C&I Retailing Magazine October-November 2019

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

16 52 08 FACETIME

Skye Jackson, Caltex

12 STORE REVIEW

Greggs, United Kingdom

16 AACS

Championing Convenience at the AACS Annual Awards

20 CATEGORY FEATURE: PROTEIN BARS

Protein bars continue to punch above their weight in the convenience and impulse channel

24 CATEGORY FEATURE: CARBONATED BEVERAGES Carbonated beverages are still driving convenience profits

30 CATEGORY FEATURE: SUGAR-FREE CONFECTIONERY AND GUM

Sugar may be taking a back seat, but confectionery still delivers

32 PRODUCT NEWS

C&I CHOICE, and all the latest NPD

44 OPINION PIECES

GROWING EXPONTENTIALLY!

L

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

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

There’s only one way to be at the forefront of the trends— and From matchmaking suppliers with buyers to platforming new products, we once again played host to the annual Convenience and Impulse Retailing Expo in August. The event proved itself yet again to be the essential show on the industry’s calendar as visitors from around the country attended the C&I Expo in Sydney as well as the AACS Summit and Gala Dinner.

Businesses and brands showcased their latest product developments and some of the key trends that continue to have traction are product ‘partnerships’ between brands as well as the continuing emphasis on ‘wellness’.

In addition to the usual Expo events, the C&I Industry Symposium offered a chance

to hear from decision-makers at three of Australia’s leading petrol and convenience retailers. The topic for this year’s talkfest was, ‘Doing your own thing’. Feedback from the event was that it gave guests the genuine opportunity and time to reflect on their own brands and how they might do things in the future that are a little bit ‘outside of the box’. If at the end of the day, this results in identifying and attracting new customers, then you can’t ask for more than that!

The other big news, of course, was that we took the show across the Ditch for the inaugural C&I New Zealand Expo 2019. The response from the local industry to September’s event in Auckland was overwhelmingly positive – and we’ve already started planning for the next one!

In other developments, you may have noticed that I’m a new face here at C&I. Being my first edition as editor, I’m looking forward to getting to know you all in the coming months and taking a deep dive into this energizing industry. Feel free to get in touch!

Enjoy the issue,

Joan-Maree jm@c-store.com.au

Skye Jackson, Darren Park

48 INDUSTRY NEWS

C&I Expo Sydney, C&I Expo Auckland, JB Distributors’ annual awards, IGA Awards of Excellence

62 SPECIAL FEATURE: IN-STORE SECURITY Minimising in-store theft to lift profits

66 PETROL NEWS

Dan Armes, Puma Energy, Chargefox

71 SUPPLY FIND 4 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Safa de Valois

James Wells

Keith Berg

Ben Curtis

Jeremy Gough

PRIME TIME

For PURABON, snacking is natural Australian made and owned, PURABON protein and probiotic balls are packed with natural ingredients, rich nutrients, and most importantly, real flavour. PURABON is snacking with a purpose; empty calories aren’t in their vocabulary. Every ingredient is there for a reason, and a good one at that.

It’s no nonsense, nutrient-dense, plant-based products that’ll make your customers reconsider their stance on 'health food'.

PURABON is about taking something undeniably healthy and making it so delicious, you almost mistake it for a guilty pleasure. It’s clean eating that doesn’t have to scare you away – quick, convenient, and delicious solutions to everyday snacking.

The PURABON protein and probiotic range is vegan, gluten and dairy free. With both retail and foodservice offerings available, and no minimum order, these delicious balls will make the perfect addition to your snack food offering, regardless of whether you have a convenience store, milk bar, café or quick service restaurant.

Available through Metcash, The Distributors or direct via orders@purabon.com.au or 0434 723 450.

IASPOS is POS+CRM+Simple ERP+Smart CCTV! IASPOS includes a cash smart video camera, fingerprint, phone app and online store. It provides face recognition customer loyalty as well as staff login, sign in and out. It provides stock control, sales, purchases, deep retail data mining and analysis, wages, marketing and accounting.

The cash drawer is automatically linked with cameras and your phone.

From your phone you can trace any suspected employee by watching his separate videos/data. It provides shift reports and videos, cancelled sales and refund which will be sent to your phone.

It provides open cash drawer, sign in/out, cash out and payments videos to your phone. It provides separate night and morning videos to make sure the worker is in the shop and not asleep.

It can show you if the worker sold something without the software video and have it sent to your phone.

All your data, videos, fingerprints are saved on your PCs, under your control. Any changes in IASPOS can be made at your request because it is developed by Systems Package.

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

Majors Group has introduced Smartflex professional refrigeration, the exclusive technology patented by ISA that enhances product visibility but significantly lowers power consumption. Thanks to its revolutionary system of mobile wings that open ‘on demand’, Smartflex technology introduces a new concept of display units into the world of professional refrigeration.

Taking a conventional wall-mounted display unit as a reference, with the Smartflex technology, depending on use, it can obtain energy savings of over 40%.

The door opening speed has become even more intelligent. When customers get close to the unit, the Smartflex will open and close the doors quickly and efficiently without wasting time. Therefore, it is possible to customise the distance and the automatic opening time of the doors.

Smartflex combines the advantages of accessibility of a refrigeration counter without doors with the necessity to reduce consumption and environmental impact, that is guaranteed by the doors.

KITKAT goes for GOLD GOLD GOLD!

Catch any worker who steals your money!

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

Majors introduces Smartflex

In 2018, KITKAT GOLD delighted consumers with the rich golden caramelised flavours combined with the snap of a KITKAT wafer. Only available as a Limited Edition in the Impulse channel, stocks of the Gold variant sold through quickly with shoppers clamouring for more.

In 2019, the Gold platform has returned – with a twist! KITKAT has launched NEW KITKAT GOLD WHIRL! Crisp wafer fingers covered in swirls of golden white & Milk Chocolate; all on a golden choc base. Your favourite caramelised break is back! With a Twist.

KITKAT Gold Whirl is available in a 65g Sharebar, 45g Medium Bar along with a 170g block. The Original KITKAT Gold 170g Block & 45g four finger medium bar are now also available in the Impulse channel.

Delighting consumers again with their favourite Gold Choc; KITKAT continues to give it a (Golden) Whirl!

Editor at Large: Keith Berg

Features Editor: Jeremy Gough

Editor: Joan-Maree Hargreaves

Graphic Designer: Adrian Tipper

Account Manager: Ben Curtis

Contributor: Simon King

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October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 5

25-26

AUGUST 2020

Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre C&I Expo brings retailers and suppliers together over two big days of business.

The retailer audience consists of owners and operators of convenience stores, service stations, independent supermarkets, corner stores, newsagents. mini marts and foodservice stores that have a convenience offer. Suppliers and wholesalers are also more than welcome to exhibit and attend.

Visitors experience the latest in convenience products, services and merchandising.

For more information visit www.candiexpo.com.au

SAVE THE DATES For Australia’s largest and most important trade event for Convenience retailers

Media pty. LTd.

ORGANISED BY: Interpoint Events Pty Ltd in conjunction with C&I Media Pty Ltd and the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores 41 Bridge Road Glebe NSW 2037 Ph: 1300 789 845 | Fax: 02 9660 4419 Email: exhibition@c-store.com.au www.c-store.com.au

FACE TIME

FUELED BY HARD WORK

Skye Jackson’s strong work ethic has driven her more than decade-long career at Caltex where she now heads the company’s merchandise planning Because of my working-class upbringing, my hobby growing up was working...”

Skye’s ‘best work day ever’ with her French bulldogs, Maximus and Layla

S

kye Jackson, the youngest of four, grew up in North Queensland and was raised in a small town called Grasstree Beach with a population of 600.

“When many of my private-school mates were getting new cars from their parents after graduation, I was putting the finishing touches on a Datsun 120Y I helped rebuild with my parents out of wreck ruins from the tip. We bought three cars in total. We paid $70 for one car that we used for the ‘mag’ wheels alone! We did all the panel beating ourselves, fixed the started motor, fitted it out with a stereo. The only thing we didn’t do ourselves was the spray-painting.

My Mum and Dad worked really, really hard. They struggled to pay for me to go to a private school in Mackay, but I wasn’t from a rich mining family like many of my schoolmates. My upbringing was very traditional for the time, although both my parents worked. My mum worked in a ‘servo’ when I was a kid, so things do come full circle. My father worked for Rothmans.

We always joke that, ‘cigarettes paid for my schooling’.

Because of my working-class upbringing, my hobby growing up was working. My first job was working at a fish and chip shop at the age of 13! It was cash in hand. At 15 I got my first legitimate job at Just Jeans, so I’ve worked in retail since I’ve been able to work.

When I finished school, I moved from Mackay to Brisbane to do a business degree at Queensland University of Technology.

Six months into it I had the realisation that when you come out with a business degree, it’s not like being a doctor or a dentist.

You aren’t really qualified to do anything as such. So, I decided 8 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

I needed more time to get experience. I dropped to part-time study and got a job as a sales rep with Adidas.

I continued doing the business degree part-time slowly and painfully, like my recent MBA which took me 6 years to finish!

I was with Adidas for four years, and then I did a very short stint in a start-up business, set up by the ex-Vice President of Adidas International. He started a business selling football boots, but I quickly realised it was too soon in the start-up to have me on board. So, then I moved into a business development role with a pool chemical business. I was there for 3.5 years – so I know how to balance your water.

In 2006, I got my first job working at Caltex as a Business Manager for the LPG part of our business. I quickly moved into a business manager role working directly with franchisees. I’ve always said, being a business manager is one of the most difficult roles of my career because you have to be the jack of all trades. The role demands knowledge of all areas of the business, not only are you responsible to drive sales and profit but you also need to have knowledge about the fuel systems, health and safety, managing people, repairs and maintenance and the list could go on. It was definitely the

A younger Skye (broken arm from falling out of a tree!) with her brother, sister and Dad at home in Grasstree Beach Skye with her fiancé, David, on a snowboarding trip

Before...

...and after – the Datsun 120Y

FACE TIME FEATURE most diverse and the most challenging role I’ve ever had, and I learnt a lot in that time.

In 2011, I relocated with Caltex to Melbourne and took on the role as Operations Support Manager. While I was there, I started an MBA with Monash University. I loved Melbourne except for the cold, it’s such a lovely city. Coming from Queensland, it was nice to get that change. But the cold was very hard, I still had flannelette sheets on my bed in December!

My next move was north, relocating with Caltex once more to Sydney to take on the role of National Franchise Development Manager in 2014. I was leading the overall franchise relationship and strategy when Caltex still had a large franchise network.

When I moved to Sydney, I also needed to find a new university to continue with my MBA and Sydney University were prepared to give me three credits. Thankfully, I finally finished it in June this year.

I am thinking of doing more study in the future. I’d like to do a Masters in Finance. For me it’s really not about getting a piece of paper. It is all about the learning. I will take my time. I’ve always approached it in that manner, that’s why it takes me so long to finish! I’m thinking of starting next year but it will be slow. I like learning and I always want to go back and do more. I chose to do the MBA course face-toface because I thought it was important to get exposure to other people and other roles in other industries outside of my own. That really enabled me to network in other areas

Advice for retailers Get to know your customers, the art of meeting their needs is really understanding who they are and how their lifestyles drive their shopping missions.

For support staff, get into the stores more often, work a shift and really see how your customers engage in the offers and products you have.

Differentiate by offering local, this can be in the products you offer specifically meeting the needs of the demographic area you are in, as well as how you bring to life a ‘local’ feel in your stores. Knowing your customers' coffee orders as an example has a big impact on making the customer feel at home in your store.

Advice for suppliers Work with your retailers to understand their strategy and help them to deliver on this.

The challenges we face in our channel are shared.

Logistics for example, particularly in the growing fresh food category, hinders our ability to deliver consistent offers at an acceptable cost to serve. This is where I think the economics concept of 'coopetition' can be useful, it’s a form of cooperative competition that is about looking for ways to find synergies by partnering with your competitors. There are definitely opportunities in our sector to leverage cooperative competition particularly if you look at areas like supply chain.

Make sure your NPD is focused on meeting the needs of consumers and back this up with research, space is a premium in stores and retailers will be focused on making sure every product that gets a position in store meets a defined shopping mission.

Skye, David and their fur-babies

of business. I found that the people you meet along the way are an equally valuable source of learning to the content of the course itself.

After the National Franchise Development Manager position, I then became Caltex’s Regional Manager for NSW North where I had overall responsibility for that area.

Coming up through the operational roles really gives you a good grounding, it’s definitely a good pathway to take. It was nothing particularly new, just bigger.

It was in the role that things really kicked in. I was spending a lot of time on other projects. In 2016 I was part of the team that brought to life Caltex’s new retail strategy, and that included the group that developed ‘The Foodary’ concept.

There were challenges in this for me. Being an operator and having always had roles that were largely focused on delivering and making things happen, working on a project like this was a definite change of pace. It’s a long game in delivering something big, as opposed to getting the more regular small wins you see in operations. It is absolutely something I am really proud to have been a part of in my career so far.

I spent time working on other projects across the company, including how our people strategies could be more efficient. I did day shifts and night shifts on the floor because I knew it was really important to understand what people were actually doing in-store. Only by doing that could I understand how we could improve and streamline processes in our stores. I have never shied away from working hard and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.

From there I became Head of The Foodary Roll-out, leading the roll-out of stores across the country, managing performance, taking learnings along the way and implementing them as we go.

I’ve since moved into my current role as Head of Merchandise Planning for Caltex. My role here manages our range and space team, along with our promotions and pricing strategy team. On top of this I am leading the Caltex Woolworths Metro implementation and I’m also leading the implementation of the wholesale arrangements that we have agreed with Woolworths for our entire network. Yes. I’m busy.

Luckily, I like the variety, no two days are ever the same – and I like problem solving and there’s plenty of that to do!” C&I

I did day shifts and night shifts on the floor because I knew it was really important to understand what people were actually doing in-store. Only by doing that could I understand how we could improve and streamline processes in our stores.”

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 9

FEATURE U.K. STORE REVIEW

GREGGS EMBRACES FOOD-TO-GO TREND

With more than 2,000 stores across the UK, Greggs has moved from its bakery roots to the food-to-go market. Simon King sat down with chief executive Roger Whiteside OBE.

By Simon King in Newcastle, U.K.

E

ighty years ago, John Gregg started out with one goal, to deliver, by pushbike, fresh eggs and yeast to the families of Newcastle in Northern England.

A decade later, he chained up his bike and opened Greggs of Gosforth. Making, baking and selling fresh bread and tasty treats from his very own shop on Gosforth High Street and there’s still a Greggs there today.

Speaking to Convenience & Impulse Retailing in his office in Newcastle, Roger Whiteside said: “Over the years, Greggs opened more shops across the country and we looked for ways we could make Greggs even better.

