TalkingShop July 2020

Talking Shop ISSUE 106 – July 2020

The magazine for Premier retailers

Rising to the challenge Sheffield retailing family puts service first in lockdown

PLUS

Daily Essentials Focusing on daily footfall drivers

Slush sales

Grow summer sales and profits

This material is restricted to those who are involved in the business of the sale or distribution of tobacco who are aged 18 years or over.

This material should not be made available to the public or sent to anyone else. This product is addictive and is not risk-free. Not for sale to persons under the age of 18.

NEW HEETS Green Selection A new addition to the menthol range New HEETS Green Selection is here. A great new addition to the range with a balanced, cooling, menthol flavour. Menthol HEETS are the closest alternative to menthol cigarettes and when used with IQOS offer the same ritual and cigarette-like satisfaction.* And at only £5 RRP, you’ve just got the green light for even bigger sales.

STOCK UP

YOUR GANTRY

N OW !

*Source: 3 month clinical studies conducted in the US and Japan with 160 adult smokers each under real conditions (ambulatory).

Talking Shop | July 2020

Welcome Talking Shop ISSUE xx – xx

Welcome to the latest issue of Talking Shop and I hope that you, your team and your family are well and staying safe during these challenging times. Coronavirus has had a massive impact on the sector but it has been inspiring to see how Premier retailers have risen to the challenges of the last few months.

Premier retailers can be rightly proud of the vital role that they have played in serving their communities and it’s clear that their efforts have not gone unnoticed by shoppers.

These are difficult times however we must remain focussed on providing the best possible service for shoppers. With more shoppers than ever using their local Premier store, there are many opportunities for us all over the coming weeks and months to ensure we keep them coming back.

Home delivery has been a game-changer for many retailers so we have spoken to several Premier retailers to hear how they have embraced home delivery. You can read what they have to say inside.

We also take an in-depth look at two stores and how have they have risen to the challenge of supporting their communities in recent months.

Key opportunities like BBQ, slush, ice cream are also examined inside while our daily essentials features show’s how important it is to get your offer right when it comes to those products that drive footfall every day.

Stay safe and keep up the fantastic work that you have all been doing.

Martyn Parkinson, Brand Director Premier

4 TalkingShop

July 2020

2020

The magazine

for Premier reta

Rising to the challenge

Sheffield reta iling family puts service first in lockdow n

ilers

PLUS

Daily Essentials Focusing on daily footfall drivers

Slush sales

Grow summe sales and pro r fits

COVER STORY The Singhs in Sheffield put community first.

THE THREE BIG STORIES 7 Clean Up

New cleaning guide for Premier retailers.

26 Delivering growth

Home delivery offers a huge opportunity to grow sales.

49 Daily sales

Focus on daily essentials to maximise footfall.

Share your shop news

If you’ve got news, tips or feaure ideas, get in touch with Talking Shop. Just pick up the phone and call:

0141 22 22 100 or write to: Talking Shop c/o 55 North Ltd. Waterloo Chambers 19 Waterloo Street Glasgow, G2 6AY or email: talkingshop@55north.com DISCLAIMER: Prices are correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to change.

26

Home delivery is a game changer for convenience retailing.

35

Make the most of ice cream sales this summer.

15

Rising to the challenge.

20

41

The consequencies of a full refit before lockdown.

New product listings.

7

Premier News Premier launches a new

8

9

20 The importance of timing

comprehensive guide to store

Royton retailer completes full refit

cleaning.

just weeks before lockdown.

New lockdown rules

26 Delivering growth

45 Fresh opportunity A reminder on how to develop sales with the recent Menthol Ban.

49 Daily essentials Focusing on the products that

Your guide to how the updated

A guide to growing your business

bring shoppers to your store every

rules now affect you.

with home delivery.

day.

Two third of stores growing New survey finds two third of stores growing under lockdown.

11 Community news Inspiring community activity from Premier retailers.

13 Industry News Government set to crack down in crime against shopworkers.

15 Rising to the challenge Sheffield retailers rise to the

31 Dining out

53 Launch Review

Exclusive pricing on non-food BBQ

Gordon’s Mediterranean Orange

products delivers profit.

gin flying off the shelves.

35 Cool sales Make the most of slush and ice cream sales this summer.

39 PricesDown Outstanding strawberry deal to

31

Heat up your sales with some barbeque tips

drive footfall, sales and profit.

41 Ones To Watch Some of the latest lines to hit the shelves.

Covid-19 challenge.

July 2020 TalkingShop

5

PremierNews NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS PREMIER

Premier unveils comprehensive guide to store cleaning

INBRIEF ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS

l CleanPro+ Antibacterial Hand Soap 5Ltr l CleanPro Alcohol Hand Gel 1Ltr l CleanPro+ Washroom

To help retailers continue to meet health, safe and legal standards, Premier has issued a comprehensive guide to store cleaning as well as issuing all Premier retailers with a free cleaning stand and products.

Cleaner and Disinfectant RTU 1Ltr CleanPro Thick Bleach Citrus & Original 5Ltr l CleanPro+ Glass Cleaner RTU 1Ltr l CleanPro Disinfectant Pine & Lemon 5Ltr CleanPro+ Antibacterial Surface Wipes 1000s l CleanPro+ 30 Seconds Antibac Cleaner & Disinfectant RTU 1Ltr l CleanPro+ Heavy Duty

Meeting health, safe and legal standards has always been vital for Premier retailers but the current coronavirus pandemic has heightened shoppers awareness of all health, safety and hygiene issues.

To help Premier retailers keep their stores in fantastic condition, Premier has issued a brand new guide to store cleaning and is also issuing all Premier retailers with a cleaning stand and a pack of core cleaning products, all completely free of charge.

The professional quality stand is being issued complete with Chef’s Larder Disposable Blue Gloves, CleanPro+ Antibacterial Surface Wipes and CleanPro Alcohol Hand Gel. Your RDM will will make contact with you to organise delivery, if he or she hasn’t already done so and you can also speak to them about ordering more products or additional stands, if required.

The store cleaning guide takes Premier retailers through everything they need to know to maintain health, safe and legal standards in their stores and emphasises the three important things to remember: 1. HAND WASHING One of the most important ways to prevent germs spreading is hand washing.

2. CLEAN & DISINFECT SURFACES

Surfaces should be cleaned thoroughly before they are then disinfected.

3. TOUCH POINTS These areas need repeat cleaning throughout the day – handles, switches, tills, counters, mobile phones, baskets, etc.

Cleaner Degreaser RTU CleanPro+ Kitchen Cleaner RTU 1Ltr l Chef’s Larder Disposable Blue Gloves 100s Chef’s Essentials 2Ply Blue Centrefeed

The guide also reminds retailers of the key areas to remember when cleaning: 1. Windows/Doors/Handles/Switches 2. Shelving/Walls/Side Panels/Floors 3. Self Serve Drinks Machines 4. Fridge Doors/ Handles/Shelves 5. Food to Go/ Kitchen Areas 6. Screens/Phones/ Keyboards/ ATMs/Till Points 7. Washrooms/Toilets To help keep your store clean and hygienic, Booker’s CleanPro range has every product you need to safely and effectively clean and sanitise all of the key areas listed above. These products are listened on the panel on this page.

For more detailed information on in-store cleaning, please visit: https://www.food.gov.uk/ business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-forretailers

Rolls CleanPro All Purpose Cloths 100 l CleanPro Heavy Duty Refuse Sacks 1x200

TALKING TACTICS What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market?

Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@55north.com 0141 222 5380

July 2020 TalkingShop

7

NEWS

INBRIEF Covid-19: the latest advice WATCHDOG ISSUES ‘PROFITEERING’ WARNING

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a stern warning to retailers as it launched investigations into possible overcharging for hand sanitiser in the UK. Four unnamed convenience stores and pharmacies are suspected of profiteering during the Covid-19 crisis.

In April, the CMA sent advisory or warning letters to 187 firms after receiving 2,500 complaints about large price rises on food and personal hygiene products such as hand sanitiser. As of 21st May that number had reached 7,000.

The largest price increases complained about related to hand sanitiser, with a reported average rise of 367%. The CMA wrote to trade bodies representing convenience stores as well as Amazon and eBay in its attempt to tackle price rises.

Following the Prime Minister’s recent updating of measures to help open up the economy, Talking Shop offers the latest advice for Premier retailers.

At the end of June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued the latest updates on the Government’s measures to help open up the economy as the easing of Covid-19 lockdown conditions continues.

The existing detailed guidance that was in place for shops remains unchanged. However, a new “5 steps” document provides a summary of actions that all employers should look to follow.

There are a number of important guidelines that affect Premier retailers and their stores.

1 CARRY OUT A COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENT Carry out a risk assessment in line with HSE guidance l identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards) l decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk) l take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk l consult with your staff l sharing the results of the risk assessment with your staff

2 DEVELOP CLEANING, HANDWASHING AND HYGIENE PROCEDURES Increase the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning by: l encouraging people to follow the guidance on hand washing and hygiene l providing hand sanitiser around the workplace, in addition to washrooms l frequently cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces that are touched regularly l enhancing cleaning for busy areas l setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets l providing hand drying facilities – either paper towels or electrical dryers

3 HELP PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOME You should take all reasonable steps to help people work from home if at all possible: l discussing home working arrangements l ensuring they have the right equipment, for

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July 2020

example remote access to work systems l including them in all necessary communications l looking after their physical and mental wellbeing

4 MAINTAIN 2M SOCIAL DISTANCING, WHERE POSSIBLE Where possible, you should maintain 2m between people by: l putting up signs to remind staff and shoppers of social distancing guidance l using floor tape or paint to mark areas to help people keep to a 2m distance l arranging one-way traffic through the store, if possible l switching to seeing visitors by appointment only, if possible

5 WHERE PEOPLE CANNOT BE 2M APART, MANAGE TRANSMISSION RISK Where it’s not possible for people to be 2m apart, you should do everything practical to manage the transmission risk by: l considering whether an activity needs to continue for the business to operate l keeping the activity time involved as short as possible l using screens or barriers to separate people from each other l using back-to-back or side-to-side working whenever possible l staggering arrival and departure times l reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’

News

Chancellor unveils support package to boost economy Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled a package of measures intended to support the UK economy in his recent Summer Statement with several benefits for independent retailers.

