C&I Retailing Magazine August-September 2019

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

L U F R E W K O O P O L NEW

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

24 64

08 FACETIME

#CANDIEXPO19

Deseri Rickards, UCB

12 STORE REVIEW

The Dunn Group, BP Auburn

16 AACS

Staying ahead of today’s evolving retail environment

20 CATEGORY FEATURE: ICE CREAM

Ice cream takes evolving consumer preferences in its stride

24 CATEGORY FEATURE: FRESH FOOD

The fresh revolution continues to drive growth

28 CATEGORY FEATURE: ENERGY DRINKS The energy drink sector is teeming with potential and new options

32 SPECIAL FEATURE: GIFTS AND GADGETS The right range for the right store

36 PRODUCT NEWS

C&I Choice, and all the latest in NPD

L

ast year, we took the C&I Expo down to Melbourne and this year, we’re bringing it back to Sydney once again.

This year we are joined by approximately 95 companies exhibiting, ready to show suppliers and buyers what they have on offer. The C&I Expo is the largest and most popular specialist convenience industry trade show.

There’s only one way to be at the forefront of the trends — and that is to attend C&I 2019 over two days of business, demonstrations, industry insights and speakers.

Visitors to C&I 2019 will experience the latest in convenience products, services and merchandising.

Admission to the expo is free and it is a trade only event, with retailers and suppliers from all banners and brands welcome to attend any or all of the functions on offer.

This is an invitation to the once a year unique expo experience.

Take us up on the offer and we’ll see you there!

Lucy Marrett Editor

58 OPINION PIECES

Darren Park, Charles Watson, Norrelle Goldring

62 OVERSEAS INSIGHTS

Driving Convenience in Germany

64 INDUSTRY NEWS

Kanguru, The Distributors, Asahi, Couchfood, Blackmores

72 PETROL NEWS

Dan Armes, Gallagher

80 SUPPLY FIND 4 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Safa de Valois

James Wells

Keith Berg

Ben Curtis

Jeremy Gough

PRIME TIME

Justine’s Protein Cookies

Quality lighters since 1973 BIC® has been making quality Lighters since 1973. With consumers safety in mind, they develop, meet and exceed the most rigorous safety and quality standards so you can trust that any BIC® Lighter is high performing, convenient and safe. Each of its seven million lighters produced worldwide daily undergoes more than 50 quality and safety checks during the manufacturing process.

Now with hundreds of designs available, BIC® aims to create a pocket lighter for every flicker out there.

Look out for these cool neon animals designs in stores from August.

Justine’s Protein Cookies are a range of New Zealand-made ultra low carb, Protein Cookies with a minimum shelf life of 18 months. Created to bring convenience to fitness, guilt-free indulgence and a convenient meal whilst catering to the gluten intolerant, diabetic and keto consumers.

One serving of a Justine’s Cookie contains up to 19 grams of protein and is wrapped individually for convenience. The cookies are delicious, soft baked, high in protein, calcium and fibre, with no added sugar.

Protein Cookies are available in five core flavours including an 80g double choc dream brownie and two 85g vegan options which are super clean label and keto friendly. Grocery and convenience has become Justine’s 2nd fastest growing segment and you can find the products in most grocery, convenience and vending machines all across NZ. Offering great wholesale prices, find out how you can increase your profit margins. Head over to www.justinescookies.com

Majors Carpigiani

FAN+

The Carpigiani 191 K SP is a single flavour counter top shake machine, perfect for small to medium sized businesses with moderate demand. Despite its compact size, the 191 boasts superior performance to other comparable machines in its category.

The 191 K SP features self-pasteurisation, and boasts a market leading 42-day cleaning cycle.

Features include a direct expansion cooling cylinder, which optimizes refrigeration efficiency for fast freeze downtime, less waste of product and energy saving. The interactive display communicates with the operator, delivering instructions and data regarding machine performance. Finally, self-pasteurisation ensures that the machine only needs to be cleaned and disassembled nine times per year, saving both time and effort.

Majors Group is proud to offer a range of extended warranties up to 5 years in length, along with a comprehensive preventative maintenance program for added peace of mind.

The 191 K SP is available with both 240v and 3 phase power. External dimensions are 52.3 x 79.6 x 90.45 (WxDxH).

Looking for the ultimate consumer promotion, staff, client reward or loyalty idea?

The newly established Fanplus.com website offers fans across Australia the ability to access extraordinary experiences for ordinary people. FAN+ inventory can be used for your next consumer promotion, staff reward or for a fun client gifting idea or your next team building experience.

FAN+ is a centralised marketplace developed in Australia that connects fans with their sporting clubs, athletes and personalities. Our mission is to enhance the experience of fans at events and give fans access to money CAN buy experiences.

FAN+ hosts opportunities across Australia and has also recently branched out with opportunities in the United States.

FAN+ has been developed in consultation with Australian sporting clubs, individual sporting professionals, celebrities and TV personalities and is designed to create unforgettable experiences with lasting memories.

Visit www.fanplus.com

Published by C&I Media Pty Ltd (A division of The Intermedia Group) 41 Bridge Road (PO Box 55) Glebe NSW 2037 Tel: 02 8586 6292 Fax: 02 9660 4419 E: magazine@c-store.com.au

Publisher: C&I Media Pty Ltd Safa de Valois Commercial Director: Safa de Valois Editorial Director: James Wells

Editor at Large: Keith Berg

Features Editor: Jeremy Gough

Editor: Lucy Marrett

Graphic Designer: Adrian Tipper

Account Manager: Ben Curtis

Contributor: Simon King

DISCLAIMER This publication is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials.

The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information.

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Copyright © 2019 - The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd.

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August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 5

FACE TIME

ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN Deseri Rickards, Retail and Merchandise Controller at United Convenience Buyers

D

eseri Rickards was born in Northern Queensland but wasn’t there for long. By the time she was one her family had already moved to Western Sydney and then onto the Hawkesbury area. She grew up on a farm with her family.

“Living on a farm with my parents, grandparents, younger brother, aunt, uncle and cousins it was communal with everyone working in the farm, and looking after children together. My family came to Australia from Hungary, and while my grandfather was separated from his family and sent to Newcastle to work, my grandmother and father were sent down to Victoria in a refugee camp. They landed on the shores of Australia with very little and worked hard their entire lives. They became very proud Aussies and my Grandmother often reminded us of how lucky we were to be in this amazing country.

My childhood was quite simplistic and, at times, I wish my children could have experienced what life was like without internet, social media, where the Sunday night Disney Movie was the highlight of the week and the outdoors was your source of entertainment. We didn’t have a lot and learnt the value of every dollar – for eight years of my childhood we had few creature comforts – but I can’t say I ever really missed any of that – my parents and grandparents worked hard to keep us fed and happy and we took joy in simple things.

There were always jobs to do around the farm from feeding chickens (you haven’t lived until you have been chased by an enraged rooster), picking strawberries and then graduating to making up the cardboard boxes the strawberries went to market in, and the next step actually being allowed to pack the strawberries in the clear punnets the customers would purchase; this was really my first lesson in retail – make the product look appealing — ­ point all the green ends in so the plump juicy red parts stand out. Then the feeling of a job well done when you got the nod of approval from my grandmother and you could very carefully put the top layer of plastic wrap and place on the small oval sticker.

8 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

The first paid job I ever had was tidying the gardens at what was the BP service station on Henry Street in Penrith.”

I always loved feeding the pigs, sheep and horses but had a hard time knowing where they were all going to end up.

I once got a little too attached to a cow called Millie which ended up on our dinner table – I didn’t speak to my dad or grandfather for a few weeks after that, and it still remains a family story that everyone else finds humorous.

The best weekends were spent on my bike with my best friend as we toured the surrounding farms and neighbourhoods – we had many adventures and sometimes wandered a little too far – a few time even all the way to the Hawkesbury River. We always had a drink bottle and packed sandwiches and any biscuits we could pilfer and then we were off for the day's adventure.

Just as I started high school my immediate family moved to an outer suburb of Penrith and then unfortunately just before the recession officially hit, the farm folded and the whole family packed up and moved to the Nepean District.

The first paid job I ever had was tidying the gardens at what was the BP service station on Henry Street in Penrith.

My friend and I were in year eight and we had no cash and would walk past the servo everyday on the way to school thinking of ways to make money. The gardens were always untidy – so one day we decided to go in and tell the store manager. We provided him a solution to his problem and offered to do the gardens for $10 a week – I think he thought UCB Study Tour

FACE TIME FEATURE

Deseri Rickards and family

that was a bargain and so we worked there for a few school terms on afternoons on our way home from school.

During my teenage years another friend and I would wash cars. We would walk around on Thursday and Friday afternoons with what we thought with a very official clip board knocking on doors and booking in customers for the weekend. We made a nice little profit from it as we used our parents' soap and sponges so the overheads were low – it's probably the best GP I’ve ever made. We built up a few regular customers and it certainly funded any spending that a 13 year-old had back then.

As soon as I could, I started working at McDonald’s after school and on weekends, I was one of the first “girls” to be trained to cook out the back – it was a real novelty as back of house then was the boy’s domain. McDonald’s was a great first job, it taught me about resilience –there is nothing worse than scraping the pickles off the wall, a cold soggy slimy tomato sauce encrusted pickle sticks to any surface. I can honestly say that I never ever did enjoy the pickle scraping – perhaps it taught me resilience or to really hate McDonald’s pickles which I still do to this day.

I have been very lucky to be able to travel with work – my first overseas buying trip was at 20 and from there I have travelled not only our gorgeous country but the world with the companies I have worked. We have had quite a few family trips as well the most hectic being the States and South America with four kids, two still in nappies. We were a little bit more adventurous than we should have been on that one. It ended well but there were certainly some tense moments like when our luggage was lost for two days, we ran out of spare nappies and my command of the Spanish language was non-existent.

My current role as is Retail and Merchandise Controller at United Convenience Buyers – I am lucky to work with a dedicated team. My role is busy and varied just the way I like it. The day can range from talking through new plans with the store development team, to discussing insights and research with the data and systems team, in-store execution with the field team and trialling new promotional mechanics with the promotions team. My favourite part though is working with retailers who are passionate about their stores.

I love the retailers in this channel, they are passionate, happy to share ideas and also happy to tell you about their journey – there is always something to learn.

The older I get the more I appreciate and enjoy the simple things in life, spending quality time with family and friends. I am an avid reader and devour up to three books a week and I also enjoy bushwalking with my family around the glorious Blue Mountains.

I am very happily married to my very patient and understanding husband Ben, we have five children that age from 21 to 10 – four daughters, which includes a set of twins and one son. It’s a very boisterous, madcap household that on some nights swells to 12 people at dinner time which is always filled with robust discussions from the day’s politics to do aliens really exist – we generally always end with a round of trivia. We also have seven chooks, two dogs, three cats and a blue tongue lizard.

I’d like to think that in 25 years; 70 year-old Des is happily retired, having a grand old time travelling the globe with her darling husband. The times she is in Australia will be spent tending to the chooks and fruit trees and surrounded by her kids, grandkids and having a glass of wine or two over a cheese platter having a laugh with her lifelong friends. C&I

Tips for retailers:

Tips for suppliers:

Any retailer’s survival depends on their customers buying from them. This is the simple truth. The right products, for the right price – a compelling retail offer, all wrapped up in an inviting store. It’s the same in any retail channel that I have worked. They say Retail is a science and it is, but I think it should have a good healthy spoonful of art thrown in , the different with convenience is that in most stores you can embed yourself into the lives or your customer, you can become part of their community, I believe that is very powerful and sometimes under utilised in our channel and should be used along with rock solid customer service. As a customer if you feel special and welcomed then you are likely to return, making the customer feel valued , I believe that is the art of Retail.

To really understand convenience, the small footprint where every SKU has to work hard to earn its spot.

Get into a store and spend some time with one the fantastic retailers in this channel – the beauty of this channel is that people are happy to share their experience. If I was new to the convenience channel I would seek out people that are generous with their time like my CEO, Darren Park, Haydn Tierney from Vantage Bowser Bean, Eddy Nader from Urbanista, Steve Kosmidis from X Convenience, Mike Webb from Webbs Petroleum, or Jeff Griffiths from Endeavour Petroleum all of these Gentlemen are happy to share their journey and work had to make their businesses better every day.

My childhood was quite simplistic and, at times, I wish my children could have experienced what life was like without internet, social media, where the Sunday night Disney Movie was the highlight of the week and the outdoors was your source of entertainment.”

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 9

FEATURE STORE REVIEW

DUNN UP AND NOT OUT-DUNN The Dunn Group, Auburn

B

en Dunn, the managing director of The Dunn Group purchased his convenience store in Auburn 2006, which at the time was a ‘typical’ site within the area.

Mr Dunn said the site was originally built nearly 90 years ago but what he purchased was rebuilt in the 1960s with a large workshop on one side and a hand carwash at the back of the property.

“The shop itself was very basic and quite small, however, due to a lack of competition in the area and a Toll charge on the M4 Motorway which pushed customers back onto Parramatta Road, it traded very well,” Mr Dunn said.

“Some of the local industrial areas such as Rosehill and Silverwater had many large transport companies operating out of them and as a result the site’s diesel sales traded well above what would normally be expected from a site with a size of only 1,240m2.

“Over time and as new truck accessible industrial areas off the M7 Motorway became available these larger companies moved further west and as a result sales tightened up in the diesel area and the shops.

“Recently competition in the area has also increased significantly with BP Australia building a significant retail offer around the

BP Auburn forecourt

12 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

This has proved very successful for us since we installed the first offer nearly five years ago at Katoomba; it really has been the driver of growth across the entire business in what is a very competitive industry.”

corner which was purposely built for trucks and Woolworths has also built a new offer with a Fast Food tenant and another nearby BP dealer has rebuilt their store.

“The Dunn Group had planned and budgeted to rebuild Auburn in 2021, however with this increased competition obviously putting pressure on sales I decided to bring this forward and we reopened the new store in early April this year,” Mr Dunn said.

The BP Auburn store is privately owned, but BP branded.

NEW LOOK Mr Dunn said in a similar fashion to other Dunn Group stores such as those in Katoomba and Botany, the renewed Auburn store features the company’s own Balmain Coffee Company branded coffee and food offer.

“This has proved very successful for us since we installed the first offer nearly five years ago at Katoomba; it really has been the driver of growth across the entire business in what is a very competitive industry,” Mr Dunn said.

In addition to the Balmain Coffee Company branded coffee offer, The Dunn Group has also installed a dedicated Balmain Coffee Company main identification sign on Parramatta Road which was designed and constructed with Albert Smith signs.

STOREFEATURE REVIEW

We are only a few months into the new store and the initial response has been really positive particularly around the barista made coffee, Auburn is already well ahead of where our other Balmain Coffee offers were after three months of trade which is really great news for my team after a lot of hard work leading up to April reopening.”

BP Auburn interior

Balmain Coffee Company set-up

“It gives our brand and the site a significant visual lift and presence as customers drive along Parramatta Road,” Mr Dunn said.

“Internally the store has the same look and feel as our other stores and includes seating as well as laptop/phone charging for customers using the store.”

BALMAIN COFFEE COMPANY “Balmain Coffee Company is my own brand that I created when we rebuilt BP Katoomba five years ago, it is only located within our stores,” Mr Dunn said.

“I knew this first location at Katoomba would be a successful coffee location as a rest stop on the highway due to its position on top of the Blue Mountains, and our customers would be particularly from regional NSW travelling to and from Sydney who simply needed a break. This combined with the strong local customer base meant plenty of potential coffee customers.

“At the time I asked my fuel partner BP whether they would allow me to use their Wild Bean brand however they declined as it was then a company only brand not available to private operators. This meant I had to come up with my own brand and work out a good name.

“The name Balmain Coffee Company itself comes from the suburb I live in Sydney. I wish I had a romantic story about me roasting beans in my shed late at night and selling them at the markets and at my sites but that’s not the case.

“Once I got BP Katoomba established and trading I then partnered with Suntory Coffee who have been a real backbone

BP Auburn forecourt

in advice and support for me to get this to where it is today. The team at Suntory with Anthony Warthold in particular and Steve Wrightson have been a real driving force in assisting the growth and the profitability of this category within my business.

“I didn’t really look for a name that would draw customers in I obviously wanted our offer to do that. Word of mouth has been very strong in driving our sales for us, as we do very little marketing.

“What I wanted to provide was something that is actually very basic however is sometimes consistently hard to deliver. This firstly and obviously is a great coffee not as a one off but every time. We have many staff in our business that are employed only as baristas and throughout their shifts do not have time to do anything else but make our coffees.

“Then comes the customer service plus clean and modern toilets are an expectation of our customers and thankfully something not many of our competitors offer.

“The modern fixtures and fittings throughout the store and the bathrooms in 2019 really are an expectation of the modern customer in a new store. While Auburn has a modern look and feel we have also seen this improve overall customer appreciation as well as the way our staff and what we have to offer.