“Our menu changed with the nation’s taste – who’d have thought of freshly ground Fairtrade Espresso from Greggs. We added calories to our menu (before we had to) and we provided free Wi-Fi – that’s been voted the best on the high street.”

Greggs opened its 2,000th shop in August. In the three months to September 28, Greggs reported the rate of year-on-year sales growth moderated as it came up against stronger comparative sales from the previous year, but sales were still up strongly, driven predominantly by growth in customer numbers.

12 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Roger Whiteside OBE Roger Whiteside, the chief executive of Greggs, is a retail thoroughbred. He joined Marks & Spencer in 1979, and worked with Sir Richard Greenbury, helping to set-up the Simply Food division and later became head of the food division at M&S. He then helped to set up online retailer Ocado in 2000, which sold products, and delivered, on behalf of Waitrose. He became chief executive of Greggs on February 4, 2013.

U.K. STOREFEATURE REVIEW As an elder statesman of the high street, Greggs has flexed its muscles and, increasingly, stores are popping up in retail parks, shopping centres, industrial estates, roadside locations and key transport hubs including motorway service stations, petrol forecourts, train stations, underground stations and airports. It’s also trialling home delivery in selected areas of the UK. Roger said that the company, which employs 23,000 people, is trialling a number of shops later into the evening, supported by an extended range of great value ‘post-4pm’ deals.

“At the latest trading update, we announced that this initiative was being trialled in 60 stores, with plans to extend to a total of 100 by the end of 2019. Trading in those stores are extended from 6pm to 9pm.”

Looking ahead, the store development program is moving apace, with ambitious expansion plans.

Roger said: “In the 13 weeks to September 28, 2019 total sales grew by 12.4% (2018: 7.3%) and like-for-like sales in companymanaged shops increased by 7.4% (2018: 3.2%).

“Total sales grew by 13.9% in the nine months to September 28, 2019 and like-for-like sales increased by 9.4%.”

Roger continued: “We’ve come a long way from serving freshly baked products to working families around Newcastle in the 1930s. But we’re just as keen for Greggs to have a positive impact on people’s lives today as we were then.

“With ambitions to grow to over 2,500 shops nationwide and ownership of our supply chain, we are in a unique position to make good, freshly prepared food accessible to everyone.

Total sales grew by 13.9% in the nine months to September 28, 2019 and likefor-like sales increased by 9.4%.”

Roger Whiteside OBE, Greggs

Roger said: “In the year to September 28, 2019 we opened 56 net new shops, opening 90 new shops and closing 34 shops, giving a total of 2,009 shops. This consisted 1,724 company-managed shops and 285 franchised units.

“We passed the 2,000-shop landmark in August with the opening of our new shop at South Shields Interchange. For the year as a whole, we expect around 90 net openings, of which around 40 are planned to be with franchise partners.”

Out of Roger’s control is Brexit, and the potential of severing its ties from the European Union, which has dominated the domestic agenda for the last 42 months.

Greggs is a brand for everyone – from schoolchildren to tradesmen stocking up before heading to their work.

Greggs has announced that it is preparing to stockpile bacon and tuna – and has switched to buying all its cheese and most of its sugar in the UK – as the retailer tries to avert shortages in the event of a chaotic Brexit. Roger said the company has leased extra warehouse space and in October it began building additional stocks of ingredients vulnerable to hold-ups at the UK’s ports.

This mixed customer base is great for Greggs, but is sure to give the retailer a challenge: “We work hard to evolve our offer and keep pace with changing customer demands and behaviour, using insight from our award-winning loyalty app – Greggs Rewards – and our dedicated customer insight team,” said Roger.

That said, Roger has made it clear that stockpiling would only help to avert shortages for a few days. “There’s not much we can do,” he said. “We don’t have long-life items in the way that others do and we can’t stockpile fruit and vegetables and salads. Bacon has more shelf life so we can hold it for a few days.

There is no doubt that the world has changed in a short space of time; the way we shop and our food-on-the go eating habits have too. Greggs, which has a presence on most UK high streets, was quick to react, by building on its existing estate of shops to take Greggs where customers wanted it to be.

Roger said the purchase of some delivery lorries has also been brought forward to avoid any potential problems with shipping the vehicles from Europe after the Brexit deadline of October 31.

“By managing our own logistics operation, we can remain focused on the customer, delivering what they need.”

Roger said: “While Greggs is a strong and trusted brand that goes way back – to become the customers’ favourite for food-on-thego, we knew we had to get people thinking and feeling differently about us. To achieve this, we decided to put the customers at the heart of our strategy. “We are dedicated to becoming the customer's favourite for food on the go. We offer good, honest food that our customers can trust, at affordable prices.”

In January 2019, Greggs launched a vegan sausage roll which has proved extremely popular and has already become one of the chain’s top sellers.

Roger said: “We’ve converted ourselves from a traditional bakery business to a modern food-on-the-go brand with new shops, extended seating, extended trading hours, Wi-Fi, better products, better value and we’re more in touch with where the customers are today.” C&I October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 13

Jeff Rogut AACS CEO

CHAMPIONING CONVENIENCE

AT THE AACS ANNUAL AWARDS

The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) recently honoured the high-profile operators, young stars, industry leading brands and emerging innovators at the AACS Gala & Awards Dinner in Sydney.

U Our challenge is to embrace this change. If we do so with a positive outlook and a foundation in customer service, year-onyear growth for the Australian convenience industry is more than possible.”

- Jeff Rogut, AACS CEO

nderpinning the night’s festivities was this year’s theme of Embrace Change, as around 700 of the Australian convenience industry’s best came together at The Star in Darling Harbour to recognise the most outstanding individual and company efforts in a big year for the sector.

The AACS Gala & Awards Dinner followed the AACS Convenience Leaders Summit held at the Sydney Convention Centre. The Summit is perhaps the most important date in the Australian convenience calendar and attendees heard from a range of inspirational speakers from both inside and outside the industry, and also received a detailed briefing on brand-new research commissioned by AACS on convenience shopper attitudes, motivations and behaviours.

Encompassing the views of more than 2,000 shoppers, the research provides an in-depth dive into the convenience customer, digging deeper than ever before to understand the people who use our channel.

It sheds new light on a host of critical questions. Are convenience shoppers predominately men or women? How old are they? How often do they visit? What are they are buying when they do? And importantly, what else can we help them with?

The full research report is available now.

According to AACS CEO Jeff Rogut, the Convenience Leaders Summit and Gala Awards take on new meaning each year as the convenience industry – and retail in general – evolves at a rapid pace.

“The landscape for the retailers and suppliers in our industry is changing before our eyes. New technology, different expectations from customers, the rise of certain

16 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

AACS Women in Convenience Awards – Store Operator of the Year Award Winner, Melanie Stocker, 7-Eleven

AACS CEO Jeff Rogut and C&I Media’s Publisher & Commerical Director Safa de Valois

Supplier of the Year, Beverages, Winner – Frucor Suntory

AACS AWARDS – ALL WINNERS BY CATEGORY Check out the full list of this year’s AACS Awards winners. And the winner goes to…

AACS SUPPLIER AWARDS AACS Women in Convenience Awards, Woman of the Year Award Winner – Lisa Birch, 7-Eleven

Food on the Go Finalists: Mrs Mac’s, Handmade Food Co, Patties Foods Winner: Patties Foods Beverages Finalists: Coca-Cola Amatil, Frucor Suntory, Red Bull Winner: Frucor Suntory Confectionery Finalists: Nestle, Ferrero, Mondelez International Winner: Mondelez International

AACS Retailer of the Year Grand Champion Winner – BP

categories and decline of others, shifting regulations for specific products and the role our stores can play in people’s lives are all changing,” Mr Rogut said.

“Our challenge is to embrace this change. If we do so with a positive outlook and a foundation in customer service, year-on-year growth for the Australian convenience industry is more than possible,” he said.

The most recent figures suggest convenience operators which are embracing these changes are seeing the benefits.

The AACS State of the Industry 2019 Mid Year Review – an important health check for the industry at large – shows that, against the background of challenging economic conditions generally, and for retailers in particular, the convenience channel has delivered growth of 2.0 per cent in moving annual turnover (MAT) for the year to date.

Food service and hot beverages have been specific standouts in terms of categories as our industry’s innovations in fresh food and coffee bear fruit.

At this stage, in hot beverages, our operators are eclipsing the full year 2018 growth result of +14.6%, up to 16% in the last quarter.

Food service continues its strong growth performance within convenience, recording growth of 8.6% MAT to the half year. Take home meals had strong MAT growth of 16.4%, sandwiches growth is 11.1% MAT and hot food is up 7% on a MAT basis.

The benefits of evolving and innovating with the customer in mind are clear. The AACS State of the Industry 2019 Mid Year Review is also available exclusive to AACS Members section at www.aacs.org.au.

Next on the AACS agenda is the refreshed 2019 AACS Convenience Store Simulation Program, to be held over two fully-catered days at the PARKROYAL at Melbourne Airport.

Any convenience professionals wanting to join our experienced facilitators for this hands-on, results-focused program to enhance your skills, knowledge and experience should again contact jeff@aacs.org.au. It’s on November 19 and 20.

There’s never a dull moment for our dynamic channel. C&I

Distributors Finalists: Metcash, The Distributors, PFD Food Services Winner: The Distributors Grocery & GM Finalists: Pacific Optics, Repco Winner: Pacific Optics Snacking Finalists: Peters, PepsiCo, Vitaco Winner: PepsiCo

AACS RETAILER OF THE YEAR GRAND CHAMPION Finalists: AA, BP, 7-Eleven Winner: BP

AACS PETER JOWETT CONVENIENCE INDUSTRY AWARDS Finalists: Retailer Carlos Mahecha, 7-Eleven Cindy Truong, BP Christine Chiu, BP Finalists: Suppliers Jessie Donovan, Optus Chris Barr, CMA Daniel Gledhill, Philip Morris Winners: Retailer: Carlos Mahecha, 7-Eleven Supplier: Jessie Donovan, Optus

AACS WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE AWARDS Rising Star Award Winner: Mary Anne Flouskas, BP Store Operator of the Year Award Winner: Melanie Stocker, 7-Eleven

Telecommunications Finalists: Optus, Vodafone Winner: Optus

Woman of the Year Award Winner: Lisa Birch, 7-Eleven

Tobacco Finalists: Richland Express, Philip Morris, Imperial Tobacco Winner: Philip Morris

Winner: Darren Norman

AACS SUMMIT STUDY TOUR PRIZE

AACS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR GRAND CHAMPION Finalists: Patties Foods, PepsiCo, The Distributors Winner: PepsiCo

AACS RETAILER AWARDS Company Operated Store of the Year Finalists: 7-Eleven Roxburgh Park (VIC), BP Penrith (NSW), OTR Fullarton (SA) Winner: BP Penrith Franchise/Independent Store of the Year Finalists: 7-Eleven Hallam (VIC), Shell Bomaderry (NSW), APCO Newcomb (VIC) Winner: 7-Eleven Hallam

Supplier of the Year Grocery & GM Winner – Pacific Optics

Supplier of the Year Snacking Winner – PepsiCo

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 17

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

PROTEIN BARS

PACKING A PROTEIN PUNCH! Protein bars continue to punch above their weight in the convenience and impulse channel It is clear that underpinning the impressive global growth of sports nutrition is a broadening of how consumers use and interact with these products.”

- Ross Webb, Vitaco Health Group

T

here’s no better product to illustrate the health and wellness aspirations of convenience shoppers than the protein bar. As consumer desires for ‘good for you’ products continue to influence decision-making, protein-dense products are ensuring their meteoric rise in popularity through the convenience and impulse channel continues for years to come.

NOT JUST GYM JUNKIES OR HEALTHOBSESSED MILLENNIALS Recent research by Neilsen and The George Institute found that ‘Protein, a compound that builds and repairs muscle tissue, is driving a health food craze sweeping the globe’.

One company that is riding the protein boom is the traditional health food company, Vitaco Health Group, with its Musashi range of protein products.

“It is clear that underpinning the impressive global growth of sports nutrition is a broadening of how consumers use and interact with these products,” said Vitaco Health Group’s Ross Webb, Brand/Partnership Manager for Musashi.

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Over the last decade, protein-dense ‘nutrition foods’ have ceased to be exclusive to a small core of consumers interested in muscle building as they once were.

“Instead, a larger grouping of casual users and healthy living enthusiasts interested in broader active nutrition goals have emerged as a critical class of consumers that continues to drive trends in this space,” said Webb.

This consumer demand is leading to an expanding product mix of sports nutrition products and on-the-go snack-based options such as sports protein bars.

“This expansion of sports nutrition around new consumer groups has proven enormously successful in recent years,” said Webb.

“Protein is an important element that supports fitness progress.

Therefore, consumers are choosing weight management and energy products, such as protein bars, to remain fit and healthy.

Owing to higher nutrition levels in protein bars, they are gaining prominence among the health-conscious consumers, as a

PROTEIN BARS nutritious protein bar can provide the ideal protein balance for a busy and healthy lifestyle,” said Webb.

Interestingly research shows that protein-savvy shoppers are from a range of demographics, not just health-obsessed millennials.

According to Nielsen data people who claim that protein is a “must have” or “good to have” in their grocery purchases, are more likely to be families with children aged 6 -18 or senior couples, the main shopper is 34-55 years old, they’re from cosmopolitan centres and of below average or high affluence.

“Protein bars have been positioned around practically every active consumer group, from men/women to children, while legacy sports nutrition brands such as Musashi are getting in on the action by releasing a range of bars as more snack-like and fun with the introduction of their 'Deluxe' range, while maintaining all the desired macronutrient profiles of a functional protein bar,” said Wells.

Musashi’s Deluxe Protein bar includes a minimum of 20g of protein and is covered in milk chocolate with a ‘dessert inspired layer and a soft fudge textured centre’.

There is also a trend toward supplementing meals with bars to increase protein intake without adding unnecessary calories or carbohydrates, according to Webb.

“These fitness trends are expected to augment the demand for protein bars, as they play a major role in providing essential

nutrients and proteins, increase energy levels, and enhance muscle mass,” said Webb.

The effect this protein trend has had on sales internationally is clear. In the United States, sales of products with protein claims are growing. Protein produce with “high protein” on its packaging saw a 157% increase year on year, according to Neilsen data.

Tim Xenos of Olympian Products and Distribution said its range of NatureTech bars, which are about to launch in Australia, have had great success in Europe where they are the fastest selling protein bars in the market with high resales.

The NatureTech range includes Salted Caramel, Strawberries & Cream, Peanut Butter and Cookies & Cream. There are also two jumbo PowerPro Plus 80g bars, in Coconut Smoothie and Forest Fruit Smoothie flavours, with enhanced protein per bar.

