Your Budgens April 2023

New Budgens store stands out in Carcroft

King’s coronation will present a royal sales opportunity

Booker boosts Jack’s ‘2 for’ approach

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A king-sized opportunity

over the next few months.

A very warm welcome to your latest edition of Your Budgens, and we have a packed issue for you as we look forward to the next few months and another set of fantastic opportunities. One of the biggest opportunities, of course, will be the coronation of King Charles III on the 6th of May. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity –the last coronation was 70 years ago – and represents a massive chance to capitalise on the excitement that is sure to sweep the nation.

Budgens has created a full POS kit for retailers to help them bring the coronation to life in-store and on social media. Thanks to a unique partnership with craft brewers BrewDog, we also have a very exciting Group Exclusive beer that they have produced just for us. Ale To The King will be a fantastic product to focus on around the coronation to drive sales, but we expect sales to rise in most categories before, during and after the coronation.

Also on the horizon is the popular Budgens Beer & Cider Festival which

BeEr & CiDeRFeStIvAl

kicks off in April and runs for a month. This year we have three Group Exclusive products, three first-tomarket products and 11 new products to shout about and to help drive footfall, sales and profits, all supported with some great POS.

It’s also worth checking out the feature on Jack’s in this issue. The great-value own label brand has been further strengthened with a new approach designed to give its powerful ‘2 for’ offers even greater standout in the current times, helping to drive greater sales and profits for you.

Plus, we’ve recently updated our Fit For The Future Guide which offers Budgens retailers the chance to add up to £154k of improvements to their bottom line. Check out the feature inside to find out how.

There’s all this and more in this latest issue of Your Budgens – so please do take the time to have a good look through and I wish you all fantastic trading over the next couple of months.

The coronation of King Charles III is only one of many excellent opportunities on the horizon

Industry News

Sell vapes? Act now!

Booker is reminding Budgens retailers that if they sell vape products in their stores, they have a legal obligation to offer their shoppers a free of charge, safe recycling point. As vaping products are officially classed as electrical and electronic equipment, they are covered by WEEE regulations and retailers who sell vapes must provide a recycling solution for their shoppers. This is the case even if they didn’t buy the products specifically from your store.

Booker redistributes five million meals

Booker has redistributed enough food to provide the equivalent of five million meals through its partnership with leading charity FareShare and food sharing app OLIO.

OLIO and FareShare are working on a ‘200 Million Meals’ initiative with the aim of getting food businesses to redistribute goodto-eat surplus food instead of letting it go to waste.Booker currently redistributes food via its branches across the UK directly to FareShare’s network of charities and OLIO’s Food Waste Heroes.

Booker sites are matched with charities and community groups in the local area that collect the items and turn them into food parcels or hot meals for the people they support.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Booker for their commitment to reducing the needless waste of good food.”

OLIO’s Food Waste Heroes collect food directly from Booker, which is then be added to its app for people in the local area to collect.

Tessa Clarke, OLIO’s CEO and co-founder, said: “Five million meals is a phenomenal achievement for Booker and we are delighted to have played a part. Thanks to partnerships like this, we are able to make a real, tangible impact to local communities.”

Catherine Marston, Head of Sustainability at Booker, said: “Eliminating food waste is something that is very close to our hearts at Booker. I am proud of this achievement and would like to thank each of our colleagues, as well as our partners at Fareshare and OLIO, who have all made this happen. We are always looking at ways to ensure no edible food goes to waste, whether that’s through being more efficient or collaborating with our supply partners, and we are pleased to be able to play our part in local communities.

Failure to comply could lead to prosecution and heavy fines.

To find out in detail how to comply with the regulations quickly and easily, please turn to page 52.

Working with FareShare and OLIO, Booker has now redistributed enough food to provide the equivalent of five million meals to people struggling to make ends meet.

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Two more Booker butchers join the butchery elite

Two more Booker butchers have been formally accredited as Master Butchers, including Letitia Redfern – only the second women to receive the hallowed title.

Two more Booker butchers have been accepted as an Institute of Meat (IoM) accredited Master Butcher, joining a very select group of fewer than 70 butchers nationwide who have received the accreditation.

Letitia Redfern MB.Inst.M and Steven Russell MB.Inst.M received their much coveted titles at the Institute of Meat and Worshipful Company of Butchers Annual Prizegiving, which took place in February at the ancestral home of the meat industry, Butchers Hall in London.

In doing so, Letitia became only the second woman in history to receive the prestigious accreditation.

The long-running programme seeks to recognise and reward outstanding achievement in the meat industry. Commenting

on her accreditation, Letitia said: “Achieving the title of Master Butcher is the highlight of my career. I am incredibly proud to be only the second female who has achieved such a prestigious award with the Institute of Meat. I hope that I can continue to pass on my knowledge and skills to future generations of butchers, inspiring more women to follow in my footsteps of becoming IoM Master Butchers in the future.”

Steven added: “The vast majority of my working life I have been involved with butchery, at all levels and serving a variety of markets. I am grateful to Booker for enabling this qualification. With experience and credentials, I feel empowered and invigorated, looking forward to the challenges ahead with greater vigour and increased confidence.”

Footfall on the rise

Total UK footfall increased by 10.4% in February year-on-year while High Street footfall increased by 17.8%, according to the latest data from the rolling British Retail Consortium (BRC) Footfall Monitor.

BRC Chief Executive HelenDickinson OBE said: “Footfall remained in good growth although slower than the rush of Christmas shopping and January sales. Retailers will need to build on the improving footfall with further investment to encourage shoppers to visit their stores. However, it is vital that Government does not burden the retail industry with additional costs that hinder the evolution of thriving retail locations.”

Personal cash withdrawals up 8% year on year in Feb

Personal cash withdrawals exceeded £700m at Post Office counters in February – up 8% year-on-year.

However, the short month and continuing cost of living and high street challenges contributed to month-on-month falls in personal and business cash deposits.

Personal cash deposits totalled £1.22 billion in February, down 12.7% monthon-month, but up 7% year-on-year. Business cash deposits totalled £985 million in February, down 9.7% month-onmonth, but up 4.7% year-on-year.

Post Office is giving 1p from every cash withdrawal over the counter at its 11,500 branches to the Trussell Trust. More than £275,000 has been raised since November.

Retailers with Post Offices see £1bn of spending

A new report has found that post offices generate almost £1bn of spending in host retailers because of the extra footfall.

A new independent report by economics and policy consultancy London Economics has found that visits to post offices generate more than £3bn a year of spending in nearby shops and businesses and nearly £1bn of spending in host retailers because of the additional customers that their post office attracts.

London Economics also found that money was spent in neighbouring shops and premises on over two-in-five visits to branches. For every £1 spent by Post Office, an additional £1.51 is generated across the wider economy.

