Retail Trade Shows 2025 to be best yet!
Set your sales sizzling this cold season. Spring Clean for success.
Volume 30
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issue…
GUINNESS TIME
FRESH Beginnings
A fresh new year opens up a world of opportunities for Budgens retailers.
Hello and welcome to your first issue of YourBudgens for 2025!
The beginning of a new year always delivers a fresh serving of opportunities to tuck into and the year ahead will certainly prove no exception.
Helping you make the most of the months to come will be our Retail Trade Shows which are promising to be the best yet!
Taking place at Sandown and Doncaster racecourses on 6 and 13 March respectively, the trade shows will showcase some of the many new innovations, services, range updates and products that will help retailers drive that all-important footfall, sales and profits into their stores.
Retailers will also be able to enjoy multiple Exclusive Trade Show WOW deals, so don’t delay, register today!
With a series of seasonal opportunities on the horizon, there
will also be plenty of chances to boost your business and as usual, Budgens has put together an exceptional package of support to help you make the most of the coming spring season.
Now is also a great time of year to get in on the springcleaning act and prime your store for success in 2025.
Check out our Spring Cleaning feature to arm yourself with quick and cost-effective housekeeping hacks, and checks.
As the cold weather continues to bite, we’ve also taken the opportunity to remind you of Budgens’ fantastic range of winter essentials, including OTC medicines and winter fuelsall of which also offer great value for money.
Don’t forget to also cast your eye over our NPD pages, which are awash with top new products and Group Exclusives that are sure to help your shelves and sales sizzle.
I wish you all strong trading throughout this important early spring period.
Industry News
More than 5,000 charities and community groups have benefited from Booker’s partnership with FareShare and Olio.
Booker donates more than 20 million meals
Booker has donated the equivalent of more than 20 million meals to charities and local communities as part of its ongoing partnership with FareShare and Olio.
Donations are delivered or collected direct from Booker’s 190 branches, 11 distribution depots and Best Food Logistics business.
In 2024 alone, Booker donated more than seven million meals to FareShare charities in local communities.
More than 5,000 charities and community groups have benefited from donations throughout the partnership.
Booker works with the charities and Olio across the UK through the FareshareGo programme - with Booker sites matched to local charities and community groups, who then collect products and turn them into food parcels or hot meals for people in need.
Donations include fresh produce, meat and packaged goods.
The success of the partnership has resulted in Booker and Best Food Logistics being named as one of FareShare’s 2025 Leading Food Partners for a fourth consecutive year.
Katie Sadler, Head of FareShare Go, said: “We’re really grateful to Booker for redistributing an incredible 20 million meals’ worth of surplus food through FareShare Go - providing meals to bring people together over food and strengthening communities across the UK.”
Saasha Celestial-One, Co-Founder and COO of Olio said: “20 million meals is a staggering achievement, and we’re very proud that Olio and FareShare’s partnership with Booker has delivered such amazing results.”
Jisp launches data & insights division
Retail technology company, Jisp, has unveiled a new data and insights division.
Jisp Intelligence will help to help shed light on the behaviour, needs, and preferences of convenience shoppers.
With its established data analytics and communications channels, Jisp has been able to gather valuable insights into customer shopping habits.
By capturing consumer reactions and feedback at the moment of purchase, Jisp can provide real-time insights that can inform immediate marketing and operational decisions, helping businesses to understand what drives consumer choices and adapt quickly to emerging trends.
“Data is the new fuel for the retail world. It provides businesses with the insights they need to tailor their offerings, optimise their marketing strategies, and ultimately drive sales,” said Jisp Marketing & Communications Director Alex Rimmer.
“The findings will be valuable to the whole sector, whether retailer, wholesaler or brand.”
UK convenience market forecast to grow by over £3.2bn
Food and grocery spending in UK convenience stores is projected to reach £43.2bn by 2028 – outpacing supermarkets and discounters, new data from GlobalData suggests.
However, stores must focus on their price positioning to remain competitive, the report warned.
Aliyah Siddika, Retail Analyst at GlobalData said the shift in UK consumer behaviour “towards frequent top-up shopping” had created “substantial growth potential in the convenience market.”
Pre-pandemic, consumers working in the office full-time had less time to cook dinner after work. However, with the shift to hybrid work models, consumers now go into the office a few times a week and are more likely to have the time to prepare meals ahead of
the days they are in the office to save money.
Convenience retailers should promote low prices on their fakeaway options to entice consumers to visit on their way home from work for an affordable yet indulgent meal, the report said.
“When offering deeper price cuts in convenience formats, grocers must target price promotions towards items that consumers are more inclined to purchase during the workweek. Such as food-to-go ranges, ready meals, quick dinners, and treats to capture spending from commuters,” Siddika added.
IGD highlights six key trends shaping grocery retail
The think-tank’s six insights set to shape retail in the year ahead include:
Optimising Retail Fundamentals for Success
UK and European retailers are reinforcing core retail fundamentals like stock availability, pricing, and promotions and are using innovations, such as shelf-edge cameras to do it.
Exploring New Revenue Streams
Retailers are diversifying their revenue sources; leveraging ecommerce technology, data monetisation, and B2B services.
Evolving Store Formats for Greater Flexibility
Retailers are adopting adaptable store
designs that cater to evolving consumer needs and seasonal trends.
Seamless Connected Commerce
Retailers are enhancing the integration of physical and digital retail, focusing on omnichannel experiences, loyalty schemes, and smart checkout solutions.
Health and Wellness
Retailers are introducing more functional foods and health-focused products.
