29 237 New Products to land this Autumn. Unwrap a cracking Christmas.
Sow success with the Spring Pre-Sell.
OPEN SPREAD CHRISTMAS WITH A
SPREAD THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WITH A COKE
Ensure you have the right range available for the festivities
Ciroc
Stock this Season’s Must Have
Product of France
HELPING YOU WIN this winter
Budgens has a bumper package of seasonal support for stores this festive season.
Well, it’s almost that time of year again and I hope you are all looking forward to the exciting festive period as much as I am. Christmas presents a world of opportunities for retailers and Budgens is right behind you, providing all the support you need to maximise your footfall, sales and profits over the key months ahead.
to check out the article in this issue on our Energy Saving Service which can help reduce your energy bills and generate new income streams with services like EV Charging and Solar PV Critically, the Energy Saving Service allows you to start saving from day one without spending a penny.
And this year, we’re not just aiming big – we’re aiming for the biggest Christmas ever! We have put together a truly-fantastic package of seasonal support for Budgens retailers including hundreds of new products, seasonal lines, Group Exclusives and own-label developments. A bountiful package to help you deliver a bumper Christmas.
not new, don’t forget to stock up on hit
Don’t forget to check out our NPD Guide too which is packed full of exciting new lines and Group Exclusives which can really help you set yourself apart from the competition this festive period. And, while they’re not new, don’t forget to stock up on Jack’s Mince Pies. They were a huge hit last year and they’re set to fly once more this Christmas.
With the recent Budget looking likely to pile more pressure onto retailers, it’s more important than ever that we all focus on cutting the costs of doing business. That’s precisely why we have negotiated a new, exclusive deal with Worldpay that can help retailers cut the cost of taking credit and debit card payments. I would also encourage you
Christmas presents a great opportunity to end the calendar year on a high and I wish you all the very best of trading in the weeks ahead.
Industry News
Budgens retailers from across the country have triumphed at various highprofile industry awards in recent weeks.
Dover Budgens store triumphs at Forecourt Trader Awards
Budgens Whitfield Service Station was awarded with the Best Forecourt Innovation accolade at the 2024 Forecourt Trader Awards.
Held on 10 October 2024 at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London, the awards recognise the UK forecourt industry’s top operators and innovators.
Budgens Whitfield Service Station thrilled the judges with its innovative offer, which includes an in-store pizza restaurant and takeaway.
The Kent-based forecourt is owned by entrepreneur Kanagaratnam Rajaseelan, who invested £1.5m
redeveloping the site back in 2023.
The store’s shop floor was increased by 400sq ft to allow space for a larger range of fresh and chilled goods, along with an innovative food to go offer.
The food to go range includes a dedicated serve over counter plus an in-store Fireaway Pizza restaurant, offering shoppers a vast range of custom-made pizzas to take away or enjoy on site – within its comfortable new seating area.
The award-winning store has also just opened a brand new Döner & Gyros offer which presents shoppers even more food to go choice.
Unveiled by Leader of Dover District Council, Cllr Kevin Mills earlier this month, the new Döner & Gyros offer includes high quality kebabs, platters, salads and wraps.
London Budgens wins community award
Budgens retailer Amarjit Singh Rakhra was named as the proud recipient of the Spirit of The Community Award at the Asian Trader Awards 2024.
Amarjit owns Budgens Pomeroy Street in London, which he opened with his wife Pritpal in November 2023.
The large store features a 1,800sq ft community space on the first floor – offering free Wi-fi, desks and comfortable seating for local people.
The workspace is open to all from 7am until 5pm after which time it is then used for wellness initiatives such as yoga and fitness classes run by local trainers – with no charge for hire.
Users of the space are also welcome to enjoy hot and cold refreshments from the store’s Aroma café and deli counter.
The store also supports the local school with various fundraising initiatives, stocks local products and is part of the Too Good To Go food scheme.
The judges said: “This award reflects Amarjit’s exceptional contributions to fostering community spirit and his tireless efforts in making a positive impact.”
A BUBBLY BOOST
FOR THOSE FESTIVE GET-TOGETHERS
Disposable vapes ban confirmed for June 2025
The Government has confirmed that a ban on disposable vaping products will come into force on the delayed date of 1st June 2025.
The UK Government has confirmed that a ban on disposable vaping products will come into force next year but the implementation date has been pushed back to 1st June 2025.
IMPORTANT DISPOSABLE VAPE UPDATE
We have been notified by Trading Standards that they have been visiting retailers that sell disposable vapes to check products are being sold in compliance with the law.
It has come to their attention that a number of retailers are selling products which do not comply with UK requirements.
Visit www.acs.org.uk/advice/selling-vapes for guidance from the ACS, which outlines how to recognise legitimate products. It is important that where you are purchasing vapes that you are able to recognise legitimate vapes.
Booker has in place controls to ensure that the product it distributes are legitimate and appropriate for the UK market.
It is important to remember that the consequences of selling illegitimate vapes is incredibly serious, and can result in unlimited fines and two years in prison.
Government ponders Post Office handover
The legislation only affects England, but the devolved government in Wales has already followed suit and similar bans are expected to be introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The UK Government has laid legislation to introduce the ban and, subject to parliamentary approval, businesses will have until 1st June 2025 to sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force.
The ban was initially due to be implemented on 1st April 2025 and the Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed the delay in implementation after recommending a minimum sell-through period of at least six months to enable businesses to prepare.
From 1st June, the only vaping products that will be available for sale legally in the UK must be refillable and rechargeable, intended for multiple uses as opposed to ‘disposable’ vapes which are single-use products.
All retailers who sell vaping products must provide recycling facilities in their stores on at least a one-for-one basis.
Government ministers are mulling over whether to transfer ownership of the Post Office to the UK’s army of sub-postmasters, according to a BBC report.
The proposal is in its preliminary stages and is among several options being considered.
Management consultancy BCG has been hired to look into the idea and is expected to report to the Business Secretary in the months ahead. Sub-postmasters run more than 11,500 Post Offices across the country.
The relationship between the Post Office and sub-postmasters has been under the microscope in the wake of the Horizon IT scandal.
Mixing it up beats sticking with the same
To fizz up festivities, ensure you have the right range available
Schweppes
Ghoulishly good!
Budgens stores from across the country helped shoppers to enjoy spooktacular Halloween celebrations, sponsoring spooky trails, holding in-store events and offering shoppers dastardly deals, among other things.
Frasers Budgens of Three Mile Cross helped to support a local Halloween Trail that was designed to raise funds for Sport in Mind. The store also sold maps for the trail which led local shoppers on a terrifying tour of frightfully decorated houses, shops and scarecrows.
Harvest heroes
Budgens Radlet treated shoppers to “a fang-tastic Halloween” experience with high-impact spooky themed displays, great deals on pumpkins and Halloween accessories.
Budgens Budgens Meriden also tasted success with a spooktacular Snappy Shopper bundle deal offering three bags of sharing sweets for just 99p. The great-value bundle included Dairy Milk Buttons, Maoam MaoMixx and Haribo Starmix -perfect for trick or treaters or shoppers’ own spooky stashes.
Smith’s Budgens of Codford in Wiltshire has sponsored a harvest celebration organised by the village’s pre-school.
The Codford Caterpillars Harvest Supper was held on 19 October in the local village hall.
Tickets were £10 each and included a delicious two-course meal featuring products donated by the store.
“Our very grateful thanks to Brendan Smith for kindly sponsoring our event again this year,” the pre-school said.
Bagging up for charity
Frasers Budgens has donated a mighty £1,252 to a range of local and national charities using proceeds raised by the carrier bag tax.
The sum was raised over the last six months by the group’s five retail stores which are all based in and around Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.
Fraser’s Budgens in Marlborough donated £68.40 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance charity, while Frasers Budgens in Three Mile Cross donated £398.45 to Sue Ryder – a charity which supports people approaching the end of their life or grieving.
Meanwhile, Fraser’s Budgens in Brize Norton, Cannon Pool and Yarnton all donated funds to Oxfordshire palliative care hospice Sobell House. The stores donated £266.55, £246.20 and £272.90 respectively.