Nick Read, Chief Executive of Post Office, said: “Post Office branches are essential to the high street ecosystem, driving footfall and generating wider nearby economic activity. The report shows that this economic contribution is felt in every corner of the country, supporting 50,000 jobs, and generating an aggregate economic impact of £4.7bn every year.

“Post Office is essential for the independent

retailers, traders, and nascent businesses of the nation as a whole, who rely on our continued presence on high streets in towns and villages everywhere.”

The report also reveals that 15% of the population depend on their local Post Office branch for cash and banking services.

Read added: “Simply put, post offices, and the dedicated postmasters and postmistresses who run them, keep people connected to one another in what may, for some, be the only human contact in the day. It is very telling that half of customers believe Post Office fosters a sense of belonging in the community.”

Confidence hike bodes well for retailers

Consumer confidence increased by 7% in February, according to GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index. All five measures tracked in the index were up in comparison to January’s figures, suggesting that shoppers are becoming more optimistic about their financial circumstances. Joe Staton, Client Strategy Director at GfK, said: “Despite inflation continuing to outstrip wage rises, shoppers have suddenly shown more optimism about the state of their personal finances and the general economic situation, especially for the coming year. The uptick across all measures should be welcomed.”

Convenience store sales ‘up 8%’ in February

Sales in the convenience retailing market rose by 8% in the four weeks to 25 February, says new NIQ data.

February was a strong month for the independent retailing sector with total convenience store sales up 8% by value and 1.4% by volume in the four weeks to 25 February, according to NIQ, the consumer intelligence company previously known as NielsenIQ.

NIQ says the data suggests many shoppers prefer to visit convenience stores to limit their overall grocery spend. The report found that volumes at the supermarkets fell by 4.1% in the same period.

Online sales fell by 2.5% as a result of ‘fewer shoppers and less spend’.

Mike Watkins, NIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, said: “Longer-term price cuts and price locks are now favoured by retailers and shoppers to short-term promotions. This also helps give shoppers more price transparency.”

Go Local wins phase 4 approval

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation’s Go Local Programme has secured approval for the next phase of the project.

The fourth phase will provide even more support to help Scottish convenience stores provide dedicated, long-term display space for locally-sourced Scottish products.

The target is to increase the turnover of locally and nationally produced Scottish products within the convenience store

Veganuary hits record numbers in 2023

Veganuary, the global organisation encouraging people to try vegan in January and beyond, has released its 2023 campaign review revealing record-breaking participation levels this year.

More than 700,000 shoppers officially signed up with participants from nearly every country in the world.

A record 4% of UK shoppers participated in Veganuary for at least part of the month of January and almost 100 UK organisations took part in the organisation’s Workplace Challenge.

sector, to mitigate lost volumes in other sectors, and to aid economic recovery for Scottish manufacturers and producers.

Phase 4 will see a further allocation of £190,000 for the programme, the selection of at least 40 geographically and demographically diverse stores to secure increased display space for Scottish products and using the available Scottish supplier databases to grow the number of suppliers and improve customer choice.

The organisation also says at least 1,610 new vegan products were launched globally during January - the largest number yet in the long history of the event.

Witney Budgens is a hospice hero!

A Budgens store in Oxfordshire has raised more than £2,400 for a local hospice with help from its generous shoppers.

Funding food in Wendover

Sweeney’s Budgens of Wendover, in Buckinghamshire, has donated £250 to local charity Youth Concern Aylesbury.

The retailer secured the funds for its involvement in the Ukraine Can Appeal, ‘You give, we give,’ which saw £97,315 raised for food and medical aid for Ukraine.

Youth Concern Aylesbury provides a safe place for young people to meet and access support when they need it at The Uptown Coffee Bar. The donation will help with its Youth Food Bank.

Fraser’s Budgens of Witney, Oxfordshire, has raised £2,443.35 for local charity Sobell House Hospice.

The funds were raised from the bag tax at Yarnton, Brize Norton and Cannon Pool, with an additional £500 added on top.

The retailer said: “Huge thank you to all customers who helped raise this amazing amount by purchasing a bag for your shopping. You will likely be aware, but Sobell House is an Oxfordshire-based charity that provides critical care to those at end of life, so touches the lives of many people in the county.”

Cancer care in Southampton

Budgens of Cadnam, Southampton, has donated just under £200 from its collection tins to Friends of Cancer Research UK New Forest and Waterside.

The charity said: “A massive thank you to Budgens of Cadnam and their customers for donating just under £200 from their collection tins in the last month. Amazing amount and we’re very grateful for your support. Thank you.”

ENJOY TASTY SALES THIS RAMADAN

GroceryAid Day 2023 is fast approaching!

GroceryAid Day 10th May 2023

Industry charity GroceryAid will hold its official GroceryAid Day for 2023 on 10th May and is encouraging Budgens retailers to get involved.

Independent retailing industry charity GroceryAid is set to host its official GroceryAid Day awareness-raising event for 2023 on 10 May.

GroceryAid Day was created to be a high-profile opportunity for the entire industry to come together and make sure everyone in our industry is aware of the free and confidential support services the charity can offer to industry colleagues in need of financial, emotional or practical help. Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Grocery Aid’s far-reaching support includes financial grants, practical advice, business money advice carers support and more. There are also a wide range of counselling services available for grocery colleagues struggling with emotional and relationship challenges, traumatic experiences and bereavement.

The charity works on behalf of the entire industry from head office through to factory and shop floors and, unfortunately, demand for its services has never been higher following the

challenges of the last few years.

Last year over 220 companies in the trade took part in GroceryAid Day and the charity reached millions of people through company engagement. This increased level of awareness contributed to a 61% increase in incidences of support last year, but there are still so many people who don’t know about the free and confidential support available to them.

By getting involved in GroceryAid Day 2023 you and your team can help share the message and ensure that everyone within your business knows that professional help is available, free and confidentially, should they ever need it.

Additionally, GroceryAid has also

produced a special ‘Save The Date’ kit to share internally with colleagues to make sure everyone has the date in their diaries. Visit www.groceryaid.org. uk to download a kit.

GroceryAid Day

Milestones:

l Today: Add GroceryAid Day to your personal and team calendars, register your interest and order your materials.

l April: Let GroceryAid know you’re taking part. Taking part in GroceryAid Day earns you one point towards a GroceryAid Award and helps the charity track engagement levels.

l 10 May: Enjoy GroceryAid Day! GroceryAid can’t wait to see your pictures and posts on the day.

To register your interest in taking part or if you have any questions about GA Day, please email news@groceryaid.org.uk.

Standing out from the crowd

Freshgos Budgens in Carcroft is wowing local shoppers with an outstanding food-to-go offer and innovative design touches.