Accelerating Sustainability Commitments
Retailers are intensifying their sustainability efforts, with a focus on reducing food waste, plastic packaging, and energy usage.
PayPoint and Lloyds launch partner expansion
PayPoint Group and Lloyds have announced the official launch of their partnership expansion to more than 60,000 SMEs across the UK.
The partnership expansion promises to empower thousands of SMEs, with a comprehensive banking and payments offering.
SME businesses using merchant services arranged by Handepay and PayPoint can now enjoy next day settlements, faster onboarding, a dedicated app, and additional customer data and insights.
The new Handepay Merchant Mobile App allows SME owners to manage their businesses at the touch of a button through consolidated sales and transactions updates, summarised sales performance and trends filters.
Low and no alcohol alternatives growing in popularity
More
people are drinking lowand no-alcohol alternatives than ever before, The Portman Group’s seventh annual survey of the nation’s drinking habits reveals.
Conducted in partnership with YouGov, the survey found that well over a third (38%) of UK drinkers are now consuming lowand no-alcohol alternatives semi-regularly (12% regularly and 26% occasionally) – compared to 35% in 2023 and 29% in 2022, with a notable increase in regular consumption from 8% in 2023 to 12% in 2024.
Young adults continue to drive the trend as the biggest consumers of low- and no-alcohol alternatives, with close to half (46%) of 25–34-year-olds surveyed considering themselves either an occasional or regular drinker of alcohol alternatives, compared to 37% in 2023. Forty per cent of 18–24-year-olds also drink these products semi-regularly.
Trends show that the younger generation also continue to be the most sober age group overall, with 39% of 18–24-yearolds not drinking alcohol at all.
Almost a quarter (24%) of current alcohol drinkers said that their weekly consumption has fallen due to the availability of low- and no-alcohol products, up from 23% in 2023 and 21% in 2022.
Budgens retailers now have access to a vast range of low and no alcohol products, helping them to offer outstanding choice in this important and growing market. Speak to your RDM or check out the website for more info.
Treat purchases prove popular as card spend grows
While significantly lower than 2023’s 4.1% growth, consumer card spending increased in 2024, up 1.6% compared to the previous year, according to Barclays, which has highlighted a rise in affordable treat purchases.
The bank revealed that essential spending grew just 0.9% in 2024, down from 3.9% last year, as spending on fuel fell while supermarket growth slowed.
Non-essential spending increased 1.9%, as consumers’ strong appetite for ‘little luxuries’ boosted health and beauty, entertainment and digital content, but still lagged behind 2023 levels (4.2%).
The report identified that many Brits adopted a “treat yourself” attitude in 2024 with nearly half (46%) saying they prioritise spending on small, affordable, mood-boosting luxuries such as pastries, even while tightening budgets.
Baked goods were a particularly popular ‘pick-me-up’, chosen by 43% at an average monthly spend of £22 each, with
crookies (a croissant and cookie hybrid) and pistachio desserts among the year’s top trending treats.
Almost two thirds (64%) of cost-conscious Brits noticed ‘doubledip’ shrinkflation in 2024, where products go through two or more rounds of size reductions without a corresponding drop in price. According to this group, the five most cited products hit by ‘double-dip shrinkflation’ were chocolate (54%), crisps (39%), packs of biscuits (34%), snack bars (32%) and sweets (32%).
Meanwhile, almost half (45%) said they were cooking more at home to save money.
ENJOY TASTY SALES THIS RAMADAN
Cash usage in stores grows for second year in a row
Cash
usage in
shops has risen for the second year in a row, a new study by the British Retail Consortium (BRC)
has revealed.
As more shoppers turn to coins and notes amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the research found that one in five transactions last year were made using cash with shoppers citing it as an effective budgeting tool.
The rise in cash usage follows recent data from major surveys, including one from payments platform Paysafe, which confirms that payment choice remains a key factor for UK shoppers, with many valuing the availability of cash.
This is further supported by new laws introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to protect access to
cash through an increase in banking hubs and Post Office facilities.
Mike Severs, Sales & Marketing Director at Volumatic, said: “The latest BRC findings highlight the surge in cash usage over the past two years. It’s a trend that businesses need to pay attention to. Despite tough times, cash remains a vital payment option for many consumers, and we can help businesses process it more efficiently.
“Cash is universal, easy to accept, and doesn’t come with the risks of data breaches or cybercrime.
InPost’s UK parcel deliveries up 58% YoY in Q4 2024
Rapid network expansion, coupled with improvement in logistics has enabled InPost to end its Q4 UK trading on a high with 27.2 million parcels delivered, a year-on-year increase of 58%.
In 2024, InPost delivered 93.2 million parcels in the UK, doubling 2023 volumes, while globally, it surpassed one billion parcel deliveries and added over 11.500 automated parcel machines (APMs).
The group claimed that its network in the UK was currently operating at over 100% capacity on average, indicating substantial room for growth in the number of APMs going forward.
Post Office unveils wellbeing platform for postmasters
The Post Office has launched a centralised platform offering postmasters simplified access to wellbeing resources to help them cope with the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents.
Formed in partnership with the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NFSP) and Voice of the Postmaster, the initiative features a new centralised repository on the Branch Hub app — a single point of access to a wide range of resources.
The resources are organised into three key areas:
l “I Need Help Right Now”: Immediate support for Postmasters in crisis, offering quick access to emergency services, mental health first aiders, area and business support managers, and organisations like Samaritans.
l “More Support and Guidance”: Practical resources, including security advice, social media abuse help, guidance documents, and links to external organisations such as Citizens Advice and Mind.
l “Access Community Support”: Opportunities for Postmasters to connect with peers through WhatsApp and Facebook groups, as well as in-person meetings organised by the Post Office.