The business, which was established by Bob Fraser back in 1954, has also just renewed its sponsorship of Yarnton FC.
The club’s new blue kit features the Fraser’s Budgens branding across the chest.
GroceryAid awards £1m in School Essentials Grants
GroceryAid recently made £1m of awards to more than 6,600 children of industry colleagues, giving them the best possible start to the school year.
If you need support of any kind, contact GroceryAid’s free and confidential 24/7 helpline on 08088 021 122.
2025 CALENDAR UNVEILED
A total of 6,667 children of industry colleagues headed back to school recently wearing new uniforms thanks to awards totalling £1m made through GroceryAid’s School Essential Grant Fund.
The fund gives children of convenience and grocery workers the best start to the school year by equipping them with essential items. Beneficiaries received a £150 non-repayable grant for each child of school age, up to a maximum of three.
With the support of The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust, the number of children helped by the fund has increased by 11% compared to last year.
Mandi Leonard, Welfare Director at GroceryAid said: “Cost-of-living challenges have made it harder than ever before for families to make sure their children have everything they need for school. A huge thank you to The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for funding the grants and making such a difference to so many families.”
GroceryAid has revealed its 2025 calendar of events and programmes. These events raise more than 80% of all GroceryAid funding, providing vital support for colleagues across the sector.
In 2023/24 GroceryAid raised over £7m from events which were attended by more than 15,700 colleagues.
Highlights include:
l GroceryAid Ball, 6 Mar 2025
l Booker Dragon Boat Race, 12 Jun 2025
l GroceryAid Golf Day, 25 Jun 2025
A recipient of the fund said: “It is a struggle every year to provide uniforms for my children and with the cost-of-living crisis it has made things even harder for us. The GroceryAid uniform grant has really made a big difference to our family.”
l Barcode Festival, 3 Jul 2025
l Sporting Lunch, 14 Nov 2025
Birthday bash
The Gardner family is unwrapping a welcome rise in footfall and sales following a £1.1m redevelopment of their Huntley site.
After 30 years of successful trading in the Gloucestershire village of Huntley, there really was no better way for the Gardner family to celebrate than with a great big birthday bash – straight through the wall and into the old bungalow next door!
Huntley is one of seven sites owned by the Gardner Garages business, which was founded by Clive Gardner more than 50 years ago, and is now run day to day by his children Emma and Ashton.
“I’m 30 too and in-fact there’s an old photo of me somewhere as newborn baby in the Huntley store with my parents,” laughs Ashton, who joined the family firm six years ago.
“As a family we have a really close relationship
with this site,” he explains. “We have all lived in the village at some point and there used to be an old bungalow next door, where I lived with my parents as a boy - so we’ve always been a part of a local community,” he explains.
“The site is located on the busy A40, so it’s always enjoyed good fuel volumes from passing trade, but it also serves an important need for local villagers too,” he adds.
The store, which had been trading as a Londis, was refitted just over six years ago, but with competition intensifying, the family were keen to future-proof it for another 30-plus years, by giving locals and passers-by alike, more of what they needed: fresh and frozen meal solutions, food to go and lots of convenient new services.
What that looked like was a complete overhaul: demolishing the old bungalow next door, so as to extend the store - doubling the size of the shop floor from 1,350sq ft to 2,700sq ft.
And the construction work didn’t end there.
“We also converted a rear building into a brand-new stock room with walk-in chillers and freezers and increased the size of our in-store kitchen - a move which we knew would allow us to maximise the hot food to go opportunity,” Ashton says.
The entire forecourt was also re-concreted as part of the development, with provisions for new EV charging points and a new Jet Wash added at the same time.
“In total, the development cost in the region of £1.1m so it was a significant investment,” Ashton says. “We refit our stores frequently, as we know how important it is to keep the offer fresh, but this has been by far the most significant.”
A move from the Londis to the Budgens brand was also decided upon as part of the plan.
“I remember going to the fantastic Booker Retail Show at Sandown earlier this year and seeing that impressive
15-metre run of refrigeration on display at the entrance - and that’s exactly what we’ve ended up with,” Ashton adds.
“The store re-opened on 14 July and now features the full range of fresh and chilled available through Budgens which is absolutely fantastic.”
The store’s blooming Budgens range is also complemented by a variety of local products including three shelves of meats from Wood’s Butchers and local sausage rolls.
“Another huge development has been on the hot food to go side. Originally, we just had a Country Choice offer, but we’ve now complemented that with the Stone Willy’s Kitchen concept featuring pizzas, burgers and other hot ‘to go’ items including Proper Pasty Company products. We have kept our two existing Costa Coffee machines, but we’ve also added a Tango Ice Blast which is doing very well.”
The store has also brought in a free water refill station made from recycled plastic bottles – a striking new addition that Ashton says lots of shoppers comment on.
The new store’s six-door frozen range is complemented by five Cook freezers – up from three previously and a new frozen offer from Hedonist Bakery, which offers a quality
STORE MANAGER KATIE BOWDEN
range of bake at home breads and pastries that Ashton says shoppers love.
With such a large new range to manage, the family has also invested around £30,000 in Electronic Shelf Edge Labels (ESELs) throughout – which Ashton says are “already resulting in a huge efficiency saving, especially at promotional changeovers.
“We have also introduced staff headsets which are working really well. They are especially beneficial now that the fresh offering is so much bigger and stocking up is a larger undertaking – with a lot more going backwards and forwards from the stock room. Having the headsets saves staff time and means they don’t have to shout for what they need across the shop floor!”
A large glass-fronted Beer Cave is also reaping further efficiency benefits, along with energy savings.
“The beer cave also acts as a powerful tool to attract shoppers to the back of the store and past all of our new fresh, chilled and frozen solutions,” Ashton says.
In another innovative move, the store’s former office space has been converted into an internal laundrette. “We rent the equipment from JLA and there’s a contactless payment system in the laundrette so users can pay with autonomy,” Ashton explains.
“Shoppers enter the laundrette via an external door from the carpark - but there is an internal door that then leads into the store itself - so the idea is that they come in, stick a wash on and then shop the shop while they wait.”
“Shoppers are responding so well to the new store and everything it offers,” Ashton says.
“Shoppers who used to visit us daily for small top ups are now doing full shops which is wonderful. It’s 15 minutes from here into the city-centre so
“Shoppers who used to visit us daily for small top ups are now doing full shops. It’s 15 minutes from here into the city-centre so we are saving them from having to make that journey - and that’s very valuable to them.”
Ashton Gardner
we are saving them from having to make that journey - and that’s very valuable to them. We are also seeing so many more linked purchases – our Cook sales have increased from around £500 a week to more than £1,000 and our wine sales and desserts have climbed too.
“We are also getting lots of new shoppers through the doors.”
Fuel has also soared too, with fuel sales having almost tripled since the development to around 100,000 litres a week.
The team, Ashton says, are also playing a key role in the store’s success.
“We’ve got a fantastic team of 12, which is headed up by our store manager Katie Bowden. Many members of the team have worked here for years and so they know our local shoppers really well. Those local connections count for so
much and really do help to set us apart in shoppers’ hearts and minds.”
The Gardner family also work hard to bolster those local connections with a heartfelt package of community support, including regular donations to local initiatives and sponsorship of various teams.
“For a number of years, we have also supplied food and snacks to the local school’s after-school club; things like bread, tinned beans and fruit.
“Last year we also donated a large sum of money to Huntley Primary so that they could buy new playground equipment.
“Giving back is very important to us as a local business and we are now so proud that we can now give them even more thanks to this fantastic new store,” Ashton concludes.
Fabric of life
New Budgens retailer Mani Palanisamy is weaving wonder in the market town of Dewsbury.
The West Yorkshire market town of Dewsbury was once a major centre of textile production, particularly wool, in the Industrial Revolution.
Today, the town is once again a hive of activity –as a major 10-year regeneration plan designed to drive footfall and celebrate its rich industrial heritage unfolds.
One business that’s already ahead of the game is brand-new Budgens Ravensthorpe which, just one month after opening, is already well on its way to becoming a crucial part of the fabric of this textile town.
Weaving it together is first-time store owner Manikandan Palanisomy (Mani) who was handed the keys in mid-September 2024.