Competition. It’s a word that seasoned convenience operator Kopi Kalamatham understands better than most, and a concept that he certainly knows how to stand up to.

Proof of Kopi’s innate understanding of precisely how to stand out from the competition is easily observed at his brand-new 2,300sq ft Budgens store in the rural village of Carcroft near Doncaster. Despite being “surrounded” by competition –there’s an Iceland, an Asda and an array of other independent retailers within half a mile of the site

– local shoppers have been pouring into the store in their droves since it opened on 16 December 2022. Kopi, who owns seven successful Londis stores in the surrounding area, explains why: “There’s a lot in the way of competition near this site, so much so, that when I first came across it, I was almost put off. However, it was also clear that with the right offer, the site could provide a fantastic opportunity.”

The store sits in a prime part of the village with a large free car park directly in front and a

busy pharmacy right next door. “However, because of the competition I knew that I would need to think outside of the box; a standard convenience offering simply would not do here. I needed to wow local people with a unique offer, look and feel, and I was confident that the Budgens brand would be the right fit for my vision,” Kopi says. “I wanted to give shoppers a more premium retail proposition: a store that would offer them a real experience to remember.”

A high-quality food-to-go offer would form a key part of Kopi’s plan to stand out, with freshly cooked premium burgers, complemented by an innovative menu of rice boxes, wraps, loaded fries and nachos leading the charge. “Despite the squeeze on spending, shoppers are willing to pay for products that offer them a quality experience or something out of the ordinary,” Kopi explains.

His burger menu certainly does that, with innovative options such as The Baconator Burger, the Haystacker Burger and the Evil Burger, which features Jalapeno and Ghost Chilli Sauce. There’s also Kopi’s much-hyped new addition: The Chocolate Heaven Burger, featuring a premium beef patty, chocolate sauce, a sweet bun, sweet potato fries and a chocolate milkshake!

Manned by six dedicated members of staff, the store’s 600sq ft food-to-go zone also features Kopi’s own-brand dessert bar concept, The Cream Hut, offering a mouth-watering array of freshly cooked waffles, ‘Melty Brownies,’ Churros, and more.

The offer also includes chilled and ambient cakes, plus gelato ice cream which is made on site using ingredients that Kopi imports from Italy. All of the above can also be ordered online and delivered to homes in the surrounding area free of charge via Kopi’s own in-store delivery service. The Cream Hut is supported by an equally refreshing drinks-to-go range featuring Costa Coffee, Reese’s Hot Chocolate, Reese’s Freeze and three flavours of Jolly Rancher slush.

Away from food- and drinks-to-go, Budgens Carcroft has also been fitted with a large ‘Booze Cave’ featuring more than 13 metres of shelving on which an impressive range of

chilled wines, RTDs, ciders and lagers are housed, including multi-packs and PerfectDraft kegs. “The Booze Cave adds a further unique touch that shoppers love but it also serves an important efficiency role too,” explains Kopi.

The large cave is fronted by chillers with doors, in which soft drinks are ranged. This means that all the store’s alcohol and the bulk of its soft drinks are refrigerated from one single compressor. “When you consider the cost of electricity at the moment, that’s a big efficiency saving,” Kopi says.

More uniqueness can also be found overhead, where Kopi installed a duo of eye-opening ceiling installations. Gracing the ceiling above the store’s 600sq ft food-to-go zone is a bespoke ‘blue sky’ effect panel, custom made for Kopi in Europe. “This isn’t like the blue-sky effect light panels seen in other stores, it’s an actual design that has been printed

“I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved here. A lot of innovation and passion has gone into creating this store and I think it really shows.”

Kopi Kalamatham

on an innovative type of reflective plastic and fixed above,” Kopi explains. “It creates a jawdropping effect and shoppers can’t help but look up in wonder when they see it,” he says. “Even the builders were blown away!”

And the overhead magic doesn’t end there. The centre of the store also features a mirror-effect ceiling – achieved with the use of another unique reflective material. Suspended above 750sq ft of the shop floor, the ceiling reflects everything from below, bouncing light around and adding to the sense of space.

Down below, the shop floor also features eight metres of refrigeration for fresh and chilled produce, where Jack’s-branded goods are shining brightly.

“The Jack’s brand is also helping to set us apart and is being very well received by shoppers, especially in the current economic climate,” Kopi says. “Products offer great quality but they are also backed by very strong promotions, which shoppers are on the lookout for. Shoppers are definitely buying into deals more than ever before, especially the Jack’s ‘2 for’ deals which are very popular, particularly when it comes to ready meals, snacks and confectionery.”

The store also boasts a large shopfloor vape display and an on-trend American confectionery offer.

Given the raft of innovations on offer at Budgens Carcroft, it’s little wonder that shoppers are “delighted” by their new store.

Less than three months after opening, shop sales are already over £15,000 a week, while food-togo sales via the Cream Hut concept alone are r eaching £6,000 a week. “My target is for food-togo sales to exceed £10,000 a week and to grow shop sales considerably, and we are certainly on track to achieve both,” Kopi says. “I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved here. A lot of innovation and passion has gone into creating this store and I think it really shows.”

FACTFILE

Store: Freshgos Budgens, Carcroft, Doncaster

Opening times: 7am-11pm MonSun

Retailer: Kopi Kalamatham

Staff: 14

Size: 2,300sq ft

Services: Free car park, epay, Paypoint, National Lottery, Beer Cave, food- and drinks-to-go

Fit out for the future

Dary Sweeney’s latest refit of Budgens Abbots

Langley has focused on enhancing its already top-performing categories – and the results are bearing fruit.

Award-winning Budgens retailer Dary Sweeney is man who clearly knows the value of ‘playing to your strengths’ – and he’s done precisely that at his 4,000sq ft Budgens store in the Hertfordshire town of Abbots Langley.

The 16-year-old community-focused store has just undergone a significant refit – designed to enhance and improve a variety of its already top-performing categories.

The refit, which was completed in early January 2023, also included the addition of some of Budgens’ updated internal specifications, including new-style perimeter signs and contemporary new fixtures and fittings in the BWS and bakeoff zones.

“My motivation for this latest refit was clear,” Dary tells Your Budgens. “I wanted to focus on a number of key elements where we were already very good and make them even better. The first of those opportunities was in fresh fruit and vegetables.

FACTFILE

Store name: Sweeney’s Budgens Abbots

Langley, Hertfordshire

Retailer: Dary Sweeney

Size: 4,000sq ft

Best performing categories: Fresh, chilled, BWS, bakery

Services: Free ATM, Payzone, National Lottery, car park, foodand drinks-to-go

Opening hours: 7am-10pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun

Staff: 28

“Fresh is a category where historically this store has always been very strong. Our participation was already around 40% but I knew that there was even further we could go.