All wrapped up
Budgens Whitfield in Dover has enhanced its already impressive food-to-go offer with a brand new Döner & Gyros franchise.
The award-winning forecourt store, which already features a Fireaway Pizza outlet, underwent a £1.5m redevelopment last year.
Managing Director Kanagaratnam Rajaseelan said the increasing range of facilities at Budgens Whitfield was designed to support the local community as well as the tens of thousands of motorists who travel to and from the port of Dover.
The new Döner & Gyros outlet offers high-quality kebabs, platters, salads and wraps, all of which can be eaten in or taken away.
It was formally opened by the Leader of Dover District Council, Cllr Kevin Mills, who praised Seelan for his vision for the area and his investment in Dover.
Six new jobs have also been created at the Döner & Gyros outlet.
A cut above
CT Baker Budgens of Holt rounded off another phenomenal year of fundraising with two more meaningful charitable donations in December.
Holt store employee Geoff amassed a hair-raising £273.84 for Aylsham and Holt Community First Responders following a sponsored haircut which took place in store.
Aylsham First Responders are trained volunteers who give up their spare time to be dispatched by Ambulance Control to certain 999 calls and provide on-scene emergency care to people in the community.
Geoff’s luscious locks were also donated to The Little Princess Trust which provides wigs for children with cancer.
A further £811 was also raised for Bowel Cancer UK in December, with a massive £541 raised on the Holt Christmas tombola and a further £270 made on the Christmas craft stall.
Ready for GroceryAid Day 2025?
GroceryAid Day takes place on Thursday 8th May and is the annual awareness day for our industry charity GroceryAid. It’s the ideal opportunity to let your colleagues know about the free, confidential support that is available.
Thursday 8th May will see this year’s annual GroceryAid Day help elevate the awareness of our industry charity in stores and businesses across the UK – and GroceryAid wants your business to be one of them.
The special day offers you the chance to join hundreds of organisations in letting your colleagues know about the charity’s free and confidential financial, emotional and practical services available to them 24/7, 365 days a year.
support or signpost them to another GroceryAid service that may help. More than 200 languages are also supported through the Helpline, on request.
GroceryAid Day
8th May 2025
Support and further advice are also available through the website, groceryaid.org. uk/get-help. The website has an accessibility toolbar which translates the content into more than 100 different languages, as well as text to speech in 60 languages.
FREE GROCERYAID COMMS KIT
Colleagues can access GroceryAid’s services and support from the first day of their employment. After just six months of continuous employment, if colleagues have experienced a drop in income, they may be eligible for a nonrepayable financial grant.
If they need immediate emotional support, they can call GroceryAid’s FREE and confidential Helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 08088 021122. Their call will be answered by a trained counsellor who can either give them immediate
For regular updates about the support available and the latest information on financial support such as School Essentials Grant, follow the charity on Facebook @groceryaid or Instagram @ groceryaid_uk.
All of GroceryAid’s services are completely free and confidential and they do not disclose any details back to the charity. Their emotional and practical support is also available to spouses, partners and dependants.
GroceryAid Day is a great way to help you ensure that your colleagues can reach out to GroceryAid for support.
Order your free GroceryAid communications package now at groceryaid.org.uk.
From posters and leaflets to wallet cards and stickers, there’s everything you need to make all of your colleagues aware of the free and confidential financial, practical and emotional support that is available to them, should they need it.
Set for success
Budgens Bluntisham is in great shape following a comprehensive development to meet shopper needs, now and in the future.
‘Fit for the future,’ it’s a commonly coined phrase in the convenience industry as retailers strive to ‘future proof’ their operations and make the most out of new and emerging opportunities.
One store that’s in undeniably great shape is Budgens Bluntisham, which after a comprehensive development, is not only ‘fit for the future’ but also pumped for the present.
Acquired last year by Karan Retail, which operates around 40 independent forecourt sites across
FACTFILE
Store name: Budgens Bluntisham, Huntingdon
Managing Director: Suthakaran
Sivasubramaniam
Size: 3,617sq ft
Best performing categories: Fresh, chilled, BWS, food to go
Services: National Lottery, PayPoint, defibrillator, EV car charging
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 6am-9pm, Sat-Sun 7am9pm
the UK, the site was put through its paces in October 2023 with a comprehensive development designed to buff up its offer by sculpting its range and honing appearance.
Managing Director Suthakaran Sivasubramaniam (Karan) explains: “We took the site on in March 2022. It’s based on the outskirts of Bluntisham village and the store is well- used by the local community, many of whom see it as their local village shop.
“However, when we first took the site on, the store itself was quite tired, not having been invested in for some time.”
Growing and profitable categories, such as food- and drinksto-go and frozen, were also woefully under-represented in the old store, which had been trading under another symbol brand.
After a detailed assessment of local needs and opportunities – and a switch to Budgens – Karan and his team settled upon the perfect plan to beef up Bluntisham’s retail offer.
A month-long refurbishment programme kicked off in October 2023.
With the old store having offered only a limited and fragmented range of food- and drinks-to-go, the first key change made was the establishment of a dedicated food- and drinksto-go zone at the front of the store – where transient and local shoppers alike, could access a wide range of quality products from one convenient location.
The move has shifted food to go from sideline to centre stage with a prominent and inviting new line-up of options
including Tango Ice Blast, Hershey’s Freeze, Fwip Gelato and fresh orange juice from I Squeeze.
