Issuu

October 2023

Ravi Don unearths a gem in Heanor Say cheers to festive success Get set for the Spring Pre-Sell Volume 22

JACK’S UPDATE • CHRISTMAS DRINKS • NPD • SUSTAINABILITY • SPRING PRE-SELL

PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY

10X330ML CAN M240916 12X660ML BOTTLE M234339 4X330ML BOTTLE M135232 12X330ML BOTTLE M259455

YourBudgens: Contents

… e u s s i s i In th FOOD AND DRINK SALES RISE

TOP NEW PRODUCTS

Shopper spending on food and drink grew 7% in September

A selection of the latest products to hit shelves

COMMUNITY NEWS

CENTRAL SUCCESS

A round-up of the latest community news from Budgens retailers

BOOKER’S BIKE BONANZA Booker has helped to raise more than £416,000 for GroceryAid

Budgens retailer Ravi Don has uncovered a hidden gem in Derbyshire

We chat to award-winning Booker HGV driver Keith Ashworth

Booker continues to excel in the sustainability arena

SPRING PRE-SELL

The Budgens Spring Pre-Sell opens on 25 October

Budgens has your festive confectionery needs covered

VALUE AND QUALITY

MEET THE TEAM GOING FOR GREEN

SWEET OPPORTUNITIES

Save time and money with central billing

CUSTOMER PROFILE

ACS VIEWPOINT

Local shops are more vital than ever

Jacks has what you need to grow footfall, sales and profits this festive season

GET INTO THE SPIRIT

24 40

The key alcohol trends and products to get on board with this Christmas

Spring into action Plan ahead with Budgens Pre-Sell 60 BUDGENS Email enquiries@bookerretail.co.uk Your Budgens Team Email yourbudgens@budgens.co.uk

NPD New products, new sales

Volume 22: October 2023

Cover Story Ravi Don unearths a gem in the Derbyshire town of Heanor and revitalises a rundown forecourt site.

£4m

NEW marketing campaign live now

The UK’s #1 Plant-based Drink** 1 in 3 shoppers now drink non-dairy & spend 33% more with every shop.***

STOCK UP TODAY *Contains naturally occurring sugars. **IRI 52 weeks to 18/02/2023. ***Lumina L12 data to 19/02/2023.

M205867 M236074 M238623 M265878

Alpro Almond Milk 6 x 1ltr Alpro Almond Milk Unsweetened 6 x 1ltr Alpro Coconut Original Drink 6 x 1ltr Alpro Oat Original 6 x 1ltr

M247014 M209737 M121842

Alpro Oat Unsweetened 6 x 1ltr Alpro Soya Light Unsweetened 6 x 1ltr Alpro Soya Original 6 x 1ltr

Welcome: Stewart Fenn

e l k r spa

O T T E S T E G

The festive season is almost upon us and Budgens has everything you need to shine

A very warm welcome to this, your October issue of Your Budgens, as we begin gearing up in earnest for what I hope will be an exceptional festive period this year. As always, Budgens has created an outstanding selection of festive promotions and deals to help you maximise footfall, sales and profits during this critical trading period. In this issue we share some of the great Christmas confectionery and drinks deals we have on offer this year, with plenty to help you and your shoppers get into the festive spirit.

value have never been more important. Sustainability is never far from our thoughts at Budgens, as we continue to help you build ever more sustainable businesses. In this issue you’ll find some important updates

We also bring you the latest additions to our ever-expanding Jack’s own-brand range as Jack’s continues to cement its position as the perfect brand for the challenging times that shoppers find themselves in at the moment. Quality and on the fantastic progress we are making on our journey together. You’ll also find some great advice and tips inside on ways to drive efficiencies in your business, save money and grow profits through initiatives like our Central Billing platform and our Spring & Fresh Pre-sell. It’s an exciting time of year and I wish you all the very best of trading over the next few months.

Volume 22: October 2023

Stock up now!

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M280329

Always keep out of reach of children. ©A.I.S.E. www.keepcapsfromkids.eu

News: Industry Update

Industry

s w Ne

Panasonic Connect deal l Agreed Booker price package

Booker-exclusive Digital SEL package now available to Budgens retailers Budgens retailers now have access to a fully customised digital shelf edge label solution under a Booker-exclusive deal with Panasonic Connect. The benefits of converting from paper price tickets to digital shelf edge labelling (SEL) are being felt in more and more Budgens stores, with an increasing number of retailers embracing the solution.

l Free storespecific customisation l Fully Epos integrated

Automated Pricing and Promotions across your store

Exclusive Deal for Booker Retail Custom

Benefits

ers

package • Free Store customisat ion

• Dedicated Project Manager • Expert installation team

l Expert installation team l Dedicated support l UK-based

Your Booker Retail Deal: • Agreed Booker price

l Dedicated project manager

Fully integrated with PoS architecture In partnership with Booker, Retail Data Partnership, TLM and other POS software platforms

UK-based Premium in-house service & engineering support from Panasonic

• Dedicated Support for Booker customers • Finance available

Digital SELs help ensure that on-shelf pricing is always accurate and up to date and also help 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 more productive tasks like engaging with your shoppers. (Subject to Credit approval)

Standardized installation packages for small, medium and large-sized stores

connect.panasonic.eu

To help Budgens retailers take advantage of the many benefits of digital SELs, Booker has secured a new exclusive agreement with Panasonic Connect. The deal ensures Budgens 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 for Budgens retailers. 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.

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

For more information, speak to your RDM, or email IntegratedSolutions@eu.panasonic.com or visit connect.panasonic.eu/booker Volume 22: October 2023

News: Update

Wales plastics ban The Welsh Government has confirmed that the upcoming ban on single-use plastics will go live on 30 October 2023. From this date, retailers in Wales must stop the sale and supply of the following single-use plastic products: plates, cutlery, drinks stirrers, polystyrene cups and takeaway food containers, drinking straws, balloon sticks and plasticstemmed cotton buds. The law makes it illegal to sell or give for free any of the products listed above to shoppers in Wales.

Food and drink spend ’up 7%’ in September The latest Barclays data shows that shopper spending on food and drink in retail grew by 7% in September, a further increase on the previous month’s growth levels.

Key Stats

l Food and drink spend up 7% YOY in September l Total card spend up 4.2% YOY in September l 70% of shoppers trying to reduce the cost of their weekly shop l 49% of these doing so by choosing own-brand products l 52% taking advantage of multibuy or bulk purchases to cut costs l 44% cutting back on eating out to save money for Christmas

Shopper spending on food and drink grew by 7.0% YOY in September, ahead of inflation, following YOY growth of 4.5% in August, according to the latest data from Barclays which combines hundreds of millions of shopper transactions with shopper research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending. Total shopper card spending grew by 4.2% YOY, behind the inflation rate of 6.3%, but significantly up on August’s growth figure of 2.8%. Barclays says the increases were driven in large part by the extended period of late summer sunshine and warmer weather. Fuel prices continue to recover, down just 10.9% YOY in September compared to a

drop of 20.1% the previous month. The recent shopper trend towards buying more own-brand products to help them manage their budgets is still in evidence, says the report, with almost half (49%) of shoppers who are seeking to reduce their spending doing so by choosing own-brand products. A further 52% of shoppers say they are taking advantage of multibuy deals, bundle offers and buying items in bulk to reduce costs. A significant 44% of shoppers also indicate that they are planning to reduce discretionary spend on items like eating in restaurants to save money for the upcoming festive period. Volume 22: October 2023

News: Update

ACS calls on Chancellor to back convenience sector The ACS is calling on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to give independent retailers the incentives necessary to invest in the safety, security, and long-term future of their businesses.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to support independent retailers with stability on business rates, pragmatism on future wage increases, and a commitment to tackling crime in communities across the UK.

In its submission to the Autumn Statement, taking place on 22 November, ACS has recommended the following key measures: l Introduce tax incentives to help businesses invest in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. l Introduce a mechanism to pause uplifts in National Living Wage if rates have a detrimental impact on employment opportunities and investment. l Deliver on the Khan Review recommendations for a £15m boost to enforcement against the illicit tobacco and vaping market. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “By supporting the convenience sector, the Chancellor will make it clear that this government supports local jobs, local services and local investment.”

Retailers ‘invest £646m’ Convenience retailers have invested £646m in their businesses over the past year, The ACS 2023 Local Shop Report says. The top areas of investment were refrigeration (56%), shelving (39%), store signage (33%), lighting (32%) and technology (29%). The report also shows convenience stores employ more than 437,000 people and generated over £47.1bn in sales over the past year.

