C&I Retailing Magazine February-March 2021

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

Reconnect-Renew-Rebuild

11-12

AUGUST 2021 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre Platinum Sponsor

Symposium & Networking Drinks Sponsor

C&I is heading back to Melbourne in 2021, bringing retailers and suppliers together for two big days of business at the premier Australian convenience and impulse event.

The retailer audience consists of owners and operators of convenience stores, service stations, independent supermarkets, mini marts, corner stores, newsagents, and food service stores that have a convenience offer. Suppliers and wholesalers are also more than welcome. C&I Expo is a trade only event and admission to the expo is free.

Retailers and suppliers from all banners and brands are welcome to attend any or all of the functions over these two days where the focus will be on innovation and best practice within the convenience and impulse industry.

Visitors will be treated to an impressive line-up of exceptional presentations at the C&I Industry Symposium. When the expo doors open, visitors will experience first-hand the latest in convenience products, services and merchandising.

Total attendance at the expo is expected to exceed 2,000, representing over 8,000 retail outlets and including numerous suppliers.

“I love the Symposium, I love the C&I show. I love how our whole industry gets together for one event…Our whole company is here so we can network with people at all different levels.”

United Convenience Buyers

‘‘For us it’s meeting a lot of new people, it’s opening up a lot of new doors which we hadn’t had before.”

Chobani

THE Calendar Wednesday 11th August 2021 10:00am – 12:00pm C&I Industry Symposium 12.00pm – 5.00pm

C&I Expo Day 1

4.30pm – 6.00pm

Networking Drinks

Thursday 12th August 2021 9.00am – 11.00am

C&I Industry Symposium

11.00am – 4.00pm

C&I Expo Day 2

“Without this show you need people on the road going out and seeing them and that’s just a costly exercise.”

Olympian Products & Distribution

THE Venue Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Set on the banks of the iconic Yarra River, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is just a 20-minute drive from Melbourne airport and a short stroll to the city centre. The internationally renowned MCEC is a world-class venue offering premium exhibition facilities, a central location and is close to public transport and accommodation.

C&I INDUSTRY Symposium At C&I 2019 the Industry Symposium was introduced as the opening event of the expo. It was a great success, with extra seats needed for the delegates eager to listen and learn from the industry’s best.

“The Symposium was awesome, and you could see it in the room.

The room just loved it. I’ve spoken to a few people since coming out and everyone loved it and thought it was a great addition to the show.”

“It’s great to hear from people who have real experience in all of those different markets. That way we can help our retailers go out and do better business.” United Convenience Buyers

98.5%

*

The cocktail function has become one of the highlights of the expo program. An exceptional opportunity for the industry to network with exhibitors, distributors and visitors over a few relaxed drinks. The event has brought an added opportunity to become a sponsor at C&I 2021.

78%

After 28 years of successful Expos in Australia, the C&I NZ Expo made its debut in Auckland in September 2019. C&I NZ 2019 was a huge success with incredible support and enthusiasm for the show from the NZ industry.

“

We were absolutely blown away by the industry support for the inaugural C&I Expo NZ. The debut expo featured 70 exhibitors, huge foot traffic and over 220 industry professionals attended the Industry Symposium. We are looking forward to bringing the Expo back to Auckland in 2021 even bigger and better!

– Safa de Valois, C&I Commercial Director

OF ATTENDEES WOULD RECOMMEND THE C&I INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM TO OTHERS

Networking DRINKS

*

THE FUTURE IS Bright FOR C&I

OF ATTENDEES GAVE A POSITIVE RATING OF C&I EXPO’S NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Why EXHIBIT? C&I 2021 is the premier event for the Australian Convenience channels, open to all banners and brands.

• Professionally staged and managed large-scale events focused on convenience and impulse retailing • Access to independent operators who may not be receiving adequate representation • Access to the major corporate and independent chains • Industry-wide advertising in the lead up to the event • Limited demands on staff time and all administration taken care of online • Large selection of stand configurations • Broad-based industry support for the event

What’s in it FOR VISITORS? • A single national event compressed into two days, showcasing and recognising best industry practice and cutting-edge innovation • Premium industry education • Convenient hours, mid-week timing at a central location, close to public transport and accommodation • A chance to see, touch, taste and smell the latest in convenience products and trends first-hand inside one large exhibition hall • Opportunity to network with major retailers and suppliers at the Networking Drinks • C&I 2021 is Australia’s only industry-based event that is open to retailers and suppliers across all banners and brands. The general public is not admitted.

”

We’ve had very good leads come out of the show and those leads have converted.

We are more than happy with the outcome from the show. Orford Refrigeration

It’s a great chance to see new innovation in the market, new products, see what’s happening and what our competitors are doing.

Vodafone Prepaid

Who ATTENDED IN 2019?

Attendees include convenience and impulse operators from the broader convenience market including management teams from the major convenience chains, petroleum retailers, independent chains, stand-alone independents and industry suppliers and wholesalers.

Retailers directly involved in purchasing decisions

81%*

19%*

Yes

No

Main reason for attending C&I Expo

83%*

Experience new products and new equipment

95%

*

67%*

Networking

OF ATTENDEES GAVE THE EVENT A POSITIVE RATING

*Source: C&I 2019 Post Event Attendee Survey

www.candiexpo.com.au

1300 789 845

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

18 L-R: : Rosa Casa (Nestlé), Diana Liang (Nestlé), Anna Matheson (Nestlé), Safa de Valois (C&I), Henry Choo (Nestle), Deb Jackson (C&I)

Looking towards a strong and stable 2021

10 W 06 FACE TIME

Jos de Bruin, CEO, Master Grocers Australia

10 STORE REVIEW

Coles Local Manly ranks highly for customer satisfaction

14 OUTBACK SPECIAL

The first in a two-part series by travelling remote store manager Mark McGirr

18 SALTY SNACKS

Innovation is the key to boosting salty snack sales

22 PIES AND ROLLS

Meat pies and sausage rolls remain an Australian way of life

26 ENERGY DRINKS

Energy drinks are the most important non-alcoholic RTD beverage category for P&C

30 PRODUCT RANGING

We bring you all of the latest new product launches

44 OPINION

Darren Park, CEO, United Convenience Buyers

46 OPINION

Skye Jackson, Head of Merchandise Planning, Ampol

48 OPINION

Theo Foukkare delivers his first opinion piece as AACS CEO

elcome to the February/March issue of C&I Retailing Magazine.

There are three major issues currently facing the petrol and convenience sector. The first is the decision by the federal government to limit the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes to pharmacies and the impact that ruling has on convenience retailers.

The second is the proposed acquisition of PFD Food Services by Woolworths, a deal which could create major impact to competition, supply and prices for the convenience sector. And the third is the $2 billion opportunity that convenience retailers are missing out on with the sale of packaged alcohol.

Fortunately, the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has appointed a new leader, with Theo Foukkare taking the CEO position.

Theo has told C&I that these three issues will be his key priorities during his first 12 months in the role. We wish him all the best.

In this issue, we get to know Jos de Bruin, CEO of Master Grocers Australia. Many of us would know Jos from his many years of being an advocate for independent retailers, but most wouldn’t know that he has a passion for bike riding, and with his wife Judy, he has travelled the world to follow the Tour de France, the Spanish Tour and the Italian Tour. You can find out more about Jos beginning on page 6.

As we head into 2021 we would once again like to congratulate our 2020 C&I Choice of the Year winners, Nestlé. The C&I team unanimously decided that the award for 2020 needed to go to a ‘better for you’ product, and the Uncle Tobys Oat Slice was the clear standout.

Pictured we presented the award to Rosa Casa, Diana Liang, Anna Matheson and Henry Choo from Nestlé, and we were thrilled to hear that the Uncle Tobys Oat Slice had actually been their most successful NPD for 2020.

On the subject of ‘better for you’, that was a term that came up in all three of our category features in this issue. From salty snacks, to pies and rolls, and even in energy drinks, consumers are demanding products that are better for them and suppliers are responding to those demands.

Finally in this issue, we’ve got a special feature for you written by travelling remote store manager Mark McGirr. In 2014, Mark and his wife Penny decided to pack up and head outback to work as remote store operators and they haven’t looked back yet. They share some of their adventures beginning on page 14.

From the whole C&I team we wish you a happy, safe and prosperous year ahead.

Safa de Valois

Keith Berg

Cheers, Deb Jackson

49 INDUSTRY APPOINTMENT

Theo Foukkare has been appointed CEO of AACS

52 INDUSTRY NEWS

NRA Emerging Business Committee, Bega Dairy & Drinks, Envirotank, 7-Eleven, Mrs Mac’s, Asahi Beverages, OTR

58 PETROL NEWS

Dan Armes, Nic Moulis and the latest updates

64 SUPPLY FIND 4 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

James Wells

Ben Curtis

PRIME TIME

LeVel Lemonade Lemon & Raspberry LeVel takes lemonade to a new level with its Lemon & Raspberry addition, which boasts a full 160mg of magnesium, plus it also includes 100 per cent of your daily intake of Vitamin C, while being low in sugar.

Brand Ambassador Caitlin Read, is a sports dietitian, yoga teacher and exercise physiologist, and told C&I that she wouldn’t normally recommend a carbonated beverage to her clients, but LeVel is different.

“It’s got a lot of functional benefits and I think that’s a really big area that’s about to take off when it comes to beverages.

“Magnesium and Vitamin C both work to boost energy and metabolism, they also contribute to reducing fatigue and keeping your immune system firing,” says Read.

LeVel Lemonade is available nationally for RRP $3.

Walk ‘n Talk launches the Fast Charge Series

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

The Intermedia Group takes its Corporate and Social Responsibilities seriously and is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. We continuously strive to improve our environmental performance and to initiate additional CSR based projects and activities.

As part of our company policy we ensure that the products and services used in the manufacture of this magazine are sourced from environmentally responsible suppliers. This magazine has been printed on paper produced from sustainably sourced wood and pulp fibre and is accredited under PEFC chain of custody.

PEFC certified wood and paper products come from environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests.

The wrapping used in the delivery process of this magazine is 100% biodegradable.

DISCLAIMER This publication is published by C&I Media 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.

In Australia more than 373 million plastic water bottles end up in landfill and water ways each year instead of being recycled correctly.

Having said that, when it comes to aluminium Aussies are champion recyclers, of the three billion canned drinks consumed more than 2.1 billion (71 per cent) of cans are recycled.

Keen to work on a solution, The Distributors is pleased to welcome the sleek aluminium 450ml bottles of pure natural Australian made and owned water to the family.

Water Please can be purchased now in 24 bottle cases from your local member of The Distributors.

Visit www.the-distributors.com.au or call 1800 989 022 to find your local warehouse.

Big Rig Outfitters workwear, apparel and safety accessories

The petrol and convenience channel has become a go to destination for consumers buying technology accessories and Walk ‘n Talk is the market leader in this space.

Ryan Price, Channel Manager, Pacific Optics, says: “With many consumers being pressed for time, Walk ‘n Talk’s Fast Charge Series will give consumers the best experience to charge their devices.”

Walk ‘n Talk has planned a huge launch for its Fast Charge Series with significant investment being made both above and below the line.

“Walk ‘n Talk’s Fast Charge Series will become part of the core ranging and Pacific Optics has created a range of display options (floor stand, clip strip and counter display) for your store / network and will ensure you are first to market with the new range.”

Please contact Pacific Optics on 1300 237 425 or your local rep to find out more.

Published by C&I Media Pty Ltd (A division of The Intermedia Group) 41 Bridge Road (PO Box 55) Glebe NSW 2037

The Distributors welcomes Water Please to portfolio

Born from necessity, Big Rig Outfitters is a rapidly growing brand servicing truck drivers and workers’ needs. Consumer demand has shaped this evolving range of rugged functional products. Target top selling products such as rigger’s gloves, work socks and high visibility workwear.

All products meet the required Australian standards and allow distressed consumers to find something to get out of trouble.

The range targets the blue collar worker, giving them access to a wide range of products outside of a traditional place of purchase i.e. safety shop.

Over the last 12 months we have collected data from the petrol and convenience channel and we have noticed gloves and socks to be some of the best sellers with an average of 14 units per store per week.

From truckies to tradies, chat to your local Pacific Optics rep or ph. 1300 237 425 to discuss which products are suitable for your consumer base.

Editor at Large: Keith Berg

Graphic Designer: Adrian Tipper

Managing Editor: Deb Jackson

Contributor: Mark McGirr

Account Manager: Ben Curtis

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.

All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.

Copyright © 2021 - C&I Media Pty Ltd.

Average Total Distribution: 21,108 AMAA/CAB Publisher Statement Period ending 31 March 2019 PROUD MEMBERS OF:

INFORMATION PARTNERS:

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 5

FACE TIME

A CHAMPION FOR THE INDEPENDENTS Jos de Bruin, CEO, Master Grocers Australia

What we have been able to foster is a fantastic organisation that advocates for family and private businesses only – there are very few organisations that can say that.”

- Jos de Bruin, CEO of Master Grocers Australia

We get to know Jos de Bruin, the CEO of Master Grocers Australia (MGA) who has spent much of his career working as an advocate for small family-operated businesses.

I

was born in Melbourne as the first born of five children, the two eldest were boys and the three youngest were girls.

It was a big household, and it was challenging at times, but we didn’t know any different.

As kids all my friends played AFL and cricket in the summer, but tennis was my sport and I played that right through until the end of secondary school.

From about the age of 18, I was looking for a team sport to play so I started playing football, and that came quite naturally to me.

I ended up playing in Melbourne and interstate right up until my children were born.

As a young family, footy became a great community activity for us. We lived in a very close sporting community and life was all about being with friends and family. I’m not playing footy anymore, but I still watch it with great interest and support the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Storm.

My kids are all grown up now, our eldest daughter is 37, then our boys are 34 and 31. They’ve given us five grandkids – three from our daughter and then one each from both sons. It’s all very exciting, the grandkids are all under five and it’s really added a new dimension to the family. We are very lucky to see a lot of them.

These days my wife and I have developed a passion for bike riding, and we take that quite seriously. We own a couple of great road bikes and it has become a lifestyle for us. We have been overseas on several occasions to follow the Tour de France, the Spanish Tour and the Italian Tour. We have ridden in the French Alps and the Italian Dolomites, and here in Australia we’ve gone to follow the Adelaide Tour Down Under. It is a terrific sport to be involved in from a health and fitness perspective, and it has become a great social activity for us as well.

This may sound corny but there’s a volcano in Hawaii that is renowned for bike riders to climb. I know that there have been a couple of eruptions, so I don’t think we’ll be getting there, but that was on the bucket list.

6 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

The other bucket list destination is Mount Fuji in Japan, I’d really love to climb it on a bike. We were supposed to go in May but that was obviously postponed.