“So, the first new thing we did was to create a much more distinct zone for fresh fruit and vegetables which has a really attractive and authentic greengrocer vibe.

“We introduced a lot of new fixtures to create this feel, including Budgens’ new curved shelving, which is visually very appealing and helps products stand out even better on shelf.”

And Dary says that the attractive new 500sq ft zone is already bearing sales fruit, with average sales up almost 25% on last year’s figures.

“The refresh is clearly doing what it was supposed to. The fact that we have also managed to maintain really good supplies of fresh produce amid the supply shortages that have been much hyped in the media of late, has also played a part. We’ve definitely been able to capitalise on some of competitors’ shortages.”

Dary’s focus on fresh also extended to the store’s dairy category which was also enhanced with the addition of even more small and local producer lines.

“Thanks to this change, we can now offer shoppers every single item that Booker provides plus an even greater variety of lines from local suppliers which is very important, especially in a store like this which has a strong community focus,” he says.

The store’s frozen food range also came under the spotlight as part of the refresh.

“The frozen category has been going from strength to strength for some time now due to the current cost-of-living crisis and again we wanted to capitalise on that,” Dary explains.

“As such, we have put in five additional cabinets for frozen food and that’s gone down spectacularly well with local shoppers who can now buy into a far broader range which is also very well supported by promotions and deals. The Jack’s brand is also a very strong player in this space. The performance of impulse-style desserts in particular has been phenomenal since making the change.”

The final key category that Dary and the team concentrated on was BWS, which again was traditionally a “star performing area”.

“Just as we did with fresh, we were keen to enhance the space and range for BWS,” Dary says.

Doing that was archived with the introduction of “bolder, sharper promotional fixturing” and smart new wood-effect panels.

The size of the store’s spirits department was “almost

doubled” with the introduction of a larger, striking backlit spirits display.

The store’s busy drinks-to-go zone meanwhile, was also enhanced with the addition of Tango Ice Blast and Hershey’s self-serve machines, supported by new digital media screens to display eye-catching promotional messages.

And promotions themselves also came under the spotlight.

“Another key objective of this refit was to strengthen the ways in which we promote value in the store,” Dary says.

“We are now using far more Jack’s POS externally and internally to provide even more price assurance to shoppers – that really is key at the moment.

“We’ve also created a new six-metre promotional space at the rear of the store for Seasonal and Value displays. The display has been designed to be a flexible space. Now, in the run up to Easter, it’s dedicated to Seasonal, but after that, we’ll flex it to be 100% Value and really push the Jack’s and Euroshopper brands.”

“I’m genuinely so pleased with the outcome. In these challenging and uncertain times, we all feel very positive now that this process has been completed, and that we are in a very strong position for the year ahead.”

The extra space needed to achieve these new displays and enhanced ranges was achieved in several ways, including shortening some of the aisles and cutting back on the size of the store’s non-core ambient range, in particular non-food items.

The store’s overall sense of space was also improved with the installation of a brand-new floor.

“The new much lighter-coloured floor replaced a very dark one and the results have been phenomenal,” Dary says.

“We’ve gone from a floor that was absorbing a lot of light to one that now reflects a lot of light so it’s greatly increased the sense of light and space. Shoppers tell us that it’s like we have totally re-lit the store.”

Shopper feedback to all the changes has been positive. Dary says they love the store’s new look and many of them have told staff that it also feels much easier to shop.

“It’s still early days but our customer count has already increased by double digits so we’re really pleased with that,” he adds.

“A recurring comment from shoppers is also that they are also really happy to see that we have invested in the business. The fact that we have given them this even more fresh, modern and pleasant shopping environment makes them feel even more valued.

“This is a real community store and over the past 16 years the store team have built up very strong connections with local people and that sense of belonging and being valued counts for so much.

“We have such a strong and well-established team here and in fact many of the changes that we have made have also been driven by the team’s suggestions.”

Not only is the refit starting to bear fruit in terms of customer count and sales, but it has also energised the whole team, including Dary.

He concludes: “I’m genuinely so pleased with the outcome. In these challenging and uncertain times, we all feel very positive now that this process has been completed and that we are in a very strong position for the year ahead.”

“My motivation for this latest refit was clear. I wanted to focus on a number of key elements where we were already very good and make them even better.”

King size opportunity

The coronation of King Charles III in May presents a massive opportunity for Budgens retailers to help their shoppers celebrate this historic occasion.

As all Budgens retailers know, public holidays and major seasonal events represent fantastic opportunities to grow footfall, sales and profits as shoppers take advantage of the long weekends and stock up for gettogethers with friends and family.

The next few months present Budgens retailers with a glut of bank holidays but one of them stands out more than most as a key sales opportunity: the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday the 6th of May.

This is set to be a truly historic occasion, as events like this don’t come along very often. The last coronation in the UK took place almost 70 years ago on the 2nd of June 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne for the first time.

An additional public holiday has been created to mark the new King’s big day which means that there are no fewer than five bank holidays in the space

of just a couple of months – and that means five outstanding opportunities for retailers to cash in.

HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY

With the last coronation taking place 70 years ago, there is obviously no data to show the type of uplifts a coronation bank holiday is likely to drive but it doesn’t seem unreasonable that the excitement around the coronation could lead to big sales growth over the whole weekend of the coronation as Prince Charles formally becomes King Charles III.

The pack includes everything from shelf edge strips and bunting to special opening hours posters.

CROWN JEWELS

SATURDAY 6th MAY

CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III

To help Budgens retailers build shopper excitement and momentum in the run up to the event, Booker has created an extensive pack of highquality POS to add theatre and drive interest.

The official coronation website –available at coronation.gov.uk – is a great place to start when planning your celebrations. It features a lot of useful information and advice, including tips and support on organising street parties. It also includes a helpful toolkit that contains items and resource that you might find useful in your store around the coronation. There’s everything from join-the-dots and colouring-in packs for the kids to downloadable postcards that your shoppers can personalise and send to friends and family.

There’s even themed recipes and suggested music playlists to help take the work out of making the coronation a festival to remember in your store and community.

COMMUNITY FOCUS

The coronation is clearly a great chance for retailers to further engage with their local communities – which is why Booker is supporting several community-focused events and initiatives around the coronation.

This includes ‘The Big Help Out’ which kicks off on the 8th of May, a special nationwide event created to encourage shoppers across the nation to ‘lend a hand and make a change’.

Booker will be helping Budgens retailers get involved by providing bespoke ‘empty belly’ posters which retailers can use to communicate any local events to their shoppers.

Visit thebighelpout.org.uk to find out more about the event.

