Communicate your policies to the staff, from the top down.

• Always follow fair procedures when an incident arises: hasty decisions end up in the EAT. Without established procedures, you are exposed to potential claims – even where that employee is caught red-handed!

About The Author LINDA Hynes is an Associate with Leman Solicitors and advises a large number of retail clients on employment law. She can be contacted at (01) 6393000 or lhynes@leman.ie Further information on the firm can be found at www.leman.ie

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76|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Music Use In-Store

Brendan Griffin, Director of Licensing, IMRO

Striking the Right Note with Customers If you play music in your store via radio, TV etc, you need an IMRO licence, according to Brendan Griffin, Director of Licensing, IMRO. IF you are playing music in your store, you need a licence from IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation) to do so.

Just like any other input into your business, musical compositions have to be paid for. When you use copyright music in your business, you must first obtain permission from the copyright owners to do so. You do this by obtaining and paying for an IMRO licence.

“It is a legal requirement,” explains Brendan Griffin, Director of Licensing, IMRO. “If you perform copyrighted music in public, and that copyrighted music is within IMRO’s repertoire, you need a licence from the copyright owner to perform that music.”

IMRO is a national organisation that administers the performing right in copyright music in Ireland on behalf of its members - songwriters, composers and music publishers - and on be-

half of the songwriters, composers and music publishers of the international overseas societies that are affiliated to it. IMRO’s function is to collect and distribute royalties arising from the public performance of copyright music.

IMRO exists to help businesses and community groups to legally access the worldwide repertoire of music in a cost effective and efficient manner, while making sure that songwriters, composers and publishers are rightly rewarded for the public use of their music.

Music Adds Value “If you want to use music in your business, you are using it for a reason: it is there to add value to your business,” Brendan notes. “It hopefully will help you to obtain customers and to retain them. It is just like any other aspect of your store, from the façade at the front,

the ambience inside or the product offering on the shelf: it is all geared towards bringing customers through the doors and retaining them. Music can help you to do that and an IMRO licence ensures that you get access to the best repertoire in the world, with every major songwriter and every major song, 365 days a year.”

So how much does it cost?

The licence fee for retail premises varies, depending on the size of the store.

Brendan explains, “For a store that is 100 square metres, the fee is €143 for the second year of the licence onwards – the first year’s fee is slightly higher – which is less than 50c per day. As the store size increases, so does the fee.

For a store that is 500 square metres, the cost is €358 per annum, and a 1000 square metre store would expect to

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Music Use In-Store

The Power of Song pay €498. However, if a premises just has a transistor radio on the counter, regardless of store size, the cost is €95 per year.”

All the money collected goes to the songwriters, once IMRO has deducted its administration costs, which are approximately 13% of money collected.

“So 87% of the money goes back to the songwriters. The way we do that is by using logs from radio stations, who are required to tell us all the music they play, alongside the charts, which let us know what music is popular in a particular year. We use these criteria to determine which songwriters get the money.”

IMRO also regularly run songwriting workshops at their premises, as well as sponsoring the IMRO Showcase Tour each year, encouraging up-andcoming songwriters and artists to perform in venues throughout Ireland.

Some retailers will argue that if they are playing their own CDs, which they bought, they should not have to pay a licence fee. This, however, is not the case.

“If you are performing music in public, which is anywhere outside the home, the owner of that song (the songwriter) is entitled to be recognised and recompensed for their endeavours,” Brendan notes. “If you look at the small print on a CD, for example, you will see that the CD is sold for use in a private or domestic setting and not for public performance.”

The Fee Structure Given the straitened nature of our economy and the pressures on businesses, particularly those in the retail sector, who have seen margins

 90% of people would select a shop that was playing music over one that was not.  60% of customers agree they would spend more time in a shop if they hear music they like.  55% would be more likely to return to a store that plays music they like.  23% would be prepared to pay 5% more for goods if music was being played while they shopped.  84% of shoppers like shops that play in-store music.  63% agree that playing music encourages customers to spend longer in-store.  79% say music helps create a better atmosphere for customers.

(Source: www.musicworksforyou.com)

squeezed relentlessly, many retailers argue that there are too many licences needed to operate in Ireland and that the cost of these licences is disproportionately high. Have IMRO looked at their fee structure, given the difficult trading environment?

“All our fees are linked to inflation,” Brendan says, “so when we had deflation a few years back, our fees fell.

Inflation is very small at the moment, so our fee increases will be minimal.

We are very aware that all sectors of the Irish economy are struggling.

We’re all aware of the amount of retail businesses who have closed. If you walk down any main street around the country, you can see vacant units, so we have lost that business. Hopefully, these retailers will come back as the

economy turns.

“If the economy goes up, we rise with it, as we did during the Celtic Tiger years: if it falls, we fall, which we have done over the last five years.”

Reducing the Administrative Burden When it comes to music, a store must have an IMRO licence and also a licence from the PPI (Phonographic Performance Ireland), who represent the owners of the recordings (i.e. the record companies). IMRO are part of the steering group of licensing authorities established by Minister of State for Small Business John Perry TD, which aims to rationalise the amount of licences retail outlets need to operate in Ireland.

“We are delighted to contribute to that system, to reduce the administrative burden on retailers,” Brendan explains. “If we can help in that regard, we will do so.”