MUP hike consultation A proposal to increase the Minimum Unit Price (MUP) of alcohol by 15p per unit to 65p is included in a new consultation on the future of public health policy issued by the Scottish Government. Holyrood says it is seeking views on whether to continue the MUP legislation beyond the current term, which ends next April, and the level at which it should be set. Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham said: “We believe the proposals set out in this consultation strike a reasonable balance between public health benefits and any effects on the alcoholic drinks market and subsequent impact on consumers.” Volume 22: October 2023

380ml Price Mark: M275007 500ml Standard Pack: M076784 VıTAMıN B3 HELPS REDUCE TıREDNESS

380ml Price Mark: M275006 500ml Standard Pack: M076785

News: Industry Update

‘Proper lead times required’ LABOUR for major recycling projects BACKS Major waste and packaging reforms ‘should not be rushed’, government committee inquiry told. A major government committee inquiry has been told that there “needs to be proper lead times and planning” when making major changes like the introduction of Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), extended producer responsibility, and single-use plastic bans. The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) provided evidence for the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry as it prepared to question Defra officials on whether the government had effective plans in place to meet its waste and recycling ambitions, and if Defra is on track to deliver on packaging reforms. Measures under scrutiny by the inquiry include the introduction of a UK-wide DRS scheme and extended producer

responsibility, both of which have been pushed back to 2025, after the next General Election. In its evidence, ACS called on the government to ensure that enough time is given to legislators, producers and retailers to adapt. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The government is taking the right steps toward ensuring a more sustainable future, but it’s absolutely essential that significant changes and new infrastructure like that which will be needed under a DRS are given enough time and scrutiny to get the details right. We cannot risk rushing out half-baked policies that could end up harming retailers, consumers, the industry and ultimately the environment.”

RETAIL

The independent retailing sector has welcomed the public support of the Labour Party for a plan to address the challenges facing retail and high streets. During the party’s recent annual conference, Labour backed a motion from trade unions Usdaw and the GMB aiming to ensure that the importance of the retail sector and communities’ high streets was reflected in Labour’s industrial strategy, emphasising the need to protect jobs, deliver growth and provide security of employment.

New National Lottery online portal goes live Allwyn, the incoming operator of The National Lottery, has confirmed that its new online retailer portal has gone live. The company is urging retailers to log on via TNLpartners.co.uk or by scanning a QR code featured on the communications they’ve been sent. Camelot says retailers will need to log on and electronically transfer their existing Retailer Agreement from Camelot to Allwyn by 18 December 2023 at the latest to ensure retailers don’t experience an interruption to their National Lottery service. All independent retailers are receiving communications outlining what they need to do to complete this. Camelot Retail Sales Executives – working on behalf of Allwyn – will be visiting retailers over the next few months to talk them through the key changes and to answer any questions they might have. Alternatively, retailers can call the free hotline on 0800 8 40 50 60 if they need any help. Volume 22: October 2023

Stock No.1 Stock theNo.1 the * * Pet Food Brand Pet Food Brand

News: Community Update

Budgens stores back local sporting stars Budgens stores from across the country are committing to support their local sports teams and community stars. Supporting sports stars September has seen stores across the Budgens family sponsor local sports teams and stars. Fraser’s Budgens of Witney, Oxfordshire, is sponsoring Carterton Town U18s team. Director Robert Fraser said: “It made sense that after over 30 years of servicing the people of Carterton we show our support of the local football team as well.” The store is also sponsoring Witney Rugby Football Club’s Player of the Match for all senior teams’ home and away games for the 2023-24 season. In addition, Sweeney’s Budgens of Wendover, in Buckinghamshire, is

sponsoring Wendover FC for the 2023-24 season and St John’s Budgens Kenilworth, Warwickshire, is sponsoring Leek Wolton FC. Meanwhile, Budgens Watton-atStone and Post Office has sponsored cruiserweight boxer Oli Rickson.

Inflatable fundraising The team at St John’s Budgens, in Kenilworth, is taking part in the Inflatable 5K – which includes 32 obstacles over the 5km – to help raise funds for The Myton Hospices. Every month the charity needs to raise £758,333 to provide its services free of charge for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire. Providing dedicated care and support for people with terminal illnesses, and their families, in their inpatient beds and in the community continues to be their primary focus. The St John’s Budgens team – including Little Taz, Sukhi, Mike, Curtis, and Max – has so far raised £397, but is hoping to break the £500 barrier for the charity.

Cancer care

Hot stuff CT Baker Budgens of Aylsham & Holt, in Norfolk, is continuing to raise funds for its charity of the year, Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust, in aid of a former colleague. Store members Andrew, Maggie, Connor, Jack and Jess completed a 20-mile walk in 29-degree heat. The charity said: “Massive well done completing this in such hot weather. Thank you so much to all involved.” In addition, the store’s Connor Rouse has raised more than £1,000 by running 50 miles in just over 12 hours to raise funds for the charity. MD Carl Milton said: “Absolutely amazing to see Connor complete his mammoth 50 mile run for charity – what a superhero.” Volume 22: October 2023

Budgens of Cadnam in Southampton, Hampshire, has raised more than £126 for the Friends of Cancer Research UK New Forest and Waterside. The store also took part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, selling home-made cakes for Macmillan.

News: Charity

Booker helps GroceryAid cycle to £416,000 in donations Booker was among the sponsors of this year’s two main GroceryAid cycle challenges, with colleagues from across the business helping to raise more than £416,000 for the charity.

Booker played a major role in supporting industry charity GroceryAid’s two important cycling challenges this year, helping to raise an amazing £416,000 in donations that will be used to provide practical, emotional and financial support to industry colleagues in the independent retailing and grocery channels. More than 220 cyclists from across the industry took part, including a strong contingent from Booker. Together they cycled over 777km through some of

Europe’s most stunning locations and cities as part of GroceryAid’s two cycle challenges: Coast to Coast Cycle and London to Brussels.

The London to Brussels Cycle took place in September, with 152 riders spending three days pedalling to Brussels for the first time, raising more than £226,000 for GroceryAid.

In addition, Booker was among the official sponsors for the rides.

Jonny McQuarrie, Booker Chief Operating Officer and Coast to In July, the Coast to Coast Cycle Coast Committee chair, said: “The saw 70 riders cycle their way from Coast to Coast Cycle is a fantastic Whitehaven to Harrogate and on to the opportunity to raise vital funds and seaside resort of Whitby. They awareness of our industry raised more than £189,000 charity whilst forming lifelong If you need for GroceryAid. connections.” support of any kind,

Booker Dragon Boat Race unveiled!

contact GroceryAid’s free and confidential 24/7 helpline on 08088 021 122.

GroceryAid has announced an exciting new addition to the GroceryAid 2024 fundraising calendar: the Booker Dragon Boat Race, taking place on the River Thames on 6 June 2024. The event will bring together over 40 teams, all racing to be crowned Dragon Boat champion as they row to the beat of the drum. The event will see many Booker colleagues participating as drummers on each boat. Volume 22: October 2023

Retailer Profile: Budgens Heanor, Derbyshire

Time to shine Ravi Don has unearthed a gem in the Derbyshire town of Heanor. Ravi Don has an eye for hidden gems and untapped opportunities and he glimpsed exactly that when he first set eyes on a “tired and rundown” forecourt site in the Amber Valley town of Heanor in Derbyshire. Located on the busy Heanor Road, the site featured a 1,800sq ft store and Post Office, with a generous amount of space for parking. Despite a couple of large supermarkets towards the edge of town, Heanor itself was also lacking a comprehensive convenience offering for local shoppers. “To me the site represented a significant opportunity,” Ravi explains. Ravi purchased the site in late 2018 and after building the store up and successfully navigating the lockdown years, June 2023 was the perfect time for him and the Budgens team to unearth the store’s true potential. “There are very few other convenience stores located along this stretch of the Heanor Road, yet there’s a lot of housing and commercial trade, so I knew we had an opportunity to appeal to shoppers after ‘on the go’ solutions as well as those who wanted to carry out top-up shops without having to travel to big stores.” With Budgens’ support, a comprehensive refit ensued which saw the forecourt store’s dull old offering polished to perfection. New look Budgens Heanor opened its doors at the end of July 2023 with a sparkling new range including a

STORE MANAGER DAVID SMITH heightened focus on fresh and chilled produce and food and drinks to go. The store’s interior was entirely remodelled, with the kiosk rotated ninety degrees to create a more shoppable space. A new backlit spirits display was also created behind the smart new counter. A brand-new ceiling was also installed, along with all-new shelving and refrigeration. The store’s back office, staff kitchen and food preparation areas were also refreshed. “Fresh food and food to go were the areas of significant development,” Ravi explains. “The store sold little other than sandwiches and milk previously.”

Volume 22: October 2023

Retailer Profile: Budgens Heanor, Derbyshire

“We’re now attracting a whole new audience of shoppers, from busy commuters after a coffee and snack, to local shoppers topping up on convenient meal solutions.” Ravi Don

A bank of six new chillers with energy-saving doors now house the store’s enhanced chilled range, including deli items and Jack’s-branded ready meals from Chicken Tikka Masala to Spaghetti Carbonara – all of which are available on the ‘2 for £6’ deal. “The Jack’s brand is very powerful,” Ravi says. “Shoppers know that it’s part of the Tesco family which gives them a great deal of confidence and you can’t argue with the prices which also offer excellent value for money. “The quality is also very high, and we often receive great comments about the fresh produce.” A comprehensive range of Jack’s-branded fresh products from apples to onions, peppers and more now sit pretty in Volume 22: October 2023

a new open deck chiller featuring attractive wooden display crates. The store’s enhanced chilled food to go offer meanwhile, includes a powerful line-up of top sellers, such as Urban Eat Sandwiches and deli-style snacks, plus Budgens’ popular £4.50 Meal Deal. A brand new six-door chiller for soft drinks, including large formats and multi-packs, has also been cleverly sited opposite the store’s brand-new hot food to go offer. Shoppers at Budgens Heanor can also now pick from a piping hot selection of freshly baked goods, including bacon baps, from the store’s new Bake & Bite range, as well as a new Rollover Hot Dogs offer.