INBRIEF FACE MASKS MANDATORY IN-STORE The UK and Scottish Governments have updated coronavirus guidelines

A range of measures to support the UK economy have been announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak is his recent Summer Statement with a number of these set to indirectly benefit independent retailers. These include a cut in VAT on food and amendments to the furlough scheme.

Sunak pledged to cut VAT on food from 20% to 5% until 12th January 2021 with the cut applying to eat-in or hot takeaway food, and this will apply to independent retailers offering sit-in or hot takeaway food.

He also said employers that bring back furloughed workers and continue to employ them to January will receive a £1,000 bonus.

Sunak said “The employee must be paid £520

each month through to January. If you stand by your workers we will stand by you.”

The furlough scheme will end in October and the government will also create a kickstart scheme that will pay employers to create new jobs for 16- to 24-year-olds at risk of long-term unemployment. These jobs will be for at least 25 hours a week and pay the minimum wage.

The government will give companies £2,000 each to encourage them to hire apprentices.

He said firms will also get £1,500 to employ apprentices over 25 years old.

In addition, the government will pay employers £1,000 for every trainee they offer a work experience placement to.

to make it mandatory for shoppers to wear face coverings at all times when in retail stores.

In Scotland, however, store staff are also required to wear face masks with exemptions for those under the age of 11 and those with certain disabilities. Staff behind screens are also exempt.

In England, store staff will not be required to wear face coverings.

Retail staff will not be required to enforce the

School Essentials Grant from GroceryAid

guidelines or refuse entry to shoppers who fail to comply.

This role will be undertaken by the police who will have the power to issue fines.

Industry charity GroceryAid has launched a School Essentials Grant to reduce the financial impact on parents working in the grocery industry when children go back to school.

The GroceryAid grant will help families purchase the necessities required for the

start of the new school term.

The grant is £150 per schoolaged child (up to a maximum of three children per family), if the applicant can show they are in receipt of Child Benefit and meet the eligibility criteria.

The grant is now open to applications and closes on 30

September or when the fund has been used, whichever comes first. It is entirely at the discretion of parents as to what counts as an essential item and the list isn’t limited to school uniforms.

Visit www.groceryaid.or.uk to find out more and to apply.

July 2020 TalkingShop

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refreshingly ne2w 0 2 0 for Vimto Orange, Strawberry and Lime available in cases of 12 x 500ml OSL 500ml Still: M255888 OSL 500ml Fizzy: M257888 OSL 2 Ltr Fizzy: M257229

CommunityNews OPINION, NEWS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PREMIER RETAILERS

Retailer hooks up with footballing legend for community hand out Jarrow Premier retailer Nico Ali joins forces with former Tottenham and Sunderland star Pascal Chimbonda to hand out 250 signed footballs to local youngsters keen to get back on the pitch.

INBRIEF SHOPPER SPENDING STEADIES

Shopper spending fell 14.5 % year-on-year in June – the smallest decline since

cartons of milk to vulnerable Community hero Nico Ali, Nico (right) with Pascal Chimbonda and BBC presenter Jeff Brown. residents who can’t leave who runs a Premier store in their homes. He has also Jarrow with his brother Taz, delivered dozens of food has hooked up with former packages to hospitals and Tottenham and Sunderland NHS staff in the region, as footballing star Pascal well as supporting a number Chimbonda to hand out of local food banks. hundreds of signed footballs Nico’s community spirit to inspire local youngsters saw him appear on Channel 4’s Unsung Heroes desperate to back onto the pitch after lockdown.

Chimbonda handed out 250 signed balls in June with his brother in a celebration of their efforts on the Scotch Estate in Jarrow, all paid for by Nico during coronavirus.

Nico told Talking Shop: “We’ve been serving who has been running the local store for more than the same community for three decades so they’re 30 years.

This is the latest in a long line of community more like family to us than shoppers. If we can good deeds. Over the last few months he has help those in the community that need a little donated more than 3,500 loaves of bread and support, we will.”

lockdown began – with monthon-month figures showing an uplift.

Data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, revealed that spending on essential items grew 6.6% – an improvement of 5.7% compared to May, which saw a 0.9% increase.

While fuel spend saw an overall decline of 33.8%, the drop was less severe than last month (-49.7%) as warmer weather and easing of lockdown measures allowed more people to travel to see

Cupar retailer hands out 200 food parcels

friends and family, and take

Kind-hearted Cupar retailer Fahim Ashiq, better known to his shoppers as Ash, has recently completed his second run of free food parcels to 100 homes in his local area to support those in need, particularly the elderly and those self-isolating and shielding.

This takes the the total number of free food parcels delivered to 200, an outstanding achievement.

The parcels included a wide range of Euro Shopper products including staple items like coffee, beans cookies and Jaffa Cakes.

Ash told talking Talking Shop: “When we did the first run of 100 drops, it was simply in response to some obvious demand from shoppers who were basically struggling to leave their homes to get to the shop, either because they were elderly and infirm or because they were shielding or self-isolating. It was only intended to be a one-off initiative but we got such an amazing response from the community that we decided to do it all over again! We’ve handed out £1,000 worth of stock now.”

continue to avoid the shops,

day trips.

Over half (56%) of shoppers however, with 31% citing concerns about coronavirus as the key reason, making it vital that Premier retailers ensure safety and hygiene standards are high.

TALKING TACTICS What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market?

Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@55north.com 0141 222 5380

July 2020 TalkingShop

11

IndustryNews A DIGEST OF NEWS FROM THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING INDUSTRY

Two-thirds of stores see sales increase under lockdown A recent survey by the Association of Convenience Stores reveals two thirds of stores have seen sales increases while home delivery services have been adopted by 62% of retailers.

INBRIEF SHOPPERS BACK RETAILERS’ COVID-19 EFFORTS Almost two thirds of all shoppers agree that retailers are doing enough to protect them from coronavirus, according a new BRC-Opinium Consumer Coronavirus

Convenience stores in the UK now complete over 600,000 home deliveries a week with 62% of retailers now offer a home delivery service, while almost two thirds of retailers have seen sales increase under coronavirus.

Those are some of the key findings of a recent representative survey of almost 5,000 stores by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).

Home delivery adoption has rocketed under lockdown. In the same survey last year, only 10% of retailers offered a home delivery service of some kind.

The survey found that neighbourhood and rural stores have generally seen increases in sales, often significant, while forecourts, city centre stores and those near transport hubs have been negatively affected by coronavirus.

Surprisingly, only 4% of retailers had received a loan through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. Violence and verbal abuse had increased in 40% of stores in the survey.

Tracking Survey.

The June survey found that 64% of respondents ‘feel comfortable’ about making purchases in stores.

The most popular safety measures among shoppers in stores was compulsory hand sanitising (38%), one-way systems (36%), and regular cleaning (35%).

The poll also found 60% of respondents either currently wear a mask or intend to.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers will be reassured by polling showing that almost six times as many people agreed that retailers were doing enough to protect the public

Crack down on shopworker violence Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced plans for a crack down on abuse and violence against shopworkers that will improve support for victims and ensure perpetrators face justice.

Crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse will write to police chief constables to emphasise the importance of working in partnership with local businesses to stipulating that the theft of goods valued up to £200 from a shop should be prosecuted as a criminal offence.

The government will work with the National Retail Crime Steering Group on a best practice

guide to help store staff in reporting these crimes, making full use of existing laws, and improving information sharing between retailers and the police.

Patel, said: “As the daughter of shopkeepers, I know what a vital role they play within our communities and just how tirelessly they have worked during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I will not tolerate violence and abuse against any shopworker and it’s right that those who commit these crimes must be caught and punished.”

as disagreed. Nonetheless, retailers must continue to work hard to ensure everyone has the confidence to visit their local store.”

TALKING TACTICS What are you doing in-store to stand out in your local market?

Share it with us and your Premier retailer colleagues at talkingshop@55north.com 0141 222 5380

July 2020 TalkingShop

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Premier Manor Store, Sheffield | STORE PROFILE

Taking on

adversity

DREAM TEAM: Baljeet , Mandeep and Vrinder Singh.

Coronavirus turned Sheffield retailer Mandeep Singh’s world upside down but a fantastic team and an exemplary commitment to the local community helped make a difference to their shoppers.

July 2020 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Premier Manor Store, Sheffield

I

250%

t’s often said that coronavirus has led to unprecedented times, but for Sheffield retailer Mandeep Singh and his family, it’s been absolutely true. “We’ve been in this store for 32 years and we’ve never known it this busy,” he says. “Every day is like Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and the hottest summer day all rolled into one, and it happened more or less overnight at the end of March when lockdown was implemented.”

It’s no surprise then that the store’s turnover has shot off the chart in the last few months, as Mandeep explains: “We’ve been breaking sales records time and time again.

Our turnover on most Friday and Saturday nights is in excess of 250% higher than precoronavirus. It’s been extraordinary.”

Coping with that level of growth and a whole range of new healthy and safety guidelines in such a short space of time has

Increase in weekend turnover under lockdown

STAY SAFE: The store was quick to implement in-store signage.

STANDARDS: In-store standards have remained high throughout.

CLEAN CUT: The free Premier sanitisation stand.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Manor Store, Sheffield Stores in group: 3, all Premier Retailers: Harbhajan Singh Khaira, Mandeep Singh Khaira, Baljeet Singh Khaira, Vrinder Singh Khaira Time as retailers: 37 years Time with Premier: 26 years Size: 1,700sq ft Staff: 9 Services: licensed, PayPoint, Lottery, home delivery, food to go, coffee, slush Nearest competition: Go Local, Lidl and Asda all within ½ mile

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July 2020

been a real challenge, but it’s a challenge that Mandeep and his family have risen to.