The old store’s existing Costa Coffee offer was also re-sited alongside the new machines, where it complements the revitalised range.
A brand new hot ‘to go’ offer, including Rollover Hotdogs and a selection of oven-fresh Bake & Bite pies, pastries and other products, was also added to the mix.
Further food-to-go choice can be found in the store’s chillers which are now home to Budgens’ comprehensive chilled range, including the Budgens Sandwich Meal Deal.
A full four doors are dedicated to chilled food to go, before leading on to a further eight doors for soft drinks, including on-trend international brands.
The store’s chillers were also upgraded as part of the development, with new LED lighting fitted inside the cabinets to help products shine even more brightly.
The store also features a further eight doors for chilled foods, including dairy and ready meals, such as pizzas, pasta
dishes and curries from the Jack’s brand.
Facing them on the other side of the aisle is another fantastic fresh run featuring produce, fish, poultry and meats.
Shoppers at Budgens Bluntisham are then treated to a further meat feast in the form of two chilled serve-over counters at the rear of the store, both of which are supplied by the locally renowned Ramsey Traditional Butchers.
The range offers shoppers access to a fine range of succulent meats, hand-picked and expertly prepared by Ramsey’s master butchers. In addition to premium cuts of beef, lamb, and pork, the range also includes mouthwatering sausages, burgers, pre-prepared meals and fresh heat at home products such as ‘Big Bacon Turnovers’ and local ‘Caramelised Sausage Rolls’.
“Shoppers love the Ramsey’s range and many travel from miles around to buy it,” Karan adds. “Local produce really is a big USP and a big driver of local sentiment.”
The store’s recent support of the Bluntisham Beer Festival, where it was the official Entertainment Sponsor, has only increased that positive local sentiment further.
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The store development also saw the store allocate a much larger swathe of space to frozen – with the old four-door range rising to nine – offering shoppers an unrivalled range of frozen choice, including big name and own brands.
A further two Cook freezers also offer shoppers gourmet lunch, dinner and dessert options.
Budgens Bluntisham has also been thoughtfully merchandised so as to allocate the correct amount of space to key and growing categories, such as healthy products, international brands, and bagged and sharing formats.
This is especially evident at the front of the store where the confectionery offer includes a 1000 x 470mm bay for sweet healthy snacks, the same for US products, another for block and boxed chocolates, and three full 1,000 x 470mm bays for bagged confectionery and multipacks.
Other growing categories, such as sharing crisps, have also been allocated three full bays.
BWS is also cleverly zoned in the far right-hand corner of the store with eight doors for chilled
wine, RTDs, beers and ciders.
“Shoppers are telling us that they love the new look, enhanced range and layout which they say is far more pleasant and convenient to shop. We’re certainly in great shape for the future.”
Suthakaran Sivasubramaniam
The zone also features a premium Laithwaites wine range and even a dedicated 600 x 240 bay for small-bottle wine – another category that is experiencing growth as shoppers turn to smaller formats in a bid to explore new wine varieties and treat themselves with premium single serves.
The forecourt itself has also been enhanced with new EV charging points which Karan says act as a significant step towards helping shoppers to reduce their carbon footprints.
Unsurprisingly, the work at Budgens Bluntisham has been very well received by local shoppers and passing trade alike, with footfall and sales both up since the work was completed.
“Overall the refit has been a great success with sales increases in line with expectations while customer feedback has been great,” Karan adds.
“Shoppers are telling us that they love the new look, enhanced range and layout, which they say is far more pleasant and convenient to shop. We’re certainly in great shape for the future.”
Street smart
Local man Dale Snowdon and his team have revitalised Okehampton’s town centre with their second family-run store in the town.
Often in retail, it pays to think fast, act dynamically and fly by the seat of your POS.
However, it can also pay to bide your time and play the waiting game – a tactic that has certainly stood Budgens retailer Dale Snowdon in very good stead.
Dale’s family-owned convenience business was originally established by his parents in 1980 and includes two other Budgens sites, including a locally prized Budgens forecourt store on the outskirts of Okehampton in Devon.
“My sister and I grew up in Okehampton, so we know the local area really well,” Dale explains. “As the kids of convenience retailers we were also pretty much brought up behind the
counter and learned the retail ropes from an early age,” he adds.
“Okehampton has an interesting demographic. We have a population of around 10,000 people but it also sits right on the northern edge of the Dartmoor National Park, so we get lots of holidaymakers passing through on their way down into Cornwall. We are also just over 20 miles from the city of Exeter, and we benefit from excellent transport links –meaning that we have seen a lot of new housing estates pop up on the edge of town in recent years.
“However, the town centre itself had started to look a little tired in recent years, with quite a few closed-down stores.”
The largest and most prominent storefront on Okehampton’s main Fore Street was a McColl’s, which in 2023, joined the ranks of shuttered stores.
“That large Fore Street store has always been the focal point of the high street and due to its many iterations, it means lots of different things to lots of different people,” Dale explains. “It had traded as a McColl’s for many years and was a Forbouys before that. I was born in the town and have fond memories of going buying my pick and mix sweets in there – as do lots of other local people.
“It was one of those almost iconic sites, that as a family we’d always said, ‘If that store ever comes up for sale, we have to go for it.’ It was almost like a dream that we all had for many years.”
And that dream came true one night – when travelling home from London late one evening Dale suddenly spotted a ‘To Let’ sign outside the boarded-up building.
Morrisons, which had been planning to re-open the store as a Morrisons Daily, had unexpectedly reversed its decision –leaving 8-9 Fore Street suddenly up for grabs.