Store sales have risen from £17,000 a week to just under £30,000.

The ‘to go’ range has been further strengthened with the addition of a new drinks offer, including Costa Coffee, Tango Ice Blast, Hersey’s and Reese’s Freeze and a value slush solution from Snowshock. Frozen foods have also been granted additional space in a brand new four-door freezer. “The old store previously only had one small freezer, so this has been a big increase but it’s what local shoppers were asking us for,” Ravi explains.

FACTFILE Store name: Budgens Heanor, Derbyshire Retailer: Ravi Don Manager: David Smith

The refit also served to lend the store a much stronger focus on value thanks to high-impact Special Offer bays and eye-catching Jack’s POS throughout.

Size: 1,800sq ft Staff: 13 Opening hours: 24 hours Best-performing categories: fresh & chilled, food to go

The store’s BWS offer has also been enhanced with the fitting of new wood-effect zonal flooring and dark walls, while a new eight-door chiller showcases its range of leading wine, cider and beer brands – including multi-packs. Volume 22: October 2023

Services: Post Office, National Lottery, Apple Pay, PayPoint

Retailer Profile: Budgens Heanor, Derbyshire

Eye-catching promotional stacks of big-name brands, including Budweiser, Carling and Strongbow, further emphasise the store’s stronger value focus. The refit also allowed Ravi to boost the number of local lines available, with ranges such as cakes, breads and pastries from local bakery Luke Evans increased in size. ‘Discover Local’ signage was also added to existing local lines, such as eggs, to enhance their standout on shelf. Work was also completed outside, with the store’s old and tired wooden shelving removed and replaced with smart new bunkers that not only give the exterior a more professional look but also allow greater visibility into and out of the store. Opening hours were also increased to around the clock. “On Friday and Saturday nights the store is now busy right up until midnight,” Ravi Volume 22: October 2023

explains. “Being open 24 hours also offers a number of efficiency gains as it’s much easier for staff to carry out important tasks such as cleaning and merchandising when the store is calm and quiet in the early hours,” Ravi says. “All in all, the refit has been a great success. We’re now attracting a whole new audience of shoppers. “The feedback has been wonderful, we’ve had such a positive response to the new range and the store’s new look, which makes it feel so much brighter and more spacious,” Ravi adds. Their positivity is being borne out in the store’s sales figures which have soared from £17,000 a week pre-refit to just under £30,000 post. “I’m so pleased that this store’s full potential has finally been realised. Now it’s time to shine.”

Retailer Profile: Budgens of Holt, Norfolk

Fresh beginnings Following a devastating fire, Budgens of Holt has been re-built with a fresh new offer fit for the future. In June 2020 the Norfolk market town of Holt was hit by tragedy when a catastrophic electrical fire ripped through its only supermarket – leaving local shoppers, suppliers and store workers as devastated as the store’s old, scorched structure. In March 2023, almost three years on from that fateful night, a brand-new Budgens store rose from the ruins – offering local shoppers a perfect pairing of the old store’s strengths and new, modern processes. Carl Milton, managing director of the store’s parent company CT Baker, takes Your Budgens on the journey from ashes to aisles. “As the only store in the town, Budgens of Holt had often been described as a lifeline for local shoppers, so work to restore that lifeline began almost as soon as the fire was out,” he explains. A large new temporary store, half the footprint of the original one, was opened in the car park in November 2020, while plans for the new-look Budgens of Holt began to take shape.

FACTFILE

“We wanted to create a new store that would improve on the old by refreshing many of its previous elements whilst still conserving its core DNA and strong community values,” Carl says.

Store name: Budgens of Holt, Norfolk Store size: 15,000sq ft Managing Director: Carl Milton Staff: 55

For insurance purposes, the new store was re-built to the same footprint as the old – albeit with a few modifications made to some of the materials used – such as the roofing.

Services: Free ATM, home delivery, Post Office, loyalty scheme Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 10am-4pm Best performing categories: Fresh, chilled and homewares

Inside however, the change has been far more pronounced. “The most significant change we made was to the shopping experience,” Carl explains.

Volume 22: October 2023

“We revised layouts, we revised colours, we revised materials for backdrops. We wanted the products to tell the story, not the fabric of the building and certainly not the fixtures and fittings,” he adds.

“We also made a number of changes to alter the customer flow. We relocated the Post Office from the back to the front of the store so that it was next to the main kiosk and till points.

As such, the bright and airy space sports a fresh, clean colour palette of white, green and dark grey which, along with the use of natural wood, allows the store’s range to shine.

“Most shoppers are quite time poor these days, so we wanted to remove as many friction points as possible.”

“We also turned the store on a 90-degree angle so that as shoppers entered, rather than being faced with the tills, they were immediately met by fresh produce,” Carl says.

The rebuild also gave Carl the opportunity to bring in a range of new technologies and schemes that would help its shoppers and drive efficiencies for the business. “We introduced four new self-scan tills, which not only help to

Volume 22: October 2023

NewsLetter

To hEar AbouT thE laTest News & offErs From walL’s

Retailer Profile: Budgens of Holt, Norfolk

“We revised layouts, we revised colours, we revised materials for backdrops. We wanted the products to tell the story, not the fabric of the building.” Carl Milton

speed up service times but also appeal to the new shopper sensitivity around personal space that has developed since the Covid-19 pandemic,” Carl says. “Transactions through the new self-checkouts currently account for around 20% of the mix, so those tills are clearly being adopted very well,” he adds. “We also introduced electronic shelf edge labelling (ESEL) to help bring the best prices to our shoppers in the most efficient way.” A new loyalty scheme, which allows shoppers to earn points which can be redeemed in-store, was also launched. The new store also boasts a new six-metre Refill Station which Carl says has been one of the biggest successes. “The Volume 22: October 2023

refill zone not only helps shoppers shop more sustainably but it also offers them great value for money as they can buy exactly what they need. It’s been such a hit that I wish I’d put in 12 metres!” he laughs. Other new sustainability-led initiatives include branded bags for life and EV charging points in the car park. “The new ESEL is also helping slash paper waste,” Carl adds. Now primely located at the front, fresh produce is another one of the new store’s stars. Produce “pops” from dark-grey open-deck chillers featuring Budgens’ new concept curved display shelves, while striking pyramid display units create further theatre in the aisles. The store’s sterling fresh and chilled range, which accounts

STOCK UP NOW

Retailer Profile: Budgens of Holt, Norfolk

for 43% of its total sales mix, has also been enhanced with even more products from local suppliers. “In addition to the fantastic range that we source though Budgens, the store also stocks products from more than 50 local producers, from butchers and bakers to farmers and apiaries,” Carl adds. Local producers are celebrated throughout the store and across virtually every category, with eye-catching POS materials including aisle-end supplier spotlights. Local lines are further supported by a regular programme of in-store tastings which take place on attractive wagon-style sampling stations.

of local artwork, including murals by local schoolchildren and clubs, which brighten the walls in the checkout and Post Office areas. “Shoppers are responding really well to the new store,” Carl says. “We opened the doors to queues of hundreds of people and momentum has continued to build, especially since the car park was restored to full capacity in September. “It’s been so pleasing to watch the store grow over the last couple of months. We are now meeting expectations and going into Christmas we are confident of exceeding those expectations as we continue to provide shoppers with the products, prices and services that they need.”

A beautiful Bakery zone, featuring a striking overhead display of baked art, also offers shoppers a wide range of bread products sourced locally and through Budgens. Sited next to the store’s popular Refill Station, frozen foods are now housed in a smart new corner zone behind 18 energy-efficient doors. The store’s sizable frozen food offer is also complemented by six Cook-branded chest freezers. A Pret Express coffee-to-go offer has also been introduced, along with casual seating areas dotted around the front of the store for shoppers to take a load off. Shoppers and staff alike can also admire a colourful array

“Shoppers are responding really well to the new store. We opened the doors to queues of hundreds and momentum has continued to build.” Carl Milton

Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Christmas Confectionery

Sweet opportunities Confectionery is one of the festive season’s leading lights and this year Budgens has a line-up sure to help sales shine even more brightly. Shopper budgets might be tight, but Christmas 2023 is still promising to provide a Santa sack-worth of opportunities for retailers to unwrap additional footfall, sales and profits. Viewed as an affordable indulgence by many shoppers, confectionery is a star performer throughout the year but when the festive season hits, it takes centre stage. The confectionery category performed strongly over last year’s festive period, with sales worth more than £2bn racked up over Christmas 2022, according to IRI Unify data. This was up 5.2% year-on-year, with shoppers continuing to turn to chocolate and sweets to share and gift with friends and family – and to treat themselves. In fact, 97% of UK households purchased confectionery in the run up to Christmas 2022, spending an average of £55 per person over the season, according to Kantar Worldpanel data for the 12 weeks to 25 December. These figures clearly highlight the sweet opportunity that retailers have to drive sales in the lead up to the big day itself, especially when it comes to key categories such as sharing and gifting formats, and seasonal novelty items including figurines, advent

calendars and selection packs. Chocolate treats traditionally dominate confectionery sales in the run up to Christmas Day, with chocolate confectionery sales worth more than £1.65bn over Christmas 2022 – up 4.8% on the previous year. And despite chocolate’s overall dominance, sugar confectionery should certainly not be overlooked. The sugar confectionery category was worth more than £400m over Christmas 2022 and actually grew faster than chocolate, up 6.8% yearon-year according to IRI Unify.