“We are only a few months into the new store and the initial response has been really positive particularly around the barista made coffee, Auburn is already well ahead of where our other Balmain Coffee offers were after three months of trade which is really great news for my team after a lot of hard work leading up to April reopening.” C&I August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 13

For more information, contact your Lion Sales representative or call 18OO OOO 57O.

SWAP BORING FOR

FUN THIS SUMMER

For more information, contact your Lion Dairy and Drinks Sales representative or call 18OO OOO 57O.

FRANK BEARD

is a speaker, writer, and convenience retailing advocate from Des Moines, Iowa

There is one challenge that we all face: convenience is being redefined by new technologies and changing customer expectations”

STAYING AHEAD OF TODAY’S EVOLVING RETAIL ENVIRONMENT Join the AACS Overseas Study Tour to the USA in October 2019

T

he science fiction author William Gibson was correct when he wrote that the future is already here - it’s just not very evenly distributed. Trends are more developed in some markets than others, and we only need to look closely to catch a glimpse of tomorrow. Visit Norway to see the future of electric vehicles, Argentina for natural gas vehicles, or Europe for fresh on-thego foodservice. In China, a staggering 45.2% of the population used mobile payments in 2018 - largely due to the widespread adoption of WeChat and Alipay.

But there is one challenge that we all face: convenience is being redefined by new technologies and changing customer expectations. By stepping outside of our home markets and visiting others, we can gain new perspectives and ideas as we fight to remain relevant at retail’s last mile.

Here in the United States, retail is in the midst of a powerful evolution. Although headlines are dominated by talk of a so-called 'retail apocalypse', the truth is more nuanced. Some department and big-box stores have gone bankrupt, but it’s also true that the U.S. has more retail space per capita than any other country—more than double Australia. Middle-of-the-road brands such as Bon-Ton are no longer in business, but it’s also true that budget-conscious and boutique retailers are booming.

Dollar General is slated to open 975 stores this year and remodel 1,000. And while many fret about the need to get online, many direct-to-consumer online brands are moving into physical storefronts. Some customers really do want to touch Warby Parker glasses or Tuft and Needle bedding before making a purchase.

16 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Amazon Go store

A wall of salads

The entrance to Amazon Go

But what about the products that don’t require a hands-on shopping experience? Consumers demand convenience, and being less-convenient than the internet is a bad place to be. Amazon is now transitioning from two-day to one-day shipping for Prime members, and recent reports are once again saying that drone-based delivery is on its way.

At the same time, it’s difficult to disrupt the convenience of a convenience store. I live two blocks from one. In fact, 93% of Americans have a convenience store within ten minutes of their home. This proximity has somewhat insulated the industry from the Amazons of the world. If I’m watching Netflix and need a bag of chips, the Casey’s General Store down the street is the best option.

But new challengers have arrived at the last-mile, and they’re attacking highly-specific use cases for the convenience store. For example, mobile app GoPuff exists in dozens of college towns and promotes itself as a replacement for the convenience store. I recently ordered a few products in Nashville that arrived in less than twenty-five minutes. For $5.95 a month, they’ll even waive delivery fees.

Suddenly I don’t have to leave the couch to get that bag of chips. Or consider Cargo. It’s awkward to visit a convenience store in an Uber, but Cargo is bringing common convenience store products to ride shares and allowing drivers to make extra money on the side.

Retailers have to remain relevant, and many are doing so by transitioning into foodservice. According to preliminary data released at this year’s NACS State of the Industry Summit, the average U.S. convenience store in 2009 generated 16.02% of inside-sales from foodservice. In 2018, the average had risen to 22.60% with the top-quartile at 28.29%. USA Today recently named Pennsylvania-based Sheetz as one of the ten best regional fast food brands, and Technomic research found that Massachusetts-based Cumberland Farms ranks #4 in consumer perceptions of coffee quality - directly ahead of Dunkin.

But the existing cross-channel competitors aren’t giving up without a fight. Grocers are expanding into grab-and-go foodservice with 'grocerant' concepts, Burger King recently debuted a five-dollar per month coffee subscription, and Domino’s pizza is reportedly experimenting with autonomous vehicle-based pizza deliveries. Amazon Go continues to expand across major cities with its food-forward stores and a true checkout-free experience that allows customers to skip the cashier and just walk out. Even Dollar General created a convenience store called DGX.

At the same time, these trends are not unique to the U.S. A friend recently described a customer at a convenience store in Japan who had grown so tired of cashiers asking if he wants a bag that he taped the answer to the back of his hand and held it up without saying a word. Would he respond well to an Amazon Go? Of course.

Stepping outside of our familiar markets and visiting others offers a unique opportunity to study these trends, meet the companies driving change, and gain valuable perspectives that can help us win back home. That’s why I’m excited to be involved in the planning process for the 2019 AACS Overseas Study Tour - which takes place October 7-11 in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Attendees will get direct access to companies on the forefront of our evolving retail environment. CloudMinds, for example, delivers cloud-based artificial intelligence with retail applications such as the GoBox - a smart fridge that not only unlocks and charges customers for items taken by using facial recognition, but can serve up personalized advertisements based on an individual’s general characteristics. At Zippin’s test store in San Francisco, attendees will demo a checkout-free system similar to Amazon Go, but is able to be retrofitted into existing retail environments. Amongst other activities, we’ll also learn how Filld is also redefining the fueling experience through appbased mobile fuel deliveries.

Attendees will have the opportunity to visit retailers and restaurants that may challenge them to think differently - such as health-conscious Veggie Grill and boutique convenience retailer The Goods Mart.

The tour will also visit Schaerer USA’s new Coffee Competence Center to stay on top of hot beverage trends and get hands-on experience with the latest equipment.

This will be especially valuable given the importance of hot dispensed beverages to Australian convenience retailers.

The category’s sales rose 14.6% in 2018, and the single strongest main mission of customers was to buy a hot drink.

As someone who spends a lot of time visiting convenience stores, I also understand the benefit in having time to explore alone or in small groups. Those valuable experiences are often missed during large tours. That’s why there is scheduled down-time and each attendee will have a curated guide of what’s available nearby.

Retail is evolving, and experiences like the AACS Overseas Study Tours are a great way to stay on the forefront and gain new perspectives. For more information and regular updates, be sure to subscribe to the weekly AACS e-newsletters.

For details on the AACS Overseas Study Tour from 7–11 October 2019 contact: jeff@aacs.org.au or yashodha@ewm.com.au C&I *Frank Beard is a speaker, writer, and convenience retailing advocate from Des Moines, Iowa. He has presented at events such as the NACS Show, Partnership for a Healthier America’s Summit, Outlook Leadership, and will speak at the AACS Convenience Leaders Summit on August 15 in Sydney. Beard also serves as GasBuddy’s analyst/evangelist for convenience and retail trends. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Grocers are expanding into grab-andgo foodservice with “grocerant” concepts, Burger King recently debuted a five-dollar per month coffee subscription, and Domino’s pizza is reportedly experimenting with autonomous vehicle-based pizza deliveries.”

The peak body for the Australian Convenience Store industry, celebrating over 25 years of working for the industry.

ICE CREAM

KEEPING COOL Ice cream takes evolving consumer preferences in its stride

Health and wellness continues to be a source of inspiration for ice cream brands to specialise and differentiate from each other.”

W

hile the health and wellness trend hasn’t exactly played to the strengths of ice cream, the category has shown itself to be incredibly resilient in the face of changing customer attitudes.

Busy consumers may be watching their waistlines a little more but sales figures suggest they are also still seeking a pick-me up or a cool-me-down, and ice cream still fits the bill.

Despite a slight drop off in recent years, ice cream is a hugely important sales driver for convenience operators. The most recent state of the industry report from the Australasian Association of Convenience Store (AACS) reveals that the category has shown three years of decline with sub-categories such as ice cream singles, ice cream take home, and icy poles all falling back.

The ice cream freezer though remains a critically important component in any convenience store’s success.

The AACS report indicates that ice cream shoppers tend to visit convenience stores 1.6 times per week, and the average spend with ice cream in the basket is $9.50 per visit. With margins of 45.9%, the category is then one which demands continued attention.

20 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Manufacturers are responding to the changing ice cream landscape by regularly introducing new products and new innovations, and convenience stores that put in the effort to maximise the sales impact of this category excitement are still being well rewarded.

Companies like Peters, Bulla and Streets all now have low-fat ranges, and low-sugar variants are also selling well.

In its recent report on the ice cream category, market research company, Euromonitor International, said this was a trend that was likely to continue.

The report said: “Health and wellness continues to be a source of inspiration for ice cream brands to specialise and differentiate from each other. Additionally, the increasing momentum behind this trend has encouraged smaller players to enter with healthy, 'free-from' alternatives.”

Ice cream though is ultimately a treat, and Euromonitor International noted that manufacturers adopting co-branding strategies with companies such as Nestlé, the Natural Confectionery Co, and Cadbury had been at the forefront of product and marketing innovations in ice cream in recent years.

ICE CREAM New news is basically the lifeblood of the category. Peters Ice Cream said that new product development (NPD) currently amounts to 15% of total impulse ice cream dollar sales and this percentage is continuing to increase year on year.

Peters’ Category Manager Petrol and Convenience Marylyn Navarro said: “It is crucial that retailers take advantage of the excitement surrounding new news to drive shopper engagement and penetration. Ensuring speed to market of NPD, as well as big and bold in store activation is the key to success.”

Peters said that once the shopper gets to the freezer they will buy an ice cream more than 66% of the time.

Ms Navarro said: “The key to conversion is getting shoppers to the ice cream freezer, aided by emotive point of sale along their path to purchase. Peters continues to invest in a broad suite of POS and off location freezer solutions that help engage the consumer in-store across the entire path to purchase.”

The ice cream shopper in convenience is very different to the one in grocery. In convenience the consumption occasion is ‘to eat now’ whereas in grocery it is usually purchased to ‘consume later’.

One of the key advantages that convenience has over grocery in terms of luring the ice cream shopper to buy is that their customers are more impulsive. Price is the not the first consideration in the convenience consumer purchase decision hierarchy, and tapping into the emotive and impulse nature of the channel will continue to deliver sustainable growth. Conversely, the grocery shopper is driven by price and is disconnected from the joy of immediate consumption.

From a manufacturer’s perspective, the convenience channel is particularly important as it offers the consumer a chance to trial and interact with the various brands and products.

A more diverse group of shoppers is likely to buy ice cream in convenience stores than in supermarkets, and ice cream is enjoyed by people of all ages. Typically, the category sees peak sales periods in the afternoon between 3-4pm, and in the evening, between 8-9pm.

Unilever – which boasts the Streets ice cream brand and iconic products such as Magnum, Gaytime, Paddle Pop, and Cornetto – sees convenience as a big area of opportunity. So too does Bulla which boasts a range of ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream sticks, and the Icy Pops and Splits brands.

Similarly, Peters – which is responsible for market leading brands such as Drumstick, Maxibon and Connoisseur – said the channel is very different to grocery and attracts a different sort of ice cream shopper who shops for a different reason.

Ms Navarro said: “Single pack sizes in convenience as opposed to multipacks and tubs in grocery reflect this differing shopper mission. Ice cream is an impulsive treat and snack category, there is opportunity to trigger impulsive purchase with activation and POS that dials up appetite appeal or talks to new news.”

While ice cream does have some seasonality with a spike in sales coming into warmer weather, convenience stores should look to support the category throughout the year. Peters said that 31% of ice cream is sold in summer, while 20% is sold during winter meaning that operators who keep ice cream top of customers’ minds outside of the warmer months can benefit from incremental sales, particularly in the shoulder seasons.

While the ice cream segment caters to the shopper-in-need state is most prevalent in warmer weather, the refreshment segment is most heavily impacted by the changing seasons.

Other ice cream segments include premium, snacking as well as fun and value. Better for you is also an emerging need

The key to conversion is getting shoppers to the ice cream freezer, aided by emotive point of sale along their path to purchase.”

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 21

ICE CREAM within ice cream in convenience and it is expected to grow as the health and wellness trend continues to evolve. The segment is currently more established in grocery.

Take Home offers that cater to the ‘for later’ shopper mission is also an emerging need in convenience.

Of course, grocery is still where most consumers traditionally get their take home tubs but it cannot match convenience for sheer accessibility and ease of purchase.

AT A GLANCE • Ice cream shoppers tend to visit convenience stores 1.6 times per week, and the average spend with ice cream in the basket is $9.50 per visit.

• The CMA 2018 Shopper Report asked consumers how often they bought ice cream from a convenience store. Some 59% responded ‘sometimes’, 26% said 'rarely', and 15% replied ‘often’.

• New product development (NPD) currently amounts to 15% of total impulse ice cream dollar sales and this percentage is continuing to increase year on year.

• The key to conversion is getting shoppers to the ice cream freezer, aided by emotive point of sale along their path to purchase.

Take Home ice cream accounts for 21% of total ice cream sales within convenience (MAT to 26/05/19) and is expected to benefit from increased distribution of current offers and new news coming into the category later in the year.

As the number of ‘top up’ shopper missions grows, convenience can potentially gain more market share by concentrating more effort on take home ice cream. Ice cream is the number one goto dessert for Australians and the channel needs to have offers across all formats to meet customer needs.

Peters Ice Cream boasts a product portfolio which it said has an offer to suit all consumers and it is continuing to innovate to attract new customers. The company’s biggest brand, Maxibon, has seen impressive growth and resonates particularly strongly in convenience. This success has been consolidated by the recent release of the Maxibon Double Handle, a new line that is exclusive to the impulse channel that delivers a double biscuit experience.

Peters taps into the consumer trend towards greater premiumisation with its Connoisseur brand which delivers an indulgent experience.

From August, Connoisseur will be launching the Australian Native Collection, which will highlight Australian Native ingredients in new stick flavours and new 470ml tub offers.

Drumstick is the leading cone offer in the market and has a strong classic range of flavours as well as a rotating range

22 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

to generate excitement annually. Coming in October will be Boysenberry as a single loose pack cone, a strong performer in the grocery channel, which Peters hopes will also prove to be a winner in the convenience impulse freezer.

Peters said that it expects to further accelerate sales in ice cream as its new collaboration with Cardbury drives shoppers to the ice cream freezer.

The opportunity then is enormous. Australians are well known for being among the most voracious consumers of ice cream in the world and they are also developing an adventurous palate.

As well as finding that a whopping 93% of Australian consumers had purchased ice cream in the previous year, data from a 2017 Nielsen Homescan study revealed that much category growth was coming from non-traditional flavours including the likes of raspberry and white chocolate, rhubarb, custard and blood orange.

The report stated: “In fact, 62% of category’s total dollar growth came from flavours outside of the top 20. This is a reflection of the growing trend in premium, indulgent ice cream flavours – an opportunity for ice cream manufacturers to explore further.”

As the category evolves with changing consumer preferences, convenience stores need to play their part in keeping sales up.

The CMA 2018 Shopper Report asked consumers how often they bought ice cream from a convenience store. Some 59% responded ‘sometimes’, 26% said rarely, and 15% replied ‘often’.

One of the most common reasons they gave for not buying ice cream in the channel was that the range was perceived as not being good enough.

From a store perspective then, the basics need to be looked after.

The right products need to be allocated sufficient space in the freezer, to be constantly in stock with reserve stock of higher sellers under the baskets, and to be easily accessible to consumers.

As the temperature rises and new products arrive in store, operators who manage the category cleverly and capitalise on new flavour excitement can expect to see ice cream sales sizzle again this summer. C&I

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FRESH FOOD

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD The fresh revolution continues to drive growth

T

he trend that has seen convenience putting a greater emphasis on fresh food has paid huge dividends for the channel, and all the signs are that there is more of the same ahead.

There is also the capital cost of setting up a store as a genuine fresh food destination, as well as a significant investment in staff training.

The food area must be kept well cleaned, well stocked and well promoted at all times. There is nothing more certain to deter a hungry customer from making a food purchase than seeing a wrap or roll displayed in unhygienic looking conditions, or it looking like it has been sitting around for an extended period. The oft-repeated mantra that no one wishes to buy the last pie in the pie warmer is based in fact. When selling any sort of food, stock management, presentation and customer perception are everything.

While growth in the category may have slowed slightly in the past 12 months or so, it is still exceptionally strong as operators continue to improve their offer and customers continue to adjust their expectations of the channel.

While at first glance, the surging sales figures would suggest the category has been an easy win for convenience stores, the simple narrative of strong growth has been underpinned by an enormous amount of hard work, investment, and clever category management.

With consumer lifestyles changing and people showing a growing preference for fresh and healthy options, many stores have reacted by offering close to a full bakery ‘experience’. Stores taking on a café aesthetic and ambience are creating the potential to drive basket spend.

