Retail News March 2009

March 2009

RRP

€1.50 Airwaves is the 2nd largest chewing gum brand worth €6.3m in RSV* 77% of the Airwaves chewers questioned would buy the new Go Pack**

DISPLAY HOTLINE 01866 7900 | WWW.WRIGLEY-TRADE.CO.UK *Source: ACNielsen 52 w/e 07.09.08 **Source: TNS online Bus Study March 2008

March09Contents

■ inside view

Big Brands Walking Tall This month, RETAIL NEWS celebrates some of the biggest brands in the entire Irish grocery spectrum. The iconic Persil brand is celebrating a century of providing Irish and UK consumers with cutting edge washing detergents. We look back on the famous brand’s first century in the public eye and Marketing Manager, Dermot Walsh explains how important Irish retailers have been to Persil’s ongoing success here (Page 22).

One brand to enter the Irish market far more recently is Walkers, whose crisp and snack brands hit our shores in 2000, but have had a tremendous impact in terms of reinvigorating the entire sector. Nicola Wells, Walkers Marketing Manager, explains the secrets behind the brand’s success and talks us through some of the biggest developments in the sector over the coming year (Page 34).

We also look at the biggest names in Baby Care (Page 28), Pizza (Page 40) and the Irish brands guaranteed to fly off your shelves this year, recession or not (Pae 42).

Meanwhile, retail consultant Karen Meenan examines the latest ABC figures for magazine sales and points to the must-stock titles for men, women and children (Page 18).

In our news section (Page 4-9), Chief News Reporter Pavel Barter uncovers the latest developments in the ongoing dispute between newsagents and the Sunday Independent, as well as reporting on Marks & Spencer’s decision to increase employee pay, while rumours persist that Asda is on course to enter the Irish grocery sector.

Kathleen Belton, Editorial & Marketing Director.

“Celebrating 50 years serving the Irish grocery trade.”

Managing Director: Fergus Farrell Editorial & Marketing Director: Kathleen Belton, email: kathleenbelton@tarapublishingco.com Editor: John Walshe

johnwalshe@tarapublishingco.com

Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter

Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen

Advertising Manager: Aaron Stewart

Advertising Executive: David Kelly

T A R A Published by: Tara Publishing Co. Ltd., Poolbeg House, 1/2 Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 2413095. Fax: (01) 2413010.

Web: www.retailnews.ie Email: retailnews@tarapublishingco.com Subscription to Retail News: €110 plus VAT Email: tracy@tarapublishingco.com Origination by: Rooney Media Graphics

Printed by: Graham & Heslip

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Win a Sensational Night at the Sensations TV Now Awards To celebrate the stylish new look of Walkers Sensations, we have teamed up with Walkers to bring you a truly “sensational” prize… A VIP night out for two at this year’s stylish Sensations TV Now Awards. The event which attracts a host of Irish and international celebrities will be broadcast on TV3.

NEW

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Walkers Sensations, now come in the following mouth-watering flavours: Buffalo Mozzarella & Herbs, Thai Sweet Chilli, Vintage Cheddar & Onion Chutney, Balsamic Vinegar & Caramelised Onion, Roasted Chicken & Thyme

To be in with a chance to win this great competition for tickets to the Sensations TV NOW Awards just answer the following question..

Q: NAME ONE FLAVOUR FROM THE WALKERS SENSATIONS RANGE?

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Answers on a postcard, together with your name, address, telephone number to Sensations TV Now Awards Competition, Tara Publishing, Poolbeg House, 1-2 Poolbeg St., Dublin 2 or email your answer to retailnews@tarapublishingco.com.

IN

Closing date for entries is April 8th 2009.

Terms and conditions apply.

Judges’s decision is final.

March09Contents

Contents March 2009

News 4 Sunday Independent

Beer Market 15 Keith O’Haire,

Dispute Escalates; Asda On the Way?

Marketing Manager, Gleeson Group, on the continued success of Bavaria in the Irish market.

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Shop Profile 16 Michael Scully’s Mace store on Dublin’s South Circular Road has been transformed from a small corner shop into a shining example of modern convenience retailing.

NCA Price Survey 20 The National Consumer Association’s latest grocery price survey confirms Irish consumers’ move to own brand goods, as well as showing an increasing price gap between multiple retailers.

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into Retail Sector; Consumers Confused Over Food Labelling.

Shelf Life 48 All the latest news and

Inspections; Centra Celebrates 30th Birthday.

100 Years Of Persil 22 The iconic Persil brand

7 Ban on Tobacco Display to

is celebrating 100 years in Ireland and the UK.

Cost Smaller Retailers; M&S Raises Salaries and Hopes.

8 SuperValu Scores on Food

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Safety; IFA Calls for Retailer Code of Practice.

9 Retailers Seeking Rent Reductions.

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on the quality of Californian wines currently available here in Ireland, while also recommending some wines for Easter.

supporting Irish suppliers is vital for the long-term future of the grocery sector.

ines the most recent ABC sales figures for magazines and advises on the bestsellers in each category.

6 NSAI Intensifies Retail

On The Vine 38 Jean Smullen reports

Buying Irish 42 More than ever before,

News Rack 18 Karen Meenan exam5 Minister Calls for Study

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The Retail News Interview 34 Nicola Wells, Marketing Manager, Walkers, on why the crisps and snacks market could be recession-proof and the steps Walkers are taking to safeguard the sector into the future.

gossip from the trade.

Regulars 10 Industry News 37 Drinks News 47 What’s New Sectoral Reports 25 Household Care 28 Baby Care & Food 32 Easter 40 Pizza 45 Seafood 3

March09News

Sunday Independent Dispute Escalates RETAILERS have been at loggerheads with The Sunday Independent over a change in trading terms. RETAIL NEWS spoke to a Dublin newsagent who claimed that the Independent's margin profit cut led to a mass boycott of the newspaper on Sunday, March 1, after which vendors sold the paper outside the doors of newsagents, without consultation with the proprietors.

According to the source, the Independent cuts amounted to a loss in sales of around €1000.

“The Independent might need to make internal cutbacks, but they are making it off our backs,” he said. However, the

newsagents have boycotted the newspaper, however. “The Galway area is probably ahead of Dublin, they've been doing this long before we were,” revealed our source. “Dublin rode in about two weeks ago. I know we have a fairly comprehensive text messaging system going and we know what's happening every week... This is the most militant thing I've ever seen in my time.”

The stand-off led to a meeting between Sunday Independent representatives and retailers. Vincent Jennings, Chief Executive of the Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association (CSNA) said it remains to be seen whether or not the newspaper will reverse their decision over the change in trading margins.

“The meeting led to an agreement that all retailers would sell the product next Sunday and would go into further discussion to consolidate and plan various points that had been made during the course of the meeting,” Jennings explained. “It's work in progress. People put a Herculean amount of work into the negotiations. The proof of the pudding will be whatever comes through it. You have to give credit to the Independent for accepting they had a case to answer.”

Meanwhile, at the time of going to press, another newspaper and retail group find themselves at loggerheads. The Irish Times is unavailable for purchase in Dunnes Stores, after the newspaper accused the retailer of failing to honour standard terms and conditons relating to payments. The Irish Times wrote a letter to Dunnes Stores CEO, Margaret Heffernan, saying that the multiple group had cancelled its weekly direct debit payment on February 6, 2009, with no notification received by the newspaper prior to this cancellation. Dunnes Stores responded with another letter, noting that it is now their standard procedure to pay daily newspapers by cheque on a monthly basis, with no further direct debits to be made.

Asda On the Way? Vincent Jennings, CSNA Chief Executive.

boycott was not well received, with vendors allegedly selling the newspapers outside retailers’ premises.

“Last Sunday, we had a guy selling The Sunday Independent outside our shop - they arrived in vans to Swords, Raheny and other places,” said the source, who reacted to the vendors by having his son stand outside the store explaining to customers that there is a dispute on and urging them not to purchase the paper.

It is not just in the capital that 4

RUMOURS persist that Asda are setting up shop in Ireland, after WalMart, the giant American retailer who owns the supermarket chain in the UK, set up a number of Irish internet domain names. The registered sites include asda.ie, walmart.ie, and samsclub.ie.

Asda has been aggressively expanding in the UK, with a plan to open 14 new stores, and create 7,000 jobs, over the next year.

March09News

Minister Calls for Study into Retail Sector MINISTER for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Mary Coughlan TD, has asked the Competition Authority to carry out a study of the Irish retail sector to find out why goods and services cost more in the Republic. Speaking at the Fianna Fáil ardfheis, the Minister noted how “this study will examine how that sector operates, how competition works and whether any practice or method of competition affects the supply and distribution of goods within that sector.”

The Minister stated that despite the levels of activity around the issue, she was still “unhappy about the situation and believe that all links in the retail chain are not playing their full part in ensuring that there is the greatest possible degree of transparency as to the reasons for the current North/South price differentials. This is particularly concerning, given the possible impact on the national economy in terms of loss of employment, loss of trade, loss of revenue to the exchequer and loss of value to the consumer.”

The Minister noted that retailers in

Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Mary Coughlan TD.

the Border area are “under significant pressure because of the euro-sterling exchange rate”, while also acknowledging that “to survive the current cycle, many, in particular small independent retailers, are providing some of the best value available in the State.” However, she warned those retailers “not provid-

ing fair value” that she will continue to pursue the issue “until such time as I am satisfied that the Irish consumer is getting a fair deal and achieving value for money when doing their weekly shop.”

The new study follows on from submissions made to the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the same issue, as reported in the last issue of RETAIL NEWS. The Competition Authority study will examine: - How the retail related import/distribution sector operates and how competition works in that sector; - Whether any practice or method of competition affects the supply and distribution of goods within that sector; - The impact on competition within the sector of direct importation from source countries, rather than indirectly through the UK. The Tánaiste has requested that the Competition Authority deliver its report

by April 30, 2009.

Consumers Confused Over Food Labelling?

A MASSIVE 45% of consumers do not read food labelling, a new study reveals.

As part of a survey by the Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF), which spoke to 536 consumers in supermarkets across Ireland, only 20% “always read” labels and 24.1% “sometimes” check them. Older people are less label-conscious – 52% of over-50's “never” read labels – while women are more nutritionally aware than men, according to the report. Nevertheless, 88% of consumers found products that list Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) “useful in making informed choices”. A GDA label reveals the foodstuff 's proportion of recommended levels of nutrients such as fat, salt, sugar and calories.

“Historically, people found food labelling confusing,” Dr Muireann Cullen, NHF manager, told RETAIL NEWS. “As a result, they may have attempted to avoid it. But the industry has done a lot to make it easier for people to compare products, and make informed, healthier choices.

Realistically, consumers are under time

constraints and are not going to spend half an hour looking at labels every time they go into the shop. In that situation, I'd say just look at one product each week.”

Although labelling guidelines are currently under review at EU levels, Cullen says that most manufacturers are doing a decent job and the onus is on consumers to inform themselves: “The better informed we are, the better the choices we will make. Also, you can influence products and product development. Manufacturers are aware of what consumers want, but a change in buying patterns influences as well.”

Education is crucial to help more consumers choose healthier food, the survey concluded. Cullen suggests the NHF website (www.nutritionandhealth.ie), which features an interactive “food label”, explains ingredient listings and pertinent details .

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March09News

NSAI Intensifies Retail Inspections THE National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) has announced they are to intensify their inspection of retailers, importers and packers of pre-packaged goods over the next three years. As part of the newly launched NSAI strategy for 2009-2011, entitled Enabling Enterprise Excellence, LMS (Legal Metrology Service) inspection activity will be increased, especially in the case of prepackaged products.

The NSAI will work closely with other regulatory authorities such as the National Consumer Agency and Food Safety Authority to heighten confidence in trade measurements, by ensuring they are accurate and compliant with legal requirements, giving consumers further confidence that they are receiving the correct quantity of a product that they are paying for. It is the aim of the NSAI to conduct a minimum of 4,000 instrument inspections a year.

So just how will intensified retail inspection specifically impact on the grocery sector? How it will impact on suppliers?

“While the focus of inspection is on ensuring that consumers can have confidence in trade measurements, equity in trade benefits buyers and sellers alike,” Maurice Buckley, Chief Executive, NSAI, told RETAIL NEWS. “The effect on retail business is more evident when the impact of non compliance is explored. Take an example of a butcher’s counter in a store, if the butcher’s weighing machines are inaccurate, resulting in the consumer being over charged for their purchase, it has a very real effect on the customer’s trust not only in the butcher counter, but also in

the fruit and vegetable weighing scales, fish counter scales etc. and may result in an overall negative experience for the consumer, which ultimately impacts on their perception of the integrity of the store. In short, the benefit to the retailer is an Pictured at the launch of NSAI’s Strategy for 2009-2011: assured confiEnabling Enterprise Excellence are (l-r): Minister for Trade dence that their and Commerce, John McGuinness TD, Maurice Buckley, Chief equipment is not Executive, NSAI and NSAI staff members in inspector uniform. over-dispensing has been type/design approved and that product, and for the consumer, inspecbefore being used, it has been verified tion offers assurance that they are getand stamped,” Buckley stressed. “Reting fair value.” verification is necessary if the instruFrom a legal stand-point there is no ment is repaired or recalibrated.” change in requirements, Buckley noted.

The penalties for non-compliance The legal responsibility for ongoing comrange from the instrument being taken pliance of measuring instruments in out of use to prosecution at a district trade or goods offered for sale rests with court or higher court for an indictable the user/trader or the packer in the case offense, with fines ranging from €1,900 of prepackaged goods. and/or 12 month imprisonment for sumInspection of one single weighing mary offenses to €13,000 and/or 2 years unit in a grocery store takes approxiimprisionment for an indictable offense. mately 30-40 minutes, but this will vary “A non-compliant measuring instrudepending on the complexity of the setment should be taken out of trade use up. Inspections typically occur every one until it is repaired and re-verified,” to two years, with greater frequency Buckley explained. “However, in pracwhere non-compliances or risk to meastice, a trader may be given a period of urement integrity are detected. grace within which to have the instru“When purchasing measuring equipment repaired and re-verified, this, ment from a manufacturer / supplier, a depending on circumstances, could gentrader should ensure that it has undererally be around two weeks.” gone conformity assessment i.e. that it

Centra Celebrates 30th Birthday CENTRA celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. The group now have 474 stores throughout the Republic of Ireland. Pictured celebrating Centra’s 30th birthday are TV personality Lucy Kennedy and Centra Council Chairman, Andrew Cross, with Michael Morgan, Centra Sales Director, and Donal Horgan, Centra Managing Director.

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March09News

Ban on Tobacco Display to Cost Smaller Retailers THE tobacco display ban will cause undue expense to retailers, specifically in its requirement of closed and sealed containers, the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) has told RETAIL NEWS. A recent survey showed that 31% of tobacco retailers currently use open displays but will be required to purchase containers when the ban is introduced at the end of June, 2008. Although tobacco companies have provided solutions for symbol groups and large stores, smaller retailers have to hire a shop-fitter. The CSNA believes this fitting is non-productive and nonprofit.

“The Association has no difficulty with the removal of tobacco advertising and Point of Sale materials,” said Vincent Jennings, CSNA Chief Executive. “But we have a problem with the closed and sealed container, funded by ourselves. There is no science, nor scientific evidence, anywhere in the world, that suggests this will assist in preventing tobacco sales to young people.

Last week, John Key, the prime minister of New Zealand, decided, in the same circumstances, to defer any talk of going to a closed and sealed container, because of the cost to small business. In the UK, they deferred it to 2012 because of the same reason: at this time, people can not

be expected to pay for something that is effectively untested.