“I immediately thought, ‘Right I’m on it.’ We just had to have that site,” Dale laughs.
Fast forward to May 2024 and, after agreeing a new lease with the landlord, the longed-for site was theirs.
Plans to refit the store were then drawn up in record time.
“Because we’d grown up in the town – and run another Budgens on the outskirts – we knew exactly what this store needed to offer to be a success,” Dale continues.
“There’s no shortage of supermarkets in Okehampton, so we weren’t looking to provide another one. What we knew Fore Street needed was a high-quality top-up shopping solution, with the added benefit of premium food and drinks to go.
“The town experiences quite a bit of passing trade but it’s also home to a lot of small businesses and professional practices – such as banks and estate agents – so there was a clear opportunity to go after the breakfast and lunchtime market.
Choose a bottle made from recycled plastic*
FACTFILE
Store name: Budgens Fore Street
Retailer: Dale Snowdon
Size: 2,950sq ft
Staff: 15
Opening hours: 7am10pm
Services: National Lottery, Apple Pay, PayPoint
“There is also a large secondary school and sixth form college, with around 1,000 students, so we also knew that we needed to gear some portion of the new food-to-go offer towards a younger audience.”
The store has hit both nails on the head with its striking Good To Go zone at the entrance.
Featuring crisp white subway tiles and elegant signage, the Good To Go zone has the polished feel of an upmarket café and features a selection of quality self-serve drinks from its Costa Coffee and PG Tips machines.
Calippo Burst slush is also available as are Rollover Hotdogs and a vast range of chilled and hot ‘to go’ goods from Bake&Bite – including baguettes which are handmade with care by the
in-store team each morning.
The store also offers the Budgens £4.50 Meal Deal, which is merchandised in a dedicated chiller at the front of the store, where Dale says it’s working “really well”.
“Food to go has been a huge hit since opening,” Dale says. “Hot food in particular has been a runaway success, especially with the younger demographic who come in specifically to buy hot snacks to eat on the way home from college.”
The store’s offer has also been “heavily focused” on the ‘meal for tonight’ mission and features more than 18 metres of fresh – including a wide range of meats, deli items and dairy products, all of which are housed in a smart run of sophisticated dark-framed chillers with doors.
A popular selection of freshly baked breads, including demi baguettes and sourdough loaves, are also available from a smart wooden self-serve unit – perfect for accompanying the store’s range of British and continental cheeses.
“We have also introduced Cook ready meals and sales are rocketing, so that’s very pleasing, especially as shoppers tend to pick up a nice bottle of wine to go with them,” Dale adds.
Shopping for wine is something of an experience too, thanks to the store’s brand new ‘Cellar’ concept. With its smart wood-panelled exterior and shiny glass doors, The Cellar is proving to be a significant footfall and sales driver.
“I was really keen to introduce a ‘beer cave’ feature and when we first took the covers down and revealed the store, shoppers were literally gawping at The Cellar. There’s nothing like this in Okehampton, or its surrounds, so it really makes us stand out.”
“BWS is also proving to be one of our strongest sellers,” Dale adds. “The meal for tonight mission is a big driver but we also have several restaurants in the town that operate on a ‘Bring Your Own Booze’ basis and we are definitely benefitting from that.”
Further USPs can also be found in the store’s large range of products from local and small suppliers, including the Foxcombe Bakehouse, local eggs and ‘Joy Pots’.
“I’m most pleased about how well our food-to-go offer is selling. It’s something that we do very well at our forecourt sites, so it’s fantastic to see it taking off in town too.
“American soft drinks and confectionery are also incredibly popular with our younger audience. Knowing the town like we do has enabled us to create perfect offer for it.”
And with footfall and sales both exceeding expectations since the store opened on 15 November, it would seem that Okehampton agrees.
Showstopping!
Booker’s Retail Trade Shows 2025 are promising to be the best yet, so don’t delay, register today.
With the new year well and truly underway, now is the perfect time to plan ahead and prime your store for profit in the months to come.
From innovative new products to on-trend food to go solutions, business-boosting services, own brand developments and much more, the year ahead promises a wealth of trends and opportunities for retailers to explore.
And there’s no place better to do just that, than at the Booker Retail Trade Shows 2025.
Retailer Testimonial
“Our store is a large family run forecourt site. We’ve been with Budgens for eight years now and I always look forward to this show. It’s fantastic to be able to see so many key suppliers under one roof and to see the new products in the flesh rather than on a planogram.”
Goren
Raven, Raven’s Budgens Abridge, Romford
Taking place at Sandown Racecourse on Thursday 6 March and Doncaster Racecourse on Thursday 13 March, the Booker Retail Trade Shows 2025 are promising to be the best yet!
Both shows will showcase Booker’s exceptional choice, price and service offer, including cutting-edge innovations, brand updates and Exclusive Trade Show WOW deals.
With more than 100 exhibitors from across all the key convenience categories, retailers will also be able to meet and greet leading suppliers and get a taste of the new products sure to set their shelves alight in 2025.
Retailers will also have the opportunity to interact with food-to-go areas and take in the sights and smells of live cookery demonstrations.
And with hundreds of store owners from across the country flocking to them, the Booker Retail Trade Shows will also provide the perfect platform for networking and catching up with fellow retailers and friends, as-well as key members of the Booker team.
Entry is free, and so is parking, so what are you waiting for? Register on the link below or scan the QR code. You won’t regret it!