Fresh food has certainly boosted convenience stores looking to offset the declining sales in more traditional convenience categories, but it has also presented significant challenges. The logistics of the Australian supply chain make it very difficult for this country to do ‘fresh’ the way it is done in countries with a more compact population spread such as the UK. 24 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

A limited amount of wastage is a price well worth paying for retaining a reputation for always offering quality product and for retaining long-term food customers.”

It is important then that stores keep fresh food displays well stocked and this means it is inevitable there will be an element of wastage. This is something that all operators have to learn to accept. A limited amount of wastage is a price well worth paying for retaining a reputation for always offering quality product and for retaining long-term food customers.

According to the latest State of the Industry Report from the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), as the food category continues to evolve, operators will need to look to add new capabilities to meet more missions as they look to extend their food-to-go offer. The report says that throughout 2018 there was an increase in breadth of range in traditional products, and introduction of new sub categories.

FRESH FOOD Data from IRI Market Edge and Supplier Contribution shows sandwiches and wraps have shown the biggest growth, increasing dollar sales by 17% last year, and a whopping 26% in 2017.

Hot food grew by 7.5% last year and 11.2% in 2017. In terms of overall share of the category, hot food now makes up 39%, sandwiches and wraps 31%, and fresh cakes 21%.

The AACS said there are two trends happening in food on the go, with a clear importance around breadth of offer and healthy options.

The report said: “Healthy alternatives of sandwiches, salads and sushi are now represented in almost 30% of all food-on-the-go baskets, while ‘other’ hot food is the largest category in terms of total penetration represented in 33% of baskets.”

• A more consistent product every time • No labour costs (which continue to rise year on year) • Quality control system ie product specifications on all raw ingredients The Handmade Food Co, which offers a range of products, ranging from Aussie classics such as the ham and cheese toastie to on-trend flavours such as the roast chicken and Sriracha bacon ciabatta, says innovation is essential for the category to keep developing.

The company’s General Manager Sales and Marketing Sally Brown said: “More and more consumers are looking for ‘food on the go’ as we are all living busy lives so stores should make sure they have the classic sandwiches and a wrap. A food offer will bring additional foot traffic to stores and can create a loyal consumer… if their needs are met they will continue to return to the store.”

The AACS said that when customers were asked what was the most important consideration when buying fresh or hot food from convenience stores, freshness and quality topped the list at 43%, followed by availability of product at 14%, range of options on offer also at 14%, and value for money at 13%.

The Handmade Food Co says its Everyday Café brand has been a real hit in convenience, and sandwiches such as ham, cheese and pickle, chicken, cheese and mayo and roast beef, cheese and relish, as well as the chicken caesar wrap, sell very strongly.

The Handmade Food Co says there is a market for offers that are both made on site and pre-packaged, depending on what facilities stores have, and the level of risk that the owner is willing to take.

While classic sandwich fillings and other food offerings are seen as a must, stores also need to continually revitalise and change their range as new product development is vital for continued category growth.

It says that the benefits of a pre-packaged food offer are; • Less risk of product contamination • No sourcing and distribution of raw materials needing to be arranged • No wastage (raw materials i.e. bread) • Special consumer requirements can be met i.e. gluten free • Less handling and therefore lower food safety requirements

Ms Brown said: “Consumers on the go are purchasing across all day parts – breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacking occasions – and this will only continue to increase with innovation in the on-the-food category so it pays to have more range and an increased offer to the consumer. With this in mind, stores should ensure they get to know who their consumer base is and meet their needs.”

More and more consumers are looking for ‘food on the go’ as we are all living busy lives so stores should make sure they have the classic sandwiches and a wrap. ”

The Handmade Food Co wraps and sandwiches

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 25

FRESH FOOD

Consumers on the go are purchasing across all day parts – breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacking occasions – and this will only continue to increase with innovation in the on-the-food category so it pays to have more range and an increased offer to the consumer.”

AT A GLANCE • In buying fresh or hot food from convenience stores, 43% of shoppers said freshness and quality was the most important factor, followed by availability of product at 14%, range of options on offer also at 14%, and value for money at 13%.

• Data from IRI Market Edge and Supplier Contribution shows sandwiches and wraps have shown the biggest growth in food, increasing dollar sales by 17% last year.

• Healthy alternatives of sandwiches, salads and sushi are now represented in almost 30% of all food-on-thego baskets.

• The classic food and drink combo deals are an established sales driver and, when offered together at special combo prices, basket size is lifted and profits increased.

A measured range to suit a cross section of the consumers is critical, and operators need to fully understand the particular demographics of their area. Stores in central business districts surrounded by shops and offices or perhaps those located on busy highways can do particularly well from offering a strong fresh food offer. Everyone from tradies and office workers are potential customers and store operators will quickly learn the specific time of day busy periods relevant to them, with mornings and lunch times generally being the busiest times.

As well as keeping the food well presented and well stocked, staff should be trained to communicate the food offer to the customer, especially if there are any specials on offer. Beyond asking customers if they would like to try one of the sandwiches or rolls on offer, staff can talk about the combo deal or special promotional deal available.

The classic food and drink combo deals are an established sales driver. Fresh, healthy food is a natural partner to healthy beverages such as bottled water or iced tea. When offered together at special combo prices, basket size is lifted and profits increased. In order to maximise the opportunity, stores should offer a core range of good selling lines positioned with the cold drinks and as close to the front counter as possible.

Of course, the rise of the fresh food offer in convenience has happened in tandem with the rise in hot beverages. The AACS notes that beverages and food continue to grow in terms of basket penetration, with the beverage category now represented in more than 70% of baskets, and hot drinks represented in almost 50% of beverage baskets.

The most recent AACS State of the Industry Report said: “Retailers are using hot coffee as a combo product with on-the-

26 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

go food; especially driving more occasion based promotional offers. Hot beverages visit frequency is the strongest of any category and sits at 30% above the channel average… the hot beverage shopper has the strongest single mission of any category highlighting the strength of the category in driving foot traffic.”

Although consumers expect to pay more for fresh food at a convenience outlet, it is important that convenience operators get the balance right and don’t get tempted to sell at too high a margin. The risk in asking too high of a price is that a customer who might have gone on to become a regular food purchaser will instead become a one-time only consumer.

While the food offer in Australian convenience has evolved rapidly in recent years, the experience in other parts of the world suggests there is still considerable growth opportunity to be realised here.

Today’s on-the-go consumers are shopping across channels for grab-and-go breakfasts, quick snacks, and dinner-time solutions.

By offering a quality food offer that is consistently available, Australian convenience operators can then help make their store part of the consumer’s daily routine.

The Mintel Global Food & Trends Report 2019 concludes that the best food-to-go operators are aware of the wider mindset of their shoppers and have responded to shape their wider propositions accordingly.

The report said: “Increasingly this will become expected by foodto-go consumers. And those that don’t keep up will lose out.” C&I * Convenience & Impulse Retailing magazine would like to thank the Handmade Food Co and the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores for supplying information for this article.

For more Information: www.level-lemonade.com

ENERGY DRINKS

ENERGISING PROFITS The energy drink sector is teeming with potential and new options

E

nergy drinks are continually proving to be resilient and adaptable, especially within the convenience sector.

According to the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) 2018 State of the Industry Report (SOI), energy drinks showed strong growth in 2018 despite a “weaker than average 2017 performance”.

The SOI said energy drinks were the standout performer of the key categories, and held 29% of the dollar share, which was a 5.5% increase in the dollar growth from the year prior.

Overall, 23% of the total beverage penetration was from energy drinks and the total beverage category has increased in basket penetration up from 70% in 2017, to 73% in 2018.

The landscape continues to be dominated by the big brands including Frucor Suntory, and Red Bull, while a few new beverages are making waves within the fridges including Remedy, Carabao and Coca-Cola Energy.

28 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

ENERGY DRINKS Remedy Drinks co-founder Emmet Condon said: “Remedy’s own market research found that 62% of millennials who had consumed kombucha in the month prior had also consumed energy drinks at the same time”.

“We felt this identified a clear opportunity to create a healthier alternative to the sugar and chemical laden energy drinks already on the market.”

have up to 60% less sugar than all the major competitors on our original and green apple flavours”.

The new energy drink is already receiving great feedback from retailers stocking the product.

NEW PLAYERS AND HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES

Director of The Dunn Group Ben Dunn said: “All of the flavours have sold particularly well with the Apple really surprising me being no.1 at several of our stores, the Sugar-free in Energy Drinks for us has traditionally underperformed across all banners however Carabao Sugar-free has also been a surprise”.

Remedy Kombucha has proven itself to be a front runner in the kombucha segment but it has now expanded its kombucha range to include a new take on the much-loved beverage; Remedy Good Energy.

“Feedback from some of our female customers, in particular, is that they prefer the Carabao products specifically for the sugarfree content,” Mr Dunn said.

According to research conducted by Remedy, two-thirds of millennials have tried kombucha with a third drinking it regularly.

Mr Condon said: “Our research unearthed a tension between people wanting to make healthy choices, but also needing an energy boost”.

“On one hand, people are going with their gut and drinking kombucha, but then also smashing a few energy drinks on the side.

So we decided to make it right and develop an energy drink that’s actually good for your mind, body and gut,” Mr Condon said.

“Remedy Good Energy contains all the goodness and benefits of kombucha including live cultures, organic acids, and antioxidants with the added good vibes and good energy buzz of raw green coffee bean extract, green tea and ginseng for a smoother, more enduring real energy kick minus the nasties.

“Remedy Good Energy doesn’t contain any sugar or artificial ingredients usually found in traditional energy drinks.

Remedy’s own market research found that 62% of millennials who had consumed kombucha in the month prior had also consumed energy drinks at the same time.”

“Pricing across all SKUs is in line with competitor’s pricing but it’s Carabao’s appetite for promoting their brand with strong in-store support from their team that is refreshing.”

MORE THAN JUST ENERGY Kanguru is another brand that is a recent addition to the market.

After four years of development and 1,982 samples before finalising, the product hit the market in 2018.

Kanguru Founder and CEO David Kitchen said: “Kanguru stands alone as a pure play sugar-free, better for you energy and vitality brand”.

The caffeine content in Kanguru is 100% derived from five premium super-botanicals.

Dr Kitchen said Kanguru is the: “healthy alternative in the convenience market and energy category with real energy and real benefits beyond a pure caffeine-derived boost”.

“Until now, there hasn’t really been a healthy, tasty alternative to traditional energy drinks. Remedy Good Energy is a market first and one we think people will jump onboard with having already been bitten by the Remedy booch bug,” Mr Condon said.

Another new player in the energy segment is Coca-Cola who has released a new energy drink. Coca-Cola Energy was launched in Europe in April, and its Australian launch followed in June.

The beverage contains caffeine and guarana extracts and will be available in two variants, one of which is no-sugar.

InsideFMCG reported Coca-Cola Australia’s marketing director Lucie Austin said: “We’re launching Coca-Cola Energy with and without sugar and we’ll continue to expand and diversify our range of products to offer Aussies a wider choice of drinks”.

“We think it will appeal to busy people on the go who are looking for an extra energy kick with a great Coca-Cola taste,” Ms Austin said.

Carabao, an energy drink that launched in late 2018, had a huge global growth before landing in Australia.

According to Carabao’s head of sales Dan Tjahjadi, the biggest point of difference is: “the fact that we are sugar tax ready. We August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 29

ENERGY DRINKS

I undertook this long research using a scientific evidence-based approach to ensuring only the highest quality and most effective ingredients were included, and at real beneficial amounts, not token marketing amount like many others.”

Dr Kitchen champions Kanguru as “the local hero”, being that it is an Australian company founded by Dr Kitchen himself, a medical specialist.

“I undertook this long research using a scientific evidencebased approach to ensuring only the highest quality and most effective ingredients were included, and at real beneficial amounts, not a token marketing amount like many others,” Mr Kitchen said.

“It’s a sugar-free (and we will never make a sugar-reliant product) energy plus vitality beverage calling upon a synergistic combination of 5 super-botanicals unique to Kanguru: Korean Red Ginseng, Yerba Mate, Guarana, Schisandra and Green Tea. “These are the ‘dream team’ of botanicals after excluding dozens of others, resulting in an unrivalled multi-functional formula.

“All delivered with complex B-vitamins in a better for you multifunctional beverage that is not only good for you, but tastes great.”

28 Black has been at the forefront of ‘better for you’ energy since 2011 as it is Taurine free and caffeine free. With a lessening distribution plan through grocery in 2018, Level Beverages re-focused on the convenience sector.

It has since seen steady growth for the brand, and there has been a good performance pace with 28 Black Classic.

Level Beverages Managing Director Chrish Graebner said: “Later this year we will adjust our formulation of Acai variants to the German (home) market recipe”.

“This is exciting as it will allow vegan certification for the entire franchise.”

Mr Graebner said his outlook in general remained the same, highly competitive with value perception decreasing through (over) promoting in grocery.

30 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

“Growth for established brands will largely come from temporary line extensions and gaining share from competitors, which will further fuel the price sensitivity.”

IN THE INDUSTRY Whilst Kanguru sits comfortably within the energy drink category, Mr Kitchen said it could also easily sit in the healthy and functional beverage category as well.

Dr Kitchen said: “Energy brands are predominantly an impulse purchase and as a result the convenience channel is essential for reaching consumers in need of a healthy energy and vitality boost”.

Mr Condon said: “Energy drinks currently make up approximately a third of all beverage sales in Petrol and Convenience stores and we know that naturally no sugar and organic ranges are delivering extremely strong growth in this segment making Remedy Good Energy a solid choice when looking to shake up your energy drink range in store”.

“Early sales in grocery already indicate there is a strong appetite for healthier, tastier alternatives to traditional energy drinks which is where Remedy Good Energy fits in. There will always be shoppers who want a healthy beverage and with the extensive Remedy range from Remedy Kombucha through to Remedy Switchel and now Remedy Good Energy, there is literally a Remedy drink for everyone and every occasion.

“Start ranging with top selling Remedy flavours to capture incremental sales instore ensuring enough space is allocated to better-for-you beverages given it’s such a fast growing segment,” Mr Condon said.

Dr Kitchen said: “Healthy, sugar free beverages rank as one of the top purchasing priorities in both domestic and international consumer studies”.

“Allocating space to these emerging brands across the beverage category, will set retailers apart and attract new conscious consumers to the door.” C&I C&I would like to thank Remedy Kombucha, Kanguru and Level Beverages for their contributions.

GIFTS & GADGETS

GIFTING AN OPPORTUNITY

The right range for the right store

32  August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

GIFTS & GADGETS

Tech accessories and pre-paid handsets can grow by 50 to 60 percent in sales, whilst gifting of toys can double or triple in sales if you have the right range,”

W

hile earning a reputation for being able to efficiently cater to the everyday needs of customers is the cornerstone of any convenience store’s success, the channel has long since moved beyond being seen simply as a reliable source for bread and milk.

In responding to changing customer expectations and to the challenges facing key categories such as tobacco, convenience has tried adopting a number of innovative strategies to keep profit levels up. Most notably, these have included putting a greater focus on hot food, but there is also a growing awareness of the potential presented by special occasions like birthdays and Christmas.

Stocking a good range of gift cards is a starting point, but the arrival of a wider range of affordable and small footprint gadgets and gizmos means convenience is now more suited to satisfying gifting demand than ever before. Stores are increasingly finding that carrying a variety of gifts and gadgets is an effective way to significantly increase overall customer spend and to lift profits.

Companies such as Pacific Optics, which supplies a variety of products in this space, say the opportunity has never been greater.

Pacific Optics General Manager Sales Theo Foukkare said: “Christmas and in particular, the holiday travel period is very important for tech, gadgets and gifting”.

“Tech accessories and pre-paid handsets can grow by 50 to 60 percent in sales, whilst gifting of toys can double or triple in sales if you have the right range,” Mr Foukkare said.

In a channel such as convenience where space is a premium, getting the range right is absolutely critical.

“Each store is different, and understanding what is right for you is part of the process of winning, so trial and error with a trusted supplier is part of this learning process.

“Getting this range right can deliver upwards of $1000 in retail sales per month for an average store, therefore gifting in the toys and August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 33

GIFTS & GADGETS “Don’t half create a display – build a category home, offer a complete range and always maintain maximum stock weight,” said Mr Foukkare.

“Challenge the status quo when it comes to store layout… does confectionery need to be in all of the bays walking towards the console, or can some bays be replaced?”

He says category adjacencies also play a role in maximising the opportunity and suggests positioning tech accessories with telcos to drive companion purchases, as well as putting new tech accessory new lines on the front counter or in arm’s reach from front counter to drive impulse sales.

While all convenience stores can benefit from stocking a good range of gifts and gadgets, different locations meet different needs.

If you are in the city where there are lots of offices nearby, extra products like HDMI cables and powerboards are good sellers, but if you are a convenience store near apartments, audio cables and Bluetooth earphones for jogging are popular.”

promotional category needs to be judged based on the consumer breakdown for the store, which will then drive the range.