“It's no cost to take down the posters and advertising,” he continued. “That's not a problem. But don't ask us, as small retailers, to spend significant amounts of money that we don't have on something that is marginal. Not even the Department of Health, nor the Office of Tobacco Control, would dispute the following statement: not one less pack of cigarettes will be sold as part of this expenditure.”

Jennings added that a greater focus should instead be put on the black market in cigarettes, which costs Irish shopkeepers around €45,000 in lost revenue every year.

Meanwhile, new research published by the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) shows that two in five shops continue to sell cigarettes and tobacco products to persons aged under 18.

The OTC commissioned TNS mrbi to carry out the research during 2008 and to compare the findings with baseline results from 2007. The report found that nationally, 40% of shops were willing to sell cigarettes to underage youth, with 60% refusing the sale. Compliance levels have improved somewhat since 2007, when 48% of shops were willing to sell to underage youth, with 52% refusing the sale. 54% of shops asked the children for ID in 2008 compared to 47% 12 months earlier. 96% of minors who were asked for ID were refused the sale.

M&S Raises Salaries and Hopes MARKS and Spencers’ staff are to receive a pay raise of up to 6.7% after workers union Mandate struck a deal in which the retailer committed to the terms set out in last year's national wage agreement.

“It's very much driven by our philosophy that we're not going to let anyone walk idly away from the pay deal,” Gerry Light, Mandate's assistant general secretary, told RETAIL NEWS. “We're certainly not going to allow any profitable employer to jump opportunistically on the current recession… As much as employers are claiming inability to pay, there are also those who have no regard whatsoever and believe the

National Agreement is dead.”

Under the deal, the starting rate for new M&S employees is rising to €10 per hour, up from €9.50, while existing staff, on productivity-based pay, are receiving one-off payments as a “gesture of good-will” from the retailer.

“We are quite prepared to talk to anyone who is genuinely in trouble, within the context and terms of the agreement,” said Light.

“But we will rigidly deal with anybody who thinks they can opportunistically

jump on the back of the recession in order to preserve exorbitant profit levels that were established during times of growth.”

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March09News

SuperValu Scores on Food Safety

IFA Calls for Retailer Code of Practice

Padraig Walshe, President, Irish Farmers Association.

Sean and Louise Cotter, Riordan’s SuperValu, Fermoy, receive the Supreme Quality Award from Donal Horgan, SuperValu Managing Director. Also included is Ray Bowe, Quality Manager, SuperValu, Irene Collins, MD, Excellence Ireland Quality Association and Mark Gavin, MD, Cuisine de France, awards sponsors.

Riordan’s SuperValu, Fermoy also won the National Hygiene Award at the Excellence Ireland Quality Association Awards.

SUPERVALU presented Excellence Ireland Hygiene & Food Safety Certificates to a record 180 retailers, from all over the country, who completed the National Hygiene & Food Safety programme from EIQA (Excellence Ireland Quality Association), at its annual Quality Awards held recently in the Mount Wolseley Hotel, Carlow.

Also celebrated was the fact that an unprecedented 61 SuperValu stores received the Supreme Hygiene Award.

This award recognises retailers who have consistently performed well and received top marks over a number of years in store audits.

“SuperValu stores continue to push out the boundaries of excellence in everything they do,” boasted Donal Horgan, Managing Director of SuperValu. “The brand is committed to

meeting and exceeding the highest standards of food safety. Quality is at the heart of what we do and the numbers of stores that have been awarded an EIQA Award is testament to this. The hygiene ethos is embedded in daily standards and is maintained throughout our food chain, from production right through to the supermarket shelf.

“A quality performance is about determination to constantly serve our customers to the very best of our ability.

It’s about going that extra mile, not because we have to, but because we want to. It’s about the range of food we offer, our customer service standards, our store locations and our value for money offering. It’s about knowing our shoppers in each and every one of our locations, and not only meeting but exceeding their expectations.”

Planning Ahead DUNNES Stores is closing two of its Dublin stores, including its outlet on Grafton Street and a Dundalk store, as part of new cost-cutting measures. The retailer is, however, set to open a new store in Cork.

Meanwhile, Tesco could have a second shot at a new superstore in Sligo. The retailer applied to build on a site at Carraroe in 2005, but was subsequently rejected. However, a new development plan for the town suggests that large foodstores could now be situated on the edge of town.

Finally, M&S are planning on opening two outlets in Limerick within the next three years.

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PADRAIG Walshe, president of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), has called for a retailer code of practice, giving the farmer a “fair share” of the final retail price on foodstuffs. “The producer is in a position of no margin on a lot of products at this stage,” he told RETAIL NEWS. “It's well accepted that the cost of production of milk is about 26c a litre. Prices at the moment are well below that and prospects are worse. On beef, farmers selling animals for slaughter are losing about €200 per head. Farmers are getting, on average, about 30% of retail price on various products, and it's not enough to cover the costs of farming. Costs have escalated over the last number of years, between energy and labour.”

But there are discrepancies everywhere in the current climate. Surely everyone is fighting for a piece of an increasingly diminishing pie?

“As producers, we have been continually told that the consumer wants higher quality products, good animal welfare and environmental standards,” he said. “We've complied and have done everything that has been asked of us. Hormones are no longer used in the industry; antibiotics are totally controlled under veterinary supervision. Yet supermarkets and the trade in general have no problem importing products from outside the European community that don't have anything like the same standards.”

March09News

Retailers Seeking Rent Reductions OVER 70% of Irish retailers have approached their landlords about rent reductions over the last year, according to a new report. Rent Reduction Survey, from Retail Excellence Ireland (REI), surveyed 180 of its member firms, representing more than 2,500 individual retail stores across the Republic. The report found that retail park landlords were the least flexible, with only 4% of those surveyed agreeing to a rent reduction. “Retailers are trapped in a cycle of upwards-only rent agreements, even though economic conditions are deteriorating,” REI Chief Executive David Fitzsimons told RETAIL NEWS. “We're going to see closures,” he said. “Retailers have a number of levers at their disposal. One is wage and they're actively modifying that, hence redundancies in the marketplace. The second is some of the bad practice around rent suppliers. Rent is probably the largest percentage of cost in a business in Ireland, now surpassing wage cost. It has been fundamental to the failure of a number of businesses to date. Any retailer that has signed up to leases over the last three or four years is in a dark place at the moment.”

Leases in Ireland and the UK are largely pro-landlord, with few contracts allowing for a reduction in rent.

Fitzsimons points out that a rent increase can be decided by the headline rent of any neighbouring or equivalent units. But headline rent can be manipulated: a tenant might agree to an increase, often in tandem with a rebate, in order to falsely inflate rent in other

units. This “will absolutely, definitely drive people out of business”, contends Fitzsimons.

What options do retailers have?

Compounding the problem is the fact that most retailers are required to pay rent in advance, on a quarterly basis.

Should they try to change their payment system, they risk legal proceedings: according to the REI's survey, 40% of retail park landlords have threatened their retailers with legal action if they alter their payments. REI recently met with Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern TD, and called for a code of practice that might offer a more equitable playing field.

“In the good times everyone is doing well. In the bad times, there is shared pain,” Fitzsimons notes. “But fundamentally, the landlord should also take an active role in the well-being of the development - the single-store, or what-

ever it is. In Ireland, we have had massive development – those developments have been filled at aggressive rents and individual units have been flipped to pension funds in Germany and beyond.

The interest that a German pension fund has in a shopping centre in Sligo is minimal. Many institutional landlords would be unwilling to reduce rent even slightly, on the basis that the capital value of the asset would be diluted should a reduction occur. They'd be happier to see vacancy increase, and not receive as much cash, than erode the value of the asset.”

The REI is calling for a rent reduction of around 20-50%, reflecting the various issues in the marketplace: whether or not landlords jump through this hoop remains to be seen. Regardless, Fitzsimons is optimistic, hoping to see a doubling of the number of reductions in the marketplace over the next six weeks.

Mandate Questions Dunnes Stores’ Over Redundancy Policy MANDATE trade union has written to Dunnes Stores, seeking clarification on the company’s redundancy policy. Mandate has received reports that Dunnes Stores has been offering a voluntary redundancy package equivalent to a statutory entitlement and the union have questioned the necessity of the redundancies, considering Dunnes is still a profitable company.

“We’ve written to Dunnes to seek clarification on a number of matters,” explains Mandate’s Assistant General Secretary, Gerry Light. “Firstly we want to establish whether there is a legitimate case for redundancy, and if so, it is our firm view that the financial ability of Dunnes Stores, based on current profit levels, affords an opportunity to offer terms far in excess of statutory levels when dealing with proper redundancy situations.

“If it turns out there is no reasonable ground to support a redundancy programme initiative, we must challenge the primary motive behind it and question whether management have once again placed corporate interests ahead of their workers and the common good.”

In Mandate’s letter to Dunnes, the union questions whether Dunnes are facilitating an “unnecessary transfer of individuals from the workforce to the live register”. The union is calling on the senior management and owners of Dunnes Stores, as one of the largest private sector employers in the country, to play a full role in combating the extensive range of economic challenges facing Irish society.

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March09Industry News

SuperValu to Sell €25m of Irish Lamb SUPERVALU has announced the arrival of new season spring Irish lamb across its network of 194 stores in the Republic of Ireland on March 2, well in advance of the St Patrick’s and Easter Weekends. SuperValu has announced that it will account for €25m worth of spring Irish lamb this year. As a result of this early availability, SuperValu and its local Irish suppliers have extended the spring lamb season until August. SuperValu continues to be the largest seller of Irish lamb in the country and by extension one of the biggest supporters of Irish sheep farmers. Ruth O’Neill is photographed at L’Ecrivain restaurant, announcing projected sales of €25m worth of Irish Lamb at SupverValu.

Kenco’s Green Commitment

XL Drives A Winner

PICTURED at CATEX, sponsored by Bunzl, are (l-r): Eoghan Donnelan, MD, Bunzl; Derek Caswell, Kenco’s Director of Commercial Operations, Ireland; Diarmuid Gavin, brand ambassador for Kenco and the Rainforest Alliance; Declan Quinn, Kenco AFH Manager; and Alistair McLaughlin, Bunzl. Diarmuid Gavin was on hand to announce The Kenco Coffee Company’s intention to source its entire coffee range, which includes instant, roast and ground and Away from Home coffees, from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by 2010. This demonstrates the next stage in Kenco’s coffee sustainability journey, following the successful launch of Kenco Sustainable Development in 2005.

SIOBHÁN Prendergast collects the keys to a brand new Nissan Qashqai after winning a nationwide in-store competition from XL Stop & Shop, run in conjunction with Windsor Motors. She is pictured here with (l-r): Gary Hamilton from Windsor Motors in Deansgrange, and Jenny Semple and Colm Fitzsimons from XL Stop & Shop. “The competition proved to be very popular with our customers and was a good way of driving footfall and rewarding our loyal patrons,” noted National Development Manager for XL Stop & Shop, Colm Fitzsimons. “These kinds of promotions are an important part of our marketing strategy, as is our focus on pricing and dedication to offering value-for-money products.”

L’Oréal Men Expert Partners IRFU L’ORÉAL Men Expert is to become an official supplier to Irish rugby through its sponsorship of the IRFU. Announcing the sponsorship today, Louise Harkness, Head of Marketing, L’Oréal, said, “We see this partnership as a great fit between two organisations; innovation and high performance are at the core of the L’Oréal Men Expert brand and those values, among many others are mirrored in Irish rugby.” Anne Morris from L'Oreal is pictured with Irish Rugby internationals Tommy Bowe, Tomás O'Leary and Geordan Murphy, as they help announce L'Oréal Men Expert’s partnership with the IRFU.

M&S Sponsors VIP Irish Breakfast and Lunch PICTURED are Jenny Mulholland, Head of GM, Marketing & Property, M&S Ireland; Stewart Nisbet, Head of Foods, M&S Ireland; and Sinead Kavanagh, WHPR, at the announcement that Marks & Spencer is sponsoring the St Patrick’s Festival's VIP Irish Breakfast & Lunch for over 200 guests at the new M&S Restaurant at the Grafton Street Store on Tuesday, March 17.

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March09Industry News

Spreading the Fairtrade Message CAFÉDIRECT grower Emiliana Aligaesha from Tanzania and Kieran Dunne, MD, National Organics, are pictured visiting SuperValu in Deansgrange, Dublin, during a recent visit to Ireland to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight. Emiliana travelled to Ireland during Fairtrade Fortnight with Cafédirect, Ireland’s only 100% Fairtrade hot drinks company, to tell Irish consumers how Fairtrade has changed her life and her community. Cafédirect develops long-term partnerships with its grower partners, who own part of the company and have two representatives on the Board of Directors.

Retail Leaders to Debate Economic Crisis Solutions AS businesses throughout the globe continue to battle the toughest economic conditions in recent memory, the World Retail Congress has announced that it is expecting an unprecedented number of the world’s most senior retail industry figures to gather at the annual event in Barcelona’s CCIB from May 6-8. More than 100 leading retail figures will speak at the Congress this year, drawn from a diverse range of industry sectors and international markets. Attendees are set to hear from such luminaries as Allan Leighton, Deputy Chairman of George Weston, John Donahoe, President and COO of eBay, and Philip Clarke, International Director of Tesco. See www.worldretailcongress.com for more information.

Irish Food Writers Guild Food Awards 2009 MANY of Ireland’s leading food writers and industry representatives joined members of the Irish Food Writers Guild recently to celebrate the 2009 Irish Food Writers Guild Food Awards, followed by a luncheon, hosted by SallyAnne and Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain. The accolades were presented by Minister Trevor Sargent TD, Minister for Food and Horticulture, to Derryvilla Blueberry Farm for its excellent blueberries and innovative Blueberry Tonic and Preserves, Marine Harvest Ireland for Clare Island Organic Salmon, and Carrigbyrne Farmhouse Cheese Company, who won the inaugural Environmental Award and also won for its St. Killian Irish Farmhouse Cheese. Pictured at the event are John Seager, Derry Clarke, Eve-Anne McCarron & Patrick Berridge

John Player Sponsor NFRN Conference JOHN Player & Sons sponsored the recent 2009 National Federation of Retailer Newsagents (NFRN) annual conference and dinner which took place in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone. “John Player & Sons is proud to demonstrate our support to the retail trade in these difficult times,” said Andrew Meagher, Managing Director of John Player& Sons. “The twin threats of excessive regulation and the high costs of being in business have placed enormous pressures on Irish retailers.” Martin Mulligan, President of the NFRN, said the topics discussed at this year’s AGM were unprecedented in the history of the Federation: “We must work together to compose a way forward for us all to maintain our family businesses, to remain in business and to remain profitable.”

Appointment at Marks & Spencer

New CEO at Topaz

MARKS & Spencer have announced the appointment of Sandra McKay as manager of their new store in the Navan Shopping Centre, Co. Meath.

Sandra McKay has worked in Marks & Spencer since 2006, starting in the business as a commercial manager for Home and Childrenswear in the Liffey Valley store.

She moves to Navan from M&S Athlone where she has been store manager since it opened in 2007.

DANNY Murray will retire as Chief Executive Officer of Topaz with effect from March 31, and Eddie O’Brien, the company’s Chief Finance Officer (pictured), has been appointed to succeed Murray as CEO. O’Brien has held some of the most senior positions in the European fuels business. He joined Topaz in January 2008 from Statoil Hydro ASA, having held the positions of Vice President Finance and Vice President Retail Operations within Energy & Retail Europe. Prior to his time in Norway, Eddie held a number of senior management positions with Statoil Ireland, having joined the company in 1995.

12

March09Industry News

Centra Store of the Year Named RYAN’S Centra, Raheen, Co. Limerick, has been awarded the Centra Store of the Year title for 2009, in a tough competition which saw fierce opposition from 14 other excellent finalists from around the country.