In our younger years, my wife and I travelled throughout Europe and the US. We worked in France and learnt to speak French, having only a year 11 base of the language. We then lived and worked in Holland for eight months, where I have family. That was a wonderful experience over three years and when we came back, we had a whole new outlook on what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go.

I had decided that I wanted to get into business development, sales and marketing, so I went to study at university.

I found myself a job with a family-owned company called Cedel Products, and they were very family oriented. They started from scratch and created a national brand in the health and beauty category, within pharmacy at first and then they expanded into supermarkets. That was my first opportunity to really get my teeth into things back in Australia.

I think the great thing about family businesses is they value you, and if you do a good job for the business, they reward you. Being a young guy at the time, I felt that I had to put career before money and from there I decided to join a multinational company as I felt that was where I was going to get the true experience that I would need for my future. I joined a company called Unilever and they were, and still are, an absolute cutting-edge company.

I had a background in grocery and while I was with Unilever I formed some tremendous relationships with the independent sector. I would participate with industry events, charity events, networking events, golf days, and that was where you got to know people personally.

During those days I was dealing with the likes of Coles, Woolworths and Safeway but they were no comparison to the independents because with independents you are dealing with people, people who own their businesses on a day-to-day basis,

FACE TIME FEATURE and you’re able to build a trust and form a terrific relationship with them.

From Unilever I was asked to join Pacific Dunlop in the sporting division, and I became the National Sales Manager for Adidas.

It was an interesting time for sporting goods manufacturing in Australia. So, you can imagine going from grocery and into clothing and footwear, it was a big transition for me.

Following that I joined Pepsi, which was recruiting widely to compete against Coca-Cola. No sooner had I taken on that role, Lion (which owned Pepsi at the time) acquired Alan Bond’s brewing business, which included Swan Brewery in Western Australia, Tooheys in NSW and XXXX in Queensland. In Victoria there was no presence of those brands as CUB dominated. There was also no presence in Tasmania or South Australia. So, they asked me to move from Pepsi and to head up the regional side of that business.

I had been in challenging roles before, but I had never come across an industry that was more ruthless than the brewing industry back then, where you had CUB as such a dominant and powerful supplier to an industry that was ruthless in keeping its competitors out. And that certainly took a lot of tenacity.

A career highlight for me was when the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) recognised me as a ‘small business champion’. This was because I took on a big project, which was competition law reform. It involved changing Section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act, which would allow the ACCC to stop large corporations from misusing their market power. There has been a lot of anti-competitive behaviour over the last 15-20 years and there was nothing the ACCC could do about it, so we had to amend this law to include what they called ‘the effects test’. This took 10 years of lobbying and to think that we got this over the line was monumental.

Looking forward in five years’ time, I would like to see myself moving into more of a consultant role and working on important matters such as advocacy and representation for our members.

A career highlight for me was when the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia recognised me as a small business champion.”

- Jos de Bruin, CEO of Master Grocers Australia

We are going through a rethink now on what the next five to 10 years looks like and a part of my role I’m hoping in a couple of years will be to help with implementation of strategic plans around that, but not as CEO. C&I L-R: Judy and Jos de Bruin at Mount Buffalo in Victoria

At the time, the greatest loser in Victoria were the consumers because there was no choice. But we were able to create a very competitive environment. And through that I was able to get back to the roots of the independents.

As time went on, Coles and Woolworths became juggernauts, they just grew bigger and more powerful. They continued to grow by acquisition, and it was very much Coles and Woolworths versus anyone else out there, which happened to be the independents. I became very close to the independents and headed up a lot of industry association initiatives. I headed up the Grocery and Liquor Association, which is a group of industry volunteers who came together to create industry networking events to help raise funds for community needs.

Back in those days, there was the Master Grocers Association of Victoria, which dated back to the 1890s, but independent supermarket operators from around the country wanted the association to go national. So, in 2005 they decided to take it national as Master Grocers Australia and I was invited to apply for the CEO role.

From landing that role I had an uphill curve of learning the back of house support that small businesses needed. To meet those needs we created a baseline of five core pillars/focus areas that would add a huge value to our new national members. These were industrial relations, employment law, advocacy, community, and member benefits.

With the support of a fantastic board from around the country, what we have been able to foster is a fantastic organisation that advocates for family and private businesses only – there are very few organisations that can say that.

I have always believed that you shouldn’t be in a role for more than five years, you should have been able to achieve what you needed to within that timeframe. But I’ve been with MGA for 15 years now and I haven’t felt that way yet.

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 7

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 2021.

SAVE THE DATES

ADMISSION IS FREE! OWNED BY: C&I Media Pty Ltd and organised by Interpoint Events Pty Ltd 41 Bridge Road Glebe NSW 2037 P: 1300 789 845 F: 02 9660 4419 E: exhibition@c-store.com.au

W: www.c-store.com.au

Association Partner

Reconnect - Renew - Rebuild

8 - 9 SEPTEMBER 2021 Convenience & Impulse New Zealand Expo 2021 The Cloud, Auckland

The Convenience & Impulse New Zealand Expo brings together New Zealand convenience retailers and suppliers from all banners and brands to gather for two days of education, networking and business building.

For more information visit www.candiexpo.co.nz

STORE REVIEW

Coles Local Manly Corso

COLES LOCAL MANLY RANKS HIGHLY FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Coles Local Manly features more than 500 entertainment food options, dog ice cream and a large health food range.

C

oles Local Manly in Sydney opened in December, and with its uniquely local range and an aesthetic that captures the essence of the beachside suburb, the store is already one of the highest-ranking stores for customer satisfaction across the chain.

Michael Fahd, Head of Coles Local, explained to C&I that Coles constantly runs customer surveys to determine how satisfied they are with their shop, and Coles Local Manly is currently sitting in the top five per cent of all stores.

“Our new Coles Local store is very popular among our customers – we’re seeing very high customer satisfaction metrics. The two big highlights that are called out by our customers are around the range and the look and feel of the store.”

Coles Local Manly has been tailored to meet the needs of Manly beachgoers with a product range curated with more than 500 local and international specialty cheeses, smoked meats, dips, antipasto, and meats from gourmet Sydney butcher Field to Fork – all aimed to elevate the humble beachside barbecue to a five-star experience.

The store features innovations including ice cream just for dogs, an in-store coffee and fresh juice station, a macaron, mini gelato and Japanese mochi ice cream parlour, and a large health and entertaining range.

10 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Fahd told C&I that more than 1,500 unique SKUs were injected into the Coles Local Manly store, from around 150 unique suppliers.

The two big highlights that are called out by our customers are around the range and the look and feel of the store.”

– Michael Fahd, Head of Coles Local

“With all of our Coles Local stores, we include a range of products that we already know are in demand and selling well within that area and we top it up with everything that is unique, health conscious and what we think will really resonate with the locals – and all of those additional products are unique to Coles Local.”

It is this extra attention to detail that has seen an increase in basket size across all Coles Local stores.

“It tells us that customers are increasingly doing their larger weekly shop with us. To see that number continue to grow shows that the Coles Local brand is really resonating with our customers.”

Coles Local Manly’s product range has been designed to reflect the high proportion of busy professionals living in the area who shop more regularly than a typical Coles customer, with more than 800 ready-to-eat meals, snacks and salads and 200 vegetarian options designed to make dinner easier.

With Manly over-indexing on dog spending, Coles Local Manly has also come to the party, with frozen pet food ice cream and a scoop and weigh station offering tasty canine treats like kangaroo tails and crocodile sausage bites. The growing trend of gourmet

STORE REVIEW pet treats is backed up by Coles customer research showing Aussies have increased spending on their furry friends by 50 per cent in just three years.

Coles Local Manly supports local suppliers, sourcing products directly from 35 local butchers, bakers and cafes, including bagels from Sydney’s first true artisan New York bagel maker Brooklyn Bagel Boy, restaurant-quality pasta, salads and meals from Pasta Pantry and artisan sourdough bread, muffins and sweets from Sydney bakery Sonoma.

The store also champions sustainability, with a range of instore innovations designed to cut food waste and reduce environmental impact.

Trolleys are made from 75 per cent reclaimed plastic, free recycled carry boxes are available in place of bags, unsold food that cannot be donated to food charities is diverted to organic composting and green energy generation, and team member name tags and uniforms also feature part-recycled materials.

“Sustainability is massive for Coles and what we’ve tried to do in Coles Local is to test and learn things to see how they work and then we can flow those ideas back into our wider fleet,” says Fahd.

“We have a zero edible foods waste policy so everything that is edible that doesn’t get sold is donated to Second Bite and anything that isn’t edible goes to an organic waste station where it’s recycled and regenerated.”

Supporting local artists, the new store layout features a mural from Sydney-based artist Katherine Brickman, also known as Greedy Hen, celebrating Manly’s natural beauty and coastal way of life.

“As soon as you walk in, you are blown away from the local artist mural. Katherine Brickman has designed an awesome mural of everything that is famous in Manly. It literally feels like you’re entering an aquarium at the beginning because you’re surrounded by all of these fish, and then you feel like you’re on the wharf. It makes people feel like it truly is their local store,” says Fahd.

Sustainability is massive for Coles and what we’ve tried to do in Coles Local is to test and learn things to see how they work and then we can flow those ideas back into our wider fleet.”

– Michael Fahd, Head of Coles Local

Currently there are six Coles Local stores with three in NSW and three in Victoria, and this year, the format will expand into Brisbane.

“We’re happy with the concept and more importantly we’re happy with what our customers are telling us about the concept and we’re looking forward to opening more Coles Locals in the future.” C&I

The store ranges more than 500 local and international specialty cheeses

Coles Local Manly champions sustainability with a range of innovations to reduce environmental impacts

Local artist Katherine Brickman painted a mural on the walls that captures the essence of Manly

More than 800 ready-to-eat meals, snacks and salads can be found in the store February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 11

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OUTBACK SPECIAL

Driving during the wet season in Peppimenarti, Northern Territory

OUR STORY OF OUTBACK STORES This is the first in two-part series written by travelling remote store manager, Mark McGirr.

To break up the monotony of the store routine I would play jokes on some of the ladies.”

– Mark McGirr

T

owards the end of 2014, my wife Penny and I decided to spend a few years working our way around remote areas of Australia. My background is in retail sales and management and Penny’s is in teaching, as well as having great computer skills and a wonderful touch with food.

So, we decided that the path for us was managing remote area community stores and roadhouses.

After a tip from a friend, we applied to the Mai Wiru Regional Stores Aboriginal Corporation and were accepted for training as joint managers. In January 2015, our outback retail adventure began in a place called Ernabella (now known as Pukatja), a small remote community in South Australia on the border with the Northern Territory.

This store, like most others, is owned by the local aboriginal community, but is managed by Mai Wiru. Stores are the hub of any remote community being a cross between a supermarket, a convenience store and a gathering point.

It was small, but had a large section for takeaway. The standard grocery lines suited the diets of the community, with fresh produce, meat and dairy in dedicated sections. Our supplies were delivered by a weekly truck. The shop was showing its age with old shelving and a mixed flooring of tiles and bare concrete. The store also carried a small range of general merchandise including clothing, car accessories, whitegoods and furniture. All staff were brought

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in with only one or two local workers. We only stayed here for six weeks due to a mix up with our roles and soon headed off to Warburton on the Great Central Road in Western Australia.

The store in Warburton was the largest on the Ngaanyatjarra lands and was run by the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku, encompassing 12 communities in all. The store carried a range of dry goods, dairy, frozen foods and fruit and vegetables and was re-supplied fortnightly by a truck traveling from Perth, 1,500km away. The Shire had its own warehouse in Perth where all goods were stored for pickup. The grocery lines were very basic and large quantities of a number of popular products were carried to cover the two weeks between deliveries.

It was the first time we saw pallets of kangaroo tails, which were a delicacy for the local community. The store even had a separate clothing section of generous size. Only non-indigenous workers were employed due to the lack of interest from the community members to work in the store. We had a total of eight workers in all, including the store manager. Our accommodation here was a two bedroom half duplex that was fully furnished. The patio area was caged in with large padlocks. We would have to cope with our roof being rocked on many occasions by people trying to break in, which they thankfully never succeeded in doing.

When a truck did arrive, all dry goods were dated for stock rotation. The shop hours were Monday to Friday, 9.00am to

OUTBACK SPECIAL 5.00pm and on Saturday and Wednesday we closed at midday.

Working at Warburton gave us a sense of what isolation is really like, being located in the middle of the Great Central Road. We all take for granted being able to go to any shop, hardware store or movie theatre. But living in the middle of the desert, you have to forgo these luxuries. We did explore a few places like Surveyor Generals Corner, where WA, SA and NT borders met and also spent a night at Mackenzie Gorge, on the Connie Sue Highway.

A tip: never camp in the middle of winter in the desert. It’s great sitting around a fire but once you walk two feet away from it the cold hits you. Sleeping in a camper trailer with every stitch of clothing on to keep warm and then having to get up in the middle of the night for a toilet call is not nice. I think I cried standing outside in the cold that night.

Staff were always on alert due to the amount of attempted theft happening in the store. A large number of security cameras were set up inside and outside the store. The community was mostly all indigenous apart from the staff required for the school, clinic, local store and other Government services. We learnt a lot here about indigenous culture from a number of the elders.

To break up the monotony of the store routine I would play jokes on some of the ladies. One day I decided to tell a lady we had second hand toilet paper going for 50 cents. She was interested in buying some so I went out to the warehouse and then came back and said we have sold out but we should have some more the next day. Well the next day she came back and asked me about the toilet paper. I told her it sells really quick and smiled at her. She then worked out I was only joking and we both had a good laugh.

We found the way to survive in remote areas, is to go for short drives, watch movies, build gardens, read books and so on.

Social interaction helps a lot and having other workers over for dinner occasionally helped to stave off the loneliness.

After 11 months in the desert we headed to Mt Barnett Roadhouse in WA for a short stint as store workers before

obtaining a job in Peppimenarti NT as store managers. This was the best community we had worked in. We arrived at the end of June 2016 and, after a week of training by the General Manager of Regional Merchandise Solutions who had the contract to manage the store; we were left on our own. Being our first store as real managers, we were as excited as we were nervous.

The store was only 12 months old when we arrived. It was built to cope with storing goods for up to five months due to being isolated in the wet season. Apart from the good sized warehouse, we had another large one at the rear of the shop as well as two 20 foot shipping containers for wet season frozen goods. The community was small, with around 150 people, who were very friendly. They were well educated, with parents sending their kids away to boarding schools interstate.

We settled into a routine, ordering stock and unloading the weekly truck that would come from Darwin. We had three other local staff members who were good at their job even though they would always turn up late for work. The community respected their store and we never had any breakins while we were there.

We all take for granted being able to go to any shop, hardware store or movie theatre. But living in the middle of the desert, you have to forgo these luxuries.”