Sitting at the base of an impressive old stone
building, the store is located just on the outskirts of Dewsbury town centre, in the district of Ravensthorpe and on the main road towards the M1 and M62.
The primely sited corner unit also features a car park behind it and faces an attractive public green space, complete with recreation ground, a community centre and library.
In addition to the significant passing trade and food-to-go opportunity, the store also benefits from a high volume of housing for local people on the streets surrounding it.
It was previously run as an independent CTN that also offered a large array of international foods, including Polish, Romanian and Hungarian products – in keeping with the area’s culturally diverse population.
“There are lots of other small stores nearby but none of them feature a strong fresh and chilled offer and nor did the previous store, so I knew from the start that fresh and chilled needed to be the focus of this new store,” Mani explains.
Mani also knew from the start that he wanted the store to boast the Budgens fascia above its doors.
“The Budgens brand was the perfect fit for what I wanted to do here, especially on the fresh and chilled side because the range and quality that Budgens offers is second to none,” he adds.
A two-week store closure then ensued while the shopfloor was opened up and refitted with a fresh new face ahead of its launch on 30 September.
The newly refitted store makes full use of its 2,600sq ft shop floor, which has been granted a far brighter and airier feel,
thanks to wide aisles and light-coloured floors along with ceilings which are punctuated with new diamond LED light panels.
As Mani planned, fresh and chilled is now the store’s major focus, with 2.5 metres of chilled fruit and vegetables now greeting shoppers as they enter.
Housed behind smart energy efficient doors, the chilled produce range includes a broad mix of key pre-packed lines, from salad components to vegetables, including peppers, mushrooms and potatoes plus a comprehensive mix of fruits.
A separate ambient bay hosts bananas, onions and more, in attractive wooden baskets.
Leading on from the fresh fridges is a 7.5 metre run of chillers for ready meals, meats, dairy and deli items.
“The feedback from local shoppers has been really pleasing so far. They are delighted with the new fresh and chilled range and very happy with the prices and many special offers and multi-buy deals on offer too.”
Manikandan Palanisamy
Guinness sold 19% more during the 4 weeks of Christmas 2023 than the rest of the Year and had the fastest growing Alcohol Free Beer in GB Impulse vs Christmas 2022.
Source: Nielsen RMS, GB Total Impulse Market, Beer and Guinness Brand Value Sales, w/e 07.01.23-30.12.23. Nielsen RMS, GB Total Impulse Market, Beer Top 10 Alcohol Free Value Sales chg vs YA.
“The Jack’s ready meals are very popular,” Mani says. “We offer the full range which shoppers can buy on an ‘Any 2 for £6’ deal. The curries are popular, especially the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Korma.”
Chilled food to go, including sandwiches and snack packs, is afforded another 2.5 metres of space next to the store’s revamped chilled soft drinks offer.
“What we are offering now is worlds apart from what was available before,” Mani explains. The old store only had around 3.5 metres of chilled in total, so this is a total transformation for local shoppers.”
Another transformative category is food to go. While the previous store offered very little in the way of food to go, brand-new Budgens Ravensthorpe now boasts a smart new ‘Good To Go’ zone at the front of the store, offering shoppers two flavours of Jolly Rancher Slush, coffee to go, Rollover Hot Dogs, and a range of Country Choice baked goods.
Shoppers can also take their pick from a comprehensive bread and bakery offer, including international products.
“Cakes and biscuits are also selling well, especially the Jack’s Mini Bites such as the cornflake clusters, shortbreads and flapjacks. Shoppers can buy them on an ‘Any 2 for £4’ deal, which has strong take-up,” Mani says.
Given the local area’s diverse population, the store also offers a vast range of international groceries, including large packs of spices, pickled vegetables, canned meats, herbal teas, snacks, sweets and more.
“We have also built a strong BWS offer which includes six doors of chilled beers and ciders, including multi-packs and an array of Polish lager brands,” Mani adds.
Facing the BWS chillers, the bright and spacious shop floor also hosts a high-impact display of large multi-pack beers and ciders at great-value prices.
“What we are offering now is worlds apart from what was available before. The old store only had around 3.5 metres of chilled in total, so this is a total transformation for local shoppers.”
Manikandan Palanisamy
The BWS range is conveniently sited next to a full five bays of crisps and snacks devoted to grab bags, tubes, multi-packs and more, including US products such as Takis.
The store’s strong value for money proposition is also well communicated with the use of high-impact Special Offer and Big Deals end bays along with promotional stacks of key products, such as soft drinks and larger multi-packs.
Shoppers passing by on the busy street outside also can’t fail to have their heads turned by the eye-catching promotional stacks that sit proudly behind the store’s large floor-to-ceiling windows.
“The previous store was here for around 30 years so we’re working hard to get the word out about our fresh new offer but so far so good,” Mani says.
“We are seeing growth every day as awareness grows and loyalty along with it.
“The feedback from local shoppers has been really pleasing so far. They are delighted with the new fresh and chilled range and very happy with the prices and many special offers and multi-buy deals on offer too.”
Fresh and chilled has been one of the store’s best-performing categories so far, driven by ready meals, produce and dairy items, especially 2-litre bottles of milk, which are sold for a great-value £1.39.
“Beers and wines are also doing very well,” adds Mani. “We’ve got a quality range including big-name UK brands and international products. Shoppers are spending a long time browsing the range and enjoying the vast choice they now have.”
“We also get lots of compliments on how professional the store looks, and we are working really hard to keep those standards sky high.”
Going forward, Mani says he wants the store to become a key part of the local community and is currently on the lookout for ways in which to forge close community connections, including sponsorship deals for local sports teams.
It might still be early days, but Budgens Ravensthorpe is certainly threading in very well so far.
FACTFILE
Store name: Budgens Ravensthorpe
Retailer: Manikandan Palanisamy (Mani)
Size: 2,600sq ft
Staff: 3
Best-performing categories: Fresh, Chilled, BWS
Services: National Lottery, free-to-use ATM, Payzone
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 6am to 12 midnight Retailer Profile:
Christmas crackers
Budgens retailers are all set to enjoy better than ever Christmas sales thanks to a sleigh-load of seasonal support.
The lights are twinkling, the mince pies are out, and in stores across the country, elves are eyeing up shelves which are now brimming with festive favourites.
Yes, Christmas is just around the corner and heralding a bumper buffet of sales and profit opportunities for retailers to tuck into.
Industry experts agree that Christmas 2024 could be particularly sweet for convenience retailers, with sales expected to be driven by improved consumer sentiment after the previous years’ challenges – and thanks to the ongoing trend towards stocking up on festive products early.
Budgens is helping them to make even more of the opportunity with a glittering package of seasonal support – including hundreds of new products, seasonal lines, Group Exclusives and own-label developments, to truly set themselves apart.
Retailers will also be aided in their attempts to crack Christmas 2024 with an outstanding array of deals and great-value price points across key seasonal categories, including fresh produce – where a number of festive favourites will be supported by special price points.
As ever, retailers will also have a premier package of high-impact POS materials to
help them spread that all-important festive spirit and set their displays sparkling.
Budgens’ campaign is supported by a cheery suite of POS materials including posters, bunting, shelf ears, header boards, pennants and promotional leaflets – all of which wish shoppers a ‘Merry Christmas.’
DAZZLING DEALS
Helping to ensure that merriment, retailers will also be able to offer their shoppers a generous serving of amazing value prices and promotions this festive season.
As the party season gets underway, the NP10 and coming NP11 periods feature a bevy of dazzling deals on key BWS brands including the lowest-ever price on Krupnik Vodka in NP10, with a promotional RSP of just £12.99 for a 70cl bottle in England, Wales and Ireland.
Look out also for Christmas-themed cases of new Brewdog Hoppy Christmas. With a promotional RSP of £12 per case of eight, these seasonal sips are sure to make popular gifting items and party picks. With a promotional POR of 21.10% per case of eight, retailers will be feeling merry too.
In NP11, retailers will also be able to offer 10x440ml packs of Budweiser and Stella
NP11 Fresh festive specials
*All prices correct at time of going to press.