The National Award was presented to store owners Tom and Brenda Ryan by Donal Horgan, Centra Managing Director, and Michael Morgan, Centra Sales Director, at the group’s National Conference, held recently in Killarney.

All 474 Centra stores throughout the Republic of Ireland are assessed for the Centra Store of the Year competition, which is judged by independent retail consultant, Joe Comerford. The audit focuses on pricing, customer care, fresh food offering and product range.

Delighted with the win, store owner Tom Ryan paid tribute to his team and said that their constant dedication and professional approach was what singled out the Limerick store for the award: “We work hard as a team on a daily basis to provide our customers with top class customer service and a great range of products at good value prices.”

Ryan’s Centra, Raheen were also Provincial Supermarket Store of the Year 2009 Award winners at the event. The other award winners included: - Community Convenience Store of the Year 2009: Cahill’s

14

TV personality, Lucy Kennedy; Donal Horgan, Centra Managing Director, and Michael Morgan, Centra Sales Director, congratulate Tom and Brenda Ryan, Ryan’s Centra, Raheen, on winning the title of Centra Store of the Year 2009

-

Centra, Marlay Park, Dublin 14.

Forecourt Store of the Year 2009: Casey’s Centra, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

City Centre Convenience Store of the Year: Hennessy’s Centra, The Quay, Waterford.

Community Market Store of the Year: Herlihy’s Centra, Mallow, Co. Cork.

Adrian Henigan, Casey’s Centra, Castlebar, Co.Mayo picks up the Centra Forecourt Store of the Year 2009 Award from TV personality Lucy Kennedy. Also pictured is Michael Morgan, Centra Sales Director; Myles Gardiner, Strategic Relationship Manager, 02, competition sponsors; and Donal Horgan, Centra Managing Director.

Justyna Szczerban, Tomas Kirik and Betty Rockett, Hennessy’s Centra, The Quay, Waterford, are presented with the City Centre Convenience Store of the Year 2009 Award from TV personality, Lucy Kennedy; Michael Morgan, Centra Sales Director; Myles Gardiner, Strategic Relationship Manager, 02, competition sponsors; and Donal Horgan, Centra Managing Director.

Breda and Tom Cahill, Cahill’s Centra, Marlay Park, Dublin 14, receive their Community Convenience Store of the Year 2009 Award from TV personality Lucy Kennedy.

Also pictured is Michael Morgan, Centra Sales Director; Myles Gardiner, Strategic Relationship Manager, 02, competition sponsors; and Donal Horgan, Centra Managing Director.

TV personality, Lucy Kennedy presents Paul and Brian Herlihy and store manager Tom Griffin, Herlihy’s Centra, Mallow, with the Centra Community Market Store of the Year 2009 Award. Also pictured is Michael Morgan, Centra Sales Director; Myles Gardiner, Strategic Relationship Manager, 02, competition sponsors; and Donal Horgan, Centra Managing Director.

Bavaria Boosts Beer Sector

March09Beer

Market

Keith O’Haire, Marketing Manager, Gleeson Group, on the continued success of Bavaria in the Irish market.

How is Bavaria performing in the Irish off-trade?

Bavaria continues to grow well ahead of the market and is now the third largest selling canned lager in Ireland. This is a significant achievement in a market which is experiencing some difficulty at present. Also, in terms of our 330ml bottle offering, Bavaria continues to aggressively take share from other brands in the marketplace. One thing is certain: Bavaria is now a must-stock item for all off-licences. There is very strong consumer pull and demand and the brand has a very high rate of sale.

Has the recession affected sales in the off-trade and sales of Bavaria in particular?

We have not found that the recession specifically has impacted on our sales.

Bavaria has been showing significant growth for a number of years now. The reasons for this are many and cannot be simply attributed to the current economic climate. One must remember that Bavaria is simply a great beer – from one of the largest and oldest breweries in Europe. Irish consumers recognise good beer and we believe this is the key reason why Bavaria is growing. Our challenge will be to continue to engage consumers in other ways throughout the year – in terms of advertising, sponsorship, on-pack promotions etc.

Bavaria is seen as providing good value for money: how are you using that to your advantage in the current economic climate?

It is true that Bavaria offers greater value than some other brands. Our strategy is not recession-linked and as I have said, the brand was performing at break-neck speed long before any talk of

a recession. Bavaria is priced at the middle of the market (rather than the top or bottom). Our pricing strategy has never been to be the cheapest but rather to offer a great beer at a great price.

Bavaria Crown is brewed specially for Irish tastes: how different is it from the other beers in the Bavaria portfolio?

One of the key advantages of the Bavaria brewery is that it has a huge wealth of expertise in terms of brewing – it is 300 years year old, after all. We have introduced a range of Bavaria products, thus appealing to a range of consumer tastes. For example, Bavaria Original Brew 5%, Bavaria Red 7.9%, Bavaria Blond 7.9%, Bavaria Premium 5%, Bavaria Non-Alcoholic 0.0%. We also have a number of seasonal varieties available for limited periods.

We see these as complementing our champion Bavaria Crown 4.3%.

Consumers want choice.

You have increased the Bavaria range available in Ireland, including alcohol-free varieties, as well as super-premium beers like Bavaria 8.6 and new Claro: what was the reason behind extending the range available? How have they performed in Ireland?

All of the brands mentioned above have performed exceptionally well and will continue to do so in 2009. We want to meet all consumer demand and also to show the market that Bavaria is not simply one product, but rather a range

of brews coming from one of Europe’s most well respected breweries. This range also gives greater weight and credibility to the brand.

What marketing/advertising plans have you in place to support the brand in 2009?

Our plans for 2009 are quite extensive. We are currently giving over €250,000 in cash prizes to consumers in our ‘Cash-to-Go’ on-pack promotion. This has proven to be very popular and our research shows that consumers would like to see more of this. We also engage in a lot of local activity – in-store giveaways etc. In terms of our advertising, we are currently developing a new television commercial to complement the advert we aired last year. Finally, we will engage in a lot of small to medium scale festival sponsorship right across the country.

Your website (www.bavaria.ie) offers a wealth of information about the Bavaria brands, including a virtual tour of the Dutch brewery: how important is an online presence to connect directly with your consumers?

We believe it is very important that consumers have a reference point for the brand: a virtual touchpoint. The website allows for information exchange – in two directions (in terms of Bavaria and the consumer). Dialogue is very important for the brand. Bavaria is rather uniquely positioned in that consumers want to interact with the brand on additional levels (downloads etc). Fundamentally, however, the website allows us to show the full range and scope of the brand.

15

RN March09Shop Profile ●

Mace Magic in Dublin Michael Scully’s Mace on Dublin’s South Circular Road has been transformed from a small corner shop into a shining example of modern convenience retailing.

Michael

Scully grew up working around the retail sector. Like many retailers of his generation, he worked with a number of multiple groups, acquiring experience as he did so, eventually working his way up to store manager.

For 14 years now, he has owned his own shop on Dublin’s South Circular Road. He joined with the Mace group 11 years ago, and today he is still extremely positive about this long-standing partnership.

“Right from the start, I had a great working relationship with Mace,” Michael explains. “At the time, the economy was really taking off and the symbol groups were transforming the grocery and convenience retail sector. The pace of development both in the economy and in the grocery sector was so quick.”

In terms of expanding his shop, Michael had Pictured outside Mace, South Circular Road, Dublin, are Michael Scully, always been frustrated by its location as a corstore owner, and John Tully, Mace Regional Operations Advisor. ner shop. There was only one possible place to expand to, the adjacent house. After a great deal of persistence, Michael was able to purchase the house last development involved increasing the back office space, next door and undertake the largest redevelopment that stock area and the shop. It also enabled me to install the the little corner shop had ever seen. What was once a small, most up to date image from Mace,” he explains. “In short, it badly-lit 400 square feet corner shop is now a glittering completely transformed the business and opened up a huge 1,400 square feet modern grocery retail outlet. amount of potential trade that I could begin to target.

He describes the redevelopment as “a very involved process. Mace and myself worked very closely together to Worthwhile Investment come up with the layout of the new interior. John Tully and Even in these more difficult trading times, Michael is still myself spent hours tinkering with the design. Even for a confident that his investment has been worthwhile. “The retailer with my experience, it was extremely valuable to have that kind of advice to take advantage of. I also received extremely good advice on the new elements to be included as part of the latest image. I had always been happy with the coffee offering in the shop, until we opened the doors after the revamp with the new Bess Eaton coffee dock offering coffee and treats: I was genuinely surprised at just how much trade that one change generated.”

The coffee machine is just one of many massive changes in the shop. The increased size provided space for a much larger deli, an off-licence was included for the first time, alongside an ATM, while the ambient grocery space was increased considerably. Of course, one of the most important 16

RN March09Shop Profile ●

parts of revamping the shop was to incorporate the latest Mace image. The details of the Mace look are extremely appealing: the wood effect on the fruit and veg display is echoed in the deli area with a veneer on the base of the deli.

Both chalkboards and a large Plasma TV adjacent to the deli advertise special offers, tying tradition and technology together. The blue and sunshine orange livery remains one of the most striking and best looking interior colour schemes to be seen in any symbol group shop.

Good Value For Money Due to the curious shape of the footprint of his store, Michael is in the peculiar position of having almost no exposed shelf-ends to promote value offers. That hasn’t stopped him ensuring his customer base receives good value for money, as he explains: “Being part of the Mace Group means I can take advantage of strong value offers from the group. But also I try to offer value everywhere by keeping tight margins across the shop and being competitive. People are very conscious of price at the moment. But they still have to eat and shop and purchase. I can’t go head-to-head on price with the discounters but I can offer my customers competitively priced goods and an altogether more pleasant

and convenient shopping experience.”

A key part of that shopping experience is interaction with staff. Working with the Mace group, Michael has plenty of training material to take advantage of and he knows the value of well trained and capable staff. “It is tremendously helpful to be able to delegate areas of responsibility,” he explains. “Everybody has extremely clear areas of responsibility on a day-to-day basis: they know what they need to do and are well trained to do it. We are also a very friendly bunch. There is a lot of interaction between staff and customers: many people enjoy that sort of banter back and forth while they wait for a sandwich.”

Customer Service Customer service is top of Michael’s agenda: “My aim is to make the customer leave happy every time. That means that they get a quality product at a competitive price with a pleasant shopping experience. To do that every day with every customer is very hard and I want to thank everyone in Mace, particularly John Tully and all my staff, because without all their constant efforts, I could never manage that on my own.”

Micheal Scully’s Mace on the South Circular Road in Dublin is exactly the type of corner shop that you wish was four doors down from your house. The combination of progressive symbol group and dedicated retailer has produced a shop that is ready to trade through the recession and wait for the good times to return.

FA C T F I L E Owner: Location: Size: Number of Staff: Opening hours:

Michael Scully South Circular Road, Dublin 02 1,400 square feet 7 full time, 12 part time 07:00-22:00, Mon-Fri; 08:0022:00, Sat & Sun.

17

March09News

Rack

Recession Beaters Karen Meenan examines the most recent ABC sales figures for magazines and advises on the best-sellers in each category.

The

old statistic was that almost half of all best selling titles on the magazine stands were women’s interests.

Hence retailers comfortably reflected that on the magazine stands in shops up and down the country, with plenty of weeklies to be found on the middle shelf, lots of glossy titles just above that, a token number of comics on the bottom shelf and a scattering of men’s titles, which included anything from FHM to Q, anywhere on the top. Does your magazine stand look a little like that?

That was before the recession.

Buying habits have changed: as retailers, we are all too aware of that, but how have these changes in buying patterns affected magazine purchasing in Ireland in the last few months?

I was very interested to read just before Christmas the results of a vox pop on spending habits – the questions asked were along the lines of “do you intend to spend more or less than last year on food, drink, decorations, party outfits, socialising, gifts etc?” and the answer was a universal ‘less than last year’ in all categories but one – “Will you spend more or less on toys?” – where the answer was a resounding ‘more than last year’. Why? It seems that no matter what is happening to our own personal finances, the appearance is 18

certainly being kept up for the children.

Children’s Titles Ask any shopkeeper: the recession hasn’t hit pocket money yet. Children still have money in their pockets and their spending power is just as buoyant as it was this time last year.

While adults have found alternatives to take-away coffee and food-to-go, the traditional staples of children’s treats (confectionery, drinks and snacks) are still holding their own. Sales of sandwich bags might be up 250% versus this time last year, but thankfully, children still are coming in and out of our stores on a daily basis, buying the same things with their pocket money – and that, very importantly for us, includes comics.

The ABC results, which are announced every six months, show the risers and fallers in each magazine category and sub-category.

The results you would expect in a recession are that magazine sales have fallen, but as predicted, magazines, which are seen as a private affordable luxury, are proving to be more recession resistant than other categories such

as convenience food and prepared vegetables.

Magazine sales depend a lot upon the demographic of the person buying the magazine and of course that makes sense for every product – but let’s analyse the titles that are actually performing as well as, if not better than, this time last year.

Men’s Titles Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness are performing very well – why? It would appear that these are bought primarily by single young men, perhaps those that are not already worried about small children and negative equity and can still afford to be a little indulgent. For the same reason (probably the same people buying these), film, music and gaming titles are performing well – the star titles in each of these categories being Total Film and Empire in the film/movie category, with Oscar season particularly important for these; Q, Uncut and NME in the music section; GamesMaster, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the gaming sector. The luxury end of the market is still selling well (Esquire and GQ) but weekly titles, like Nuts and Zoo, have suffered along with the demise of ‘breakfast roll man’.

Comic sales are actually increasing against this time last year.

Primary boys’ titles (Simpsons, Dandy and Beano) and primary girls’ titles (Sparkle World, Girl Talk, Go Girl, and new launch Hannah Montana) are showing growth. Preschool is still as strong as ever: top of the tots is the hugely popular Fun to Learn Range. New launch FTL Peppa Pig has joined FTL Friends and FTL Favourites, FTL Barney and FTL Bag O Fun in the top sellers for boys and girls aged 0-5.

Women’s Titles Fun To Learn Barney, one of the top sellers for boys and girls aged 0-5.

So what about women? Weeklies are still selling, albeit at a slower rate, and glossies have certainly taken a bit

March09News

Fun To Learn Peppa Pig is sure to prove a massive success.

of a hit, while women are struggling to balance the household budget and allow some room for a ‘selfish treat’ in the shopping basket. Titles which are bucking the trend, however, are at the top end of the market: titles such as The Gloss, a worthy Irish competitor to Harpers Bazaar or Vanity Fair.

Younger women are still buying magazines: their favourite titles are Closer, More, Look, Company and New! There has been a bit of a slowdown for real life, which became popular as a back-lash to an overdose of celebrity. Old faithful titles like Woman, Bella and Best are still being bought, recession or not.

One of the best performing subcategories recently is the whole area of TV listings and soap titles: what else would we be doing except watch those plasma screen homeentertainment systems – we have no money left to go out!

shelf life of a few days, sell best on the day of arrival to your store and the sales can be influenced by how you present them on the magazine stand.

Fruit & Vegetables are perishable goods. They sell well when the person managing this section of your store has an understanding of the seasonal nature of these goods.

Are your magazines being treated in exactly the same way? Does the person responsible for this department fully understand what the shelf life of a magazine title is and how quickly these titles are starting to perish on the stand? Is stock rotated on a daily basis to ensure that your customers are invited to make a fresh purchase every day of new stock? Are your magazines merchandised according to subcategory, age and demographics?

If the answer is no to any of the questions, chances are that you are losing money on the magazine stand.

To correct this, your staff members need training to fully understand the seasonal and perishable nature of the newsagency.

