Your Budgens April 2022

April 2022

Ian Hughes wins by going back to basics Add tens of thousands to your annual profits Queen’s Platinum Jubilee brings opportunities Volume 13

NEWS • RETAILER PROFILE • LEGISLATION • EASTER • BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL Your Budgens March 22.indd 1

20/04/2022 13:42:56

New JUUL2 Available from May 2022 Designed for adult smokers. Not for sale to minors.

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WARNING: This product contains nicotine Your Budgens March 22.indd 2

20/04/2022 13:42:56

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Your Budgens March 22.indd 3

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Your Budgens: Contents

e… u s s i s i h t In 7

STEWART FENN’S WELCOME New season, new opportunities

9

NEWS Booker provides 1.8 million free meals

11

CUT ABOVE

46

More Booker butchers join the elite

WELCOME TO BUDGENS

13

More new stores join Budgens

COUNTING CALORIES

17

New calorie labelling law on the way

19

GROCERY AID

How to get involved in Grocery Aid Day 2022

Ice deals Booker launches new frozen range Keen to grow your profits?

Add tens of thousands to your bottom line BUDGENS Email enquiries@bookerretail. co.uk Your Budgens Team Email yourbudgens@budgens. co.uk IT and customer services helpdesk Tel 0800 298 0758 All rights reserved. ©Booker Retail Partners.

All information within correct at time of printing.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 5

20

STAR OF THE SHOW

A new Budgens store is the star of a £90m town redevelopment.

26

BACK TO BASICS

Focus on key principles boosts Ian Hughes’ business

34

PROFIT BOOSTERS

Great solutions to add tens of thousands to you bottom line

40

BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL The annual Festival returns

44

JUBILEE BONANZA Queen’s Jubilee brings opportunities

46

NEW PRODUCTS

Some the latest products to hit the shelves

51

GUEST COLUMN Calorie labelling laws explained

34

40 It’s festival time Booker’s Beer & Cider festival is back!

Cover Story

An augmented chilled offer and keen focus on the basic principles of good convenience retailing is driving sales at Ian Hughes’ Budgens Blandford Forum store.

His latest refit has had a hugely positive impact on the business with the best December and January sales ever.

5 20/04/2022 13:43:00

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20/04/2022 13:43:01

! r e m m su

Welcome: Stewart Fenn

HERE COMES

A very warm welcome to your latest issue of Your Budgens as our thoughts turn to a new season and a fresh set of opportunities over the coming months. As well as the warmer weather, we are certainly looking forward to a number of key seasonal opportunities before summer is upon us and we gear up for what we hope will be another & CIDER FESTIVAL productive, profi tableER season.

—BE MER POS SUM

CIDAlER er&tIv BeFeS HANGING CARDS

You’ll find plenty of great advice, promotions and support in this issue to help you get the very best out of the months that lie ahead. Our annual Budgens Beer & Cider Festival is & back with another fantastic selection of products andIvAl deals, all supported by a FeSt full POS pack to help you really bring the festival to life in your store.

Beer CIDER

BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL

With summer on the horizon, we are also taking a closer look at the Jubilee occasion in this issue, a brilliant opportunity to grow sales in a wide range of categories as shoppers head outdoors to enjoy great times with family and friends. Getting stocked up early to accommodate all those street parties and Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 7

get-togethers will be key - and if you’re planning to hire bouncy castles, face painters or any other entertainment to bring the Jubilee to life around your store, the time to start booking is now. It’s sure to be a huge occasion across the country so be sure to get involved and make the very most of a superb opportunity.

Also worth checking out as the summer months come the horizon is a new & Beerover range of frozen products from Budgens, CIDER FeStIvAl including a new selection of ice cream and ice lolly multipacks. Larger format packs and multipacks have been in strong demand in recent times and these new lines will help you increase & spend and unlock new sales and basket profits.

Beer CIDER

20x300ml

FeStIvAl

Talking of unlocking new profits, in this feature you can read about some great ways to quickly grow your profits with a POSTER range of fantastic food and drink-to-go solutions that deliver very significant PORs and require minimal attention from your team. You could follow other FINS Budgens retailers who have adopted solutions like Tango Ice Blast, Costa Coffee and home delivery and grow your bottom line by tens of thousands of pounds a year. It’s a great opportunity to attract new shoppers and grow sales with existing shoppers.

Looking forward to seeing you in-store.

7 20/04/2022 13:43:06

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News: Charity Food Donations

Booker distributes 1.8 million meals to the needy in 2021

Case Study:

Glyn Ceiriog

Working with FareShare Booker and BRP has redistributed 773 tonnes of food to the needy, enough to provide the equivalent of 1.8 million meals.