Artois for just £10 in England, Wales and Ireland, while in Scotland, packs will feature a promotional RSP of £13.16.
And, with the run-up to the festive season also a well-known boom time for sparkling wine sales, the NP10 promotional period currently features a bubbling beauty of a deal on I Heart Bubbly – which is available to shoppers for just £5.99 per 75cl bottle – offering retailers a promotional POR of 15.03% per case of six.
Soft drinks have also certainly not been left out of the deal mix, with an ‘Any 2 for £2.50’ deal currently available on 2-litre bottles of Pepsi Max Original, Cherry and Pepsi Regular – perfect for sharing.
As retailers will be well aware, demand for larger sharing formats has been climbing in recent years, as shoppers once again delight in shared moments with friends and family, including social gatherings at home.
In fact, when it comes to the salty snacks category, sharing formats now account for the largest segment – making up 69.4% of it according to Nielsen IQ data for the 52-week period ending 15.06.24.
Christmas is the shining star of the sharing opportunity as shoppers come together to enjoy a host of different social gatherings, in the runup to the big day itself.
Helping retailers to make the most of this sharing bonanza is NP10’s explosive Buy One
Gifts that keep giving
Get One Free special offer on Pringles tubes.
Available now on some of the brand’s most popular classic flavours, including Original, Sour Cream & Onion, Prawn Cocktail, Salt & Vinegar and Cheese & Onion – this footfalldriving deal is sure to get shoppers popping in again and again.
Budgens retailers can also offer their shoppers sharing formats of Wotsits Giants Flamin Hot, Cheese and Prawn Cocktail on an ‘Any 2 for £3’ deal.
And with the run-up to Christmas also featuring a number of synergies with the Big Night In occasion, categories such as chilled and frozen also look set to sparkle.
Recently re-listed Jack’s products such as Stone Baked Three Cheese and Pepperoni pizzas are sure to serve up additional sales.
Both pizzas are available as part of an ‘Any 2 for £7’ deal offering retailers a minimum POR of 20%.
Helping shoppers to round their early festive feasts off, Budgens retailers can also offer their shoppers an irresistible BOGOF deal on Ben & Jerry’s ice cream tubs, including Phish Food, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Cookie Dough – all of which have an RSP of £6.25 and offer a POR of 57.54% per case of eight.
With so much excitement to come, Christmas 2024 is certainly shaping up to be one that yule not forget!
The NP10 period features an array of Amazing Value deals on gifting and sharing products that are sure to sweeten up sales in the run up to Christmas. These include:
Autumn Colour
Booker’s NPD Guide for Autumn features a bountiful basket of new products, Group Exclusives and Seasonal lines to help you harvest glowing sales and profits this season.
The leaves are falling, temperatures are sliding, and Booker’s brand-new NPD Guide for Autumn has just dropped too.
Laden with a smoking-hot mix of new products, first-tomarket goods, Group Exclusives and more, the 2024 Guide is the hottest ticket to help you light a fire under your sales and profits this autumn season.
The NPD Guide for Autumn is also packed with enlightening insights into market trends to help you identify new opportunities to help drive footfall through your doors.
And with Christmas just around the corner, the guide also showcases some of the fantastic new Seasonal products sure to help you unwrap success in the run-up to the big day itself.
GROUP EXCLUSIVES
The power of Group Exclusive products is well-known –gifting retailers a potent way to set themselves apart and drive footfall and excitement in their stores. Booker’s NPD Guide for Autumn features a stonking 10 Group Exclusive products across the key impulse, gifting and BWS sectors.
The Group Exclusive line-up includes new Maoam Pinballs Absolutely Apple, which are available in both PMP and nonPMP packs with an RSP of £1.25.
Just in time for the festive season and sure to win big when it comes to sharing and gifting are also 350g Bounty Tubs with an RSP of £6.99 and a POR of 23%.
Group Exclusives!
MAOAM PINBALLS ABSOLUTELY APPLE
Case size: 12x140g
RSP: £1.25
POR: 28%
THATCHERS ZERO %
Case size: 6x4x440ml
RSP: £4.99
POR: 37.8%
BOUNTY TUB
Case size: 6x350g
RSP: £6.99
POR: 23%
LINDOR PISTACHIO
Case size: 8x200g
RSP: £7.50
POR: 30.7%
The Group Exclusive line-up also includes three First To Market products – not seen anywhere else before. These include AU Vodka’s Blue Raspberry variant, which has been launched in a new smaller 35cl format.
Available exclusively until December, the new bottles feature an RSP of £17.99 and offer retailers a minimum POR of 20.1%.
Other first-to-market products include new Fruit Saladflavoured Cactus Jack’s Schnapps and Tequila Rose Liqueur in 20cl bottles.
NEW PRODUCTS
The NPD Guide for Autumn also features a sumptuous
NPD Guide for Autumn
237 new products including: l 150 NPD
l 10 Group Exclusives
l 41 Seasonal products
l Own-label developments
Pie Perfection
6 JACK’S MINCE PIES
Case size: 12x6 pack
RSP: £1.75
POR: 21.2%
spread of new products, across the Fresh, Chilled, Impulse, Soft Drinks, Grocery, BWS and Vape categories.
There are 61 new Impulse products to take advantage of, including limited-edition Fanta Afterlife – which offers a zingy apple flavour with no sugar for an RSP of £1.35 and a juicy POR or 30.4%.
Not to be missed either are new cans of the fizzy cookieflavoured Oreo Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with a POR of 42.4%.
New 750ml bottles of Ice Valley Water meanwhile, offer a minimum POR of 66.4% for a round pound RSP of just £1. Did you know that the 750ml format holds the highest value growth in bottled water formats and is the fourth-biggest volume driver? Now that’s an opportunity to soak up.
When it comes to the lucrative Energy Drinks market, don’t miss out on cans of new Lucozade Alert Ultimate Energy, or Cosmic Peach – the latest addition to Monster Energy’s Nitro range. Available now the new 500ml can offers retailers an energising POR of 38.2%.
Sweet pickings can also be had with Red Bull’s new Winter Edition featuring an Iced Vanilla Berry flavour and available in both PMP and non-PMP packs offering PORs of 32.6% and 34.7% respectively.
A number of new products are helping to heat up sales in the chilled aisles, including brand-new Cadbury Creamy Chocolate Milkshakes and Creamy Chocolate Caramel Milkshakes, which are available in both PMP and non-PMP packs.
Containing five times more chocolate than the average milk drink, these indulgent new drinks are designed to help retailers make more of the growing chocolate-flavoured milk market – and with a minimum POR of 26% for the PMP packs – should drive equally tasty profits into stores.
Other new chilled products sure to help retailers drive footfall, sales and profits over the autumn season and beyond include Oreo Fresh Milk Snacks, as well as three new flavours of Gu desserts, including Banoffee, Black Forest and Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecakes, which have an RSP of £4.30 per pack of two.
Meanwhile, in the frozen aisle, look out for tubs of Ben & Jerry’s new Minter Wonderland ice cream which feature an RSP of £3.75 and a POR of 20%. A cool new tie-up between ice cream brand Carte D’Or ice and Baileys cream liqueur is also bound to prove popular as a festive after-dinner snack or dessert.
NEW JACK’S LINES
The NPD guide also highlights some of the recent developments to the Jack’s own-label brand, including the re-listing of its Stone Baked Three Cheese and Stone Baked Pepperoni pizzas,
Both are available for an RSP of just £4 each or as part of the ‘Any 2 for £7’ deal – offering a POR of 30% or 20%.
And, with the countdown to Christmas now well and truly on,
Jack’s also has you covered with festive must-haves.
With no festive feast complete without mince pies – the line up also includes six mouthwatering Jack’s Mince Pies, which have made a welcome return for 2024.
Featuring a crisp, golden pastry case and succulent spiced mincemeat filling, these festive heroes boast a super-value RSP of £1.75 and offer a POR of 21.2%.
As you can no doubt see, with so much autumn colour up for grabs, the NPD Guide is well worth leafing through.
Pick up a copy in depot, ask your RDM, or scan the QR code in this feature to view it online and give your sales some autumn glow.