Weekly magazines start going out of date 48 hours after delivery to your store – monthly titles have a shelf life of about a week. The stand has to be culled every afternoon to allow fresh stock to arrive each morning.

Newsagency Training On a typical newsagency training day, delegates are asked to visualise magazine titles as pieces of fruit and vegetables. Old monthly titles still hanging around the stand three and a half weeks after delivery, just waiting for a recall note are compared to ‘black bananas’; fresh stock (box-outs) are

Rack

Fun To Learn Favourites, the hugely popular comic for children aged from 0-5.

likened to fresh raspberries just waiting to be packed out on the stand to create more sales. Staff members are encouraged to move titles around the stand on a daily basis to encourage more sales of higher value (monthly) titles.

Does all this sound a bit mad? If you think so, have a look at the results of a recent training day – sales are examined three weeks before and three weeks after. It’s hard to think of an easier way to double potential net profit in these challenging times!

The results: - Sales quantity remained the same (dipped in week 5 due to sell-outs which were corrected in week 6).

- Sales value doubled with less volume (customer trade up was encouraged).

- Net Profit from the magazine department more than doubled from expected 16k to 35k per annum.

Rotate Stock Daily Magazines are no different from any other fresh items you manage on a daily basis in your store. They have a

About the Author RETAIL consultant Karen Meenan runs her own consultancy business, Results Training & Marketing, focusing on net profit and how to maximise profit for the retailer. For more information, contact Karen on 086 6027711 or by email kmeenan@eircom.net.

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March09NCA

Price Survey

Irish Consumers Turn to Own Brand The National Consumer Association’s latest grocery price survey confirms Irish consumers’ move to own brand goods, as well as showing an increasing price gap between multiple retailers.

The

NCA’s latest biannual grocery survey showed a widening price gap between the country’s three multiple retailers and a decline in the number of branded goods sold at identical prices.

The survey follows the move by the multiples and larger symbol groups to compete with the discounters on price, via their own brand ranges, like SuperValu’s Nice Price range, Superquinn’s Euroshopper selection and Tesco’s high profile launch of its Cash Savers range in July 2008, which has just been extended by over 100 new products.

“Our survey suggests that the response of the multiples to the challenge from discount chains such as Aldi/Lidl has resulted in strong focus on ‘own brand’ as a product category for all retailers, while a more aggressive approach on branded goods means we are seeing less price matching,” noted Ann Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of the National Consumer Agency.

“For the first time we're seeing the

20

gap in the branded market widen while own brand prices are narrowing.”

This ties in with a recent Nielsen report, which found that large numbers of Irish consumers are purchasing own label products, directly at the expense of branded goods.

The increased focus on price and value-for-money reflects changing shopping habits across the country, with the cost of groceries very much the main concern of consumers when it comes to their main grocery shop, contrasting with last year’s principal driver, convenience.

According to the NCA survey, the aggregate cost of a basket of goods has increased over the period of their surveys.

“Retailers are changing their marketing techniques. In the past year, we've seen an increase in the range of

special offers by the multiples, but we would prefer to see sustained price cuts and we would urge caution among consumers, as special offers may not always deliver the best value,” noted Fitzgerald.

Branded Goods When comparing a basket of branded goods between Dunnes Stores, Superquinn and Tesco, the difference between the cheapest and dearest basket was €3.60 (1.2%). The cost of this basket was virtually identical in Dunnes Stores (€292.48) and Superquinn (€292.49). The cost of the basket in Tesco was €296.08.

A total of 37 out of 83 goods (45%) had identical prices across all three stores. However, the percentage of identically priced goods is declining. In the August 2008 survey, the percentage was 56% and in June 2008, it was 71%.

“The gap of 1.2% is the biggest variation we have seen between the multiples since we began carrying out the surveys in 2007, and suggests some repositioning in the market,” noted Ann Fitzgerald.

“We're also seeing a drop in the number of branded goods with identical pricing. We believe that this is evidence of growing competition amongst the multiples, as they begin to compete not just with the discount retailers but aggressively between themselves.”

Examining the period from

March09NCA

December 2007 to January 2009, aggregate prices in separate baskets for Tesco, Dunnes and Superquinn all recorded an increase. Tesco recorded the largest increase (4.9%), Superquinn (2.8%) the smallest increase. Dunnes recorded an increase of 3.5%.

stantially higher cost of doing business here, and our much higher VAT and excise rates,” he argued.

“To add to this, internationally branded product is frequently only available to retailers here at higher prices than in the UK.” According to Denihan, urgent action from Government is needed to help make the sector more competitive, including: • A ban on upward only rent review clauses in leases; • A reduction in costs that Government directly controls, such as waste disposal, commercial rates and electricity; • A review of the impact of higher VAT and excise duties here, when compared to the UK.

Own Brand Goods On own brand goods, the gap between Dunnes and Tesco and the discounters, Aldi and Lidl has narrowed significantly. On a basket of 28 common items, Lidl (€34.80) are the cheapest with Dunnes Stores (€42.20) being the most expensive. This is a variation between cheapest and dearest of €7.40 (21.26%) down from 35.9% on a basket of 34 items in August 2008.

Over the period December 2007 to January 2009, separate baskets for Aldi, Lidl, Dunnes and Tesco all became more expensive. Tesco’s basket recorded the largest increase at 9.3%, Dunnes the smallest increase at 4.1%. Aldi recorded an increase of 4.2% and Lidl an increase of 4.7%.

Reaction to the Survey Torlach Denihan, Director of Retail Ireland, the IBEC group that represents the Irish retail sector, noted how “the survey confirms that there is intense competition in the grocery sector. A range of Irish and international retailers compete aggressively every day for business from the consumer.”

Denihan echoed comments made to the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment Comment on the issues facing grocery retailing in Ireland. “Retailers here are uncompetitive in comparison to those in the North because of the 25% collapse in sterling during 2008, the sub-

A number of retail groups also responded to the NCA survey.

According to SuperValu, over the past six months, the average weekly household basket of goods within SuperValu stores, which has an approximate value of €150, has been reduced by 7% at a time when food inflation has been growing in excess of 5%. “It should be pointed out that this level of price reductions is not reflected in the NCA survey, as it does not represent a typical shopping basket,” noted a company spokesperson.

These price reductions have been delivered via a combination of initiatives including thousands of long term price cuts, the expansion of SuperValu’s own brand range to 1,500 products, delivering an average saving of 25% less than branded products and the launch of a ‘Nice Price’ range, which delivers savings of up to 40% across a range of branded goods. “Price reductions have been across the entire store, from fresh meat to frozen products, fruit and vegetables to household, as well as healthcare and baby products,” noted the spokesperson.

Aldi Stores (Ireland) wrote to the NCA, “correcting several errors which misreported the prices of Aldi products and considerably understated the value

Price Survey

available to Irish consumers at Aldi”.

According to Aldi, the true cost of the Aldi products included in the 49 item survey is €68.56, not the €70.34 calculated by the NCA, which would make Aldi the cheapest store for the basked of goods covered. Similarly, the actual cost of the 28-item basket for Aldi is €34.67, meaning the survey overstated the Aldi offering by €2.31, according to the company.

“We are very disappointed that the consumer is being misled by pricing errors included in this amended survey,” noted a company spokesperson.

“Consumers need factual information on which to make their grocery shopping decisions. We have sought to have these corrected by the National Consumer Agency but so far they have not. We are very pleased that once the pricing errors in the survey are rectified, Aldi is found to be the most price competitive and best value retailer in Ireland.”

Contrary to the other responses, Superquinn welcomed the survey, stating that it reinforces the consistent good value that the multiple group has been giving its customers.

“This latest NCA survey independently reaffirms what we’ve been telling our customers for some time now, that they benefit from excellent value on like for like branded goods, often getting better value at Superquinn than at the other major retailers,” boasted James Wilson, Trading Director at Superquinn. “We know that shoppers are now more price conscious than ever before and this confirms our commitment at Superquinn to help our customers save money every week on their favourite brands, without compromising on quality.”

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March09100

Years of Persil

Persil Celebrates a Century The iconic Persil brand is celebrating 100 years in Ireland and the UK.

This

year sees the Persil brand celebrating its hundredth birthday in Ireland and the UK, having survived two world wars and countless sociological changes over the course of its first century in the public eye.

The brand was actually created in Germany in 1903, when Professor Herman Giessler and Dr Herman Bauer from Stuttgart produced the world's first soap powder with a bleaching agent. Persil was launched in the UK in 1909 as the 'Amazing Oxygen Washer'. This “washday revolution” brought about a complete change in the way washing was done.

The name ‘Persil’ was derived from the ingredients ‘perborate’ and ‘silicate’ From the mid 1920s, Persil went on the road, demonstrating their results to entire neighbourhoods at a

1937 22

time. A 33-foot caravan was kitted-out with everything from wash boilers to electric irons. Its advertising during the late 1920s and ‘30s highlighted its ‘whitening’ powers. Indeed, Persil’s promise of better whites remains at the heart of its success to this day.

Throughout the 1930s, Persil employed ‘Expert Washers’ to call upon more than six million people a year, showing them the best ways to use Persil.

Persil’s commitment to innovation has continued through the decades. It

1951

1964

changed formulation many times to keep up with the changes in washing habits, particularly the move from hand-washing to electric washing machines.

Unilever introduced Persil’s first Biological detergent variant in 1983, which was based on a New System containing enzymes for better cleaning to wash all fabrics, at all temperatures, in all machines. The original Persil later became known as the Original Non Biological variant, which was free from enzymes and

1971

March09100

kinder to people with sensitive skin.

Persil’s skincare research in detergents is now supported by the British Skin Foundation and the Irish National Eczema Association in Ireland.

In 1998, Persil once again changed the laundry market when it introduced the very first tablets, making washing clothes even more

1983

Years of Persil

convenient, while at the same time making sure that they have the right dosage of powder every time. This was followed by the launch of Persil Liquid Capsules in 2001.

Persil liquids were replaced with Persil liquigels in 2003. The gel pours like a liquid and works through the fibres for a really deep clean. It was also the year new Persil biological performance was launched, providing an effervescent fizzing action to the wash, for an even deeper clean.

Persil Gel Tablets followed in 2005.

Iconic Advertising Much of Persil’s advertising over the years has become iconic and the sight of a Dermot Walsh, Marketing Manager for Persil, Unilever Ireland, is pictured at the launch of the young 1980s’ skinhead tryPersil Irish Fashion Awards with designer Peter ing to do the washing while O'Brien. despairingly calling out “Ah Mum”, as he spills the washing powder Persil in Ireland all over the kitchen floor, is frequently Here in Ireland, Persil has enjoyed a recalled by many consumers as one of special place in the hearts and homes the most memorable ads. Indeed of consumers for generations, enjoying ‘Mum’ has been central to most of a level of brand loyalty that most Persil’s advertising right up to the FMCG products can only dream of. present day when they tell us that “Persil commands the lead position ‘Persil is Tough but Gentle, just like in Ireland and is the number one Irish Mum’. detergent, with 27% market share,”

1991

1999

2003 23

March09100

Years of Persil

Tablets, Persil Gel Tablets, and our latest member of the family, Small & Mighty. Persil appreciate and recognise enormously the support of Irish retailers and we know that success comes to a brand when retailer and brand work hand-in-hand to ensure product satisfaction for the consumer.

“In Ireland, we continue to innovate across the board and invest in research and activity that touches Irish consumers in very important ways.”

“Persil is Unilever's flagship brand and has had great support from the retailers in Ireland: this support has been vital to the strong growth of the brand.”

Some of the activity over recent years includes: a) Persil Dirt is Good campaign, encouraging our young children to get out and play and get dirty and live. Persil teamed up with The National Play Association and ran play-days nationwide. notes Dermot Walsh, Marketing Manager for Persil, Unilever Ireland.

“Persil is Unilever's flagship brand and has had great support from the retailers in Ireland: this support has been vital to the strong growth of the brand.

“Persil's success has been its ability as a brand to innovate and meet consumers needs, for example, Persil

b) Persil Every Child Has The Right: Persil teamed up with famous Irish Rugby International Keith Wood to encourage our young folk to get out from their screen, be it television or computer, and be active. More recently Persil has worked successfully with IPPA – the Irish Pre School Play Association to promote natural play among Irish families. c) 2009 is the 10th year of the very famous Persil Irish Fashion Awards, the largest student fashion design prize in Ireland, which runs in conjunction with The Late Late Show. “Persil encourages every fashion design student in Ireland to

Did you know?

• Persil was the first washing powder to show a man doing the washing in a TV advert.

• When asked to name a laundry detergent, 80% of people say Persil.

• Persil's 'Big Mummy', the world's biggest picture mosaic, smashed into the Guinness Book of Records in 2002. The mosaic, measuring 652 square metres, was made up of over 15,000 drawings of mums, dads and guardians.

• Placed side by side, all the 18-tablet Persil packs made in a year would stretch from London to Tokyo - and back!

• Persil is Ireland's leading laundry detergent, outselling its nearest rival by two to one.

24

The iconic Persil brand, celebrating a century in Ireland.

enter this fantastic competition, and the winning student gets €10,000,” notes Dermot Walsh. “So this year, Persil will have invested €100,000 into the future of Irish fashion design. We worked with Awear, Dunnes Stores and this year Marks & Spencer to bring this competition alive in-store, with nationwide showcases of the eight finalist outfits. This and a number of Persil’s PR campaigns are managed

by Kennedy PR. “Persil has been delivering whiteness for 100 years,” notes Dermot Walsh.

“Today, you can still trust Persil to provide unbeatable cleaning that gets the washing clean first time, every time. Its no wonder Persil is the nation's favourite washing powder of approximately 15 million washes carried out each day, almost 30% are done with Persil.”

March09Household

Cleaning

Cleaning Up On Home Care The valuable household cleaning market is being driven by innovation and new product development.

The

household cleaning market is vast, covering a massive number of products, from the more mature sectors, like surface cleaners and sponges, to bleaches, cleaning clothes, wipes, toilet cleaners and the ever-growing market for air care products.

New product development is key to driving value growth in the sector, as is the development of environmentallyfriendly and ultra-convenience products. Recent years have seen a surge in demand for cleaning products that work quickly and effectively and are easy to use, according to Euromonitor.

Manufacturers, therefore, developed innovative and, of course, value added solutions.

Industry experts predict that rather than product launches that focus on physical attributes and functionality, new product development will increasingly focus on more abstract and intangible properties such as fragrance and colour, with the air care sector already reaping the benefits of this trend.

SCA SCA has announced a major re-invigoration of its popular Bounty brand,

A major new TV advertising campaign to support Plenty kicked off on March 16 and featured the memorable housewives, Brenda and Audrey. The new 30-second advertisement, which is backed by a heavyweight media spend, has been devised

by Publicis and features the two ‘ladies’ in a variety of cleaning situations. Each time they use a sheet of Bounty to clean spills or wipe windows, the new Plenty name appears on the towel. The TV ad is coupled with a strong media campaign, including nationwide outdoor advertising, in-store point of purchase and Aircoach advertising to communicate The popular Bounty brand has been the name change, whilst reinrelaunched under the new name of Plenty, supported by a heavyweight advertising and forcing the product versatility promotional campaign. message.