BIG LUNCH

In addition, Booker will be supporting retailers who are keen to get involved with ‘The Big Lunch’, the UK’s biggest annual get-together for neighbours. Created by The Eden Project, the event helps people in communities across the country generate new connections, celebrate their community and help them to make a positive change where they live.

The Big Lunch takes place every year in the first

weekend in June and Booker is encouraging Budgens retailers to consider helping organise a Big Lunch in their community.

It needn’t be big, complex task and it can be held any time in June that suits you and your community. It can be as simple as a small gathering in a nearby garden or park or a larger party with trestle tables down the middle of your street outside your store. The idea is that by starting simple, and bringing people together to share friendship, food and fun with a Big Lunch, all sorts of ideas and projects can follow.

It can lead to people doing more within their community and together tackling the issues that matter to them most.

Visit edenprojectcommunities.com to find out more.

EXCLUSIVE BREW

To help shoppers mark the coronation in style, Booker has worked in collaboration with leading craft brewer BrewDog to create a special limitededition beer just for the event.

Ale To The King is a top-quality craft beer brewed exclusively for the Group to commemorate the Coronation and will be available only to Booker customers. This is the first time that a collaboration of this type has happened and Ale To The King gives Budgens retailers a unique product to sit at the heart of their coronation communications with shoppers.

By stocking the ale and shouting about it on social

Organising a street party

If you’d like to organise a street party around the coronation, it’s probably a lot less complicated than you think. Here’s the official government guidance or organising one:

What is a street party?

Street parties are where groups of residents get together to arrange with their neighbours. They are not technically public events in that only those in the local community are expected to attend.

Do I need a licence?

No, as long as amplified music is not one of the main purposes of the event. Your local council may require you to complete a simple application form.

Do I need a risk assessment?

No. As long as consideration is given to the safety needs of all those attending, common sense precautions should be enough.

Can I sell alcohol?

Yes, but you will need to check whether you need a Temporary Events Notice. This costs £21 and covers events of fewer than 500 people.

Can I request a road closure?

Yes. For most small parties in quiet streets where you need to close a road, all your council needs to know is where and when the road closure will take place so they can plan around it (for example, so emergency services know). They will need around 6 weeks’ advance notice.

Do I need expensive insurance?

No. There is no requirement to have public liability insurance.

Do I need a food licence?

No. The Food Standards Agency has confirmed that one-off events such as street parties aren’t usually considered food businesses, so there are no forms to fill in. However, you must ensure that any food provided is safe to eat.

YOUR LAUNDRY ESSENTIALS

NEW PRICE MARKED PACKS

COMMUNITY DAY

Volunteers Invited Monday 8th May

Saturday 6th May

Sunday 7th May

Monday 8th May

Saturday 6th May to Monday 8th May

media, Budgens retailers will be able to set themselves apart and drive additional footfall, sales and profits as the big day approaches. And, of course, what better way for your shoppers to celebrate Coronation Day itself than with a glass or two of this exclusive, unique beer?

MULTIPACK FOCUS

The coronation, as well as the four other bank holiday weekends, are likely to see shoppers looking for a wide range of products to make their get-togethers with family and friends a success – particularly if the weather is good.

This will create big opportunities for retailers, particularly in key, high volume categories like alcohol, soft drinks and snacks.

Multipacks and sharing packs will be particularly important for gatherings such as these, so why not consider a dedicated coronation or bank holiday multipack bay in store? That way you can flag the holidays up to your

FORTHCOMING BANK HOLIDAYS

MON 10TH APR

EASTER MONDAY

MON 1ST MAY MAY DAY

MON 8TH MAY

BANK HOLIDAY FOR THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III

MON 29TH MAY LATE MAY BANK HOLIDAY

shoppers, making them unmissable, as well as making it easy for them to shop and driving up basket spend.

Coronation shelf edge strips and posters will help bring the bay to life and attract attention.

GET SOCIAL

The importance of strong social media communications in the runup to the coronation cannot be overstated. The event is certain to be front of mind for many shoppers but, by letting everyone know about the exclusive products and the great deals on offer in your store, you can make a big difference to footfall, sales and profits around this once-ina-lifetime opportunity.

After all of the the trials and tribulations of the last few years, the forthcoming coronation and glut of public holidays represents the perfect opportunity to ensure that the next few months keep your 2023 heading in the right direction.

We are open

Festival

Exclusives and NPD to light up Beer & Cider Festival

The Budgens Beer & Cider Festival returns in April with a raft of group exclusives and exciting NPD set to drive footfall, sales and profits in these key categories.

The Budgens Beer & Cider Festival is set to return during NP3 (27 Apr – 24 May), bringing with it a massive opportunity to grow footfall, sales and profits in these vitally important categories at the perfect time of year.

This year’s Festival features an extensive array of Group Exclusive products, NPD, first-to-market packs, outstanding deals and more. As always, the activity will be supported by a comprehensive programme of high quality in-store POS and digital support to make sure the Festival is unmissable for your shoppers.

It’s the perfect opportunity to bring more shoppers to your door more often and get them to spend more on each trip.

EXCLUSIVELY YOURS

As Budgens retailers will be aware, there’s nothing quite like Group Exclusive products for driving footfall and sales. Stocking products that are not available in your competitors’ stores is a powerful way to generate fresh footfall, particularly if you shout about the exclusive products on your social media channels.

The Budgens Beer & Cider Festival will feature a range of fantastic Group Exclusive products that will help you set yourself apart from the competition.

These Group Exclusives include BrewDog’s Ale To The King, a top quality craft beer brewed exclusively for the Group to mark the Coronation of King Charles III in May. With excitement set to reach fever pitch as we approach the

first Coronation in the UK for more than 70 years, this is the perfect product to help you cash in on one of the most important sales opportunities of the year.

Another Group Exclusive from BrewDog is Black Heart draught stout, a great quality product in an eye-catching black and gold can that is likely to be popular with fans of the black stuff, as well as helping bring new shoppers into the stout category.

Also available as a Group Exclusive during the Beer & Cider Festival is a Kopparberg Strawberry Mixed pack. The innovative 10-pack features six cans of the popular Strawberry & Lime variant as well as two cans each of Strawberry & Pineapple and Strawberry & Mango.

Kopparberg is the UK’s number one fruit-flavoured cider brand and the Group Exclusive mixed case is certainly one to focus on when it comes to shouting about the Festival on social media.

FIRST CHOICE

As well as Group Exclusives, the Beer & Cider Festival will also see Budgens retailers among the earliest to have first access to a range of important big-brand products.

Booker Group will be first to market during the Festival with a new price-marked Thatcher’s Gold 4-pack. This enormously popular cider will be available to Budgens retailers for the Festival in £5.49 PMP format, helping to drive sales and profits in the cider category.