Given those facts, it’s abundantly clear that Christmas confectionery is one category that’s well worth spending your time focusing on. Retailers keen to build on 2022’s festive successes will certainly have plenty of opportunities to do so, thanks to an especially tasty Christmas confectionery offer from Budgens. Pocket-friendly novelty items are sure to score with shoppers and drive key impulse purchases over the coming weeks. This year’s festive line-up includes great deals on products such as Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Christmas Confectionery

GROUP EXCLUSIVES!

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Toffee Crunch PACK SIZE: 12X145G PROMO WSP: £12.75 DEAL: ANY 2 FOR £3 RSP: £1.99

Countdown to Christmas

Novelty items such as Advent Calendars offer a great opportunity for retailers to drive seasonal excitement in-store and Budgens offers a winning selection. This season Budgens retailers will be able to offer families two Cadbury Dairy Milk advent calendars for just £5. Retailers will be able to buy the calendars in 12x90g packs for a promotional WSP of £20, offering them a POR of 33.1% if sold individually for £2.99 or 20% if sold on an ‘Any 2 for £5’ deal. Other calendars on offer include a Maltesers Reindeer advent calendar for an RSP of £3 and POR of 25%, and a Kinder Bueno with an RSP of £5.50 and POR of 20.2%

POR: 35.9% Cadbury Puds, Dairy Milk Snowman and Kit Kat Santas – all of which are available on an ‘Any 3 for £1.50’ deal.

Bounty Centrepiece

Bestselling Maltesers Reindeer singles are also available in an on-trend mint variant in 32x29g packs for an WSP of £10.25. Sold for an RSP of 0.69p these festive favourites offer retailers a POR of 44.3%. Both variants are also available on a ‘Buy 3 for £1.50’ deal.

PACK SIZE: 6X350G PROMO WSP: £19.95 RSP: £5

Shoppers after a taste of the US this festive season can also pick up individual packs of Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees for just £1.49, offering a POR of 34.6%. Packs are also

POR: 20.2%

Sugar sugar Sugar confectionery was worth more than £400m over Christmas 2022 and Budgens is offering a range of fantastic deals on key sugar confectionery lines to help retailers make even sweeter sales. Product

Pack size

Promo WSP

Shopper Deal

Promo RSP

POR

Maynards Bassetts Frosted Wine Gums

12x130g

£8.75

Any 2 for £2.50

£1.49

41.3%

Maynards Bassetts Jelly Babies Snowmen

12x130g

£8.75

Any 2 for £2.50

£1.49

41.3%

Rowntrees Randoms Festive

9x130g

£7.50

Any 2 for £2.50

£1.49

32.9%

Haribo Giant Trees

16x160g

£12.49

Any 2 for £2.50

£1.49

37.1%

Haribo Puck Penguin

12x160g

£9.35

Any 2 for £2.50

£1.49

37.2%

*All prices correct at time of going to press.

Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Christmas Confectionery

Golden gifting formats Product

Case Size

Promo WSP

Promo RSP

POR

Quality Street Carton

6x220g

£10.50

£4.49

53.2%

Toblerone Truffles

8x180g

£25.25

£4.75

20.3%

Cadbury Roses Large Carton

6x290g

£14.00

£3.50

20.0%

Thorntons Pearls Brownie Deluxe

4x167g

£10.65

£4.00

20.1%

Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection

6x193g

£29.95

£7.99

25.0%

Ferrero Collection

6x172g

£21.85

£5.49

20.4%

*All prices correct at time of going to press.

Chocolate treats traditionally dominate confectionery sales in the run up to Christmas Day, with chocolate confectionery sales worth more than £1.65bn over Christmas 2022 – up 4.8% on the previous year (IRI Unify).

Christmas unwrapped l Christmas confectionery was worth over £2bn in 2022. l This was up 5.2% year-on-year, with shoppers continuing to turn to chocolate and sweets to share and gift with friends and family – and to treat themselves (IRI Unify data). l In fact, 97% of UK households purchased confectionery in the run up to Christmas, spending an average of £55 per person over the season (Kantar Worldpanel 12 weeks 25 December).

TERRIFIC TUBES Budgens retailers can help their shoppers go large with giant tube formats of their favourite sweets, including Aero Peppermint, Milkybar, Fruit Pastilles and Smarties. Each case has a WSP of £12.49 with an RSP of £1.49, and all four offer PORs of more than 32.9%. All four giant tubes are also available on an enticing ‘Any 2 for £2.50’ deal.

Volume 22: October 2023

available on a ‘2 for £2.50’ deal. A cheery range of sharing and gifting products is also on offer in the run up to Christmas, including Cadbury Mini Snowballs sharing bags which are on offer at just £1.99 or ‘Any 2 for £3,’ offering a POR of 25%. Shoppers can also stock up on sharing tubs of Cadbury Roses, Heros and Mars Celebrations, all of which will be supported by a special ‘Any 2 for £11’ offer. The sharing and gifting line-up also includes some great Group Exclusives, such as 200g packs of Malteser Mint Truffles, which will be on promotion for just £4.50 – offering retailers a POR of 25.1%. Other exciting Group Exclusives include Irish Cream Lindor Balls from Lindt. With an RSP of £4.75, each indulgent 200g cornet offers retailers a POR of 25%. And of course, Christmas confectionery doesn’t just offer retailers the chance to make merrier sales and profits. With their bright, joyful packaging Christmas products also lend themselves perfectly to the creation of eye-catching in-store theatre that will help to spread even further festive cheer. Budgens retailers also have access to a bumper pack of uplifting seasonal POS to help their displays shine even brighter and drive further impulse sales. With well under than 100 days to go before the main event, the countdown is now well and truly on!

DRIVE SALES

WITH A STYLISH NEW LOOK FROM PIZZA RISTORANTE NO. 1 THIN & CRISPY FROZEN PIZZA BRAND IN C&I CODE

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

SIZE

ITEMS

M276422

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Mozzarella

335g

M277568

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Peppperoni-Salame

330g

M155442

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Funghi

365g

M289904

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Peppperoni Mozzarella Pesto

365g

M215192

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pollo

355g

AND INTRODUCING OUR DELICIOUS NEW PEPPERONI MOZZARELLA PESTO ALL SUPPORTED BY £2.5m RELAUNCH MULTIMEDIA CAMPAIGN Circana Frozen Pizza in Symbols & Independents 52 w/e 9th September

Your Budgens: Jack’s Update

Back Jack’s for festive sales Jack’s Rainbow Cookie Case size: 12x60g WSP: £6.35 RSP: £0.79p PM POR: 33.0%

The outstanding Jack’s ownbrand range continues to expand with more new products and promotional mechanics to help you grow footfall, sales and profits this festive period.

Jack’s Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie Case Size: 12x55g WSP: £6.35 RSP: £0.79p PM POR: 33.0%

Jack’s Chocolatey Cornflake Cake Case Size: 12x70g WSP: £6.35 RSP: £0.79p PM POR: 33.0%

Jack’s Chocolatey Crispy Cake Case size: 12x53g WSP: £6.35 RSP: £0.79PM POR: 33.0%

After a long and often challenging year for shoppers with the cost of living remaining front of mind throughout, the prospect of the festive season should help lift the spirits and, hopefully, loosen the purse strings. While that might mean that many shoppers may trade up on premium or luxury items like bottles of spirits or cases of beer, the strong likelihood is that they will still very much be on the search for value when it comes to everyday purchases – and that’s precisely where the increasingly comprehensive Jack’s own-brand range comes into its own. The Jack’s range is now firmly established in Budgens Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Jack’s Update

Get social!

Social media offers a fantastically effective way of communicating new Jack’s lines to shoppers and driving trial and repeat purchase. You can use key social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to highlight Jack’s promotions and flag up new products. Booker offers a professional suite of social media assets that you can easily use to showcase your Jack’s range, helping you to create engaging posts in just a few simple clicks. The new Jack’s lines lend themselves well to social media and are sure to help drive footfall, sales and profits in store.

stores with both retailers and shoppers, who recognise that critical blend of quality and value. Carl Milton of Budgens of Holt says: “When designing our new store we looked really hard at all the ways in which we could deliver the best possible value to our shoppers. The Jack’s brand is one of the key ways in which we are managing to achieve this. I’m passionate about bringing value and quality to our shoppers and Jack’s delivers on both fronts.”