- Mark McGirr

The shops hours were 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday, Sat 9.00am to 12.00pm while Thursday nights we would open until 8.00pm selling hot dinners that would vary each week. It was a real change from the desert, with rivers and creeks nearby to go Barra fishing. We were only there for three months before a special ceremony for young kids bought close to another 700 people into the community and camping next door to the store.

We did get more workers in, backpackers to cope with the influx of visitors. The ceremony went on for seven weeks and it was a real privilege to witness it. Once the ceremony was over, the park area next to the store was pretty messy but within a day the community got together and the place was left spotless.

The time had come to order our wet season stock through numerous suppliers and then implement the delivery times so that goods could be unloaded efficiently. Frozen goods as well as Coke and other dry goods were one week; then the following Inside the store we managed in Peppimenarti, Northern Territory

The modest clothing section inside the store at Peppimenarti, Northern Territory

Some local camels gathering in Warburton, Western Australia February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 15

OUTBACK SPECIAL

Our humble accommodation in Ernabella, South Australia

The store was the local hub of the community normally. But in the wet season everyone gathered there due to boredom.”

- Mark McGirr

Inside the store we managed at Ernabella, South Australia

week more dry goods. Being friendly with everyone in the community it wasn’t hard to get some of the local guys to assist in unloading the truck for the day. We also had to build up our fuel levels as the store ran the local fuel outlet. We would increase our monthly fuel deliveries from August each year to make sure we had sufficient fuel coming into the wet season.

Our first wet season was an eye opener, massive storms, flooded creeks and the road into the community blocked. We settled into being isolated for the next four to five months. It was the third biggest wet on record for the Darwin area. Each week we chartered a small plane to fly in fresh fruit and veg, dairy products and some meat. We had to be careful as the plane could only carry 600kg, so knowing what each product weighed was important. Each Thursday the plane would deliver the goods depending on the weather.

As the wet season continued, a baby fresh water crocodile ended up in the small local pool and was bought into the store for show and tell. Even though we were isolated we did not feel it, like we had in the desert. We had a good sized three bedroom house and would entertain most weekends with the other non local workers. We did not need a large fence with barbed wire around the house, which made living in the community more relaxing.

Naturally, fishing took my mind off many things.

The store was the local hub of the community normally. But in the wet season everyone gathered there due to boredom. We started looking at our range of goods and had permission to always try different lines to give the community more choice. We had the freedom to run the store and carry new lines, create great meals from the takeaway as long as we always stayed within our spending budget, which we did, and always advising the store directors of whatever we were doing. We even bought in pallets of plants, which the local ladies loved, and they would always come into the store and request certain varieties for the next order. We rarely heard from our bosses.

Our second year rolled around and we could have an afternoon off each week due to the store running so smoothly. Naturally, I would spend that time fishing. The locals would always want to take us to places so they could show us some of the unique scenery in the area, like waterfalls, fishing on the floodplain and

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visiting outstations. I did develop a reputation for getting bogged every now and again… and again.

On a few occasions I would meet up with a few locals who were fishing and be asked to sit down and share a freshly cookedon-the-coals barramundi with them. By now we knew everyone in the community by name and I would always play jokes on the ladies when they came into the shop. They enjoyed it. They would call me “old man” or “store manager”.

The community also had a small licensed club that opened four nights a week for a few hours. On occasions we would finish work at the store and assist behind the counter serving beers.

Many a laugh was had at the end of the night when they were all drunk and coming up to us saying, “We love you”.

Our second wet season was not too bad and it only took us six days to do our wet season orders compared to four weeks the previous year. We had a great rapport with all of our suppliers and would always do deals that would benefit the community. All our suppliers would donate to a Christmas raffle, which we ran each year. Penny took the initiative and contacted a Government body to see if they could assist in flying our wet season goods in at a reduced price. The Remote Air Service Subsidy Scheme (RASS), subsidised flights for remote and isolated areas.

Even though it was mostly used for mail, we were the first store to actually have food delivered on a regular basis over a wet season. This saved the community store more than $30,000.

Staff turnover was always an issue and in the two years we were at Peppimenarti we went through 35 staff for various reasons. They left the community, were only staying in the community for a few months or worked for a week and never came back. Our local cook stayed with us for the two years and, with a bit of guidance from Penny, his confidence grew in time and his meals were very popular.

Our time had come to move on as we did not want to outstay our welcome. Plus we were taking three months off to travel the Kimberley. So in April 2018, we said our goodbyes to everyone.

Peppimenarti NT is a community that will always be special to us and we thoroughly enjoyed our time here.

To be continued… C&I

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SALTY SNACKS

INNOVATION IS THE T KEY TO BOOSTING SALTY SNACK SALES

he $202 million snackfoods category continued to grow in 2020, with consumers seeing snacking as an important source of comfort, connection and community. However, that growth was at a reduced rate to what we saw in the previous year.

The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) State of the Industry (SOI) Report 2019 showed that snackfoods had a growth of 4.1 per cent, which was the strongest in three years.

However, on a MAT basis, in the AACS SOI Half Yearly Report 2020, that rate of growth had slowed to 0.1 per cent.

Salty snacks have seen consistent growth over the past two years, largely driven by premiumisation and innovation.

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As with a number of categories, the first half of the year took its toll and, in the quarter leading up to the release of the AACS SOI Half Yearly Report 2020, snackfoods saw a decline of 6.9 per cent. Chips declined 3.6 per cent in that period, with nuts declining 14.3 per cent and popcorn declining 41.9 per cent.

SALTY SNACKS Chips remained the largest category in snackfoods, representing an 80 per cent share and remaining in growth of 2.7 per cent on a MAT basis.

also been recognised by dried meat snacking company D.Jays Gourmet, which is in the process of developing new products to meet those demands.

Innovation plays an important role in the category’s success and represented 5.6 per cent of total sales in 2019. That trend continued in 2020 with 3.7 per cent of salty snack sales through the convenience channel coming from new products launched over the last 12 months.

“While we are an air dried beef company, we certainly can’t ignore the trend towards more sustainable food sources and the growing rate in vegetarianism and veganism,” says Arron Zamel. “D.Jays is trying to stay ahead and is starting to develop a vegan plant-based jerky so we can continue to serve a larger customer base.

Snackbrands Australia has recognised the importance of innovation and in February launched its Tyrrell’s Crinkly Cut Crisps into the convenience channel.

“Consumers are always looking for new flavours and different snacking ideas. D.Jays has a core range of flavours and products that has served us well for some time, but as consumer likes and preferences change we are constantly adapting to meet new trends and provide exciting flavours. In saying that though, we have always found our original core range of flavours still performs the best.”

“Innovation is enormously important to the snacking category.

News drives excitement and consumers are always keen to try the next new flavour or product format,” says Debbie Schubert, Shopper Marketing Manager, Snackbrands Australia.

“We continue to see a shift into more premium products with wellness call outs like ‘vegan’ and ‘nothing artificial’ (vegan is currently the number two search term when consumers are looking for snacks online in the US),” she says.

“Tyrrell’s Crinkly Cut Crisps are triple cooked for more crunch and come in three flavours, Lightly Sea Salted, Mature Cheddar & Chives and Sea Salt & Vinegar, two of which offer 3.5 Health Star Ratings.

“For those who look for vegan options, the Lightly Sea Salted and the Sea Salt & Vinegar are good choices.”

Schubert says that the growth of premium and ‘better for you’ snacks are two major areas of focus for Snackbrands Australia.

Petrol and convenience is hugely important to our brands, it provides us with an opportunity to develop a real relationship with consumers and is integral in building strong enduring brands.”

– Debbie Schubert, Snackbrands Australia

According to the AACS SOI Report 2019, ‘better for you’ snacks have increased share of snackfoods from 45 per cent to 51 per cent.

Nuts, jerky and rice snacks delivered the highest percentage of growth at 8.3 per cent; however chips delivered the greatest value contribution.

“D.Jays offers a large range of products to the convenience channel and there is a current surge for our sliced biltong packets due to the value pack offering of 120g of biltong, which retails between $10 and $11. This product offers some of the greatest value on a dried meat snack product for everyday prices,” Zamel said.

She highlights that crinkle cut chips are the biggest selling segment in the petrol and convenience channel and that Tyrrell’s are the first premium crinkle cut chip available on the market.

“Our consumers vary across the board from young to old and men and women. In petrol and convenience outlets with our Truckin’ Good Jerky offering we are certainly targeting people who work on the road and within trades. However, we obviously have a following within the South African community looking for a taste of home with our biltong range.

When it comes to ‘better for you’ snacks and the growing interest in vegan and plant-based foods, this is a trend that has

“There is also a growing trend for high protein, low in fat snacking and with the emergence of the keto diet we have

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 19

SALTY SNACKS

D.Jays is trying to stay ahead and is starting to develop a vegan plant-based jerky so we can continue to serve a larger customer base.”

- Arron Zamel, D.Jays Gourmet

many health conscious consumers looking for new and exciting flavours to snack on,” says Zamel.

Snacking was already a rapidly increasing behaviour, but this only accelerated as consumers were forced to spend more time at home.

According to the 2020 State of Snacking Report by Mondelëz International, 54 per cent of global adults relied on snacks for nourishment during the pandemic. Sixty-four per cent attested that snacks were nourishing to their body, mind, and soul during these strange times.

A majority were more mindful snacking at home, saying they are more focused on the snacks they eat these days (57 per cent), and that they have more control over the portions they eat because they are snacking at home more often (66 per cent).

More than half of global adults (53 per cent) were buying nostalgic snack brands from childhood and 59 per cent said they were buying snacks that brought back good memories during the pandemic.

This is evident through the way Snackbrands Australia’s brands have been performing in the convenience channel. Schubert says that despite the challenging year, their brands are in healthy shape, and calls out the performance of nostalgic products such as Cheezels and Kettle in particular.

“Kettle is the fastest growing slow cooked chip brand, growing at eight per cent (MAT to 22/11/20) with both ‘eat now’ and ‘sharing pack’ sizes in growth,” she says.

“Cheezels is growing at 3.8 per cent (MAT to 22/11/20); driven by the incredible growth we are seeing from home delivery. Our Cheezels 190g Party Pack is up a whopping 34.4 per cent over the last 12 months, the launch of Cheezels Chilli Cheese 80g has also struck a chord with consumers.

“We are seeing greater numbers of consumers utilising retailer home delivery services offered by convenience retailers, the ability to order your favourite products and have them delivered to your home continues to grow in popularity,” says Schubert.

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ADVICE FOR RETAILERS When it comes to making the most of the snackfoods category in retail, it’s all about the path to purchase and having eyecatching displays positioned thoughtfully within the store to interrupt the shopper’s journey and attract impulse spend.

For suppliers, the priority should be to create eye-catching packaging and promotional materials, says Zamel from D.Jays Gourmet.

“Ensuring that your customers see our products in your store by placing items at eye level is a great start,” he says.

“D.Jays does everything we can to attract a wide range of consumers to our products through innovative and eye catching packaging.”

“We also are happy to communicate with our retailers about offering special deals and offers to attract customers to the brand as well helping provide new and eye catching display materials.”

For Schubert from Snackbrands Australia, it’s all about disrupting the shopper’s journey and capturing that impulse spend.

“Off location displays are hugely important for products in impulse categories like salty snacks; I’d encourage all convenience retailers to interrupt shoppers on their way to the checkout with more off location displays.

“Petrol and convenience is hugely important to our brands, it provides us with an opportunity to develop a real relationship with consumers and is integral in building strong enduring brands,” she says.

So, the snackfoods category and salty snacks in particular remain critical within petrol and convenience, having seen consistent growth over the past 24 months.

For retailers to make the most of this category, it’s important to stay informed about new releases and innovation, and to make sure they are working with suppliers to ensure products are being displayed in the best possible way to capture the attention of shoppers. C&I

PIES AND ROLLS

MEAT PIES AND SAUSAGE ROLLS:

AN AUSTRALIAN WAY OF LIFE Aussie icons meat pies and sausage rolls are branching out with many suppliers releasing plant-based and more sustainable options.

I

f there’s one thing that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t diminished it’s Australians’ love of a saucy meat pie. And while the food on the go category initially suffered due to reduced travel, by mid-year a desire from consumers for convenience and proximity to home became more important, and the category recovered to remain the third largest in the petrol and convenience channel.

all 7-Eleven stores nationally. The new range came as more Australians embrace vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, both for health and ethical reasons.

According to the latest Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) State of the Industry Report (SOI) 2019, food on the go was the second fastest growing category delivering $68 million in extra sales or 38 per cent of total channel growth.

“We didn’t just want to have plant-based options; we wanted to make sure they were tasty products in their own right. Our team developed these exclusive products with our suppliers, and we’ve done extensive testing with consumers to ensure the new products taste delicious,” Laycock said.

The food service category continues to grow as a share of food on the go as more retailers broaden range especially around snacking alternatives. Innovation is critical to growth and sustainability is at the forefront of supplier’s minds, with a lot of new product development being seen including plant-based options, or products free from artificial colours and flavours.

In June last year, convenience giant 7-Eleven released a new plant-based range of ‘no beef’ pies and ‘no sausage’ rolls across 22 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

General Manager Marketing for 7-Eleven, Julie Laycock, said the company’s food innovation team had developed products that tasted just like their meat-based products.

More recently, Mrs Mac’s also launched a range of plant-based pies and rolls, including the Smokey BBQ Jackfruit Pie and the Black Bean and Chipotle Burrito Roll, to cater to the growing segment of health conscious consumers.

Sam Tomeo, Marketing Manager, Mrs Mac’s, said that it’s vital to continuously evolve the Mrs Mac’s brand offer with changing consumer needs.

PIES AND ROLLS “Research shows one-in-three Australians are actively reducing meat consumption and Mrs Mac’s has responded by launching an innovative range to excite this consumer not already engaged within category,” said Tomeo.

“Mrs Mac’s is always mindful of continuously evolving our offer to align with emerging trends, consumer expectation and enabling our retailers to build value and entice new customers to the category. The new plant-based range has been developed to capitalise on the growing trend of consumers reducing meat in their diets.

“At the same time, we have also launched a new premium offer under Mrs Mac’s Special Batch to cater for the growing consumer demand for elevated food and clean products.”

Further to the release of its plant-based range, Mrs Mac’s has made sustainability a key strategic priority and is increasing its focus of becoming a more sustainable business.

“A great example of this commitment is all our new products are free of artificial colours and flavours. Furthermore, Mrs Mac’s is proud to support local suppliers and continue reducing our footprint through recycling organic waste and using fully recyclable packaging wherever possible.”

Tomeo has also teased about an exciting new range that will be launched into the petrol and convenience channel over the coming months.

“Our R&D team have developed a new pastry format that will have a bakery style look and feel. What is really exciting about this innovation is retailers will be able to leverage the new offer to drive new shoppers into the category,” he said.

Within the petrol and convenience channel, Patties Foods and its Australian-owned brands are the market leaders for hot on the

go savoury options, with increasing presence in delivery services through these outlets.