Of course, tech products are now an essential part of any gifts range, and Pacific Optics boasts items such as cables, chargers, power banks, headphones, in-car accessories, Bluetooth products, and mobile phones. From a gift perspective, it has an everyday range of licensed toys across all of the leading brands, including plush toys, die cast cars, dolls and collectibles. This year, it has also focused on two major movies, the recently released Toy Story 4 and Frozen II, which is due to hit cinema screens in November.

Other companies such as Eastrade International also have a range of mobile accessories in convenience such as wall chargers, car chargers, portable chargers, earphones, USB cables and so on, as well as a range of travel adapters.

With statistics revealing that 88 percent of the Australian population owns a smartphone, Eastrade said nine out of ten people walking into a store are therefore potential customers in this category. It says phone chargers, cables and travel adapters are among the most common emergency purchases in general merchandise.

Eastrade Marketing Director, Hong Shin Tan said: “Using point of sale (POS) merchandising such as our medium stand or counterstands, and ranging product around the cashier area or queue area can boost sales”.

“You want eye catching packaging to subconsciously direct your customer’s interest, which is what our Esonic packaging is designed to do,” Mr Tan said.

Pacific Optics said that to succeed in the category, stores need to consistently showcase new products and innovation by creating impactful displays in high-impulse areas and grabbing customers’ attention.

34 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

“If you are in the city where there are lots of offices nearby, extra products like HDMI cables and powerboards are good sellers, but if you are a convenience store near apartments, audio cables and Bluetooth earphones for jogging are popular,” said Eastrade’s Mr Tan. “Most importantly, retailers themselves have to understand and research their local customers’ interests… and the most direct way to do that is through talking with those customers.”

Mr Tan believes that gifts and gadgets have a long way to go in convenience, which he said has significant advantages over other channels. He said supermarkets are still too closely associated in the customers’ minds with groceries to be viewed as a logical place to buy something like a USB cable, and he said specialist phone shops can be seen as too expensive without offering the benefit of the convenience that convenience stores do.

“The concept of convenience is to buy time and mobile accessories are fast becoming a commodity that customers expect convenience stores to stock,” he said.

“You wouldn’t go all the way to JB Hi-Fi or Telstra shops to buy a USB cable… you just go to your local convenience store.”

Mr Tan said that in the same way as Uber Eats customers are willing to pay the extra freight to give themselves more time to do other things, so too are convenience customers willing to pay extra to buy gifts and gadgets in the convenience channel.

Stores that have the right range of gifting or tech products or gadgets can then drive ongoing incremental purchases. However, retailers need to really get behind the category and to consistently refresh the offer to make it exciting or else they risk customers seeking the ‘surprise and delight’ element elsewhere. C&I * Convenience & Impulse Retailing magazine would like to thank Pacific Optics and Eastrade for supplying information for this article.

PRODUCT NEWS

Un-tangle your life with True Wireless Sound Airbudz It’s time to free yourself from wires and getting tangled up.

With Fuse True Wireless Sound Airbudz comes ease, style and simplicity. Produced in a similar style and format to the most popular wireless earbuds on the market, the Airbudz are everything you need in a headphone.

Fuse Airbudz are compatible with both Apple and Android giving you the power to enjoy your music and podcasts on-the-go, in true style and with clear sound.

Added convenience comes in the form of a super compact charging case to keep your Airbudz charged and protected on the go, with a combined listening time between the Airbudz and case of 8 hours plus these little guys will keep with you all day long.

Ignite your ears and free yourself.

Remedy Good Energy – an energy drink made right The launch of the all-natural, no nasties, no sugar energy drink – Remedy Good Energy – continues the Remedy tradition of shaking fizzy drinks up for good with this brand new fizzy believed to be the world’s first kombuchabased energy drink.

Remedy Drinks Co-founder Emmet Condon said: “Remedy Good Energy contains all the goodness of Remedy Kombucha including live cultures, organic acids, and antioxidants with raw green coffee bean, green tea and ginseng for a smoother energy kick minus the nasties”.

“Remedy Good Energy doesn’t contain any of the sugar or artificial ingredients usually found in energy drinks. Until now, there hasn’t really been a healthy, tasty alternative to what’s on shelf,” Mr Condon said.

Remedy Good Energy naturally contains no sugar, with an official tick of approval from Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar.

“A naturally no sugar, kombucha based energy drink is a first and it’s great to see Remedy continuing to put their heart and soul into developing new products that will actually give people a healthy option when they need an energy boost,” said Ms Wilson.

Remedy Nutritionist Jacqueline Alwill says the launch of Remedy Good Energy is good news for people with busy lifestyles seeking a healthier energy boost.

“It’s great to see Remedy upping the ante and developing an energy drink that’s actually good for you with live cultures, organic acids, amino acids, vitamins and polyphenols minus the unnecessary chemicals added to traditional energy drinks,” said Ms Alwill.

“People are literally busting a gut to get ‘it’ done. Remedy Good Energy is a good option when the 3pm slump rolls around, if you are on deadline for work or uni or even if you’re out late socialising.”

Remedy Good Energy comes in three flavours: • Blackberry: Plump & juicy, bursting with goodness. Berry good indeed.

• Kakadu Plum: Tart & zingy, with a fresh-as finish. Fruity, floral and a whole lotta fun.

36 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

• Coffee: Rich smooth choco-lovely vibes. A little fruity. Super fresh with a full-on coffee kick.

Remedy Good Energy Coffee contains 99mg caffeine per 330ml with Remedy Good Energy Kakadu Plum & Blackberry flavours containing 83mg per 330ml. RRP is $4.50 for a 330ml glass bottle.

PRODUCT NEWS

LISTERINE® GO! TABS™

LISTERINE® has been defining oral care since 1914, with brand scientists driving foundational research on the many powerful benefits of mouthwash in fighting plaque, protecting gums, building strong teeth, and delivering long-lasting fresh breath. Now, LISTERINE® is excited to announce the launch of a new product GO! TABS™ in Australia and New Zealand.

LISTERINE® GO! TABS™ are a whole new way to clean on the go and are a great solution for fresh breath when out and about. In fact, LISTERINE® GO! TABS™ work to combat ‘bad breath anxiety’ faced by so many Australians. Research commissioned

by LISTERINE® GO! TABS™ found almost 8 in 10 Aussies believe they have bad breath to some degree and are equally anxious about it; so much so they’d rather be bitten by a spider or speak in public than be confronted about their bad breath.

Enter LISTERINE® GO! TABS™ as the perfect on-the-go solution for fresh breath, especially when brushing your teeth or rinsing with mouthwash isn’t an option.

Whether you’re on the train to work, after a coffee, traveling, these chewable tablets transform from solid to liquid in seconds and leave you feeling with a whole mouth clean feel & fresh breath for up to 3

hours. Just chew to activate, swish to clean, swallow and go!

For best results: CHEW • For 10 seconds to activate the tablet and transform it from a solid to a liquid.

SWISH • Once dissolved, swish around your mouth like regular mouthwash for 30 seconds to get a wholemouth clean feeling and freshness.

SWALLOW • The small amount of liquid generated by the tablet and GO. That’s it!

Just 30 seconds of swishing allows GO! TABS™ to reach the entire mouth and kill millions of the bacteria that cause bad breath.

Advanced technology in GO! TABS™ binds to badbreath VSCs and changes their molecular structure, neutralising odours.

Swallowing the liquid allows GO! TABS™ to reach the back of the tongue – something not even a toothbrush can do!

The GO! TABS™ Bad Breath Anxiety Report, Galaxy Research Group 2019. Commissioned by Johnson & Johnson. March 2019.

Award-winning THEONI water is brimming with nature’s gifts New to Australian shores, THEONI is a global award winning natural mineral water sourced from a spring high in the Agrafa Mountains of Greece.

Forced from the ground by natural pressure, the geography of the surrounding terrain creates an organic filtering mechanism that has produced this crystal clear spring water for over 2000 years.

THEONI water is bottled directly at source, preserving its premium quality and distinctive taste. Low in nitrates and sodium, and with a complete absence of heavy metals, it has a high alkaline level of pH8.

Many people believe alkaline water helps our bodies metabolise nutrients and expel toxins more efficiently than regular tap water, leading to better health and performance.

Consistently recognised internationally for its superior quality, THEONI natural mineral water has received many prestigious awards including the DLG Organisation award for the last three years, and the ITQi Superior Taste three Golden Star award for food and beverages of the highest quality worldwide, from 2014-2017. Numerous other trophies for excellence also validate its nutritional claims.

With the Australian bottled water market forecast to continue growing, THEONI natural mineral water in its elegant grey packaging will quickly become the bottled natural mineral water of choice for Australian consumers.

To find out more, get in touch with Olympian Products & Distribution on 1800 413 711 or admin@ olympianproducts.com and be sure to visit our stand at the 2019 C&I Expo for a free sample!

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 37

PRODUCT NEWS

Chic Hair and Beauty Accessories introduces its new collection and improved Display Stand Platimex Pty Ltd, a leading Australian importer and distributor of quality products has added Chic Hair & Beauty Accessories to its products range.

With more than 60 different models on an elegant rotating display stand, the top quality collection includes Hair Elastics, Headbands, Ponytail Holders, Hair Clips, Claws, Snaps, Bobby Pins, Hair Donuts, Brushes, Combs, Tweezers, Nail Clippers, Emery Boards, Nail Filing, Safety Pins, Nail Scissors, Make-up Sponges, Powder Brushes, Mirrors, Cotton Buds and Ear Plugs.

Chic Hair & Beauty Accessories range focuses on essential, practical, affordable, stylish and trendy hair accessories for any occasion and attire.

ABOUT PLATIMEX PTY LTD:

Platimex is a leading Australian importer and distributor of quality products to meet the needs of consumers. Its understanding of the marketplace, combined with decades of retail and wholesale experience, makes Platimex Australia successful in meeting the specific demands of all customers nationwide.

The company imports and distributes for dozens of reputable brands and also its own famous brands. The product range includes: • Chic Hair and Beauty Accessories • JOSS Travel Adaptors • PlatiDry Rain Umbrellas and Rain Ponchos • Platisox Socks • Kingleen and PZX Mobile Accessories • East Coast Juice • EVIA Yoghurt and other dairy products such as butter, cheese, snacks and dips

Pacific Optics presents Fuse and Walk n Talk FUSE AUDIO

Born from a passion for music, Fuse will ‘Ignite Your Ears’ with the latest in audio technology suitable for all walks of life. Fuse was designed to be enjoyed. Fuse will transport you to the arena at just the right tempo without incinerating your wallet. Fuse products offer quality materials, on trend design and the latest in audio and power technology. Fuse products embody the design and function required from truly amazing sound and contemporary design, and the packaging has been thoughtfully created to exude the vibes of what live music is all about, sound with feeling. With the outer packaging representative of the pre-show atmosphere featuring dark grey tones of a dimly lit venue, with pops of colour streaming out the sides reminiscent of that first beat reverberating from the stage and offering two prominent call-outs to headline the act. Your expectations of Fuse products will be surpassed with the backstage access of features listed out on the side and back of the packaging ensuring your products are jam-packed with multi-purpose functions to keep your day flowing continuously from track to track. ‘Ignite Your Ears’ with Fuse.

WALK N TALK

Stay Connected with Walk n Talk, a refreshing new range of product and packaging designed with the end-users in mind, is here. Offering easily identifiable connectors and features, our new family of products are built tough to last. Spend more time staying connected. Walk n Talk packaging now offers improved clear crisp product images, colour coded connection guides and a ‘know your connector’ window at the back of the packaging providing customers the option to fit the connector to their device before purchase. The brand's aim is to progress through innovation investing in global research and development to ensure the product is jam-packed with top of the range technology. Pacific Optics is pleased to introduce the new family of product so you can know the connection, trust the quality and stay connected with Walk n Talk.

If you are interested in ranging any of these brands, please call Pacific Optics on 1300 237 425 or email orders@pacificoptics.com 40 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

Energizer introduces a powerful new look for packaging, in-store displays and advertising Iconic character Mr. Energizer™ to take center stage in standout new packaging designed to help consumers navigate product options Energizer®, makers of Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™, the world's longest-lasting AA battery, have announced a re-energized look for the brand, including new packaging, in-store displays, logo and advertising for its battery product lines, as well as an even more prominent role for Mr. Energizer™, the brand's beloved charismatic character. The new visual treatments which launched in Australia this year will provide a contemporary look with a lighter, brighter presentation and a helpful new approach, with distinct colours deployed to help consumers more easily and intuitively find the best product to suit their needs. Whether it's the world's longestlasting Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ AA battery, a lithium coin battery or an Energizer Recharge® rechargeable battery, the new packaging and colour schemes will help consumers quickly identify the right choice and be on their way.

“We spent three years developing our new look, talking with consumers and researching their preferences to deliver an experience that's both powerful and fun,” said Lori Shambro, Vice President, Global Marketing at Energizer Holdings, Inc. “They told us they want bright, clear and helpful packaging that will stand out in a cluttered aisle. And we know they love Mr. Energizer™, so we've made sure consumers will get more of him and his larger-than-life personality everywhere, from in-store to our advertising.”

“Mr. Energizer™ is the embodiment of physical energy, a living Energizer® battery who's quick with a wink and a smile and always up for a new challenge or a friendly competition. He's an animated character who lives in the real world and marvels at it with curious enthusiasm. His lasting endurance and fun-loving personality reflect the spirit of the Energizer® brand.”

ABOUT ENERGIZER HOLDINGS, INC.

Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR), headquartered in St. Louis, MO, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of primary batteries and portable lighting products and is anchored by its two globally recognized brands Energizer® and EVEREADY®. Energizer is also a leading designer and marketer of automotive fragrance and appearance products from recognized brands such as Refresh Your Car!®, California Scents®, Driven®, Bahama & Co.®, LEXOL®, Eagle One® and Nu Finish®. As a global branded distributor of consumer products, our mission is to lead the charge to deliver value to our customers and consumers better than anyone else.

Visit www.energizerholdings.com for more details.

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 41

PRODUCT NEWS

Keeping up with consumer trends

The Food Revolution Group, is feverishly experimenting and creating new blends to keep up with the latest consumer trends. The company understands the importance of ‘fresh’ and ‘convenience’, so have extended the range to meet these demands whilst maintaining The Juice Lab brand standards to produce high quality, great tasting and nutritionally sound beverages.

The company is excited to announce the launch of two new products under The Juice Lab brand: Bush Tucker and Protein Smoothies.

"Bush Tucker heroes some of our native Australian ingredients. These ingredients were not traditionally just used simply as food but were used for their medicinal benefits. With this in mind, it inspired us to create a range of juices which are original, pure and unique, while still retaining the nutritional benefits. Bush Tucker is made from 100% Australian ingredients and is available in two distinct flavours – Davidson Plum and Riberry and Desert Lime, Cinnamon Myrtle and River Mint. This range is available in both 300ml and 1L variants.

“Our Protein Smoothies are designed for those who live a busy lifestyle.

Do you ever find yourself rushing in the morning, no time for breakfast? The day goes on and you’re feeling sluggish and fatigued? Before you know it, its 4pm and you’re yet to eat? Our dairy free, vegan friendly smoothies are perfect for on-the-go. Using 100% plant based protein, our smoothies are packed with nutrition, providing a source of protein, good source of dietary fibre and 2.5 serves of fruit in every bottle, keeping you satisfied and alert.

Packed in a 350ml 100% eco bottle, they come in two delicious flavours – Jungle Rumble: Banana and Vanilla, Smooth Operator: Mango and Matcha.”

Don’t miss out and be sure to try and find the innovative juices and smoothies in selected Coles Supermarkets and come visit the company’s stand at the C&I Expo.

Tom & Luke: Australasia’s Favourite Protein Balls DEMAND FOR HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES GROWING STEADILY

Tom & Luke Snackaballs are a wholesome, natural, energy boosting snack that tastes amazing and have absolutely no added refined sugars and other nasty ingredients. They are the perfect, naturally sweet, delicious and healthy snack with zero guilt!

PERFECT FOR AN ON-THE-GO SNACK!

The 70g packs are a perfect single serve portion, while the resealable 132/140g packs allow your customers to keep their Snackaballs in the pantry, at work, in the gym or sports bag & in the car.

There’s always a natural energy boost on hand!

HIGH SELLING LINES & A PERFECT COUNTER-TOP OPTION

Tom & Luke Snackaballs are available in six delicious flavours. All are popular flavours which move quickly off the shelf with Peanut Butter leading the charge, closely followed by Salted Caramel, Mint, Zesty Lemon, Strawberry and finally Zesty Orange.

REFINED SUGAR FREE • GLUTEN FREE • VEGAN • DAIRY FREE • NON GMO

Tom & Luke Snackaballs contain only naturally delicious ingredients; Dates, Almonds, Cashew Nuts, Peanut Butter, Raisins, Cacao Powder, Real Fruit Zest, Coconut, Natural Vanilla and a pinch of Sea Salt.