BOOKER RETAIL TRADE SHOWS
2025
SANDOWN RACECOURSE
KT10 9AJ
Thursday 6 March 2024
Register today for the Booker Trade Shows 2025, our best shows yet! Offering you
DONCASTER RACECOURSE DN2 6BB
Thursday 13 March 2025 Shows open 09.30hrs - 16.00hrs
BOOKER’S BEST SHOWS YET!
• Exclusive Trade Show only WOW deals
RETAIL TRADE SHOWS 2025
Sandown Racecourse 6th March
Doncaster Racecourse 13th March
Shows Open from 9.30am to 4.00pm
l Exclusive Trade Show only WOW deals.
• See the latest initiatives & brand updates
l New initiatives and brand updates.
l Top suppliers showcasing latest ranges & NPD.
• Meet our top suppliers showcasing their latest ranges & NPD
l Opportunity to interact with food-to-go areas.
l Cooking demonstrations and sampling.
• Opportunity to interact with food-to-go areas
l Free products and competitions.
• Cooking demos, sampling, free products & competitions
l Free entry and parking TO REGISTER SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT WWW.BOOKER.CO.UK
• FREE entry & parking
Clean up this spring
Now’s the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and give your store a spruce up for spring and beyond.
For retailers and shoppers alike, the beginning of a new year has always been a prime time to clear out the cobwebs, drive out the dust and start afresh.
While the annual spring-cleaning season tends to send shoppers surging for their mops and buckets – now is also a prime time for retailers to brush up their businesses and get things ship shape for the year ahead. A mop and bucket may come in useful too, so keep them handy!
Following the festive frenzy, the start of a new year is generally a quieter trading time for stores, making it the perfect period for retailers to take some time to regroup, refresh and refocus.
One great way to do that is by taking a step back and trying to see your store the way your shoppers do. Spending every day in your store, it’s easy to get used to the little issues and problems that you’ve meaning to get round to but have never quite found the time for.
Exterior
The best place to start is outside, as that’s the first thing new and existing shoppers see when they visit your store –and first impressions count:
View your store through the eyes of the shopper, however, and you’re likely to find lots of things you can do quickly, easily and cost-effectively, to improve the shopper experience.
That could be as simple as a deep clean, a re-merchandise, or a lick of paint - or it could mean instigating a new programme of online staff training or checking that all hygiene, health and safety documentation and rules are up to date.
To help you get your store tip top 2025, we’ve compiled a handy guide of quick and simple checks and changes that you and your team can use to set things sparkling. Don’t forget the gloves!
l Is the signage neat, tidy and clean?
l Are all posters up to date and in good condition?
l Has the exterior been swept and is it litter-free?
l Why not organise a community litter pick around the local area?
l Do your exterior walls need fresh paint or professional cleaning?
l Are the windows clean, tidy and free of clutter?
l Do you have a bin available for shoppers?
Health, Safe and Legal
With the basics dealt with, it’s time to move onto more complex areas. Health, safe and legal are massively important issues and no more so than if you operate a hot food-to-go counter. Areas to pay particular attention to are those with specific hygiene challenges like milk chillers, hot and cold food storage, and preparation areas.
l Is the milk chiller spotlessly clean?
l Have any hot food storage units been deep cleaned recently?
l Have all chillers been serviced as specified by the manufacturer?
l Are your temperature checks up to date, accurate and within safe guidelines?
l Has the shelving in the soft drinks cabinet been thoroughly cleaned to remove sticky residues?
l What about your food prep areas? It is a legal requirement that these must be cleaned and sanitised then left for 30 seconds before using again.
l Is your EHO certificate displayed as it should be?
l Is your CleanPro+ manual available to staff, and are they aware of it?
l For products that you yourself package for sale, is the ingredient labelling fully compliant with Natasha’s Law?
Store Teams
Clearly, one of the most important factors on how shoppers judge your store is your team. Some basic questions to ask yourself include:
l Do any uniforms need replacing?
l Are all members of your team playing to their strengths?
l Is all staff training up to date or could your team do with a refresher course?
l Does your team greet every shopper with a hello and a smile?
l Are your team that handle food wearing the appropriate aprons, bibs, gloves and hair nets?
Interior
Once your shoppers step inside, what is the first thing they see? Does it make a good impression and is it how you want your store to be perceived? After that, take a good walk around the store, just the way a shopper would, and make sure that everything is just as you want it. Ask yourself:
l Are the floors clean and safe with no lose or uneven surfaces?
l Are aisles easy to navigate for shoppers with mobility issues or prams?
l Do all the lights work?
l Is your counter clean and free of scuffs and clutter?
l Is the ceiling free of marks and cobwebs?
Storage Areas
l Are the shelves clean, neat and well merchandised?
l Is there any old POS that’s dirty or no longer relevant?
l Is all in-store signage accurate and in good condition?
l Are all shelf-edge labels and price tickets clean, tidy and up to date?
l If you sell vapes, are you offering shoppers a recycling bin for vaping products and communicating this service to shoppers?
l While the shopper-facing parts of the store naturally get the most attention, it’s still vital that all storage areas are kept in good shape to avoid accidents, hygiene issues and out-of-date stock. Ask yourself:
l Are the floor areas of any store spaces clean, tidy and trip hazardfree?
l Has all shelving been checked recently to ensure it’s safe and sound?
l Has all the stock in the storage room been rotated properly to avoid out of date stock and wastage?
l Do all the lights in the storage spaces work?
l Could reconfiguring the stockroom make restocking of the shopfloor easier and quicker?
Cold comfort
The OTC winter medicines market offers an opportunity that’s not to be sniffed at.
Winter’s here and while the season certainly heralds its fair share of fun and festivities, regrettably, it’s also a boom time for bugs – and this year is certainly proving to be no exception, with cold and flu rates having surged in January and in early February.