“The biggest sellers of the range are the 80gm Power Pro protein bars in chocolate, peanut butter and salted caramel, and demand across all the other varieties is strong,” said Xenos.

NatureTech emphasize the compelling health benefits of its product offering vitamins like C, B1, B2, B6, D3, A and magnesium and collagen.

The hero product in the NatureTech range, according to Xenos, is the Power Pro Plus protein bars with 30% protein isolate and fibre. “It’s jumbo in all sorts of ways!,” he said.

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PROTEIN BARS

They’re looking closely at not just the levels of protein they get, but what other health benefits might be included: it’s no longer enough just to have ‘protein’ written on the wrapper.”

- Tim Xenos, Olympian Products and Distribution

THE IMPORTANCE OF PACKAGING: MORE THAN JUST PROTEIN According to Neilsen and The George Institute, “With demand for high protein foods growing, packaging is playing a vital role in informing consumers and driving sales”.

“When packaging includes specific protein claims, there is significantly more growth. For example, in the past year, nutritious snacks (like muesli bars) that have protein claims on pack saw 5.8% growth while products that qualify for protein claims but do not use it on pack grew just 3.2%.

However, with more and more protein bars on the market, consumers are becoming more discerning. “They want the right texture and genuinely healthy ingredients,” said Xenos. “They’re looking closely at not just the levels of protein they get, but what other health benefits might be included: it’s no longer enough just to have ‘protein’ written on the wrapper.”

AT A GLANCE

“It’s such a crowded market so it’s good for our retailers to know that all NatureTech bars are 80gm, gluten and palm oil free,” said Xenos. “They offer a wide range of flavours, plus added benefits like collagen, vitamins, magnesium, fibre and even caffeine.”

• Protein is driving a health food craze sweeping the globe.

BEYOND THE CAFÉ TOWARD CONVENIENCE ON-THE-GO

• Consumer demand is leading to an expanding product mix of sports nutrition products and on-the-go snackbased option.

• There is a trend toward supplementing meals with bars to increase protein intake without adding unnecessary calories or carbohydrates • Packaging is playing a vital role in informing consumers and driving sales.

• Consumers are looking closely at not just the levels of protein they get, but what other health benefits might be included.

The protein boom has also seen the emergence of newer local start-up brands who are capitalising on the demand for on the go snacks. The Purabon protein range hit the market in 2014 and has gone from a café-only offering to its current full-range retailconvenience product offering.

“My wife Nicole started the company five years ago. She was looking for a healthier sweet or snack that she could have at a café,” said Kerin O’Brien, co-owner of Purabon.

“She created a range of balls that she then tested with our local cafes in Melbourne. It was something that I could take to work, and it was popular with our kids for school and it ticked off all the boxes,” The company soon grew large enough to start production in a factory and that’s when Kerin joined his wife, Nicole, full-time.

“We also had a call for more of that ‘grab and go’ convenience angle,” said O’Brien. The feedback was, these are great to have in a café but it would be great if we could have them wrapped and we can have them as we go.”

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The protein ball range includes Choc Brownie, Hazelnut Cacao, Peanut Butter and Salted Caramel.

“Our Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter and Choc Brownie protein balls are all favourites with consumers in the petrol/convenience space,” said O’Brien. “Salted Caramel is definitely the crowd favourite!”

“For the convenience market in particular, our target market is aspirational, health-conscious people who still want a delicious treat, but they don’t want to feel guilty about it,” said O’Brien.

“Those people are busy people. They don’t always go to cafés which we service. They don’t always go to a health-food store to buy grocery items,” he said. “We’re not in the majors. We want to be there for everyone, we want to be in the independents, we want to be where our customers are.”

“Whether it’s a tradie with their morning coffee and sausage roll or a school kid in the afternoon with their frozen coke, they can have something as a healthy snack that goes along with that.”

New to market for Purabon is a range of probiotic balls. These include Apricot Delight, Coconut Cacao and Matcha Cacao.

O’Brien explained that the company’s real point of difference is their dedication to high quality ingredients. For instance, they source organic matcha from Japan and organic coconut from a Sri Lankan family farm. They also have their nuts freshly roasted and then they grind them themselves before they mix them into the product.

“We don’t skimp on any of the ingredients, we pay more for that, but you can taste it and we’ve built a cult following with our range of protein balls,” said O’Brien.

“There’s a lot of competitors in the market and where we’re different is, that that ball that Nicole first made in the kitchen with a Thermomix and a Kitchen-Aid, you still get that quality of ingredients and you still get that quality of taste even though we’re now in a HACCP-accredited food manufacturing facility.”

“They’re getting a homemade product still and that’s the difference.”

As Australian shoppers continue to seek out various products to satisfy their growing health and wellness interests, protein will continue to be a key purchase driver. C&I *Convenience and Impulse Retailing would like to thank Vitaco Health Group, Olympian Products and Distribution and Purabon for supplying information for this article.

WITH

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Contact Olympian Products & Distribution on 1800 413 711 or admin@olympianproducts.com

CARBONATED BEVERAGES

BUBBLING AWAY Carbonated beverages are still driving convenience profits

D

espite fierce competition for space in the chiller and rapidly changing consumer preferences, the everresilient carbonated beverages category remains one of the most reliable profit drivers in convenience.

The facts speak for themselves. Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSDs) continue to be the second largest beverage category in the channel, making up 25.6% of total ready-to-drink beverage sales (IRI MarketEdge Scan Data MAT to July, 19).

According to the most recent State of the Industry Report from the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), the beverages category as a whole has grown in importance with basket penetration increasing to 73% in 2018. The report reveals that 48% of convenience shoppers indicated their main mission in visiting a store was to buy a drink, and that the average spend with beverages in basket was $9.50 per visit.

Little wonder then that convenience store operators have continued to focus plenty of attention on how to maximise carbonated soft drinks sales, and on lifting basket size around them.

Central to this strategy has been to capitalise on the rise of food-on-the go in convenience. With so many stores seeking to counteract declines in other categories by improving their hot food offer, the importance of beverages as a potential accompaniment has grown accordingly.

As Australians live ever-more frantic lifestyles, on-the-go consumers are increasingly turning to convenience to quickly and efficiently satisfy their hunger and to quench their thirst.

The Convenience Measures Australia (CMA) Convenience Shopper Report 2019 revealed that 28% of all carbonated soft drink 24 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

purchases in convenience are accompanied with food on the go.

The CMA research also showed that cola soft drinks deliver the highest cross purchase penetration with food on the go.

Soft drinks have been an easy target for people looking at sugar content and a gradual reduction means that people’s palates are being conditioned to the change.”

Harris Spyrou, Tru Blu Beverages

Asahi Lifestyle Beverages boasts a broad portfolio of soft drink brands including Schweppes, Pepsi Max, Solo, Sunkist and Mountain Dew. The company’s National Sales Manager Convenience, Jason Shackleton, had this message for petrol and convenience operators.

“As the evolution of food for now and food for later continues to grow, think about how to incorporate carbonated soft drinks into the offer through meal deals and bundled offers to drive basket weight,” he said. “Promotions absolutely play a role in beverages and continue to be important… multi-buy and ‘two for’ promotions are generally preferred.”

Coca-Cola Amatil’s General Manager of Petrol & Convenience Stores, Dave Burton, said it was also vitally important that convenience stores offered a selection of pack sizes and formats to meet key shopper needs on different occasions.

“In the convenience channel these can be anything from a small pack for a quick pick me up, to a 600ml as a meal accompaniment, to a multi-serve pack for events and gettogethers,” he said. “Carbonated soft drinks are a huge share of the convenience market… however we have seen a decline in large multipacks followed by the growth of new portioncontrolled pack sizes, including our 250ml offerings.”

As consumers become increasingly environmentally conscious, there has also been strong support for 100% recycled materials.

In June, Coca-Cola Amatil announced it was producing Australia’s first carbonated soft drink bottles made from 100% recycled

CARBONATED BEVERAGES customers have different preferences,” said the spokesperson. “If stores stock a wide range, then this means that they could drive their sales upwards.”

Sparkling Beverages says the competitive advantage that convenience stores have over supermarkets is that they offer a more convenient shopping experience so operators should ensure a clean store layout, not over clutter the aisle, and make it as easy as possible for in-a-hurry shoppers to get to the fridge.

The company says promotions are also hugely effective in driving carbonated beverage sales.

plastic. By the end of this year, it says seven out of 10 of its plastic bottles in Australia will be made from 100% recycled materials.

Asahi Lifestyle Beverages says the predominant pack format in CSD is still 600ml PET, with cans being the fastest growing pack type within the convenience channel.

While new formats and packaging are emerging, the biggest change in the carbonated beverages category has been the rapid growth of the low sugar and no-sugar segment. In June 2018, the Australian Beverages Council stated that its members would reduce their use of sugar in beverages by 20% by 2025.

Jason Shackleton from Asahi Lifestyle Beverages said the avoidance of sugar was underpinning the shifts being seen in the soft drink landscape.

“With these shifts, we predict that the size of the zero sugar cola market will overtake the size of the full sugar cola market in the next three to five years,” he said. “There is still a way to go before the same pattern occurs in non-cola due to the sheer size and share of full sugar non-cola soft drinks.”

“One important strategy which is adapted by almost every convenience store operator is the snack bundling deal which combines a ready-made meal with a drink or a chocolate bar,” said a Sparkling Beverages spokesperson. “This offers value to the customer and may increase sales as buying any of these separately at a convenience store is comparatively more expensive than purchasing at a supermarket.”

With innovation and new products being so important in the category, low calorie and no sugar beverages are likely to continue to rise as manufacturers push the boundaries in developing new variants and flavours.

As the evolution of food for now and food for later continues to grow, think about how to incorporate carbonated soft drinks into the offer through meal deals and bundled offers to drive basket weight.”

Jason Shackleton, Asahi Lifestyle Beverages

Coca-Cola Amatil’s Dave Burton said there was a lot of interest in low- and no-sugar options, and products such as Coca-Cola No Sugar had sold strongly over the past two years.

“We’re also happy with new products like Coca-Cola Raspberry (Reduced Sugar), Coca-Cola Orange (No Sugar) and now CocaCola Vanilla (No Sugar),” he said. “Coca-Cola Energy, which has

Tru Blu Beverages – which boasts brands as Waterford’s, Riviera, Cha Cha Kombucha, and Supa Essentials – agrees that the category is changing quickly.

National Marketing Manager, Harris Spyrou says the industry’s commitment to a 20% reduction in sugars by 2025 is one part of an ongoing evolution.

“It is a fast moving industry with new products and new trends emerging all of the time,” he said. “Soft drinks have been an easy target for people looking at sugar content and a gradual reduction means that people’s palates are being conditioned to the change.”

Sparkling Beverages – whose top selling products include sparkling mineral water, sparkling soda water and cola – agrees that diet and low sugar beverages are becoming ever more sought after.

However, a spokesperson for the company said there would still always be a place for regular carbonated drinks.

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CARBONATED BEVERAGES

a no sugar variant has proven to bring new consumers to the energy category and bring channel value growth.”

AT A GLANCE • Carbonated soft drinks continue to be the second largest beverage category in the channel, making up 25.6% of total ready-to-drink beverage sales • The Australian Beverages Council stated that its members would reduce their use of sugar in their beverages by 20% by 2025.

• 28% of all carbonated soft drink purchases in convenience are accompanied with food on the go.

• Promotions absolutely play a role in beverages and continue to be important… multi-buy and ‘two for’ promotions are generally preferred.

“Kombucha tends to have a polarising flavour which appeals to some people while others find it tastes overly fermented, but our kombucha is more subtle so it has broader appeal.”

For its part, Asahi Lifestyle Beverages says its soft drinks portfolio has evolved to incorporate a new range of great tasting, betterfor-you alternatives. The company said new zero sugar products in the Schweppes, Solo and Sunkist brands had led to strong incremental sales. Similarly, the Schweppes Signature Series Adult Soft Drink, launched earlier this year, has proved extremely popular and its premium format has helped to bring younger shoppers back into soft drinks.

Tru Blu Beverages says its recently launched Waterford’s Lite & Fruity, an extension to its successful Waterford’s Diet range and it has been performing very strongly. The company’s other big sellers include the sparkling organic soft drinks in the Riviera range, Supa Essentials specialty juice, and the 250ml sparkling 99% fruit juice, Glee, which is currently sold in schools but which Tru Blu Beverages is also looking to roll out in other channels.

PepsiCo has just added Pepsi Max Creaming Soda to its Pepsi Max flavour range which already includes Pepsi Max Vanilla and Pepsi Max Raspberry. Carolyn Baveystock, PepsiCo ANZ Marketing Manager – Carbonated Soft Drinks said the release demonstrates its commitment to transforming its portfolio to meet changing consumer tastes.

In order to maximise the potential offered by carbonated beverages, convenience operators need to fully understand who buys it, when and why. The CMA Convenience Shopper Report 2019 revealed that 61% of cola CSD shoppers were male and 39% female. The average shopper age was 39. For non-cola CSD shoppers, the average age was 37, with 71% of shoppers being male and 21% women.

“We are excited to reveal the latest addition to the Pepsi Max flavours range,” she said. “We took the great taste and no sugar offering of Pepsi Max and paired it with the fun, sweet taste of creaming soda to delight our consumers.”

Carbonated soft drinks sell best after 10am once the morning coffee rush is over, and are also popular during the lunch period with the increase of food on the go.

Harris Spyrou from Tru Blu Beverages believes that the health and wellness trend will ensure further innovation in beverages.

“Products like kombucha are creating a lot of excitement and it pays for convenience stores to stay abreast of all the developments so that they can offer their customers greater variety and choice,” he said. “A lot of young people buy on impulse especially on trend products, so it is important for stores to stock a good range of these products.”

Tru Blu Beverages recently introduced its Cha Cha Kombucha which is a pre-biotic sparkling drink, as opposed to being probiotic like most kombuchas. Pro-biotics are live bacteria that can be found in fermented foods, while pre-biotics are a form of dietary fibre that act as a fertiliser for the good bacteria in the gut. The active sources of dietary fibre in Cha Cha are Acacia and Chicory “Cha Cha Kombucha offers something very different in a crowded market and the response has been really good,” said Mr Spyrou.

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Convenience consumers are generally time poor so carbonated beverages should be ranged in the refrigerator near the point of sale to maximise impulse sales. Clear and logical planograms that group carbonated beverages by category, brand or size will assist in their decision making process or entice them to make an impulse purchase.

The effective use of point of sale materials can also help communicate brand personality, drive trial and, crucially, influence the decision to purchase.

Despite the rise of the water, energy drinks, sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea and others – as well as a backlash against sugary drinks – the carbonated beverages category has evolved and remains critically important to convenience success. Stores which react to the trends and focus on range, presentation, and customer experience look set to reap the rewards from this evergreen category long into the future. C&I Convenience and Impulse Retailing magazine would like to thank Asahi Lifestyle Beverages, Coca-Cola Amatil, Tru Blu Beverages, PepsiCo, and Sparkling Beverages for supplying information for this article.