COOKIE CASH With trust in the brand now well established, the opportunity exists for retailers to leverage the power of Jack’s to grow footfall, sales and profits in the run up to the critically important festive sales period. Volume 22: October 2023

To help them do just that, Booker has continued to expand the Jack’s range and deliver sales-driving promotional mechanics to ensure retailers squeeze every penny of profit out of the brand. Among the most recent developments is a packaging refresh of four key cake and cookie products. Jack’s Rainbow Cookies, Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolatey Cornflake Cakes and Chocolatey Crispy Cakes are all now price marked at just 79p and included in Jack’s ‘popular ‘2 for’ promotional mechanic, allowing shoppers to mix and match across the range. Offering shoppers great value options in popular formats and flavours, the price marked bakery line-up will help to grow basket spend and drive impulse sales, particularly around the key

lunchtime occasion. All four products also deliver PORs of 33%.

FESTIVE FAVOURITE Christmas wouldn’t be complete, of course, without a mince pie or two and fortunately, Jack’s Mince Pies have recently been made available for the very first time. Mince pies are a classic staple of the great British Christmas and the new Jack’s Mince Pies deliver a delicious, high-quality option along with the fantastic value that the Jack’s brand has become so famous for. Suitable for vegetarians, new Jack’s Mince Pies are available in boxes of six and feature a delicious shortcrust pastry case filled with juicy mincemeat, and dusted with sugar.

Your Budgens: Jack’s Update

RANGE FINDER Also launched in time for Christmas are Jack’s Grated Mozzarella and frozen packs of Jack’s Hash Browns and Jack’s Garden Peas. The Grated Mozzarella is price marked at £2.49 and is part of the ‘2 for £4’ range, making it a great value option for shoppers this Christmas. Meanwhile, Jack’s great value frozen line-up has also been boosted with Jack’s Hash Browns and Jack’s Garden Peas with Jack’s Skin on Fries set to launch soon too. As the perfect partners to a variety of different meals, from breakfast to lunch and dinner, Jack’s Hash Brows can also help to boost basket spend. Price marked at just £1.89, they also deliver a POR of 30.2%. Last but not least are frozen Jack’s Garden Peas. These British favourites are price marked at just £1 and deliver a POR of 35.1% for retailers.

Jack’s Grated Mozzarella Case size: 10x180g WSP: £15.99 RSP: £2.49PM/2 for £4.00 POR: 35.8%

FROZEN GEMS

Jack’s Hash Browns Case size: 10x700g WSP: £13.19 RSP: £1.89PM POR: 30.2%

Jack’s Garden Peas Case size: 10x500g WSP: £6.49 RSP: £1.00PM POR: 35.1%

Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Christmas Drinks

Get into the spirit! Christmas is coming, and Budgens’ festive drinks range is guaranteed to help retailers get the party started. Bringing friends and family together and spreading joy up and down the country, Christmas is THE retail event of the year – and treasured by retailers and shoppers alike. After a year of big-ticket celebrations, including the King’s Coronation, the Women’s World Cup and other key sporting events, the nation is well-used to donning its glad rags – and as we approach the end of 2023, shoppers are once again getting into the celebratory spirit as they start to stock up for the Santa season.

SECONDARY SITING Investing in secondary displays to really help drive sales over the festive season is also key. Lumina Intelligence research reveals that after the main alcohol chiller, which typically drives around 30% of alcoholic sales, till displays are the next most important distribution point, responsible for just over a quarter of sales. If space and licensing restrictions allow, why not try stacking multipacks of great ‘Christmas Value’ beers and ciders at your till point? You could also post a picture of your displays on social media to drive further awareness and festive footfall.

Traditionally one of the biggest-selling categories over the Christmas period, alcoholic drinks looks set to once again play a starring role in shoppers’ baskets over the coming weeks as the party season gets underway. Helping shoppers to meet their festive drink demands is Budgens, which is offering an outstanding range of choice for Christmas 2023. Including show-stopping deals and Group Exclusive products, this year’s mix is sure to help retailers uncork additional sales and profits. With many shoppers expected to trade up as they seek to treat themselves and others, the Budgens range includes Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Christmas Drinks

a fantastic selection of top-quality premium lines, including sparkling options, premium spirits, RTDs and beers. Sales of sparkling wines including champagne and prosecco traditionally bubble up over the festive season and this year Budgens has a fabulous range to help shoppers add some sparkle to their celebrations. Tapping into the trend towards locally produced products, the line-up includes a number of English brands, including Balfour English Sparkling Rosé and Chapel Down Brut – the latter of which is available in cases of 6x75cl for a WSP of £104.99 offering a POR of 22.2%.

Perfect POS

Budgens retailers also have access to a bumper pack of uplifting seasonal POS to help them create standout displays and drive awareness of key ranges and deals in the lead up to the big day. POS packs include festive-themed header cards, shelf cards, cheerful bunting and store and door posters.

WIN WITH WHISKY

Budgens retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers some great deals on a number of top-selling brands including 70cl bottles of Jamesons for just £20.99, down from £29.99.

According to Diageo, whisky is the number one category for gifting between October and December, having enjoyed 30% share of ‘spirits bought as a gift’ last year, according to the MMR Spirit Gifting tracker for Dec 2022.

New to Budgens this festive season are also a number of premium whisky brands perfect for gifting, including Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Monkey Shoulder.

From new flavoured and spiced varieties to innovative ageing and infusing techniques, the past year has seen a number of exciting new launches into the whisky category helping it to appeal to an increasingly broad range of shoppers from connoisseurs to novices.

Budgens retailers can buy cases of 6x70cl bottles of Monkey Shoulder for £123.89, offering them a POR of 20% if sold at the RSP of £30.

To capitalise on the whisky gifting opportunity, why not try inspiring shoppers – if licensing restrictions permit – by crossmerchandising whiskies with high-quality confectionery, snacks or mixers?

The trend towards at-home mixology has continued to soar over the past months as Brits continue to embrace new ingredients and the creation of exciting flavour combinations at home.

CREATIVE COCKTAILS

Festive Fizz Product

Case Size

WSP

RSP

POR

Prosecco Spumante Magnum

6x1.5L

£83.94

£19.99

16.0%

Balfour English Sparkling

6x75cl

£99.95

£24.99

20.0%

Chapel Down Brut

6x75cl

£104.99

£26.99

20.0%

‘A’ by Arras Tasmania Cuvee

6x75cl

£120.00

£36.00

33.3%

Bucks Fizz

6x75cl

£17.49

£4.49

22.1%

Codorniu Vintage Cava

6x75cl

£37.49

£9.99

24.9%

Sensi Prosecco

6x75cl

£62.99

£14.99

16,0%

*All prices correct at time of going to press.

Volume 22: October 2023

IT’S NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE ANYMORE. STO C K

UP NO W

BOOST YOUR PROFIT WITH BREWDOG BLACKHEART.

Your Budgens: Christmas Drinks

In fact, according to the Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report 2023, 30% of Brits made more mixed drinks at home in 2022 than they did in 2020. This trend is only expected to gather even more pace in the lead up to the 2023 festive season as shoppers look to treat friends, families and themselves with innovative and indulgent cocktail creations. Fruity and sweet flavours continue to drive demand, while savoury and spicy flavours are also in growth, leading to growing demand for bolder tequilaand vodka-based drinks paired with ingredients such as jalapeños and tabasco. As such, Daiquiris, Margaritas and Bloody Marys are currently ranked as the cocktails most frequently made by consumers at home, according to Bacardi’s 2022 Consumer Survey. Flavoured vodkas play perfectly to the trend towards sweet and fruity creations and this festive season

Budgens retailers can take advantage of a range of deals on key flavoured vodka lines such as Absolut Raspberry and Vanilla flavoured vodkas for just £17.99 – down from £23.89. Premium spirits are another must stock in the run up to and during the festive season as shoppers seek out products that lend themselves to gifting or celebrating. Last year, super-premium vodkas, including brands like Cîroc, accounted for 51% of super-premium spirits sales in impulse between October and December, according to Nielsen Scantrack data. Budgens retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers new Au Blue Raspberry Vodka for an RSP of £32.49, offering them a POR of 20%. Gin is another category not to be overlooked as we head towards the festive season. With more than 11 million shoppers enjoying gin in the UK, according to Kantar data, stocking a wide range

Mighty Mixers GROUP EXCLUSIVE! R WHITE’S PREMIUM LEMONDADE Case size: 8X2L WSP: £5.25 RSP: £1.00 POR: 21.3%

PEPSI MAX ORIGINAL AND CHERRY Case Size: 12x1.5L WSP: £9.75 RSP: £1.25 POR: 22%

Marvelous multipacks Large pack formats of key beer and cider brands are also key over the festive period as shoppers stock up for big social occasions. Budgens’ range of great value multipacks includes a number of fantastic deals on key brands including Kronenbourg 1664, Heineken, Peroni, Stella Artois and more. A number of striking deals on craft ale multipacks are also available, including 8x330ml Brewdog mixed packs for an RSP of just £12, offering a POR of 22.1%. Pale ale enthusiasts will also be able to bag boxes of 4x330ml Atlantic and Reliance pale ale from the Brixton Brewery for £9.00, offering a POR of 24.5%

Volume 22: October 2023

STOCK UP NOW!