Your Overall Impact in 2021 l 773 tonnes l 2,063 tonnes Co2​​prevented from going to waste l 1.8 million meals l 3,792 charities l 1.6 billion litres water saved l 2.6 million cars miles off the road l 35,500 trees planted Booker and BRP redistributed over 773 tonnes of food to communities across the UK in 2021, the equivalent of more than 1.8 million meals. Working with FareShare, the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste, Booker is the first wholesaler to redistribute food directly to FareShare’s network of charities through the FareShare Go programme and the free sharing app OLIO.

water were saved and some 2.6 million road miles were prevented. All in all, that’s the equivalent of planting 35,500 trees!

Catherine Marston, Head of Sustainability at Booker said: “These are some impressive achievements but it’s worth noting that Booker only started working with FareShare in April 2021 in a phased launch. It wasn’t until October 2021 that all 198 Booker branches were fully involved – so we expect the results to be even more impressive in 2022 when we have a full year’s activity across all branches to report.

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

“We are delighted that our teams across the whole Booker business have worked so hard with their local partners to reach this fantastic milestone. Not allowing any edible food go to waste is something that everyone at Booker is passionate about and we are proud to be the first wholesaler to work in such a collaborative way with FareShare and OLIO.

In 2021, Booker and BRP helped an astonishing 3,792 individual charities through its work with FareShare. Over 8,600 families were fed and almost 550,000 individuals were supported.

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

In addition, the activity also helped deliver enormous environmental improvements. Well over 2,000 tonnes of CO2 was prevented from going to waste, more than 1.6 billion litres of

The food redistributed by Booker and BRP includes a range of large catering size packs, vegetables, deli and sandwich fillings, as well as smaller packs of meats, fish and fruit.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 9

Glyn Ceiriog is a voluntary support organisation run by Community Agent Davena Davies who works out of the local community hall in Glyntraian near Wrexham. It supplies food packages to anyone that is struggling to buy food themselves and supports between 60 and 80 people.

During the festive period, with a lot of other local organisations closed for the holidays, Davena was offered extra food by Booker Wrexham for a special Christmas community dinner.

“Everyone loved it and we were able to supply it for free,” said Davena. “They were very, very grateful that they were able to enjoy a Christmas dinner.

The food we receive through FareShare and Booker is very important, it helps us such a lot.”

9 20/04/2022 13:43:07

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20/04/2022 13:43:21 02/03/2022 10:17

News: Awards

Booker butchers awarded highest butchery honour Three Booker butchers joined the elite ranks of Institute of Meat-accredited Master Butchers at their annual prizegiving last month.

Booker’s renowned butchery team further enhanced its reputation and accreditations at Butchers Hall on London on 24 February as three Booker butchers joined the elite ranks of Institute of Meat (IoM) accredited Master Butchers. Peter Howarth, Kevin King and Roy Mason all joined the hallowed ranks of Master Butchers.

The new Master Butchers were honoured at the IoM’s annual prizegiving last month.

The event has been running for almost 30 years and was attended this year by HRH The Princess Royal. The prizegiving seeks to celebrate and reward individual achievement in the meat and poultry industry.

Keith Fisher, Chief Executive of the IoM, said: “Being granted accredited Master Butcher status is one of the highest accolades a butcher can achieve. In almost three decades of the prizegiving we have accepted less than 60 applications.

The process of assessing an application is rigorous and in fact we only consider applications from the most experienced and skilful butchers.’

Also recognised at the event was Booker apprentice Letitia Redfern who won the Best Apprentice award who was presented with her certificate of achievement by HRH The Princess Royal.

Spending up by 13.7% in February Consumer card spending grew 13.7% in February compared to the same period in 2020 – the highest growth since November 2021 – following the lifting of Covid restrictions and work-from-home guidance.

MUP moves closer in Ireland

Independent retailers on both sides of the Irish border have reacted positively to the opening of a consultation on the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Northern Ireland.

MUP came into effect in the Republic on January 1 this year, sparking fears of a surge in cross-border shoppers seeking cheaper alcohol from off-licences in the Province.

Independent retailers believe MUP in Northern Ireland will create a “level playing field” and bring alcohol prices in line with the Republic, Scotland and Wales, where it is already in place.

Data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, revealed that spending on essential items like food, drink and fuel rose a further 12% in February. Part of this increase was driven by an 11.2% rise in spend on fuel, due in part to climbing prices at the pump.

The survey also found that 59% of shoppers are “seeking greater value for money to help reduce the cost of their weekly shop”. Almost half of these shoppers (45%) are buying budget or own-brand goods over branded goods.

The travel sector continued to decline at -13.9%, suggesting many shoppers are still choosing to socialise and holiday in the UK, creating extra opportunities for retailers.