NEW SNACKABALLS CHOCOLATE RANGE

Tom & Luke are proud to introduce Dark Chocolate Snackaballs to the Snackaballs family. The Snackaballs Chocolate range are a category first, that contains unsweetened Chocolate, this sugar free ingredient is sweetened naturally with fibre rich Dates, as well as Almonds, Dessicated Coconut, Natural Vanilla and a pinch of New Zealand Sea Salt. The end result is a delicious and naturally sweet treat for Chocoholics the world over.

For further information or assets, please contact: Derek Kirk, derek@dkconsulting.net.au Ph: +61 409 458 251 44 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

HARIBO – a favourite since 1920

• Worldwide consumers have been placing their trust with HARIBO since 1920, because the HARIBO brand stands for quality and childlike happiness • Celebrating 100th year of the Goldbear in 2020 • HARIBO continues to develop innovative products to create incremental growth, create excitement and to increase the relevance of the jelly category • In 2019 HARIBO launched Travel Cups and Mega Roulettes into the P&C market, which have improved market penetration and consumer consumption occasion in the jelly category through these convenient pack formats • With a global portfolio of products to choose from and constant innovation, HARIBO will continue to provide exciting NPD to create sustainable category growth

FujiVISION. Reach Engage. Influence.

ABOUT US

Fujifilm, a long standing modern technology company has utilized its core competencies to expand into a variety of businesses. “We have invested significantly in developing a digital signage division (FujiVISION) that integrates bespoke digital signage solutions benefiting small business to enterprise customers, while providing the highest level of customer service and technical support.”

WHY CHOOSE US?

“We believe in streamlining a lightweight, scalable, customizable solution that is tailored specifically to the customer’s needs. We employ an award winning, cloud based CMS solution that delivers content to leading brand commercial grade screens. In addition, we offer cutting edge analytics and interactivity options, professional installation and regular technical support and software training, to ensure you maximize the return on your investment!”

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THE BENEFITS TO YOUR BUSINESS:

• Reach creative awareness for your business, products and promotional offers instantly • Engage with your customers and create a deeper, more immersive brand experience • Influence your customers by providing dynamic, targeted messages that are noticed and remembered • Measure your return on investment with available Digital Signage Analytics and Interactivity to understand your customers and the deliver most effective messaging possible • Generate Revenue by advertising your products and services or through media sales • Create Efficiencies by investing in a digital solution as opposed to constantly spending on traditional point of sale formats www.fujifilm.com.au/digital-signage

A

ON THE GO Frozen Superfood Pops

Great for...

School Carnivals, Sporting Events, Tuck Shops, Festivals, Markets, Convenience Stores & Petrol Stations.

3.5x

Antioxidants of Blueberries

To become a stockist please contact sales@amazonia.com.au

Available in 35x80g and 4x80g packs

PRODUCT NEWS

It’s Aussie Icon Violet Crumble – But Not As You Know It! Having returned to Australian ownership in 2018, iconic confectionery brand Violet Crumble is now available to enjoy in two new ways with the muchloved chocolate treat launching Violet Crumble Nuggets in a 135g bag and the new Violet Crumble DARK 50g bar.

A long-regarded Aussie favourite, Violet Crumble’s return to Australian hands was met with momentous enthusiasm last year. It is now produced in Adelaide by the fourth generation, family-owned Robern Menz, which is one of the largest Australian owned confectionery businesses, and the largest manufacturer of honeycomb in the country.

Following initial success with the relaunch of Violet Crumble bite size pieces in bag format, Robern Menz was eager to capitalise on the momentum with delicious nuggets of Violet Crumble Honeycomb double dipped in a rich milk chocolate. Perfect for sharing, whether at the cinema, on the couch, in the office or on the go.

Also keen to add a running mate to the iconic 50g Violet Crumble bar, in September Robern Menz will be launching a Violet Crumble DARK 50g bar. Unique to the bar category, the Violet Crumble DARK bar combines its

Tru Blu launches Cha Cha Kombucha One of the fastest growing beverages in Australia at the moment is Kombucha.

Fuelled by the anti-sugar movement and consumers’ insatiable appetite for 'better-for-you' food and beverages, Kombucha is the latest craze!

But is it just a fad, or will it withstand the test of time?

Unlike a lot of trends that have come and gone, Kombucha actually has some credibility behind it. Made from a black tea base which goes through a process of fermentation with a 'tea fungus', the result is a unique-tasting beverage that is great for the gut and for digestion.

Tru Blu Beverages has jumped on the fast-moving Kombucha express and is excited to announce its own version of Kombucha… Cha Cha Kombucha.

But, unlike other Kombuchas which are Probiotic Sparkling Drinks, Cha Cha Kombucha is a Prebiotic Sparkling Drink.

So, what is the difference between Probiotic and Prebiotic?

Probiotics are live bacteria that can be found in fermented foods.

Prebiotics on the other-hand, are a form of dietary fibre that act as a fertiliser for the good bacteria in your gut. The active sources of dietary fibre in Cha Cha are Acacia and Chicory. Cha Cha is a completely unique and exciting Kombucha.

Cha Cha Kombucha comes in three great flavours: Apple, Raspberry and Pine Mango and is packed in a 330mL amber glass bottle. It has a light, refreshing flavour without the overly fermented smell and taste.

Hence, it will appeal to both Kombucha and non-Kombucha drinkers due to its less polarising taste profile.

Cha Cha Kombucha was launched in July through the Convenience and Impulse market and it’s hoped to also be ranged through Supermarkets later this year. So, let’s get our mouths singing and our guts dancing for Cha Cha Kombucha.

To stock Cha Cha Kombucha or to find out more information, call Tru Blu Beverages on (02) 9912 6700.

48 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

traditional shattering honeycomb centre with a smooth layer of dark choc, capitalising on the dark chocolate trend. Dark Chocolate also happens to be the second largest category in total chocolate.

Phil Sims, CEO says, “Innovation is the life blood of our industry and has been a focus of ours since acquiring the Violet Crumble brand in 2018. We saw Violet Crumble as a sleeping giant and we are excited to breathe new life into it, increase brand awareness and introduce this great Aussie icon to a new generation. It’s a real privilege to have custody of such an iconic Australian brand, so by rolling it out in different formats catering for the numerous occasions when we eat chocolate, we now offer more choice and flexibility for people to enjoy Violet Crumble.”

New Violet Crumble Nuggets and the Violet Crumble DARK Bar will be available Nationally in a number of Petrol and Convenience Retailers and Independent Grocery Stores.

For information about stocking Violet Crumble or any other products in the Menz range please contact Robern Menz on 08 8368 7700.

PRODUCT NEWS

‘Bikkie’ inspired milks released

LeVel up and re-order for Summer

LeVeL Lemonade, Australia’s low sugar, high magnesium lemonade range is getting ready for summer!

Since its launch in April, LeVel Lemondade has already sold more than 150,000 bottles! The re-order rate in route has been around the outright astonishing 90% mark and the base is growing daily!

LeVel Beverages Managing Director Chrish Graebner said: "We are very grateful to Caltex and Ezymart as our convenience channel launch partners and are so excited that we were able to secure further large key accounts to back our adventure into summer".

“Truth be told: I aged a lot in recent months, as constant machine failures forced me to ‘artificially hold back distribution gains’.

“We have worked hard with our bottling and packaging partners – and are now in a position to produce at an adequate LeVel,” Mr Graebner said.

Now is the time to LeVel up, Get the Magnesium LeVeL ready for summer!

Dairy Farmers and Arnott’s have joined forces to deliver a modern twist on some of Australia’s most iconic flavours, with a limited-edition series of unique ‘bikkie’ inspired flavoured milks.

Taking dunking to a whole new level, these flavoured milks launched in April this year and are a fresh take on some of Australia’s favourite biscuit snacks, Arnott’s Iced VoVo and Arnott’s Mint Slice.

Both products are bound to get taste-buds tingling and are made with real ingredients; peppermint oil infuses the Mint Slice and the Iced VoVo resounds of fresh raspberry jam.

Cleverly carving themselves a new slice of the snacking market, Dairy Farmers looks forward to bringing flavoured milk joy to the millions of Australians who grew up (and are still) eating Arnott’s biscuits, so keep an eye out for more exciting innovation in this space.

PRODUCT NEWS

Go4® Raw snack bars – vegan, gluten free and organic If you’re looking for vegan, gluten free and organic bars, Go4® raw bars is your right choice.

“We are committed to cleanliness, environmentally friendly lifestyles and environmental protection. Therefore, we market affordable and quality organic certified products, 100% raw and gluten-free, with no added sugar, lactose-free, GMO-free, with no preservatives and optimizers,” the company said.

WHO RATED US?

The Go4® bars have become a real event at world fairs. The Go4® is a finalist in the category Natural and Organic Awards Europe 2016 and at the prestigious Nord organic food fair in Malmö, Sweden. The Go4® bars won the award of 'Best New Organic Food Product'.

HOW IS IT PRODUCED?

Each Go4® bar is produced based on the latest Australian Health Star Rating system in mind, which, in addition to product quality, evaluates the most appropriate proportion of nutrients.

The raw Go4® bars do not undergo any heat treatment, thus their beneficial properties have a maximum effect. Each Go4® bar contains superfoods such as Chia, Inca Beri, Spirulina, Goji Beri, Hemp Protein and others.

Go4® ingredients is originated from some of the best suppliers of organic certified foods. Strict monitoring system is in place in the production process from A to Z to guarantee the golden combination of quality and affordable price.

For Orders and Enquiries, please contact Allfect on (02) 9748 1100 or info@allfect.com.au

Go4Raw Half Page.pdf 1 2/05/2019 1:47:48 PM

Crankt Protein Shakes and Bars deliver fuel for living Whether you’re an athlete, sports and health enthusiast, gym-goer or just an executive pen-pusher, protein plays a vital part in your life.

Crankt Protein has taken high-performance protein shakes and bars to the next level, combining high levels of quality protein with guarana and ginseng to promote physical endurance and mental focus. With the optimum combination of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to support the body’s mechanics.

Crankt Protein is the ultimate body fuel, packed with all the essentials needed to improve stamina, helping you go harder for longer, whatever the adventure. Crankt is growing at 35.1% ahead of total Protein Milk & Bars at 4.7%.* The secret to continue growth and success of Crankt is the unique blend of high-quality protein and energy pack with green tea, guarana and ginseng for clean energy. Crankt are the only protein shakes and bars delivering both protein and energy giving consumer #FUELFORLIVING Crankt shakes and bars hold a five star health rating, well positioned in the growing on-the-go wellness trends. With protein consumption now a mainstream demand, consumers are searching for healthy, convenient nutrition.

The range consists of 375ml shakes with 20g protein per serve, 30g shakes with 30g protein per serve, Bars with 17.5g of protein per serve. Part of the Freedom Foods Group, with a commitment to lead innovation, Crankt 52 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

C

M

Y

has also launched protein popcorn, the consumer response has been amazing and this product is positioned well to be a main player in the protein snacking market.

As your consumers are demanding more healthy nutritious options than ever before make sure you are ranging the tasty and healthy options Crankt provides today. Simply visit Crankt.com.au/introdeal today sign up and receive a free sample pack to try our delicious products yourself and 20% of first orders for new customers. *Source Dollars (000) Growth % YA National P&C Customers where Crankt is ranged FYTD MARCH 19 AZTEC).

Crankt #FUELFORLIVING CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Makes your mouth SING and your gut

DANCE !

NEW

Sparkling Prebiotic Drink with the goodness of Dietary Fibre from Acacia & Chicory chachakombucha.au

To stock Cha Cha Kombucha, or for more information, please contact Tru Blu Beverages on (02) 9912 6700, or visit the website www.trublubeverages.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

Retail Shelf Management solutions that work from SPOS Group RETAIL SOLUTIONS THAT WORK

For over 30 years the vision at SPOS Group is to always be the best retail solutions provider to its customers, and the company strives to deliver to meet its customers’ requirements in full every day.

Specialists in Convenience, Petrol and Impulse, the company's hero products include FlexRoller, ProGlide, Datastrip, Signage and VersaPusher, which increase retailer's sales, efficiency and result in a better shopping experience. The range is seen across Australia: • Convenience instore displays and shelf merchandising • Drinks and Cool Rooms • Petrol Forecourts • Milk & Dairy • Health & Beauty The passionate staff at SPOS Group offer the best products and solutions, from off-the-shelf products to custom solutions, as well as providing helpful expertise and quick service.

Contact SPOS on 02 8667 4600 or visit the 2019 C&I Expo at Stand F18 and see what solutions they have for you!

ESONIC EXCLUSIVE: Is this the smallest USB charger in Australia?

Yes, you read that right. Esonic has just released the ALL NEW mini charger series. Let’s be honest, most USB chargers are either chunky or bland.

When it’s on your wall, it’s already part of your furniture. Esonic’s mini charger is specifically designed to look modern in your living room. It’s so small and portable you can bring it anywhere with you without hassle. It's perfect for travellers to put in their handbag and charge anywhere. The mini series USB Chargers are compatable with all smartphones (Apple devices, Microusb devices and Type C devices). The best part of all is Esonic’s promise of Quality and Value, this sleek looking charger is very affordable and offers a high profit margin. Email us at sales@eastrade.net.au or call 1300 225 206.

Peters continues to bring exciting innovation to the market New news is the lifeblood of the ice cream category. It is crucial that retailers take advantage of the excitement surrounding new news to drive shopper engagement and penetration.

Ensuring speed to market of NPD, as well as big and bold in store activation is the key to success.

launching the Australian Native Collection, highlighting Australian Native ingredients in 2x new stick flavours and 3x new 470ml tub offers.

CONNOISSEUR AUSTRALIAN NATIVE COLLECTION

With the introduction of Picnic and Freddo in August 2019 retailers should see further accelerated sales in ice cream, with the exciting launch expected to drive shoppers to the ice cream freezer. This is only the beginning…

Connoisseur taps into the consumer trend of Premiumisation and delivers an indulgent experience through its flavour and format offers. Provenence of key ingredients plays a big role and in August Connoisseur will be

TWO ICONIC AUSTRALIAN BRANDS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO BRING EXCITING NEW OFFERS TO THE ICE CREAM FREEZER

AUSTRALIAN N AT I V E C O L L E C T I O N

D I S C O V E R A N E W D E S S E RT A U S T R A L I A N N AT I V E C O L L E C T I O N

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POWER

PRO

PLUS

+ One of Europe’s best selling protein bars! + JUMBO Power Pro Plus 80g has 26g of protein + High quality protein isolate + Low in calories, great flavours = the ultimate convenient snack food + Gluten, Palm Oil, Soy, Preservative and GMO FREE options + Will outsell competitors once in-store + Very competitively priced

• The most awarded Greek water in the world with 16 international trophies for Quality and Taste • Naturally filtered and bottled at source • Springs naturally at 1100 metres on Mount Agrafa • Low sodium • High alkaline pH8

To find out more about THEONI and NatureTech, contact Olympian Products & Distribution now on 1800 413 711 or admin@olympianproducts.com Visit us at Stand D4 of the 2019 C&I Expo for free samples!

OPINION

DARREN PARK CEO United Convenience Buyers

The Australian convenience channel and its many Independent members are world class retailers; through various channel pricing strategies they sustain the profitability of many trade partners.”

I’M AS MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE

S

o, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell: “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore”.

‘Network’ – where this famous quote originates – is a 1976 movie starring Peter Finch. His on camera dialogue starts off relatively slowly, growing in animation and passion until across the United States residents start sticking their heads out of their windows and scream that famous line.

Like Peter Finch, I’m going to make an observation about something I’m passionate about – and that’s Australian convenience and the role we play in connecting big brands and shoppers. In fact, today I may even narrow this to independent convenience retailers.

That something is the creep of exclusivity into the convenience channel, which is in my view detrimental to independents specifically.

For those marketers out there, you’ll know the famous Professor Byron Sharp – is a Professor of Marketing Science, and director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, at the University of South Australia. Many of you will have read How Brands Grow, his book published in 2010 that challenges many marketing myths.

At its heart, How Brands Grow is about recognising that a brand’s consumers come and go, so winning means winning more often and requires broad reach. In effect you need broad reach to get more business from lighter buyers of a brand, as loyalists are nearly always smaller in numbers and total consumption. There are only so many drinks and snacks one person can eat.

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Now, I know that some retailers are ‘global customers’ and as such seem to hold a degree of sway that frankly to me is illogical. But when trade partners ‘gift’ their scale of big brand exclusivity to a retailer in a small market like Australia, do you really think it makes a commercial difference? Or is it just a box ticking exercise for the global or regional person based in Singapore or Hong Kong or the USA? Many may see one off exclusives as just that, except next week when the language switches to customer centric or category focused, I know they are just words.