WSP

M144605

Your Budgens: Christmas Drinks

of premium gins with different flavour variants is also key to help retailers plug in to the electric festive opportunity. New to Budgens this festive season is Gordons Sloe Gin and retailers can also snap up cases of 6x50cl bottles of Edinburgh Mulled Gin for a WSP of £55.95 and an RSP of £13.99. As a base for numerous cocktails, rum is another must stock for the festive season and again, Budgens offers a stirring range this festive season, from 70cl bottles of classic Malibu for £13.49, to premium bottles of Bumbo Rum for £32.49 – offering a POR of 20.3%.

Flavoured rum fans can also add bottles of Lambs Pineapple Rum and Dead Man’s Fingers Raspberry Rum Cream Liqueur to their baskets. Both products are new to Budgens, and both offer PORs of 20%. Why not try inspiring shoppers with on-shelf cocktail recipe cards and engaging posts on social media?

IN THE CAN For shoppers looking to enjoy the ultimate in cocktail making convenience, ready-to-drink (RTD) formats are also playing an increasingly important role in retailers’ alcohol ranges.

In fact, in Great Britain’s convenience market, the alcoholic RTD category is “already a powerhouse,” worth nearly £168m in 2022 according to Nielsen data with sales in double digit growth. Available in a wide range of innovative flavours and formats, the RTD category is sure to help drive footfall, sales and profits for retailers over the coming months. Budgens’ RTD range includes bestselling cans of Au Vodka Black Grape and Blue Raspberry Soda, as well as 330ml cans of Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola, which they can buy in cases of 12x330ml offering a POR of 28.1% when sold at the RSP of £2.85. Budgens shoppers will also be able to take advantage of an ‘Any 3 for £6’ deal on cans of Smirnoff Vodka & Cola, Funkin Passion Fruit Martini, Captain Morgan’s Spiced Gold & Cola and Gordon’s Pink Gin & Tonic.

CREAM LIQUEURS Offering multiple ways in which to enjoy them, cream-based liqueurs are also traditionally big sellers over the Christmas period, with shoppers drinking them over ice, mixed into cocktails and coffees, or drizzled over desserts.

Alcohol-free

With nearly half of UK adults switching between alcohol and low and alcohol-free drinks at the same occasion, and 40% of adults saying they want to moderate their drinking according to Kantar Alcovision Data from May 2023, retailers would also do well to stock up on low- to no-alcohol products this festive season. Budgens also offers a winning selection of low- to noalcohol options from key brands, including the sparkling Nozeco wine brand, which can help them to meet demand.

Volume 22: October 2023

In fact, top-selling cream liqueur brand Baileys was bought by one in four households last Christmas according to Kantar data. This Christmas, Budgens retailers will be able to buy 70cl bottles of Baileys Original for £12.99, down from £18.39. With all this excitement to come, Budgens retailers certainly have plenty of reasons to raise a glass or two to this festive season.

W E N cts

u d pro

RISTORANTE PEPPERONI Case size: 7x330g WSP: £17.85 RSP: £3.49 POR: 26.9%

Budgens brings you all the latest new products GRENADE OREO WHITE

MADRI EXCEPCIONAL

Case size: 12x60g

Case size: 12x330ml

WSP: £16.45

WSP: £12.65

RSP:

£2.99

POR: 45.0%

RSP:

£16.99

POR: 10.7%

MCCAIN SEASON AND BAKE FRIES TAKEAWAY STYLE SALT & PEPPER Case size: 12X762g WSP: £30.59 RSP:

£3.65

POR: 30.2%

HEETS Case size: 10x20s WSP: £45.50 RSP:

£6.00

POR: 9.0%

Volume 22: October 2023

What’s new: Products

MONSTER ENERGY ZERO SUGAR

RED BULL WINTER EDITION

Case size: 12x500ml

Case size: 12x250ml

WSP: £11.95

WSP: £9.75

RSP:

£1.95

POR: 38.7%

OLD JAMAICA GINGER BEER

RSP:

£1.45

POR: 32.8%

TING SPARKLING GRAPEFRUIT

Case size: 24x330ml

WSP: £9.89

RSP:

£1.15

POR: 57.0%

RSP:

£1.15

POR: 57.0%

TEREA Case size: 10x20s WSP: £45.50 RSP:

£6.00

POR: 9.0%

Volume 22: October 2023

P U K STOC ! NOW £1.19

Subject to availability from 4th October - 31st October

Your Budgens: Central Billing

Save time and money with Central Billing Booker’s Central Billing service allows retailers to gain access to centrally negotiated pricing and direct-to-store delivery from almost 100 suppliers while minimising paperwork with a single invoice.

Central Billing Suppliers Booker’s vast rota of Central Billing suppliers includes almost 100 businesses large and small, including: l Barr Soft Drinks

l Lindt

l Americatessen

l Lomond Fine Foods

l Bonds Confectionery

l Manor Bakery

l Card Connection

l OTL

l Celtic Frozen Drinks

l Polar Krush (NICC)

l Country Choice

l Real Trading (VapeStation)

l Delice de France l Devon Cakes l Dr Oetker l Eden Farm – Hulleys l Emma’s Country Cakes l Epicurium l Fife Creamery l FIFO l F’real l Frozen Brothers (Tango Ice Blast) l FWIP l Ginsters l Golden Casket Group l HL Display

Volume 22: October 2023

l Riverside Greetings l Rollover l Snowshock l Tchibo l The Lakes Distillery l Warburton’s l West Country Milk

There are only two ways that retailers can grow their profits, by making more money or by saving money. Booker’s Central Billing offer provides the perfect way to do both at the same time, ultimately boosting your bottom line profits. Powered by the Booker Group’s substantial buying power, retailers who make use of Central Billing can both save more and make more through an array of preferential and exclusive pricing and deals, as well as a major reduction in timeconsuming paperwork. Available across almost 100 national and local direct-tostore suppliers, the Central

Billing scheme covers all key categories including chilled foods; beers, wines and spirits; soft drinks; cakes; international foods; and much more, all of which are available at centrally negotiated prices and with low minimum order quantities. Retailers can simply order what they require, have it delivered direct to their stores, then receive a single invoice from Booker and clear the account every month with a single direct debit. Costs are charged weekly, while one simple monthly direct debit helps to save on banking charges.

The benefits l Exclusive deals, rates and discounts on selected suppliers l Centrally negotiated pricing and low minimum order quantities l Reduced time-consuming administration

The UK’s #1 * Tampon brand

M284779

M284777

M284792

*Nielsen Value & Volume Sales 52 w/e September 9th 2023.

Your Budgens: Central Billing

ACROSS THE BOARD Central Billing is available for suppliers covering all of the main product categories, including: l Food To Go l Fresh & Frozen l Bakery & Cake l Grocery l Health & Wellbeing l World Foods l Impulse & Soft Drinks l Beers, Wines & Spirits l Cigarettes & Vape l News & Magazines l Non-Food l Car Care & Accessories

As well as being ideal for gaining access to a number of smaller local suppliers to boost their local sourcing credentials, the Central Billing scheme also offers retailers easy access to a wide range of innovative and in-demand food- and drink-to-go solutions from key brands, including Frozen Brothers (Tango Ice Blast), Country Choice, Rollover, Celtic Frozen Drinks (Jolly Rancher and Hershey’s), FWIP, plus many others. With the key festive sales opportunity fast

approaching, these attention-grabbing foodand drink-to-go solutions can certainly help retailers create valuable unique selling points over their local competitors that help to boost footfall and sales. So, if greater savings, bigger profits and less timeconsuming administration sound like a good deal, why not explore the many benefits that Central Billing can serve up to you? Speak to your RDM or email centralbilling@booker.co.uk to find out more.

l Greeting Cards l In-Store Services

Volume 22: October 2023

UNCAP your

SALES Standard Packs Orange M320841 Raspberry M075243 Mango & Passion Fruit M193867 Fruit Punch M245775 Caribbean Burst M075139 ZERO SUGAR Orange & Peach M285696 ZERO SUGAR Raspberry & Passion Fruit M285679 Price Mark Packs Orange Raspberry Fruit Punch

M283725 M283724 M283644

STOCK UP FOR A SEASON OF SPORT

Meet the Team: Keith Ashworth, HGV Driver

Say hello to...

Keith Ashworth In this issue we catch up with Booker HGV driver Keith Ashworth who has recently beaten over 240,000 competitors in the UK to win the coveted Driver of the Year title! KEITH, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF... I’m Keith Ashworth and I’m an HGV Class 1 driver with Booker. I’m based at the Hatfield Regional Distribution Centre and I’ve been with Booker for more than 27 years. I’ve been an HGV driver since March 1978!

HOW MANY MILES DO YOU COVER IN A YEAR? At the moment I do around 50,000 miles a year but the total distance depends on the runs that I’m on. At the moment I service mainly Eastbourne and Gloucestershire. I used to do the Weymouth run and I did that for about six and a half years. I calculated that, in that time, I covered almost half a million miles!

SO YOU’RE DELIVERING STOCK TO BOOKER BRANCHES? Exactly. I leave Hatfield every morning with a full load and I

Volume 22: October 2023

take it to a Booker branch, then I come back. Then I do it all over again.