11 New products

Booker Group will also be first to market with Kopparberg’s new Strawberry & Pineapple variant, presenting a huge opportunity to capitalise on the popularity of this marketleading brand.

In beer, Budgens retailers will be among the first to have access to a new Peroni 4-pack of cans, creating the chance to further exploit the power of the UK’s number one premium lager.

ALL NEW

Adding further excitement to the Festival will be a selection of additional brand new lines that will help ensure the Festival appeals to as wide a range of shoppers as possible. Appearing on Budgens shelves for the first time during the Festival will be 4-packs of Stella Artois Unfiltered, Peroni, Leffe Blonde, Corona Extra, Strongbow Tropical Cider, Brooklyn Pilsner and BrewDog Lost Lager.

POWER OF FREE

As part of the Beer & Cider Festival, Budgens will almost literally be handling retailers free cash by allocating three

Power of Free deals for the Festival. The deals feature Stella Artois Unfiltered, BrewDog Lost Lager and Strongbow Tropical Cider.

These deals are worth £117 per store, with every penny dropping to your bottom line once you’ve sold the stock through.

HEADLINE DEALS

As well as bringing your shoppers exclusive and first-tomarket products, the Beer & Cider Festival will also deliver footfall and sales-driving deals throughout the duration of the event.

These deals include a Super Premium Basket offering 4-packs of Leffe Blonde, Stella Artois Unfiltered, Birra Moretti, Corona and Peroni for just £6.50.

A Mid Pack Upweight deal will see 10-packs of Stella Artois, Foster’s, Budweiser and Strongbow available for just £10 while a Cider Basket sees 4-packs of Kopparberg Mixed Fruit, Kopparberg Strawberry & Pineapple, Strongbow Tropical and Strongbow Dark Fruits on sales for just £5.50.

3 Group Exclusive products

WINS PRESTIGIOUS PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2023

Juul Labs’ all new JUUL2 system has been awarded Product of the Year 2023 in the ‘Vaping & Heated Tobacco Products’ category, following an independent nationwide survey of 8,000 adult consumers by Kantar.

The annual Product of the Year Award is the largest and most comprehensive study of product innovation in the UK, shortlisted by a panel of experts and awarded by the public.

The 2023 Award coincides with the launch of a new JUUL2 Blackcurrant Tobacco variant - a classic tobacco flavour with ripe blackcurrant notes, which further extends the JUUL2 portfolio in the UK. The new Blackcurrant Tobacco JUULpods launched on the JUUL website in January and will be rolled out across Booker from April.

Outlining the company’s ambitions for the UK, Richard Cook, Director of National Account at JUUL Labs UK commented: “It is testament to our continued focus on technological innovation, adult-focused portfolio

range, and responsible market stewardship that we’ve been awarded recognition as Product of The Year in the Vaping and Heated Tobacco Products category. We have been encouraged by the number of adult smokers and vapour users who have transitioned to the new JUUL2 system since launch last year, and we are confident that the introduction of our new Blackcurrant Tobacco pods will provide even more adult smokers with greater choice to help them move away from combustible cigarettes.”

The new blackcurrant product will be available in 18mg/ml nicotine strength and will join Virginia Tobacco, Autumn Tobacco, Crisp Menthol, Polar Menthol, Ruby Menthol, Summer Menthol and in the JUULpods portfolio.

Blackcurrant JUULpods will be available to Booker customers from the beginning of April with a RRP of £5.99 for a 2pack of pods. To order Blackcurrant Tobacco and all other JUUL2 products, scan the QR code and visit juullabsretailer.com for advice on how to retail vaping products responsibly.

Starter Kit Device, Charging Dock, Virginia Tobacco and Crisp Menthol JUUL2 pods JUUL2 pods

Virginia Tobacco, Crisp Menthol, Polar Menthol, Autumn Tobacco, Ruby Menthol, Summer Menthol and Blackcurrant Tobacco flavours (2 pods, 18mg/mL strength)

scan here

Deal of the day

Booker’s exclusive Jack’s brand is being supported by a new approach to its powerful ‘2 for’ promotional mechanic.

Spring might have sprung but shoppers are continuing to keep their spending zipped up tightly as they attempt to weather the current economic climate.

In fact, according to NielsenIQ’s Consumer Outlook 2023 report, 34% of British shoppers are planning to “closely monitor” the cost of their overall basket of goods in 2023, while 31% will choose to buy own-label products over branded alternatives as a way of managing their spend.

Given the spending squeeze, the need for retailers to offer a competitive value for money proposition, supported by high-impact promotions, remains critically important.

Helping them to do precisely this is Booker’s exclusive Jack’s own-label brand, which now includes 530 quality products at great value for money prices.

Since launch, the Jack’s brand has boasted a strong promotional approach, led by its powerful ‘2 for’ mechanic, which retailers say has always helped to drive footfall, sales and repeat purchases.

Recognising the need to shout even louder about this winning promotional mechanic, Booker has just launched a new on-pack approach for Jack’s ‘2 for’ deals, designed to enhance shoppers’ awareness of the offer and increase buy-in yet further.

The price mechanic, which is already available across a whole host of profit-rich in-store categories such as crisps, nuts, confectionery, chilled foods and many more, is now being bolstered with an even bigger and brighter ‘2 for’ band to help hit the value message home with even greater force.

“Value is more important than ever to shoppers at the moment, and to all shoppers, regardless of their station. However, with prices having risen so much in the last 18 months, we are also in a situation where many shoppers are struggling to know what good value truly is. That’s why strong, clear and simple promotional mechanics such as the Jack’s ‘2 for’ deals are so powerful. They are very easy for shoppers to quickly and easily understand and that’s the key.”

Dary Sweeney, Sweeney’s Budgens Abbots Langley

New approach: Jack’s Confectionery

The Jack’s range of great value and quality confectionery products is being further enhanced with a bold new ‘2 for’ brand that will cover 27% of the pack to drive the value for money message home.

Packaging has also been updated to include:

l A bigger window

l Brighter colourways

l Bolder product titles

Messaging masterclass

Jack’s products are supported by a powerful on-pack suite of promotional messages including ‘2 for’ offers, pricemarks and ‘Part of the Tesco Family’ messaging.

Budgens retailers can further enhance this on-pack messaging with an array of high-impact POS materials to make Jack’s products truly unmissable in-store.

All Budgens retailers have access to a high-quality POS kit including:

l Shelf cards

l Shelf strips

l Freezer vinyls

l SEL backers

l Posters

l Barker ears

l Pennants

l Toblerone toppers

Additional materials can also be ordered from the Budgens Print Shop including Banners and spare POS kits. Speak to your RDM for more information.