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s n e g d u B s y a d h Birt

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 5

YEARS

1

Darsham DARSHAM SERVICE STATION Saxmundham

5

YEARS

Suffolk 5

YEARS

2

Pump Hill BP PUMP HILL GARAGE Clacton on Sea Essex

3

Lee on the Solent LEE ON THE SOLENT SERVICE STATION Lee on the Solent

5

YEARS

5

YEARS

13

5

6

1 8

11 12 7 3

5

Bridgnorth UNIT 1 SALOP STREET Bridgnorth

15 YEARS

7

Shropshire

Hampshire

4 West Meon MEON HUT SERVICE STATION West Meon

Your Budgens: Birthdays

5

YEARS

6

2

9

4

10

Earley LODDON BRIDGE SERVICE STATION Earley Reading

Sheringham SHERINGHAM SERVICE STATION Sheringham

15 YEARS

8

Norfolk

Overmonnow OVERMONNOW GARAGE Monmouth Monmouthshire

Hampshire

e m o c l e W to Budgens

9 BATTERSEA PARK

Store openings and refurbs

10 CB MOTORS

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

12 WATTON-AT-STONE

Battersea, London Tenterden, Kent

11 COSGROVE PARK

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire

13 GOSFORTH

Gosforth, Cumbria

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 13

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The biggest launch in the category since 2017! ©2022 AB InBev UK Limited, all rights reserved.

STOCK UP NOW TO MEET CUSTOMER DEMAND Your Budgens March 22.indd 14 555201_Booker_Stella_Unfiltered_Advert.indd 1

20/04/2022 13:43:23 08/02/2022 11:49

In the

s w e N

Symbol stores have been included within the scope of a new law which comes into force in April requiring retailers to display the calorie content of non-prepackaged food and drink for instant consumption.

New calorie labelling laws come into force in April From 6th April 2022, many retailers will be required by law to display the calorie content of their food.

Following a consultation in 2018, the Government is now requiring large food businesses with 250 or more employees to comply with the new legislation.

Critically, however, all symbol store outlets are designated as being within the scope of the regulation.

The law affects the entire ‘out of home’ food sector, covering all outlets where food or drink is prepared in a way that means it is ready for immediate consumption, on or off the premises.

The regulations require calorie information to be displayed at the point where a shopper chooses what food to purchase, such as on menus and on labels next to food on display.

The legislation is primarily aimed at hospitality business but will affect Budgens retailers offering non-prepacked food-to-go in their stores or Budgens retailers with an in-store dining area.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 15

The Government says the new legislation is geared to making it easier for shoppers to make informed, healthier decisions when purchasing food out of the home but also to “encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer and provide lower calorie options” for their shoppers.

Failure to comply with the Regulations may result in a food business being issued with an improvement notice while failure to comply with an improvement notice could lead to a £2,500 fixed penalty being imposed.

The new rules will extend into the digital space and will cover food sold on a website or mobile app, including third party delivery apps. Where food in scope of the regulations is sold on a website or mobile app, the business responsible for that website or mobile app is required to display the calorie information of food offered for sale by any qualifying business.

Retailers selling via thirdparty delivery websites or apps will be required to

provide calorie information to the website or app provider for all products listed for sale on the website or app.

Calorie information must be made available to the shopper when the food is delivered in the form of, for example, a calorie labelled menu with the order or stickers on food containers displaying calorie information.

Certain categories of food are exempt from the new legislation, including fresh fruit or vegetables (including potatoes), as long as they are not added to other food, or sold as an ingredient in food consisting of more than one ingredient.

Labelling specifications Businesses selling food in scope of the Regulations must: l display the energy content of the food in kilocalories (kcal) l reference the size of the portion to which the calorie information relates l display the statement that ‘adults need around 2,000 kcal a day’

For example, loose fresh fruit does not need to display calorie information.

However, if prepared into a fruit salad, the fruit salad must be calorie labelled.

For more information, visit www.gov.uk

15 20/04/2022 13:43:23

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News: Claims

Booker streamlines retailer claims process A new online claims form will help simplify and speed up the retailer claims process for deliveries with damaged stock, shortages or other discrepancies.

Booker has responded to feedback from Budgens retailers by launching a new and improved claims process for retailers who receive deliveries with discrepancies, for example damaged stock or shortages.

1 Home Screen My Account link is top right

2 Claims buttons once clicking ‘My Account’

While retailers previously had to call or email the customer service team with any issues around deliveries, the new process sees all claims managed online, directly through the Booker website.

To submit a claim, all that Budgens retailers now need to do is click ‘My Account’ on the home page and then ‘Submit a Claim’. After selecting the delivery date, the invoice number can be chosen and the relevant products selected. Retailers can even attach photographs or other documents to substantiate their claim.

The system automatically validates the claims as they are submitted and eliminates the risk of human error problems such as typing the wrong invoice number or selecting the wrong delivery.