The Director of Licensing concludes by stressing the value of music to a store owner: “Music can help to retain customers in a store for longer, so they are browsing for longer and thus, it increases potential sales. There is no doubt that music brings value to the owner of the premises. If it brings value, there is a value to it, and that is why we represent songwriters in a fair, transparent and reasonably priced manner.”

IF you have any query regarding your need to hold an IMRO licence, please contact the IMRO licensing department at 01 6614844, email licensing@imro.ie or see www.imro.ie/music-users/

78|Retail News|September 2013|www.retailnews.ie

Shelf Life PICTURED at the launch of Maxol's Wash for Wishes carwash fundraising week, which ran from September 9-15, in aid of Make-A-Wish Ireland were (l-r): Brian Donaldson, Chief Operating Officer, The Maxol Group; Jake Shanley, aged 5, from Ballycullen; Ken Doherty, professional snooker player and Make-A-Wish Ireland's longest standing Ambassador; and Susan O'Dwyer, CEO, Make-AWish Ireland. During the week, motorists availed of Maxol carwash facilities at participating service stations in the knowledge that €2 from every carwash will be donated directly to Make-A-Wish Ireland.

ALDI tasted sweet success recently as its own-brand Kilcree Gold Organic Honey, supplied by Healy’s Honey of Ballincollig, Co. Cork, beat a host of leading big brands at the upmarket international Great Taste Awards, to receive a three gold stars rating.

The highest accolade possible at the Awards, the three gold stars rating means the judging panel of 405 experts found the honey to be “exquisite, outstanding and virtually faultless”. This award winning honey is available for just €2.79 / 340g at Aldi’s 101 Irish stores – at a fraction of the cost of branded products. Aldi had its strongest performance to-date at the Great Taste Awards, with its own-brand product range winning a total of 59 titles this year.

RETAILERS nation-wide will get a unique insight into futuristic technologies which are revolutionising the industry, driving down costs and improving customer experiences as part of a free showcase event in October hosted by leading service provider, VisionID. The Automated Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) experts are hosting the ‘Experience is Everything’ open event for retailers at City West on October 22. All of VisionID’s key staff, regional sales teams and industry partners from Motorola and Zebra Technologies will be on hand from 9.30am until the early afternoon to help existing clients and interested retailers learn how they too can improve their operations and achieve better results. While admission is free, intending delegates are urged to book their place by logging on to www.visionid.ie and completing a short entry form.

GLAD is asking Irish consumers to join its ‘Save Food Save Taste’ campaign, part of a pioneering European initiative aimed at reducing food waste. On average, Irish people waste approx 30% of food annually, which is higher than European levels of food waste. GLAD is providing its own tips on better buying, storage and food management techniques to cut down on food waste through its Facebook page www.facebook.com/SaveFoodIreland. GLAD is also pledging its support to the Crosscare Food Bank by providing Crosscare with food preparation and storage products to help with its charitable food distribution service.

Pictured are (l-r): Rory Hogarty, GLAD, and Michael McDonagh from Crosscare at the Crosscare Foodbank in Portland Row, Dublin 1.

FUTURE in Food Ireland, which takes place in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on November 20, is a unique event organised by Environment & Energy Management magazine and Certification Europe, which will highlight the challenges and benefits to Irish food companies transitioning to a more sustainable enterprise. Reducing energy costs, carbon footprint and waste during the processing of food stuffs can have a significant impact on the profitability of a facility!

Additionally, as food manufacturers' and their clients' supply chains become more and more entwined, they find themselves under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. For more information, see www.futureinfood. ie or call 046 9773434.

The 19th annual Listowel Food Fair is on from November 21-24, 2013.

The organisers have moved the popular festival to later in the year so as to give it a festive theme, which will focus on tastes of the season and the very best of locally sourced food and producers. Highlights will include a cookery demonstration with top chef Simon Regan on the opening night and a packed weekend programme of workshops for all ages and levels, including cookery competitions and the craft fair on Sunday, November 24. The prestigious Listowel Food Fair Awards, including ‘The Best Emerging Food Products‘ make a welcome return again this year. Bord Bia remain a committed and valued sponsor.

CONGRATULATIONS to the following readers, who are all winners courtesy of Retail News. Geraldine Freeney from Lucan in Dublin wins a weekend in the Radisson Blu and Darren Keating from Eirespan Distribution wins a full-day meeting for up to 24 people in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.

Finallly, congratulations to the winners of the Newspread competition. Ray McInerney from SPAR in Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, won €200 to spend with Newspread; Deirdre Delaney from EUROSPAR Portlaoise, has won €100 Newspread credit; while the four winners of €50 credit each are: Carl McDonagh, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin; June Corcoran, June’s Daybreak, Navan, Co. Meath; Cathal Cullen, from Buncrana, Co. Donegal; and Paul Boggan, Boggan’s, Rosslare Strand, Co. Wexford.

MOY Park received a staggering total of 20,000 entries for its all-Ireland ‘Trip to Dubai’ competition, which offered one lucky winner the chance to ‘wing it’ to the popular holiday destination for a week-long luxury break. The competition ran on all Moy Park products in Ireland from April to June and was supported by a fully integrated marketing campaign. Pictured with ‘Moy P’, the Moy Park mascot is competition winner, Angela Curran from Dungannon, who won the coveted luxury trip for two to Dubai, and Briege Finnegan, Brand Marketing Manager, Moy Park.

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