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SUGAR-FREE SNACKS

SWEET MOVE Sugar may be taking a back seat, but confectionery still delivers

More than one fifth of sugarconcerned Australian consumers are willing to pay more for low sugar.”

Aiste Karpaviciute, Senior Manager at Nielsen

W

hile consumers will always feel the need for the occasional treat, the health-inspired backlash against sugar is still having an impact in even the most indulgent of categories.

In confectionery and gum, sugar-free and reduced-sugar products are becoming ever more prevalent as manufacturers respond to changing demand. Customers may still crave high quality, great tasting confectionery but increasingly they want to be able to enjoy it ‘guilt free’.

Data analytics company, Nielsen, reports that nearly 30% of Australians are very concerned about sugar consumption.

Senior Manager at Nielsen, Aiste Karpaviciute, said consumers were also increasingly willing to pay higher prices for low sugar.

“More than one fifth of sugar-concerned Australian consumers are willing to pay more for low sugar,” she said. “The growth is also scattered across a range of demographics, demonstrating that the search for low sugar is not confined to one type of consumer, but instead a new Australian mainstream behaviour.”

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The presence of sugar free within the confectionery aisle then is set to increase as people look to pick up a treat without compromising on personal values or needs.

While sugar-free gum is now well established, innovation in other segments is also helping to drive growth in sugar free and reduced sugar. Allen’s has just released a 25% Less Sugar lolly range in response to what it says is soaring demand from Aussies for more natural ingredients. Allen’s Grubs features grub-shaped lollies in five individual fruity flavours, while Allen’s Strawbs features berry-flavoured strawberry shapes.

They have all-natural flavours and are made without any artificial colours or sweeteners.

Nestlé Head of Marketing Confectionery, Joyce Tan, said the total sugar had been reduced and substituted with a soluble dietary fibre.

“Our core range of jellies and sweets continues to be hugely loved and successful,” she said. “However, we know that concern around the amount of sugar we eat is top of mind for many consumers… they are looking to purchase reduced sugar products.”

SUGAR-FREE SNACKS Ms Tan said the new range does taste different to traditional Allen’s lollies but the company had spent a long time perfecting the flavours of each lolly. Although the Allen’s 25% Less Sugar range is currently available in Coles, Big W, and independent supermarkets, Ms Tan says there is certain to be a growing role for reduced sugar in convenience.

Another of the major confectionery players, Stuart Alexander, says the channel needs to make sure it doesn’t miss an opportunity.

“Despite healthy growth of no sugar or reduced sugar options in the share bags space in grocery, convenience has fallen behind in this space and we are not seeing this trend capitalising in the rest of the confectionery aisle,” said Stuart Alexander Category Executive, Carles Romagosa. “Sugar-free confectionery (excluding chocolate) has grown at double digit versus last year … the growth has come through a mix of increased households purchasing more better-for-you products, a price premium, but mostly through increased shopper frequency in store.”

Stuart Alexander has several brands with sugar-free variants within the confectionery space. Mentos Pure Fresh Gum, Fisherman’s Friend all have sugar-free options for consumers looking for a better-for-you option, and Werther’s Original has a no sugar-added variety.

The extension of popular brands from full sugar into sugar-free offerings has been successful as consumers recognise favourite brands and already have a level of trust and willingness to try new offerings in the ‘better for you’ space.

Confectionery giant Mars Wrigley says there is no reason why sugar-free products shouldn’t perform equally well across grocery and convenience, although it acknowledged there was often a difference between shoppers’ needs across the channels.

Ms Gazzola said that each brand and product plays a specific role in the consumer’s journey and needs in store.

“Sugared brands thrive in displays in the aisle and in disruptive displays around the store, especially around big events like Halloween and Christmas, as could be expected given the size of the category,” she said. “Sugar-free gum brands like Extra, however, are at home in the transaction zone and front of store serving as a reminder to consumers to freshen up before that big meeting, first date or when focusing during their next exam.”

In terms of consumption in the convenience channel there is an over index of purchasing during the morning as consumers go to work and pop by the petrol station or convenience store to grab a coffee and / or breakfast.

“Confectionery tends to be a go-to for many shoppers looking to either consume some type of gum, mint or candy treat either immediately or along the day,” said Stuart Alexander’s Carles Romagosa. “We don’t identify any major differences when talking about the time of day they purchase either a regular product or a sugar-free version as they both suit the same consumption need depending on their value scale when looking for a gum or a mint.”

According to the most recent State of the Industry report from the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), confectionery as a whole remains the most impulsive category with 28% of these shoppers buying more than they planned.

Mars Wrigley Australia’s Marketing Manager Gum, Michelle Gazzola, says a 20-something university student calling through an innercity convenience store to pick up some gum on their way out for the night is probably not looking for a multipack of gum, but rather a small compact pack which is going to fit in their pocket or bag.

“Convenience as a channel has typically catered to an ‘on-the-go’ format and need, as such small convenient packs and bottle formats have thrived in this environment,” she said. “It’s about understanding the needs of your consumer, and knowing what type of product they’re searching for at that moment in time, and what size product would best meet their needs.”

It was Wrigley that led the way in sugar-free, launching Australia’s first sugar-free gum, Extra, more than 25 years ago. It launched the sugar-free Eclipse mints back in 2005, and has since added other sugar-free brands such as Airwaves.

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SUGAR-FREE SNACKS

AT A GLANCE • More than 20% of sugarconcerned Australian consumers are willing to pay more for low sugar.

• Confectionery as a whole remains the most impulsive category with 28% of these shoppers buying more than they planned.

• Bundling with other ‘better for you’ offers one option to drive sales for sugar-free confectionery.

• The extension of popular brands from full sugar into sugar-free offerings has been successful as consumers identify with favourite brands.

Despite healthy growth of no sugar or reduced sugar options in the share bags space in grocery, convenience has fallen behind in this space and we are not seeing this trend capitalising in the rest of the confectionery aisle.”

Carles Romagosa, Category Executive at Stuart Alexander

For convenience store operators it means that items like sugarfree gum, which aren’t traditionally planned purchases, need to be front and centre for consumers to ensure they’re able to quickly find what they’re searching for, in a pack size they like, so they can get on with their day.

Michelle Gazzola from Mars Wrigley says having strong, visible displays in high-traffic areas in store that offer consumers a choice in flavours and products is the most effective way to improve sugar-free gum performance in store.

“Extra has some show-stopping stands and products readily available that make it easy to merchandise and manage product at the front of store, many of which can deliver a significant uplift,” she said. “We’ve also seen success in leveraging opportunities to bundle with other products you might consume before, during or after chewing gum such as water or coffee purchases.”

Bundling with other ‘better for you’ offers though is just one option to drive sales for sugar-free confectionery. Stores should look to their transactional data to understand what products work well together and also have a good understanding of their shoppers and consumers.

Virtually everyone is a potential sugar-free gum customer so it is important that stores continue to merchandise and position products in a way that attracts all buyers. There is a fairly even split between men and women, with most buyers in convenience shopping alone and purchasing for themselves.

Despite increased growth of these perceived healthier options, many shoppers are still looking for sweet treats that are indulgent and that provide them with the sugar hit they might need early in the morning or to keep them going after midday.

“There is a growing need to treat oneself without looking into the packaging claims,” said Stuart Alexander’s Carles Romagosa.

“The growth of indulgent premium products in the market has been outstanding and a great example in this space has been Lindt blocks.”

Mars Wrigley says it continues to manufacture a range of sugar confectionery, as well as sugarfree products in order to meet all consumer needs and tastes.

“All of our sugared confectionery (chocolate and fruity confectionery) products contain ‘Be Treatwise’ message and an energy icon on

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the front of the pack to help consumers make informed choices about their purchase decisions,” said Michelle Gazzola. “We produce different pack formats and serving sizes to cater for varying consumer preferences and eating occasions, so fun size products are formulated to be less than 100 calories and our full size bars to be less than 250 calories.”

As indicated by Allen’s recent release of its 25% Less Sugar lolly range, innovation will be front and central in the no-sugar, reduced-sugar evolution in confectionery and gum.

Mars Wrigley hopes its latest addition to Australia’s leading sugarfree gum product, the Extra Chewing Gum range, will attract new consumers to the segment. The company says Extra White Soft Chew in Peppermint or Spearmint offers an elevated texture format, with a soft centre coated in a hard shell. It comes in a compact 22g pack for those busy people who are on the go, or a larger 67g pack for those who are looking for a bigger pack to last the day in the car or desk drawer.

The confectionery world then continues to evolve as healthconscious shoppers embrace the trend towards better-for-you, sugar-free, and portion control. The convenience channel is in a perfect position to capitalise on the trend as many sugarfree confectionery products are mints or gums. These come in convenience packs and generally target customers who are purchasing to consume on the go.

As consumers demand healthier options, convenience operators need to ensure that, as well as stocking the traditional lines, they have a confectionery offer that includes low-sugar or no-sugar alternative offerings that will satisfy the increasing number of shoppers looking to make a healthier switch. C&I Convenience and Impulse Retailing magazine would like to thank Mars Wrigley, Stuart Alexander, and Nestlé for supplying information for this article.

PRODUCT NEWS

Slurpable snacks: Yoplait’s new yoghurt smoothie Popular yoghurt brand Yoplait is raising the stakes when it comes to snacking with its new range of bottled yoghurt smoothies. The next time ‘hangry’ teens show up at your counter, you can be sure they are in need of some fuel to kept them going. Yoplait Smoothies are actually a great way to fuel the whole family, but in particular those ever-hangry teens.

They are a delicious blend of real fruit and yoghurt and include 10 grams of protein in each bottle.

The range is perfect to hit the spot in between meals and won’t ruin a teenager’s appetite for dinner! All housed in a colourful and convenient 300gram bottle, the smoothies contain no artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives and a tasty new way to add extra nutrients, such as calcium, into the diet.

With 90% of teenagers failing to consume their recommended serves of dairy or alternatives, these bottled smoothies in delicious flavours are the

Announcing a Ginger Beer Revolution!

Ginger beer has made a dramatic resurgence in recent years, thanks largely to consumers’ appetite for more unique and better-for-you style beverages. Ginger as an ingredient is very much on-trend with the health and wellness set, so anything to do with ginger, including ginger beverages, piques their interest. Furthermore, ginger beer is a key ingredient in the alcoholic cocktail ‘Moscow Mule’, whose popularity has grown significantly since the mid 2010s.

Tru Blu Beverages has seized this opportunity and launched a ginger beer with a difference…Yankee Ginger Beer! Following on from the success of Yankee Root Beer, Yankee Ginger Beer is the latest addition to the Yankee brand.

Most people are familiar with the strong tradition that America has with root beer, however, little is known of the strong connection America also has with Ginger Beer. Although originally British, Ginger Beer became popular in America in the early 20th Century and its version was known for its rich, strong flavour and brewed ginger taste.

Yankee continues this tradition by delivering a full-bodied ginger beer with the goodness of brewed ginger flavour for an authentic ginger experience.

Yankee Ginger Beer comes in a 330mL amber glass bottle and is being launched in October 2019.

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

32 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

perfect way to include essential nutrients like protein and calcium that are found in milk. They can get a taste of the tropics with flavours including Passionfruit & Mango, Strawberry With a Hint of Banana, Mango & Peach or a burst of brilliance with Mixed Berry.

Yoplait is excited to enter the drinkable yoghurt space, tapping into this global trend of healthy and convenient snacking with this new product.

Darryn Wallace, Marketing & Innovation Director, Lion Dairy & Drinks said Yoplait was thrilled to be making healthy, drinkable snacks more accessible.

“Finding a snack that’s nutritious, filling, and makes you feel good can be really challenging – and finding one that your teens like too is almost impossible. We’ve created this range to meet that need, offering a tasty, fuss-free option that shoppers can easily pick up at their local grocery store”, said Wallace.

For more information, visit yoplait.com.au.

PRODUCT NEWS

Energizer® introduces a powerful new look!

Iconic character Mr. Energizer™ takes centre stage in new standout packaging, instore displays and advertising designed to help consumers navigate product options.

Energizer®, makers of Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™, the world’s longest-lasting AA battery, have announced a re-energized look for the brand, including new packaging, in-store displays, logo and advertising for its battery product lines, as well as an even more prominent role for Mr. Energizer™, the brand’s beloved charismatic character. The new visual treatments which launched in Australia this year will provide a contemporary look with a lighter, brighter presentation and a helpful new approach, with distinct colours deployed to help consumers more easily and intuitively find the best product to suit their needs. Whether it’s the world’s longest-lasting Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ AA battery, a lithium coin battery or an Energizer Recharge® rechargeable battery, the new packaging and colour schemes will help consumers quickly identify the right choice and be on their way “We spent three years developing our new look, talking with consumers and researching their preferences to deliver an experience that’s both powerful and fun,” said Lori Shambro, Vice President, Global Marketing at Energizer Holdings, Inc. “They told us they want bright, clear and helpful packaging that will stand out in a cluttered aisle. And we know they love Mr. Energizer™, so we’ve made sure consumers will get more of him and his larger-than-life personality everywhere, from in-store to our advertising.”

Mr. Energizer™ is the embodiment of physical energy, a living Energizer® battery who’s quick with a wink and a smile and always up for a new challenge or a friendly competition.

His lasting endurance and fun-loving personality reflect the spirit of the Energizer® brand.

PRODUCT NEWS

Gorilla Beverages want to change the game!

Gorilla Beverages are an Australian-based company that have worked on their flavours for quite some time now and have formulated unique natural flavoured energy-charging beverages.

The team have worked closely with its Australian-based laboratory to create a niche for a healthier and much more satisfying energy beverage.

Its drinks have had some interesting feedback over the last 18 months of trial and error.

Joe Gebrael, managing director of Gorilla Beverages, said consumer feedback included commentary around caffeine levels and side effects in other brands that aren't felt by drinking its beverages.

"Most people who tasted our drinks said they didn't get 'the shakes' from drinking it, like they do from our competitor's drinks," said Gebrael. "They also really like the carbonation level in our drinks, we're not as bubbly as other energy drinks and consumers have really responded to that."

Gabrael believes the company has now met the needs of the everyday consumer. "Our drinks are one-of-a-kind in that people actually like the taste of them. Consumers have come to believe that energy drinks have a 'tinny' taste and we've shown them that this really doesn't have to be the case," said Gabrael. "The actual flavour of our drinks doesn't taste fake because we don't use artificial ingredients, and consumers really have responded to that," he added.

The flavours include Pineapple and Coconut (50% less sugar), Watermelon (50% less sugar) and Herbal (100% sugar and caffeine free).