WHAT TYPE OF STOCK ARE YOU TRANSPORTING? Everything. We have tri-temperature vehicles, so we’re moving frozen, chilled and ambient stock all in the same delivery. The front of the truck, nearest the cabin, is frozen then in the middle we have chilled then at the back we have ambient. It’s very efficient and it means we can provide an excellent service for the branches.

AND YOU ARE THE BEST HGV DRIVER IN THE UK? Apparently! I was named Overall Driver of the Year this year’s Microlise Driver of the Year Awards, having also won the Long Distance category earlier in the competition. Everyone that won a category was eligible to win the big

FOR A SATISFYING CRUNCH

STOCK UP NOW

1 # ’S R

UEKREAL BA C

+ 8.

E ALU V %

H WT O R G

SOURCE: *NIELSEN TOTAL COVERAGE: 52 WEEKS TO W/C 01.07.2023.

Meet the Team: Keith Ashworth, HGV Driver

About Keith

prize. I was lucky enough to come out on top!

Keith Ashworth is an HGV Class 1 Driver and has been with Booker for more than 27 years. He had his first job as an HGV driver back in March 1978 before joining Booker in 1996. He proudly says he has “never once been late for work” in all those years and says he “loves his job as much as he always has”. He is based in the Booker Regional Distribution Centre in Hatfield and typically covers over 50,000 miles every year, delivering to depots in Eastbourne and Gloucestershire. Earlier his year he was named Driver of the Year, fending off competition from over 240,000 other drivers for the title!

HOW ARE THE AWARDS JUDGED? Microlise, the company that organises the awards, is the company that makes the telematics software that Booker uses to track, monitor and analyse the performance of its vehicles and its drivers. It’s very sophisticated software and it measures everything: fuel consumption, braking patterns, acceleration trends, use of cruise control, you name it! This data is then analysed to draw up a list of 500 of the best drivers, according to their telematics data. Then we moved onto the shortlist stage and then to the finals at The Ricoh Arena in Coventry. I won the Long Distance category on the night and went forward to the grand final the following day.

WERE YOU NERVOUS? Absolutely! Only category winners could attend the final day and there was only one award being handed out that day: the Overall Driver of the Year Award. We were all sitting looking at the trophy wondering if it could be us. It was an amazing feeling because winning that award would put you at the top of the pile of more than 240,000 drivers. Then they read out my name and I just couldn’t believe it!

HOW DID YOU FEEL? It was an honour, it truly was. And it reminded me of sitting in the pub with my dad all those years ago. He had been a lorry driver and encouraged me to do my Class 1 test. I didn’t think I was up to it but he pushed me, so I went for it. It cost me £370, which was a lot of money at the time, but it’s the best investment I’ve ever made. I’ve never been out of a job and I’ve loved every minute of it. I still love my job. I’m supported by an amazing team at Booker and I try to return that support by giving 100% every day. I know so many people rely on me so I’m passionate about making sure I never let them down. Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Sustainability Update

Doing the right thing

Booker continues to make major strides forward in its sustainability and ethical retailing journey, benefitting Budgens retailers along the way and building a better future for us all. Since the launch of its groundbreaking Better Trolley for a Better Planet set of commitments, Booker has continued to make huge strides forward driving the ethical retailing agenda and helping independent retailers embrace the challenge of making their businesses more sustainable. Under the Better Trolley initiative, Booker has committed to a series of important goals that are already having a significant impact across issues like waste, climate, diet and community. To support those commitments, Booker is also encouraging Budgens retailers to work towards improving their own sustainability credentials and has put in place a number of programmes that make it much quicker and easier for retailers to play their part in tackling key challenges. With Budgens’ help, retailers can now achieve key sustainability wins such as minimising food waste, reducing energy usage and continuing to improve recycling rates.

FAIRTRADE PREMIUM A key element of Booker’s Better Trolley initiative is working closely with Fairtrade, and in the last year alone, Booker and its customers have raised £147,050 in the ‘Fairtrade Premium’. The Fairtrade Premium is an extra sum of money paid to Fairtrade farmers and workers that allows them to invest in projects of their choosing, such as improving their farming and income, investing in local health and education or protecting their local environment. Booker Fairtrade Tea, for example, supported some 61,259 farmers – 43% of whose workers are female. Rosine Bekoin of the CAYAT cocoa and coffee farming co-operative in the Ivory Coast said: “The Fairtrade Premium has enabled us to do many things, especially for women. It has also enabled us to advance our children and to build for the future.”

Catherine Marston, Sustainability Manager at Booker, added: “We are delighted to support Fairtrade. Despite the cost-of-living crisis, research shows that many shoppers are still making thoughtful choices while shopping and choosing products that align with their values. It is great to see the positive impact we are having, and I’d like to thank our customers for their support.”

HIVE OF ACTIVITY Closer to home, Booker is also helping to drive sustainability by increasing the number of beehives filled with colonies at its Hatfield Distribution Centre. Forming another part of its Better Trolley commitment, Booker decided to start keeping bees, with six willing volunteers having jumped at the chance to help. That was almost five years ago and since then the success of the colonies at Booker’s Hatfield Distribution Centre has been phenomenal. Volume 22: October 2023

Booker Hatfield is also now offering beginners beekeeping courses to colleagues interested in learning about how to support these vital pollinators. It is also in the process of purchasing another new ‘nuclear’ swarm of bees raised from an existing hive, which will grow to another colony of up to 100,000 bees. This development will create four active occupied hives in the Hatfield apiary a significant move which will make a hugely-positive impact on the local and wider environment. Volume 22: October 2023

Bees play a crucial role in pollinating plants, which contributes to the production of foodstuffs that are essential in human and animal diets. Bees regularly suffer habitat loss from development, abandoned farms, and the lack of bee-friendly flowers, so it’s important to protect and manage beefriendly habitats. Catherine Marston said: “This is a fantastic project and I’m proud of the beekeeping team at Hatfield. The volunteers work hard to keep the bees healthy, and it is great that we are expanding. We are also looking for other

suitable sites across our estate and will offer beekeeping training to interested colleagues so we can continue to have a positive impact on the environments we operate in.”

PLAY YOUR PART If you are keen to play your part in building a more ethical, more sustainable future, there are a number of easy ways to do so.

Food Waste In the last year, Booker redistributed 91% of all surplus food, a 34%

M284064

M284068

M284063

THE NO.1

STOCK UP BACK ON TV FROM LATE OCTOBER

COOKIE BRAND

+17.1% VALUE SALES YOY IN THE IMPULSE CHANNEL2 1. Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage (52 w/e 18.03.2023) 2. NIQ – Total Impulse, 52 we 17.06.23

improvement on the base year of 2015/16. Over five million meals were donated to the Fareshare charity by the Group in the last 12 months.

Visit collectmywaste.com and quote ‘BOOKERWASTE’ along with your Booker customer number to claim discounted rates today!

To play your part, why not make use of the Fareshare donation boxes that were distributed to all Budgens retailers. Booker helped more than 600 independent retailers redistribute over 220 tonnes of food in the last year, supporting local communities through a partnership with the Too Good To Go solution.

Vape Recycling Service

In addition, Booker offers solutions to sell short-dated food and recover costs (through too Good To Go), donate surplus food not sold to your local community, and save on food disposal costs (through OLIO).

Booker also works with Valpak to help Budgens retailers comply with the recycling legislation that applies to disposable vapes. The legislation requires you to offer your shoppers a free of charge, safe recycling point. To comply with the legislation, Budgens retailers first have to calculate the value of vaping products they sell in their store each year. If that value is less than £100,000 you can join the Distributor Take-back Scheme.

Waste Management

If the value of products you sell is in excess of £100,000 however, you are required to provide your shoppers with a free instore take-back service that complies with WEEE regulations.

Budgens retailers can save 11% on their waste management thanks to an exclusive deal with Booker’s partner ACM on the collection of general waste and recycling.

This threshold is under review by the Government so watch out for future updates.

Visit toogoodtogo.co.uk and olioex.com/ business to find out more.

The service is available via a simple, easyto-use website – collectmywaste.com – which provides instant quotes showing the best prices for each service, including a Booker Group exclusive discount. Simply choose the service you require, and you will be kept up to date in real time on the progress of your collection, helping you to better organise your team and maximise efficiency. Collections are made by professional, friendly drivers who know their way around and can ensure fast, no-fuss pick-ups to let you get back to the business of running a great store and focusing your attention on your business and your shoppers. Volume 22: October 2023

To help Budgens retailers quickly and easily put the relevant solution in place, Booker is working with leading environmental compliance business Valpak.

“The Fairtrade Premium has enabled us to do many things, especially for women. It has enabled us to advance our children and we also use the Fairtrade Premium to build for the future.” Rosine Bekoin, CAYAT cocoa and

coffee farming co-operative, Ivory

Valpak can answer any questions you may have and help you put in place the solutions you need to become fully compliant with the WEEE regulations.

Coast

Visit recycle-more.co.uk/ vapes to find out more about Valpak’s services. Alternatively, you can email info@valpak.co.uk or call 03450 682 572 to discover further information.