With their extended opening hours and friendly, helpful staff, the season will prompt many shoppers to turn to their local stores as the first port of call for help with easing winter illness symptoms, as well as those of their dependants.
As a result, there really is no time better than now to ensure that your range has got their common needs covered.
The knowledge that your store can be relied upon to provide a quality range of OTC medicines will be a tonic to shoppers at this time of year and especially to the parents and carers of young children suffering with pain and fever, for whom that bottle of Calpol sitting on your shelf will be akin to gold dust –particularly at 9pm when the local chemist is shut.
TOP TIPS
l Ensure that your medicines range is clearly signposted so that shoppers on a mission can find what they need fast.
l If you display medicines behind the counter, make sure that all products and prices are displayed clearly.
l Offer a range of products to cover the three key ‘super categories’: pain; cough and cold; and gastrointestinal remedies.
l Ensure that your staff are familiar with your range and know the answers to basic questions about the key products that you stock – such as which products can be used in the day or at night, or which products are suitable for dry or chesty coughs.
l Always ensure that you direct shoppers with more complicated problems to a nearby pharmacy or medical professional.
The OTC healthcare market in the UK is worth just over £2.8bn annually and is growing at 4.2% year on year.
Source: Circana CPG UK 52 weeks Dec 24
The OTC healthcare market in the UK is worth just over £2.8bn annually and it’s growing at 4.2% year on year, according to Circana CPG UK data for the 52 weeks to December 2024.
That market is dominated by three ‘super categories’: pain relief; cough and cold remedies; and gastro and intestinal remedies, which together account for a stonking 68% of its total value.
COUGHS AND COLDS
Symbol and Independent stores currently have a 7.1% share of the OTC coughs, colds and respiratory market –where medicated confectionery is one of the biggest share contributors according to Circana.
When it comes to coughs and colds, the most common shopper symptoms are:
l Cough
l Sore throat
l Congestion
l Sinus discomfort
Making sure that you offer a range of products that can help your shoppers to alleviate all of the above is key – and
fortunately Budgens provides everything you need to do just that.
For convenient ‘all in one’ solutions to help with cough, cold and flu-like symptoms, including fever, pain and congestion, retailers can offer a range of Beechams and Lemsip-branded products, including Lemsip Max Cold and Flu capsules and sachets.
Specific products for different types of cough, including Chesty and Dry and Tickly coughs, are also on offer from the Covonia brand, both of which have an RSP of £4.99 and PORs of 29.5%.
To help soothe sore throats, retailers can also offer their shoppers a range of Strepsils products, including Original and Honey & Lemon lozenges, plus a range of Halls Soothers and Lockets.
NO PAIN NO GAIN
The Symbol and Independent channel also has a 6.3% share of the OTC pain relief market and Budgens retailers can also support their shoppers with a range of pain relief medicines from well-known brands, such as Panadol and Nurofen, as
well as private-label paracetamol and ibuprofen products from Galpharm – with 16-piece Galpharm Paracetamol capsules and caplets offering PORs of 49.4%. With an RSP of just £0.69 for 16 tablets and £0.89 for capsules, these private-label products also offer exceptional value for money to shoppers.
CHILDREN’S MEDICINES
Children’s medicines are another key part of the OTC medicine market and vital to any convenience offer.
Make sure your range covers children of all ages, from babies and toddlers to pre-teens and up.
Budgens retailers can offer their shoppers Calpol Infant Paracetamol Suspension and Calpol Six Plus Paracetamol Suspension for £4.65 and £4.85 respectively – both of which also offer PORs of more than 30%.
Nurofen For Children Ibuprofen Suspension is also available to shoppers for the great-value RSP of £4.39.
GOOD SPOT
When it comes to siting your medicines, visibility is critical. Winter medicines are a reactive product category, with a high rate of distress purchase. As a result, your range needs to be well signposted in-store and clearly merchandised on shelf, so shoppers can find an effective solution to their problem fast.
Stocking products on the shopfloor, and or in secondary display units near your counter, will allow shoppers the freedom to browse your range properly – and can also drive impulse purchases.
If you do stock medicines behind the counter, make sure that all products and prices are clearly visible so that shoppers can easily spot them from a distance.
Paper products, such as tissues and wipes, are also key at this time of year and as ever, Budgens has you covered here too, with a host of branded and own-label Jack’s and Euroshopper products to pick from.
With all that said and done, it’s clear that the OTC winter meds market is certainly not to be sniffed at.
Snap, crackle and shop
As the cold snap bites, stoke up your sales with Budgens’ range of winter essentials.
Baby it’s cold outside! But while tumbling winter temperatures may be undesirable to some, they certainly provide a sizzling opportunity for retailers to post toasty sales and profits.
The rising cost of energy has promoted a leap in the number of UK consumers using open fires and woodburning stoves in recent years – a fact which has driven a boom in sales of logs and kindling – with chimney sweeps reporting a surge in the number of people calling them to reinstate old boardedup fireplaces and stoves back into use.
The cold and freezing conditions experienced by large swathes of the UK in January has undoubtably added more fuel to the fire, with Budgens retailers reporting “strong sales” of solid fuels and heightened demand for fire-lighting aids.
From kindling wood to firelighters, logs, smokeless
Winter Essentials
fuel and more, Budgens offers retailers a sizzling range of products to help shoppers heat their hearths and homes.
Even more warming is the fact that most of these products offer strong margins of more than 40%, with Jack’s Firelighters offering a POR of 46%, 10kg bags of Fuel Express Smokeless Fuel offering a hot 42.7%, and Fuel Express Kiln Dried Logs 39.9%.