Recent new products offer a variety of on the go and ready made meal options for consumers, delivering to the convenience shopper’s need for food for now and food for later, which were in huge demand throughout 2020 when options to dine out were limited.

Anand Surujpal, General Manager Marketing and Innovation, Patties Foods, says that Four’N Twenty Traveller Pies and King Sized Sausage Rolls remain the top performing products, and the Four’N Twenty Classic Meat Pie also continues to be a favourite.

But innovation is important to the market leaders and Four’N Twenty has recently had a few new product launches, including a meat free range.

Integrated sales and marketing activations are essential in sustaining Patties Foods’ leadership in the petrol and convenience channel and food on the go category.”

– Anand Surujpal, Patties Foods

Four’N Twenty launched the new Philly Cheesesteak Traveller last year, inspired by Four’N Twenty ambassador and Philadelphia 76ers basketball superstar, Ben Simmons. It’s the classic taste of 100 per cent Australian beef and onion, topped with a Philly Cheesesteak style cheese sauce, wrapped in golden pastry.

“It was a great success and important in fuelling double digit growth, showing that new products add to sales growth rather than cannibalising other products,” said Surujpal.

Further flavour rotations will be launched in the Traveller format throughout 2021.

Meanwhile, the new Four’N Twenty Traveller Chicken & Vegetable, with 100 per cent Australian chicken, vegetables and gravy wrapped in golden pastry, is a hot seller and bringing new consumers into the category. Similarly, the recently launched Four’N Twenty Meat Free range is successfully bringing new users into the channel and category, particularly in the lunch time occasion.

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 23

PIES AND ROLLS

Mrs Mac’s is always mindful of continuously evolving our offer to align with emerging trends, consumer expectation and enabling our retailers to build value and entice new customers to the category.”

– Sam Tomeo, Mrs Mac’s

“We are always innovating in this space, especially when it comes to new flavour profiles and proteins,” says Surujpal.

Beef, Steak & Cheese, and Beef, Cheese & Bacon the strongest performing products.

“Just as we are innovative with our products, our marketing team is always developing engaging and progressive ways to connect with our customers, especially in the digital and social space.

“We do see younger consumers in blue collar professions heavily consuming our brand,” explains Tomeo. “The nature of their work means they are often eating food on the go, so the hot food category is a convenient option and as a result these consumers engage with Mrs Mac’s across breakfast, lunch, and snacking occasions.”

“We are evolving and growing our product range through our understanding of how consumers receive information and interact with our brands. Our marketing plans are tailored to our consumers, and we work in a broad range of media including television, print, outdoor, social media and strategic partnerships.

“Last year’s Four’N Twenty Ben Simmons consumer promotion was a strong performer and a great example of how we leveraged Ben Simmons’ role as a Four’N Twenty ambassador to fuel significant growth of the Traveller format.

“Similarly, the AFL partnership has put the Four’N Twenty brand in a unique position to assist retail partners drive sales for the brand and food on the go category.

“Looking ahead, there are big things coming for the nostalgic brand in 2021, watch this space!”

The petrol and convenience channel plays a critical role with the sale of meat pies and sausage rolls, as Tomeo from Mrs Mac’s says, “Consuming a meat pie on the road is a way of life for many Australians”.

“Mrs Mac’s has been a part of that history by elevating the humble pie into a national icon. As a brand we aim to build on that heritage by continuously evolving our offer with the needs of on the go consumers.

“Within the petrol and convenience channel, pies and rolls are driving the majority of the volume. Retail data shows across both formats, traditional flavours remain the best sellers. The Mrs Mac’s core range continues to be fan favourites with our Famous 24 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

LEVERAGING THE OPPORTUNITY When it comes to maximising the sale of meat pies and sausage rolls, there is nothing more important that a fully stocked pie warmer, with abundant hot food offers to tempt shoppers and drive increased sales.

Having an open dialogue between retailers and suppliers, will ensure that retailers can stay ahead emerging trends and consumer preferences, and keep their pie warmers filled with a strong food offer.

“With the impacts of COVID-19 and uncertainty in the economic environment, we have seen consumers placing greater value in trusted brands like Mrs Mac’s,” says Tomeo. “Within the petrol and convenience channel we see retailers leveraging the equity of the Mrs Mac’s brand by anchoring their food offers to our core range and leveraging our innovation to convert new shoppers.

“Mrs Mac’s invests heavily unlocking insights to understand consumer attitudes and behaviour and by partnering with Mrs Mac’s, retailers can leverage those insights to enhance their food offer and grow category sales.”

Meanwhile, Patties Foods’ Surujpal says: “Integrated sales and marketing activations are essential in sustaining Patties Foods’ leadership in the petrol and convenience channel and food on the go category. We are always pushing boundaries with engaging promotions and activations to support our retail partners and excite shoppers in the channel.” C&I

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ENERGY DRINKS

BURSTING WITH ENERGY

Energy drinks are the most important non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage category within the petrol and convenience channel.

T

he energy drinks category has been around for many years, dating right back to the late 1980s, and it continues to go from strength to strength. In the petrol and convenience channel, energy drinks have consistently sat as the best-selling product in the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink category and exceed soft drinks by a considerable margin. In general, convenience is all about immediate consumption and energy drinks also have a high incidence of impulse purchases.

According to the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) State of the Industry Half Yearly Report 2020, after growing at 4.4 per cent, the total beverage category was hit with MAT growth dropping to just one per cent, and the last quarter declined at 0.6 per cent. But energy drinks maintained strong growth on a MAT basis of 3.8 per cent.

As such, the petrol and convenience channel remains crucial for the energy drinks category, as a spokesperson from Frucor Suntory explains: “Shoppers visit petrol and convenience sites 26 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

to fuel their vehicles, but also to fuel and energise themselves.

Given this dynamic, the channel clearly plays a key role for the energy drinks category.”

According to IRI the growth momentum of energy drinks continued in 2020 despite the foot traffic impacts of COVID-19 with total value sales increasing by seven per cent for the calendar year.

“Frucor Suntory is the market leader in the energy drinks category within the petrol and convenience channel with 40.1 per cent market share,” says a Frucor Suntory spokesperson.

Frucor Suntory’s key energy brands are V and Rockstar, which have both shown strong growth over the past 12 months. V is one of the top performing energy drink brands in the petrol and convenience channel, growing 11.4 per cent, which is ahead of the energy drink category. Rockstar is also performing well, growing at 8.3 per cent (Source: IRI MarketEdge – AU Convenience data – QTR to 29/11/20).

ENERGY DRINKS While full sugar options are still generating most sales, sugar free energy options are becoming increasingly popular, so it is important for retailers to be providing a balance of options to cater to more health-conscious consumers.

“Innovation is very important for energy drinks, keeping the category top of mind for beverage consumers and shoppers,” says Frucor Suntory.

“Good innovation plays two key roles: It keeps existing consumers engaged in the category, and it encourages new users to enter the category. One recent example of a highly successful innovation that we have launched has been V Sugarfree Blue.

This product was born out of the ongoing success of the V Blue flavour, married up with the trend around demand for healthier energy options.

“V Sugarfree Blue 500ml in particular has been hugely successful and has actually been the number one diet NPD SKU across all diet beverages in the last three years in Australian convenience (Source: IRI MarketEdge – first 13 weeks RSV sales – data to 18/10/20).”

Another brand leading the growth of the energy drinks category in Australia is Monster Energy, which grew total dollar sales by 21 per cent for the year, driven by continued momentum of its core SKUs and strong innovation.

Sam Thiele, Vice President – Oceania, Monster Energy Company, said: “Both here in Australia and more broadly around the world

the Monster brand is leading the energy category’s expansion through strong innovations and the introduction of new product families such as Ultra, Juice, and SuperFuel. These innovations have broadened consumption occasions and expanded the traditional day parts that consumers tend to choose energy drinks.”

According to IRI for FY2020, between Monster and Mother Energy, beverage giant Coca-Cola Amatil held the mantle as volume share market leader accounting for 34.3 per cent of total energy drink litres sold.

Innovation has played a leading role in the growth of Monster Energy – with the brand launching a suite of ‘better for you’ options in 2021.

Frucor Suntory are the market leader in the energy drinks category within the petrol and convenience channel with 40.1 per cent market share.”

– Frucor Suntory

“Monster Ultra is the number one sugar free category variant with recent line extensions to the Ultra family of Ultra Paradise and Ultra Rosa and further innovation planned for 2021,” says Thiele.

“We are providing consumers with excitement and choice. In 2020 Monster also launched Monster SuperFuel – a new family of energy drinks formulated and positioned to optimise alertness, concentration and performance on occasions when we to charge harder and longer.”

Australian energy drink start-up 28 Black has also noticed a shift towards ‘better for you’ options and more natural ingredients.

Chrish Graebner, Founder and Owner of LeVel Beverages, which distributes 28 Black, says: “The segment has been here

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 27

ENERGY DRINKS

Monster Ultra is the number one sugar free category variant with recent line extensions to the Ultra family of Ultra Paradise and Ultra Rosa and further innovation planned for 2021.”

– Sam Thiele, Vice President Oceania, Monster Energy Company

for longer than a generation with very little innovation outside flavour range. We believe that more natural ingredients and omitting anything that doesn’t really help with the energy (such as Taurine) is where the category is heading.”

28 Black is currently reviewing its offer and is considering a reposition in price.

“These are difficult times for everyone, and people may need more energy than ever once this COVID-19 challenge has been overcome. Watch this space,” says Graebner.

ADVICE FOR RETAILERS

AT A GLANCE • Energy drinks deliver an average of $8.92 per litre sold • Category growth is expected to continue at 4.1 per cent to 2023 • Monster Energy grew total dollar sales by 21 per cent for FY2020 • Frucor Suntory is the market leader in the energy drinks category within the petrol and convenience channel with 40.1 per cent market share

more occasions to consume. Ensure a clear balance of core and innovation and ensure that you stock products in all the main subsegments of energy drinks.

Help the shopper: To help shoppers navigate efficiently, group brands and the different energy subsegments together. If possible, use signage to make the segments clear – Traditional – Zero Sugar – Flavored – Performance etc.

Secondary space: Energy drinks are big drivers of impulse sales so it’s important to disrupt consumers in multiple locations around the store and especially on the walking path to purchase.

Energy drinks are the most important RTD beverage option in the petrol and convenience channel, so strong activation is critical.

Energy drinks are exciting: Bring the energy drinks category to life in-store.

Frucor Suntory says: “It is very important to make sure that retailers allocate the appropriate amount of space to energy drinks in their main chiller, at least in line with its share of total beverages which is 29.2 per cent (Source: IRI MarketEdge – AU Convenience Data – QTR to 29/11/20). But to also off-locate via display stands, gondola ends and front-of-store impulse fridges to interrupt shoppers and drive high-value impulse purchases.”

Clear and competitive pricing: Convenience shoppers say that clear pricing is important as the visible price point is reassuring for value conscious consumers.

Thiele agrees and says that “simplicity is key” when it comes to optimising energy drinks and that there are a few simple things that retailers can do to increase energy drink sales:

Energy drinks have experienced five-year compound annual growth rate of 3.8 per cent, which is ahead of total beverages, which has grown 2.5 per cent. Energy drinks growth is forecasted to continue at 4.1 per cent to 2023.

Category space: Ensure that energy drink space allocations reflect their status as the number one non-alcoholic RTD category in the channel. Average price yield is also higher than soft drink so primary category position and space is advantageous to the retailer.

Always chilled: Consumers are much more likely to buy an energy drink if it’s chilled. Make sure shoppers have easy access to cold cans.

Stocking the best range: In a mature beverage market innovation is critical to recruiting new consumers and providing

28 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

In summary, energy drinks are the most important RTD beverage category in the petrol and convenience channel, delivering yearon-year growth ahead of total beverages.

Energy drinks are the biggest and also one of the highest $/litre yield RTD beverage categories, delivering an average of $8.92 per litre sold, which is ahead of total beverages, which delivers $5.30 (Source: IRI MarketEdge – AU Convenience data – QTR to 29/11/20 | Datamine – AU Market Forecast).

So, the opportunity for retailers is significant, and with a strong product range and an ample amount of space allocation both in fridges and ambient, retailers should be able to notice an increase of sales from the category. C&I

PRODUCT RANGING

Bickford’s launches Premium Plant Milk range Our first C&I Choice for 2021 goes to Bickford’s Premium Plant Milk range, which has tapped into a rapidly growing category within Australia and is available now through independent retailers nationally.

Sales for milk alternatives in Australia have grown 48 per cent to 132 million litres in the past four years, and recently almond milk has overtaken soy as the category leader.

The five different plant-based varieties launched by Bickford’s – Almond, Oat, Cashew, Macadamia and Pistachio – are all made using more than 90 per cent Australian ingredients with no artificial sweeteners or GMOs. The entire range is being manufactured, bottled and warehoused in the Bickford’s HAACP accredited South Australian Operations Centre using industry leading, world-class technology.

Bickford’s Group Sales and Marketing Manager, Chris Illman, said Bickford's is responding to global demand for plant-based milks and the Premium Plant Milk range is a result of the company’s investment in world class technology.

“We’re proudly investing in the latest and most advanced manufacturing technologies, which has ensured we can extend our capabilities. In 2019, we introduced our world-class Aseptic filling line, one of the only of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere,” he said.

“We’ve extensively tested each product for multiple uses, from café-envy style milk, to topping your cereals or as an alternative when baking, to meet various ‘milk’ needs throughout the day, so that the range can be used like fresh milk and can be enjoyed hot or cold.”

The one-litre Bickford’s Premium Plant Milks are available through independent retailers nationally, found in the chilled drinks aisle, with an RRP of $6.

Uncle Tobys Oat Slice continues to gain popularity in convenience Australians are continually seeking out local and trusted brands that represent great quality, while also being better for them. With this in mind, and following much deliberation, that we proudly named Uncle Tobys Oat Slice as the 2020 C&I Choice of the Year.

The range of perfectly portioned 70g, single serve Oat Slices were the most successful launch from Uncle Tobys in 2020 and quickly secured ranging in many national retailers including 7-Eleven, Coles Express, BP, EG, Night Owl, Puma, NSG, IGA Express and through all major wholesalers.

Launched as a new way to enjoy nutritious and delicious oats while on the go, the satisfying snack is available in two flavours, oven baked to perfection: Apple & Cinnamon and Choc Chip with an RRP of $3.50.

Delightfully soft and crumbly and full of Uncle Tobys Oat goodness, they are hunger busting, guilt free snacks that pair perfectly with a coffee.

Made with more than 50 per cent wholegrains, they are also high in fibre and contain no artificial colours or flavours.

Even better, you can help support local and Australian manufacturing and farmers with every bite.

Dominique Bielecke, Snacks Marketing Manager, was delighted by the recognition for Uncle Tobys Oat Slices.