3 Claim logging screen

4 Claim review screen

As a result, claims will be processed much more quickly and efficiently, ensuring that once a credit is reviewed and approved, credit notes will be issued instantaneously.

The seamless process also allows retailers to track the progress of their claim on the website at every stage of the process.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 17

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20/04/2022 13:43:31

How to get involved in GroceryAid Day 2022!

GroceryAid Day returns on the 26th of April and industry charity is asking Budgens retailers and their colleagues to get involved and help raise awareness of GroceryAid. Budgens retailers to get involved in this year’s official GroceryAid Day which takes place on the 26th of April.

GroceryAid is asking retailers and their teams to get involved and help raise awareness of the charity and the free services and support available to all colleagues working in the independent retailing industry.

IT’S GOOD TO TALK The theme for this year’s event is ‘Let’s Talk GroceryAid’ and the goal is to tell as many colleagues as possible about how the charity can support them.

GroceryAid wants as many colleagues as possible to know that support is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

In the wake of the challenges of the last couple of years, the important and valuable work carried out by charity GroceryAid to help industry colleagues in need has never been more important – and has also never been in greater demand.

Since this time last year, the charity has already experienced a 93% rise in applications for financial support and a 47% increase in calls to the free and confidential 24/7 Helpline.

That’s why the charity is asking

Emotional, practical and financial support is available to all and experience shows that talking to a colleague about GroceryAid can be lifechanging for an individual member of your team.

Last year, 54% of colleagues who approached the charity for support did so because of word of mouth and employer referral.

More than 200 companies in the trade took part in GroceryAid Day 2021 on the day and the charity reached millions of people through company engagement.

To get involved, visit www.groceryaid.org.uk Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 19

GET INVOLVED

To get involved, all you have to do is visit the GroceryAid website at groceryaid.org.uk where you can read a full guide on how to take part.

You can also order printed materials like posters, flyers, bunting and stickers on the site as well as being able to download digital materials such as social media tiles and Zoom backgrounds to help you spread the word effectively and professionally.

Finally, don’t forget to add a ‘Save The Date’ into your colleagues’ diaries to ensure that they are aware of GroceryAid Day 2022 – and make sure you follow GroceryAid on any social media channels you use.

How to get involved Step 1: Read the GroceryAid Day Guide on how to take part at www.groceryaid.org.uk Step 2: Order your printed materials for GroceryAid Day Step 3: Download your digital materials for GroceryAid Day Step 4: Don’t forget to Save the Date in your colleagues’ diaries Step 5: Follow GroceryAid on social media

19 20/04/2022 13:43:32

Retailer Profile: Aruran Muthu

The jewel in the crown As the first retail unit to open as part of a £90m redevelopment of Egham town centre, Budgens of Egham is a shining example of all the great things to come.

From bunting to balloons and bouncing babies, new store openings do tend to involve a fair amount of fanfare. However, Budgens’ recently re-opened store in the Surrey university town of Egham certainly took its launch celebrations to the max, with the local Mayor, a host of high-profile Councillors, local news reporters and swathes of happy shoppers having all come together in a united show of support for the store’s grand opening on 11 February.

edge energy efficient technology aside for just one moment, the opening of the new-look Budgens store also marked a milestone moment for Egham itself.

Why such pomp and circumstance? Innovative food to go solutions, 24-hour trading and cutting-

Now in its very final stages, the regeneration by landowner Runnymede Borough Council, will

20 Your Budgens March 22.indd 20

As the first retail business to open in the new-look town centre, following a £90m redevelopment project more than two years in the making, Budgens Egham is also a shining green symbol of the town’s new dawn.

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Retailer Profile: Aruran Muthu

also include the creation of new social, retail and living space bordering a new town square, 34 affordable flats, 67 premium apartments, student accommodation, a cinema complex, plus host of other businesses, restaurants and shops.

Operated by long-standing Budgens retailer Aruran Muthu, the new-look store, which is located directly in-front of the new and fully-pedestrianised ‘Magna Square’ shopping and social space, represents a significant opportunity.

“I’d been operating the store in this location for just over a decade before the redevelopment project of the town centre began and we closed the site down for two weeks in January for the works to take place,” he explains.

“To be part of a project as big and as exciting like this is an opportunity that certainly doesn’t come around every day.”

The store’s size was increased as part of the regeneration works, taking it from approximately 2,500 sq ft to just under 3,000 sq ft, granting Aruran valuable extra space to create its new footfall-driving offer.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 21

STORE FACTS Store Name: Store name: Budgens Egham Retailer: Aruran Muthu Store size: 2,950 sq ft Staff: 8 Best performing categories: Food to go, BWS Opening Hours: 7am – 12pm but will go 24 hours

“With Egham University’s Royal Holloway campus located just 200 meters down the road we were keen for the new-look store to have a very strong food to go offer, particularly on the hot side, that would appeal to that key shopper demographic.”