“It has not been easy for any retailer trying to keep up with that level of demand, we installed social distancing measures very early,” he says. “We put up screens and offered all of our staff full PPE and increased the frequency of our cleaning and hygiene regime. We deep cleaned the entire store and we now clean all of the chillers throughout the day as well as disinfecting everything in the store on a rolling basis. The counter probably gets disinfected at least 15 times a day and every surface that anyone touches gets the same treatment. It’s challenging but it’s critical that we look after our staff and our shoppers. Premier also gave us a hand sanitising stand and that’s been invaluable.”

Keeping the store fully stocked and merchandised has also been a challenge but Mandeep’s team has shone for him. “I

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

SCREEN TIME: Screens have been fitted to keep all safe.

DELIVERING THE GOODS: The store does 900 deliveries a month.

900 Deliveries per month

37% Average increase since lockdown

CLEAR SIGNAGE: Shopper signage is prominent.

can’t praise my staff enough, they’ve been absolutely wonderful,” he enthuses. “We paid in full all staff who were off ill for as long as they were off, but they’ve repaid us handsomely. We’ve had to grow the team by about 25% just to cope but everyone has been amazing and we couldn’t have managed this pandemic without them and their hard work.”

Coronavirus has also led Mandeep and his family to step up their home delivery service. “We’ve been doing home delivery for a long time. In fact, my dad used to do home deliveries to the elderly on his bike about 35 years ago! But we’ve being doing it in the store since way before coronavirus, although the pandemic has inspired us to move it up a gear.

“At the moment we do around 900 deliveries a month but we’ve actually got a brand new solution called Singh’s Drop that we’re launching right now. That will allow us to offer a fully professional home delivery service.

“We have branded Smart cars and we’ve just bought three mopeds that are being branded up as we speak. We’ve got new uniforms and we’re aiming to really ramp it up. I believe home delivery is something that all retailers should be embracing because it’s the future.”

Mandeep’s average basket spend for home deliver orders is a very impressive £34, although he does have regular weekly orders from the local Housing Association that average £500 or £600 for a single delivery!

“That’s a result of the current situation,” he explains. “We’d been trying for years to get some sort of deal to work with the local Housing Association but then they approached us and asked us to deliver to them in bulk – and I think they’ll keep using us even after the pandemic.”

Singh’s is, of course, famous in Sheffield for its outstanding commitment to the local communities it serves and that commitment has been ratcheted up a notch or two during the crisis. “I don’t know how many community groups, good causes and charities we work with in Sheffield, but it’s always been something that we totally believe in as a family,” says Mandeep.

“We do it because we’ve been in this community for 35 years and we try to be as July 2020 TalkingShop

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FIZZ UP YOUR SALES YOUR SALES

05456 M203975 M2387 2 M 4 19 5 M2041

RSP: RSP: £1.00 £1.00 POR: POR: 40% 40% PROMO PROMO EDLP: EDLP: £2.99 £2.99

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

TOP NOTCH: Merchandising standards remain exemplary.

TEAM WORK: The team in the store have shone.

25% More staff since lockdown

PREMIER PARTNERS: Premier support has helped the store thrive.

good to our shoppers as they are to us.”

One major disappointment for the family during the pandemic was having to cancel their annual football festival that has become a highlight of the local community’s year.

“The Singh’s Cup tournament has been running annually for almost a decade now and we waited and waited before we finally accepted that it would be impossible to hold it this year,” says Mandeep.

“Sheffield United, who kindly allow us to host it at their stadium every year, were brilliant and gave us as much time as possible but in the end, it was just not possible under the lockdown rules. But

we’ll be back next year and we’re working on trying to put together an event later in the year that we hope will at least allow us to bring the community together in 2020.”

There’s no doubt it’s been a challenging and unique period for Mandeep and his team, but it’s also shown the importance of local community stores. “At times like this you really see everybody come together in so many ways that it makes you realise that we are all in this together and when times get tough, we are all prepared to help each other out”, concludes Mandeep.

“Premier has been absolutely outstanding in how it has supported our business. It’s

such a progressive group and I’m proud to be part of it. Our staff have gone way above and beyond the call of duty and our shoppers and our community have been simply fantastic throughout. They’ve understood the challenges we have faced and they’ve supported us completely and utterly.

“You wouldn’t wish this pandemic on anyone, but I believe that a lot of good will come out of it. Retail is just like life. You get out what you put in and if you treat people well and fairly, they’ll treat you the same.

We have really tried to do our absolute best for our shoppers. It’s been a really difficult period but I think we’ll all have learnt a lot.”

July 2020 TalkingShop

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STORE PROFILE | Royton, Oldham

It’s all in the

timing

40% Increase in turnover after refit

When Oldham retailers Mos and Anju Patel decided on a full store refit for earlier this year, they could have had no idea how perfect their timing was with the store reopening just a few weeks before lockdown.

Store CV:

Name: Premier Heyside Store & PO, Royton, Oldham Retailers: Mos and Anju Patel Stores in group: 2 Time as retailers: 14 years Time with Premier: 9 years Size: 1,400 sq ft Staff: 8 Services: Post Office, ATM, licensed, dessert bar, hot food and coffee, Chicago Town Pizza, Tango Ice Blast, F’real shakes, US candy and sot drinks, locally sourced products Nearest competition: Asda and Nisa within half a mile; news agent next door Trading hours: 7am – 10pm Mon to Fri; 8am – 10pm Sat; 9am – 10pm Sun

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July 2020

T

here are times in life when luck is very much on your side and for Royton husband and wife retailing team Mos and Anju Patel, earlier this year was one of those times. When the couple first decided to commit to a major refit of one of the two Premier stores they own in Oldham, they could have had no idea that the coronavirus pandemic was just around the corner and that the refit would be completed just a couple of weeks before the virus made its huge impact on society.

“We have been in this store for about 12 years and we knew that we had to move with the times,” explains Mos. “We considered a few ideas, beginning with a much

smaller scale refresh but after a lot of long conversations with the team at Premier we finally decided to take their advice that the best way to really safeguard our future was to commit to a full-scale refit.”

This was towards the back end of last year and, at that point, there was little to indicate that coronavirus was set to become the huge issue it has since evolved into.

“I’d never even heard of coronavirus when we got into the project properly and we had absolutely no idea it was coming,” says Mos. “At that point we were just doing our homework, working with Premier to draw up plans and build what we hoped was going to be a store that would let us approach the next 10

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

HOT STUFF: Hot food-to-go is key to the store’s offer.

JUST DESSERTS: A new dessert bar has added brand new spend.

SHAKE UP YOUR SALES: Premier slush and shake products add profit.

years or so with confidence.”

At the heart of that challenge was the Post Office that forms a core part of the business, as Mos explains: “We’re a main Post Office so it’s always busy but we had some real and very practical challenges to overcome.

The biggest of all was that the Post Office shoppers used to queue right the way down the main aisle in the store, more or less blocking it for everyone else. We tried various things but we just couldn’t work it so that the queue wasn’t stopping the rest of our shoppers getting access to what they wanted. It was hampering sales, we were sure of that.”

Consequently, the designs for the refitted store were drawn up to dramatically change the layout of

the shop. “We decided the move the counter area and turn all of the aisles around 90 degrees,” comments Mos. “That fixed the shopper flow problem instantly as Post Office shoppers were no longer blocking the whole store up. We also decided to replace all of the shelving with narrow shelves which opened the whole store up a lot without reducing the range that we could carry.”

The other key opportunity in the refit was to introduce hot food, coffee, desserts and freshly made soups, sandwiches and baguettes.

“The landlord told us that a long, long time ago he used to do hot food in this store so in a sense, all we were doing was-re-introducing it,” laughs Mos. “But we wanted to do it properly

LOCAL FOCUS: Local lines are popular.

July 2020 TalkingShop

21

STORE PROFILE | Royton, Oldham

NO CONTACT: Contactless helps control Covid-19.

if we were going to do it at all. So we added a whole new purpose-built kitchen section where we could make literally everything fresh in-store every day. We reduced the size of main counter to give us room to add a dessert bar as well as a hot food section on the other side of the shop.

We also added a small impulse chiller at the front of the shop where we merchandise our sandwiches range which are all made fresh in-store and we buy everything from Booker.”

To help run the new foodservice element of the store, Mos and Anju recruited a new member of staff from

a nearby deli which was closing down.

All the pieces were then in place and the results were instantaneous.

“In the first week after re-opening we saw sales rise by 20%,” says Mos. The week after that it was up to 40%.

We do a whole range of hot food including pizzas, pasties, pies, hot rolls, baked potatoes, soups and so on, and we also have a chilled range of freshly made salads, sandwiches, baguettes and the like, then we have the dessert bar with cakes, waffles, pastries, crepes, ice cream and other lovely treats, all made daily on the premises. Our shoppers love it!”

DAILY ESSENTIALS: The store takes daily essentials seriously.

22 TalkingShop

July 2020

POST HASTE: The post office drives footfall.

THAT’S THE SPIRIT: Local spirits add excitement.

All of this happened before the coronavirus pandemic truly swung into gear, as Mos explains: “We were seeing huge growth in sales in the first few weeks but then coronavirus kicked off and sales just went through the roof. At points our sales have been 400% of what they would be normally. It’s obviously difficult to judge how much of the sales growth is down to the refit and how much is down to the pandemic. I think we can still take some credit for the sales we’re doing!”

One idea that has been extremely popular is hand-made milkshakes.

Mos comments: “We make milkshakes to order with whatever the shoppers want in them. That can be anything from Oreos or Kit Kat to marshmallows or Mars Bars.

If they can find it in the shop, we’ll make them a milkshake with it!”