Significant below-the- line activity, run by McConnells Fusion, is which has been unveiled under the also taking place to support the advernew name of Plenty. On-shelf since last tising message. The ‘Plenty Name month, Plenty’s launch is supported Game’ will be rolled out to consumers with a heavyweight through-the-line to communicate the fact that nothing spend, including a brand new TV has changed with their favourite advertising campaign featuring the kitchen towel but the name. This high strapline, “Bounty is now called Plenty visibility campaign will ensure that – same great towel, brand new name”. the Bounty name change to Plenty will The Household Towel category is worth reach the consumer at every touchover €25m and Plenty is the number point. This is supported by a consumer one brand, claiming a 25% value share PR campaign, which will include (Source: ACNielsen, Mat 52 weeks, broadcast and online activity to supNovember 2, 2008). port the name change. A national road Whilst the name is changing, show kicks off on March 23, which will Plenty will still continue to deliver bring the television campaign to life. exceptional performance and value for Trade marketing plans are in place to money, with the same great strength support retailers through the re-brand and absorbency that consumers rely period. on. Following SCA’s recent acquisition Morgane Salin, Category Insight of the Bounty brand from P&G, the Manager at SCA Hygiene Products name Plenty was selected to communiIreland, comments, ”We are excited cate the product’s versatility in and about the launch of Plenty and believe around the home in order to drive the major spend behind the name greater household penetration.

25

March09Household

Cleaning

change is big news for the category in 2009. SCA are extremely proud to have such a popular brand as part of our portfolio. At SCA, our main priority for the period of the name change is to reassure consumers that the only thing that has changed is the name. Plenty will deliver the same exceptional performance and value for money, and it is for this reason it has received the Good Housekeeping Institute seal of approval. As well as retaining loyal Bounty consumers, we hope Plenty’s strong product credentials, coupled with major marketing support, will drive significant new user trial.”

Plenty has the same unique double quilted structure as Bounty so it is really strong and super absorbent when wet - it can even be rinsed and re-used, making it the perfect household towel for any cleaning occasion.

Killeen The Killeen Household Glove range has performed outstandingly well since its launch in Summer 2008.

Demonstrating Killeen’s capacity for quality and innovation, the glove range has a product for almost any household or outdoor task. In 2009, look out for bestselling products such as the Smartcuff, which minimises spills and dripping; Sensitive, which is designed specifically for those allergic to latex; and Strong Scented, to bring the scent

The new Parozone range is specially formulated to kill the nastiest germs in the home, toilet germs.

of zesty lemon to consumers’ homes. The company have also introduced the Killeen garden fingers glove and really tough outdoor glove.

The entire Killeen gloves range boasts attractive margins, strong POS support and excellent offers throughout 2009.

The Killeen range also includes household best sellers Kitchen Mate The Bloo in-cistern block range has grown to cover all consumers’ toilet cleaning needs.

and Easi-Clean, and is distributed by Boyne Valley Group.

Allegro

The Killeen Household Glove range has performed outstandingly well since its launch in Summer 2008.

26

Allegro are introducing the new Parozone range, specially formulated to kill the nastiest germs in the home, toilet germs. “With Parozone in their cleaning armoury, consumers can get tough on toilet germs,” boasts a

company spokesperson. “The range includes Parozone toilet wipes, solid rim, Parozone Weekly Shots and Thick Bleach, which kills 100% of germs.”

Also from Allegro, Bloo has been cleaning loos for over 30 years and invented the very first in-cistern block. Since then, the range has grown to cover all consumers’ toilet cleaning needs. Consumers can freshen and fragrance their loo with Bloo Acticlean Toilet Blocks. “The Bloo range gives consumers peace of mind that your toilet will always be clean and fresh in-between their weekly clean,” notes the spokesperson, “while new Bloo Power Core ensures that every flush releases a rich foam to shift dirt and prevent limescale, leaving the toilet brilliantly clean.”

Same great towel. Brand new name.

Bounty is a Procter & Gamble registered trademark licensed to SCA Hygiene Products AG.

March09Baby

Food/Care

Looking After Number One The baby food and baby care market is an extremely valuable one for the trade, and what’s more, it’s pretty much recession proof.

The

baby food market in Ireland is valued at €80m and saw growth of 7.2% in the year to January 2009.

Infant Milks is the most important part of the category, accounting for 61% of category value. Premium products and liquid milk formats are driving the growth. Indeed, growing-up milks now represent 10.2% of the total baby/toddler milk market, all of which is incremental.

The wet meal or jar market grew by 4.2% last year, while the dry meal market is valued at €7.7m, and accounts for 33% of the meals category. The juices and finger foods sector, meanwhile, accounts for 10.1% of the entire baby food category.

Danone Baby Nutrition The Cow & Gate and Milupa brands, which claim the number one and number two spots respectively in the market, continue to drive the market, with the Milupa Brand growing at 14.1% (Source: ACNielsen Scantrack, Jan 25, 2009)

28

Little Gourmet meals are the latest addition to the Cow & Gate food range, tailored for the nutritional needs of babies and toddlers.

babies and toddlers. Little Gourmet Following studies about the Irish meals are the perfect way to provide diet, as well as concerning statistics variety and introduce new and excitabout iron deficiency in Ireland (one ing flavours, vegetables and herbs out of two toddlers is iron deficient), into babies’ diet.

Growing Up Milks were launched by Little Gourmet Meals are steam Cow & Gate and Milupa Aptamil. With cooked to preserve vitamins and more iron and vitamin C, A and D, less taste, with up to seven different types protein and saturated fat, and Prebiotics to help support their natural defences, Growing Up Milk is more adapted to toddlers’ diet than cow’s milk and will help them get what they need to thrive and now represents 10.2% of the baby/toddler milk category.

The wet meal or jar market grew by 4.2% last year. Cow & Gate continues to grow the category at 7.5%. Little Gourmet meals are the latest addition to Cow & Gate’s range of organic jar meals the Cow & Gate food range, taicontinues to perform well lored for the nutritional needs of within wet meals.

March09Baby

Food/Care

Baby Balance platform in three varieties: Summer Fruits, Pear & Peach and Tropical Fruits. Cow & Gate claim 37.9% share of Juices.

The growth of the finger food offering within baby continues, with a year-on-year value increase of 6.5%.

Cow & Gate Pure Baby Rice Cakes, Bear Biscuits and Animal Friend Biscuits continue the success of the Cow & Gate brand within finger foods.

Heinz Babyfood Cow & Gate Baby Balance Dairy Desserts come in a range of great flavours, and are packed in handy plastic cups of four individual servings.

of steamed vegetables, along with a hint of herbs to develop baby’s taste palate. They come in packaging that locks in freshness in foil sealed bowls and contain absolutely no artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives. Little Gourmet Meals are available in four recipes: Sole a la Crème, Tuscan Style Chicken Tagliatelle, Tender Beef Stroganoff and Beef with Steamed Vegetables and Penne.

Cow & Gate offer a range of 16 organic recipes, including the family favourite Irish Beef Stew. Each recipe has been specifically developed by nutrition experts using only organically produced natural ingredients, carefully selected from certified organic farms. Cow & Gate’s range of organic jar meals continues to perform well within wet meals, claiming 35.5% share of organic wet meals.

The Fruit Pot segment of wet meals is a very valuable part of this category and is worth over €4.7m per annum. Cow & Gate Frutapura is made from 100% pure fruit, contains only natural ingredients and is enriched with Vitamin C. Designed for babies and toddlers from four months to three years, they are the ideal way to put fruit in baby’s diet while developing taste. The fun, squeezy Frutapura Pouches allow for autonomous and ‘on the go’ feeding for toddlers. Cow & Gate Frutapura can boast 70% value share of the fruit segment.

Calcium is needed to build and maintain strong bones and because babies are growing so rapidly, they need more calcium than adults in relation to their size. With less sugar

Heinz has been taking care of little appetites for generations with its comprehensive baby food range offering everything for baby, from Farley’s formula to meals in jars and trays, cereals, rusks, juice, potted fruity custard desserts and the Cook at Home range.

The highly successful Heinz Mum’s Own Recipe range is a unique concept, in that all the varieties in the range are based on recipe suggestions that Heinz have gathered from real mums. Heinz Mum’s Own in its bright, eye-catching packaging, offers lots of delicious varieties, including a range of desserts and breakfasts suitable for all ages from 4-6+ months’ and tray meals suitable for 12+ months.

Heinz understand that parents believe that home cooked food is the best food that they can feed their

than any other leading brands, a quarter of daily calcium and real fruit purée, Cow & Gate Baby Balance Dairy Desserts are a healthy treat. In a range of great flavours, and packed in handy plastic cups of four individual servings, they can make a nutritious dessert at home, or a completely convenient snack when out and about. The eye-catching packaging ensures that the familiar Cow & Gate Baby Balance branding is highly visible, whilst also communicating the key benefits of the new Dairy Desserts.

The Milupa Dry range, manufactured specifically for the Irish market, claims 73% of the €7.7m dry meals category. Cow & Gate Baby Balance Cereals are the only range of cereals to give babies a nutritionally balanced diet at every stage, with no added sugar or salt. The range is designed to ensure the correct variety and texture for babies at every stage, from first weaning to toddler shapes and textures. Cow & Gate Baby Balance Cereals include great flavours such as Stage 2 Multigrain Banana Porridge, Stage 3 Apple Crispy Cereal with mini pieces to encourage chewing and Stage 4 My First Muesli.

Juices and finger foods are small but significant segments of the baby food category, making up 10.1% in Heinz Farley’s Rusks, available in packs of 9 or 18, are rich in Calcium, Iron and Vitamins and terms of value share. Cow contain no added colours, flavourings or & Gate 500ml Juices have preservatives. been re-launched under the 29

March09Baby

Food/Care

Jacob Fruitfield Food Group

The Heinz Mum’s Own Recipe range is a unique concept, in that all the varieties in the range are based on recipe suggestions that Heinz have gathered from real mums.

baby, that’s why they’ve created the Heinz Cook At Home range of premium pastas, sauces and gravies, which have been spe-

For over 50 years, Irish parents have trusted Liga as a nutritious and energy-rich addition to baby’s diet. This iconic range, which includes Liga Original, Junior, Snack Packs and HiPP Organic claims top spot in the UK’s wet baby food Liga C, has a market and its share continues to grow strongly in Ireland product suitable year-on-year. for every stage of infant development, from four months Kelkin upwards, and has enjoyed strong YOY HiPP Organic have been making growth. organic baby foods for over 50 years.

Liga Original, fortified with vitaHiPP Organic claims top spot in the mins and minerals, is a must-stock UK’s wet baby food market and its item in the baby category. It is free share continues to grow strongly in from artificial colours, flavours & Ireland year-on-year. preservatives, while having the added So, what makes HiPP Organic so reassurance of reduced salt and sugar. special? It’s certified organic ingrediLike all products in the Liga snack ents, good home-cooked tastes, and portfolio, it is also portion packed for free range meat, alongside the fact handy on-the-go eating. that there are no harmful pesticides, Liga Junior and Snack Packs are no GM ingredients, no artificial suitable for children aged 9 and 15 colours or preservatives and no antibiotics or growth-promoting hormones.

HiPP meals are produced without artificial additives, E numbers or processing chemicals. HiPP offers consumers the reassurance of a brand that is pure and uncontaminated.

HiPP Organic is distributed in Ireland

by Kelkin Ltd.

BABY CARE

The iconic Liga range includes Liga Original, Junior, Snack Packs and Liga C.

cially formulated for babies and toddlers. Suitable from seven months onwards, Heinz Cook at Home makes it easy for parents to cook for baby at home with minimum fuss or work.

Heinz Farley’s Rusks, available in packs of 9 or 18, are rich in Calcium, Iron and Vitamins and contain no added colours, flavourings or preservatives. Heinz Rusks are also available in Reduced Sugar and Gluten-Free varieties. The Heinz baby food range also offers a range of delicious baby juices.

30

months old respectively and perfect for busy toddlers on-the-move. Each Snack Pack contains fun-shaped biscuits, easy for little hands to hold, whilst Liga Junior is free from artificial colours & preservatives. Liga C, made with the natural juices of blackcurrants, rosehips and guava pears, is a rich source of Vitamin C. The Liga brand will be supported this year by a programme of highly targeted activity, including direct mail and in-store consumer promotions.

Of course, there’s more to bringing up a baby than food alone, and the baby care sector, incorporating everything from nappies to wipes, shampoos to tooth-brushes, is a valuable one for the retail sector.

Johnson & Johnson 50 years ago, based on a deep understanding of the consumer and of the mum and baby relationship, Johnson’s baby developed a new set of safety standards to mark the quality and gentleness of its mild cleansing, soap free shampoo in No More Tears. With No More Tears, parents can trust Johnson’s baby products, which won’t irritate their baby’s eyes and will be

March09Baby

Walkers and Natural Fit. A wide range of promotions, including special offer packs and price promotions, plus continuous product improvement, will see Huggies continue to increase share in 2009. There will also be extensive TV and press support, plus Point of Sale instore support throughout 2009.

Huggies also claims 90% of the Johnson’s No More Tears is specially formulated so that it won’t irritate baby’s eyes and will be gentle pants category. for baby’s skin.

Huggies pants include Little Swimmers, Pull gentle for baby’s skin.

Ups and Dry Nites. Watch out for The No More Tears trademark is special offer packs, continued profound not only on Johnson’s shampoos motions and product improvebut also on Johnson’s baby baths and ment throughout 2009. March wipes. Baby Shampoo is worth just and April 2009 see heavyweight under €1m and growing at 4.7%, with TV advertising for Dry Nites. growth driven by Johnson’s baby, with Huggies entered into the Baby 94% value share and growth of 3.4%.

Wipes market in 2001 to great sucThe Baby Bath segment is worth cess. The wipes have moved to a €1.4m MAT. Johnson’s is the leading Peel & Seal format, while remainbath brand with 79% of value sales ing in the popular Pure and MAT ( up 8.7% on 2008). The market Natural Care + Aloe + Soft Skin for baby wipes is experiencing negative growth of 7.3% value. Johnson’s is the principal brand in the market with 41% value share MAT and showing value growth of 11% (All figures sourced

by ACNielsen Total Market, Scantrack, January 25, 2009).

Allegro Huggies, from Allegro, claims to be the number two nappy brand in Ireland. Their range includes Super Dry Super Flex Nappies for continuous and quicker absorption, as well as Huggies Premium nappy range, which includes Little

Huggies Super Dry Super Flex Nappies are designed for continuous and quicker absorption.

Food/Care

with shea butter variants that are kind to delicate baby skin. There are flashed 1&1 Free promotional packs also available in all Huggies Wipes.

Oral B Stages Gone are the days when the children’s toothbrush category took a ‘one size fits all’ approach to brushing, with kids’ brushes often just being smaller versions of adult products. The pioneering launch of Oral-B Stages revolutionised the way we look at children’s brushing by introducing a range designed to meet their special needs at different stages of their development.

Oral-B Stages is a range designed for every stage of a child’s gum and tooth development.

The primary target for Oral-B Stages is parents, whose child’s oral health is of the utmost importance. Oral-B Stages continue to be the best selling children’s toothIn order to keep brushes in the dental kids interested in profession and are their oral hygiene designed to meet the and make toothbrushing fun, Oral- needs of every child’s B Stages ensure the development. brushes are a Commenting on the desirable range, Steve Davey, commodity in Senior Business themselves, with regularly refreshed Manager at Oral-B says, character “Kids always want the licensing. latest thing and the best way to get children involved in their oral hygiene is by making it fun and by ensuring the products themselves are a desirable commodity.”

In order to keep kids interested in their oral hygiene and make toothbrushing fun, Oral-B Stages ensure the brushes and paste are a desirable commodity in themselves, with regularly refreshed character licensing. It’s important for retailers to stock toothbrushes featuring new characters to tap into consumer trends outside of oral care and reap the profits.

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March09Easter

The Sweetest Thing Valued at €34.2m, and showing growth of 5%, Easter is a key opportunity for retailers to grow sales.