Festive favourites
The NPD guide also includes a sleigh-load of new Seasonal products sure to set your tills a-ringing this festive season. These include five-packs of Limited-Edition Galaxy Cake Bars in Salted Caramel and Orange flavours.
Lend some extra bite to your cake offer with limited-edition Christmas Yule Logs and Christmas Iced Buns from The Cottage Bakery, both of which feature an RSP of £1.69 and a minimum POR of 21.2%.
Keep an eye out too for Crispy M&Ms with a crunchy POR of 47% and new 200g Lindor cartons in Tiramisu and Pistachio flavours – the latter of which is a Booker Group Exclusive.
One of the hottest new imports from the US are also Cheez-It Snapped. The billion-dollar US brand is new to the UK market and is available in both Double Cheese and Cheese & Chili flavours in 60g PMP for £1.25.
With additional pack sizes coming soon, this US smash hit is sure to help drive footfall sales and profits throughout the festive season and well beyond.
Springboard to success
Take advantage of Booker’s 2025 Spring Pre-Sell and watch your footfall, sales and profits bloom this spring.
As all successful retailers know, staying ahead of the game is the best way to play – especially if scoring strong footfall, sales and profits is your aim.
Helping retailers to do just that is Booker’s Spring Pre-Sell 2025 –open for orders now until Monday 25 November.
The Spring Pre-Sell offers retailers unparalleled choice – with access to 322 seasonal products, including 21 Group Exclusives.
The spring extravaganza also features 123 brand new products across key categories, all of which are sure to help them make the most of all of the season’s blooming array of celebrations and events, including Valentine’s Day,
Mother’s Day, Pancake Day, Easter and many more.
The Spring Pre-Sell also features ultracompetitive prices across all the key spring categories to help retailers offer their shoppers unbeatable spring value.
Sweetening the deal yet further is the fact that retailers who take advantage of the Spring Pre-Sell can order now and pay later – with extended credit until 21 April.
After a Fast Start on 9 December, the first drop will take place on 6 January, followed by four more drops right up until 31 March 2025 – ensuring that stores are perfectly primed to bloom this spring.
So what are you waiting for? Get your orders in today to toast a tastier tomorrow.
PANCAKE DAY
The Spring Pre-Sell includes a batterthan-ever mix of Shrove Tuesday treasures from pancake-making kits to toppings and fillings. The McDougalls American Pancake Mix offers retailers a stirring POR of 44.2% on an RSP of £1.79.
For shoppers who want to flip without the fuss, retailers can also pre-order ultra-convenient Green’s Pancake Mix Shakers which just require the addition of water. Shakers come in a case of six for a WSP of £4.75 and offer a POR of 38.6%.
Seasonal Sips
From Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, Easter and more, the spring season offers a bounty of opportunities for shoppers to come together and celebrate. Helping them to do just that, Booker’s Spring Pre-Sell also includes great deals on an array of key alcohol lines as well as soft drinks. Look out for the Group Exclusive All Shook Up Mixed Pack featuring 10 pre-mixed cocktail cans. New to the Pre-Sell, these exclusive cases feature a WSP of £21 for three and an RSP of just £11, offering a POR of 20%. Also new to the Pre-Sell are 75cl bottles of Kylie Prosecco. With an RSP of just £9.99, Ms Minogue’s bottles are also perfect for adding some sparkle to Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day celebrations. Ideal for celebrating St Patrick’s Day, meanwhile, are bottles of Paddy Irish Whiskey, also new to the Pre-Sell this year and featuring an RSP of £16.49.
The Pre-Sell also includes numerous deals on lager and IPA multi-packs from big brands including 1664 Bierre, Carlsberg Pilsner, Heineken, Stella, BrewDog and more.
Retailers are also well covered when it comes to toppings and fillings, with the Pre-Sell offering a fantastic range of classic pancake pairings such as Nutella – where retailers can make a saving of £2.80 on the WSP for a case of six 350g jars.
New to the Pre-Sell this year are also Nutella-branded Free Standing Display Units – offering retailers a great way to create high-impact displays and drive impulse sales this Pancake Day.
Retailers can also help their shoppers to pimp up their pancakes with even more indulgent and on-trend international fillings such as Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff Spread, Lotus Biscoff Crunchy Spread and new to the pre-sell Nutini Chocolate Spread.
MOTHER’S DAY
The Spring Pre-Sell also includes an outstanding array of gifts to help shoppers treat the marvellous mothers in their lives. The Pre-Sell line-up includes a number of boxed chocolates, from Lindor Strawberries & Cream to Ferrero Rocher Hearts, which have an RSP of £7 and offer a POR of 25.6%.
Retailers can also pre-order themed Mother’s Day Counter Display Units (CDUs) featuring an assortment of mini gifts, such as pens, keyrings, magnets and bears. With RSPs ranging from £2.50 to £6.50, the products could make ideal pocket money gifts from children to their mothers. Each prefilled CDU has a WSP of £79 and offers an average POR of 51%.
Retailers can also unwrap pleasing margins on a range of spring-themed gift and bottle bags including a POR of 55% on Butterfly Swirls Gift Bags and 51.1% on boxes of assorted 3-metre wrapping paper.
EASTER
Retailers will also have a cracking opportunity to give the Easter bunny a run for his money this Easter with a truly eggscellent range, including 18 Group Exclusive Easter products.
The Group Exclusive hoard includes sharing formats, premium gifts and big-brand shell eggs in a range of sizes. Sure to give your sales a hop is the Group Exclusive ‘Cadbury Fingers Inclusions Ultimate Egg’. Featuring a
ANDREW PEACE MASTERPEACE SHIRAZ & CHARDONNAY
Case size: 6x75cl
WSP: £24.99
RSP: £6.50
POR: 23.1%
NEW! MALTESERS POPCORN MINI BUNNY
Case size: 24x58g
WSP: £26.25
RSP: £1.75
POR: 25%
NEW TO PRE-SELL
JACK’S CHOCOLATE MINI EGGS
Case size: 18x87.5g
WSP: £11.39
RSP: £1.15/2 for £2
POR: 34%/24.7%
NEW!
LINDT LINDOR PISTACHIO
Case size: 4x260g
WSP: £32.45
RSP: £12.99
POR: 25%
creamy Dairy Milk chocolate shell, with crispy biscuit pieces and two bags of Chocolate Fingers, the Ultimate Egg has an RSP of £14.99 and offers a POR of 21%. Fans of US products and sweet and salty flavour combinations will also want to take a crack at the brandnew Reese’s Egg. The Group Exclusive hollow egg features an RSP of £6.49 and offers retailers a POR of 25.2%.
The Easter line-up also includes a mighty mix of top-selling mini-sized eggs – all of which are sure to help retailers bag those all-important early Easter sales.
The range includes bestsellers such as Milky Bar Mini Eggs, Smarties Mini Eggs, and Aero Mini Eggs, all of which will be available on an ‘Any 2 for £2.50’ offer.
Look out also for Kinder Bueno Hazelnut eggs, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs, Galaxy Chocolate Truffle Mini Eggs and of course the bestselling Cadbury Mini Eggs, including the Group Exclusive Orange variety.
Taking advantage of the Spring Pre-Sell and stocking up on Easter treats, such as mini-sized eggs, early has many proven benefits. Did you know that more than half of Easter confectionery is actually eaten well before Easter? It’s true! As is the fact that 74% of early Easter sales are mini-sized eggs, selfeat eggs and Easter block products.
And with more to Easter than chocolate, the Spring Pre-Sell also includes a delectable selection of spring-themed sugar confectionery, along with cakes and biscuits including a number of new Mr Kipling lines, such as Egg Fancies,
Simnel Slices and Hot Crossed Pies – all of which have PORs of between 20.1% and 30.4%.
Shoppers who like to bake a taste of spring at home will also be able to do so with a range of new home-baking kits, including Mr Kipling Signature Collection Belgian Chocolate Brownie kits and Belgian Chocolate and Zesty Orange Cake kits – both of which offer a POR of 25.5%. Look out also for brand-new Betty Crocker Easter Egg Hunt Cake Mix, which has an RSP of just £2.50 and a POR of 25%.