Aruran Muthu

21 20/04/2022 13:43:34

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20/04/2022 13:43:45 24/02/2022 17:47

Retailer Profile: Aruran Muthu

“With Egham University’s Royal Holloway campus located just 200 meters down the road and further student accommodation set to open just a stone’s throw away, we were keen for the new-look store to have a very strong food to go offer, particularly on the hot side, that would appeal to that key shopper demographic,” Aruran explains.

Included in that new vista is a hot Chicago Town pizza ‘to go’ offer. Sold by the slice and displayed on a smart table-top unit, the hot pizza offer is already proving popular with hungry students and local shoppers alike, as is its new Rollover Hot Dog offer and supporting range of other hot ‘to go’ options such as burgers and corn dogs.

“From a cold stand point we’ve got F’real milkshakes, Fwip ice cream, Tango Ice Blast and a Tchibo coffee solution. Together these offers have really allowed us to go after the hot and cold market and we’re confident that sales will really take off once the entire development is complete and the warmer summer months arrive.

“I’m really pleased with the breadth and look of our new food to go offer,” says Aruran, “For me it’s one of the standout features of the store and really sets us apart from any other local competitors.”

A new American confectionery bay starring hit US lines such as Hershey’s and Reece’s is also helping to create a much-hyped point of difference with its young student shoppers.

And students aren’t the only key demographic the new-look store is seeking to seduce.

“In addition to the large student population, we are also anticipating a fair deal of trade from the many new home owners who will soon take up residence within the new apartment buildings and also the many shoppers, diners and cinema-goers who will be attracted to the smart new fully-pedestrianised space at the front,” Aruran adds.

“We are also anticipating the arrival of slightly more affluent local shoppers due to some of the premium accommodation that is also being built – an expectation which has also seen us focus heavily creating a strong meal for tonight solution,” he adds.

Crafted over 10 chilled bays, the store’s new ‘meal for tonight’ offer includes an array of key chilled products from fresh meat to pizza and pasta, as well as premium frozen ready meals from the Cook! Brand.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 23

Another key feature of the new-look store is BWS. Designed to complement the store’s range of evening meal solutions, the new BWS offer now provides shoppers with “all the right elements to create their perfect evening,” Aruran says.

The extended BWS section features a wider range of everyday low-priced wines, plus a large selection of premium wines to cater for those more affluent new shoppers.

“We’ve really gone after the wine market as part of our drive to target that key meal for tonight solution which we know will take off once the development is fully up and running,” Aruran adds.

The store also features some smart new design touches such as dark floor and dark ceilings to help products stand out while the latest LED lighting also works to showcase the new-look range.

And LED lighting is far from the store’s only energysaving feature, with Aruran having also invested in cutting-edge heat reclaim technology to help the store run as efficiently as possible and keep overheads in check.

“Energy efficiency has always been an important

23 20/04/2022 13:43:48

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Your Budgens March 22.indd 24

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20/04/2022 13:44:28

Retailer Profile: Aruran Muthu

“The development is still not entirely finished but already we are clearly seeing the potential that this store will have once all is complete.”

Aruran Muthu

consideration but with prices set to rise so much this year, it’s become critical,” he adds.

And given the rising cost of living, Aruran has also ensured that the store delivers a strong everyday low price offer complemented by attractive Budgens promotions on key categories including BWS, chilled and ambient grocery.

“The development is still not entirely finished but already we are clearly seeing the potential that this store will have once all is complete,” Aruran adds.

“Shoppers both new and returning have been so enthusiastic about the new-offer, especially the food to go which is totally unique in this area,” he says.

“Having the support of Runnymede Borough Council has also meant a lot,” he adds.

Commenting on the store’s opening as part of a glowing opening review in the local press Council leader Nick Prescot said: “I am pleased to welcome Budgens back to the centre of Egham and as our first retailer at Magna Square.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 25

“Budgens is the first of many big announcements due in 2022, with lots of excitement expected as people start to see more businesses opening throughout the year.”

The store, which currently trades from 7am until midnight, is also planning to open 24 hours a day later this year, in a bid to cater for the new nighttime trade set to be created once all the new bars, restaurants and cinema open.

“With a large pedestrianised zone full of restaurants and bars the new square will be a very social place and it will be wonderful to be a part of that,” Aruran adds “We currently have eight employees but will likely need to double that number by the early summer when the development is fully up and running to ensure that we continue delivering the best possible service, no matter the time of day or night,” Aruran adds. “Keeping our shoppers happy is the ultimate goal.”

And it’s a goal we are more than sure he’s going to score.