Ireland

is a nation of chocoholics. Consumption of chocolate in Ireland is amongst the highest in the world, with each Irish person munching their way through more than 11kg of chocolate each year, which much of this consumed over the €34.2m Easter season.

The Easter egg tradition began with painted egg shells but since the 19th Century, Easter eggs have been made of chocolate, and the market is growing all the time, with current estimates predicting a 5% growth in Easter confectionery sales this year.

In line with consumer concerns, the main manufacturers are reinforcing their green credentials, reducing packaging on their Easter egg ranges and promoting the recyclable and biodegradable nature of their packaging.

Nestlé Nestlé offer an extensive range of Easter lines for both adults and children.

Nestlé continue to lead the way in reducing packaging, with a 25% reduction of packaging across the Easter 2009 range. All packaging is also now fully recyclable, including 32

Some of Ireland’s favourite brands are included in Nestlé’s teen egg selection, including Kit Kat and Aero.

new Egg fitments which are fully compostable and contain no plastic.

Some of Ireland’s favourite brands are included in the teen egg sector, including Kit Kat, Rolo, Yorkie, and Aero. An exciting new edition to Aero Bubbles this year is the Aero Bubbles Insider Egg, filled with bubbly chocolate pleasure.

Ideal for gifting are the range of Mug Eggs: Yorkie, Rolo and KitKat. New to the mug egg range this Easter is the Kit Kat Senses Mug Egg, following on from the tremendously successful impulse launch in 2008.

New to the kids Easter range is the Milkybar Hollow Cow, a fun treat made from delicious Milkybar white chocolate. Nestlé also offer an added value range, with the Smarties Decorating Mug and the Milkybar Money Box, in the shape of one of the Milkybar characters. These are fun solutions to keep kids entertained over the Easter holidays.

For adults, Black Magic is the number one dark chocolate assortment and is joined by After Eight and Quality Street eggs as key gifting favourites for their loyal consumers.

Activation in-store is key, in order to drive sales and growth this Easter and Nestlé have a range of shipper

solutions for their teenage egg range, which are available to order now.

Cadbury Ireland Sales of Cadbury eggs claim 45.7% of the Irish Easter egg market and Cadbury grew the total Easter market in 2009. As market leaders, Cadbury

The Wispa large shell egg will capitalise on the phenomenal success of the relaunched Wispa brand.

March09Easter

The increasingly popular Green & Black’s Organic range of chocolate eggs.

is taking the opportunity this Easter to shrink their environmental footprint by reducing excess packaging.

As a result, there will be a 25% reduc-

tion in weight in medium and large Easter shell egg packaging and 60% of Cadbury’s Easter egg packaging will be biodegradable.

In line with the growing consumer trend for organic offerings, there are six luxurious eggs under the Green & Black’s Organic chocolate brand able for 2009. In fact, Green & Black’s claims to be the fastest growing luxury shell egg brand in the UK. This year, large eggs will be available in milk and dark chocolate varieties and medium eggs will be available in dark, milk, maya gold and butterscotch chocolate. Green & Black’s Easter range also focuses on using sustainable packaging, with all eggs boxed in recycled card, wrapping up the ultimate premium gift in line with growing consumer trends.

Wispa was relaunched in October 2008 and to date sales have been phenomenal. From October to December 2008 alone, there were over 10m bars sold and according to ACNielsen, in the same period, Wispa was the number one selling chocolate bar.

Following this unprecedented success, Wispa will be available in large shell egg format this Easter.

33

March09Retail

News Interview

Snack To The Future While

the vast majority of industries are predicting a year of declining sales and diminishing profits, Ireland’s crisp and snack industry is in the enviable position of looking forward to another 12 months of value growth.

“The crisps and snacks market seems to be very resilient in the face of recession,” explains Nicola Wells, Marketing Manager, Walkers. “The latest figures, to the year-end last

year, show that the category as a whole is in strong value growth of around 5.5%. When you look at the total grocery market and confectionery, of which crisps and snacks are a part, is bearing up very well and is ahead of the curve.”

Why is it that this sector can buck the trend so effectively?

“Because crisps and snacks are not a big ticket item in terms of the weekly shop,” Wells notes. “Secondly, crisps

Nicola Wells, Marketing Manager, Walkers, on why the crisps and snacks market could be recessionproof and the steps Walkers are taking to safeguard the sector into the future. and snacks have become a staple of the grocery shop. Thirdly, a lot of people are looking at ways to save money, so we are seeing the rise of the packed lunch, of which crisps are a staple, so multi-packs are showing strong growth.

“Consumers are buying multipacks and sharing bags,” she continues. “We are seeing that frequency of purchase is down but volume purchase is up, as consumers start to bulk-buy.”

The six final flavours in the D-UAF campaign: Fish & Chips, Onion Bhaji, Chilli & Chocolate, Crispy Duck & Hoi Sin, Builder’s Breakfast and Cajun Squirrel.

34

March09Retail

Growth Areas Two other areas showing strong growth within the crisps and snacks sector are healthy crisps and premium products.

“We are seeing massive growth across the category in the area of healthy crisps and snacks, which is showing growth rates in the region of 21%,” explains Wells. “That continues to be a big area of interest for consumers.”

While acknowledging that Irish consumers’ concern with health has been overtaken by financial worries, she feels that the area of health and wellness “is still very much on the agenda, as evidenced by Minister Wallace’s continued development of the National Task Force on Obesity: consumers are still trying to find a way to look after themselves that isn’t costly, and switching to the lower fat varieties of crisps and snacks is an affordable way for them to make some changes.”

The market for premium snack products, too, continues to grow, as consumers tend to regard these types of products as an affordable luxury.

“A lot more people are staying in, and they want to find ways of treating themselves in a not-overly indulgent way,” muses Wells. “A bag of Walkers Sensations or Doritos is a nice way for consumers to treat themselves. The sharing market is growing ahead of the total market and is one of the strongest aspects of the category.”

Walkers are expecting slight volume growth this year across the category as a whole, but the big growth will come in value terms, driven by areas like the continued development of the healthy sector and the rise in

News Interview

premium products.

“Consumers are buying multi-packs “Current indicators suggest that if all the and sharing bags. We are seeing competitors in the category continue to keep it that frequency of purchase is down stimulated and keep conbut volume purchase is up, as sumers interested, we should see value growth consumers start to bulk-buy.” across the category,” Wells predicts. “It’s not going to be a watershed year in terms of growth, It’s not just consumers who have but we should be able to survive betembraced the D-UAF campaign, but ter than other sectors.” retailers too: “The feedback directly from retailers has been that they want something new and different to Do Us A Flavour interest people in their stores, particOne of the biggest drivers of growth ularly in impulse, and these new has been new product and flavour flavours fit the bill perfectly.” development. The Walkers ‘Do Us A The six final flavours are: Fish & Flavour’ campaign is a massive move Chips, Onion Bhaji, Chilli & Chocolate, in this direction. Six flavours, created Crispy Duck & Hoi Sin, Builder’s by members of the public, were choBreakfast and Cajun Squirrel. sen by a judging panel fronted by “The great thing about the new chief judge, Chef Heston Blumenthal, flavours is that they’ve really proand now face the public vote to decide voked debate, particularly on the indiwhich one stays on sale permanently. vidual flavours’ Facebook pages,” The winning flavour will be Wells notes. “It has become a real announced in May 2009 and will join talking point because the flavours are the Walkers flavours ‘Hall of Fame’ really interesting, but accessible. The with the winner scooping Stg£50,000 flavours split quite nicely into quite plus 1% of any subsequent sales of traditional things like Builder’s their flavour. The five runners-up will Breakfast or Fish & Chips, the more each receive Stg£10,000. ethnic, with the Crispy Duck & Hoi “The campaign really exceeded all Sin and Onion Bhaji, and the more our expectations,” enthuses Nicola wacky flavours, Cajun Squirrel and Wells. “It really engaged people: we Chilli & Chocolate.” had over 40,000 entries from Ireland alone. We grew our share of the market by almost 2% over that eight-week Marketing Innovation period of Stage one. Stage two is in Involving the public directly in choosthe market at the moment, with the ing the next Walkers product was an six new flavours, and we’re keeping extremely innovative move. Irish conup with demand, but just about.” sumers can still vote for their

35

March09Retail

News Interview

Walkers Sensations is being relaunched in impactful new black packaging.

favourite flavour, on www.walkerscrisps.ie, with one voter winning €10,000 if their flavour of choice is the ultimate winner. Is this kind of marketing innovation key to Walkers’ future development in Ireland?

“More and more, with the rise of reality TV, where consumers can control the outcome of things, people want to have a say in their favourite brands, what they do and how they behave,” admits Wells. “Consumers feel a degree of ownership over brands and feel a part of the decision-making process. I think it’s very important in terms of engaging consumers that they feel they have a say, and new flavours are such an important part of growing the market. Getting the public involved is more likely to make them want to buy our products because it is something they like and have been involved in.”

The Right Team Clearly NPD, innovation and an understanding of how to grow the category to benefit retailers and manufacturers alike have driven the success of Walkers here. However, Wells points out that the people on the Walkers team have also been crucial to that success. The Walkers business in Ireland is now a very substantial one. The brand is distributed through Walkers’ partner, Boyne Valley Foods, and the local Walkers team is now 36

almost 100“New flavours and innovation are the strong. keys to continuing the growth of the ”We have some of the best people in overall category, because it can become the business working with us here and we quite commoditised, and we, as also have access to fantastic insights teams with manufacturers, have a responsibility international experience to keep it fresh and new, to keep who can work with us to share experiences of other consumers interested.” markets,” Wells notes. “This enables us to make very educated local decisions which benefit tising, as well as the third year of the local retailers.”

Walkers Sensations TV Now Awards in April.

“Our new TV campaign for Sophisticated Sensations is very exciting, and very Consumers different for a crisp brand,” explains the Are consumers becoming increasingly Marketing Manager. “We plan to have a sophisticated? Do they need to be big presence in April with the new-look stimulated in new ways?

Sensations packs. Sharing is a big part “I think so,” she muses. “People of the market and growing. When we are bombarded with messages every introduced Sensations, it had a big day for all sorts of different products impact in terms of growing not just our from different media sources, and it’s business but the total crisps category. becoming increasingly difficult for The relaunch is all about stimulating brands to cut through that. So you growth again in the category. have to think of different ways of “We expect to grow our share of engaging people. It’s really about a the sharing sector but we are also two-way conversation, rather than looking to stimulate growth of the just talking to them about the prodtotal market. New flavours and innouct. It’s about involving consumers in vation are the keys to continuing the your marketing and allowing them, to growth of the overall category, a certain extent, to control the output. because it can become quite commodiFinding different ways to engage contised, and we, as manufacturers, have sumers, whether that is through sama responsibility to keep it fresh and pling, online or through competitions, new, to keep consumers interested.” is very important as well. TV advertising is still the best way to make an initial impact but it’s a very one-way SNACK FACTS marketing tool.”

THE Irish crisps and snacks market was valued at €181m in 2008, up 5.5% on 2007 in value Walkers Sensations terms. The crisps market was Relaunch worth 6.3% more in 2008, while The company will be engaging conthe snacks sector grew by 4.7% sumers once again next month, across in value. Volume growth was all media channels, with the relaunch more modest, with the entire of Walkers Sensations in brand new sector up by 1.4% ahead of the all-black packaging, alongside new 2007 figures. The sharing sector, flavours, including Buffalo Mozzarella valued at €33.9m, showed MAT & Herb. growth of 10.2% over 2007, “It’s a case of ‘Black is the new while Better For You crisps and white’,” laughs Wells, “so we’re movsnacks, valued at €13.9m, ing to all-black packaging, with a showed impressive 20.7% value completely fresh, impactful design, growth. which is guaranteed to set Sensations apart on-shelf.”

(All figures sourced from The relaunch will be supported by ACNielsen MarketTrack to a heavyweight multimedia campaign, December 28, 2008) including TV, press and online adver-

March09Drinks

News

Château Lynch-Bages hosts Wine Showcase JEAN -Charles Cazes, the youthful President of the prestigious Château Lynch-Bages wine empire, who has taken over from his father, Jean Michel, visited Dublin recently to re-introduce his eclectic range of wines to a select group of Ireland’s top wine writers and guests at The Herbert Park Hotel and introduce new joint venture wines from some of the world's top wineries. Distributed in Ireland by Barry & Fitzwilliam, the wine-tasting included the chic re-branded Michel Lynch portfolio of popular wines and the elegant but powerful Château Villa Bel-Air wines from the Graves region. Jean-Charles is pictured with Michael Barry, Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Fáilte Ireland Trainee Manager Development Programme THE Fáilte Ireland Trainee Manager Development Programme (TMDP) Graduatation took place recently. Pictured presenting the Student of the Year, Tanya Fitzgerald with her awards are (l-r): Kerri Judge, Marketing Manger, Febvre and Company Limited; Student of the Year, Tanya Fitzgerald of the Carrigaline Court Hotel, Cork; Sean O’Malley, Manager of Education Operations, Fáilte Ireland; Gina Murphy, President of the Restaurant Association of Ireland; and Natasha Kinsella, Chief Executive, Irish Hospitality Institute.

Bacardi Celebrates Founders Day

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard Results

BACARDI recently celebrated its 147th anniversary by staging a very special event for a select number of people on the banks of the Liffey in Dublin. The Bacardi Founders Day event was held on the MV Cill Airne Restaurant, which is currently docked on Dublin’s North Wall Quay. The boat, not normally used for Bacardi events, was decorated by Bacardi for the special occasion, which remembered the incredible legacy of Bacardi’s founders and reflected on the great success of Don Facundo Bacardi Masso’s creation of the world’s favourite rum. Pictured are Bacardi Head Mixologist Paul Lambert with Tiernan O'Morain, Market Development Manager, Bacardi.

IRISH Distillers Pernod Ricard recently released its results for the first six months of this fiscal year. Alexandre Ricard, Chairman & CEO (pictured), commented, “The first six months of this fiscal year (08/09) proved to be a very encouraging one for Jameson, as it continued to benefit from consistent investment, and support as one of Pernod Ricard’s key international, strategic brands. Despite the economic downturn, the global growth trend for Jameson remains resolutely strong, with volume +7% and sales value +14%, confirming the success of the brand’s premium-isation strategy.” In line with the Irish market, Irish Distillers’ overall portfolio experienced volume declines in the period, although the company turned in a strong performance in the off-trade sector during the key Christmas trading period.

Superb Day at Hennessy Gold Cup 2009 AN incredible array of guests attended the 2009 Hennessy Gold Cup recently. Hoteliers, restaurateurs, horse owners, jockeys and trainers mingled with the stylish ladies and gentlemen, as well as celebrities from the world of film, music and politics for the social and sporting highlight of the season. To celebrate the 19th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup, the ever-charming John Pearson, Managing Director, Edward Dillon and Co. Ltd, hosted a reception in the luxurious Hennessy suite at the Leopardstown Pavilion for over 300 guests.

John Pearson is pictured with Maria Tecce, whose sultry tones entertained guests at the event.

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RN

March09On

The Vine

California Dreaming Jean Smullen reports on the quality and impact of Californian wines.

Wine

cultivation, production and consumption have developed very differently in North and South America. The history of wine drinking in North America is very different to that of South America, mainly because of the period of prohibition in the USA from 1919 to 1933. Prohibition effectively stopped any expansion of wine production during this period and brought the development of the North American wine industry to a standstill during a time when the wine industry was starting to develop, evolve and expand globally.

The State of California is the largest source of American wine by far.

In the early 1990s, they produced 90% of all American wines. California was also for years the only source of vinifera wines in the USA, though that has changed in recent years. However, it is deservedly called the Wine State.