The expanded foodservice range also helped the store target the many workers in the industrial estates that sit near the store. “We face a large housing development but on either side and behind us are big industrial parks with lots of hungry workers. There are a few burger vans around but we believed we could lure many of the workers here with our our improved offer using Facebook and so far we’ve been absolutely right!”

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

CLEANING UP: A touch free door and sanitising spray at the entrance.

The refit has also solved the Post Office problem. “Not only are Post Office shoppers not getting in the way of everyone else, they’re actually starting to make more impulse purchases than they used to,” says Mos. “Before they would often come in for the Post Office and we were lucky if they picked up a packet of biscuits. These days they’re still coming in but they’re buying more and more while they’re here, which is really encouraging. Often they’ll smell the waffles being made or see someone having an ice cream and that would be enough to get them to spend a little more.”

Mos also believes that the refit helped bring new shoppers to the store. “We had all-new signage added and a huge automatic touch-free door fitted so passers-by can see in much more easily and many were keen to come in for a look,” he says. “We also have a large 30-space car park and, usually, if shoppers have been in once they’ll keep coming back because we have so much to offer them now.”

The couple have also been working hard for their community during these tough times. “We’ve been offering free hot food to over-65s and NHS staff because life is very difficult for them at the moment, so anything we can do to help, we will,” says Mos. “They can basically choose what they want: burgers, salad bowls, pasties,

whatever they fancy.”

Another new development under Covid-19 has been the launch of a new home delivery service. Mos and Anju have chosen to use the Snappy Shopper delivery app and the service is due to be launched just days after Talking Shop spoke to Mos. “We’re excited about it because it’s something that more and more shoppers are looking for and it’s a great way for us to expand our reach. We plan to offer everything through the app, including desserts, hot food, milkshakes and basically anything that our shoppers want to buy.”

It goes without saying that planning for the future has become a little more challenging, but it’s something that he and Anju will have to do nonetheless.

“I don’t think any of us know where this whole thing will end up, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to plan for the future,” concludes Mos. “The refit was a massive financial commitment for us and we committed to it way before we knew anything about coronavirus. It was always part of a long-term plan and that hasn’t changed, although the need to remain flexible is more vital than ever.

“Working with Premier has helped us think big and it’s their vision that has always impressed me. They’re always looking around the corner for what’s next and that helps challenge us to keep thinking ahead, particularly

STREET APPEAL: Signs pull shoppers in.

REFIT RESOLUTION: The refit solved a post office queing problem.

in these very unusual times.

“But we do need need to know where we are and where we’re going, so we’re having to update our forecasts on a weekly basis but one thing we’ve definitely learned is that you can give yourself the best possible chance of success in any situation by ensuring your store meets the needs of today’s shoppers. That will always be true, regardless of the situation. You could say we have been lucky, but I say you make your own luck.”

July 2020 TalkingShop

23

STOCK UP ON GUM IS THE MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCT PER SQUARE METRE THAT A RETAILER CAN STOCK AFTER CIGARETTES

G

IS IMP OTH C

3

O PO CH

©2020 Mars or Affiliates.

N THE TOP 15 PERFECT GUM COUNTER TOP RANGE/LAYOUT

GUM

S 4X MORE PULSIVE THAN HER IMPULSE CATEGORIES

37%

OF THE UK OPULATION HEWS GUM

ON AVERAGE A GUM DISPLAY IN THE UK GENERATES £2,000 OF SALES PER YEAR AND £700 OF PROFIT MOVING GUM FROM BELOW THE COUNTER TO ABOVE THE COUNTER DRIVES A 20% INCREASE IN SALES

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE A VISIT FROM A REPRESENTATIVE PLEASE CALL THE WRIGLEY DISPLAY HOTLINE ON: 01752 752 094 OR EMAIL WRIGLEYHOTLINE@MDAMS.COM

FEATURE | Home Delivery

Delivering

sales and profits 66%

of independents retailers now offer home delivery

Home delivery offers Premier retailers an exciting opportunity to significant grow their sales and profits as shopper demand for delivery services continues to flourish.

26 TalkingShop

July 2020

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

R

etailer interest in adding home delivery services has been growing for a long time with more and more Premier retailers offering some sort of delivery service, but there’s no denying that the coronavirus pandemic has massively accelerated that trend. According to the latest ACS research, around one in 10 independent retailers were offering home delivery services last year. Within a matter of weeks of lockdown being implemented that number had risen to almost 70%.

Under coronavirus, home delivery has shifted from being a ‘nice to have’ to becoming a ‘must have’ for many retailers.

With so many shoppers shielded or self-isolating, having their groceries delivered to their doorstep was the only option available to them.

But it also seems clear that many shoppers also simply prefer the convenience of doing their shopping with a few taps on a mobile phone or clicks on a tablet or computer.

Whatever the reasons behind the surge in demand, home delivery is now very much part of the independent retailing landscape and is set to stay that way.

“I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen for as long as I can remember that home delivery is the way forward,” says Mandeep Singh who runs three Premier stores with his father and brothers in Sheffield.

“I remember my dad doing deliveries to elderly shoppers 35 years ago on his bike! But it started to become clear to me at least a couple of years ago that home delivery had the potential to be a game-changer for Premier retailers.”

Mandeep is currently in the

process of moving his own home delivery service up a level or two by investing in three new branded mopeds and a full set of new uniforms, as well as new staff to cope with the growth in demand for home delivery.

“We’ve been doing home delivery seriously for a while,” he explains. “We do about 900 deliveries a month and we have branded Smart cars specially for it. But we decided during the pandemic that the time was right to take it up another notch so we bought a few mopeds and we’re having them branded up. We’re relaunching the entire service as Singh’s Drop and we see it as a long-term strategy, not just one to help our shoppers during Covid-19.”

Mandeep also points out that there are very few other ways of adding thousands of pounds to your weekly turnover without damaging in-store sales.

“The shopper order process is now very simple and is all online and via Facebook,” he explains. “Shoppers just need to hit the link then build their shopping list and hit ‘order now’ and we’ll have their order with them in 30 minutes. It’s the ultimate in convenience.”

Offering a full-scale delivery service like this does involve additional resource and a lot of commitment, but Mandeep is convinced that it’s more than worth the effort. He says: “To do it properly and get the maximum benefit, you really need to commit to it – but if you do that, it can transform your business. We have had to add drivers and staff to do the picking but when you get it right you just see the orders grow and grow – and they tend to be very high basket spends.

Our average basket spend right now is around £34, which is a lot more than the in-store average basket spend. Plus we

UBER EATS

BOOKER EXCLUSIVE DEAL SAVE £750 with a £0 activation fee “Uber Eats is fantastic. Not only have we attracted a new customer base, sales have increased by £650 per week. It’s a great way for customers to shop from the comfort of their home.”

BOOKER EXCLUSIVE DEAL

- Premier Holland Park

It’s simple to join: 1. Email your store address to Sandiso.Dube@ bookerretail.co.uk 2. Complete registration form.

3. Uber will send contract and request information.

4. Retailer account will be set up with a standard menu uploaded.

5. On completion, tablets will be sent within 7 days.

6. Good to go! Adjust your range via the tablet to suit.

July 2020 TalkingShop

27

FEATURE | Home Delivery

DELIVEROO “Deliveroo is fantastic, we have attracted a new customer base & sales have increased by £700 a week. It’s easy & efficient for our customers and us.”

- Raj, Premier Sydenham, London

BOOKER EXCLUSIVE DEAL

It’s simple to join: 1. Check Deliveroo.co.uk to see if your area is covered.

2. Email your store details & proposed SKU list to convenience@deliveroo.co.uk 3. If successful, Deliveroo will send contract and onboarding form.

4. On completion, tablets will be delivered within 2 days.

5. Once tablet has been received you are ready to go.

WAY FORWARD: Home delivery is here to stay.

GAME-CHANGER: Home delivery can drive big sales uplift.

28 TalkingShop

July 2020

do get some regular orders that are way in excess of that. The local Housing Association, for instance, gives us a weekly order that’s usually around £500 to £600, for a single order!”

Another retailer who saw the home delivery opportunity quicker than most was Royton Premier retailer and PDG member Justin Whittaker. He explains: “When we did a major refit of the store we anticipated that home delivery would be a critical part of our offering going forward.

“We first started doing deliveries in February last year so we’ve got a lot of experience now and we’ve learned a lot over that time. We do all the deliveries ourselves and we’ve been marketing the service heavily for a long time.”

With that experience, Justin and his team were well prepared for the onset of coronavirus, but the period wasn’t without its challenges.

“Obviously, when lockdown kicked in that changed things quite a lot,” recalls Justin. “We

had been doing big volumes of deliveries and we’d been delivering pretty much every category in the store. Some of the key categories were hot food and desserts and we did a lot of business in those categories but we had to withdraw those particular categories under lockdown, which was frustrating, but we still saw an uplift in demand.”

At the moment, Justin does an average of around 50 deliveries a day during the week and around 100 per day at the weekend.

“Buying patterns were quite interesting after lockdown,” he says. “At the start it was all traditional convenience lines that we were selling but as lockdown progressed it turned more to grocery lines as people starting using us instead of supermarkets. More recently, however, it has started to return to more traditional convenience categories.”

Good news for Justin is that he is just about to start delivering hot food and desserts

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

again which will hopefully help drive up volumes and basket, although his average basket spend at the moment for home delivery is a very healthy £33.

“Home delivery is here for good,” concludes Justin. “That’s why we started it 18 months ago. We knew it was going to be a key part of independent retailing going forward.

Coronavirus has simply accelerated that adoption.”

Another Premier retailer seeing great success with home delivery is Claire Fulton who runs Premier Stores Westwood in East Kilbride, just outside of Glasgow. Claire explains: “Home delivery really helped us add another layer to our business and it’s all incremental

as far as we can establish. We use the Snappy Shopper app and we promote the service principally through Facebook as we already had a big following but when we launched it we also contacted the local newspaper and radio station and both of them were only too happy to help us. That generated a lot of awareness instantly so we started seeing more and more shoppers using it overnight.”