Gorilla Beverages will be working together to release and improve healthier alternatives of different types of beverages in the future.

Mini powerbank that charges at least 4 times more!

Mobile phones are becoming such a huge part of everyone’s life that you can’t get enough battery out of your phone alone. Teenagers on their phones ALL THE TIME, travellers relying on their mobile phone GPS to find their way around the city or business-people on the phone and replying to emails. It’s a daily driver for everyone.

Most 10000mAh powerbanks are heavy and inconvenient and are hard to carry around in your pocket. Introducing the All New eFUEL 10000mAh Powerbank. Finally, a huge capacity powerbank that lasts you at least a day and a half that you can slide straight into your pocket. Problem-solved for any of your customers needing an emergency charge, going on holidays or catching Pikachu on Pokemon Go! The best part of all, it’s available for your customers for only RRP $39.90.

Get ready for Xmas season!

Email sales@eastrade.net.au or call 1300 225 206.

34 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Rotatruck – the productivity solution to improve safety There are not too many manual materials handling tools that allow the simultaneously improvement of productivity and safety. Usually one comes at the expense of the other, creating a conflict between the need to improve efficiencies and doing so safely.

Rotatruck is the easier, quicker and safer way to move a wide range of goods. Whether it’s crates, cylinders, sacks, kegs, drums, boxes, tiles or almost anything else, Rotatruck does the hard work for you.

Using the Rotatruck you need 59% less effort to pull back the load from standing.

You need 100% less effort to balance the load, as the Rotatruck carries it for you. All you need to do is push it. And, when stepping up kerbs you no longer need to reverse and strain pulling up the load. You simply lever up expending 78% less effort.

For more information about Rotatruck, email: kathy@rotacaster.com.au.

Find the best news in store at

www.c-store.com.au Convenience and impulse retailing is fast paced and exciting, and staying up to date with the latest news, trends and products is crucial for the success of your business.

Subscribe to C&I’s free eNewsletter to have the latest news delivered to your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday.

PRODUCT NEWS

NatureTech PowerPro Protein Bars

NatureTech PowerPro Protein Bars pack a punch with their superior smooth, soft texture, gourmet flavours and amped up protein. With higher quality protein isolate than most of their competitors, and no added sugar, PowerPro Bars routinely outsell the competition and have fast become one of the best-selling protein bars in Europe.

As well as delicious flavours, they offer a range of compelling health benefits like vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, D3, A and magnesium, L Glutamine, Taurine, high fibre and Collagen. No wonder they’re the first choice for people who care about their wellbeing.

With options including Salted Caramel, Strawberries & Cream, Peanut Butter and Cookies & Cream, it’ll be hard for your customers to pick just one. There are two jumbo PowerPro Plus 80g bars, in Coconut Smoothie and Forest Fruit Smoothie flavours, with loads of protein per bar.

PowerPro Bars are free from gluten, palm oil, soy, preservatives, added sugar and other GMO nasties.

High on taste with low calories and max protein, NatureTech PowerPro Protein Bars are the ultimate quick and convenient snack food.

Contact Olympian Products & Distribution on 1800 413 711 or email: admin@olympianproducts.com.

36 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

BIDI STICK: a premium luxury disposable vaping device The Bidi Stick is a cutting-edge disposable, all-in-one, pod device. It is small, extremely easy to use straight out of the box and can be utilised discreetly.

One of the benefits of this product is that there is no need for pressing any buttons, priming, charging or refilling. The Bidi Stick is ready to go with immediate flavour that lasts. It comes fully charged, out of the box.

Created with only pure and natural USA-made ingredients and with carefully selected flavour profiles, the Bidi Stick is a premium luxury choice.

This is an ultra-convenient and pocket-friendly disposable.

The Bidi Stick pod was created for those who are seeking a minimalistic solution to vaping. It is a very small disposable pod device with a low wattage battery. The Bidi Stick is made to be extremely easy to use and convenient for those seeking a solution for a healthier lifestyle. For this

reason, Bidi Stick does not have any buttons, does not require charging or filling. It is an on-draw activated device that has a pre-charged battery and is filled with 1.2 ml of SaltNic’s nicotine blended e-liquid formula. No maintenance is required and when the Bidi Stick is depleted of its liquid, it can simply be thrown away.

Bidi Stick is the ultimate solution to a carefree vaping experience for those who are transitioning from smoking cigarettes. The Bidi Stick can be held like a cigarette and the on-draw mouth feel when using the Bidi Stick replicates the action of smoking. In keeping with the regular routine of what feels like smoking, the Bidi Stick is of tremendous assistance to anyone making a transition.

For more information visit bidivapor.co.nz

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 37

PRODUCT NEWS

Give KIND a try

Wholesome and convenient and made to change your world. KIND® is more than just a name. It’s a commitment: to making snack bars that don’t compromise. Just the very best ingredients. With wholesome nutrients. And packed with flavour.

You can’t go wrong with whole nuts and these bars are packed with them. Launching with four products to please everyone’s taste-buds, bodies and world:

with peanut butter. Drizzled in dark chocolate. Everyone’s PB needs – now pocket-sized.

DARK CHOCOLATE NUTS & SEA SALT

ALMOND & COCONUT

PEANUT BUTTER DARK CHOCOLATE

Interested in hearing more about the KIND range, when they’re launching and where you can get your KIND bars from, call +61 466 535 567 or shoot an email to alanna.wood@effem.com

Sweet? Check. Salty? Check. Nutritious? Check. Whole nuts drizzled with dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt – it’s a simple recipe… but it’s packed with flavour. Designed to satisfy one’s cravings without thinking twice.

Nothing hits the spot quite like peanut butter. But taking a jar with you on-the-go? That’s a no-go. Which is where this nut bar comes in. Blended

Add some sizzle to your summer with Smith’s Smith’s has launched its new summer range of Smith’s chips bringing the great taste of a summer BBQ, to Australia’s favourite chips. The new flavours, Grilled Chicken with Lime & Chilli and Grilled Pepper Steak, will be a great addition to summer celebrations.

Alison Silver, Smith’s Brand Manager, said Smith's' new range was made especially for the local market, keeping in mind Australia's culture of the 'great outdoors': “We know Australians are passionate about their Smith’s chips and look forward to new and great tasting flavours."

The company has invested in creating new innovations in its flavour combinations: "Our latest flavour innovations combine the chips we know consumers love with the tantalising flavours of the iconic Aussie BBQ – we think it’s the perfect snack to take along to summer festivities,” said Silver.

Both Smith's flavours are available nationally from Coles, Woolworths, Independent Supermarkets and select Petrol and Convenience stores. The Smith's range comes in a 150g pack, with Grilled Pepper Steak also coming in an 80g and 45g pack.

RRP $3.29.

Smith’s you know you love ‘em!

40 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

CARAMEL ALMOND & SEA SALT

Salt and Caramel. It’s a combo that speaks for itself. But add in heaps of wholesome almonds and a sprinkle of sea salt, it becomes a supergroup of satisfaction.

One of their original bars – this one has been tried and tested by taste-buds all around the world. And the verdict? An unbeatable combo of crunchy almond, toasted coconut and chewy honey.

PRODUCT NEWS

Bickford’s releases Iced Coffee RTD

With 100 years of Coffee expertise under their belt with the iconic Bickford’s Iced Coffee syrup, the latest additions to the portfolio answers the question that many shoppers have been asking – Why doesn’t Bickford’s do a ready to drink coffee?

Produced in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility boasting world class technology through a recently installed aseptic filling line, Bickford’s coffee trio heralds an exciting new era for a company with a 145-year history in beverage-making.

The new range includes two dairy options – Classic Iced Coffee with the unique taste of the coffee syrup and Extra Shot for those looking for a bigger coffee hit. The third flavour, Almond Iced Coffee will undoubtedly appeal to the growing number of consumers favoring dairy alternatives. Bickford’s have achieved a wonderfully smooth, full flavoured coffee that has many nonalmond drinkers sure to consider converting to the nut-based drink.

“After being asked for an RTD version for so long, it was important to us to get the flavour bang-on,” said Bickford’s Senior Brand Manager, Beverley Reeves. “The flavoured milk category is ready for something different. By offering both dairy and dairy alternative options that deliver on taste but contain less sugar than the category norm, we can appeal to a new audience and deliver growth.”

The modern, uncluttered packaging has a contemporary feel while retaining the easily recognisable Bickford’s brand logo while the launch campaign is a combination of bold colours and dry humour posing questions about everyday life to which the answer is always That’s a Bickford’s Iced Coffee!”

Using Australian sourced milk and 100% Australian grown almonds, Bickford’s is making the most of the quality ingredients that local suppliers have to offer, which is a perfect partnership for a private, family owned business that has its roots firmly planted in South Australia.

Mentos launches new range to spread consumer positivity

Golden Gaytime and Krispy Kreme team up

Mentos has launched a new CompliMENTOS range with the supplementary aim of encouraging Australians to complement one another.

Featuring a series of compliments on its packaging, the CompliMENTOS range is designed to help Mentos lovers show a token of appreciation for one another.

The campaign further solidifies Mentos’ commitment toward inclusivity and helping people forge ‘fresh’ connections with one another.

Mentos parent company Perfettit Van Melle’s Country Manager Australia Samantha Hansen said the product is uniquely designed to remind Australians about the power of paying others a compliment in everyday life.

“In a society where we are constantly on-the-go, it’s easy to forget the power of a compliment in changing someone’s day, making someone smile or deepening a connection,” Hansen said.

The CompliMENTOS range features 16 compliments including ‘you and I are Mint to be’, ‘you are the one I chews’ and ‘you sweeten up my life’. The range comes in mint, fruit, spearmint and rainbow flavours in single rolls and multipacks.

The CompliMENTOS range is available now in IGAs and convenience stores nationally.

One of Australia’s favourite ice creams, Golden Gaytime and doughnut giants, Krispy Kreme, have teamed up to release two treats available exclusively at 7-Eleven.

The first is a Krispy Kreme inspired Golden Gaytime ice cream which includes an original-glazed inspired ice cream filling, coated in doughnut flavoured crumb.

The second is the new Krispy Kreme Golden Gaytime Doughnut, with the official Golden Gaytime crumb, on a hand-dipped chocolate shell with a double-layered filling of Golden Gaytime toffee and Vanilla crème.

Julie Laycock, General Manager of Marketing, 7-Eleven Australia said the company couldn’t be happier to be the exclusive home of this incredible collaboration.

“We’re passionate about bringing the latest and most exciting products to our customers and this is the ultimate golden collab, just in time for Summer,” said Laycock.

Commenting on the collaboration, Streets Brand Manager, Samantha Jarmul said, the company was thrilled to partner with Krispy Kreme and 7-Eleven, to give its iconic Golden Gaytime an exciting new form.

“Aussies can find everything they love about the crumbly-goodness of our Gaytimes in a delicious new way and truly enjoy the best of both worlds when it comes to snack-time,” said Jarmul.

Krispy Kreme Chief Marketing Officer, Russell Schulman said, “Launching this limited edition Australian Golden Gaytime Ice-cream has been a match made in flavour-heaven!”

42 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

New ways to enjoy Aussie favourite Violet Crumble this Spring The producers of Violet Crumble, Robern Menz have been busy over the winter months developing new formats of this iconic Australian treat to appeal to old and new fans alike.

Violet Crumble Nuggets, shareable bitesize pieces in a 135g bag are available in petrol and convenience retailers and are a popular selection for those sharing at home, in the office and on the road – a good option for families.

The Violet Crumble Dark bar 50g is also now available in selected convenience stores. The dark chocolatey coating and crisp shattering honeycomb is a winning combination, and offers an alternative to the original Violet Crumble bar, which in October celebrated a year of production back in Australia. Unique to the category, Robern Menz is confident that fans will love this new take!

Another innovation that is set to be the hit of summer 2019/20 is the new Violet Crumble Golden Gaytime ice-cream. This delicious snack is now available in select convenience stores, and in freezer aisles of supermarkets and service stations across the nation.

The Violet Crumble Golden Gaytime combines the delectable chocolate and honeycomb flavours of the well-loved Violet Crumble, a delicious honeycomb spin on the iconic crumb of the Golden Gaytime.

The partnership was a no-brainer for Robern Menz, which appreciates the importance many Australians place on ‘hero’ products that evoke feelings of nostalgia, belonging and community.

Polly Love, Marketing Manager, Robern Menz says, “We are over the moon to be working with a treasured brand like Golden Gaytime; it’s such a delightful way to celebrate our first birthday. We can’t wait for Australians to try out this outstanding flavour combination this summer.”

Since acquiring Violet Crumble from Nestle back in 2018, the familyowned company has made it a priority to respond to Australian consumers’ demands for differing formats, and brought back the bag format earlier in 2019, which had not been seen on shelf in nearly a decade.

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

OPINION

SKYE JACKSON Head of Merchandise Planning Caltex Australia

If someone asked me ‘would I pay an extra ‘convenience tax’ as well as a delivery fee to be able to have icecream or burgers from a shop less than 400m away delivered to my door?’, I would have said ‘no, never would I do that!’”

LISTEN OR LEARN?

I

t’s a commonly used phrase in our business ‘Listen to your customers!’ I know I’ve used it a lot! But whilst it seems slightly nuanced, should you listen to your customers or learn about them? Well the answer is, it depends on what answers you’re looking for!

In the context of innovation, it’s likely better you learn about them. What are your target customers' habits, routines, annoyances in life? Because it is at the heart of your customers' lifestyle that you will find opportunities to capture their unmet needs. Why not listen in this context?

Because customers don’t always know what they will do in a completely new situation, they can just tell you what they think they will do and that’s not always what transpires. If someone asked me ‘would I pay an extra ‘convenience tax’ as well as a delivery fee to be able to have ice-cream or burgers from a shop less than 400m away delivered to my door?’, I would have said ‘no, never would I do that!’

And yet at least once a week I’m getting food delivered because I just can’t be bothered going back out after a long day at work.

Similarly, if someone had asked me even three years ago if I would wear a watch that had less functionality than your iPhone, but will cost more, I guarantee I would not have answered yes to that product! Yet, here I am wearing an Apple watch and consider it to be one of my ‘can’t live without’ devices.

Apple is well known for innovation that focuses on the consumers’ needs they didn’t know they had. Steve Jobs' famously never relied on what customers said or market research to drive innovation, yet he always kept the customer at the heart of it.

44 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

When does listening to your customer become important? Listening becomes relevant once you’ve landed your new offer or product, getting feedback at this point is exactly what you need to understand what’s working and how you can continue to improve.

It’s easier for a customer to give real feedback on something they can experience and interact with than to ask them to draw a vision about something you haven’t built yet.