SPRING CLEANING AND ALLERGIES
And, of course, spring isn’t all about chicks and chocolate. For many shoppers, spring is also a time to clean up their homes and their health. With many adult smokers making quit attempts at the start of the year, the Spring Pre-Sell also includes great prices on products such as Nicorette Icy White Gum, which has a WSP of £46.99 for a case of 12 packs. Each 30-piece pack has an RSP of £7.25 and a POR of 43.3%.
Also helping shoppers to make a fresh start is a range of spring-cleaning essentials that includes New Elbow Grease Washing Up Liquid and Scrub Mate sponges.
Hay fever sufferers will also thank you for pre-ordering Nuage Hayfever Relief Wipes and Nuage Hayfever Face Mists – the latter of which are available on a 24-piece clip strip. With a WSP of £14.75 and an RSP of just £1.19 these handy spray bottles offer retailers a not-to-be-sniffed-at POR of 38%.
Spring Pre-Sell 2025
CHOICE
322 lines including:
l 123 New Lines
l 21 Booker Group Exclusives
PRICE
Competitive prices across all the key spring categories.
SERVICE
Order now and pay later with Extended Credit until 21 April 2025
Diary Dates
Promotional Period: NP13
l 14 February: Valentine’s Day
l 17 February-18 March: Ramadan
Promotional Period: NP13/1
l 4 March: Pancake Day
Promotional Period: NP1
l 17 March: St Patrick’s Day
l 30 March: Mother’s Day
l 31 March: Eid
Promotional Period: NP2
l 18 April: Good Friday
l 20 April: Easter Sunday
l 21 April: Easter Monday
l 23 April: St George’s Day
Make Christmas fl y with Jack’s Mince Pies!
For many of your shoppers, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without mince pies, so be sure to stock of on Jack’s Mince Pies to max out those festive sales.
The exclusive Jack’s own-brand range offers retailers a fantastic way to set themselves apart from the competition, and at no point in the year is this more important than during the crucial festive period.
And for many shoppers, nothing says Christmas quite like a delicious mince pie or two to share with friends and family and really get into the festive spirit.
Jack’s Mince Pies offer the perfect combination of quality and value that your shoppers will be looking for this Christmas. They were a huge hit last year and they’re all set to star at this year’s festive show too – so be sure to stock up now and site them prominently in your store.
Shoppers trust the Jack’s brand to deliver, with the Tesco
family branding helping to reinforce the quality credentials of the products and giving shoppers the confidence they need to buy into the Jack’s range.
Featuring a delicious shortcrust pastry case, filled with indulgent mincemeat and topped off with a pastry lid and dusted with sugar, Jack’s Mince Pies are sure to elevate the festive dinner table this year and at just £1.75 for a 6-pack, they provide the exceptional value that shoppers have come to expect of the Jack’s brand.
Just as important, retailers are guaranteed a strong POR of 21.2%.
So stock up now and watch your sales fly this Christmas.
JACK’S MINCE PIES
Case size: 12x6pk
WSP: £16.55
RSP: £1.75
POR: 21.2%
RED BULL WINTER EDITION
Case
MULLED WINE
KITKAT CHUNKY HAZELNUT
LUCOZADE ALERT
ENERGY
LUCOZADE ALERT MANGO PEACHADE
TANGO CHERRY SUGAR FREE
BONDS CHOCOLATE RAISINS
Say hello to... Simon Robinson
In this issue we catch up with Category Planning Manager Simon Robinson who looks after the vital and growing fresh category for Booker.
SIMON, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?
I’m Simon Robinson and I’m one of four Category Planning Managers at Booker. The Category Planning Manager role was only created within Booker a few months ago so it’s an interesting and exciting period for me as I help shape the role. My primary responsibility is fresh and chilled and it’s a great category to work in because fresh and chilled is growing fast in independent retailing and I believe there is huge scope to continue to grow it in future.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE NEW ROLE?
As we speak, about 12 weeks! So it’s still very much early days for me in this role but we have already achieved real progress and we have big plans for the future as we help retailers make more of fresh and chilled.
HAD YOU WORKED IN FRESH AND CHILLED BEFORE?
Yes, I have a lot of experience in the category. My most recent role before taking on the new job was as Category Manager of Frozen but in my 16 or so years at Booker I’ve worked in all sorts of categories and roles. That broad experience has helped shape my understanding of Booker and of what our retailers need from us to maximise their sales and profits.
SO, WHAT DOES A CATEGORY PLANNING MANAGER DO?
It’s quite a complex role but it essentially breaks down into two key areas. The first is overseeing the promotions, pricing and range and the second is helping develop a longer-term
strategy for the category. The two areas are obviously deeply interlinked but the Category Planning Manager role means someone help the team deliver big picture projects of the category and working closely with every other team in Booker that works in that category to deliver a joined-up approach. That, in turn, allows us to deliver the best possible support to our retailers.
FRESH MUST BE AN ENJOYABLE CATEGORY TO WORK IN?
It definitely is because it has so much potential for growth. So many of the other product categories that you would call ‘traditional’ convenience retailing categories are under pressure of one kind or another, often due to new legislation or just shifting shopper trends. The legislative landscape, as all retailers know, is increasingly difficult as they try to cope with HFSS, DRS, new tobacco and vaping regulations, you name it. And shopper behaviours are changing alongside with more shoppers keen to make healthier choices when they visit a store, whatever that means to the individual shopper. In that sense, fresh and chilled are almost entirely free to grow and develop unhindered and that offers retailers a big incentive to shift more focus onto the category.
HOW BIG IS THE FRESH OPPORTUNITY FOR RETAILERS?
In a word, huge! The category has undergone enormous growth in the last decade and offers retailers a big opportunity to drive profits by pushing at what is effectively an open door. We know that shoppers want to buy more fresh and chilled food. It’s no coincidence that the first thing you see when you walk into any supermarket is the fresh category. Having fresh front and centre sets the tone for the entire shopper visit.
ABOUT SIMON
Simon Robinson has been with Booker since 2008 having previously worked at the Co-op. In his 16 or so years at Booker he has worked across a number of different roles including non-food and, most recently, as Category Manager for Frozen. A few months ago Simon was promoted to a new role as one of four Category Planning Managers at Booker, positions which had never existed before. In his role, Simon has responsibility for the entire fresh and chilled category and is relishing the challenge as he helps retailers grow their footfall, sales and profits in an increasingly vital category.
IS THAT SOMETHING INDEPENDENT RETAILERS SHOULD CONSIDER?
It is – and, to be fair, a lot of retailers are already doing it. It’s increasingly common to be greeted with a beautiful fixture of fresh food as soon as you walk through the door. Fresh is what we call an ‘indicator category’ for shoppers. If a shopper walks through the door and the first thing they see is a wall of beautifully presented, colourful fresh products, it indicates that this is a great, well looked-after store with a great range and is therefore as good place to shop.
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO RETAILERS CONSIDERING GOING BIGGER ON FRESH AND CHILLED?
Firstly, I’d say that’s a great idea! Around 36% of all sales in the average convenience store are fresh and chilled. It’s already a huge category and it has more than doubled in size in the last decade. So, the first step is to ensure that you have a strong range. Your RDM can advise on the core lines that you should consider. There are maybe 70 or 80 lines that you should stock as a minimum, if you have the space – but these are genuine high rate-of-sale core lines and you probably already stock a lot of them. I would also advise retailers to be aware of the chilled food to go opportunity. That’s big and getting bigger. Lastly, I would urge retailers to focus on great presentation. That means creating an attractive fixture in the first place and it also means checking up on the fixture, at least once an hour, to ensure the product quality is where it needs to be and to ensure that your fixture is sending out the right messages to shoppers.
How is Booker helping retailers exploit fresh?
In lots of ways! The Jack’s range is a massive opportunity because we know shoppers trust the Tesco brand and they understand that they’re getting the same quality they’d find in a Tesco. We’ve also worked hard on managing waste for retailers which is one of the biggest concerns for many. That can mean longer shelf-life products, smaller case sizes or other innovations. For example, we recently launched new vacpac Jack’s mince which helps massively improve shelf life. That has performed really well. We do listen to retailers and work with them to give them the tools they need to make more profit from fresh and chilled.