Your Budgens: Spring Pre-Sell

Blooming marvellous Get set for spring with Budgens’ cracking Spring Pre-Sell

Spring Pre-Sell! Opens: Wednesday 25 October Closes: Monday 27 November

Winter’s icy grip may have only just started to take hold, but for convenience retailers up and down the country, thoughts are already turning to spring and the many opportunities set to bloom over the season. Fans of love and pancakes will be able to celebrate with heart-shaped crêpes, thanks to Shrove Tuesday and Valentine’s Day falling on 13 and 14 February in 2024, offering retailers a sweet opportunity to cook up sizzling mid-week seasonal sales. Spring 2024 will also see the arrival of the earliest Easter weekend for seven years, with Good Friday set to take place on 29 March ahead of Easter Sunday on the 31st – which coincidentally also marks the start of British Summer Time. Fortunately, Budgens retailers will be perfectly equipped to make the very most of 2024’s spring bounty thanks to a splendid Spring Pre-Sell. Opening on Wednesday 25 October and running for just over a month, the Budgens Spring Pre-Sell will offer Budgens retailers a blooming bouquet of great new products, fantastic deals and more than 20 Group Exclusive lines.

Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Spring Pre-Sell

2024 DIARY DATES Pancake Day: Tuesday 13 February Valentines Day: Wednesday 14 February Mother’s Day: Sunday 10 March St Patrick’s Day: Sunday 17 March Good Friday: Friday 29 March Easter Sunday: Sunday 31 March British Summer Time begins: Sunday 31 March Falling early next year on Tuesday 13 February, Pancake Day has always offered retailers a tasty opportunity to fry up additional footfall, sales and profits.

categories including confectionery and horticulture, with great deals on key brands including Ferrero Rocher, Guylian, Lindor, Quality Street and more.

thank their marvellous mothers with a fabulous line up of Mother’s Day products, including deals on top-selling brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk 360g Blocks.

Shrove Tuesday 2024 will be no exception, with retailers who take advantage of the Spring Pre-Sell able to secure great deals on top-selling food and non-food products, including Nutella, Fluff Marshmallow Spread, Greens Pancake Mix and much more.

Great-value pricing on a wide selection of BWS products, including sparkling wines such as Mirabeau Folie Sparkling Rose, Chapel Down Brut and Sensi 18K Prosecco Gold, will also help shoppers get their Valentine’s Day celebrations off to a bang.

Thanks to the launch of a new and improved horticulture offer earlier this year, Budgens retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers an array of beautiful blooms across all the key spring seasonal occasions.

Valentine’s Day falls the very next day on 14 February and in 2024 Budgens retailers will be able to offer a heartwarming range of romantic-themed products across key Volume 22: October 2023

With PORs of 20% on all three, Budgens retailers will also be able to raise a glass to strong profits. Budgens shoppers will also be able to

For Mother’s Day alone, retailers will be able to pick from a cheery line-up of Premium Gift Baskets, Hydrangea Baskets, Outdoor Primrose Planters and Hyacinth Baskets, all of which will offer PORs of 30%.

ShopMate Self-Serve Save time and money with ShopMate Self-Serve A convenient checkout experience for your customers to help reduce queues, drive increased sales and streamline your operations Get Ahead Get Self-Serve Contact ShopMate on 01780 480562 or email salessupport@retaildata.co.uk ShopMate is the Partner for

Contribution EPoS

Your Budgens: Spring Pre-Sell

But of course, spring is not all about sweet eats, romantic treats and marvellous mums. The start of the new year is also traditionally a time for fresh beginnings with shoppers up and down the country gloving up for Spring Cleaning season. Again, Budgens has retailers covered, with this year’s Spring Pre-Sell including a wide array of quality cleaning products at great value prices guaranteed to help your sales and profits sparkle just as brightly as your shoppers’ homes. Cars have also not been left out of

the spring-cleaning bonanza with a great line up of car care products from screen wash to sponges designed to get wheels and windows gleaming.

SNIFFLE SEASON

shoppers’ coughs, snivels and sneezes. From Nuage hay fever wipes and balms to Piriteze and Panadol counter top display units, Budgens has it all.

With its fresh flush of new buds and blooms, spring also heralds the start of hay fever season and once again the Budgens Spring Pre-sell is buzzing with products to help soothe your

The fantastic Budgens Pre-Sell closes on Monday 27 November, so don’t miss out on your chance to put an extra spring in your footfall, sales and profits for 2024.

Mother’s Day Product

Case Size

Seasonal WSP

Seasonal RSP

POR

Cadbury Dairy Milk 360g Block

£41.99

£4.25

15.3%

Roses Large Carton 290g

£17.95

£4.49

20%

Heroes Large Carton 290g

£17.95

£4.49

20%

Milk Tray 360g

£23.95

£5.99

20%

Toblerone Truffles

£25.25

£4.75

20.3%

CDM Caramilk 360g block

£41.99

£4.25

15.3%

Thorntons Classic 262g

£26.79

£6.99

23.3%

Product

Case Size

Seasonal WSP

Seasonal RSP

POR

Ferrero Rocher Heart Gift Box 125g

£32.89

£5.49

20.1%

Guylian Seashells Original 250g

£39.89

£4.99

20.1%

Lindor Assorted Cornet 200g

£23.75

£4.7

25.0%

Celebrations Flip – Large Carton 300g

£20.99

£3.50

20.0%

Quality Street Carton 220g

£10.50

£3.00

30.0%

Valentines Day

*All prices correct at time of going to press.

Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Birthdays

s n e g d u B s y a d Birth

Many happy returns to all those celebrating their time with us. More than just a brand, Budgens is a family of like‑minded convenience retailers whose focus is to provide a much‑needed service to their local community.

9 11

Volume 22: October 2023

Your Budgens: Birthdays

YEARS

BROCKHURST ROAD

YEARS

SCAYNES HILL

DUNDRY

10 YEARS

AYLSHAM

FLITWICK

10 YEARS

BUCKINGHAM PARK

GONALSTON

TADLEY

HAYWARDS HEATH

BOX

Gosport Hampshire

Bristol

Flitwick Bedfordshire

Southwell Road Nottinghamshire

Haywards Heath Sussex

e m o Welco Budgens t

YEARS

Lewes Road West Sussex

Norfolk

Buckingham Park Buckinghamshire

Burghfield Road Hampshire

Wiltshire

Store openings and refurbs We’re delighted, as always, to welcome new stores to the Budgens family.

11 ASCOT

Ascot, Berkshire

12 BRIDGEND SERVICE STATION Freuchie, Cupar

13 JAUNTY WAY

South Yorkshire

14 ST CLEARS Tenby Road

15 TOW LAW

Tow Law, County Durham

Volume 22: October 2023

UP TO

700 PUFFS*

REDESIGNED FOR ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE NEWAND IMPROVED VUSE GO 700 Vuse e-cigarettes contain nicotine which is addictive. Dispose of responsibly. This product should not be discarded in household waste but in the nearest WEEE collection bin. *Based on laboratory testing of newly manufactured product and may vary depending on individuals usage behaviour. For tobacco trade use only. Not to be left in the sight of consumers.

ACS Update: Local Shop Report 2023

Local shops keep evolving

to stay ahead Local shops are ‘more vital than ever’ to the communities they serve, finds the ACS 2023 Local Shop Report. James Lowman discusses the key findings of the ACS 2023 Local Shop Report.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL WORK OF ACS CALL

Recently we launched our 2023 Local Shop Report which takes a comprehensive look at the convenience sector, looking at the people running and working in the stores, retailers’ investment decisions, the products and services being offered and the impact that local shops have on the communities that they serve.

01252 515 001

You will have heard us talk about the contribution that local shops make to the economy and their communities, and one of the key ways that stores do this is by providing flexible, local and secure jobs to 437,000 people. As staff shortages ease, retailers are now employing more people for more hours. Over the last year colleagues in the sector worked a combined 12.1 million hours a week, working tirelessly to provide their communities with the products and services that they need day to day. We know that our sector is incredibly agile and forwardthinking, and this has been demonstrated time and time again as convenience retailers have had to adapt their stores to meet the everchanging needs of their communities. Our research shows how committed local shops are to their communities, investing around £646m in their businesses over the last year to diversify and expand the services that they can offer to their communities. Of those investing, the top areas of investment are Volume 22: October 2023

refrigeration (56%), shelving (39%), store signage (33%), instore lighting (32%) and technology (29%).

OR LOG ON TO

www.acs.org.uk

As well as investing financially, convenience retailers have continued to invest their time and energy into engaging with their customers. Findings from this year’s report have revealed significant growth in the number of retailers that are using social media for their businesses. With more products and stores going viral over the last year, there has been a clear shift towards activity on platforms like Facebook, X (Twitter) and TikTok to engage with customers. An interesting finding from this year’s report, which could explain the uptick in social media usage, is the changing profile of convenience store owners, which is becoming younger, including more women, and more likely to include first-time investors coming into the sector, as well as established family businesses. The full report and panel session from our launch event can be found on our Member Portal and as always, please get in touch if you have any questions.

MAKE TODAY A BIG ONE Stock up now

MULTISERVE SATISFIES GROWING AT HOME CONSUMPTION OCCASIONS

*Nielsen 15/07/23

Multiserve MBB formats growing

+16% YoY*