Why is this all so important for the convenience industry? Consumer habits are changing, online shopping for grocery is growing rapidly, Woolworths showed 30% YOY growth for group online sales in their HY19 results. At the same time, we are seeing them invest in businesses like Marley Spoon that pre-package cook-athome ingredients and recipes that are delivered to your door. We have all the majors testing new small formats that target convenience with a broader offer to capture the time-poor top-up shopper mission. Then of course we have Uber to connect so many local restaurants to consumers in their home.

Consumers have so much choice, and what most of these growing trends show us, is that ‘convenience’ is booming. But what convenience means to people is so much more than a corner store that’s conveniently located. When consumers do walk into stores in the future, what will those shopper missions be? It’s important to make sure we are learning about these trends and take actions with our offers and services to ensure we are keeping ourselves relevant in the changing face of convenience. C&I

THE GINGER BEER THAT TRUMPS ALL OTHERS!

NEW

Yankee Ginger Beer is a full-bodied ginger beer with the goodness of brewed ginger flavour. The result is an authentic ginger beer that trumps all others!

To stock Yankee Ginger Beer 330mL, or for more information, please contact Tru Blu Beverages on (02) 9912 6700, or visit the website www.trublubeverages.com.au

OPINION

DARREN PARK CEO United Convenience Buyers

We all have a role to play in building vitality and interest in the Australian C-Store channel, and retailers have a role in fostering innovation in return, which in many cases involves sensible risk taking.”

INNOVATION AND CUSTOMER EXCLUSIVITY

STRENGTH IS IN NUMBERS

I

’ve said it many times and will keep saying it, I love Brands! Brands are a bridge to new products, that help create new and re-invigorate existing categories and markets. In a world of relentless change, Brands (and with growing importance brand led innovation) sustain and grow all of our businesses by captivating shoppers’ interest and help them solve their needs. Ultimately, Brands are about shoppers and consumers and how they use them in their daily lives.

AS A RETAILER, WE NEED BRANDS TO SUCCEED

It’s a dramatic introduction, maybe a little overdone. With planning season for many retailers and trade partners on the agenda, sharing innovation is the go-to phrase of the moment. I for one love new product innovation, the question I repeatedly ask and what I will challenge in this article is why invest in innovation and then limit its potential by delivering selected Australian C-Store retailers, exclusivity?

Whether I look at the AACS State of the Industry (2018) or IBISWorld Industry Report (2019), the numbers appear to be the same. Australian C-Stores number in total at approximately 6,644 stores. There are some 15 retailers that AACS records as being classed as Australian C-Stores. The smallest group has 22 stores or 0.33% share of the outlet base and the largest just over 1,164 stores or 17% share.

As the numbers above detail, there’s not one Australian C-Store retailer that dominates the marketplace in such a manner, that you could launch a new product, generate broad availability and also be fully rewarded financially for that investment in innovation.

SO, THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, WHY DO IT? In a retail environment where Big Brands are under assault from private labels and global sourcing, where snacking 46 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

opportunities are growing rapidly, where fitting your brands into new lifestyles is paramount, where permissible indulgence is prominent and where better for you is a profitable trend, why is brand distribution, penetration and expansion sacrificed?

Why use your innovation to gift selected retailers the power of pricing flexibility? If you are the only retailer marketing a particular new brand, you have pricing flexibility relative to a more competitive situation. What happens if innovation is priced too high, crimping trial?

What happens if it’s too low and you have a market price set that undermines your value proposition?

Why deliver selective advantage for a retailer to drive differentiation, at the expense of all other industry players? Differentiation involves clear communication of something you provide that is bigger, different or better than what competitors provide. Why not allow retailers to partner with you, across their unique set of competencies?

Why allow your innovation to be used to build retailer preference? Over time, customers will tend to connect exclusive brands with the selected retailer, which increases their favourable image, albeit again at the expense of an entire industry of eager retailers.

For me, the key to innovation success is trial and adoption and that requires broad and cost effective distribution. We all have a role to play in building vitality and interest in the Australian C-Store channel, and retailers have a role in fostering innovation in return, which in many cases involves sensible risk taking.

Trade Partners that make choices on who can and who can’t take innovation, not only miss an opportunity to build broad market distribution, you potentially miss large swathes of your target shoppers. And that’s not a recipe for a shared and enduring success. C&I

INDUSTRY NEWS

A THE 2019 C&I

EXPO ROUNDUP The C&I Expo kicked off for another year, this time amongst the hustle and bustle of Sydney, 14-15 August.

s always, the C&I Expo brought together retailers and suppliers over two big days of business. Alongside suppliers and wholesalers, the retailer audience consisted of owners and operators of convenience stores, service stations, corner stores, community stores, newsagents, mini marts and food service stores that have a convenience offer.

Visitors to the 2019 Expo experienced the latest in convenience products, services and merchandising as well as an industry Symposium with industry experts including Nicola Richardson of Lion Drinks & Dairy, Jeff Griffiths of Endeavour Petroleum, Haydn Tierney of Vantage Fuels and Michelle Pascoe of Optimum Operating Procedures & Services (O.O.P.S).

C&I INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM First up was the C&I Industry Symposium which launched day one as the opening event for the 2019 C&I Expo. The topic for this year’s symposium was “Doing your own thing”.

In keeping with the day’s theme, the MC for the event, Nicola Richardson, sales director, Lion Drinks & Dairy, said it was critical to build ‘memory structures’ through creating distinctive brands. “Be clear on your brand and be consistent,” said Richardson. “Once you know the values of your brand, market the hell out of it!”

Three of Australia’s leading petrol and convenience retailers built on Richardson’s momentum and discussed why it is so beneficial to be clear about your brand and develop your own product offering.

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INDUSTRY NEWS SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS SKYE JACKSON – Head of Merchandise Planning, Caltex Skye Jackson’s fascinating talk focused on her experience working on the retail transformation at Caltex and how they’ve been doing it ‘their way’. In 2017, Caltex developed the award-winning brand, The Foodary.

Skye’s Top Tips!

• • • •

You will fail but fail fast.

If something you do isn’t right now, don’t get rid of it altogether. It could work in the future.

Always get feedback from your customer Team – It’s about them.

New products launched at the Expo LION DAIRY & DRINKS Lion launched new Yoplait smoothies with 10g of protein – no spoons are required for consumers when they are driving and consuming the product.

TRU BLU BEVERAGES Amy Hurrey from Tru Blu Beverages showed off three flavours in the newly launched Cha Cha Kombucha range including the Original (green label) and Raspberry (right).

JEFF GRIFFITHS – Owner, Endeavour Petroleum Jeff Griffiths’s candid talk offered a refreshing insight into his journey in the industry. By doing things his way, he has gained a knowledge and understanding of the industry that has been critical to his success.

Jeff’s Top Tips!

CARMAN’S KITCHEN

• • •

Hayden Connolly and Hannah Elman from Carman’s Kitchen with two new products launched at the show – the limited edition Cookies & Cream Protein bar and the Super Seed & Grain Crackers

Work with companies that would support you.

Understand your sales history.

Look at your cashflow

HAYDN TIERNEY – Marketing Manager, Vantage Fuels Haydn Tierney spoke on the establishment of their own unique food offering and the creation of the Bowser Bean brand. As all of its Vantage Fuels were part of BP stores, customers couldn’t distinguish the original Vantage cafés from BP. So, after looking into a number of different names, they settled on Bowser Bean.

SODASTREAM Toby Blatchford & Jarad Mangioni from SodaStream showing off the world’s first concentrated Kombucha syrup available in Original and Cola Nut & Kaffir Lime.

Haydn’s Top Tips!

•

When it comes to brand development, don’t ‘set and forget’. Perhaps follow their example and use social media to engage customers and run fun competitions to build on momentum.

MICHELLE PASCOE – Owner, Optimum Operating Procedures & Services (O.O.P.S) Michelle Pascoe has a passion for the customer service industry, with a strong focus on mystery shopping and team motivation. She explained how important it was to ‘connect the head with the heart’ and to be consistent.

Michelle’s Top Tips!

• • • •

BICKFORD’S David Lisolajski, Jacqueline McCann and Jeremy Jones from Bickford’s launched the new Iced Coffee Classic, Iced Coffee Almond and Iced Coffee Classic Extra Shot to launch on 1 October. Also launched was the new Raspberry & Hibiscus no sugar sparkling water in cans and one-litre Fruit Splash still water varieties.

Update your contact information if it’s out of date, deliver on your barista-made coffee Expectations – pole to tie up dog, water for the dog Loyalty through a memorable experience… connecting the head with the heart.

You’re in charge of that brand experience.

ASHGROVE AMAZEBALLS Anne Bennett from Ashgrove Amazeballs launched four new flavours Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream, Pizza Supreme, Apple Cider Vinegar & Chive, Salted Caramel

PAT AND STICK’S Stick from Pat and Stick’s launched three flavours of Cookie Chips in 175g bags with no margarine and all butter in three flavours – Sea Salt Caramel, Chocolate Chip and Coconut Crisp.

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 49

INDUSTRY NEWS Leonie Waldeback with the Handmade Food Co. Ham, Cheese & Tomato Sub.

Tom Dorman & Luke Cooper from Tom & Luke

Freedom foods team with C&I Publisher Safa de Valois

The Lion Dairy & Drinks team

The people that we spoke with in the first hour of the show have been highly targeted and quality contacts...”

Kerin O’Brien, Purabon

THE EXPO! WHAT THE EXHIBITORS HAD TO SAY Exhibitors interviewed at the 2019 C&I Expo have confirmed a broad mix of conversations with independent and major buyers at this year’s event.

Renee Rogers from Freedom Foods said, “The 2019 C&I Expo has been a great show with a lot of quality leads coming through.

Best of all there has been genuine interest in our brands and the organisers have outdone themselves again. In terms of buyers we have seen a bit of a mixed bag to be honest – existing customers that are looking at our new products as well as new customers that have heard about our brand. In relation to the interest in the products we have on display, it has been a fifty-fifty split in enquiries for our Crankt Protein products and Milk Lab plant based and dairy milk barista products for coffee. The petrol convenience industry is looking to enhance their barista-offer.

Plant-based milk is growing and definitely on trend. Crankt drinks and protein have also had a lot of interest.”

Matthew Peddlesden, key account manager from Lion, said he was pleased with the show. “It has been a fantastic show – it has been great to have all of the retailers and suppliers each year. It is important to be here and show our new products, and it is also a great way to network with other suppliers. We have had a lot of interest in our new product development – including what our new Arnott’s collaboration will be in October as well as our new Dare SKUs. The new Yoplait smoothies are also receiving a lot of interest – with 10g of protein it is a perfect convenience product – no spoons are required for consumers when they are driving and consuming the product.

In terms of visitors to the stand, we have had a bit of everything, we have had some customers we deal with on a day-to-day basis as well as a lot of the major retail customers. We have also had a lot of the smaller site operators as well who don’t get a chance

50 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Kerin and Nicole O’Brien from Purabon

to see our larger portfolio – so it has been a good opportunity to meet with the independents,” said.

Luke Cooper from Tom & Luke said, “C&I has been really good – a lot more activity than I expected and the exhibition has been full for most of the day. We have had buyers on the stand with some real interest rather than just looking so from our perspective it has been fantastic. We have had a good mix of buyers from majors through to independents and they are all seriously looking which is a good thing. The better for you thing that is going well is trending well and hopefully it is a movement and we can stay on the front foot.”

Leonie Waldeback from Handmade Food Co said, “There has been a mix of independent stores and major retailers – some existing but lots of new. The launch of the Hot Sub that is piewarmer-friendly has been well accepted as it gives customers an option over pies and sausage rolls. I think C&I always brings a great range of buyers, today has exceeded my expectations. There were a lot of people in the show, and we were overwhelmed and at couldn’t always get to everyone on the stand.”

The director of Purabon, Kerin O’Brien said, “Don’t be influenced by the perceived size of the show or the time that it is open because for a manufacturer or supplier this is a small show, when you look at a floorplan and look at the hours it is running I am not getting much for my investment, the fact that the show has proved itself over many years as a lot of shows comes and go.

The people that we spoke with in the first hour of the show have been highly targeted and quality contacts that will deliver such an amazing return on investment that the cost of the show is really insignificant in terms of the revenue opportunity just from the people I have met on the first day.”

Next year’s C&I Expo will take place at the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, 26-27 August, 2020. C&I

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INDUSTRY NEWS

C&I EXPO 2019 NEW ZEALAND HIGHLIGHTS The inaugural C&I Expo New Zealand was held from 18-19 September at The Cloud on Auckland’s waterfront.

O

ver 1,295 people attended the 2019 C&I Expo NZ and we welcomed buyers from several retail groups –Night ‘n Day, Red Circle, Foodstuffs, Gull, Z Energy, Challenge and BP. Over 65 exhibitors showcased the latest new products across confectionery, drinks, snacks, vaping, merchandise, point of sale and forecourt equipment,” said the Publisher and Sales Director of C&I, Safa de Valois.

“We received excellent feedback from attendees and exhibitors from our first C&I Expo in the New Zealand market and based on our reader survey a majority of attendees from this year’s event have demanded an annual exhibition.

“We are very grateful for the support from Dave and Michelle Hooker from the New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores (NZACS) and the NZACS Board for their support. The two-day Symposium was a full house on both days as attendees learned from six industry experts in Australia and New Zealand.

“The C&I Expo was pleased to support the hard-working team at KiwiHarvest who collected unused food and goods to distribute to charities and community groups across Auckland at the conclusion of the event.

52 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

INDUSTRY NEWS “Thanks to everyone who attended this year’s C&I Expo and we look forward to seeing you again soon,” Mr de Valois said.

According to the executive director of the New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores, Dave Hooker, the partnership with the inaugural C&I Expo exceeded expectations.

“Given this was a first in New Zealand, it was important for our Association to make it successful for members, retailers, suppliers and exhibitors. Historically NZACS members have travelled offshore to attend other expos, however it is more relevant to have our own country’s suppliers exhibit and have the opportunity to meet retailers, showcase new products and discuss future business relationships.

“It took two years in the planning and one year to organise.

NZACS worked closely with the team from C&I as we wanted to offer support and assistance where ever we could to make this event a success.

“The two morning business sessions with speakers from Australia and New Zealand provided a great platform to launch the show each day. NZACS received very positive feedback from both our retailers and suppliers and for the first time they had a much bigger audience than before.

Historically NZACS members have travelled offshore to attend other expos, however it is more relevant to have our own country’s suppliers exhibit and have the opportunity to meet retailers, showcase new products and discuss future business relationships.”

Dave Hooker, New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores

“Attendee numbers were above expectations and NZACS viewed the event as a real success despite the challenges that the prior weather and ongoing construction work adjacent to the venue threw at us. We were appreciative to C&I and Intermedia for their exceptional service, assistance and experience in staging event such as this.”

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 53

INDUSTRY NEWS

It was a fantastically run event that gave us the opportunity to showcase our current offer as well as gauge retailer’s appetite for new categories and products.”