“We are incredibly proud to be named C&I Choice of the Year,” she said. “It’s a great acknowledgement of the effort we’ve made in delivering snacks for our customers that are both tasty and nutritious in this highly competitive category.

This is also the first time a nutritious snack has won this award, which is a great reflection of the ‘better for you’ snacking trends we’re seeing in the market.”

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PRODUCT RANGING

Health-conscious holidaymakers drive demand for Sanitarium UP&GO Sanitarium UP&GO has experienced double-digit growth in the petrol and convenience channel this summer, as thousands of COVID-weary, adventure-hungry Australians braved interstate border closures to explore the country and visit family and friends.

“So many of us have been cooped up at home throughout 2020, so the urge to travel has been strong this summer,” said Jaemes Tipple, Senior Brand Manager, Sanitarium Health Food Company.

“It’s just one of the trends that’s played to the advantage of the convenience channel, and with consumers seeking nutritious food and beverage choices while they’re on the road to their favourite holiday destinations, demand for UP&GO is booming.”

PROTEIN POWERING GROWTH

Driving the growth is UP&GO Protein Energize, which contains at least 34g of protein per serve, alongside low GI^ energy, fibre, calcium and 10 essential vitamins and minerals. Both Chocolate and Vanilla flavours have a 5 Health Star Rating.

According to GlobalData and Nielsen insights, 78 per cent of Australians now look at diet first when it comes to improving health and wellbeing.

Shoppers are actively seeking foods and drinks with functional health benefits including protein, which is currently one of the biggest health food category drivers. New product development in the form of convenient, exciting, and tasty protein products is also driving demand.

“Consumers understand that protein is a nutrient they need to support and maintain a health and fitness lifestyle. We are seeing growth across the total UP&GO portfolio, but the star of the show is UP&GO Protein Energize with double digit growth month-on-month,” said Tipple.

lapsed ones too. Compared to UP&GO Original, UP&GO No Added Sugar has up to 30 per cent fewer kilojoules.

“No Added Sugar is the leading claim that consumers look for when choosing foods and beverages in the morning. Our dietitians and food scientists worked hard to crack the code on a great tasting UP&GO No Added Sugar, so it’s fantastic to see it taking off,” said Tipple.

Enjoyed by one in four Australians, Sanitarium UP&GO is Australian made and Australian owned. Available in the following chilled formats and flavours for the petrol and convenience channel: • UP&GO Protein Energize 500mL Choc and Vanilla • UP&GO Original 500mL Choc and Vanilla • UP&GO Original 350mL Choc, Vanilla, Banana and Strawberry • UP&GO No Added Sugar 350mL Choc and Vanilla ^ All UP&GO products are low GI. For the GI value of each product please check the pack or website.

LESS SUGAR, SAME TASTE

The launch of UP&GO No Added Sugar last year has also contributed to the brand’s summer success, attracting thousands of new customers and many

V ‘Making It Happen’ with Xbox and Halo Leading energy drink V is running a six-week competition in partnership with Xbox and Halo, having recognised that a large proportion of gamers are also energy drink consumers.

Fun fact – in 2018, the gaming industry made $116 billion, which is more than double the earnings of the music and movies industries combined.

Even more fun fact – 69 per cent of energy drinkers are gamers. And according to Nielsen and Roy Morgan data, gamers are more than 2.5 times more likely to be energy drinkers than the general population (Source: OMD NZ NIELSEN CMI Q1-Q4 2019 & ROY MORGAN AU).

Recognising this link, the new promotion aims to capture this market of gamers and encourage them to choose V as their energy drink of choice.

The V Making It Happen with Xbox and Halo off-pack promotion runs from 24 February until 7 April and gives consumers the chance to win an Xbox Series X Halo infinite pack daily. There are also 1,000 Xbox Game Passes up for grabs.

Xbox Game Pass is a video game subscription service from Microsoft for use with its Xbox One console and Windows 10. Described as ‘Netflix for video games’ the Xbox Game Pass grants users access to a catalogue of games from a range of publishers for a single monthly subscription price.

Supporting the promotion will be an $800,000 media investment across Australia and New Zealand. V will support the campaign both above and through the line across OOH, Twitch and social media.

“This will be one of V’s biggest gaming campaigns across ANZ. With full through the line support, this is built on the back of a great partnership with Microsoft. Aligning to their new gaming console Xbox Series X Halo launch and Game Pass. Wherever consumers go they will see this campaign,” said Cindy Goodridge, Brand Activation Manager, V. 32 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

PRODUCT RANGING

Tru Blu Beverages responds to consumer thirst for premium soft drinks Traditional soft drinks have been around a long time, but in the last 10 years their reign has started to diminish. For the most part, this is due to consumers’ thirst for better-for-you beverages, but it is also due to the rise of premium soft drinks.

The ‘premiumisation of soft drinks’ as some beverage marketers have termed it, is a soft drink phenomenon driven by premium ingredients, exotic flavours and lux packaging. The result is soft drinks that are sophisticated, interesting and in some cases made from more natural ingredients. Examples of these include beverages marketed on nostalgia – a revival of flavours or ingredients that were common when the target audience was young such as, Toffee Apple; beverages marketed on provenance – origin claims regarding ingredients or flavours such as, Sicilian Lemon; and beverages marketed on organic ingredient claims.

Capitalising on the growth of this category, in 2015 Tru Blu Beverages launched a highly aspirational and sophisticated range of sparkling

drinks under the brand Riviera. The name Riviera conjures up images of Mediterranean beaches, panoramic views and golden sunsets – and that’s exactly where your tastebuds are transported to with Riviera Sparkling Drinks.

Riviera Sparkling Drinks are made using organic fruit juice and natural flavours. Furthermore, they are available in five unique and mouth-watering flavours: Mango Elderflower, Pink Grapefruit, Pomegranate Blueberry, Tahitian Lime and Wild Passionfruit. Ingredients are one thing, but ultimately a product needs to be visually appealing; it needs to pique the interest of the consumer and arouse their taste buds. Riviera’s stylised labels featuring floral designs are eye-catching and highly desirable.

Riviera Sparkling Drinks are available nationally and are sold through delis, cafés and other good beverage stockists. To add some sophistication to your beverage range or for more information, contact Tru Blu Beverages today on (02) 9912 6700.

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 33

Take your tastebuds to the Mediterranean with Riviera...

A mouth-watering range of sophisticated sparkling beverages, made with organic juice and natural flavours.

Set sail today!

For further information, please call Tru Blu Beverages on (02) 9912 6700. trublubeverages.com.au

rivieraorganic

PRODUCT RANGING

Start the year sweet with new Allen’s and Chokito bite-sized treats BRINGING A MINI-CHOC TWIST TO THREE AUSTRALIAN FAVOURITES To guarantee 2021 starts off sweet, Australia’s iconic lolly brand Allen’s and choc favourite Chokito are launching three new bite-sized treats. The new ‘Bites’ creations bring together familiar favourites in miniature form. After all, everything is always better with chocolate!

Perfect for all occasions and shareable in size, Allen’s Mini White Choc Raspberries, Allen’s Mini Chocolate Black Cats and Chokito Bites are sure to bring a smile to your next gathering.

Treat yourself to Allen’s Mini White Choc Raspberries. Inspired by the tasting notes of creamy Milkybar, experience the romantic flavour combination of white choc covered raspberry-flavoured lollies.

‘Purrfect’ for aniseed lovers, bite into the new Allen’s Mini Chocolate Black Cats, aniseed-flavoured Black Cat lollies covered in a smooth milk chocolate coat.

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With no artificial colours or flavours and 100 per cent gluten free, both Allen’s Bites creations guarantee to be a crowd pleaser this year.

Alongside the new Allen’s treats, you can now enjoy the big Chokito taste in a bite-sized portion with Chokito Bites.

A blend of chewy caramel fudge and crunchy rice crispies encased in smooth milk chocolate make for a memorable mouthful.

Nestlé Head of Marketing Confectionery Joyce Tan said: “We can’t wait to see the smiles on Australian faces with our creation of new bite-sized treats.

“We love surprising people with new ways to enjoy their favourites and our last Allen’s Bites range with Mini Choc Banana and Mini Choc Raspberry was a great success – everyone loves the bite-sized twist on our classic lollies, especially when they’re coated in chocolate!”

The three new products have been available since January 2021.

PRODUCT RANGING

With great sales in the U.S. Bevpax launches new convenience drinks Following a successful launch in the US during the northern summer, local beverage specialist Bevpax is pushing into the Australian market with two of its hottest new products.

Australians are famously fond of an iced coffee when the sun is shining, and Le Café is a range of cold brewed coffees created to treat every palate.

Cold brew coffee is a superior caffeine product made by steeping coarsely ground beans in room temperature water for at least 12 hours. Because this method uses time rather than heat to extract the full flavour, the end result is less acidic and less bitter than normal iced coffee, resulting in a smooth and satisfying beverage.

Le Café uses 100 per cent Robusta Coffee and comes in Espresso, Mocha, Latte and Frappe varieties, all presented in 355ml slimline cans to retain their icy appeal to the last drop. Le Café has an RRP of $3.95.

In keeping with its reputation for innovation, Bevpax is also launching its latest addition to the popular Vio range, Coco Vio Energy.

A unique combination of 100 per cent not-from-concentrate (NFC) coconut water and fresh fruit juice, Coco Vio Energy is a natural isotonic boosted with ginseng, taurine and caffeine. There is No Added Sugar in any Coco Vio product and the light carbonation in Coco Vio Energy makes for maximum impact.

Finally, there is a healthier alternative in the crowded energy drink market.

Available in slimline 355ml cans, Coco Vio Energy comes in Mango, Lemon and Passionfruit flavours, with an RRP of $3.95.

For information on how to stock Le Café and Coco Vio Energy, call 1800 413 711 or email info@bevpax.com.

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LOUX, the best-selling soft drink in Greece, is made from crystal clear natural spring water and real juice.

Flavours include Orange, Lemon, Sour Cherry, Gazoza and Cola.

Distributed by SYD / CAN Sydney Freezers 02 9599 6963

MEL Milk & More 0448 060 460

ADL Omega Foods 0448 050 033

For distributor enquiries call: 1800 413 711 or email: sales@olympianproducts.com

PRODUCT RANGING

NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara: The trending new beverage for 2021 Following the ongoing growth of the adult better-for-you beverage category in recent years driven by Kombucha, coconut water and flavoured water variants, a new opportunity has emerged in the market – the adult social beverage.

Bridging the gap between overly sweet soft drinks and health toting Kombucha, the category appeals to the consumer who, while mindful of their choices, wants a delicious, sophisticated drink they can enjoy with friends at any occasion.

Leaning into this trend and driving innovation through flavour is NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara, a new lightly sparkling RTD format, available in three refreshing variants.

Cascara, which comes from the Spanish word for ‘husk’ refers to the coffee berry that surrounds the coffee bean. We separate and sun-dry the berry, upcycling the husk to create a delicious beverage traditional in coffee growing communities in South America. NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara reduces waste from coffee farming and provides farmers with a new revenue stream.

Once brewed, the cascara is neither a coffee nor tea but its own unique coffee berry-based beverage with floral and fruity notes. To craft and enhance the unique coffee berry with flavours reminiscent of the Australian summer, the fruity cascara base has been infused with natural, native botanical flavours. The result is a refreshing, lightly sparkling, adult drink available in Classic, Kakadu Plum and Lemon Myrtle and Pepperberry.

NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara is: • Infused with natural native Australian flavours • Free from preservatives

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• Made from only four ingredients • In recyclable packaging with a paper label • What’s more, it also delivers the same caffeine kick of a cup of capsule coffee for a naturally refreshing uplift.

Manufactured in Australia from at least 99 per cent Australian ingredients, the cascara is sourced from the rolling hills of Mexican and Bolivian coffee farms; selectively chosen to deliver the best, bright fruity notes.

As its popularity starts to grow, cascara is on trend to be the ingredient of 2021 across multiple categories including RTD, spirits and confectionery.

NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara can be enjoyed on its own or as a mixer with alcohol as the perfect accompaniment to any social situation, available in three tasty variants: • NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara Classic 330ml – experience cascara's earthy, fruit notes • NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara Kakadu Plum 330ml – sweet, floral and delicate • NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara Lemon Myrtle and Pepperberry 330ml – zesty and fresh with a hint of pepper.

To stock the new on trend drink of 2021, NESCAFÉ NATIV Cascara contact: NSW: Mark Stanford 0409 900 957 VIC: Jarrah Pechey 0478 484 544 QLD: David Macann 0408 575 471 SA/WA: Sarah Wallace 0417 344 728

PRODUCT RANGING

Amaysim launches upgraded mobile plans to meet evolving consumer needs Amaysim has unveiled some amazing mobile plan upgrades that are designed to meet the ever-growing needs of the budget-savvy Australian consumer who isn’t interested in being locked into restrictive, limited telco plans.

As the largest Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in Australia, Amaysim is well known for unapologetic innovation and crazy customer love.

Amaysim focuses on delivering plans that are relevant for everyday consumers and their fast-changing mobile habits. With this in mind, Amaysim has upgraded its key plans to better meet these growing data usage needs as well as families that want great connectivity without all the data.

The ever popular $30 plan has been upgraded to $30 for 50GB of data (30GB + 20GB Bonus Data – first three renewals), unlimited talk and text to standard numbers in Australia and IDD to a whopping 28 countries.

“Amaysim has recognised the expanding data consumption wanted by customers that love to listen to their music on Spotify, look for entertainment via Tik Tok or YouTube, and stay connected with their social circles on Instagram and Facebook. Our $30 plan with 50GB big data allocation plus IDD to 28 countries hits the sweet spot of value for money with the

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connectivity of the Optus network,” says Jules Green, Associate Director Dealers, Independents, Petrol and Convenience, Amaysim.

Another key plan upgraded is $12 for 28 days, which includes 2GB of data and unlimited talk and text to standard numbers in Australia.

“Amaysim identified that there is a significant number of low data users who still want to be connected to their families and friends without the high monthly cost,” says Green.

“The $12 for 28 days plan will attract these low data users, as well as families that are looking for an affordable plan for kids and teens that won’t hurt the family budget. The plan is the evolution of our $10 Whistle Out award winning 2020 Best Mobile Plan for Kids.”

Amaysim will be using an omnichannel approach with marketing these mobile plans through social/digital, in-store POS and Amaysim sales representatives creating the momentum as the products are brought to market.

Petrol and convenience retailers can contact Amaysim via its field support team at retail@amaysim.com.au or 1300 922 312 to find out more information about the exciting upgrades to their mobile plans.

OPINION

MANAGING RISK, IS IT ON YOUR AGENDA?

Five risk management issues besides COVID-19 that c-store retailers should have on their radars.

DARREN PARK CEO United Convenience Buyers

By spending time and resources developing your strategy for managing risk, you’ll provide a safe workplace and reduce the chances of negative impacts on your business.”