The Budgens range also includes a host of other winter essentials for cold and frosty mornings, including De-Icers, Screen Washes and an array of Rock Salt products.
Available in a case of 12, 600ml cans of Holts Professional De-Icer offers retailers a POR of more than 40%, while the Concentated Screen wash offers a POR of 38.9%.
Concentated Screen Wash
*All prices correct at time of going to press.
RICHMOND 8 THICK SAUSAGES
MULLER X MY PROTEIN CARAMEL MOUSSE
SOREEN STICKY TOFFEE LOAF
REIGN STORM CLEAN ENERGY KIWI BLEND, PEACH NECTARINE, VALENCIA ORANGE
QUAKER PROTEIN GOLDEN SYRUP
BOOKER GROUP EXCLUSIVE KIT KAT CHUNKY BISCOFF WHITE
WALKERS VARIETY 20-PACKS
Dial up your productivity with Booker-exclusive Digital SEL package
Budgens retailers now have access to a fully customised digital shelf edge label (SEL) solution thanks to a fantastic Booker-exclusive deal with Panasonic Connect.
PANASONIC CONNECT DEAL
l Agreed Booker price package
l Free store-specific customisation
l Fully Epos integrated
l Dedicated project manager
l Expert installation team
l Dedicated support
l UK-based
l Finance available (subject to credit approval)
CHOOSE YOUR SIZE
The digital SELs are available in a range of sizes, covering all use cases:
l From 1.6” to 12.2”
l High resolution up to 144 DPI
l Up to IP68 certified
As the cost of doing business continues to soar, the need for stores to operate as efficiently as possible has perhaps never been so important. In-fact, productivity looks set to be one of the biggest buzzwords in 2025 as retailers seek out solutions that can help them save time, save waste and operate to their most efficient and productive best.
One key opportunity that is already helping many retailers to operate their businesses more efficiently are digital Shelf Edge Labels (SELs)
The benefits of converting from paper price tickets to digital SELs are being felt in more and more stores, where they are helping in-store teams to ensure that on-shelf pricing is always accurate and up to date.
These nifty little gadgets can also dramatically reduce the amount of staff time required to update labels, particularly during promotional period changeovers.
This recovered staff time means that your team can be redeployed in other areas and on more productive tasks, such as engaging with shoppers, stocking and facing up, maximising NPD, or even focusing on social media.
To help retailers take advantage of the many benefits of digital SELs, Booker has secured a new exclusive agreement with Panasonic Connect.
The deal ensures retailers benefit from an agreed preferential Booker price package on the solution and the SELs themselves are fully integrated with Epos systems from key providers including Retail Data Partnership, TLM and more.
The deal features free store-specific customisation, and benefits from dedicated UK-based support. A dedicated project manager will oversee the entire process while an expert installation team will ensure the solution is up and running precisely to your requirements.
For more information, speak to your RDM, or email IntegratedSolutions@eu.panasonic.com or visit connect.panasonic.eu/booker
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a breeze of peppermint
a zest of citrus
a boom of blackcurrant
a breeze of peppermint
Seamless
approach
The UK’s various deposit return schemes must mesh together smoothly – as anything else will undermine their effectiveness, ACS says.
Regulations that will see the introduction of a deposit return scheme in England and Northern Ireland in October 2027 are being debated in Parliament this month, with MPs considering the details of the plans that will affect – directly or indirectly – every convenience store. It’s expected that Scotland’s regulations will mirror those of England and NI, but Wales has decided to go in a different direction. This is what a deposit return scheme could mean for you, and here are some of the principles that we would like to see put in place as part of the regulations.
First of all, a deposit return scheme must at a minimum be cost neutral for retailers. Our sector is facing increase after increase in costs on all sides of the business, coupled with costs associated with new regulations like recycling rules, disposable vape bans and other measures, so it would be unreasonable to expect retailers to pick up the tab for DRS. We’re especially keen for the ‘handling payments’ that will be paid to retailers for the operation of the scheme to scale with the size of the business, so that smaller stores and those in rural areas handling a smaller volume of containers are not left out of pocket.
The next principle that is crucial to a successful deposit return scheme is putting the right return points in the right places. We don’t need a return point in every retail outlet in the UK – what we need is a set of return points that are strategically mapped so it’s easy for consumers to find somewhere to return their container and get their deposit
back, but there’s no unnecessary overlap and risk of return points being barely used. A blanket approach to stores would result in a significant waste of resources.
If it feels like we’ve been talking about DRS in the UK in some form for over a decade now… that’s because we have! Despite this, the implementation date of October 2027 is highly ambitious. This is the biggest change in recycling infrastructure in recent years, and there are a lot of moving parts that need to be put together before the scheme has a chance at being effective. Retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and the yet to be appointed Deposit Management Organisation will all have to move quickly over the next 33 months to be ready in time.
The final issue is Wales. While it looks like England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are going to be aligned on the introduction of DRS, Wales is set on including glass and focusing on reuse as part of its own scheme, which doesn’t yet have a timetable for introduction or any real detail on how they’re going to achieve their aims. Our view is clear that an effective system is one that works across the UK seamlessly, as anything else will create confusion throughout the supply chain and undermine the effectiveness of the home nations’ individual schemes. We’re continuing to call on Wales to bring its ambitions on DRS in line with the rest of the UK.
If you have any questions get in touch with us via email at ACS@acs.org.uk.
James Lowman sets out what the deposit return scheme could mean for stores.