The Australian convenience channel and its many Independent members are world class retailers; through various channel pricing strategies they sustain the profitability of many trade partners. They are a counter balance to the aggressive requests of grocers.

Growing big brands should be our shared desire, the way we do that is through the broadest distribution possible, presenting brands to loyalists and light users alike and supporting repeat purchase. If your brand growth strategy is about exclusivity to selected retailers – the assumption could be made that brand growth is not really what you are after.

As Professor Sharp outlines, one of the best ways to grow a brand is through mental and physical availability. Obtaining physical brand distribution growth can enhance this.

Today, I’m the only one screaming out of the window.

I hope we don’t have to arrive at an industry screaming out of their collective windows, for change to occur.

Until next time, Darren Park C&I

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OPINION

BEING A BETTER PEOPLE MANAGER

F CHARLES WATSON Senior Adviser Workforce Guardian

charles.watson@workforceguardian.com.au

The science is in and managers with developed people management skills bring substantial benefits to an organisation.”

or as long as I have advised companies on workplace relations and governance matters, one particular issue continues to arise. Well actually there are many, but for the purposes of this article I am going to talk about one of those issues. Companies continue to promote or hire into people management positions based primarily on technical skills and often fail to adequately consider other and equally weighted skills.

Many of the issues for which I am brought in to resolve, for both large and small companies, could have been deescalated or resolved earlier, and with less litigious exposure if those involved had more developed people management skills. The consequences of overlooking these skills and abilities are costly and often aren’t the fault of the manager.

IT DOESN’T COME NATURALLY

Over the last year or so the trending workforce related subject has been leadership. How to be a leader, how to be a better leader, an authentic leader, a transformative leader, what leaders of the future will need to look like. This is great, but leadership does not necessarily translate or convert to being a great people manager. It’s awesome having a visionary on the throne, but they don’t hold audience with the entire workforce every day. Those issues are for a direct manager.

Some individuals have natural gravitas that makes it obvious they would be great people managers if given the chance, or a cult leader. Nonetheless the core skills still need to be developed through mentoring as well as book skills. There is a wealth of anecdotal and educational material an employee can absorb on these subjects. There are podcasts, short and free courses, online masterclasses, tertiary institutions, onsite trainers and many other options to undertake or subscribe to for development. All of these learnings and the many and varied methodologies are useful in some way.

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU

For those who are managers of people, you already know it’s about the people you manage not your ego. Essentially, the purpose of a manager of a team is to keep the work on track. To make that happen requires a manager to ensure the team is cohesive, diverse, adequately skilled and resourced to make that happen. Being nice and loved is great, but you also have to develop managers who can ‘kill your darlings’ if and when required.

WHAT ARE THOSE SKILLS?

There are many skills that create a great manager and their importance will vary depending upon your chosen methodology and the specific workplace. Some of the important skills are: • Communication skills – most everything at a workplace can be improved by better communication.

Whether it be delegating and giving clear directions or providing feedback.

• Emotional intelligence – dealing with other humans can be exhausting. Controlling your own emotions and 58 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

knowing how to deal with people who have their own is an imperative.

• Problem solving – every day there will be a problem to solve. Developing appropriate techniques is critical.

• Time management – having it and being able to promote others to use it is one of the best time management techniques available. As an example, almost every meeting should be under half an hour, and not on a Monday, or you’re wasting time and everyone is getting nothing out of it.

BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING PEOPLE MANAGEMENT SKILLS

The science is in and managers with developed people management skills bring substantial benefits to an organisation.

• It develops and advances your skills and therefore your career.

• It saves time and resources, both of which seem to becoming scarcer.

• People issues get resolved more quickly as the issue is not sidelined.

• There is a reduction in disputes and complaints and cultural malfunction.

• Good people management creates a workplace where people are treated appropriately and are therefore more productive.

I’M GETTING THERE

Now I am not a perfect manager of people, but I know it’s an ongoing process. I have sought to learn and develop those particular skills. I have undertaken various courses, warm and fuzzy, as well as the practical and useful. I have undertaken tests to determine my ‘management style’ and personality with phrases that are given unique definitions different to the Oxford or Macquarie dictionaries. I will leave it up to others to make a judgement over how I perform, but I can see my own development and the resulting benefits. C&I

OPINION

FROM GONDOLA ENDS TO ELONGATED ROUNDABOUTS

Norrelle Goldring gets the lowdown from McCartney Design’s Gary McCartney about the elements behind the successful and award-nominated new BP Kingsway store NORRELLE GOLDRING Contributor

Kingsway is a prototype based on a ready-to-eat food focus – whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner tonight.”

NG: What led BP to hire you for the Kingsway (South Melbourne) store design?

GM: We’ve spent decades working successfully in retail and QSR store design and have a track record of working with large corporate clients with multiple stakeholders.

We’ve been working for around a year with BP.

What was the process used for the design?

GM: We use a process based on engagement called the 5Ds: Discovery, Direction, Design, Documentation, Delivery. We tailor it to each client. The Discovery element pulls together all the stakeholders – and there are a lot of them in a company the size of BP – marketing, property, operations etc. It’s really important to engage them all at the start – that’s the secret, to take them on the journey with you. It tends to be an iterative process – run workshops, store visits, iterate the brief, more workshops to bring together interpreted brief and show ‘predesigns’ back to the client.

In the case of Kingsway there was a lot of BP’s own data around customer missions, from fuel through to key categories such as confectionery, tobacco, coffee; top up trips; emergency purchases. We looked at the customer journeys in store corresponding to the customer missions, ranging from trucker and tradie breakfasts in the café to someone who just needs to use the toilet.

Where did you get your inspiration for the store design? Looking at it, it has some visual elements similar to Jack & Co. ABOUT NORRELLE GOLDRING Norrelle has 20 years’ experience in retail, category, channel and customer strategy, planning and research, working in and with global retailers, manufacturers and research houses, including 15 years working with clients in the convenience sector.

Contact Norrelle on 0411 735 190 or email norrellegoldring@ hotmail.com

GM: We didn’t really take inspiration from any other convenience stores.

When you look overseas, at say 7-Eleven in Japan, there are people restocking the shelves all day. We can’t afford that in Australia, we had to come up with a solution that would work here. Having said that, Applegreen in Ireland does a really good job of forecourt retailing – Ireland seems to be the leader in forecourt convenience retail.

We tend to look more at QSR, cafes and coffee shops than convenience stores. We look outside of the category for influences, for example M&S, who have a partnership with BP UK. We liked the idea of large fixtures that hold a lot of stock.

And in this case, food. Kingsway is a prototype based on a ready-to-eat food focus – whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner tonight.

So we really used the shopping occasions and missions as the basis for what we designed.

60 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

What were the specific ideas behind the Kingsway store format?

GM: The main thing we got from the research was the thing around missions, and focus on food. It’s focussing mainly on people who travel for work or tradies, and a more foodie-oriented customer who picks something up on their way home for dinner, typically to feed multiple mouths. So there’s a range of ready meals. And Youfoodz products are sold instore.

One of the things we did was to integrate the Wild Bean Café into the store, rather than have it on the end as a separate element.

We had a huge discussion about where the door should go. We wanted the customer to be able to walk up to the counter easily if need be. We created it in a way that was friendly to the customer, not making them go on a long journey for the benefit of the retailer.

On the other hand, we also wanted to break up the customer journey a bit. That meant getting away from the idea of gondolas and gondola ends. We thought there must be a better way to do that. Our original idea was to have one great big fixture in the middle. Ultimately it became about a series of roundabouts, with one big elongated one in the centre.

A lot of it was designed around staff and customer safety. The sight lines are really clear in store. You can see across the forecourt without interruption.

What can customers to the store expect?

GM: The first thing customers see is food relevant to right now, based on the time of day. For example at breakfast time the first thing customers see on entering is yogurt and muesli, rather than packets of potato chips.

We wanted customers to feel like they have a controlled choice. So customers wanting to pay for fuel can turn right from the door and do a manual transaction and pay at the counter, or they can turn left and pay with a credit card at a self-checkout.

Customers can turn right and make a self-serve coffee, or turn left and order a barista coffee from Wild Bean.

We put arrows (chevrons) on the floor for people to follow so it is clear where to go for what. They’ve worked really well.

How has the Kingsway store been performing?

GM: Kingsway opened just before Christmas. My understanding is that it is substantially outperforming the previous iteration of the store that was on the site, particularly the coffee sales. Let’s just say that it’s been successful enough that BP have asked us to design similar formats for other sites. C&I

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OVERSEAS INSIGHTS

DRIVING CONVENIENCE IN GERMANY Christian Warning represents members of the National Association of Convenience Stores in German-speaking countries.

Written by Simon King

The discounters have had a massive effect on the industry.”

C

hristian Warning started his career in this industry with oil major Shell in 1989 and spent 13 years working in a variety of corporate roles in the German business.

This included heading the non-fuel business – the convenience store network and the car wash and lubes business – which had a turnover of ¤1.5 billion (A$2.4bn).

Mr Warning said that Germany is a European economic powerhouse, which is enjoying solid growth. In 2018, the German economy grew for the ninth consecutive year and unemployment is currently at its lowest level for 25 years.

“With more than 43.5 million people at work, Germany is experiencing a record level of employment – the second lowest unemployment rate in the European Union, behind the Czech Republic. Rising employment and increasing wages are strengthening consumer confidence, and with more disposable income, consumers have more to spend in retail and an increased willingness to spend,” he said.

“Germany’s convenience retail market is evolving across every channel – in supermarket and independently-run c-stores, forecourt sites, discounters and bakeries – as operators seek to meet changing consumer needs, increased mobility and the trend towards casual food formats, delivering offers for immediate consumption. The German retail market is the most challenging and complex one in the world.”

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There are around 14,000 forecourts across Germany, which Mr Warning said is a fairly stable number. While all over the country petrol station shops are being modernised, there are still regions in Germany where kiosk shops still exist and Christian estimated that there may be as many as 40,000 kiosks across the country.

“Kiosks in rural areas were common options for shift workers, which gave them an opportunity to buy beer and cigarettes after work,” he said.

In addition to the German convenience store network, there are also an eye-watering 44,000 bakery shops in the country.

“Bakeries, which occupy corner store locations often taken by mainstream players such as 7-Eleven in other markets, have been making great strides to transform their operations over the last five to 10 years. Traditionally, bakeries have relied on early morning trade, targeting immediate consumption. Now, however, they have made a clever move into daypart offers and have introduced hot snacks.

“The leading bakery chains now have a solid food-to-go and dine-in offer as well as convenience products. Now, 50% of sales are driven by foodservice and 50% by traditional bakery products like rolls, bread and cake.

Among the oil majors, Aral, the BP brand in Germany, leads the pack in the German forecourt sector, with Shell its closest competitor in terms of site numbers.

OVERSEAS INSIGHTS “Both BP and Shell are pursuing a quality over quantity strategy, focusing on bigger sites and closing down weaker stations. This has led to an overall improvement in the efficiency of the German forecourt network, which is dominated by the company-owned/ dealer-operated model.

“Lidl is doing it too with a breakfast solution, but no offer during the rest of the day.

“Half of BP sites and half of Shell sites are operated by independents – these are the innovators leading the market.Total and then Esso come next, meanwhile fully operated under a branded wholesaler agreement by the UK-based EG Group.

“There are many regions in Germany with full employment,” he said. “And there are dealers that have closed sites because they couldn’t find staff.

Mr Warning said that forecourt operators need to take advantage of changing consumer behaviours and take the opportunity to tailor their location to the needs of their local customers.

“My view is the solution that makes a difference in one location will not work to the same extent in another,” he said, “but there are clearly proven best practices which can be successfully implemented on a broader scale by petrol stations and convenience businesses alike.”

German brand Jet plays the role of a major disrupter in challenging the market status quo. Jet’s retail network in Germany accounts for a fuels volume market share of 10.5%, all from a modest 5.7 % market share in terms of site numbers, or the equivalent of 805 sites out of a total 14,176 in Germany.

“Jet has introduced a new concept with a breathtaking forecourt experience. Consumers first notice Jet’s well-thought-out concept when they view its new forecourt canopy. The curved glassfronted shop building invites forecourt users to stop for a little rest, while they are on the move.

“A restricted number of lines among the core assortment in each category make it easier for consumers to immediately find what they want when they enter the store. The grab-and-go foodservice offer is displayed in an attractive cooling island in a prominent position, without disturbing the quick and easy fuels-only consumer missions.

Looking at challenges facing the industry Mr Warning singled out labour.

Kiosks in rural areas were common options for shift workers.”

“The market is really on the move. Operators are investing in giving a better experience on the site. Sometimes the experience is better, but operators select the wrong products; or operators go to an interior design agency or a fixtures company and ask them to build a new shop, but the offer remains the same.

“On a global scale, convenience stores in Germany are merchandised well and feature operational excellence.

With 46 million registered vehicles in Germany, Mr Warning said the average forecourt location will have between 600 and 800 fuel customers a day.

“If the location is right and the formula is right, that will provide enough traffic to make a good business – the forecourt market in Germany is still one of the most attractive markets to oil companies,” he said.

“The future will be challenging for those who don’t change and don’t look to develop their offer. Those who are able to invest and can be flexible to change will succeed, but operators need to change more than once every 20 years.

“The biggest strength of the sector is the convenience factor – it’s an attitude, a way of life – and I believe the industry has a bright future.” C&I

Yorma’s

Star Café

“Globally, 83% of articles bought from a convenience store are consumed with an hour; in Germany, 60% of products are consumed within 10 minutes.

Germany’s big four retailers account for 60% of the total available market volume and are investing heavily in their German networks: Edeka invested ¤1.9bn (A$3bn) in their German network in 2017, Rewe invested ¤2bn (A$3.2bn) in 2018, Aldi Süd will invest ¤3.5bn (A$5.6bn) within the next two years, Aldi Nord will invest ¤2.3bn (A$3.7bn) within the next two years and Lidl is investing ¤3bn (A$4.8bn) from 2016 until 2020.

Mr Warning added: “The big point in the German market is there are 330 supermarkets per one million consumers, compared with 113 supermarkets per one million consumers in the UK. In big cities, such as Berlin, Hamburg or Munich, there are 450 supermarkets per one million consumers.

avec

avec

“The discounters have had a massive effect on the industry. Aldi has developed coffee-to-go and sandwichesto-go, which is a very good solution. At lunchtime, Aldi has a convenience assortment that includes salads – Aldi is doing a better job than 95% of convenience stores.

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 63

INDUSTRY NEWS

KANGURU EXPANDS Kanguru expands into South Korea one year on from its Australian launch

A

ustralian-owned energy drink Kanguru has announced it will launch into South Korea later this year alongside the appointment of Mr David Westall to the key position of President for the Asia Pacific Region.

Kanguru is a high performance clean smart energy plus vitality drink that is better for you, created by Australian medical specialist, Dr David Kitchen.

MR DAVID WESTALL

President of the Asia Pacific Region - Kanguru

Since December 2018 we’ve had the privilege of working with David as an advisor and board member.

His breadth of knowledge and experience within the category, and across both the Australian and Asian marketplace, is unsurpassed.”

Dr Kitchen, Chairman and CEO of Red Kangaroo Beverages Australia Pty Ltd that produces Kanguru, said he was delighted to officially welcome Westall to the team.

“We started exploring overseas opportunities and chose South Korea as our first country to launch into,” he said. “Since December 2018 we’ve had the privilege of working with David as an advisor and board member. His breadth of knowledge and experience within the category, and across both the Australian and Asian marketplace, is unsurpassed.”

Westall has had more than 20 years’ experience working with world-leading brands such as: Coca-Cola, Minute Maid, Pepsi Cola, Hershey, Evian, Schweppes, and many other trusted household beverage and food brands.

“His experience includes the development and introduction of numerous innovative new brands, across many regions in multiple beverage and food categories including Energy Drinks, Soft Drinks, Water, Fruit Juice, Sports Drinks, Confectionery, Dairy Products, Snacks and Tea. I’m excited by how his experience will help facilitate the continued growth and development for Kanguru,” Kitchen said.

Westall said he was excited to join the team and that he believed this product was extremely unique, delivered on its promise, and would redefine the category.

“I’m confident Kanguru will rewrite what is ‘acceptable’ for people to consume as a real energy drink,” he said.

“I’ve studied and tested the science that has gone into the creation of Kanguru and quite simply it does what it says – it doesn’t cause harm, but enhances your mind and body, enabling you to get more out of life. It has a substantial amount of evidence-based

64 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

ingredients and it has a wonderful citrus taste. This product will redefine energy drinks and functional beverages.”

Westall said that Kanguru’s Korean launch date was marked for early September.

“There are more than 10,000 convenience stores ready to take their first shelf stock of Kanguru,” he said. “The Korean team are busy signing listings with many other retail sales channels including supermarkets, cafes, gyms, universities, highway petrol stations and online markets.”