California has a two-season Mediterranean climate with an off-shore ocean current which causes a nearly perpetual fog bank along its coast. This creates large areas too cold and wet to grow any grapes at all.

However, these fogs do not penetrate too far inland and in the sharply hilly regions of the coastal ranges, the terrain and Zig Zag Zin, variable fog proMendocino County duce a perfect Zinfandel, from growing season for Febvre & Co. Ltd.

38

some of the key Californian geographical appellations such as Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Lake.

These appellations of origin, driven by soil and climate, are known as AVA's or American Viticultural Areas.

Further south, you will find larger

N e w s F ro m S u t t e r H o m e SUTTER Home Winery boasts a strong range of popular everyday consumer wines, which is led by its pioneering White Zinfandel. In the US, the brand is going from strength to strength and is currently the number one table wine. Here in 2009, Ireland hopes to replicate the brand’s US success with exciting new in-store promotions, media support and new product launches, as well as introducing new screw-cap packaging across the range, which will roll out on shelves from April.

In May, the brand will see a major in-store summer promotion destined to drive consumer trial and purchase uptake. Point of sale materials in the form of neck collars, shelf talkers and off-shelf displays as well as strong media support will drive consumer awareness. This will showcase the promotion and give Sutter Home high consumer visibility, which is destined to drive sales in the key summer months.

Sutter Home is also launching a new product range this April, the Newman’s Own range of wines. Paul Newman’s two varietals, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, are being introduced following their successful launch in the United States last year. 25% of all after-tax profits made on the Newman’s Own range go to Paul Newman’s own charitable foundations under the umbrella of ‘The Hole in the Wall Gang’. This ‘gang’ includes Barretstown here in Ireland, one of Ireland’s most popular and well-supported charities.

Rosemary Lyster, Marketing Manager, Findlater Wine & Spirit Group comments, “We are very excited about this new addition to the portfolio. This is a great tasting wine, with exciting packaging, and you also have the added knowledge that your money is going to support a good cause. Paul Newman chose the wine Sutter Home hopes to replicate the himself and we are delighted that we are doing somebrand’s US success thing small to help the staff at Barretstown in their here in Ireland quest to put smiles on ill children’s faces.” with exciting new The Newman’s Own Wines will be hitting Irish in-store shelves in April and will retail at €15.99. For further promotions, media support and new information, please contact Findlaters Wine & Spirit product launches. group at 01 4047300.

March09On

ed production and available only in wine growing areas with a more a few markets. Here you will find nebulous geographical description, outstanding quality and a very such as, North Coast, Central Coast, strong expression of what South Coast.

Californian wine really is.

They are rudimentary and In recent years, Ireland has impose no restrictions on varieties earned a reputation as one of planted or vineyard practices. the more vibrant imported Here you will find vast tracts of wine markets in Europe, farms where growers produce which explains why the projuice for the many very sucducers of Californian wines cessful branded wines which showed confidence in their originate from California. future by supporting the Irish California's mix of vine varitasting which took place in eties is one of the world's most Dublin in January. fluid, thanks to its high proOrganised by the Wine portion of these professional Institute of California, particigrape farmers selling their pating wineries at the 2009 produce to wineries in free tasting included some of the market conditions. biggest names from the The most important regions, like Au Bon Climat, California wine type is the variBacio Divino Baileyana etal or grape variety. The proWinery, Benziger, Beringer duction of inexpensive wines, largely from the Central or San Big Yellow Cab, Vineyards, Bogle Winery, one of the Bonny Doon Vineyards, Joaquin Valley, is in the hands impressive Bonterra Vineyards, Brazin, of a relatively few very large Californian wines Cakebread Cellars, Carlo wineries. Most of the smaller from Febvre Rossi, Concannon Cycles, wineries concentrate on more & Co. Ltd. Gladiator, Dancing Bull, expensive wines, many of limit-

Findlater Wine & Spirit Group FOLLOWING the recent merger of two of the country's best known importing companies, Findlater/Grants and Woodford Bourne, a new company has now emerged. The new name will be the Findlater Wine & Spirit Group and they will operate out of the Woodford Bourne offices at 79 Broomhill Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

New Zealand Wine Fair ACCORDING to New Zealand Winegrowers’ MAT export figures, 1.52m litres were exported to Ireland to the end of November 2008. Indeed, Ireland now represents 1.6% of New Zealand's exports and is current New Zealand’s 5th largest export market, with exports to Ireland now worth approximately €5.4m. Latest Irish figures show New Zealand as the fastest growing country of origin category on the Irish market during 2008.

New Zealand continues to grow its market share in Ireland with sales increasing by almost 30% (29.8%) up

to August 2008. All of which explains the extremely good support for the Annual New Zealand tasting which took place in January in Dublin.

65 Wineries took part in the 2009 event, sampling over 250 wines to nearly 500 visitors (both trade and consumer). 22 winemakers travelled from New Zealand to take part in the Irish tasting, which this year also included a seminar about the wine region of Central Otago and a “walk through” tasting, which showcased the diversity and expression of terroir which New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can express.

The Vine

Delicato Family Vineyards, Dominus Estate, Duckhorn Vineyards, Estrada Creek, Fetzer Vineyards, Flora Springs, Folie A Deux, Frog’s Leap Winery, Gallo Family Vineyards, Gnarly Head, Glen Ellen, Chappellet Vineyard & Winery, Dancing Coyote, Eos Estate Winery, Freeman Winery, Gnarled Vine, J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery, J Vineyards & Winery, Jewel, Oakville Ranch Winery, Patz & Hall, Six Sigma, Sovio, Touchstone, Viader and White Tail.

Wines For Easter AS Easter approaches, we look at a few wines to go with lamb. The South of France is a good place to start.

Those Grenache-based southern French wines from the Rhone and the appellations of Languedoc Rousillion are always worth a look. Most importers will have a good range of these blended red wines, which are usually made from an assortment of southern French grape vareties, such as Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre, with a dash of Syrah for good measure. Push the boat out and go for the Gigondas from Gabriel Meffre which is distributed by Allied Drinks/Constellation. Otherwise you can go to Tyrrell Wine Merchants, who have one of the best range of wines from this part of the world currently available on the Irish market.

From the New World, the Rhone Rangers as they are called are also worth a look. Gilbeys Wines have probably one of the best examples of these in their South African range from Fairview Estate. The wines include the cheekily named Goats do Roam, a blend of Shiraz, Pinotage, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Merlot, Grenache, Carignan and Gamay. It’s really brilliantly made and definitely worth a look. Or try the even more cheekily named Goats do Roam in Villages, a blend of Shiraz, Pinotage and Mourvedre. These exciting wines are produced by Charles Back at his Paarl Estate. This maverick winemaker spends most of this time in the vineyards, experimenting with non indigenous varieties to brilliant effect.

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March09Pizza

Pizza Perfection The pizza market continues to grow and develop, as consumers treat themselves to restaurant quality food at home.

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza delivers on its real “pizzeria taste” promise with its unique thin and crispy base and delicious toppings.

Bistro range of authentic baguettes are also very popular and just as easy to prepare. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with delicious toppings, Bistro Baguettes are extremely convenient and are perfect for the whole family at any occasion.

The

Irish pizza market looks to be one sector set to buck the recession.

Indeed, the strength of take-away and delivered pizza brands like Domino’s and Four Star Pizza is indicative of a major cultural shift in the way Irish consumers eat. Instead of eating out at restaurants, we are starting to eat in, and the pizza sector in-store can capitalise on this growing trend. The main pizza manufacturers are developing value-added, premium products so Irish consumers can now, more than ever, recreate restaurant quality meals in their own home.

Dr. Oetker Inspired by Italian recipes, Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza delivers on its real “pizzeria taste” promise with its unique thin and crispy base and delicious toppings.

Ristorante Pizza offers a meal solution for the consumer who demands premium quality and convenience. Taking just 10-12 minutes to cook, Ristorante offers a wide range of varieties to suit all tastes so everyone can have their favourite. Salame (pepperoni), a delicious new flavour from Dr. Oetker Ristorante, will hit the freezer cabinets in April - a real meat lover’s pizza.

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Giovanni Di Firenze

Salame is a delicious new flavour from Dr. Oetker Ristorante, hitting freezer cabinets in April.

Dr. Oetker Ristorante is ranked third in the Irish frozen pizza market and is growing more than five times faster than the market ( Source: ACNielsen Scantrack, December 28, 2008).

Dr. Oetker’s

Giovanni Di Firenze has a mouthwatering selection of fresh pizzas with a stone oven baked base, topped with generous helpings of fresh ingredients. These pizzas are ready from the oven and they are ideal for a quick meal for the whole family. The range includes Cheese Supreme Pizza; Meat Feast Pizza

Giovanni Di Firenze has a mouth-watering selection of fresh pizzas with a stone oven baked base, topped with generous helpings of fresh ingredients.

March09Pizza

and Ham & Mushroom Pizza. All pizzas come in shelf ready trays, which stand the pizzas upright with the label facing outwards, making selection easier.

McCain McCain Micro Pizzas are the only micro pizza products

McCain Cheese and Tomato Pizza Fingers are a fast, fun, favourite food.

on the market. The range is available in two great tasting flavours: Cheese and Tomato, and Pepperoni. McCain has also newly repackaged the Micro Pizza Range to give them a more contemporary look and create greater stand-out in the freezer.

They are now also McCain has repackaged the Micro Pizza Range to give them a more contemporary look and oven-able. As a single serving create greater stand-out in the freezer. portion, McCain Micro Pizzas

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are perfect for lunchtimes and great for snacking.

McCain Cheese and Tomato Pizza Fingers are a fast, fun, favourite food. With 10 tasty individual pizza slices per pack, kids love them at lunchtime or as a snack, so they're all taste and no waste. They are also loved by adults, and can be served as a great party snack. McCain Pizzas are made with no artificial colours or flavours.

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March09Buying

Irish

Supporting Local Suppliers More than ever before, supporting Irish suppliers is vital for the long-term future of the grocery sector.

ty approved suppliers in the retail sector. They have placed considerable investment in broadening the scope of the Quality Assurance Programmes to encompass all elements of the supply chain and establishing the Bord Bia Quality Mark as a brand with national recognition. It’s not just up to Bord Bia to promote Irish goods, however: the retail sector must play its part in highlighting the quality and variety of Irish produce on its shelves.

Kerrygold

Dairygold Soft Real Butter Dairygold, an iconic Irish brand, have just launched a great new product to their range, Dairygold Soft Real Butter. More convenient to use on a daily basis, Dairygold Soft Real Butter is easier to spread, and comes in an innovative tub, meaning that it’s easy for consumers to store.

As market leader, Dairygold Original is still the pillar of the brand, with Dairygold Soft Real Butter now available for the moments when only a real butter will do. Rooted in trusted traditional methods, this 100% natural product

Unquestionably a household name in Ireland, the Kerrygold brand is owned by the Irish Dairy Board, a commercial dairy cooperative, the major Irish supexporter of Irish dairy products. With pliers has never been more important, loyal consumers in over 60 countries for consumers and retailers, in terms of worldwide, Kerrygold is the premier safeguarding Irish jobs and protecting butter brand in Germany and our economy. But it’s not simply a case is found in other markets of returning to the ‘Buy Irish’ slogastretching from Europe to neering of the 1970s and ‘80s and cerChina and North America tainly not a case of protectionism. to Australia. In Ireland, Culturally, we have moved on considNew Dairygold Soft Real Butter is easier to spread, Kerrygold is Ireland’s leaderably since then, but crucially, so have and comes in an innovative tub, meaning that it’s ing butter, claiming a marthe wealth and quality of Irish food and easy for consumers to store. ket share in excess of 47%. grocery products available on the marKerrygold’s success is clear-cut. It is the perfect companion for delicious ket to the point where they are at least is ‘real’ food, 100% natural, with no wholesome foods and a must for food on a par and frequently far superior to additives beyond salt for flavour, lovers. their imported counterparts. made with quality milk from cows fed It’s not just a case of the major With a heavily target press adveron the freshest, greenest grasslands tising campaign and strong in-store international players creating top in the world. Kerrygold is a brand promotion, Dairygold Soft Real quality produce either. Ireland’s small that people know and trust. It is a Butter is a must-have in-store. food and drink producers have an name that stands for premium qualiestimated annual turnover of more ty, for naturalness, a truly reliable than €475m. “This is a dynamic secGaltee Irish food. tor with many companies achieving For 40 years Galtee has been a part of double digit growth and with conthe great Irish breakfast. Galtee tinued development ambitions as Irish rashers have always been at evident among the some 116 small home on Irish plates. No wonder food producers approved for supeither, Galtee Irish rashers, just port under Bord Bia’s marketing like Galtee sausages and pudfinance assistance programme dings, are sourced from only the this year” noted Aidan Cotter, highest quality Irish pork and are Chief Executive, Bord Bia, recentirresistible right to the last bite. ly at an event highlighting Bord Galtee’s core range of rashers Bia’s Vantage Programme for are available in standard and small food businesses. thick-cut and include Tender One of Bord Bia’s primary Cure, Old Style, Hickory, Maple The iconic Kerrygold brand: loved and trusted by objectives in the domestic market and Rind-on. Galtee rashers are Irish consumers. is to promote products from qualialso available in a streaky vari-

Supporting

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March09Buying

built factory in Damastown, Dublin 15, where the full range of sugars, dried fruits, rices and traditional desserts are all packed in the most up-to-date packaging formats. In most of the product areas in which Gem operates, they are the only remaining company packing in Ireland. Gem Pack Galtee’s core range of rashers are available in Foods are proud and standard and thick-cut and include Tender Cure, active members of Old Style, Hickory, Maple and Rind-on.

Guaranteed Irish, promoting Irish excellence and jobs. ety, a firm favourite with consumers.

Galtee’s Sinless breakfast rashers meet consumers’ health expectaFlahavan’s Porridge tions, while allowing them to enjoy As one of the oldest private familytheir rasher, guilt free, without comowned food companies in Ireland, promising on the ‘unforgivably gorFlahavan’s brands are resonant of geous flavour’. No Irish breakfast tradition and integrity, with a range would be complete without sausages of totally natural locally grown cereand pudding and Galtee have a als. The hot oats cereal category whole range of varieties of both on leader, claiming over 65% market offer. Indeed, Galtee is a household share, Flahavan’s have been delivername in Ireland and its sausages, ing more growth to the oats category pudding and rashers remain a firm favourite with Irish consumers.

Irish

Portable Porridge Pot 40g serving.

Flahavan’s Quick Oat Sachets and drum, both with a reusable liquid measure are ready in just two minutes, while Flahavan’s portable porridge pots can be made by simply microwaving or adding boiling water and are ready in just 90 seconds.

Consumers can also kick-start their day with an exotic fruity twist to a healthy breakfast with Flahavan’s two new real fruit varieties. Flahavan’s Real Fruit Porridge Sunrise Fruits combines Flahavan’s Porridge Oats with juicy sultanas, Californian raisins, pineapple, cranberries and papaya, while Flahavan’s Real Fruit Porridge Apple & Raisin contains red apple pieces, succulent raisins and a hint of cinnamon.

Flahavan’s Real Fruit Porridge is simply natural and contains nothing but Flahavan’s Oats and delicious fruit pieces.

Boyne Valley Honey

Boyne Valley Honey has brought pure natural honey to Irish families for more than 50 years. This delicious honey is packed in Mell, Drogheda, Co. Gem Pack Louth. Mell takes Foods its name from the Gem Pack Foods Irish word for honhave been producey – mil. The Boyne ing and packing Flahavan’s have been delivering more growth to the oats category in Valley Honey company product in Ireland for 40 line with consumers’ increasing interest in porridge as a healthy is situated close to the years. The company breakfast cereal choice. site of Mellifont Abbey operates from a purpose(Fons Mellis – the in line with consumers’ Fountain of Honey), increasing interest in which was the first porridge as a healthy Cistercian Monastery in breakfast cereal choice.