25 20/04/2022 13:44:32

Retailer Profile: Ian Hughes

Back to basics

An augmented chilled offer and a keen focus on the basic principles of good convenience retailing is driving sales at his Budgens Blandford Forum store.

“You could have the best-looking store in the world, but if it’s not selling the right range, what’s the point?”

Ian Hughes, Budgens Blandford Forum

While eye-catching store refits can certainly fuel footfall growth, the power of smaller, simpler and more targeted refreshes can be just as effective. In fact, as Budgens retailer Ian Hughes attests, sometimes it’s the seemingly small changes which can have the biggest impact – and with more than 40 years of retailing experience under his belt, he’s certainly had enough practice to inform his view.

His business, an 1,800sq ft Budgens forecourt store in the market town of Blandford Forum in Dorset has experienced more than half a dozen builds, refits and re-jigs (including a total knockdown and rebuild) since Ian and his brother-in law first took it over in the early 1980s, back when it was little more than a “tiny” attended-service petrol station and kiosk.

However, as Ian explains, the comparatively small, yet highly focused,

26 Your Budgens March 22.indd 26

refresh carried out in October 2021 has had “one of the biggest effects,” with the store having just experienced its best December and January ever.

“This latest exercise has been all about refining our offer to ensure that we are catering as best as possible to our shoppers’ new needs,” Ian says.

“In all my years of retailing, I’ve never known a period quite like this. Shopper behaviour and demands have changed so dramatically in the past two years and we’ve had to respond in kind.

“Blandford is a town with about 10,000 residents, plus a military base which is home to the Royal Corps of Signals, so we get a few military shoppers too.

There’s also a lot of competition, we have every supermarket and discounter brand in the town plus a Tesco fuel site.

“Shoppers in Blandford have a great

deal of choice which means that we have to be at the very top of our game at all times in a bid to stand out. We do that in a variety of ways, but range and service are particularly key.”

Getting the basics right is imperative, believes Ian: “You have to know your shoppers inside out and deliver exactly what they want to the highest possible standard.

“You could have the best-looking store in the world, but if it’s not selling the right range, what’s the point?

“Demand for fresh, chilled and frozen products boomed during the pandemic and lockdown months and has stayed high, so we knew we needed to make more of this going forward.”

As such, the late October refit saw the store elevate its frozen offer with a new five-door freezer, while its chilled range Volume 13: April 2022 20/04/2022 13:44:33

Retailer Profile: Ian Hughes

was augmented by an additional six metres.

The bolstered range means the store now boasts just under 20 metres of chilled, allowing it to offer a wider range of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with a much larger selection of fresh meats, ready meals and dairy items, all of which are sourced through Budgens.

“The whole range just looks so better, it’s now a very impressive and appealing offer,” says Ian. It’s also allowed him to dedicate five metres of chilled space to soft drinks and double face all key lines, a fact which has already sent soft drinks sales soaring by 20%. “The rise is huge considering we haven’t actually introduced any new lines; the range just looks a lot better, and the double facings create greater impact,” Ian says.

Fitting in the additional six metres of chilled was achieved by physically increasing shelf heights and creating longer aisles.

“Prior to the refit, we had gondolas running along the shop with a break in the middle,” explains Ian. “We’ve now filled in those breaks and created solid runs which has enabled us to get more range in.

“It’s also improved the flow and the way shoppers navigate the store. Before, many shoppers were just heading for the middle of the shop and cutting Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 27

through to get to the tills but now they are walking much more of the store and seeing the depth of our offer.

“The challenge with a forecourt store is that many shoppers can be quite singleminded. Fuel shoppers tend to be on a mission from pump to till and back out again. With simple layout changes we’ve interrupted that mission but in a positive way.

STORE FACTS Store Name: Budgens Blandford Forum, Dorset Retailer: Ian Hughes Store size: 1,800sq ft Staff: 30 Services: National Lottery, E-top up, ATM, carwash Opening Hours: 6am-11pm

“Most shoppers are picking up one or two additional items as a result but even those who aren’t doing so yet are now aware of our new larger range and may well do so in the coming weeks. Half the battle is growing shopper awareness of what we offer.”

The refresh also included the installation of a new Tango Ice Blast machine, which made £1,200 in the first week of trading alone. “Bearing in mind that was in the first week of November, that’s pretty incredible,” he comments.

“Our old slush machine didn’t even do that in the summer. The Tango brand clearly has a strong draw and we’re really looking forward to seeing what it can do in the summer months.

“As part of the Tango Ice Blast installation, we also changed the location of our existing two Costa Coffee machines. They had been sat side by side, but our Budgens RDM Richard Cowan suggested moving one to either side of the hot and cold food-to-go

27 20/04/2022 13:44:34

Your Budgens March 22.indd 28

20/04/2022 13:44:34

Retailer Profile: Ian Hughes

“Demand for fresh, chilled and frozen products boomed during the pandemic and lockdown months and has stayed high, so we knew we needed to make more of this going forward.”