At the outset, Claire offered

delivery for free but quickly evolved into a delivery fee model, as she explains: “When we first launched the app we did deliveries for free but we found people ordering two and three times a day. When we introduced the delivery fee I don’t think we lost any shoppers but the basket spend rose significantly as shoppers were clearly just ordering everything they wanted in one go which is much more efficient for us.”

So, what advice would Claire offer to other Premier retailers looking to grow their home delivery sales?

She says: “If you have the hunger and desire then you will go far with this. You have to stay on top of it, keeping your product list up to date but I have worked with the technical people at Snappy Shopper and we’ve adapted all the categories in the app specifically for our shopper base and that has really helped grow sales.

“We have also recently added a special offer category and the products in that category tend to fly off the shelf. We have also added click & collect as lockdown restrictions are potentially getting eased.”

TOP JOB: Justin Whittaker sees delivering as core to his business now.

GEARING UP: Singh’s have been using Smart cars but have just added three mopeds too.

No matter which way you look at it, home delivery represents an enormous opportunity for all Premier retailers. To help retailers either get started with home deliveries or take their existing offer to the next level, Booker has negotiated two exclusive deals with delivery giants Uber Eats and Deliveroo [see panels].

These deals make it quick and easy to take advantage of this lucrative opportunity – and it’s an opportunity not to be missed.

July 2020 TalkingShop

29

BBQ & Outdoor Dining | FEATURE

Exclusive pricing drives BBQ PORs Booker has unveiled special exclusive pricing for Premier retailers on a range of six essential BBQ and outdoor dining nonfood products to help ensure it’s a profitable summer.

DISPOSABLE BBQ MINIGRILL Standard WSP: £32.99 Premier WSP: £18.99 Saving: £14

BUILD BIG BASKET SPENDS Talking Shop offers the following top tips on using the BBQ occasion to drive bigger basket spends: l Ensure you stock a full range of traditional BBQ food lines like burgers, sausages and chicken. l Merchandise baps, bread and baguettes nearby to make it easier for shoppers to find what they need. l If you have the space, why not build a dedicated BBQ fixture for all of your exclusively priced non-food items? l Site the BBQ fixture in a high footfall area at the front of the store to inspire shoppers to consider a BBQ, or site it near the burgers, sausages and chicken to make buying for a BBQ as easy and quick as possible for shoppers. l Consider cross-category promotions to encourage shoppers to spend more. l Don’t forget to ensure you have a great range of beers, wines and spirits as well as soft drinks, confectionery and snacks – ideally in larger format sharing packs.

T

he summer BBQ and outdoor dining opportunity is shaping up to be huge for Premier retailers with so many people still furloughed and so many working from home. That, plus the sustained warm weather means that garden parties and BBQs with family and close friends are sure to be a feature of the coming months.

This presents a fantastic chance for retailers to build big basket spends by stocking a full range of relevant products and by making sure that it’s as easy as possible for shoppers to pick up everything they need.

Food and drink products will clearly be July 2020 TalkingShop

31

Available to order now PM ÂŁ1.35 M259787

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

key to unlocking that occasion and Booker has everything you need from BBQ staples like burgers, sausages, chicken and buns to beers, wines and spirits. But it’s vital that retailers build a strong platform for this sales occasion by stocking up on those essential non-food items.

The great news is that Premier retailers will be benefitting all summer long until 29th Sep from a selection of exclusive deals that offer them exceptional savings on WSPs. These special deals offer Premier retailers unbelievable savings on everything from disposable BBQs and charcoal to firelighters and lighting fluid.

The Disposable BBQ Minigrill, for instance, has a standard WSP of £32.99 for a case of 12 – but Premier retailers are offered pricing of just £18.99! That represents a huge saving of £14 on every case, boosting the POR up to over 36%!

There are similar savings across the range of BBQ and outdoor dining essentials which means that Premier retailers can build a comprehensive non-food range that will not only drive big basket spends, out will also generate far more profit all summer long.

With deals this good, it makes sense to make a real feature of your BBQ offer instore by building a dedicated fixture or section in-store where you can merchandise everything shoppers need for the perfect outdoor dining experience all in one place.

If possible, choose a site either in a high footfall area near the front door to inspire shoppers or, alternatively, build the BBQ fixture near the meat fixture so that shoppers can pick up all their BBQ food and non-food items quickly and easily.

Once they’ve done that, they’re also like to pick up some beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks and snacks and that means big basket spends.

What are you waiting on? It’s time to make the BBQ occasion grow footfall, sales and profit for our store.

SIX OF THE BEST PREMIER HAS SIX FANTASTIC PRODUCTS AT AMAZING EXCLUSIVE PRICING TO HELP RETAILERS ENSURE MAXIMUM PORS FROM THIS SUMMER’S BBQ AND OUTDOOR DINING OPPORTUNITY.AND ALL IN EXCESS OF 30%.

PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

STANDARD

PREMIER

WSP

WSP

RSP

POR

1kg Instant Light Charcoal

12x1kg

£2.29

£1.79

£2.99

28.20%

Disposable BBQ Minigrill

12xsgl

£32.99

£18.99

£2.99

36.50%

HS Firelighters

24x15s

£11.89

£11.89

£1.00

48.00%

5kg Lumpwood Charcoal

1x5kg

£6.49

£4.99

£7.99

25.10%

5kg Charcoal Briquettes

1x5kg

£4.99

£3.99

£6.99

31.50%

*All pricing applicable to case only. Brands may vary.

July 2020 TalkingShop

33

AVAILABLE

Ice Cream & Slush | FEATURE

Heat up your summer sales!

With fantastic weather comes an excellent opportunity to grow footfall, sales and profits by focusing on those summer favourites, slush and ice cream.

July 2020 TalkingShop

35

FEATURE | Ice Cream & Slush

S

ummer is always a great period for growing sales of ice cream and slush but with the current heatwave and the added consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, this summer promises the chance to really cash in on these classic summer products to grow your sales, footfall and profits.

SCORE WITH SLUSH

Slush is a fantastic category for driving profits and is a must-stock for Premier retailers this simmer. Fortunately, Booker has everything you need, whether you are introducing slush for the first time or growing an existing offer to make the best of a unique summer period.

Two Central Billing exclusive deals mean retailers can choose from a range of machines and syrups to best suits the needs of their shoppers.

The classic Snowshock machine is available in four different sizes so there’s a machine that’s for every size of store. The units are available in either twin or treble options and all are available in standard or compact variants meaning maximum flexibility.

SHOPPING LIST – ICE CREAM TO MAKE THE MOST OF SUMMER, ENSURE YOU STOCK THE TOP-SELLING OWN BRAND SUMMER PRODUCTS: PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

WSP

RSP

POR

Classic Milk Choc Stick PM75

24x110ml

£8.99

£0.75

40%

Classic Almond Stick PM75

24x110ml

£8.99

£0.75

40%

Classic White Choc Stick PM75

24x110ml

£8.99

£0.75

40%

Classic Tropical Stick PM75

24x100ml

£8.99

£0.75

40%

Classic Mint Cone PM75

16x110ml

£5.99

£0.75

40%

Classic Strawberry Cone PM75

16x110ml

£5.99

£0.75

40%

Classic Choc Cone PM75

16x110ml

£5.99

£0.75

40%

Classic Orange Pop Up PM60

24x110ml

£7.19

£0.60

40%

Classic Apple & B/Cnt Pop Up PM60

24x110ml

£7.19

£0.60

40%

Classic Xtra Choc Vanilla Cone PM £1

16x120ml

£8.79

£1.00

34%

Chock Rock PM60

24x85ml

£7.20

£0.60

40%

Whirlz Ice lolly PM 75p

20x80ml

£7.49

£0.75

40%

36 TalkingShop

July 2020

What are your views? Call 0141 222 5380 or email talkingshop@55north.com

SNOWSHOCK SYRUPS PRODUCT

Premium Blue Raspberry Premium Strawberry Exotic Fruits Premium Sour Apple Sugar Free Blue Raspberry Sugar Free Strawberry

The machines are sold with up to £4,000 of free syrup included for free and can be paid up monthly. That means the profit on a standard 300ml cup is a huge 84% when sold at the RRP of £1.50 a cup. The machines also come with free POS and a free cups and straws pack are included too, all available through Central Billing to ensure a minimum of paperwork and fuss.

Booker also stocks a range of Snowshock syrups in a variety of flavours, as well as sugar-free options.

One of the latest trends in independent retailing is carbonated slush – and Booker has that covered for Premier retailers too. Another Central Billing exclusive provides Premier retailers with everything they require to start stocking and selling Fizzee carbonated slush.

Produced by Snowshock, Fizzee is an entirely sugarfree product and offers a great way to get into an exciting new category quickly and easily. The machine comes complete with everything retailers need and is supplied with £8,300 worth of free stock!

To order, or to find out more, call 0330 053 6132 or email sales@ snowshock.com and if you’re not yet set up on Central Billing, call 01933 371 600.

CASE SIZE 1x5ltr 1x5ltr 1x5ltr 1x5ltr 1x5ltr 1x5ltr

WSP £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £7.99 £7.99

ICE CREAM BONANZA The other summer favourite, of course, is ice cream and a great place to start when building a range that will deliver for you as well as your shoppers is the fantastic Booker own brand range.

These great products offer that familiar mix of great quality and outstanding value for money that Premier shoppers have come to expect. Best of all, they offer a minimum POR of 34% with many lines offering as much as 40% POR. The range includes something for every taste with a collection of Classic favourites such as Classic Milk Choc Stick, Classic Almond Stick, Classic White Choc Stick and Classic Tropical Stick, all prominently pricemarked at just 75p.

The own brand range also includes ice lollies, pop ups and cones so there’s something for everyone.