HOW IMPORTANT IS VALUE IN FRESH?
In today’s challenging economic climate, value matters just as much in fresh as it does in every category. Shoppers want value and quality and they don’t want to compromise. That’s why the Jack’s range is such a vital tool. Our Fresh 4 rolling promotion is also a great way of delivering regular, fantastic value in the fresh category for your shoppers. It can also help bring new fresh shoppers into your store, shoppers that had perhaps never considered buying fresh from you before.
HOW IS 2025 LOOKING?
It should be a busy year and another strong one for the category. The early months of 2025 are a great opportunity to move up a gear in fresh and chilled as many shoppers start a new year with resolutions to eat and drink more healthily. Plus we have lots of NPD planned throughout the year and we’ll be increasing our focus on chilled food to go to let retailers meet that growing demand. There’s a lot to love about the fresh category and I’d love to see more and more retailers up the ante in 2025. It’s time to get fresh!
Use facial recognition and video recording technology with care
“Your customers are very aware of their rights in this area, so this article sets out some of the key points you need to consider.”
If you make use of facial recognition and video recording technology to combat crime in your store, it is critical that you comply with all relevant data protection regulations. Here’s how…
By Karen McClymont, Head of Data Privacy & Risk, Booker Group
With retail crime continuing to impact local stores, you might be considering the use of new technology such as live facial recognition technology (FRT), body cameras or CCTV to help protect your staff, premises and stock. These are extremely useful to retailers, but bring with them other challenges, especially from a privacy perspective. Your customers are very aware of their rights in this area and so this article sets out some of the key points you need to consider.
WHAT PERSONAL DATA DOES FACIAL RECOGNITION AND VIDEO RECORDING TECHNOLOGIES USE?
Video recording technology such as CCTV and body worn cameras capture images and in some cases audio footage of anyone in the vicinity of these devices. Images and audio recordings of an individual are classed as personal data/ information. Audio is extremely privacy intrusive and should only be used if you have initially considered using alternative, less privacy intrusive methods.
Live facial recognition technology (FRT) is like CCTV, in that
it captures images of anyone in the vicinity, but often also involves the automatic collection of biometric data. This is any personal data that can uniquely identify (recognise) the person it relates to, has been extracted or further analysed using technology. It can also relate to someone’s behaviour, appearance, or observable characteristics for example, a person’s voice, fingerprints, or face.
Biometric is defined as sensitive personal data. This is because FRT systems capture the biometric and image data of all individuals passing within the range of the camera automatically and indiscriminately. Data is collected in real time and potentially on a mass scale. As a result, there is often a lack of awareness, choice, or control for the individuals.
HOW DOES USING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY AND DATA PROTECTION REGULATION IMPACT ME AS A RETAILER?
The UK Data Protection regulations apply to any company that uses personal information in the process of offering goods and services for sale. This also applies when using CCTV, facial recognition software or use of data to track online behaviour.
Every organisation or sole trader who processes personal information needs to pay a data protection fee to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) unless they are exempt.
Processing personal data means collecting, storing, analysing and recording information about people. You must make sure you know and explain to others why you have this information. You must keep it safe and destroy it securely when it’s no longer needed.
What else must you do as a business if considering using facial recognition technology FRT or CCTV?
l Complete a DPIA (a Data Protection Impact Assessment). As a small organisation this is like how you’d approach many other workplace decisions – you look at the situation you’re in and the options available to you, weigh up the risks and opportunities and decide your way forward.
l For your DPIA, you’ll describe what you plan to do, including whose data will be used and why you need to do it that way. You’ll then assess whether the processing is necessary and proportionate – in other words, a plan
that’s balanced and makes sense – before setting out what measures you’ll put in place to ensure your plan complies with data protection laws.
l If you think there are any risks to people, you need to make a record of this along with any mitigations or solutions you’ve found.
l Position any cameras in areas with sufficient lighting and not in private areas such as bathrooms and changing rooms. Any recording equipment and monitors should be in a private and secure location.
l It is vital that you ensure that your staff have been trained and know how to use the systems correctly, so you remain compliant. You should know how to retrieve stored data where required for individual rights requests. You should also be able to effectively blur or mask footage if redaction is required to protect the rights and freedoms of any third parties.
l Have visible signs showing that CCTV or other FRT system is in operation, including who is responsible for the system.
l If you use watch lists, these must be constructed in a way as to be compliant with data protection regulation
l For FRT, ensure you can clearly identify false and true matches and correct the system.
l Comply with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice where required.
Failure to comply with these principles may leave you open to substantial fines. This could mean a fine of up to £17.5 million, or 4% of your total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. Remember too that members of the public have rights and can make complaints about you to the ICO if they don’t believe you are handling personal data correctly. It’s important you know what these rights are –people may object (Right to Object) to you processing their data using FRT or CCTV or want a copy of the information you hold about them (a Subject Access Request), so it’s important to be prepared.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND FURTHER INFORMATION?
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK regulator for data protection, and you can find lots of useful guidance on their website:
l www.ico.org.uk/for-organisations/business/
l www.ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-andresources/cctv-and-video-surveillance/
Unleash your payments potential
Exclusive new deal off ers big savings on payments
Booker Group has agreed an exclusive new deal with Worldpay that can help Budgens retailers make major savings on payments and reduce the cost of doing business.
Switch your payment experience to Worldpay start saving today through the exclusive Booker member offer.
Exclusive Deal
Book your free consultation
With the cost of doing business seemingly rising across the board, it’s vital that Budgens retailers do everything they can to reduce their outlays. Booker Group has recently struck a new and exclusive deal with payments experts Worldpay that can help retailers cut the cost of taking credit and debit card payments.
As the number of shoppers using cash continues to fall, retailers will be well aware that the charges they incur for taking credit and debit card payments continues to grow.
Booker’s new exclusive deal with Worldpay, part of Booker’s wider Added Value Services progamme, offers the opportunity to quickly and easily reduce the cost of every card transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, Budgens retailers pay just 0.279% per debit card transaction and just 0.650% per credit card transaction. Additionally, the monthly rental fee for the terminal is only £15.
With decades of expertise working with businesses big and small, Worldpay is perfectly placed to support retailers and help them level up their payments and expand their reach.
Payment expertise
Extensive experience of navigating payment complexity
Manage funds flow
Flexible settlement options for access to funds
Security and trust
Robust protection tools that can help tackle fraud
Payment efficiencies
Streamline how you take, make and manage payments
Customer experience
Simple payments with more ways to pay
Modern performance
High-performance payments solution for now and next
gateways and integrated payment systems that enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and drive growth. All of this is backed by 24/7 support, insightful analytics and flexible financing options.
TAILORED FOR RETAIL
In today’s fast-paced retail environment, optimising payment strategies has become crucial for retailers keen to drive revenue growth and enhance customer experiences. Worldpay’s new report – Retail Payments Performance –found that:
l 94% of retail shoppers think having a range of payment methods to choose from is important
l 57% of consumers report selecting a retailer specifically because of the payment methods they accept
l 51% of shoppers cite convenience as the primary driver for selecting their preferred shopping channel
l 96% of shoppers consider easy refunds and returns important
Payments powered by
Worldpay’s sophisticated AI and machine learning tools can help retailers stay ahead of emerging fraud challenges while maintaining high authorisation rates and minimising friction in the shopper experience.
Worldpay employs robust protection tools that can help tackle fraud while streamlining how you take, make and manage payments. Flexible settlement options are also available to manage access to funds for retailers.
The key to future growth lies in creating seamless, personalised experiences that resonate with modern shoppers’ expectations and values.
So isn’t it time you considered switching your payment experience to Worldpay and started making savings on every card transaction you process?
Great local businesses like yours live around every corner, and we champion you by powering your payments With that part of your daily tasks taken care of, you’re free to focus on everything else that makes your business great
Simply scan the QR code in this feature and a Worldpay payment expert will be in touch.
The real deal
As pretty much every single store profile that we run in Your Budgens clearly demonstrates, food to go is big business these days – and a key focus for most store development projects and new store openings.