New approach: Jack’s Crisps and Snacks

Jack’s Crisps and Snacks products, including bestselling Cheesy Puffs, Bacon Rashers and Salt & Vinegar Sticks, are also being supported by a larger ‘2 for’ band across the top of packs.

The bold yellow band will now cover 27% of packs.

Product Images have also been moved away from the yellow ‘2 for’ band to ensure that the value message is as clean and clear as possible.

All prices correct at time of print

With redemption levels on Jack’s ‘2 for’ offers already reaching 85%, the bold new approach is expected to drive take up even higher, bolstering retailers’ sales and cash profits in the process.

The new approach means that the bright yellow ‘2 for’ band will now cover a larger 27% of packs, communicating value to shoppers in an even more eye-catching, clear and simple way that strongly resonates with the current shopper mindset.

The enhanced yellow ‘2 for’ bands will also continue to be supported with bold red pricemarks that highlight individual pack prices.

Given the current economic challenges, retailers say that PMPs continue to play an increasingly important role.

In fact, just under 60% of independent retailers say that PMPs are more important than ever, according to a new study by Plum Ideas Marketing Communications Agency, while a fifth of shoppers now say they would choose a particular convenience store if they knew it stocked PMP products, according to Lumina.

Most Jack’s products feature prominent pricemarks on packs, along with the powerful ‘Part of The Tesco family’ messaging, to further reinforce faith and confidence in the brand.

With a great many Jack’s-branded products also offering retailers PORs of at least 30%, and some offering PORs as high as 50%, the brand’s bold new ‘2 for’ approach also looks set to help retailers’ profits shine brighter too.

Get social!

Social media can be another effective way to encourage trial and repeat purchases of Jack’s products.

Channels such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok can help you to flag up Jack’s promotions and new products as well as highlight the range’s value and quality.

Budgens offers a great suite of social media assets that you can use to create attention-grabbing posts to promote the Jack’s range and much more. Speak to your local RDM for more information.

“The Jack’s brand is also helping to set us apart and is being very well received by shoppers, especially in the current economic climate,” Kopi says. “Products offer great quality but they are also backed by very strong promotions, which shoppers are on the lookout for. Shoppers are definitely buying into deals more than ever before, especially the Jack’s ‘2 for’ deals which are very popular, particularly when it comes to ready meals, snacks and confectionery.”

Kopi Kalamatham, Freshgos Budgens, Carcroft,

All prices correct at time of print

ONLY MAJOR BLENDED WHISKY BRAND IN GROWTH IN UK OFF-TRADE

each period

CHIPS & ICE CREAM AND MUCH MORE )

Making the most of promotions?

To help you ensure you are communicating your value proposition effectively to your shoppers, the Fit for the Future 4 Guide asks some helpful questions:

Are you using your external poster frames fully?

l Mega Deals

l Fresh 4

l Key Deals

Have the promo ends been merchandised properly?

Is the POS kit used throughout store?

How do you use your leaflets?

l Distributed?

l Placed in baskets?

Are you active on social media?

l Facebook

l Instagram

l Tik Tok

l Do you use the Budgens social media assets?

How do you use your leaflets?

Distributed? Placed in baskets?

Are you active on social media?

Facebook Instagram Tik Tok Do you use the Londis assets?

All items available 100% FREE on Printshop

switched to own-brand options – a huge increase on the 17% of shoppers who said the same thing fewer than two years ago.

That’s precisely why the Fit for the Future 4 Guide dedicates a section to the Jack’s and Euro Shopper ranges.

Euro Shopper delivers the amazing value that many of today’s shoppers are seeking on more than 75 everyday essentials. This exclusive-to-Booker-Group range lets Budgens retailers offer their shoppers a fantastic-value alternative on a wide array of products that they need every day in life, helping reduce the cost of the shop and helping them manage their budgets more effectively.

All Euro Shopper lines carry a POR of at least 30% so Budgens retailers also benefit from stocking this exceptional range.

The Jack’s range, meanwhile, now extends to more than 500 lines across most product categories, again delivering a minimum 30% POR on the vast majority of products. Exclusive to the Booker Group, Jack’s delivers Tesco-quality products at fantastic prices.

Jack’s has been further enhanced with the addition of a selection of ‘2 for’ deals and ‘Fresh 4’ market-leading deals each promotional period.

“Jack’s is performing very strongly, particularly in chilled. The brand perfectly meets the needs of shoppers after convenient, quality meal solutions at great value for money prices.”

Anthony Benedict, Budgens Battersea Park

Availability

Having the products your shoppers want on-shelf at all times is critical to growing footfall, sales and profits.

The Fit for the Future 4 Guide reminds retailers that Booker offers a wealth of tools and resources to help you manage availability. These include:

New availability report

l Reason & Resolution dates

l Product Search available

l Every Monday & on website

New lines

l Headstarts & POF

l Category Guidance

l Pre-sells

MAKE MORE, SAVE MORE

The Plan for Profit 4 Guide concludes with Budgens’s outstanding ‘Make More, Save More’ model, which can add up to £154,500 of improvements for Budgens retailers every year!

It’s worth finding the time to pour yourself a coffee and find 10 minutes

Making the most of footfall drivers?

With so many tools available to Budgens retailers to maximise footfall, the Fit for the Future 4 Guide provides a brief reminder of areas where you can ensure you are doing all you can to drive footfall:

Use of Planograms

l Provides Latest range and insight

l Different sizes to suit store type

l Now with barcodes to order products

Adds & Deletes

l Weekly Updates for new lines and deletions

l Available every Friday Comms

l Daily Email for latest updates

l Weekly Bulletin

l Historical comms available Booker.co.uk

l Are you using all the tools?

l Single location for all information

Milk & Bread

l Competitive pricing

l EDLP POS

l Improved choice – Hovis Simple

EDLP

l Over 350 SKUs

l New improved EDLP POS

Food-to-go

l Do you have a hot food offer?

l Do you sell Frozen Drinks?

l Do you offer Coffee

Vape

l Extended range available

l Over 130 lines

l Wholesale deals now available

l Do you run multibuys?

l Now qualifies for Spend & Save

Tobacco Club

l Market-leading WSPs & RSPs

in your hectic day just to read this section alone. It features 14 different solutions that Budgens retailers can adopt to add more than £123,000 to their sales and three solutions that can help you save as much as £31,500 a year.

The question ask yourself is: how many of them are you taking advantage of?

TO READ THE LATEST FIT FOR THE FUTURE GUIDE VISIT BOOKER.CO.UK OR ASK YOUR RDM FOR A COPY

l Earn up to 12% POR

Frozen Meal Deal

l Feed the family for £5.50

l Impactful POS kits available

Group Exclusives & NPD

l Do you stock?

l Are you highlighting with POS?

l Do you upsell to customers?