Westall said his first priority would be growing distribution and consumer marketing in regards to the unique and high-quality innovative formula of Kanguru.

“We firstly need to ensure that our clients and customers are educated, understand and believe in our product,” he said.

“My focus in the short term will be Australia and South Korea, followed by plans to expand throughout Asia and onto the rest of the world.

“I am very motivated to leverage my experience, knowledge, skills and global network to ensure Kanguru, the first and only Australian energy drink, is available to all consumers who are looking for a clean solution to their daily energy and vitality needs. I look forward to working with our Australian and international teams and can’t wait to get started.”

Westall’s stellar career in food and beverage includes: Managing Director Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand and Fiji (2000-2003), President Coca-Cola Korea Bottling Company (2003-2005), and more recently, Executive Chairman of RG Brands – the Pepsi/Lipton bottling partner and leading food and beverage manufacturer in Kazakhstan, Central Asia (2009-2015).

Westall started in his new position with Red Kangaroo Beverages Australia Pty Ltd in July.

Kanguru launched in Australia in April 2018 and today is stocked in outlets across all states of Australia. C&I For more information visit: www.kanguruenergy.com.au

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INDUSTRY NEWS Member of the year greater than $15mil – JB Metropolitan.

Foreground: Bruce Spiteri, Jeff Spiteri, Steve Hochbaum Background: Simon Rowell, Stewart Robertson, Brett Stidwell, Craig Bain

MID-YEAR CELEBRATIONS FOR

THE DISTRIBUTORS 2019 Mid-Year Conference and Trade Show

T

he Distributors Members, Management Team, their Suppliers and Customers gathered in Brisbane for the Group’s 2019 Mid-Year Conference and Trade Show held June 18-20.

The celebrations kicked off with The Distributors Gala Dinner held at the Ballroom of the Westin Hotel Brisbane. Attended by 190 people, the little bit of Glitz and Glamour themed event complemented the venue.

Highlights of the night included entertainment by Soul Mystique and The Distributors Annual Awards recognising Supply Partners and Members.

TD GM – George Tsapoutas

The conference program was packed with Group Meetings, workshops, presentations and break-out sessions with the common goal of expanding The Distributors business while continuing to focus on providing award winning Localised Service. Popular sessions included AACS State of the Industry breakfast presented by Jeff Rogut.

Supplier speed-presenting proved hugely rewarding and impactful with 15 Suppliers blitz presenting to nine Members at a time.

There were three minutes to present and one minute for questions before the bell chimed for rotation to the next waiting group.

66 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Member of the year up to $10mil – Dale Walters – Beach & Bush Distributors

Entertainer MC – Greg Ward

INDUSTRY NEWS

2019 Award winners are: MEMBER AWARDS:

40 Year Commitment to Confectionery/Wholesale Channel Presented to Graeme ‘Doc’ Tolliday 10 Years Length of Service Award Presented to Beach & Bush Distributors Pty Ltd 10 Years Length of Service Award Presented to The Distributors Perth 20 Years Length of Service Award Presented to Coffs Cordials & Confectionery Member of the Year greater than $15mil – JB Metropolitan Member of the Year up to $15mil – Beach & Bush Distributors

SUPPLIER AWARDS:

“We are very pleased with the success of our conference,” said George Tsapoutas, General Manager of The Distributors.

“Attendance was high and engagement strong. Working in partnership with our customers and suppliers is very important for our Group.”

The Distributors Retailer Trade Show held in conjunction with Brisbane Distributors was well-attended and with the room buzzing, there were over 450 customers and 75 exhibitors showcasing new product lines, product innovations and trends.

Attendance was high and engagement strong. Working in partnership with our customers and suppliers is very important for our Group.”

“Combining with The Distributors Brisbane Distributors and using technology was key to the success of the Trade Show” explained Mr Tsapoutas. “Orders were placed on iPads which synched immediately with sales systems for ease of supply resulting in little time delays for customers and suppliers alike.” C&I

Best New Product Launch – Frucor Suntory For Maximus Grape Supplier of the Year greater than $10mil – The Smith's Snackfood Company Supplier of the Year up to $10mil – Universal Candy

BEST TRADE SHOW STANDS:

Gold Supplier – Snack Brands Australia Silver Supplier – Red Bull Bronze Supplier – Universal Candy

Graeme 'Doc' Tolliday and Board

Entertainment – Soul Mystique

Supplier of the Year – Smith's – Matt Ellis

Best New Product – Scott Boyd, TD Board Simon Rowell, Stewart Robertson, Craig Bain, Brett Stidwell, Bruce Spiteri

Supplier of the Year – Universal Candy – Jay Henderson August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 67

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Asahi Lifestyle Beverages partners with Vitaco Asahi Lifestyle Beverages (ALB) is excited to announce it is partnering with Vitaco to be the exclusive beverage distributor in Australia of Musashi and Aussie Bodies ready-to-drink protein beverages. Both are leading brands in their categories with Musashi being the number one sports performance brand and Aussie Bodies being the number one active nutrition brand.

ALB will take on distribution of all Aussie Bodies and Musashi ready-to-drink protein beverage SKUs. The distribution agreement will commence from 1 July 2019.

As part of the agreement, ALB will manage customer relationships and distribution of Musashi and Aussie Bodies beverages. Vitaco will continue to manage distribution and customer relationships for Musashi and Aussie Bodies powders and protein bars.

Couchfood powered by BP now available via Uber Eats In June, BP announced it was trialling home delivery from its petrol and convenience stores. Launching Couchfood™ (powered by BP), the new service is now available via Uber Eats.

Available from stores across the country, snackers can now enjoy their favourite snack food from the comfort of their couch.

As more customers shop convenience, meals and snacks from BP, the latest collaboration with Uber Eats enables BP to offer an on-demand service to customers, bringing joy and providing snacks to their door.

Adam Arnold, General Manager, Marketing and Retail Innovation at BP said: “We recognise the changing habits of our consumers, with millennials in particular regularly using the Uber Eats app for greater convenience.

We keep adding new locations for Couchfood™ as we see considerable demand for a wide range of snacks and drinks from customers wanting to order from the comfort of their couch”.

“BP is excited to offer food and drinks via the Uber Eats app. We have partnered with Uber Eats as we know consumers are looking for ease,

and enjoying the things that matter to them most, like spending time with family and friends at home, particularly as it gets colder,” Arnold adds.

Tapping into the millennial mindset and food ordering behaviour, BP found 1 in 4 Australians aged 25-34 will order from a meal delivery app weekly1, spending an average $102 per month through meal delivery apps2.

The launch of Couchfood™ is one of the many innovative partnerships the retailer has planned.

“Our Couchfood™ categories include Salty Snacks, Candy Shop, Chocolates to Share and even Pantry Picks – with milk and bread available. We are already seeing some fan favourites ordered regularly, such as Tim Tams and Maltesers.

“We’re excited by the enthusiastic response from customers so far,” Mr Arnold said.

Couchfood™ (powered by BP) is now live on the Uber Eats app. Find the full list of Couchfood™ sites via the website www.bp.com.au/couchfood 1 Nature Research, Meal Delivery Apps in Australia (2018) 2 Nature Research, Meal Delivery Apps in Australia (2018)

Blackmores new CEO

Blackmores has announced its appointment of a new CEO. Chairman Brent Wallace said Alastair Symington would take over the role of CEO from 1 October 2019.

Mr Symington has previously worked for Nestlé, Gillette and Procter and Gamble. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Consumer Beauty for Coty.

Mr Symington will be the third CEO in 21 months following Richard Henfrey’s resignation in February 2019.

Mr Alaistair Symington. Source: Australian Financial Review

70 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

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PETROL NEWS ROUNDUP Staff Training

Compliance and good for business DAN ARMES Founder of ServoPro

As an employer, you’re responsible for ensuring your workers are properly instructed and trained on how to do their work safely.”

I

n the last 12 months, we have had many instances of petrol station operators being found to have not fulfilled their legal responsibilities around properly training their employees.

Australian State and Territory Governments make it very clear to business owners as to their obligations around properly training employees. This is a direct quote from the NSW State Government website and all other Australian States and Territories have similar rules: “As an employer, you’re responsible for ensuring your workers are properly instructed and trained on how to do their work safely. They must know all relevant health and safety information about their jobs, their workplace, the risks, and how to control the risks. Training and instruction needs to be easy to understand, even for those whose first language is not English and have additional needs such as literacy and hearing difficulties.”

In January 2019 we helped a ServoPro member through a difficult situation where the site experienced an armed robbery. The owner was not at the site during the armed robbery. The employee who was working at the time was extremely distressed and had to take leave. The employee was not paid during the time away from work as they were employed on a casual basis. The employee sought legal advice and was advised that the employer was negligent as they had not been trained properly in how to safely handle an armed robbery. A lengthy and costly legal process followed.

We have also helped a number of ServoPro members who have had staff injured in the workplace. In one instance an employee was injured by a vehicle while dipping an underground storage tank (thankfully not seriously). Because the employee was not trained in how to safely dip an underground tank the employer was fined.

In another incident, we had a ServoPro member who had their insurance declined due to a fire in a rubbish storage area at the side of the petrol station. The fire occurred during business hours and staff responded by using a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher that was used by the staff was not the correct type of extinguisher and failed to put the fire out which caused further damage.

The insurer declined the claim as they argued staff had not been trained on how to respond to a fire and select the correct type of extinguisher.

72 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

We have seen in recent years, government focusing on petrol stations in many areas of compliance including environmental and award wages. We are now seeing petrol station owners targeted for compliance checks around safety and employee training responsibilities. This has been prompted by a spike in armed robberies and injuries in the workplace.

Audits that we have seen carried out on ServoPro members indicate that the government is not only making sure that staff are properly trained but also that formal written records are kept, including when the employee was initially trained and if they received refresher training on a regular basis.

PETROL NEWS It is no longer enough to do a quick walk around the petrol station with a new employee, verbally pointing out areas of safety and compliance. Petrol station operators must provide training that can be verified and documented and easily made available to the authorities.

Australia has very strict rules around the sale of tobacco products. We recently had a ServoPro member who was fined by an inspector who walked into the store while a staff member was restocking the cigarette cabinet. The staff member thought that it was acceptable to leave the cabinet door open while restocking and had left it open while they went out to the storeroom. The inspector deemed that the tobacco products were visible to customers and the site owner was fined.

Providing proper training for employees is not only an area of compliance, it also makes good business sense to have highly trained employees as part of your business.

The benefits of training your staff include an advantage over competitors, increase staff morale and allow you to retain and attract great employees.

Petrol stations are often trying to attract and retain customers by offering the cheapest fuel price. We find that quite often it’s not the petrol station that is selling fuel the cheapest that is the most successful and profitable.

Customer satisfaction and service is often an area where petrol station operators can set themselves apart from the competition and have a lot of success.

Feedback from ServoPro members has told us that petrol station owners struggle to teach and enforce good customer service practices. By providing employees with proper, formal training in customer service you are able to set the standard that is expected from your staff. Staff should

receive certification that they have completed the training and understand the culture of the business.

Respect in the workplace is another topic that should be covered when properly training employees. Discrimination, bullying and harassment are all very important areas of compliance but also create an unhealthy culture in the workplace. Staff should have a good understanding of what discrimination, bullying and harassment are, how to recognise occurrences and how to deal with it in the workplace.

Currently, through our online training platform ServoSkills, ServoPro members are seeing the benefits of properly training staff. Staff become certified with training records on hand in case a legal issue or compliance check occurs.

Members who access this training for staff are seeing employee morale improve and a better and more positive culture created within the workplace.

Petrol stations typically have a high staff turnover mainly due to the perception that working in a petrol station is an ‘inbetween job’. If employees are given the opportunity to learn new skills through training resulting in greater self confidence and new opportunities, they are much more likely to be retained. High staff turnover is not only expensive but makes customers think there is must be an issue with the business.

Through the ServoSkills training courses, we are finding staff who complete the training not only learn new skills but learn to appreciate the benefits of having clear systems and processes within the business and feel more valued by their employer. Employees who are formally trained often want to take on more responsibility, work more efficiently and are generally more productive. This is all great for business and definitely a win-win situation for everyone involved. C&I

Feedback from ServoPro members has told us that petrol station owners struggle to teach and enforce good customer service practices.”

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 73

PETROL NEWS

The benefits of long term relationships He aha e te mea nui? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata! What is it, that is most important in life? It is the people! It is the people! It is the people!

The one most important asset to any successful company is its people.

Of course many other factors can contribute to its success such as having sound strategies, good product, great design, tight processes, and high standards. But ultimately it falls to the people within the organization to actually execute on the strategies, plans, and processes.

For over 80 years New Zealand based Gallagher Fuels Systems have worked hard to build a culture of caring, commitment, and generosity towards their employees and the larger community. As a result, they enjoy a large core of long serving employees with over 46% having been employed for more than 10 years. This is almost unheard of in today’s climate, hence it prompted us to ask one long serving employee of Gallagher to share his work story with us.

“Mostly it’s the people here that make it a great place to work and I have been fortunate to have had a great boss the whole time. I’ve worked here for 17 years and never thought of working anywhere else. Besides I know so much about a fuel dispenser now, which is great for here; but useless in any other industry” he said with a chuckle.

“Also I want to beat Garth’s 50 years!”

(Recently Gallagher celebrated the 50th year work anniversary of engineer Garth Emerson.)

Quality Control – Haydon Rowe inspecting an electronic sample

WORK STORY: HAYDON ROWE (PRODUCTION PROCESS ENGINEER)

“I started here in 2002 as a 20 year-old, having completed a NZ Cert of Engineering in Electronics and Computer Technology. Although I never got the job I actually applied for, they created one for me. I was pretty chuffed though, because there wasn’t an awful lot of work in our region for my skill set, and I liked the smaller community and family type work environment that Gallagher has. So apart from milking cows, this would be my first real job.

“Although hugely varied, from production support to fabrication of test fixtures my job largely involves improving process. A great day at work for me is when I have helped someone to improve the way something is done or their work environment; which saves time, improves efficiency, and makes their life or job a lot better. The appreciation they express is priceless!

Best auto businesses announced Victoria’s finest automotive businesses have been revealed.

Thirty-six elite businesses and business people have been announced as winners in the 2019 VACC Industry Awards, the premier prize dedicated to the Victorian automotive industry.

Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Gwilym said that the VACC Industry Awards demonstrate VACC members’ commitment to quality and customer service.

“It is a huge accolade to be named the best in Victoria and these businesses have all proved themselves worthy of that title,” Mr Gwilym said.

Categories for the 2019 VACC Industry Awards include mechanical repair; auto electrical; recycling; body repair; engine reconditioning; farm machinery; heavy vehicle repair; new and used car, motorcycle and commercial vehicle dealers; service station and convenience stores; aftermarket and retail; towing; and tyre dealers.

New categories in this year’s VACC Industry Awards include Best Business Woman in Automotive and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

“The VACC Industry Awards have been very well supported this year, proving that they are valued by industry and recognised by consumers,” said Mr Gwilym.

Eight expert judges evaluated entries based on business management, workplace practices, customer service and marketing and communication.

To ensure that only the finest of VACC’s more than 5,500 members would be announced as finalists, an independent standards representative audited the judging.

74 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

“VACC congratulates all of the winners in the 2019 VACC Industry Awards and recommends them to Victorian motorists. Remember to look for the famous orange VACC sign: the mark of the industry professional,” said Mr Gwilym.

Instituted in 2016 by VACC in recognition of the many excellent businesses operating across the state, the VACC Industry Awards are recognised as the highest honour a Victorian automotive business can achieve.

Category winners were announced at a black tie gala evening, featuring master of ceremonies, Larry Emdur and a string of top-notch entertainers, on Saturday, 22 June at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne.

Best Service Station and Convenience Store winner Caltex Star Mart, Albert Park Tony Franza

PETROL NEWS The SBW range eliminates the requirements for complex civil works with earthen or concrete bunds and problems associated with catchment and disposal of rain water or fuel water mixtures.

The SBW range maximises flexibility and minimises field installation costs, set-up time and environmental impact, allowing easy and quick relocation whilst minimising liability and risk. The round design of the SBW ensures inherent strength, minimising damage during transport, also available in a rectangular style.

The SBW range of tanks, incorporate an enclosed wrapped style integral steel bund meeting the requirements of State and Territory regulatory authorities. The integral Bund with pump bay or verandah achieves secondary containment and allows monitoring, overfill containment and recovery of product.

Capacities range from 1,000 – 200,000 litres.

ServoSkills Launch – Online training for petrol & convenience employees Ireland to ban new petrol car sales Written by Dan Armes, Founder of ServoPro The petrol and convenience industry is increasingly being targeted by government departments to check on compliance. One area of compliance that has been a focus is staff training and record keeping. Petrol station operators are required by law to fully train their staff and keep records of this training.

A new training organisation, ServoSkills has developed online training courses designed to ensure compliance. The training course has been compiled with the assistance of qualified educators and industry experts.