As a market, food-to-go has seen continued growth in 2024, with £48.2bn spent on food in the out-of-home market – an increase of 14% year on year [Kantar Out-of-home, 52 w/e 9 June 2024].
Lunch remains a key meal for food to go. In fact, in the first quarter of 2024, 71% of foodto-go customers purchased for this meal occasion, according to IGD.
But with purse strings still tight for many shoppers, value for money remains key to those on a lunch-to-go mission.
And that’s where the mighty meal deal comes in.
MAKE A MEAL OF IT
Meal deals meet three of today’s most pressing shopper demands: value for money, convenience and variety.
With their reliable, pocket-friendly price points, meal deals hit the value-for-money button square on.
They’re also exceptionally quick and convenient – a key consideration for shoppers on the go, allowing them to effortlessly grab all their lunch needs in one fell swoop.
And, with shoppers increasingly demanding variety and the ability to customise their choices, meal deals win again – allowing shoppers to pick a different combination of mains, sides and drinks every day of the week.
NEW BUDGENS MEAL DEAL
Helping retailers to make more out of the meaty Meal Deal opportunity, Budgens has recently relaunched its sandwich Meal Deal, with new price points and a refreshed suite of eye-catching POS.
Retailers can pick one of two Meal Deals to offer their shoppers: a £4.50 option, or a £5 Meal Deal.
Retailers are free to choose whichever deal they like, regardless of store format or size – although typically, the £5 price point tends to be favoured by forecourt stores.
Both Meal Deals include a Main, a Side and a Drink.
Once they have picked which deal they would like to offer, retailers can then order the relevant supporting POS kits – free of charge from the Budgens Printshop.
The refreshed suite of eye-catching, yet clean and clear, POS materials all feature a bright-pink background and bold Meal Deal messaging.
It’s a deal
l Budgens has recently re-launched its sandwich Meal Deal, with new price points and a refreshed suite of eye-catching POS.
l Retailers can pick one of two Meal Deals to offer their shoppers: a £4.50 option, or a £5 Meal Deal.
l Both Meal Deals include a Main, a Side and a Drink.
l Retailers can order relevant supporting POS kits – free of charge from the Budgens Printshop.
The Meal Deal price is displayed within a brightyellow diamond – lending it maximum standout.
All POS materials also use simple graphics to clearly explain the deal’s components of a Main, a Snack and a Drink.
Kits include two sizes of header cards –800x350ml and 800x240mm – along with window and fridge vinyls, shelf strips, pennants, maxi barkers and posters.
So what are you waiting for? Budgens has everything you need to make a meal out of the deal opportunity.
Fuel for thought
Food to go is an especially relevant category to the forecourt sector, where growing numbers of forecourt stores are developing their offers or introducing new ones. In fact, according to the Association of Convenience Store’s 2024 Forecourt Report, 85% of stores now offer a customer-operated coffee machine, and just under 40% feature food preparation areas. Refrigeration was also the largest area of investment for forecourt retailers in the past year, as they sought to offer shoppers more chilled choice, including chilled food to go.
Save energy, save money
Working with Hawley Energy, Booker’s Energy Saving Service helps retailers cut their energy bills, generate new income streams and make a positive sustainability impact.
With energy costs continuing to rank among Budgens retailers’ key challenges, Booker is urging all retailers to consider new ways to save energy, save money and enhance their planet credentials.
Working with partner Hawley Energy, Booker’s Energy Saving Services is a powerful way to slash bills, generate new income streams and make a positive step in the right direction in terms of sustainability.
Delivered via a single point of contact, the service makes it as simple as possible for retailers to have solutions designed and installed with a minimum of fuss.
Equally importantly, the Energy Saving Service allows retailers to start saving from day one without spending a penny.
KEY SOLUTIONS
Hawley Energy offers two key solutions to Budgens retailers that can help them take their business to the next level: Solar PV and EV Chargers. Savings through solar can be substantial while EV Chargers are a great way to unlock fresh footfall and generate fresh income streams for retailers with a car park.
It couldn’t be simpler to take advantage with Hawley Energy taking care of every step for you. From analysing your energy usage data to identify optimal solutions all the way through generating bespoke designs and presenting funding options to installing your chosen solutions, Hawley Energy takes all of the hard work away.
HOW IT WORKS:
Hawley Energy takes care of every step of the journey by:
Step 1 – Analysing your energy data to identify optimal solutions.
Step 2 – Generating bespoke designs to achieve maximum ROI.
Step 3 – Presenting funding options and financials.
Step 4 – Installing the chosen solution(s).
“The Energy Saving Service allows retailers to start saving from day one without spending a penny.”
TOBACCO-FREE** NICOTINE POUCHES
* Based on NielsenIQ RMS data for the Nicotine Pouches category for the 18-month period ending 30/12/2023 for the UK total retail market (Copyright © 2023, NielsenIQ).
** This product is not risk-free and contains nicotine, an addictive substance. For adult nicotine consumers only. For tobacco trade use only. Not to be left in sight of consumers.
EV CHARGING
With more and more electric vehicles on the road today, installing EV Charging facilities is a great way to generate fresh footfall and increase loyalty and customer retention. It also helps increase dwell time, which can have a positive effect on your store sales.
If you have a car park, you can benefit from free-to-fit EV Chargers and, better still, you earn an income from each charger every time it’s used.
SOLAR PV
Hawley Energy has extensive experience working with businesses of all sizes. From small sites that use energy mostly in the daytime to larger sites that have higher energy demands in the evening, Hawley Energy has the experience to size Solar PV systems correctly to ensure that retailers benefit from a cashflow-positive system which saves them money from day one.
Here are two examples of the potential savings that can be made:
With Asset finance, your net saving is your year one saving minus your annual finance payment. In the above examples, the savings would be more than the annual finance payment so the system would be cashflow positive in year one.
“If you have a car park, you can benefit from free-tofit EV Chargers and earn an income from each charger every time it’s used.”
To find out more, contact Hawley Energy: hello@hawleyenergy.co.uk 01484 819 347
Every crime,
every time
ACS is asking retailers to report every crime that happens in their store to help close the gap between reported crime levels and actual crime levels to help force action.
The latest official crime figures have been published recently with the Office for National Statistics reporting a new record high for the number of shop theft offences. The number of recorded incidents has risen by 29% in the last year, reaching almost 470,000. But what does this actually mean?
The first thing to be clear about is that these figures are a dramatic underestimation of the reality of the situation on the ground. Our Crime Report estimates around 5.6 million incidents of theft over the last year based on responses from retailers, and if you break that down it works out to around two incidents of theft per week per store. I think if you spoke to any retailer, they’d take only two incidents a week in a heartbeat! The ONS figures suggest only one in 10 of those incidents are being reported, and that’s for the entire retail sector which is 10 times the size of the convenience sector. So, there’s a huge disconnect between what’s being taken from stores and what’s being shared with the police.
We know from surveying retailers on a regular basis that theft has been on the increase consistently for the last three years, currently sitting at levels we’ve never seen before, so in a way it’s inevitable that the ONS figures would increase as well. What we hope is starting to happen though, is that more retailers are taking the time to report incidents when they happen, which starts to bridge the gap between
police perception of the scale of the problem and the reality. This isn’t happening anywhere near fast enough yet, but the alternative is that retailers stop reporting, which then reduces the official figures, which in turn leads to theft becoming even less of a priority and a resource allocation for police forces than it is now.
Whatever the figures say, the impact of repeated, brazen thefts on a business cannot be overstated. This is a problem that isn’t going away any time soon, driven in part by increasingly organised groups that are stealing to order, knowing exactly what they’re after and willing to take bigger and bigger risks to steal. Retailers and colleagues are facing into this reality on a daily basis.
The Government has committed to doing more on shop theft, and we’ve had productive conversations with many of the Police and Crime Commissioners that set local priorities for their forces, but there’s clearly much more to be done. My advice to any retailer that is dealing with theft, however frustrating it is, is to report as much as possible. Only by closing that gap between the reality of the situation and the official figures on reporting will we see more attention given to shoplifting, more police on the beat to get these criminals off the streets, and targeted outcomes to stop reoffending.
James Lowman urges retailers to report every crime every time.
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