– Darren Park

A

s I write this article, Perth the capital of Western Australia has just been placed into a five-day COVID-19 lockdown. Television news and social media is alight with images of panic buying and long queues of shoppers anxiously holding trolleys full of essentials. Reminiscent of the scenes we witnessed in 2020, no doubt this lockdown in Perth and the suddenness of its calling, has placed retailers under a great deal of pressure.

Watching this got my mind thinking about other risk management issues besides COVID-19 that c-store retailers might have on their radars. So, what is risk management? Risk management is the identification, evaluation, and prioritisation of risks followed by plans to eliminate (or control) the impact of these events.

My list below is not a full one, but it captures some larger risks that I consider daily, along with a couple of newer risks that are emerging.

NATURAL CATASTROPHES

Property damage is one of the first issues that comes to mind after a natural disaster. Buildings can flood, catch fire, or succumb to heavy winds. For retailers, damage to their warehouses or brick and mortar operations are not the only risks they have to worry about when natural disaster strikes. They also must worry about product damage, business interruption and even possible data loss.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Industrial action on wharves is an issue that can sometimes restrict our inventory, and while it doesn’t appear to happen as much as it once did, it’s the growing level of imported product that we sell that is a potential risk. Our ports are congested, there are limited services, record high freight rates and increased detention, congestion and terminal access surcharges that are all making an impact.

Australia’s trade imbalance has created a huge surplus of empty containers and a lack of storage areas to keep them in is still, as I write, the main issue clogging supply chains.

Many Australian c-store suppliers have felt the pain of being unable to supply to our retailers.

CYBER ATTACKS

The fact that retailers are vulnerable to data breaches shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. As an industry we are holding more and more data and the level of personal information being held is growing too. Reputational risk and data theft aren’t the only risks that come with cyber attacks, losses can also occur if ransomware or malware infects your computer system. I can recall Toll having a really hard time with this very issue in 2020.

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PRODUCT BOYCOTTS

‘Cancelled culture’ and the rapid spread of activist movements on social media have made product boycotts a growing phenomenon in overseas markets. While we haven’t seen this occur in Australia just yet, we should have a plan. Consumers are becoming more educated and demanding, resulting in the need for quick business responses. While boycotts don’t always gain enough traction to result in a drop in sales, examples from overseas show that many retailers still fear them — and they’re willing to drop products to end them. An article I read in my research for this piece suggested that in the past year, one in three millennials participated in a product or company boycott.

TALENT RISK AND THE AGING WORKFORCE

Many people wouldn’t expect the aging workforce to be a major risk for retailers. Afterall, isn’t retail work predominantly teenagers looking for an after school or weekend income?

Well, our channel is complex, it requires maturity and experience. Many Australian c-stores are family operations and are local operations, with many staff members being the face of the business for many years. As our population is getting older, our workforce is so much more susceptible to sprains and strains and so you may see an increase in workers’ compensation claims for example.

Until next time, Darren Park C&I

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OPINION

SKYE JACKSON Head of Merchandise Planning, Ampol

I have a very optimistic view to the future, besides, if you can make it through 2020 relatively unscathed, then you can do anything!”

– Skye Jackson

FIVE LEARNINGS FROM 2020 W

As is so often the case as we head into a New Year, we reflect on the year that has been while we prepare ourselves for the year ahead.

hat a rollercoaster ride 2020 was! I’m still puzzled by how the year went by so quickly, yet so slowly at the same time.

For those of us living in Greater Sydney, the recent COVID-19 outbreak certainly reminded us that life is different, and things can change very quickly as we continue to fight the virus.

I, personally, am very thankful I managed to change flights and get home to Queensland for Christmas with family before they closed the borders again. However, I know that many people were not fortunate enough to spend Christmas with their family as planned due to restrictions.

Not exactly the ending to the year anyone had anticipated.

As one often does as we start a New Year, you reflect on the year that has been. Here are my five key learnings from 2020 and what I think it means for us in 2021 and beyond.

1. Toilet paper I now have a new minimum level to be kept in stock at home, getting down to a couple of rolls in a COVID-19 world is just risky, you never know when you could end up in lockdown at a moment’s notice!

2. Anything is possible!

Pre-COVID-19 we would talk about changes we wanted to make in our business, sometimes the simplest change could end up being a slow-moving ship. In COVID-19, together as a business, we found ways to strip back the red tape and move quickly, while not compromising the safety of our people and customers. I can see how what we’ve achieved during COVID-19 has helped shift this culture and when challenges are put forward, the sentiment is absolutely more ‘how can we make this happen’ as opposed to ‘this won’t work’. I’m proud of how quickly our business was able to work through a new offer of roast chickens that we added to the range at our new Ampol Woolworths Metro store in Lane Cove.

3. We’ve learnt that flexibility works.

Personally, I still love getting back into the office and spending time with people, which I still think is essential to building high functioning teams. However, we have proven it is possible to weave in flexibility and I look forward to having

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a balance of this in the future. The other thing I’ve enjoyed has been a trend to a more casual workplace. After working from home for five months and living in active wear, getting dressed in jeans and sneakers is now acceptable attire – not sure how I’m going to handle getting back into heels one day!

4. Technology acceptance has grown substantially.

Simple things like people not wanting to handle cash and some businesses even restricting trade to card only has pushed even more transactions away from cash.

Advancements and growth in the use of apps to facilitate touchless transactions has had a leap forward due to COVID-19, and I think this acceptance is here to stay.

Examples of companies leveraging this change include our FuelPay functionality we introduced to facilitate fuel transactions via our mobile app, allowing customers to pay for their fuel from the comfort of their vehicle, and the scan and pay apps you can see in some of our supermarkets, which allow customers to fully transact the purchase themselves. I believe that the usage of these payment facilities is only set for further growth. Other examples include the utilisation of technology to connect remotely.

For instance, I have enjoyed the convenience of a Zoom call with my doctor, instead of making my way into a practice.

In our business, we also started utilising FaceTime for store walkthroughs and visits, which has proven to be very effective with many efficiency and cost benefits.

5. Old fashioned values are back.

With the support of those vulnerable within our community, as we have slowed down and started to consider those immediately around us. One of my favourite stories from last year was hearing about a team member that was filling up an elderly customer’s vehicle for them. Little things like this have gone a long way in developing strong connections with our customers, and our customers are going to expect more meaningful interactions from us moving forward.

Overall, I have a very optimistic view to the future, besides, if you can make it through 2020 relatively unscathed, then you can do anything! C&I

OPINION INDUSTRY NEWS

This move

by Woolworths is another example of the large supermarket duopoly going after an opportunity that is only possible given their substantial market power.”

– Theo Foukkare CEO, Australasian Association of Convenience Stores Chairman, The Distributors Board Member, Independent Food Distributors Australia

THE ACCC SHOULD NOT ALLOW WOOLWORTHS’ PROPOSED TAKEOVER OF PFD FOOD SERVICES

I

In his first opinion piece since being appointed CEO of AACS, Theo Foukkare discusses how the proposed acquisition of PFD Food Services by Woolworths, would create major impacts to competition, supply and prices.

n 2020, it was definitely a year of change in so many ways.

For the first time in my 43 years, the entire population’s way of living changed, globally. The things that we have always considered to be a normal way of life were now actually a luxury. Going out into the public arena for a walk, to exercise, to catch up with friends in their own home, to hold and hug your loved ones – it all changed overnight.

With the uncertainty came new challenges, obstacles and learnings – both in business and in our personal lives. What we witnessed from the small business community was amazing. The speed at which businesses adapted to changing consumer needs was unprecedented. The strength shown through this crisis highlighted that the backbone of business in Australia is driven by tens of thousands of family-owned and operated businesses.

‘Shop local’ was now a key pillar in the rebuilding of business confidence, and underpinned strong shop sales performance in the petrol and convenience space.

This also flowed through to cafés, restaurants, local businesses – and consumers responded by continuing to support this community.

The convenience channel has held strong in comparison to many other channels, with retailers and suppliers in the main continuing to deliver better than expected results.

Shop local has helped suppliers, retailers and consumers in different ways.

48 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

But all of this could quickly be unravelled with the proposed acquisition of PFD Food Services by Woolworths.

If the ACCC approves this proposed acquisition, there will be major impacts to competition, supply and prices – ultimately setting Woolworths up to further expand their already strong share of retail sales in Australia.

While so many industries have suffered during the pandemic, the major supermarkets have delivered record sales and unprecedented demand for their products. And now, they are trying to disrupt the food service distribution community, which is made up of more than 200 Australian family-owned and operated small businesses. The same businesses that have done it tough, that tried everything to survive and remain competitive, and employ many thousands of Australians, are under threat.

This move by Woolworths is another example of the large supermarket duopoly going after an opportunity that is only possible given its substantial market power.

Should this be approved, it is likely that it will significantly impact the businesses that comprise many segments of the Australian food supply chain – from growers to manufacturers and distributors, and ultimately flowing through to the food service retailers, independent grocers and consumers.

The ACCC should not allow this to happen. C&I Theo Foukkare commenced as the CEO of AACS on 1 February. He will not cease his role as Chair of The Distributors until 31 March.

INDUSTRY NEWS OPINION

THEO FOUKKARE APPOINTED NEW CEO OF AACS T

he board of the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has announced Theo Foukkare as its new CEO effective from 1 February.

In his first interview as AACS CEO, Foukkare said he was very privileged to be appointed to such a prestigious position within the industry previously held by Jeff Rogut who was in the role for close to a decade before stepping down late last year.

“Firstly, I am humbled and proud to lead and represent the retailer and supplier members of the association,” Foukkare said.

“I would like to thank the board of AACS and the executive team for their due diligence in the recruitment process and putting their faith in me to lead the organisation into the future.”

In a statement from the AACS board announcing Foukkare’s appointment, some insights were provided into the recruitment process.

“The process ran through Six Degrees Executive, with over 100 applicants and some very strong candidates both externally and internally from the industry.

“Theo has a wealth of experience in the channel, spending 17 years at Pacific Optics and he is looking forward to taking AACS to the next level.”

The AACS Board confirmed that while Foukkare commences as the CEO of AACS on 1 February, he will not cease his role as Chair of The Distributors until 31 March.

“It was important to get Theo into the role as quickly as possible, as we have a lot of work to do from a regulatory, engagement and events perspective and we thank The Distributors for their understanding,” the statement from the AACS board concluded.

Foukkare said that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented emerging issues that need to be immediately addressed.

“There are some significant challenges ahead in light of the last 12 months, however my commitment to the industry is that every day I will be working for you on advocacy with government, on member engagement and sharing global insights.

“I am incredibly passionate about this industry and I have an intimate understanding of how it operates as well as an extensive network that enables me to create a better future for everyone involved in the petrol and convenience channel.

“I will have three key priorities in the role for my first 12 months. Firstly, I plan to re-engage with our membership base and listen to any concerns that they may have with the association, so I can ensure we are adding as much value as possible.

“Secondly, I will be fighting the ridiculous decision by the federal government to make e-cigarettes only available by prescription through pharmacies and I will look to have this decision overturned, although this will not be easy.

“My final focus will be the $2 billion retail sales opportunity that is available to the convenience retailing sector from packaged alcohol sales. It is simply crazy that packaged alcohol is available in so many countries globally, and the

Theo Foukkare is the new CEO of AACS

KEY AACS PRIORITIES FOR 2021

• Re-engaging with membership base • Fighting federal government’s ruling on e-cigarette sales • Advocating for packaged alcohol sales through convenience sector Australian government continues to have their head in the sand, with our current legislation being outdated.”

Foukkare will be based on the Gold Coast, but also plans to travel extensively subject to border restrictions. He has already started making enquiries into satellite offices in Sydney and Melbourne to ensure he maintains close ties with key retail and supplier groups.

Foukkare has more than two decades of experience in the petrol and convenience retailing industry. Prior to being appointed as CEO of AACS, Foukkare was General Manager of Sales at Pacific Optics – a company he joined in 2003. He also has previous experience in the tobacco retailing industry after joining the graduate program with Rothmans within British American Tobacco in the late 1990s after studying at the University of Wollongong graduating with a commerce degree. C&I

There are some significant challenges ahead in light of the last 12 months, however my commitment to the industry is that every day I will be working for you on advocacy with government, on member engagement and sharing global insights.”

– Theo Foukkare

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 49

INDUSTRY NEWS

New NRA committee hopes to have vaping regulations overturned The National Retail Association (NRA) has formed a new committee to be the voice for retailers of vaping products in Australia.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently ruled that from 1 October, consumers would only be allowed to access nicotine e-cigarettes and vape products with a doctor’s prescription from a pharmacy, essentially locking out thousands of small businesses that have a proven history of responsibly selling regulated products such as tobacco, lotteries, and alcohol.

Jeff Rogut, the former CEO of the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has been appointed as advisor and spokesperson for the committee. Rogut has been a spokesperson for retailers for more than 10 years and has strongly supported the rights of retailers and smokers through numerous government submissions and appearances at government inquiries.

Rogut told C&I that the new NRA committee will continue lobbying the government against the “illogical” policy that allows people to buy vaping products freely online from overseas retailers, but not in Australia. The NRA believes Australian retailers should be able to responsibly sell nicotine products over the counter in the same way as stores in New Zealand, the US, the UK, Canada, Korea, and other countries around the world.

“Vaping is one of those things that has grown in popularity and there are an estimated half a million consumers of vaping products in Australia,” says Rogut.

“The issue is that nicotine is an illegal product and cannot be sold by retailers, and we’ve recently seen the short sightedness of the government in not allowing convenience stores, tobacconists or anybody else to sell it.

They are looking at restricting that to pharmacies, which we are lobbying quite fiercely against. They’re making all of this legislation and regulations without fully understanding the full impact of their decisions.”

The NRA and AACS have long urged the Federal Health Minister to allow small businesses to supply smoke-free alternatives to current consumers of cigarettes and tobacco products.

In fact, the Chair’s report from a recent Senate Inquiry on Tobacco Harm Reduction agreed with their stance and set out a clear and Former AACS CEO Jeff Rogut will rational case for making it easy for be a spokesperson for the NRA Emerging Business Committee tobacco users to transition to less harmful smoke-free alternatives.

But Rogut says that the TGA’s ruling goes against this and will make it more difficult and more expensive for consumers to transition away from tobacco products and towards nicotine vape products, potentially leading to an increase in black market sales.

“As we have seen with tobacco, the harder you make it and the more expensive you make it, you drive the products underground.

“The danger for the government is that consumers will move to buying these products from the criminal elements and the black market importers, as we have seen happen with tobacco products, and they won’t know what the product is or what it contains. Yes, it might be cheaper and easier to get but from a health point of view it might do more harm than good, and that is the short sighted thing that the government appears to have overlooked,” he says.