Sandwich Meal Deal

l Are you running the deal?

l FREE POS kit available

“Our customers love the look, quality and value of the Jack’s brand products and we love the pricing. Our POR margin is increasing as more range is added, It’s a real win-win situation for all of us.

More of the same please!”

Dean Massey, Budgens P&I Stores

Sell vapes? You need to act now!

Stores selling any type of vaping or e-cigarette device are required by law to assist with the recycling of them, and a new Booker partnership can help Budgens retailers do just that.

If your store sells any type of vaping or e-cigarette products, including disposable vapes, you are required by law to comply with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling legislation. These products are officially classed as electrical and electronic equipment and, as such, retailers are legally bound to help with the recycling of them.

ENFORCEMENT DRIVE

Critically, the Office for Product and Safety Standards will begin carrying out enforcement activity on retailers who are not WEEE compliant from the end of March onwards.

The legislation requires you to offer your shoppers a free of charge, safe recycling point – and it makes no difference where your shoppers originally bought their vaping products. Even if they didn’t buy the products in your store, you are still required to provide a recycling point.

ACT NOW

If you fail to comply with the WEEE

regulations you can be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000 at a Magistrates’ Court – or get an unlimited fine from a Crown Court.

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.

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

HELP AT HAND

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

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

How to comply

To comply to the WEEE regulations, you must first establish what value of vaping products you sell per year.

UNDER £100,000

For stores selling less than £100,000-worth of electrical equipment – including disposable vapes – per year, you can join the Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS). You can do this by contacting:

1. Website: dts.valpak.co.uk

2. Email: DTS@valpak.co.uk

3. Tel: 03450 682 572

OVER £100,000

For stores selling more than £100,000 worth of electrical equipment – including disposable vapes – per year then you must provide your shoppers with a free, in-store take-back service that complies with the WEEE legislation.

You can find more information on the government website (www.gov.uk) and searching for ‘take-back-waste-in-store’.

Save 11% on waste management with Booker-exclusive deal

Working with its waste management partner Valpak, Booker is offering Budgens retailers a new heavily discounted deal for the collection of general waste, recycling and more.

Every pound that Budgens retailers can save on their costs helps boost profits and build stronger businesses – and Booker is helping you do exactly that with a Group exclusive deal which will help you make significant cost savings on waste management.

Working with its waste management partner Valpak, part of the global Reconomy Group, Booker has secured a brandnew deal that will help Budgens retailers save up to 11% on collections of general waste, mixed recycling and much more.

The service is available via a simple, easy-to-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 organise your team and maximise efficiency.

Collections are made by professional, friendly drivers who know their way around and can ensure fast, no-fuss pickups to let you get back to the business of running a great store and focusing your attention on your business and your shoppers.

Benefits:

l Booker Group exclusive discount of up to 11% on collections

l Simple, online booking to organise collections for general waste, mixed recycling and more

l Instant quote showing best price for each service, including Booker discount

l Get real-time updates about your collections

l Professional, friendly drivers

FAQs

How do I obtain a quote?

Visit collectmywaste.com and use the code ‘BOOKERWASTE’ and your Booker customer number for a free, discounted quote, and follow the quick and easy steps.

What types of waste can I get collected?

General waste, dry mixed recycling, cardboard, food waste and glass.

What bins or containers can you provide?

A variety of wheelie bin and front-end loader containers are available in all sizes to suit your needs. A skip hire service is also available.

Once I have my quote and have agreed to proceed, what is the next step?

Once your services are set up and processed, you will be contacted by your Collect My Waste Account Manager to discuss any further specific requirements. A welcome email will be sent confirming all relevant details such as delivery date, collection schedule and contact details.

When will I need to make my first payment?

Your first payment will be taken by credit/debit card or Direct Debit shortly before the service starts.

How can I request an extra collection or arrange or excess waste to be cleared?

You can request an emergency collection or arrange for excess waste to be cleared via your online account or by contacting the customer service department on 01992 765260.

Am I able to view my account information and collection history?

Yes. All information will be readily available to you via a quick and easy-touse online portal where you can view all your important waste and recycling statistics.

How do I keep up to date on the progress of my collections?

You can contact Valpak at any time to discuss any issues but as soon as you’ve downloaded the app, you will receive notifications on the morning of each waste collection day indicating which collection(s) are due. Similarly, in the afternoon, notifications will confirming that collection(s) were made.

“With costs rising across the board, every cost saving we can make is important these days, so this new waste disposal deal is fantastic new for Budgens retailers. Savings of up to 11% represent a significant benefit and, once again, it’s great to see Budgens retailers gaining real value from being part of a bigger Group.”

Stephen Hutchinson, Budgens Sandyford Rd, Newcastle on Tyne

Budgens

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.

HORDLE

Lymington, Hampshire

SLADE GREEN

Erith, Kent

THAMES DITTON

Elmbridge, Surrey

BUSHEY HEATH

Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire

ELMSTEAD MARKET

Elmstead market, Essex

KIMBOLTON

Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

CODFORD ST MARY

Codford, Wiltshire

ST ALBANS

St Albans, Hertfordshire

WENDOVER

Wendover, Buckinghamshire

Store openings and refurbs

We’re delighted, as always, to welcome new stores to the Budgens family.

More support

needed on energy costs

The ACS has made three key recommendations on how the Government could better support local shops with rising energy costs.

Visit

The rising cost of energy is one of the single-biggest concerns for businesses, including local shops, at the moment and we know that many retailers have had sleepless nights worrying about how they will keep the doors open in the face of these dramatic price increases.

The current Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is running for six months from October 2022 to March 2023 is worth around £18bn and has provided many businesses with a lifeline, but for months we were all left with the question of what will happen after March.

Recently, the Government announced its plans to dramatically reduce the amount of money that it will provide to businesses to help them with soaring energy bills.

Under the new scheme, a total of £5bn

will be scattered across all businesses, with a maximum discount of just under 2p per kWh available, and this approach doesn’t go far enough to provide businesses with the support that they need to stay open.

In our submission to the Treasury ahead of the Budget, we highlighted the detrimental impact that rising energy costs are having on our sector and made some specific recommendations on how the Chancellor can support local shops. Our three key recommendations are:

l Firstly, to increase the level of discount available under the Energy Bill Discount Scheme so businesses receive meaningful support to manage their energy costs.

l Secondly, to better target discounts at the most vulnerable businesses that renegotiated their contracts when the wholesale energy prices were at their highest in 2022.

l Thirdly, to put pressure on energy companies to allow the most vulnerable businesses to negotiate new contracts to better reflect lower wholesale prices.