July 2020 TalkingShop

37

PricesDown

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ON COSTS AND BOOST YOUR PROFITS

Strawberry pricing to drive summer sales

Shoppers expect to find fantastic quality fresh fruit and veg at their local Premier store, so a new deal until 4th August on strawberries is sure to grow footfall, sales and profits.

V

ery few products say ‘summer!’ to shoppers quite like strawberries, so Premier retailers will be delighted to learn that Booker has secured fantastic pricing on this summer favourite.

Retailer feedback suggests that shoppers expect to be able to find great quality fruit and veg at brilliant prices in their local Premier store these days, so to be able to offer two packs of Farm Fresh strawberries for just £2 is sure to drive footfall, sales and profits for Premier retailers.

The packs are sold for £1.19 individually with a shelf life of up to five days when chilled – and the minimum POR that retailers will make is a strong

20%.

It’s vital that retailers make the most of this amazing shopper deal by taking advantage of the free POS pack that Premier retailers will save. The pack includes shelf cards, stack cards and posters and highlights this market-leading deal.

It’s also a great idea to highlight the strawberry deal on your social media pages to drive awareness and ultimately to bring more shoppers to your door.

And while you are at it, why not create a bit of excitement in-store by adding some theatre with a special section or merchandising unit featuring related products like cream, meringues and bottles of Pimm’s to generate interest and drive up basket spend?

RETAILER VIEW FARAZ IQBAL Premier Linktown Local, Kirkcaldy “Strawberries are always a massive hit for us when they come into season. We set up a little table near the till point and we stack the strawberries nice and high with things like meringues and strawberry sauce alongside and it always generates lots of scales for us. This 2-for-£2 deal is just fantastic and I’m sure it will drive big volumes and big basket spends.”

July 2020 TalkingShop

39

To purchase these products now, visit www.booker.co.uk

Ones to

watch

A selection of key products that will deliver for you in-store

Discover the Choice range further extended WHAT? DISCOVER THE CHOICE MINI BITES RANGE

41.48% POR

WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? The increasingly popular Discover the Choice range from Booker has been extended in the on trend impulse and sharing snacking category with the launch of a Discover The Choice Mini Bites range. The pricemarked range is available in four popular flavours: Mini Flapjack Bites, Chocolate Cornflake Cluster Bites, Shortbread Bites and Brownie Bites. The products come in handy 4-packs with a great value RSP of just £1.79 while a permanent ‘2-for-£3’ multibuy deal offers shoppers even better value for money. Even better, the lines offer retailers 41.48% POR. WHO? Delivering the outstanding value and superb quality Premier shoppers have come to expect of the Discover the Choice range, the new products are very much in line with current shopper trends and are expected to be popular with a wide array of shoppers of all ages.

WHERE TO STOCK? Site these new lines within the snacking section but it will also be worthwhile merchandising them in prominent, high footfall areas of your store to drive impulse sales. These lines also make the perfect addition to any big night in shop, so why not add them to a big night in or party fixture, if you have one?

DISCOVER THE CHOICE MINI FLAPJACK BITES DISCOVER THE CHOICE CHOCOLATE CORNFLAKE CLUSTER BITES DISCOVER THE CHOICE SHORTBREAD BITES DISCOVER THE CHOICE BROWNIE BITES Case size: 4 x Sgl WSP: £4.19 RSP: £1.79 / 2-for£3 POR: 41.48%

July 2020 TalkingShop

41

Spice up your rum sales WHAT? CAPTAIN MORGAN TIKI SPICED RUM WITH PINEAPPLE & MANGO WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? The growth in flavoured gin over the last year or two has been remarkable but many industry experts are predicting a resurgence in shopper interest in the rum category. Recent months have seen the introduction of a number of new flavoured rums, including one from household name brand Captain Morgan. This special edition release Tiki Spiced Rum with Pineapple & Mango contains a 25% ABV Spiced Rum flavoured with tropical fruits.

WHO? The timing of the launch sits perfectly with the start of summer and will appeal to many shoppers looking for something new and exciting to enjoy over the summer months. It can be mixed with fruit juice as a punch, with Coca Cola or drunk neat over ice.

Lower ABV, better value

WHERE TO STOCK? Site the new line in a prominent position on the main spirits gantry where the big brand name and novel flavour will attract attention and drive sales.

CAPTAIN MORGAN TIKI SPICED

WHAT? COPPER BEACH 5.5% ABV

RUM WITH PINEAPPLE & MANGO 70CL

WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW

Case size: 6x70cl WSP: £11.99 RSP: £17.99 POR: 20%

WHY? In the UK, 43%* of wine drinkers say they are actively trying to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink (*Source: Wine Intelligence, Vinitrac® UK, July 2018). This new 5.5% ABV Copper Beach range will appeal to consumers looking to reduce their alcohol consumption and perfect for those who may prefer spritzer style products when drinking wine. Following some changes to the HMRC rules on duty for a number of alcoholic drinks, we have worked with our supplier to lower the ABV to 5.5% in order to keep costs down for retailers and consumers.

WHO? Now, not only does Copper Beach have a reduced level of alcohol by volume, but it is also lower in calories – at under 75 calories per 187ml serving.

The range is even more relevant in the market where consumers are drinking lower alcohol drinks in growing numbers. Copper Beach not only delivers great value for money, but also a lower abv and less calories too – perfect for relaxing at home or as a lighter mid-week treat.

WHERE TO STOCK? Stock the white and rose variants in the chiller and the red on the main ambient red wine fixture where the attractive packaging and lower ABV, low calorie offering will help the brand stand out and drive footfall, sales and profits.

COPPER BEACH RED / ROSE / WHITE 5.5% ABV Case size: 6 x 75cl WSP: £12.79 RSP: £3.50 POR: 26.9%

42 TalkingShop

July 2020

To purchase these products now, visit www.booker.co.uk

Clean up in style!

WHAT? HAPPY SHOPPER PINK TOILET CLEANER WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Helping to grow the current range of great value, great quality Happy Shopper Toilet Cleaners and to capitalise on the growth of ‘pink’ cleaning products in the market, Booker has launched new Happy Shopper Pink Toilet Cleaner. Driven in part by the social media furore around Mrs Hinch, pink cleaning products have spiked enormously in recent months and the new line builds on that interest.

WHO? With the growth of shopper interest in colour co-ordination and more feminine elements in cleaning products, Happy Shopper Pink Toilet Cleaner delivers everything that shoppers want, removing lime scale and killing 99.99% of germs. At just £1, it also offers fantastic value into the bargain, as well as delivering 47.3% POR for retailers. Additionally, the range has been fully relaunched with new 100% recyclable environmentally-friendly bottles and labels.

WHERE TO STOCK? Site the new line on the main cleaning products fixture where the eye-catching bottle will attract attention and sales.

HAPPY SHOPPER PINK TOILET CLEANER Case size: 9 x 750ml WSP: £3.95 RSP: £1.00 POR: 47.3%

The perfect antiviral solution WHAT? CLEANPRO+ ANTIVIRAL CLEANER & DISINFECTANT WHEN? AVAILABLE NOW WHY? Maintaining extremely high standards when it comes to store hygiene and cleanliness has never been more important than it is now under coronavirus, so a new product added to the fantastic CleanPro+ range will be a welcome addition for Premier retailers. This Antiviral Cleaner and Disinfectant will help make it easier than ever for retailers to keep up good hygiene routines and standards within their businesses.

WHO? The product is perfect for all Premier retailers and is effective against enveloped viruses. It is suitable to be used to disinfect all washable hard surfaces and passes all key requirements including BS EN 1276, BS EN 13697 and BS EN 14476.

Case size: 6 X 1L WSP: £2.99 each or £15.99 per case

* This product is for Premier retailers only and cannot be sold to shoppers.

July 2020 TalkingShop

43

SMARTIE ® S

sales have gro wn year on +14% year *

25R% PO

**

Milk Bag size 32.5g and case size 24 White Bag size 30g and case size 24 WSP £7.49 2 for £1† ® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. Images for illustrative purposes only.

*Source: IRI InfoScan All Channels, Confectionery Value Sales 52 w/e September 2019. **Based on Booker Group WSP. † RRP is at the sole discretion of the retailer.

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

HELPING YOUR SHOPPERS IN THE WAKE OF THE MENTHOL BAN

Embracing a fresh opportunity The implementation of the Menthol Ban in May presented a fresh opportunity for Premier retailers to target the estimated 26% of UK adult smokers who currently use menthol or capsule products.

W

hile the implementation of the Menthol Ban on May 20th may have been overshadowed by the coronavirus crisis, the new legislation nonetheless represented a a significant challenge for Premier retailers – as well as opening up a number of potential new opportunities.

Technically, the ban is on all ‘characterising flavours’ in tobacco products but in the UK that essentially means menthol products.

Menthol tobacco and capsule products represent a very significant portion of the tobacco category.

It is estimated by Imperial Tobacco UK that menthol and capsule products account for more than a quarter (26%) of all tobacco sales.

That meant that a lot of adult smoker woke on the 20th of May having to decide what to buy now.

It is still very early days to get a clear picture of what those smokers have chosen to do but the Menthol Ban offers a great chance to help smokers find a replacement product – and the major manufacturers have been quick to launch new ranges and innovative new products to appeal to those shoppers.

1 TALK TO YOUR SHOPPERS By continuing to engage with shoppers, retailers can offer practical advice, particularly around the alternative products that are available to former menthol or capsule shoppers. Having conversations with shoppers will help retailers gain valuable insights into how they can shape their range.

2 DRIVE VISIBILITY When it comes to vaping and some other nontobacco menthol products, retailers can still display, advertise and promote them in and around the store. Dynamic displays, eye-catching POS and countertop display units will help drive visibility and grab the attention of shoppers as soon as they walk through your door.

3 KNOW YOUR PRODUCTS It’s crucial that Premier retailers and their staff understand the changes and know what products and brands they have so that they can advise customers effectively.