Andrew Poore, Signature Marketing NZ

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

41 Bridge Road Glebe NSW 2037 Australia Ph: 0800 455 785 Fax: +61 2 9660 4419 Email: exhibition@c-store.com.au www.c-store.com

WHAT EXHIBITORS & VISITORS SAID: According to Richard Kirby, Channel Manager – Wholesale & Impulse at Twin Agencies, the NZ C&I Expo was at the very top of their list of trade shows. “Our brands felt it was one of the best Trade Shows they had attended,” said Kirby. “The App was amazing – great for sharing contacts. It was very well organised and managed – all of the C&I staff were extremely helpful. We will definitely attend the next one – we will have more of our brands and a bigger space.”

Amy Siefert, Operations Manager at Ace Distribution said the event provided a unique networking opportunity. “As a wholesale distributor we found the NZ C&I Expo well worth attending as it was not only an excellent opportunity to make contact with some potential new suppliers for us, but we were also able to chat to our customers that were also visiting,” said Siefert.

The Expo was also a launching pad for new brands and products. Daryl Webster, National Account Manager – Petrol & Convenience at Frucor Suntory said it was great to be part of the first C&I Expo in New Zealand. “It gave Frucor Suntory a great platform to show its portfolio of products as well as launching two massive new products – the new V Energy flavour V Forbidden as well as creating a whole new segment with RTD Iced Coffee and the launch of BOSS Coffee,” said Webster. “It was a great show that was well attended for its first year and look forward to seeing it grow over the coming years.

54 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

I would recommend any Supplier or Retailer that is in the Petrol & Convenience, Route or Food Service Channels to be a part and attend this expo.”

Andrew Poore, General Manager, Signature Marketing NZ said the event was convenient for the local industry. “Finally, New Zealanders don’t have to travel over the ditch to experience the annual C&I Expo any longer,” said Poore. “After attending two previous C&I Expos in Australia with our sister company Pacific Optics Australia, I was excited to be part of the inaugural NZ C&I Expo. I jumped in with both feet and committed to the most prominently located exhibition area at a very early stage and then crossed my fingers hoping that suppliers and retailers would support this event. I was over the moon when I heard that over 1200 visitors had signed up to attend the two-day event.

“The Auckland weather turned it on for all involved and this helped put a spring in everyone’s toes before the first visitor walked through the door,” said Poore.

“It was a fantastically run event that gave us the opportunity to showcase our current offer as well as gauge retailer’s appetite for new categories and products,” Poore said. “As a P&C specialist supplier, we even had the opportunity to show our portfolio to grocery buyers. Overall, I would highly recommend more suppliers and retailers to jump on board next year.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

RED BULL CHARGES AT JB DISTRIBUTORS’ ANNUAL AWARDS JB Distributors announced the winners of its annual supplier and personnel awards at a gala dinner at the Sofitel Hotel at Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

J

B Distributors owner Bruce Spiteri said it been a tough year for the company following catastrophic damage to its warehouse in Moorebank just before Christmas last year. As a result, the company established a new site at Eastern Creek.

The gala event took on an even more celebratory tone because the company had gotten through those difficult days. The company said it was the support it had received from the industry that made all the difference. C&I

Snack supplier of the year over $500k: Smith's Snackfoods

Product launch of the year: Level Beverages

56 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

Snack supplier of the year under $500k: ABC Sales and Marketing

Beverage Supplier of the year under $500k: AusBev (Sams Juices)

Confectionery Supplier of the year: Mars Wrigley Confectionery

INDUSTRY NEWS

And the winners are…

Product Launch of the year: Level Beverages

Snack Supplier of the year under $500k: ABC Sales and Marketing

Snack Supplier of the year over $500k: Smith's Snackfoods

Grocery Supplier of the year: Nestlé Professional Grocery Supplier of the year: Nestlé Professional

Food Service Supplier of the year: Mrs Macs

Food Service Supplier of the year: Mrs Mac's

Beverage Supplier of the year under $500k: AusBev (Sams Juices)

Beverage Supplier of the year over $500k: Red Bull

Wellness Supplier of the year: Carman's

Confectionery Supplier of the year: Mars Wrigley Confectionery

Grand Supplier of the year: Beverage Supplier of the year over $500k: Red Bull

Wellness Supplier of the year: Carmans

Red Bull

Grand Supplier of the year: Red Bull

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 57

INDUSTRY NEWS

IGA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE RECOGNISE EXCEPTIONAL INDEPENDENTS Leading IGA stores across Australia were recognised at the prestigious annual IGA Awards of Excellence held on the Gold Coast in July.

IGA National Retailer of the Year - Fresh St Market IGA

These innovative stores have not only delivered amazing shopping experiences and highquality produce to customers but also, are a true testament to the vibrancy of the independent retail grocery industry.”

Scott Marshall

IGA Customer Service & Experience Award - IGA Exmouth

T

he IGA Awards of Excellence recognise and celebrate the achievements of independent retailers across the country. Not only the IGA stores that are an integral part of their local communities, but also the teams who work in the stores.

Metcash CEO Supermarkets & Convenience, Scott Marshall, said the IGA Awards of Excellence acknowledge the hard work, commitment and excellence IGA stores across the country have demonstrated throughout the year.

“This year’s winners reflect the strengths of the IGA network. Day in and day out IGA stores deliver phenomenal experiences to the shoppers who come through their doors but also, go over and above for the benefit of their local community,” said Marshall.

“These innovative stores have not only delivered amazing shopping experiences and high-quality produce to customers but also, are a true testament to the vibrancy of the independent retail grocery industry.”

The awards were presented to the store teams by Metcash CEO Supermarkets & Convenience Scott Marshall and Chairman of the IGA National Retailer Council, Joseph Romeo.

Fourteen outstanding stores were recognised after winning the following awards: • IGA Delicatessen Department of the Year: Romeo’s Food Hall IGA MLC Martin Place • SUPA IGA Delicatessen Department of the Year: Boccaccio SUPA IGA Balwyn • IGA Meat Department of the Year: IGA Baldivis

58 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

IGA Delicatessen Department of the Year Award - Romeos Food Hall IGA MLC Martin Place

• SUPA IGA Meat Department of the Year: Romeo’s Food Hall IGA Summer Hill • IGA Bakery Department of the Year: Preston Street IGA • SUPA IGA Bakery Department of the Year: Ritchies SUPA IGA Dromana • IGA Fresh Produce Department of the Year: Preston Street IGA • SUPA IGA Fresh Produce Department of the Year: Fresh St. Market IGA • IGA Grocery & GM Department of the Year: IGA Baldivis • SUPA IGA Grocery & GM Department of the Year: Fresh St. Market IGA • IGA Dairy/Freezer Department of the Year: IGA Baldivis • SUPA IGA Dairy/Freezer Department of the Year: Ashcroft’s SUPA IGA Erskine Park • IGA Customer Service & Experience Award: IGA Exmouth • IGA Xpress Small Format Innovation Award: Swanbourne Market IGA Xpress Other awards presented included: • Retail Transformation & Innovation Award: Brighton Foodland IGA • 2019 Community Award: Penola IGA Fresh • Team Member/Rising Star Award: Kellie Johnstone, Mawhood’s IGA Grenfell Plus Liquor • IGA Xpress Store of the Year: Lovey’s IGA Xpress Hawks Nest • IGA Store of the Year: Preston Street IGA • SUPA IGA of the Year: Fresh St. Market IGA • IGA Hall of Fame – Leo and Elaine Ryan and Ron Corrigan and Rod Allen • National Retailer of the Year: Fresh St. Market IGA C&I

INDUSTRY NEWS

National Retailer of the Year: Fresh St. Market IGA Fresh St. Market IGA in Atherton is a complete shopping destination, offering a huge range of grocery and fresh products including health foods, bulk foods and products for allergy sufferers all under the one roof. They source as many products locally as possible, employ locals instead of adding extra self-checkouts and recently reduced the store's carbon footprint by switching to recyclable packaging and energy efficient refrigeration.

“Every day we all strive to offer best in class standards for our customers, selling high quality, good value products supported by excellent customer service in our store,” said store owner Michael Shakes.

“We are passionate about supporting local producers, farmers and smaller companies and whether you want to grind your own coffee, make your own nut butter, buy in bulk or just do your everyday grocery shop, we will look after you!

This award acknowledges the hard work, commitment and passion of the entire team who collectively make this store what it is and I couldn’t be prouder!”

Hall of Fame - Leo & Elaine Ryan, Ron Corrigan and Rod Allen

SUPA IGA Meat Department of the Year Award Romeos Food Hall IGA Summer Hill

Community Award - Penola IGA Fresh

SUPA IGA Store of the Year Award - Fresh St Market IGA

John David Team Member Award - Min Kang

Rising Star - Kellie Johnstone Mawhoods IGA Grenfell Plus Liquor

IGA Dairy-Freezer Department of the Year Award - IGA Baldivis

Retail Transformation & Innovation Award - Brighton Foodland IGA IGA Bakery Department of the Year Award - IGA Preston StreetIGA Preston Street

IGA Grocery & GM Department of the Year Award - IGA Baldivis

IGA Xpress Small Format Innovation Award - Swanbourne Market IGA Xpress

SUPA IGA Delicatessen Department of the Year Award - Boccaccio SUPA IGA Balwyn

IGA Xpress Store of the Year - Loveys IGA Xpress Hawks Nest October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 59

For all orders or enquiries, please contact National Customer Service on 1300 237 425 or orders@pacificoptics.com or your State Manager: STATE MANAGERS QLD / NTH NSW John Papadakis 0404 499 792 johnp@pacificoptics.com

NSW Shayne Clulow 0414 816 201 sclulow@pacificoptics.com

VIC/TAS Clive Serracino 0418 144 081 clive@pacificoptics.com

SA/NT Mick Brown 0417 454 816 mickb@pacificoptics.com

WA David Fazio 0417 454 816 david@pacificoptics.com

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SECURITY

SAFE AND SECURE Minimising in-store theft can be an effective way to lift profits

C

onvenience operators put a huge amount of effort into finding ways to increase sales but they can sometimes be guilty of not doing enough to prevent theft, and it’s eating into their profits.

From shoplifting and break-ins to fuel driveoffs and staff theft, dishonest behaviour is hitting the bottom lines of petrol and convenience outlets across the country. For smaller stores operating on tight margins, shrinkage through theft is not an issue that can be ignored and it’s not one that is going away any time soon.

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Point of Sale (POS) data analysis can be cost effective ways to reduce theft and these are no longer the exclusive domain of the large retailers.

There are also some easy, common-sense steps that can be taken to help stores of all sizes protect their stock and cash.

For example, security experts say maintaining internal and external lighting, and reducing promotional material on windows to create good views into and out of the shop can deter would-be thieves. So too can putting up signage indicating a minimal amount of cash is held on site, and ensuring staff are regularly trained in security procedures.

Convenience outlets commonly operate late at night, often with minimal staff, and can be more vulnerable to theft and to robbery, but this risk can be minimised with thought, planning, and investment.

Companies such as Armaguard help individual stores assess security risks and set up customised solutions tailored to their needs. It says it understands that petrol and convenience operators seeking to run an efficient business need to approach improving in-store safety and security in a balanced way.

Sophisticated methods of detecting and tracking loss such as CCTV cameras, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) and

However, Chris Pyke, group solutions manager for the Armaguard Group, said security and the safety of staff and team members should always be the top priority for employers.

SECURITY “Armaguard offers complete security solutions, as well as cash reconciliation, and the provision of cash flow via business day cash funding, which saves time and money by removing the need for staff to travel to the bank,” he said. “Bundled together, Armaguard provides the business operator with a complete end-to-end currency and security solution that helps protect the staff, cash, change, and creates measurable efficiencies across the business.”

As well as improving security, putting the right systems in place can have the additional benefit of freeing up staff to concentrate on other value-adding activity.

Gunnebo – which offers a range of security solutions covering safes and vaults, cash management, entrance security, electronic security and related services – says its cash deposit solutions can reduce time spent on cash management by up to 55%.

It believes that initiatives aimed at better controlling inventory loss and staff instigated fraud at the Point of Sale can quickly deliver a good return on investment.

Another measure is to stop staff counting or transferring large amounts of cash at counters or areas that are visible to customers.”

Gunnebo’s Intelli-Vend system is a cash automation solution designed to count, secure and manage cash.

The company’s marketing director, Rebecca Hunt, said the system is more than a deposit safe in that it comes with the added advantage of being able to control the dispensing of specific amounts of notes and coins, on demand.

“This controlled dispensing capability enables you to automatically dispense initial floats and top-up change to cashiers, resulting in smaller floats, reduced cash holdings at tills, and saves hours of management time every day,” she said.

Peter Joseph, Tank Safes Australia Hunt said there is a strong relationship between investment in loss prevention and lower levels of shrinkage.

“Store layout is also a key factor to consider to increase staff visibility and minimise opportunistic theft,” she said. “Arrange stock so that the most easily stolen items are in the busiest foot traffic areas of the store… placing mirrors in the more hidden areas of the store is also a good deterrent.”

Gunnebo said the way a store manages its cash handling is a vital part of reducing the risk of armed hold-up. It says employees should never count cash in front of customers, and managers should conduct spot checks to ensure registers are balanced and never contain too much money.

Family owned and operated security and safe business, Tank Safes Australia, has identified internal theft by staff is a growing problem.

National sales manager, Peter Joseph, says the company works with individual sites to find an affordable solution to reduce the risks.

“We speak to businesses daily that have experienced or are concerned that staff are stealing money or stock,” he said.

“Internal theft within a business can be costly financially, and with the time spent needed to investigate these issues.”

Tank Safes Australia said Tacc IIa change dispensing and note clearance safes are among its most popular products.

“Our exciting new range of Australian built IQ cash handling safes also provide businesses with flexible options and security by reducing times staff handle and manage money,” said Joseph. “We also specialise in supplying and manufacturing secure storage solutions for high value items that are now being targeted by thieves like cigarettes, mobile phones and gift cards.”

Joseph said training staff to make regular safe drops to ensure the overflow of cash is inaccessible also reduces the risk of theft.

“Another measure is to stop staff counting or transferring large amounts of cash at counters or areas that are visible to customers,” he said. “This also goes for valuable stock items as cigarettes… such items need to be stored in a secure area, away from customer view.”

One of the most frustrating and expensive security problems facing fuel outlets operators is the scourge of drive-offs.

Australian company, Scancam, has developed a system that uses high definition digital security cameras integrated with its cloud based platform to prevents and deter fuel theft at the bowser.

AT A GLANCE • Security and the safety of staff and team members should always be the top priority for employers.

• Cash should never be counted in front of customers, and spot checks should be conducted to ensure registers are balanced and never contain too much money.