Ian Hughes, Budgens Blandford Forum

offering. That change alone has also had a positive impact on coffee sales.

Separating the machines has elevated the look of the whole ‘to go’ offer and made it appear more prominent.

swiftly to ensure that service doesn’t get impacted. Customer service remains a red-hot priority for shoppers, especially on a forecourt where speed of service is paramount.

“It also gives shoppers more space to walk past the machines and queue more comfortably which remains very important to shoppers. Personal space is still a concern as shoppers adjust to the ‘new normal’ way of life.

“We’ve had to adapt our operations to ensure that we have the right number of staff on tills, the shop floor and in the back preparing the bake-off items to meet those new demands.

“Saying that, it’s actually very difficult to say what ‘normal’ is these days.

Shopper behaviour has changed so much. Many shoppers have returned to work but lots are still working from home or doing half-and-half, so we now have a new hybrid situation with shoppers now visiting us throughout the day, as opposed to before or after work.

“Changes like this require you to react Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 29

“Shoppers also remain quite quick to react to any concerning news. In the first few days of the Ukrainian crisis, we immediately noticed longer queues at our petrol pumps. On Friday 25 February we did 26,000 litres and on Monday 28 February we did 19,000 – that’s up from around 12,000 normally.

There is a newfound sense of wariness about shoppers which means they need to feel that they have everything they need, making availability critical.”

Fortunately for Ian and son Owain, who has also joined the business as site manager, the support of a reliable symbol partner such as Budgens has been a significant boon in the recent challenging times.

“There are many advantages to being with a group like Budgens but delivery times are certainly a big one,” he highlights. “We benefit from favourable delivery windows that are organised in line with shopper demand and crucially we can rely on them.

“We know when to go out and cone off the area for the delivery lorry and we know it will arrive in that set window. Things like that are priceless.

If, like us, your store receives a lot of elderly shoppers who like to visit in the morning, it’s no good getting your fresh bread delivery at midday!

29 20/04/2022 13:44:36

*Ingredients Water, Barley, Malt, Maize, hops, sugar, natural flavours. ©2022 AB InBev UK Limited, all rights reserved.

Your Budgens March 22.indd 30

20/04/2022 13:44:37

Retailer Profile: Ian Hughes

“Shoppers are really very pleased with the change and that’s being borne out in the sales figures. Turnover is bigger than ever, especially on key categories such as chilled, alcohol and food- and drinks-to-go but we are also selling more grocery lines than we were a year ago as shoppers shop more of the store.

Ian Hughes, Budgens Blandford Forum

“I’d also like to give a special mention to the Budgens drivers who are always pleasant, it counts for a lot!”

Ian says the Budgens promotions are also very good, too: “Shoppers are very price conscious, especially around here where there is so much competition.

They are always on the hunt for value so we make sure we offer strong deals and competitive prices.

“Simple to spot and easy to understand promotional mechanics such as ‘2 for 1s’ are very popular here.”

“Shoppers want simplicity when it comes to promotions, they don’t like complicated deals.”

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 31

Looking to the months ahead, Ian plans to keep a laser focus on operations as he continues to tweak the store’s offer in response to changing shopper needs.

“This year will all be about perfecting our new offer until we move to the next level because there is always a next level,” he adds.

“Every three years you need to be looking at investing in your site and renewing or replacing concepts and equipment. It’s a constant process of evolution but a necessary one if you want to be truly successful in this game.

It’s how you keep shoppers hooked.”

And Ian’s certainly netted additional footfall and sales with his latest change.

“Shoppers are really very pleased with the change and that’s being borne out in the sales figures. Turnover is bigger than ever, especially on key categories such as chilled, alcohol and food- and drinks-to-go but we are also selling more grocery lines than we were a year ago as shoppers shop more of the store.

“We’ve just had our most successful December and January ever, which is really saying something.

“We’ve had a lot of refits over the years and some have been much bigger, but I would say that this one has been one of the most successful and it hasn’t involved any building work which is really quite incredible.”

31 20/04/2022 13:44:38

Your Budgens March 22.indd 32

20/04/2022 13:44:38

Your Budgens March 22.indd 33

20/04/2022 13:44:38

Business Opportunity: Make More Profit

Add tens of thousands to your bottom line!

Keen to grow your profits this year? Read on for some great ideas on how you can add tens of thousands of pounds to your bottom line.

If the idea of adding tens of thousands of pounds of profit to your bottom line this year appeals to you, then Budgens has some fantastic tried and tested ideas for you to consider.

These suggestions have been implemented by Budgens retailers and have helped them massively grow their profits – so why not take a look and see if there are any that could work in your business?