The NRA is urging any retailer or importer of vaping products to join the NRA’s Emerging Business Committee to have their voices heard in Canberra.

Bega Cheese completes Lion Dairy & Drinks acquisition Bega Cheese Limited has completed one territory – New South Wales, Victoria, The Bega Cheese team with Executive Chairman, Barry Irvin its acquisition of the Lion Dairy & Drinks Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, business, marking the official return of ACT and Western Australia. iconic brands like Farmers Union and “Bega has been working hard to create Dairy Farmers to Aussie ownership. a great Australian food company, and in Initially announced in November addition to acquiring such great brands, 2020, the acquisition means that Bega’s we look forward to welcoming a large product range now includes fresh milk, and talented team into our business,” flavoured milk, yoghurt, juice, cream and said Irvin. custard alongside its traditional dairy and In 2017, Bega also returned Vegemite grocery business. to Aussie ownership – a move widely The Dairy & Drinks business, now celebrated by the nation. owned by Bega, was formed through “We hope that Australians are as the amalgamation of some of Australia’s thrilled as we are that much-loved most celebrated food and beverage state-based brands that they’ve grown companies. Dairy Farmers and Farmers up with, such as Masters (WA), Farmers Union were founded before Australian Union Iced Coffee (SA) and Big M Federation more than 120 years ago and some of the same families still (Victoria) are again Aussie-owned – these great brands are returning to supply the Dairy Farmers brand today.

Aussie ownership for the first time in more than a decade,” added Irvin.

Bega’s Executive Chairman, Barry Irvin, said they are delighted to return “Bega continues to leverage and evolve our core business to become a these iconic brands to Australian hands. respected and successful global food business, with a vision to “This is a great moment for Bega and we couldn’t be more excited for become the great Australian food company. We invite you to celebrate such treasured brands to officially join the Bega family,” he said. in this great moment for our business, and what it means for Australians.

Bega’s operations have grown from eight manufacturing sites across three Thank you for inviting our brands into your homes, and your breakfast table, states to 20 manufacturing sites (plus a joint venture) across six states and each day.”

50 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ENVIROTANK CELEBRATES A 30-YEAR HISTORY OF FIRSTS In its 30-year history Environtank has achieved many Australian firsts and become the market leader with a growing reputation for quality, reliability, service and cost-effective pricing.

To all our valued customers, new and long term, a very big ‘tank you’ from the Envirotank team and we look forward to another 30 years of customer first service!”

I

n early 1990, Envirotank was the first to introduce fibreglass (FRP) underground fuel storage tanks (USTs) to the Australian petroleum market. After an exhaustive technology evaluation Envirotank decided on a USA licenced technology from Owens Corning Tanks, which at the time had been successfully supplying tanks to the USA and Canada for almost 30 years, that’s now almost 60 years.

Envirotank began promoting the benefits of corrosion resistant structural FRP tanks to the petroleum market with the offer a 30 year warranty, another first and something never heard of before from any petroleum storage tank supplier.

Until Envirotank entered the market, USTs for the fuel storage market had been manufactured of steel, and initially developing a viable market proved to be very difficult. There

52 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

were two major and three small steel tank manufacturers already in the Australian market and all were strategically located around the country. Typically, steel tanks were single tanks without compartments and typically ranged in size from 2,000 litres to 110,000 litres with 30,000 litre to 55,000 litre tanks being the preference in retail fuel storage applications.

In entering the market, Envirotank first looked at providing its customers with a real difference that would provide greater flexibility with innovative products. In a first Envirotank offered compartmented FRP tanks, splitting single tanks into two, three and four compartments. This innovative design allowed for costs to be significantly lowered, not just in the cost of tanks but also in the costs associated with installing the tanks and lowering the total fuel system and site build costs.

INDUSTRY NEWS In 1995, Envirotank supplied the very first double wall FRP tank sold in the Southern Hemisphere to a major oil that included ‘HydroGuard®’ an interstitial tank integrity monitoring system. Only Envirotank Double-Wall Tanks provide a 360° defined interstitial space that constantly monitors 100 per cent of both the inner and outer surfaces of the tank including the internal bulkheads.

All Envirotanks are now supplied with a factory installed HydroGuard® Monitoring System, a coloured waterbased monitoring fluid. The fluid is dark blue in colour and is preinstalled at the factory and is used to perform visual leak testing during shipment and during installation at the jobsite.

Envirotank recommends the HydroGuard® Monitoring System because it offers a leak detection capability that is superior to other methods. It constantly monitors 100 per cent of both the inner and outer walls under all installed conditions.

In another first, 1997 saw another refinement by Envirotank when it introduced an engineered and third party rated polyester hold down strapping system designed to improve site safety by reducing ‘in hole’ time and working on the tank tops which, also lowered the supply cost and lowered install times.

As Envirotank grew, the number of steel tank manufacturers declined due to rising costs and a shrinking market. By 1999 FRP USTs were the first choice in the market and specified by all major oil companies and many independents.

In just 10 years, Envirotank had achieved a reputation of providing a proven integrated engineered solution to any situation combined with quality manufacturing and a customer first attitude, something that has continued to this day.

By the early 2000s Envirotank had become the market share leader with a growing reputation for quality, reliability, service and cost-effective pricing.

In yet another first, 2001 saw Envirotank approved as the first underground FRP tank manufacturer worldwide to be approved for the storage of aviation products by a major oil that included its Hydroguard® Monitoring System.

Envirotank is always looking for further opportunities that can utilise its FRP expertise and industry knowledge and in

response to its customer base in 2014, Envirotank entered into a licence agreement with UK-based company Premier Tech, a leading producer of sewage plant, wastewater treatment and environmental equipment.

Through that agreement Envirotank introduced the Clereflo Oil/Water Separator to the Australian market, providing the market with a cost-effective choice for forecourt stormwater treatment devices.

As Envirotank celebrates 30 years in the Australian market and now being the longest continuously operating petroleum storage tank manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand, they proudly look back at the 10,000 tanks and 25,000 plus compartments supplied to the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Rim markets with pride, knowing that they continue to perform, day-in and day-out, with incredible reliability and peace of mind for their owners.

“To all our valued customers, new and long term, a very big ‘tank you’ from the Envirotank team and we look forward to another 30 years of customer first service!” C&I

In just 10 years, Envirotank had achieved a reputation of providing a proven integrated engineered solution to any situation combined with quality manufacturing and a customer first attitude.”

For more information visit www.envirotank.com.au or call 1800 818 354.

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 53

INDUSTRY NEWS The 7-Eleven team cut the ribbon at the opening of the new Colac store

7-Eleven continues to invest in regional Australia A major investment into its supply chain model made early last year is allowing 7-Eleven the opportunity for rapid expansion and the ability to bring its model to more regional communities.

7-Eleven has already grown into Australian regional centres including Toowoomba, Bathurst and Ballarat and in 2021 there will be further growth across regional Victoria.

One of the latest Victorian regional sites to open was in Colac on the corner of Murray and Scott Streets, and led by Colac local Cameron Gibson.

The store will contribute at least 10 new jobs to the area.

Braeden Lord, 7-Eleven’s General Manager of Retail Operations, said the local Colac community has made them feel very welcome.

“Thanks to our new supply chain capability, it’s exciting that we’re able to unlock new opportunities like this and bring the unique 7-Eleven offer to more regional communities.”

With more than 216 stores owned and operated by small family businesses and 3,200 staff employed across the Victorian store network and support office, Lord said he was proud that 7-Eleven continued to provide new career opportunities across the state.

Mrs Mac’s names former Frucor Suntory chief as its new CEO Western Australian family-owned food company Mrs Mac’s has appointed industry veteran Jonathan Moss as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Moss began as CEO on 1 February, replacing outgoing CEO Paul Slaughter who departed Mrs Mac’s after six years to take on a role with WA agricultural investment company Harvest Road.

Moss brings more than three decades of experience in the FMCG industry – most recently as Group CEO for leading Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands beverages business Frucor Suntory Oceania.

His appointment follows a comprehensive national and international recruitment process and will see him continuing to build on the company’s market share and growth trajectory.

Mrs Mac’s Chair Peter Fallon praised Slaughter for his achievements as CEO and says that Moss is taking over at a very exciting time.

“During Paul’s time at the helm of the company, Mrs Mac’s has transformed into a more financially strong, customer-focused and sustainable business and ensured we are positioned for growth,” he said.

“We are incredibly proud of our WA heritage and ambitions for our future across all of Australia and New Zealand, and we’re delighted to have secured a leader of the calibre of Jonathan to take over the role of CEO at such an exciting time for the company.

“He brings to Mrs Mac’s deep sales, marketing and commercial experience built over the course of a global consumer industry career spanning more 54 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

than 30 years – with more than half of that at CEO level – and will ensure we are best placed to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Mrs Mac’s has undertaken an extensive capital program in recent years, including significant factory upgrades to further enhance stringent product safety and quality processes and the introduction of next level automation to the Jonathan Moss has been appointed as CEO company’s Morley factory. of Mrs Mac’s The company also secured the prestigious sponsorship of Perth’s landmark Optus Stadium, with the New Zealand arm of the business signing up to a sponsorship of the country’s biggest sports stadium, Eden Park.

Moss said he is looking forward to continuing to build on that success.

“Mrs Mac’s has a long and proud history of delivering shareholder value while continuing to adapt its operations and its products to changing markets,” he said.

“With a strong culture and a focus on constant improvement and innovation, it is perfectly positioned to continue its development into one of Australia and New Zealand’s great food companies.

“I look forward to working with our team, consumers and customers as we continue that journey.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Construction underway for $45m recycling plant in Albury-Wodonga A joint venture between Asahi Beverages, Pact Group Holdings and Cleanaway Waste Management will see a $45 million world-class recycling facility open in Albury-Wodonga.

The project was made possible with the assistance of almost $5 million from the Environmental Trust as part of the NSW Government’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative.

The plant will become Australia’s largest PET recycling plant and will see the equivalent of around one billion PET plastic bottles recycled each year.

The project is integral to ensuring the successful delivery of Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets. It will create local jobs during construction and permanent jobs when it begins operations.

Located in the Nexus Precinct 10km outside of the Albury CBD in NSW, the plant is expected to be operational by October, two months earlier than expected owing to Albury Council approving the project ahead of schedule.

It will trade as Circular Plastics Australia PET. The raw plastic material that the new plant will recycle each year is equivalent to one billion 600ml PET plastic bottles and will be used to produce more than 20,000 tonnes of new recycled PET bottles and food packaging.

It will increase the amount of locally sourced and recycled PET produced in Australia by two thirds, from around 30,000 tonnes to more than 50,000 tonnes per annum according to Pact Group.

The plant will also reduce Australia’s reliance on virgin plastic and the amount of recycled plastic Australia imports. Solar energy will power part of the facility.

Asahi Beverages Group CEO, Robert Iervasi, said: “This will be a worldclass facility that helps transform Australia’s recycling capacity and the

Albury-Wodonga region should be proud of its contribution to manufacturing and recycling in Australia.”

Cleanaway CEO and Managing Director, Vik Bansal, said the new facility for PET plastic will recycle the containers collected through the NSW Return and Earn Scheme and Cleanaway’s Material Recovery Facilities, helping create a domestic circular economy.

“We’re proud that Cleanaway’s Footprint 2025 strategy has reached a point where we’re not only providing the right infrastructure for resource recovery but extending the value chain to ensure that material is optimised for recycling into new products.”

L-R: Pact CEO Sanjay Dayal, Cleanaway CEO Vik Bansal, Asahi Beverages CEO Robert Iervasi

OTR installs 50th lifesaving public access defibrillator in stores A partnership between OTR and St John Ambulance SA has seen the 50th public access defibrillator installed at the new OTR Aberfoyle Park store.

The lifesaving devices have been installed at various regional and metropolitan OTR sites, in a partnership that is particularly important to OTR, as two staff members have suffered cardiac arrests while in public in recent years.

OTR General Manager Darryl Cotter is proud to be part of an important partnership with St John Ambulance SA. With around 30,000 Australians suffering from sudden cardiac arrest each year, he says the partnership will ultimately save lives.

“OTR is at the heart of South Australia’s metropolitan and regional communities and we are proud to support an investment that can potentially save lives and promote awareness and use of defibrillators,” Cotter said.

St John Ambulance SA Chief Executive Officer Mark Groote said cardiac arrest could happen to anyone, at anytime, anywhere.

“Having public access defibrillators located in high traffic and high visibility areas is so important when it comes to cardiac arrest survival rates,” Groote said.

“For every minute that passes without defibrillation, the chances of survival decrease by 10 per cent. It is fantastic to see our partnership with OTR extending across so many sites, which will ultimately save lives in South Australia.”

In 2016, Subway Area Manager, Kristy Smith, suffered a cardiac arrest and received 16 electric shocks from a defibrillator, which saved her life.

In the same year, Peregrine Corporation, the parent company of OTR, also had an employee, Daniel Lowe, who suffered a sudden an unexpected cardiac arrest at the gym.

Lowe credits the defibrillator for saving his life and knows he might not be here if it hadn’t been accessible.

56 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

“I am proud to work for an organisation that is supporting the purchase and installation of these defibrillators where they are needed, particularly across regional South Australia,” he said.

The Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill 2020 is currently before parliament, in a bid to increase the installation of the life saving devices throughout the state. If passed as legislation, public access defibrillators will become mandatory in a wide variety of public buildings, facilities and vehicles, further contributing to improved outcomes for sudden cardiac arrest in South Australia.

All OTR public access defibrillators will be registered with SA Ambulance Service so triple zero callers will be directed to the nearest device in the event of an emergency, which may be at their local OTR store around the corner.

L-R Mark Groote, Daniel Lowe, Darryl Cotter

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PETROL NEWS ROUNDUP DAN ARMES Founder of ServoPro

The growing presence of alternative lenders means business owners have more financing options than ever.”

10 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE APPLYING FOR A BUSINESS LOAN

– Dan Armes

A

A step by step guide to all you need to know if you’re looking to fund the growth of your petrol station.

s a petrol station operator, applying for business loans can undoubtedly be a confusing process. To obtain some answers to some critical questions, we reached out to our own finance broker partner, Abhishek Maharaj from Winquote, for help. If you’re thinking of seeking financial solutions, here are 10 questions to ask yourself before beginning the process.

1. DOES MY BUSINESS QUALIFY?

Increasing compliance requirements from traditional funders have made the finance application process more difficult for petrol station operators and many businesses may be under the impression that they don’t qualify.

However, the growing presence of alternative lenders means business owners have more financing options than ever. This is good news for most business owners, because it means no matter what stage of the business life cycle they’re at, they can qualify.

Depending on the financial solution required, banks may require businesses to meet certain conditions to qualify.