Training focuses on key areas of compliance such as armed robbery training, equipping staff with the skills and confidence to deal with a situation where an armed robbery occurs. With most petrol stations now offering a variety of food options, ServoSkills also teaches staff about food safety and handling.

ServoSkills also covers subjects such as respect in the workplace, customer service, safety, fire response, LPG decanting and selling tobacco products.

To make sure staff remain up to date with their training ServoSkills offers a 6-month refresher course. Petrol station operators can access their employee training records at any time via an online portal.

For more information visit – www.servoskills.com.au

Tank Solutions SBW double wall and single wall steel tanks

The Irish government has published a Climate Action Plan, believing it is “way off course” from meeting its obligations to under the Paris climate change accord, Drive reported.

The 150-page report notes the government has already decided “no new non-zero emissions vehicles will be sold in Ireland post-2030”.

Drive reported the government also plans to stop issuing NCT roadworthiness certificates to existing petrol and diesel vehicles after 2045.

According to the report, the country hopes to have 936,000 zeroemissions vehicles on the road, including 840,000 passenger cars, 95,000 vans and trucks, and 1200 buses.

The government hopes to achieve this through a combination of incentives, regulations and tax changes.

Ireland already has around 10,000 electric cars on the road.

Westside opens Shell Dunedoo Shell petrol station at Dunedoo. Source: Westside Petroleum Group LinkedIn

Tank Solutions SBW ‘Wrapped’ Storage Tank offers maximum versatility, cost-effectiveness and strength of any design of Self Bunded style on ground storage tank.

The Westside Petroleum Group has opened a new petrol station in Dunedoo.

The Shell petrol station is on the Golden Highway at Dunedoo in NSW. In a post on the company’s LinkedIn page, the company said the site was: “Packed with features including both light and heavy vehicle filling areas (with high flow and diesel)+ parking, full range convenience store, great food/coffee, free wi-fi and amenities (including separate truck driver lounge/amenities)”.

“It’s the ideal place to stop for a break while you fill,” the statement said.

76 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

PETROL NEWS

Town & Country: Retail Prices for Unleaded

As you are aware, there are a huge number of factors that play into the price of fuel, such as, the cost of product at the refinery gate, the A$/US$ exchange rate, distribution costs, fuel infrastructure locally, the number of competitors, age and cost of assets, regulatory imposts and economic conditions. On top of these ongoing concerns, the price can also be affected in the short term by things like supply issues (out of stock by one competitor), short term incentive programmes, cash flow needs and even weather.

Therefore, for this analysis we have taken the retail prices for unleaded petrol (ULP) between 1 January and 30 June to create an average ULP Price for the first half of 2019 and compared this with the average ULP Price for the first half of 2018.

A cross section of 31 locations were selected across the country and arranged in descending order (for 2019). The inclusion of the Variance column indicates whether the 2019 6-month average for each location has increased or decreased in comparison to the 2018 6-month average.

From the table below you can see that from the sample areas the: • 2019 6-month ULP Averages ranged from 187.2cpl in Alice Springs NT to 131.9cpl in Bendigo VIC • 2018 6-month ULP Averages ranged from 179.2cpl in Alice Springs NT to 137.4cpl in Adelaide SA • The locational Variances between 2019 and 2018 ranged from an increase of 9.4cpl in Port Hedland WA to a decrease of 13.3cpl in Darwin NT • While 5 towns retained their ‘ranking’ in both 6-month periods (Alice Springs #1; Port Hedland #4; Mount Isa #6; Coffs Harbour #13; Wagga Wagga #26), the rest moved. The greatest change was that of Darwin, moving by 20 places, while the rest changed anywhere between 0 and 9 spots.

As Australia’s most comprehensive source of accurate fuel price information, Informed Sources (www.informedsources.com) provides effective solutions for businesses of all sizes.

State

City

ULP Average Jan-Jun 2019

ULP Average Jan-Jun 2018

Variance (cpl)

1

NT

Alice Springs

187.2

179.2

8.0

2

WA

Broome

165.7

164.3

1.4 -2.0

3

NT

Katherine

163.8

165.8

4

WA

Port Hedland

161.8

152.4

9.4

5

QLD

Longreach

156.8

149.9

6.9

6

QLD

Mount Isa

155.5

151.1

4.4

7

WA

Esperance

149.6

146.6

3.0

8

TAS

Launceston

148.8

151.4

-2.6

9

TAS

Hobart

148.3

150.3

-2.0

10

WA

Geraldton

145.6

144.0

1.6

11

NSW

Broken Hill

144.8

145.6

-0.8

12

SA

Port Lincoln

143.9

143.4

0.5

13

NSW

Coffs Harbour

143.4

145.4

-2.0

14

QLD

Rockhampton

142.2

145.9

-3.7

15

WA

Albany

142.2

145.3

-3.1

16

QLD

Cairns

142.2

142.9

-0.7

17

VIC

Echuca

141.7

144.4

-2.7 -1.3

18

VIC

Mildura

141.0

142.3

19

QLD

Townsville

140.0

145.3

-5.3

20

QLD

Brisbane

140.0

142.9

-2.9

21

SA

Port Augusta

139.4

142.9

-3.5

22

VIC

Melbourne

138.6

141.1

-2.5

23

SA

Adelaide

138.3

137.4

0.9

24

NSW

Dubbo

138.1

144.4

-6.3 -2.9

25

WA

Perth

138.1

141.0

26

NSW

Wagga Wagga

137.9

141.8

-3.9

27

NT

Darwin

137.3

150.6

-13.3 -6.6

28

VIC

Warrnambool

136.9

143.5

29

NSW

Sydney

135.9

138.9

-3.0

30

SA

Mount Gambier

134.2

142.9

-8.7

31

VIC

Bendigo

131.9

140.0

-8.1

Data supplied by Informed Sources

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Ü Double-Walled Envirotanks fully comply with the secondary containment requirements of AS 4897. This is in addition to the design meeting AS 1940 and UL 1316.

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Ü Two (2) structural walls provide the ultimate in leak prevention.

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proven hydrostatic testing system, that continuously monitors the integrity of the inner & outer tank walls in all installed conditions.

Corrosion-proof Fibreglass Underground Storage Tanks

Visit www.envirotank.com.au or call 1800 818 354 for more information

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 77

If you own or work in independent grocery or a convenience store, service station, dairy, corner store or mini-mart, C&I NZ is the one event you should not miss in 2019.

Admission to C&I NZ Expo 2019 is free.

3 GREAT REASONS TO ATTEND: • Your favourite suppliers exhibiting brand new products, and new market entrants to meet for the very first time.

• Network with suppliers and retailers over a few drinks and chat about business opportunities at the Convenience Cocktails event • Hear from a stellar line-up of industry leaders at the C&I Industry Symposium, discussing the importance of innovation in their businesses.

Visit www.candiexpo.co.nz to learn more.

ORGANISED BY Interpoint Events Pty Ltd in conjunction with C&I Media Pty Ltd and the New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores.

41 Bridge Road Glebe NSW 2037 Ph: 1300 789 845 Fax: 02 9660 4419 Email: exhibition@c-store.com.au www.c-store.com.au

“NZACS are thrilled to partner with C&I to bring the first show targeted at the convenience channel to New Zealand. We have already had interest from suppliers and significant retail groups in our sector around bringing large groups to the show” Dave Hooker, Executive Director NZACS

In partnership with

CONVENIENCE & IMPULSE NEW ZEALAND EXPO 2019 THE CLOUD, AUCKLAND

18-19 SEPTEMBER 2019

REGISTER NOW www.candiexpo.co.nz 0800 455 785

Petroleum equipment and services

ELGAS SWAP’n’GO®

Gallagher Fuel Systems

Elgas SWAP’n’GO® is the leading BBQ gas exchange program brand in Australia. The program offers your business the opportunity to increase sales and profits with a very well-known and respected brand.

SWAP’n’GO® also provides your customers with fast, safe and easy transactions. Out-of-date bottles are accepted at no extra charge.

You can add to or replace your declining refill sales, and low margins, with a reliable, convenient and secure swap program that has low labour costs for you.

SWAP’n’GO® maintains a record of excellence in safety, with comprehensive staff training in the safe handling of LPG. Elgas SWAP’n’GO® is backed by a national network of refilling plants and branches to ensure that your business receives quality service. SWAP’n’GO® also creates a massive summer stockpile to provide uninterrupted service during the seasonal peak periods.

Contact Elgas today to become a SWAP’n’GO® dealer.

Phone: 1300 652 003 Email: swapngo@elgas.com.au Web: www.elgas.com.au/swapngo

Gallagher Fuel Systems designer, manufacturer and supplier of quality fuel dispensing systems. The innovative PULSE fuel dispenser range combines advanced electronics, corrosion resistant metal work, the highly accurate Tatsuno meter and a modular design.

All Gallagher PULSE dispensers are internet capable. With the Data Centre application, each dispenser performance can become visible, via any internet enabled device. This powerful tool with its automated configurations and tools can fix issues remotely and reduce site visits. It brings pro-active servicing to the industry and significantly reduces overall servicing costs.

Gallagher Vapour Recovery solutions fully comply with environmental regulations, provide comprehensive compliance reporting and reduce forecourt pollution, creating a healthier working environment and community.

Gallagher’s latest edition to the PULSE range are the 5 product dispensers. The pressure only model offers one of the smallest footprints at only 2100mm. Mixed pressure and suction models are available with integrated LPG as an option.

Contact: Derek Hjelm, Business Development Manager Australia Phone: 0424 164 814 Email: derek.hjelm@gallagher.com Web: www.gallagher.com

Gascorp Pty Ltd – Budget Petrol

SI Retail

Budget Petrol, established in 1985 is one of the oldest and largest groups of independent service stations in NSW, with over 60 locations in the Sydney Metropolitan area. Our Retail stores strive to provide our customers with Quality Fuel at Budget Prices.

Our Wholesale arm – Gascorp Pty Ltd offers independent operators a business model which enables them to run their own business without interference, while utilising the backing of a competitive, professional and reliable brand.

We offer competitive Mobil supplied fuel prices, Valvoline Oil, LPG Supply, In Store Programs, ATMs, Banking Partners and Environmental Regulation Support. We also operate our own fuel transport company which allows us to offer the highest levels of service for fuel deliveries and logistics.

We can help independents looking to: • Lease their property to a reputable company • Sell their property freehold • Reimage and brand their site • Change fuel supplier and retain their independent brand

SI Retail is an Australian owned family business that has been operating since 1974. With extensive technical knowledge, their professional team have developed a range of versatile shop fittings and point of sale solutions to suit a variety of retail industries.

With the petrol and convenience industry in mind, SI Retail has created a range of displays for retailers to showcase their products in the most costeffective and efficient ways. This will assist your business by driving product sales, whilst decreasing operational costs and maintaining a neat and attractive environment to promote a positive shopping experience for your customers.

Whether you require signage, shelving, shelving accessories (such as roller gravity shelves, LED lighting or shelf management), shopping baskets, hooks or data strips, SI Retail have the solutions for you!

Contact: Diann Melas Phone: (02) 9564 2355 Email: fuels@gascorp.com.au Web: budgetpetrol.com.au

Phone: 1300 434 775 Email: info@siretail.com Hours: Mon - Fri (8.30am - 4:30pm) Web: www.siretail.com

80 August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

SUPPLY-FIND

Flowsell Flowsell, providers of an innovative gravity-based drink merchandising system, say that when it comes to saving staff time, managing stock and increasing sales, “it’s all about gravity”.

Cool rooms with flat shelving, incur a range of ongoing and unnecessary costs.

By comparison, Flowsell’s drink merchandising system, reduces labour costs removing the need to double handle products and continually face up product.

The system also ensures proper FIFO (first in, first out) stock rotation, reducing product wastage and – better still – fridges maintain an attractive, fully stocked appearance as customers buy throughout the day.

The Flowsell full rack drink system is used extensively in all areas that retail drinks from a cool room.

This includes service stations, convenience stores, bottle shops and function centres. Other options available from Flowsell include a specialised Retrofit Bottle Slide Kit. This kit enables a customer to convert an existing flat shelf into a gravity feed system.

This system has been successfully used in convenience stores, bars, sporting clubs, cafes, bakeries, fast food outlets and anywhere that has a fridge with flat shelves.

Flowsell also supplies a gravity feed milk trolley for use in supermarkets with a dedicated cool room.

Free your staff to deal with customers in store and let gravity do the grunt work. Contact Flowsell on www.flowsell.com.au or Ph: 03 9708 2276 to find out how you can start saving today.

10 Sonia Street, Carrum Downs, VIC 3201 Phone: (03) 9708 2276 Fax: (03) 9708 2279 Hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm www.flowsell.com.au Advertisement -14- C&I Dec-Jan 2019_.pdf 1 12/11/2018

12:28:12 PM

Shipman King Pty Ltd Shipman King Pty Ltd is an Australian designer, manufacturer and distributor of equipment for the service station forecourt industry.

Under their ESKAY brand, Shipman King’s long history has enabled the company to become a major supplier of this equipment throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region.

With an extensive product range and ability to service the whole of Australia, Shipman King is truly your one stop shop. Australian owned, Shipman King’s product range includes: • Fill Adaptors and Caps, Dip Cap Assemblies • Upflow Vents, Pressure Vacuum Vents • Dip and Fill Product Markers • Vapour Recover Equipment, Stage 1 and 2 • Overfill Prevention Valves complete with aluminium tube ready for retro fitting

• Monitoring Wells and Ground Boxes • Durapipe PLX Polyethylene Piping System • Underpump Containment Sumps and Browning Spill Safe Boxes • Adblue Equipment • Sloan-LED Canopy Lights • Cim-Tek Spin-On Filters • Husky Fuelling Products • Aboveground Tank Equipment

Strategic Price Management C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Be informed of what you need to know when you need to know it and make decisions that will improve your bottom line.

Access the latest pricing data Receive alerts Informed Sources provides solutions that will help you achieve your business goals www.informedsources.com

For their complete product range, please visit Shipman King’s website.

Contact: Nigel Howlett Phone: (03) 9459 9900 Email: sales@shipmanking.com.au Web: www.shipmanking.com.au

Accurate, Reliable, Timely

August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 81

SUPPLY-FIND

What’s coming up in the October November edition

In-store Security

Other suppliers Abacus Stocktaking Services Pty Ltd Accor Action Installation & Services Pty Ltd Active Eye Advanced Lighting Technologies Australia Inc Aitken Rowe Testing Laboritories PtyLtd Augusta Properties AusSport Pty Ltd Australian Enviro Services B&B Industrial Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations BP Australia Caltex Australia Capricorn Society Ltd Cavvanba Consulting Pty Ltd Coffey Environmental Services Commercial Indemnity Pty Ltd Compac Sales Pty Ltd Conservelec Pty Ltd Douglas Partners Earth Air Water Consulting & Monitoring P/L ECL Group Energy Action Environmental Monitoring Solutions Pty Ltd Envirotank Pty Ltd Envirowest Consulting Pty Ltd EquipCo ETP International Pte Ltd F&M Supplies Fuel Data Solutions Fuelgear Geo-Logix Pty Ltd

Gilbarco Australia HMC Pty Ltd Intertek Testing Services Jeffery & Katauskas Pty Ltd Jon Jen Trading Pty Ltd Leighton O'Brien Pty Ltd Liberty Oil Liquip International Pty Limited Metro Petroleum Mobil Oil Australia MPHP Architects Pty Ltd MTAA Superannuation Fund Pty Limited North Cross Australia Pty Ltd Northern Petroleum Equipment Services Pacific Guage Park Pty Ltd Perich Constructions Pty Ltd Perisale Australia Pty. Ltd. Petroleum Tank Technology Precision Stocktaking Services Puma Energy RCA Australia Pty Ltd SGS Australia Pty Ltd Spill Station Australia Pty Ltd Tank Solutions Pty Ltd Tennco Pty Ltd The Remediation Group Trans Tasman Energy Group Trax Retail Solutions Unigas Pty Ltd United Petroleum Urth Energy Valvoline Wayne Fuelling Systems

Protein Bars

Petroleum equipment and services

Sugar Free Confectionery and Sugar Free Gum Carbonated Beverages

C&I Supply-Find is a detailed listing of suppliers of products for resale, business services, maintenance providers, and manufacturers and suppliers of capital equipment for shop and forecourt. It is included in every issue of C&I Retailing Magazine, six times per year to a circulation of around 22,795 businesses.

The rate for posting in C&I Supply-Find is $2,950 + GST for one full year (six print issues and 12 months on our website). Bookings are a minimum of one year. For a 1/2 page, the rate is $5,900 + GST per year.

For all advertising enquiries with C&I Media, please contact

Safa de Valois Mobile: 0405 517 115 Email: safa@c-store.com.au

82  August/September 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

It’s time to Brain health and nootropics are predicted to be one of the next major beverage trends.

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