Ireland founded in 1142.

While still producing The monks at Mellifont the most popular tradiwere renowned beekeeptional Flahavan’s ers. Today, that tradition Progress Oatlets, is carried on by Boyne Flahavan’s have extendValley Honey, Ireland’s ed their popular number one brand of Microwaveable Quick honey. Boyne Valley’s Oats Drum, Sachets and Pure Irish Honey conPortable Porridge in a tains only 100% pure Pot – Original or natural unblended Irish Strawberry flavours – Honey and the company range to include an is the largest purchaser Organic Sachet variety Boyne Valley’s Pure Irish Gem Pack Foods has been producing Honey contains only 100% of pure Irish honey in available in an 8x35g and packing product in Ireland pure natural unblended the country. box and an Organic for 40 years.

Irish Honey.

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March09Seafood

Seafood Sales On The Rise Valued at almost €400m, Ireland’s seafood sector continues to grow.

Irish

Currently, 19 Superquinn stores have achieved on-going membership, along with Donnybrook Fair; Twomey’s SuperValu, Deansgrange, Co. Dublin; Condron’s SuperValu in Clane; and Scally’s SuperValu in Clonakilty.

Newcomers in this category are Riordan’s SuperValu, Fermoy, and Pettitt’s SuperValu, Wexford. They are joined by the two new Superquinn stores in Ranelagh and Portlaoise.

The Seafood Specialist category is open to seafood retailers who derive in excess of 50% of their turnover from seafood sales and where the retail portion of their premises does not exceed 250 square metres.

The retail element of the programme is assessed by experienced BIM personnel and independent assessors. Applicants receive at least two visits during the assessment period and report their findings to an independent approvals committee. Membership is awarded on an annual basis and may be withdrawn at any stage if an establishment fails to continue to meet the criteria necessary.

A key element of the programme is to help retailers to identify gaps in product quality and customer service and assist them to bridge those gaps.

Typical examples include the development of a labelling system for independent retailers to ensure that all

consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the health benefits, versatility and quality of seafood, as eviPaul Conway, from Superquinn denced by the growing value of the Irish Northside, proudly displays the store’s seafood market. Indeed, Irish seafood membership of the BIM Seafood sales are worth almost €400m per annum Circle. domestically, with a further €360m being product displayed meets with legislaexported. Indeed, the domestic market for tive requirements and staff developseafood is growing faster than exports, up ment workshops on product knowledge, from just over €280m in 2003 to more preparation and customer service. The than €394m in 2007. Much of this growth workshops are held in BIM’s Seafood can be put down to the strong marketing Development Centre, which is campaigns of BIM, the Irish Sea Fisheries equipped with a specially designed filBoard, who continually strive to educate leting room and kitchen area. consumers about the benefits of eating Participants gain hands-on experience more fish, with a host of consumer camin several aspects of fishmongering and paigns throughout the year. also build their culinary skills and It’s not just consumers who can benproduct knowledge repertoire by spendefit from BIM, however, as the State ing time preparing and cooking agency also developed the Seafood seafood.

Circle initiative to support and encourBIM offers a wide range of supports age restaurateurs and retailers that exclusively to Seafood Circle members, consistently deliver the highest stanincluding promotional and PR activdards of seafood and service to ity, point-of-sale material, regular their customers. BIM’s Seafood newsletters, workshops, mentoring, Circle initiative is proving and a designated website, extremely popular with both trade www.seafoodcircle.ie. For more and consumers, with membership information, contact John Hackett numbers for 2009 jumping to 155. at BIM (email: Hackett@bim.ie).

The programme sits under three categories; Supermarket Seafood Counter with 27 members; Seafood Key Recommendations Specialist, 37 members; and for Seafood Hospitality with 91.

Meanwhile, The Irish Seafood All multiple, symbol groups and Market Initiative Group (ISMIG), independent supermarkets offering appointed by Minister Killeen and a range of seafood from a wet fish chaired by BIM, have outlined key counter, as part of a much greater recommendations focusing on offering of other foodstuffs, are awareness and labelling of Irish Pictured at the launch of the Irish Seafood Market Initiative Report are (l-r): Jason Whooley, CEO, invited to apply for membership in seafood and its route to market to Bord Iascaigh Mhara, and Minister of State at the drive sales of Irish seafood. The the Supermarket Seafood Counter Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, category. report’s recommendations focus on Tony Killeen TD.

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March09Seafood

the key areas of ‘Awareness and Labelling of Irish Seafood’ and its ‘Route to Market’.

In terms of awareness and labelling, the group noted an apparent lack of consumer awareness of the range of Irish fish available, with salmon and cod together accounting for 60% of the domestic market, as well as a lack of awareness of imported fish versus Irish caught or farmed fish arising from labelling issues.

Tailored consumer research highlighted a distinct consumer need for information on food origin and its source, and the report recommends that through an expansion of BIM’s Quality Seafood Programme (QSP), Irish seafood will become more easily identified and differentiated. This will work in tandem with an initiative in partnership with industry to promote and increase awareness across the range of under-utilised and less recognised Irish species such as whiting, haddock, megrim, monkfish, hake, prawns, pollock, mussels, oysters and crab.

In terms of Route to Market, the group highlighted the difficulties experienced by producers in competing against imported products, while also acknowledging the needs of retailers to ensure continuous supplies of seafood are available to meet market demand.

“Now more than ever we need to underpin and bolster our indigenous industries,” noted Minister Killeen at the report’s launch. “Despite the global economic downturn, our natural resources remain, and by actioning the recommendations of this report we can help to secure the important role the seafood sector plays in our economy.”

Marine Harvest Ireland Salmon is regarded as one of the healthiest proteins consumers can eat, being rich in Omega 3, and is also extremely versatile and easy to prepare, accolades being promoted by Marine Harvest Ireland, with their two new branded fresh salmon products: Donegal Silver and The Organic Salmon Co. The Donegal Silver brand, which was first established in 1986, has been relaunched to showcase its inherent quality. “We have developed 46

The Donegal Silver brand has been refreshed to fully illustrate the quality of the product offering.

a very strong reputation for producing the highest quality salmon, which we mostly feature with high-end for restaurants and in smoked salmon.

We decided it was time to bring the taste of Donegal Silver premium Irish Salmon directly into the homes of Irish consumers, so we have refreshed the look of our brand to fully illustrate the quality of the product and the commitment of the people behind the product” stated Eve-Anne McCarron, Marketing Manager.

Salmon. “We have a strong focus on producing the finest quality salmon and an award like this validates that this delivers an excellent taste experience,” notes McCarron.

To capitalise on this success, Marine Harvest have launched a branded organic salmon product, under The Organic Salmon Co., which brings all the benefits of their award-winning Clare Island salmon into the homes of Irish consumers, and is fully certified as 100% Organic Salmon.

John West

Obesity is a serious health problem but is ‘trivial’ compared with the threat of a rise in brain disorders, according to Professor Michael Crawford, founder of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, London Metropolitan University. Speaking at the World Seafood Congress in Dublin in 2007, he said the world was facing a “serious health crisis” as seen by a dramatic rise in food-related disorders, linked specifically to insufficient essential fatty acids (Omega 3) in the diet.

He warned that in Europe, brain disorders have overtaken all other burdens of ill health at a cost of €386bn at 2004 prices, and it’s going to get worse. He and other nutrition leaders at the Congress urged that, “The need to eat more seafood is a matter of urgency”. Two servings per week of the new Tuna Steak with added Omega 3, produced exclusively by John West, The Organic Salmon Co.’s product range brings all the benefits of their award-winning Clare (2x112g cans) meet the recomIsland salmon into the homes of Irish consumers, mended intake of Omega 3 for and is fully certified as 100% Organic Salmon. a week.

“The response to the salmon and the convenience of the entire offer was fantastic and we were delighted that all the hard work and effort of our team in Donegal had paid off. We look forward to extending the range to bring more variety and taste experiences to the plates of Irish homes.

Watch out for more new additions to the Donegal Silver Irish salmon range.”

Marine Harvest is very proud of the recent Food Award which it was awarded by the Irish Food Writers Guild for its Clare Island Organic

Two servings per week of the new Tuna Steak with added Omega 3, produced exclusively by John West, (2x112g cans) meet the recommended intake of Omega 3 for a week

March09What’s

New

Exciting Year for Erin Soups

Kingsmill Back on TV

ERIN has launched four new Soupfulls flavours, Farmhouse Vegetable, Cream of Chicken, Potato and Red Pepper and Chicken Balti, bringing the range up to a total of 14 varieties and helping to ensure that Erin continues as market leader in this category. The brand has also just embarked on a multi-million euro advertising and promotional campaign aimed at raising awareness and increasing market share right across the soup category. With a tagline of ‘Soup That Stirs Your Soul’, the campaign underpins Premier Foods’ confidence in the brand and reinvigorates Erin’s presence on supermarket and convenience store shelves.

FAMILY bread brand Kingsmill is back on TV, with a new advert to shine the spotlight on its Kingsmill Tasty Wholemeal sub-brand, in support of its ongoing multi-million euro ‘Wake up to Wholegrain’ Breakfast campaign. The ‘tongue-in-cheek’ TV creative, set to the sound of ‘House of Fun’ by Madness, focuses on the unmistakeable smell of toast as a means to wake you up, as well as the difficulties parents face in getting teenagers out of bed in the mornings.

More Choice from Gallaher GALLAHER Ireland, a member of the JTI group, have added a new brand to their extending portfolio.

Established in 1975, More is a well-known international brand, with high levels of brand recognition in Ireland recorded. The newcomer in the More family is a Virginian blend white-stick cigarette in king size length, aimed at delivering a high quality product with an international origin. Rolled out in the category since January, this king size cigarette is designed to attract the value conscious adult smoker. Priced competitively at €7.14, it is a guaranteed revenue generator for retailers.

Kellogg’s Cereal To Go KELLOGG’S Away From Home, part of Europe’s largest and growing cereal manufacturers, are launching an exciting new product to appeal to busy out-of-home consumers in Ireland who are looking for a tasty breakfast option on the move. The launch of Kellogg’s Cereal To Go, an innovative ready-to-serve format, is in direct response to today’s ‘deskdining’ phenomenon and busy consumers’ hectic lifestyles.

Cereal to Go will be available in 30g quantities in five top selling brands: Special K, Special K Red Berries, Crunchy Nut, Coco Pops Choco Krispies and Cornflakes.

Flora Women's Mini Marathon ORGANISERS of the Flora Women's Mini Marathon are calling on ladies all over Ireland to lace up and take part in this year's event in a bid to encourage everyone to become heart healthy for 2009, while raising valuable funds for Irish charities. Details of the 2009 Flora Women’s Mini Marathon have been announced and all those planning on taking part can start entering online at www.florawomensminimarathon.ie. The event takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, June 1.

Hartley’s Low Calorie Readyto-Eat Jelly Pots AN emerging and exciting brand from Premier Foods Ireland, Hartley’s has been and continues to be a key driver of innovation in the desserts category. Hartley’s Low Calorie Ready-to-Eat Jelly pots are the perfect snack for those watching their waistline. Available in a handy 175g size pot, the jellies are all fat free and contain less than 10 calories each. The range consists of four variants: Cranberry & Raspberry, Mango & Passion Fruit, Blueberry & Blackcurrant and the new deliciously fruity Apple & Watermelon. This year, the brand will be supported with marketing and promotional activity and will see the launch of brand new products to the range.

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March09Shelf

Life

Shelf Life KOZY Shack Europe are launching Ready Grains, a healthy and convenient multigrain breakfast cereal. Produced in their factory in Castleblayney, the cereal is chilled, readyto-eat and combines nutritious grains, whole oats, barley and rice, with fresh Irish milk.

Available in four variants, Original, Strawberry, Apple & Cinnamon and Peach, Ready Grains can be warmed in a microwave or eaten cold as a dessert and the launch is being supported by a programme of targeted advertising and PR.

THE first “Green” wines to arrive in Dublin were here in time for St Patrick’s Day. CTMV Fair Wind Wine Ltd, whose inaugural shipment by sail to Ireland took place last July, was the first sustainable transport company to send exclusive French wines to Dublin using green energy and a second consignment of 15,000 bottles arrived in early March via the Etoile de France, a 61-year-old, three masted tall ship.

“This year we are facing a difficult turning point,” comments Frederic Albert, President of Fair Wind Wine. “People are fed up because of the economic crisis and the way financial decision-makers played with the future of millions of people. If you add to this the real issue of global warming, it tastes like a bad blend. We want to create a positive response to that in saying we can build a new economy based on the wise knowledge of older times. As a young Irish company, Fair Wind Wine offers people the opportunity to get directly involved in the new concept. When people buy Fair Wind Wine, it is to say ‘Stop!’, and say ‘we want something better for the future’.”

THE Irish Daily Star and The Irish Daily Star Sunday readership figures are up 9% and 16% respectively.

The Irish Daily Star recorded a figure of 482,000 readers every day, an increase of 41,000 readers on the last survey. The newspaper made gains in the 15-44 category by adding 78,000 new readers in this age group, securing for another year the number one newspaper position in this category.

The Irish Daily Star Sunday was the only Sunday title to enjoy a double digit percentage increase, adding 29,000 readers to reach 207,000.

This 16% increase coincides with Star Sunday management’s strategy to cut back substantially on CD and DVD offerings and reinvest in the editorial product, including the launch of Amen, Ireland’s only men’s magazine.

DISTIL, the three-day specialist spirit show which runs alongside the London International Wine Fair, has announced the inaugural Distil Awards, to be held on May 13 at Café de Paris, London. Awards categories will range from Best International Cocktail Bar through to Best International Liqueur, Best International New Product and International Mixologist of the Year. The 2009 London International Wine Fair and Distil take place at ExCeL London from May 12-14. Please visit www.londonwinefair.com and www.distil-london.com for further details and to register.

THE first Fairtrade Certified products from Palestine have been launched in Ireland recently as part of Fairtrade Fortnight 2009. Zaytoun’s range of organic and Fairtrade Certified Olive Oils are also the first Fairtrade Mark products of their kind, and the Zaytoun company hopes the Fairtrade link will open up new markets for marginalised Palestinian producers in the West Bank and Gaza regions. Current political circumstances mean that Palestinian producers are only accessing less than a quarter of their EU 2000-tonne-a-year quota for olive oil. Fairtrade campaigners say the launch of the Zaytoun Fairtrade olive oil brand will help create a viable, long-term market for thousands of Palestinian farmers, while the Fairtrade premium will also help farmers modernise and expand their production.

TIPPERARY Mineral Water is to be the Official Mineral Water Supplier to the National Basketball Arena for the 2009 season. With All-Ireland Club Competitions, National Cup Finals, International games and the Emerald Hoops competition all taking place at the arena, players will consume a massive 10,000 litres of water throughout the busy 2009 season.

“This is a fantastic partnership and we are delighted Tipperary Water is on board for the 2009 season,” said Karl Donnelly, Commercial and Marketing Director of Basketball Ireland. Pictured at the announcement are Jennifer Strong and Denise Walsh, Montenotte, with Niamh Farrell, Tipperary Natural Mineral Water Brand Manager (centre).

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OVER 200 delegates attended the recent Organic Marketing Conference, which saw the official launch of the Irish Organic Milk Producers Ltd, a company comprising of a number of independent milk producers from around Ireland who will now work together on marketing and product development matters. Pat Mulrooney Chairman Irish Organic Milk Producers, is pictured with Trevor Sargant TD, Minister for Food and Horticulture, at the launch.

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