These include: • Serviceability or ensuring your business meets sufficient income requirements • A good credit record 58 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

• Having acceptable security such as freehold service stations, leasehold businesses or equipment. (Lenders may offer unsecured finance on occasion)

2. HOW MUCH DO I REALLY NEED?

To obtain the appropriate level of finance, businesses should run their capital requirements past their advisors.

Petrol station operators should also keep in mind the length of funding required in order to seek the right financing.

Insufficient funding could lead to continuous cash flow deficits, and this can take a toll on how your business performs. A deficit may result in further necessity to borrow funds. These additional finance applications may result in additional costs, impacting your credit score or the business itself.

In some scenarios, lenders may offer business loans in excess to your requirement. If this does occur, it is wise to keep these excess funds in a reserve for a rainy day where redraw facilities are available.

3. DO I NEED COLLATERAL?

The answer to this question is, not necessarily. Certain tier one finance solutions do not require collateral. A solution like this ensures that your business has cost effective

PETROL NEWS funding without limiting your equity in your personal home or your freehold service station.

Loans that do not always require collateral include: • Equipment finance for items such as fuel pumps, POS systems, or even coffee machines • Cash flow loans • COVID support loans • Occasionally, loans to purchase leasehold service stations

4. CAN I AFFORD TO REPAY THE LOAN?

As discussed, businesses must be able to pay loans in the contractual period granted to secure financial service.

Lenders make their assessments on factors such as whether or not surplus cash flow will be available. Before taking new loans, businesses should understand their own forecasted business performance in addition to their bank’s assessment.

The application process assists with this determination. No matter the assessment, it is critical that businesses do not take loans they are unable to repay.

5. WILL THIS LOAN HELP MY BUSINESS?

Business loans should be sought when service station owners are looking to maintain or improve business performance. Loans can be applied for growth in some of the following ways: • To obtain stock for increased demand • To renovate an existing service station • To acquire an additional leasehold or freehold service station • For purposes directly related to business growth • Loans can also be used to simplify and benefit trade for service stations. Examples include: • Consolidating debts to save interest costs • Refinancing to new lenders in pursuit of a better banking relationship to reduce expenses and interest • To payout existing business partners

6. WHAT IS MY CREDIT RATING?

Your business credit rating tells potential lenders about your financial history with lenders and suppliers. Companies like Equifax and Dunn & Bradstreet record your credit conduct and issue a credit score. These reports are given with your consent to lenders to ensure credit worthiness. Credit rating can be affected by factors like: • Loan and supplier repayment histories • Time in business • Number of credit enquiries • Court judgements and credit defaults A good credit rating can be the difference between being accepted or declined for finance. Good habits to maintain good credit ratings include: • Making payments (bills, loans, etc) on time. Late payments are noted on your record • Refraining from unnecessary credit enquiries. Only submit finance applications you intend to proceed with • Maintaining strong positive relationships with creditors such as suppliers and lenders to ensure agreeable terms are made if payment extensions are needed

7. ARE MY PERSONAL FINANCES IN ORDER? As a self employed professional, keeping personal and business financial information in order is critical. When

seeking finance, lenders may require personal returns and your entitled personal income should demonstrate serviceability after personal expenses. Timely payments of liabilities and expenses show good conduct, and increase your chances of obtaining finance for both your personal and business needs.

Business loans should be sought when service station owners are looking to maintain or improve business performance.”

– Dan Armes

8. DO I HAVE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION?

Each loan requires different documentation for approval.

Keeping your records up to date and accurate increases response time when applying for finance. Some lenders will prioritise applications where documents are readily available.

These documents vary from loan to loan, and include but may not be limited to: • Financial proposal/summary of the loan requested • Business financial reports for the last two years • Cashflow projections • Evidence of payment for current financial commitments • Verification of any security used to obtain the loan

9. ARE THERE ADDITIONAL FEES?

Pricing depends on the financial product. Details of payable fees include: • Upfront application and lender due diligence • Valuation costs • Environmental reports • Formal approval fees • Settlement costs • Ongoing monthly service costs

10. WHAT TYPE OF LOAN DO I NEED?

The loan required depends on its purpose. For example: Imagine you require a fuel pump upgrade; lenders can tailor a loan to fit that specific purpose. For this loan, lenders may suggest a two to five year equipment loan, amortised down to nil. A loan of this kind ensures that the capital equipment purchased is paid down accordingly. You may avoid an interest only facility for loans such as this, as if you fail to pay down accordingly, the interest can capitalise and the associated cost can grow if repayments are not progressively repaid.

Because every loan is different, specifying the purpose of your funding is critical in order to obtain the product that works best for your business. For help, speak to trusted advisors to gain insight into which finance product might best suit your needs.

We get it, navigating the need for financing can be difficult and confusing. Between deciding how much you need, and understanding what requirements you must meet, the process can be exhausting. If you need some help with funding the growth of your petrol station feel free to reach out. C&I February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 59

PETROL NEWS

NIC MOULIS Director, Customer Relationship Data

There is sufficient evidence and plenty of factors that should point markets higher in 2021.”

– Nic Moulis

LIKENING 2020 TO WAVES IN THE OCEAN As a rolling set of waves sees its highs and its lows, so too did impact of 2020 on the oil industry.

R

ecently, a friend in the industry asked me to describe the goings on of 2020 and predict some outcomes for 2021. Rather than a longwinded answer about the fundamentals of the oil industry, I decided to summarise it in an analogy about waves in the ocean.

A wave set is a group of three to 10 large waves that seemingly appear out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly.

What can sometimes happen, is a process of constructive interference, where the crests and troughs of these waves coincide, making new bigger crests or deeper troughs. This was the first half of 2020.

The initial outbreaks of COVID-19 from January 2020 coincided across the globe. With economies around the world closing simultaneously.

THE INITIAL TROUGH WAS DEEP

International oil prices fell to the deepest point when WTI was selling at -$USD 37.63 per barrel. In essence, some traders were paying others to take contracts off their hands.

Australian price followed suit, with declines of more than 40 per cent in TGP’s between January and April.

Volumes were also affected by travel bans and lockdown orders. April opened with volumes in Australia down 33.16 per cent on pre-COVID-19. This decline was to peak at 79.19 per cent during Easter, when governments of all persuasions pleaded for residents to stay at home.

However, in the back end of 2020, we had a wave phenomenon called destructive interference. Where the crests and troughs of the two waves overlap and the whole thing gets cancelled out due to subtraction. The result is a flat spot in the wave.

With COVID-19 still dominating proceedings, we had a overlap of outbreaks and policy.

In Australia, this was best highlighted by the prolonged lockdowns in Victoria against the relative free living in places like Perth.

Victoria, with its stage four restrictions and hard border closures was the worst hit. Fuel sales were down close to 45 per cent by August, halfway through what would become three months of restrictions.

60 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Sydney and Brisbane plateaued in their fuel volume recovery at levels 10 per cent to 12 per cent below Q3 2019. Adelaide and Perth, relatively free in their movement of citizens, were the only cities to just recover to volumes equal to 2019.

SO, WHAT OF 2021?

Being the eternal optimist, I will hang out well offshore of where the waves are breaking, gazing at the horizon.

There is sufficient evidence and plenty of factors that should point markets higher in 2021.

While demand is a concern in the near term, producers are pumping out vaccines with researchers noting that output could reach 900 million doses per month. That should help demand recover, and by the fourth quarter oil demand is forecast at around 99-million-b/d, about a 4-million-b/d increase from the fourth quarter of 2020.

In Australia, refiners will still struggle with margin. Over the past 10 years, Morgan Stanley research shows an average of the September gasoil crack between $10-19/ bbl. Currently, the crack is below $8/bbl. Although refining margins are improving, it is probably too little too late for our local refiners.

With oil prices recovering. Both Morgan Stanley and Goldman see prices at between USD$60-$65/bbl.

Australian retailers will see their underlining TGP’s increase.

The question for retailers, as they post board prices, will be the balance between demand growth and margin. Volumes won’t be as they remember them. Work from home is now firmly part of the employment mix. I also believe, work from anywhere will become a thing. This should promote demand in regional areas as workers, not just retirees, look for tree and sea change.

There is also what looks to be a continued pipeline of service stations being built. Site numbers from OPIS indicate that there are now more than 7000 sites in Australia. This being close to a 10 per cent increase on the three-year average.

Having described all that, what I am waiting for is the next set and the wave of the day. It’s definitely going to be worth it. C&I

PETROL NEWS

Ampol successfully completes $300m share Buy-Back Ampol has completed its $300m off-market share Buy-Back, with a total of 11.4 million shares being bought back with a 14 per cent Buy-Back discount, returning $26.34 per share.

All shares bought back by Ampol will be cancelled.

A statement from Ampol said: “Due to strong demand for the Buy-Back, an 89.4 per cent scale back of successful tenders was required. The scale back was structured to minimise eligible registered shareholders with Small Holdings being disadvantaged.

“Subject to exclusions due to any Minimum Price conditions, shareholders who tendered their shares at a 14 per cent discount or as a Final Price Tender will have a Priority Allocation of 190 shares bought back before the scale back is applied. Successful shareholders who tendered all of their shares at a 14 per cent discount or as a Final Price Tender and who would be left with 75 shares or less as a result of the scale back, will have all of their shares bought back in full, in accordance with the process outlined in the Buy-Back Booklet.

“Shares tendered at discounts of 10-13 per cent and tenders conditional upon a Minimum Price above the Buy-Back Price were not bought back.”

Ampol has requested a Class Ruling from the Australian Tax Office in relation to the tax implications of the Buy-Back.

In a letter to shareholders ahead of the Buy-Back, Ampol Chairman, Steven Gregg, said: “In 2020 our business performance has been resilient, considering weak economic conditions and the continued impacts of COVID-19 on transport fuels demand.

“We have remained disciplined in delivering our strategy and we continue to focus on improving cost and capital efficiency. Furthermore, this year

we have delivered on a key initiative with the announcement of our Convenience Retail property transaction. The success of this transaction and having now received the proceeds underpins our decision to deliver this Buy-Back for shareholders.”

Gregg refers to the sale of a 49 per cent stake in its convenience retail business for $682m to Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC GIC.UL and Charter Hall Group.

The deal was in a newly created property trust which would own 203 convenience retail sites throughout Australia. The deal values the entire property trust at $1.4bn.

ExxonMobil to cease production at its Altona refinery ExxonMobil has announced that it will convert its Altona Refinery to an import terminal, presenting a real concern for our national fuel supply.

ExxonMobil’s decision to cease production at the Altona refinery was made following an extensive review of operations, which considered the competitive supply of products into Australia, declining domestic crude oil production, future capital investments and the impacts of these factors on operating earnings.

“We are grateful for the tremendous efforts by our employees to improve the viability of the operation,” said Nathan Fay, chairman of ExxonMobil Australia.

“We extend our thanks to the federal government for the significant support offered to Altona and other refineries. Our decision to convert our facility to a terminal is not a reflection of those efforts.”

The 72-year-old Altona oil refinery in Victoria was one of just four remaining oil refineries in Australia.

In October, BP announced that it would cease production at its Kwinana refinery in Perth and convert it to a fuel import terminal.

BP said the continued growth of large-scale export-oriented refineries throughout Asia and the Middle East had structurally changed the Australian market and made it economically unviable to continue operating.

Ampol is also considering the future of its Lytton refinery in Brisbane, which ran at a full year loss of $145 million last year. Ampol is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the Lytton refinery, which is expected to be complete in the first half of 2021. Options include permanent closure and the permanent transition to an import model.

With ExxonMobile and BP both transitioning their refineries to import models, this leaves only Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery and Ampol’s Lytton Refinery – but Lytton’s future is hanging in the balance.

So, what does this mean for our national fuel supply? Dan Armes, Founder of ServoPro, says there is cause for concern.

“Australia is part of the International Energy Agency (IEA), where member countries agree to maintain stocks of fuel equivalent to 90 days of their annual net imports in case of an emergency. Currently, Australia has around 30 days of fuel supply. The closure of another refinery means that Australia’s ability to manufacture fuel is less and makes us more reliant on importing finished product from overseas suppliers,” says Armes.

“The Australian government has put in place some plans to increase our fuel storage through their $2.5 billion fuel security package, which was announced in September last year. This hasn’t really been supported by the fuel industry.

“Currently, Australia imports about 90 per cent of our fuel from overseas which shows our huge reliance on fuel imports. This exposes Australia to supply shortages if there is an emergency or crisis affecting the imports. The closure of the Altona refinery will only make Australia more reliant on fuel imports.”

February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 61

Petroleum equipment and services

Gallagher Fuel Systems

Gascorp Pty Ltd – Budget Petrol

Gallagher Fuel Systems is a 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's 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.

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

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

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

Shipman King Pty Ltd

ELGAS SWAP’n’GO®

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 • Monitoring Wells and Ground Boxes Cap Assemblies • Durapipe PLX Polyethylene • Upflow Vents, Pressure Piping System Vacuum Vents • Underpump Containment Sumps • Dip and Fill Product Markers and Browning Spill Safe Boxes • Vapour Recover Equipment, Stage • Adblue Equipment 1 and 2 • Sloan-LED Canopy Lights • Overfill Prevention Valves • Cim-Tek Spin-On Filters complete with aluminium tube • Husky Fuelling Products ready for retro fitting • Aboveground Tank Equipment For their complete product range, please visit Shipman King’s website.

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.

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

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

64 February /March 2021 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

SUPPLY-FIND

Other suppliers

Petroleum equipment and services

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

0405 517 115 safa@c-store.com.au

Ben Curtis

0415 404 264 bcurtis@c-store.com.au

Abacus Stocktaking Services Accor Action Installation & Services Active Eye Advanced Lighting Technologies Australia Inc Aitken Rowe Testing Laboritories Augusta Properties AusSport Australian Enviro Services B&B Industrial Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations BP Australia Capricorn Society Cavvanba Consulting Coffey Environmental Services Commercial Indemnity Compac Sales Conservelec Douglas Partners Earth Air Water Consulting & Monitoring Energy Action Environmental Monitoring Solutions

Envirotank Envirowest Consulting EquipCo ETP International F&M Supplies Fuel Data Solutions Fuelgear Geo-Logix Gilbarco Australia HMC Intertek Testing Services Jeffery & Katauskas Jon Jen Trading Leighton O'Brien Liberty Oil Liquip International Metro Petroleum Mobil Oil Australia MPHP Architects MTAA Superannuation Fund North Cross Australia Northern Petroleum Equipment Services Pacific Guage Park Perich Constructions

Perisale Australia Petroleum Tank Technology Precision Stocktaking Services Puma Energy RCA Australia SGS Australia Spill Station Australia Tank Solutions Tennco The Remediation Group Trans Tasman Energy Group Trax Retail Solutions Unigas United Petroleum Urth Energy Valvoline Wayne Fuelling Systems

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Ü Envirotank double-wall tanks are fully compatible with all modern fuel types including alcohol blends & low sulphur diesel.

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.

Because What’s Inside Matters!™

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

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