• Putting the right security systems in place can free up staff to concentrate on other value-adding activity.

• A thoughtful store layout which increases staff visibility and places the most easily stolen stock in the busiest foot traffic areas can minimise opportunistic theft.

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 63

SECURITY company Protect has developed a product which takes a more pro-active approach to stopping thieves in their tracks.

A Protect Fog Cannon which, is placed unobtrusively in a ceiling or elsewhere in a store, can be linked to existing alarm systems.

When it is activated it releases a dense fog which can completely fill a retail space within 12 seconds making it impossible for the thieves to see what they came for. The system also makes a lot of noise to help scare intruders away.

Rob Coburn from Protect said the fog is completely harmless to humans, leaves no residue once premises are aired within an hour, and has no effect on any stock.

Scancam's anti-theft system aims to address all the issues surrounding of drive-offs

Store layout is also a key factor to consider to increase staff visibility and minimise opportunistic theft.”

Rebecca Hunt, Gunnebo

The cameras have licence plate recognition capability, and the system can then check the vehicle’s history on its database. The driver of any vehicle which has been involved in a previous drive-off can then be requested to pre-pay before being allowed to fill up.

The company’s co-founder, Eoin Byrne, said many drive-offs are not reported and he believes they are costing the industry $100-million a year.

“In some sites our system has resulted in a reduction of 80% in drive offs within six months,” he said. “And it is not just driveoffs, you also have staff error and staff theft and the system can pick up all that and look for fraudulent transactions.”

If a drive-off without paying does occur, the Scancam system generates an incident report in a few simple steps, including video footage so requires little management. The company also takes care of the debt recovery process, pursuing offenders to collect the unpaid amount and then depositing the recovered money directly back into a business’s account.

Scancam has set up its system at 200-plus sites across Australia, and this number is growing quickly. The company is currently developing a new monthly-charge-only sales model that will help smaller operators by removing capital outlay as a potential barrier.

“Every fuel outlet can see gains from implementing our system,” said Byrne. “They will see a return on investment very quickly.”

Scancam is confident that this sort of system will eventually be in place at all Australian service stations as operators get serious about tackling the drive-off problem.

“The more service stations come on board, the bigger our database gets and the more effective the systems becomes,” said Byrne. “There are also some value adds we can use because of the licence plate registration, such as loyalty programs as we see data about how often people come to a particular service centre.”

While many security devices available to petrol and convenience stores are based on prevention and deterrence, Danish-owned

64 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

“Unlike conventional alarms, cameras, even security bars, business owners know that thieves today are no longer deterred by them and they represent a very passive resistance against thieves,” he said. “A Protect Fog Cannon is the best solution to stop any unauthorised entry, or terminate any intended theft as thieves can’t steal what they can’t see.”

Protect says it is offering its system fully installed with guaranteed support 24/7 ‘for the cost of a cup of coffee per day’ which it styles around a flexible affordable line of credit arrangement.

Mr Coburn said that the fog system, which has already been installed in some IGAs, is proving to be particularly popular in more rural areas where police response time can be slower than in big cities and towns.

The key to reducing the risk of robbery and theft at all stores then is preparation. Fighting complacency and always being vigilant to potential risks and threats is critical. Convenience operators that have put the right systems in place to make sure their site is as secure as possible and that their staff are up-todate in their training, can then focus their attention on more positive endeavours… such as lifting sales. C&I Convenience and Impulse Retailing magazine would like to thank Armaguard, Protect, Gunnebo, Scancam, and Tank Safes Australia for supplying information for this article.

A Protect Fog Cannon in action

What’s coming up in the December January Edition

Water (Still & Sparkling)

Non-Dairy (Coconut & Almond)

Health Snacks

Into the future 2020

PETROL NEWS ROUNDUP DAN ARMES Founder of ServoPro

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

STAFF TRAINING:

COMPLIANCE AND GOOD FOR BUSINESS

I

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

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

In January 2019 we helped a ServoPro member through a difficult situation where the site experienced an armed robbery. The owner was not at the site during the armed robbery. The employee who was working at the time was extremely distressed and had to take leave. The employee was not paid during the time away from work as they were

66 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

employed on a casual basis. The employee sought legal advice and was advised that the employer was negligent as they had not been trained properly in how to safely handle an armed robbery. A lengthy and costly legal process followed.

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

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

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

We have seen in recent years, government focusing on petrol stations in many areas of compliance including environmental and award wages. We are now seeing

PETROL NEWS petrol station owners targeted for compliance checks around safety and employee training responsibilities. This has been prompted by a spike in armed robberies and injuries in the workplace.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Currently, through our online training platform ServoSkills, ServoPro members are seeing the benefits of properly training staff. Staff become certified with training records on hand in case a legal issue or compliance check occurs. Members who access this training for staff are seeing employee morale improve and a better and more positive culture created within the workplace.

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

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

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

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 67

PETROL NEWS An Tank Solutions tank being lowered on-site

Tank Solutions reinforces its success with Underground Tanks Market leading storage tank manufacturer, Tank Solutions, has created a range of Double Wall Fibreglass Underground Tanks suitable for a wide range of liquids including petroleum, petrochemical and chemical applications.

The underground storage tanks range in capacity from 2,000L to 110,000L and offer a full 360-degree secondary containment which provides continuous monitoring of both inner and outer wall integrity.

Due to Tank Solutions' unique rib design inclusive of Parabeam technology, its Tanks are the strongest, most robust underground tanks available. They are rust-proof, maintenance free and compatible with all petroleum fuel products, alcohols and alcohol-gasoline mixtures.

Puma Energy to sell retail assets

Puma Energy’s owner, commodities trader Trafigura, is looking to offload assets which may include its petrol station network in Australia.

The company has hired consulting firm McKinsey and plans to restructure and sell assets to cut its debt and improve profits, according to news agency Reuters.

As one of Australia’s largest independent fuel retail chains, Puma Energy’s network includes 360 retail fuel sites, 222 stores, 81 restaurant/cafes and 60 truck stops as well as a large fuel transport business.

Puma Energy has 3% to 4% of the Australian fuel retailing market.

British-based EG Group, which bought the Woolworths fuels business last year for $1.2 billion, has been tipped as possible bidder.

Puma Energy has only been doing business in Australia since 2013 when it acquired Archer Capital’s Ausfuel.

A Puma Energy petrol station in Queensland

Australia’s biggest EV charging company plans nation-linking network Australia’s largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging network has announced its plan to grow its ultra-rapid sites to more than 100.

Chargefox has revealed the target locations for 22 sites in the first phase of its fast EV charging network, connecting Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with additional sites in Western Australia and Tasmania, delivering 450 kilometres of range.

Marty Andrews, Chargefox CEO, said, “We’re committed to making EV charging simple, fast and clean, and are thrilled to be leading the way in making this a reality for all Australians”.

“Our plans to complete the first phase of our ultra-rapid network are well underway now. From our rapid growth over the past two years, we’re learning how drivers in Australia use EVs, and are now using those lessons in future planning to grow the network Australians need,” Andrews continued.

The Chargefox 50kW chargers are located at the Torquay Golf Club carpark. With both CHAdeMO and CCS2 plug types allowing for use by current and yet-to-be released (in Australia at least) EVs, the two 175kW chargers can also be combined to provide up to 350kW charging to add as much as 400km driving range in 15 minutes.

The group opened its fifth electric vehicle rapid charging station in the seaside village and surf mecca Torquay, Victoria last month.

The site will feature four chargers in total in what will be a 22-strong network of ultra-rapid and fast chargers.

The next 17 locations in the first phase of the Chargefox ultra-rapid network include: NSW: Gundagai, Sydney, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Karuah, Cooma, Shell Cove and Goulburn; VIC: Ballarat, Moe and Horsham; TAS: Central Tasmania; SA: Greater Adelaide and Keith; and WA: West Perth and Australind.

As well as the 22 ultra-rapid site locations, Chargefox manages over 1,000 plugs across 450 locations, and has processed more than 50,000 charging sessions for EV drivers in the past two years.

68 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

EV charging is ramping up with more than 1,000 Chargefox plugs across 450 locations

PETROL NEWS

‘Disruptions’ unlocking financial rewards for petrol retailers New research into the global ‘fuel retailing’ market has revealed a number of ‘disruptions’ unlocking financial opportunities for petrol retailers.

The detailed international study by Advance Market Analytics (AMA) said these opportunities included electric vehicles (EVs) and changing consumer demands for seamless experiences. It also stated a growing demand for technology such as the ‘internet of things’ (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).

In 2017, Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) completed a research project called ‘Convenience 2030’ which looked at potential trends for the industry. In this research experts locally and globally were consulted and the issues of electric vehicles (EVs) and changing consumer demands for seamless experiences were identified.

AACS CEO Jeff Rogut said reframing threats as opportunities will inspire fresh thinking, disrupt complacency, and change perspectives. “Key drivers of future change will be technology, competitors, regulations, Millennials, and mobility,” Rogut said.

According to Rogut, opportunity areas are products, services, channels, supply chain, marketing, people, technology, and loyalty. “Major initiatives identified are on-the-go food, mobile developments, store experience, values-based marketing and retailer-supplier collaboration,” he said. “The industry has already embraced a number of these challenges and some have been turned into opportunities.”

In addition, other emerging opportunities have been identified such as health and wellness, sustainability, culinary culture, digital engagement and becoming more of a community hub.

In a statement, the AMA also said that diesel sales have grown more rapidly as more motorists have switched to diesel vehicles. However, ‘operators need to sell a high volume of fuel to cover operating costs and generate profit,’ the statement said.

According to the research, demographic and lifestyle changes will likely curb demand for car ownership, which could subdue demand for petrol.

Profiled players in the research are Wesfarmers (Australia), Caltex Australia (Australia), BP Australia (United Kingdom), 7-Eleven (United States), PetrolPlaza (Germany), Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) (India), Nayara Energy (India), Shell (Netherlands), Retail Petroleum Solutions RPS (Turkey) and Boyett Petroleum (United States).

Consumers are demanding seamless experiences and this is creating opportunities for fuel retailers

Australian owned and operated, Orford Refrigeration specialises in the design and supply of commercial refrigeration to the Australian and international market.

Starting out as a cordial manufacturing business in 1920, Orford Refrigeration has grown to become a market leader in refrigeration solutions, continually investing in research and development to improve the efficiency of its range.

Orford Refrigeration places great emphasis on building and maintaining partnerships right along the supply chain and develops its product range with an eye to the future.

Orford supplies spare parts for: • Orford Refrigeration

• Manitowoc Ice Machines

• Anthony Inserts products

Visit www.orford.com.au or call 1300 ORFORD (1300 673 673) for details.

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 69

PETROL NEWS

BP appoints Frédéric Baudry as COO and president of Australasia

Andy Holmes

Frédéric Baudry

BP announced Frédéric Baudry as its new president of Australasia and chief operating officer, Fuels Asia Pacific & Air BP. This follows the announcement that Andy Holmes will be retiring from his position in the company.

Baudry, currently Vice President, Midstream Europe, has been appointed to the position effective 1 January 2020.

Holmes has been with BP for 34 years, first joining as a graduate engineer in the UK. His career with the company included roles in the upstream, chemicals, refining, trading and supply businesses in countries that include China and Germany. He has also led the Rhine Fuels Value Chain, and global fuels businesses Air BP and LPG. According to a statement from BP, Holmes has significantly improved the safety and competitive performance of BP’s businesses in Australia, New Zealand and China since his appointment in 2013 to BP Group’s Downstream executive team and as leader of the Asia Pacific Fuels businesses.

Baudry, who is French, has worked for BP for 30 years for a range of commercial and operational businesses in Europe and Asia Pacific.

In his most recent role, he delivered a significant turnaround and growth for the midstream in Europe where he was responsible for the optimisation of BP’s fuels value chain including four refineries, wholesale supply and biofuels, B2B, 14 terminals and end consumer pricing for the Retail business.

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Petroleum equipment and services

Action Installation & Services

ELGAS SWAP’n’GO®

Action Installation & Services was formed in 2006 when Michael Mintilakis and Ron van der Meer decided to create an installation and service company that was second to none. Over 50 years of combined fuel industry experience and knowledge has enabled them to build a business which continues to lead change in the downstream petroleum industry.

Action Installation & Services continually strive to achieve the highest standards of environmental and safety performance, through the use of well informed, highly trained people. Action currently employs 40 staff across admin, installation, pump and electronic service.

Action Installation & Services strives to satisfy the requirements and expectations of every client every time in a professional and cost effective manner. Regular reviews ensure the quality of all products and services and business operations; and that all employees have appropriate job skills training; and quality management, contractual obligations and ongoing process improvement is maintained.

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: Michael Mintilakis Phone: 1300 785 425 Email: michael@actioninstall.com.au Web: www.actioninstall.com.au

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

Cardtronics

Gallagher Fuel Systems

When you see an ATM in a supermarket, convenience store or Petrol location, there’s a good chance it’s from Cardtronics, a proud supporter of the convenience, café and fuel industries.

Cardtronics understand the needs of a variety of establishments and the commercial environments that retailers in the P&C channel face.

Cardtronics know that you need your ATM up and running without any issues to service your patrons and provide them with safe and easy access to cash.

For your business premises a Cardtronics ATM will mean more customers with cash to spend in store, reduced eftpos fees, 24-hour service and support.

It is a fact that a percentage of the cash withdrawn from a Cardtronics ATM is spent on the premises, which will improve your revenue streams.

At Cardtronics we know from proven experience that an ATM can deliver more sales to your business. If you want to create more foot traffic in your business, an ATM does that.

Cardtronics is Australia’s largest independent ATM provider and part of the global Cardtronics brand. We operate a real 24 hour service, we operate our own technically trained help desk, offering nationwide support with a national network of spare parts warehouses and dedicated in-house technicians.

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

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

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

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

Phone: 1300 305 600 Email: sales@cardtronics.com.au

Contact: Derek Hjelm, Business Development Manager Australia Phone: 0424 164 814 Email: derek.hjelm@gallagher.com Web: www.gallagher.com October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 71

SUPPLY-FIND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Free your staff to deal with customers in store and let gravity do the grunt work. Contact Flowsell on www.flowsell.com.au or Ph: 03 9708 2276 to find out how you can start-14saving today.

Advertisement C&I Dec-Jan 2019_.pdf 1 12/11/2018 12:28:12 PM

10 Sonia Street, Carrum Downs, VIC 3201 Phone: (03) 9708 2276 Fax: (03) 9708 2279 Hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm www.flowsell.com.au

Gascorp Pty Ltd – Budget Petrol Strategic Price Management C

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

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

Accurate, Reliable, Timely 72 October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au

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

To be listed here, please contact Safa de Valois on 0405 517 115 or email safa@c-store.com.au

SUPPLY-FIND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October/November 2019 | C&I | www.c-store.com.au 73

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