Training is key to success in this regard so taking time to talk staff through the ranges on offer will go a long way to help protect and maximise sales in the longer term.

July 2020 TalkingShop

45

£4.50

*

RRP

PACK OF 10 CIGARILLOS PEPPERMINT CAPSULE FILTER TOBACCO LEAF WRAPPED STICK * Recommended Retail Price effective from 11 March 2020. You are, of course, at all times free to sell JTI’s products at whatever price you choose.

SOME OF THE KEY ALTERNATIVES: 1 PLAIN TOBACCO The leading tobacco manufacturers expect the majority of menthol and capsule cigarette smokers to simply shift into plain versions of their preferred brand and initial feedback from retailers suggests that their predictions have largely been proven correct. Make sure that your range is solid and availability is 100% in all key brands.

2 VAPING The vaping category is one that is likely to see growth in the wake of the ban. There are many good reasons for consumers to give vaping a go and Premier retailers have numerous menthol options available to them in an array of formats, strengths and different flavour profiles.

3 TOBACCO-FREE NICOTINE POUCHES Nicotine pouches are extremely popular in other parts of the world, particularly Scandinavia and the US. The ultra-convenient format means consumers can get their nicotine and menthol hits discreetly and easily. It’s a category that has the potential to grow significantly if consumers can be tempted to trial the product.

4 FILTER TIPS Republic Technologies recently launched a suite of six new filters under its Swan brand including two crushball filters. Rizla also offers menthol filter tips including Rizla Polar Blast Crushball and the filters market is currently growing at almost 10%.

5 LEAF-WRAPPED CAPSULE CIGARILLOS A relatively new solution, leaf-wrapped capsule cigarillos could be the ideal alternative for many menthol or capsule cigarette smokers as the look, feel and smoking experience will be comfortingly familiar for many menthol or capsule cigarette smokers.

As these products are not covered by the EUTPD rules governing cigarettes they can still be sold in packs of 10 (minimising out of pocket spend) and can still come in branded packs.

6 MENTHOLATED CARD INSERTS A solution from cigarette paper giants Rizla, the Rizla Flavour Infusions range includes two variants of menthol flavour cards which consumers simply insert into a packet of cigarettes or RYO tobacco and wait for around an hour for the contents to mentholate.

7 HEAT-NOT-BURN Currently dominated by PMI’s IQOS product, the heat-not-burn category is still in its infancy in the UK, although the menthol ban may prove a catalyst for more adult smokers to give IQOS a go.

July 2020 TalkingShop

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UNITED WE STAND FOR BETTER BEER. BREWDOG IS THE #1 CRAFT BREWER IN THE UK AND GROWING BY 79% BREWDOG BEER GROWING BY 59% VS MAINSTREAM BEER AT +30% CRAFT BEER IS WORTH 76% MORE £/L THAN TOTAL BEER (Source: Nielsen Scantrack 12wk @ 16.05.20)

FOR A WIDER RANGE OF BREWDOG BEERS DELIVERED DIRECT VISIT BOOKER.CO.UK

BetterService IDEAS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE EDGE

Grow sales by focusing on daily lines One of the most effective ways of growing footfall is by focusing on the lines that bring shoppers to your door on a daily basis – and Booker has a range of great offers to help you do just that.

I

n these challenging times it’s more important than ever that Premier retailers make sure that they focus on the products and categories that drive shoppers to their stores on a daily basis. That means products like bread, eggs, fresh fruit and veg and meat, but it also means thinking about those important shopper missions like breakfast.

With so many workers furloughed and so many shoppers at home these days, starting the day with a hearty breakfast could be a priority for many. Getting the breakfast basics right is a straightforward task and involves little more than ensuring you have a range of bread, baps, sausages, eggs, bacon and black pudding. But a little time ensuring that

you are always in stock of these essentials and that they are merchandised close to one another to make shopping easier and to drive bigger basket spends possible will be time well spent.

Booker stocks a full range of great quality products at fantastic value prices for shoppers.

An increasingly vital category for today’s shoppers is fresh fruit and veg. Put simply, most shoppers expect to find good quality fresh produce in your store every time they visit, so rechecking your range and spending some time ensuring it is presented attractively is the key to growing footfall, sales and profits in this category.

Removing produce that is past its best is

vital too and it makes sense to delegate a member of staff to check the fixture every few hours to quality-check what’s on offer.

The golden rule here is: if you wouldn’t buy it yourself, remove it. Bruised or bashed produce can also put shoppers off buying anything from the fixture, so don’t be afraid to be ruthless in ensuring only great quality produce is on your shelves.

One special deal that is certain to grow sales and profits this summer is Booker’s outstanding deal on strawberries which offers shoppers two 300g packs for just £2, a deal they just won’t find anywhere else.

Strawberries mean summer to many shoppers so make sure to highlight this deal in-store and also shout about it on social media.

July 2020 TalkingShop

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GET THE BREAKFAST BASICS RIGHT! WITH SO MANY SHOPPERS NOW AT HOME, MAKING SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE BASICS OF A GREAT BREAKFAST IS KEY TO UNLOCKING BIG SALES. PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

WSP

RSP

POR

Euroshopper U/Smk R/Less Back Bacon

5x2x500g

£21.00

£3.00

30%

Euroshopper Smk R/Less Back Bacon

5x2x500g

£21.00

£3.00

30%

Finnebrogue Pork Sausages

6x400g

£10.50

£2.50

30%

Richmond Thick Sausage

8x410g

£14.93

£2.49

25%

Richmond Skinless Sausages

8x213g

£8.80

£1.59

31%

Bury Black Pudding Slices

8x230g

£5.22

£1.09

37%

Euro Shopper Mixed Eggs PM100

8x6

£5.20

£1.00

35%

Euro Shopper Eggs PM200

6x15

£8.40

£2.00

33%

FANTASTIC FRUIT & VEG! SHOPPERS EXPECT TO FIND A GREAT RANGE OF HIGH QUALITY, GREAT VALUE FRUIT AND VEG WHEN THEY VISIT THEIR LOCAL PREMIER STORE. PREMIER HAS AN AMAZING RANGE OF SPECIAL WSPS THAT DELIVER HIGHER PORS AND ALL IN EXCESS OF 30%.

PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

WSP

RSP

POR

20x5s

£13.79

£0.99

30.40%

Pre Pack Potatoes

10X2KG

£12.49

£1.79

30.20%

Farm Fresh Iceberg Lettuce

12XSGL

£7.39

£0.89

30.80%

Farm Fresh Cucumbers

14XSGL

£8.49

£0.89

31.90%

Farm Fresh Tomatoes

10X6PK

£7.59

£1.09

30.40%

Farm Fresh Cherry Tomatoes

9X250G

£6.79

£1.09

30.80%

Farm Fresh Mixed Peppers

10X3PK

£13.89

£1.99

30.20%

Farm Fresh Mushrooms

8X250G

£5.49

£0.99

30.70%

Farm Fresh Carrots

10X500G

£5.49

£0.79

30.50%

Farm Fresh Broccoli

10X350G

£7.49

£1.09

31.30%

Farm Fresh Bananas

50 TalkingShop

July 2020

FRESH MEAT ESSENTIALS! OFFERING A STRONG CORE RANGE OF MEAT PRODUCTS IS A GREAT WAY TO DRIVE BIG BASKET SPENDS IN-STORE. PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

WSP

RSP

POR

Fresh Chicken Breast Fillet

4x1kg

£17.00

£5.49

23%

Fresh Diced Chicken Breast Fillet

4x1kg

£17.00

£5.49

23%

Fresh Boneless Chicken Thighs

4x1kg

£15.20

£4.99

24%

Hill Farm Minced Beef

4x1kg

£19.96

£6.99

29%

DTC Peppered Grillsteaks (2’s) PM 2.50

4x288g

£7.00

£2.50

30%

DTC Quarter Pound Burgers (4’s) PM 3.50

4x454g

£10.00

£3.50

29%

4x1.35kg

£13.50

£4.50

25%

DTC Skinless Chicken Fillets PM3.75

4x500g

£10.50

£3.75

30%

DTC Chicken Thighs PM1.49

4x430g

£4.17

£1.49

30%

DTC Chicken Drumsticks PM2.50

4x430g

£7.50

£2.50

25%

DTC Meatballs PM2.25

4x340g

£6.25

£2.25

31%

DTC Minced Beef PM2.89

4x500g

£8.09

£2.89

30%

DTC Rump Steaks PM4.50

4x227g

£13.50

£4.50

25%

DTC R/L U/Smk Gammon Joint

8x750g

£25.70

£4.35

13%

8x2x170g

£19.04

£3.19

25%

DTC Whole Chicken PM4.50

DTC R/On U/Smk Gammon Steaks

Another category that is performing well at the moment is meat, whether that’s fresh, raw meat or meat in value-added formats like meatballs, peppered grill steaks or quarter pounders. With so many people at home, it’s likely that summer will be packed with BBQs, parties and get-togethers.

Booker offers a superb range of meat products that deliver the usual blend of quality and value, particularly when it comes to the popular Discover the Choice range.

In terms of daily essentials, of course, bread is among the most important categories and, once again, Booker has delivered a sensation deal for Premier retailers that will have shoppers flocking to your door. Booker has negotiated a special deal with Warburtons on its new Wonderloaf, a 50% white / 50% wheatmeal loaf that will appeal to very broad range of shoppers. The deal means Premier retailers can offer the full 800g loaf to shoppers for just 89p, a huge saving on the RSP of £1.29.

Whatever way you look at it, Premier has all your daily essentials covered for what will hopefully be a long and profitable summer.

July 2020 TalkingShop

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PMPs are driving the sharing segment in Impulse

+10.1%

*

UK'S NO.1 RIDGE CUT CRISP!*

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*

BBQ BEEF BIG HOOPS FASTEST SELLING £1 PMP*

UK’S NO.1 NUTS BRAND!*

UK’S NO.1 POPCORN BRAND!*

nce of convenie MPs P retailers say ck o are a must st

STOCK UP TODAY!

*AC Nielsen Total Impulse MAT 18.04.20 and Mintel data.

82%

*

LaunchReview FEEDBACK ON THE LATEST BOOKER PRODUCTS

New Gordon’s variant set to be a summer hit

BOOKER EXCLUSIVE * ends September 2020

Booker-exclusive Mediterranean twist The latest Mediterranean Orange variant from Gordon’s is currently a Booker exclusive has been a huge hit for Premier retailers, driving footfall, sales and profit.

Hot on the heels of the phenomenal launch in Booker of Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Gin, the latest Mediterranean Orange variant from the marketleading gin brand looks set to be another huge success and a real summer hit. This is a fantastic opportunity for Premier retailers as the new variant is a Booker exclusive until September!

The growth of gin, especially flavoured gin, shows no signs of slowing with flavoured gin creating a whole new shopper base for Premier retailers. These shoppers are always on the look out for exciting new options to try.

Gordon’s Pink Gin is the number one selling

gin line in Booker and the new exclusive Mediterranean Orange variant is already well on the way to being almost as successful. The new line offer shopper another interesting option and can be used in a many different ways from the basic G&T all the way through to a range of ginbased cocktails. With a long, warm summer ahead, it well help unlock new footfall, sales and profitdriving opportunities for Premier retailers.

The line should be sited prominently on shelf, next to Gordon’s Pink and Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Gin to maintain the signpost ‘Gordon’s’ branding block.

GORDON’S MEDITERRANEAN ORANGE CASE SIZE: 6 X 70CL WSP: £69.99 RSP: £16.49 POR: 15%

July 2020 TalkingShop

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shopper’s view…

Alanna McMorran, Edinburgh I absolutely loved Gordon’s Pink Gin and Sicilian Lemon Gin, so it’s brilliant to see another exciting new flavour. I’m a real gin fan, like many people, but my favourites are all flavoured gins. The Mediterranean Orange is just delicious. It’s really lively and zesty and even in something really simple like a classic G&T, it totally lifts the flavour. I’ve been experimenting using it with some more complicated cocktails and it really changes them for the better. The orange flavours are nice and pronounced without being overpowering. I’m spoilt for choice now with a flavoured Gordon’s gin for every occasion. And it looks like I’ll be finding plenty of occasions this summer!

IN SUMMARY

1

LATEST IN A LINE OF FANTASTICALLY SUCCESSFUL FLAVOURED GINS FROM GORDON’S AND IT’S EXCLUSIVE TO PREMIER RETAILERS UNTIL SEPTEMBER.

2

PERFECT TO HELP GROW SPIRITS SALES IN A BUSY, WARM SUMMER.

3

FANTASTIC VALUE FOR SHOPPERS AT JUST £16.49 A BOTTLE.

4

EXCELLENT PORs OF 15% FOR RETAILERS.

RETAILER VIEW JUSTIN WHITTAKER Premier MJs, Royton “The Gordon’s flavoured gin range has been a huge success, particularly the Pink Gin. That was a smash hit from day one and it’s still selling well. The Sicilian Lemon variant has also sold fantastically well so I fully expect the new Mediterranean Orange variant to a big hit this summer. In my experience, people that buy flavoured gins tend to always be on the look out for new flavours to try so this should fit the bill nicely.”

RETAILER VIEW DENNIS WILLIAMS Premier Broadway Convenience, Edinburgh “Gin is just a phenomenon and it has been for such a long time. We keep expecting something else to come along but so far it’s still gin all the way. Gordon’s have been brilliant at innovating in the category and their flavoured variants have all been really successful and I can see the new Mediterranean Orange flavour flying off the shelves all summer long. It looks great, it tastes great and, at £16.49 a bottle it’s a little affordable luxury.”

RETAILER VIEW MANDEEP SINGH Premier Singh’s, Sheffield “The Gordon’s flavoured gin range is an absolute staple in the spirits category these days because shoppers just love the three variants. We try to make sure that we maximise sales by siting the three variants together in the stores, right at eye level. The brightly coloured bottles and the big brand name help drive impulse sales. We also shout about new lines on Facebook when they come out and we run competitions to win a bottle or two. It helps generate excitement and it’s just good fun.”

RETAILER VIEW ANITA NYE Premier Eldred Drive Stores, Orpington “With a long and hot summer ahead of us, hopefully, and with the way things are at the moment I think we’ll see lots of BBQs and family parties and gin will feature in a lot of those. The Gordon’s flavoured range is perfect because it’s a brand name everyone trusts and the range of flavours means there’s something for everyone and there are some different options to try. I think gin will be the hit of the summer yet again and I expect the Mediterranean Orange variant to be a big success.”

July 2020 TalkingShop

55

Only

£1

16+

ACS VIEWPOINT | Lockdown Guidelines

James Lowman The Government’s recent easing of lockdown restrictions has important implications for retailers.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s recent relaxation of the lockdown rules sees non-essential shops re-open and a loosening of the 2 metre rule.

A

t the end of June, we saw the Prime Minister outline the Government’s plans for the next stage of changes to lockdown measures in England. This long-awaited announcement provided some muchneeded clarification for both the general public and for businesses on the country’s next steps as we navigate through the stages of this crisis.

So, what does the gradual easing of restrictions mean for you?

Well, one of the key announcements was about changes to social distancing guidelines. During the announcement it was confirmed that people should continue to aim to keep two metres apart but where this is not possible they should keep to ‘one metre plus’ with other mitigations such as face

coverings, sitting side by side rather local issues such as queuing outside than face to face to reduce risk of different businesses, so it’s important transmission and frequent use of hand that we all work together to make this sanitiser. This move from two metre transition as smooth as possible. distancing to ‘one metre plus’ will Local shops have done a fantastic help smaller format stores by job so far in adapting their IF YOU allowing more customers in businesses to ensure that WOULD LIKE TO stores so long as the risk is they can continue to feed GET INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL WORK OF ACS managed. their communities while June saw ‘nonkeeping their customers ....................... CALL ...................... essential businesses’ and colleagues safe and I 01252 515 001 begin to open their doors am confident that our sector ............. OR LOG ON TO ........... and July has seen more will rise to the opportunities www.acs.org.uk businesses and service and challenges that the easing providers reopen, including of restrictions present. hair salons, barbers, museums, Tell us about your experiences to playgrounds and outdoor gym - just date, and as lockdown is eased. For to name a few. This will be good news our part, we will continue to keep you in that people will be venturing out of updated with the latest information their homes more. As well as providing from Government for your businesses some relief there is the possibility of and as always, if you have any some more local challenges to manage questions please get in touch.

July 2020 TalkingShop

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TIME TO HYDRATE ON TV 20 JULY TO TIME TO RECYCLE 31 AUGUST TH

ST

3 REASONS TO STOCK BUXTON BOX • Innovative merchandising solution to drive impulse • Potential to increase rate of sale by x5 times 1 • Buxton No.1 British mineral natural water brand

STOCK UP

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IRI, UK Water market, MAT 52 weeks, 25 January 2020, Value Sales

NOW!

YOURSHOUT GOT A QUESTION? Want to post a question or raise an issue with the Premier Team?

Get in touch by email at talking shop@55north.com or call 0141 222 5380.

YourShout WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? RETAILERS PUT THEIR QUESTIONS TO PREMIER

Caring for sharing

Where should we focus in lockdown?

With independent retailing turned on its head under lockdown, it can be difficult to work out where retailers should be focusing their efforts to maximise footfall, sales and profits. Can you offer any advice?

LINDA WILLIAMS, BROADWAY CONVENIENCE STORE, EDINBURGH MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: The current challenging times have been tough for all

Premier retailers, but by focusing on what shoppers need and want right now we can continue to see strong sales and build long term growth. One area worth concentrating on are the daily essentials that bring shoppers to your door every day. That means bread, milk and eggs but it also means categories like fresh fruit and veg and meat. A good range of great quality, great value products will service you well. There are also significant opportunities in seasonal categories like BBQ (food and non-food) and ice cream and slush.

Time to deliver?

It seems like home delivery has been one of the most important developments under lockdown. We have recently started a service ourselves and I was wondering if you see it as a solution that could benefit retailers in the long term, even after lockdown ends?

MOS PATEL, PREMIER HEYSIDE, ROYTON MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Home delivery has really taken off under lockdown. ACS figures show that only 10% off independent retailers offered it last year; now that figure is 62% - and it’s easy to see why. Many retailers have seen increases in weekly sales running into the thousands of pounds and basket spends are frequently £30 and over.

Lockdown has certainly accelerated adoption but it seems likely that many shoppers will still prefer the convenience of delivery once lockdown has passed so it is highly likely that it could have a long term benefit.

With lockdown forcing many people to stay home we’re seeing a big increase in sales of larger format products across all categories. Should retailers be looking to stock more sharing packs and multipacks, and making more space for them instore?

JUSTIN WHITTAKER, M&J’S PREMIER, ROYTON MARTYN PARKINSON, BRAND DIRECTOR – PREMIER SAID: Lockdown has obviously changed the way people shop in many different ways but one of the most significant trends has been increasing sales of larger format packs and multipacks.

That occurs right across the store in a lot of different categories as people stock up for time at home and also for small scale get-togethers with family and close friends, in line with current guidelines.

It makes sense to ensure you have availability of these pack sizes, particularly in key categories like beer and cider, soft drinks and snacks – and if you have the space, it is a good idea to increase the room you allocate to sharing packs and multipacks to drive basket spend.

July 2020 TalkingShop

59

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7 613038 993669

READY TO DRINK COLD COFFEE IS THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT WITHIN THE £8.4BN SOFT DRINKS CATEGORY!* Calcium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. *IRI 52wk 14/09/09. ® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A