WHAT ‘PERFECT’ LOOKS LIKE Case study:

FOOD TO GO Sarah Redley - Frilford

START AT THE BEGINNING

“By creating a food- and drinks-to-go zone within the store, it has brought this area to life, with customer interaction via social media and instore growing each week.

As part of the Fit For The Future programme, Budgens has been actively seeking out the most efficient ways to grow profits. Step one in this process is to perfect the basics. This involves embracing ideas that can work in every Budgens store and includes five key elements: foodto-go, fresh produce, PMP confectionery, fractional spirits and home delivery.

“Not only have we seen like-for-like sales increase by 10% in Coffee and Hot Food, our new ranges have meant an overall sales increase of 83%, serving over 230 Tango, 177 Roll-Over and 200 F’Real units per week.”

Food- and drink-to-go represent an enormous opportunity for retailers and Budgens offers a wide array of solutions such as Costa Coffee, Tango Ice Blast, Rollover, Fwip and bake-off options.

34 Your Budgens March 22.indd 34

Many of these solutions are self-serve and require very little additional work for your team at the store. Profit margins on many of these solutions are well in excess of 70% and a dedicated food- and drinkto-go section could help transform your business by generating extra footfall, sales and profits.

Volume 13: April 2022 20/04/2022 13:44:38

Business Opportunity: Make More Profit

PERFECT THE BASICS l Food-to-go (Costa Coffee, Tango Ice Blast, Slush, Rollover, Fwip, Bake Off) l Fresh Offer l PMP Confectionery l Fractional Spirits l Home Delivery

Budgens shoppers expect a strong fresh offer and with enough space and a little effort, retailers can meet these shopper demands and grow sales of fresh produce as well as boosting sales in other categories.

With both multipacks and price-marked products in growth over the last two years, Budgens’ range of £1 PMP confectionery multipacks is a great way to grow basket spend and profits.

Many Budgens retailers have created a dedicated section of the range – and have seen profits grow. Sets of £1 shelf edge labels are available to bring the fixture to life and highlight the amazing value.

WHAT ‘PERFECT’ LOOKS LIKE

Case study:

PMP CONFECTIONERY Karim Rashid - Frilford

“Prior to the Budgens focus on this area, we only traded a small number of multipack confectionery lines across a couple of shelves.

“We have now created a full bay, utilised POS and have seen our sales increase by 286%.”

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 35

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Your Budgens March 22.indd 36

20/04/2022 13:44:39

Business Opportunity: Make More Profit

Another outstanding opportunity exists with fractionals, offering shoppers access to big name branded spirits for minimal cash outlay. They require little space and help you offer more choice to shoppers, as well as growing profits as fractionals offer strong PORs of up to 30%.

Case study:

FRACTIONAL SPIRITS Budgens – Westow Hill

“In my shop we’ve seen sales growth of around 15% YOY in this category due to the improved range, price-marked packs and good POR and increased rate of sales. This has stopped me from buying from external suppliers and our shoppers prefer the PMPs because it gives that value for money perception.”

KE WHAT ‘PERFECT’ LOOKS LI Finally, home delivery represents one of the biggest opportunities of all for Budgens retailers. It can be relatively easy to implement and many Budgens retailers have added thousands of pounds a week to their sales with home delivery. Over the course of a year, this alone could add tens of thousands of pounds a year to your bottom line.

Once you’ve got the basics perfected, it’s time to consider developing your offer in other areas. These could include bread and milk, further growing your fresh produce offer and taking a fresh look at your chilled meat offer.

Staples like bread and milk are massively important in driving daily footfall for retailers but the fact that Budgens offers improved pricing on bread and milk means that you can compete effectively with all competitors as well as keeping profits strong.

A range of great POS lets you communicate that value message in-store and a little time spent shouting about your Every Day Low Pricing on social media will pay dividends.

Last but not least, adding the Meat Market range of products to your chilled section can be a great way of broadening the choice you offer your shoppers as well as delivering high quality, great value solutions that meet the needs of your shoppers.

Why not consider a dedicated 1m shelf for the range and make it unmissable in-store with the free POS? Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 37

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*

Inch’s Medium Apple Cider has been voted Product of the Year 2022 in the Alcoholic Drinks Category Winner Alcoholic Drinks Category. Survey 9,897 People by Kantar.

*

Your Budgens March 22.indd 38

20/04/2022 13:44:44

Business Opportunity: Make More Profit

DEVELOP THE OFFER 1. Bread 2. Milk 3. Meat Market 4. Fresh Produce

Case study:

Case study:

Case study:

Jonathan Fraser – Three Mile Cross

Dary – Sweeney’s Wendover

Dary – Sweeney’s Wendover

“This has become a key category, that since the price reduction it has increased sales and given us the edge over our competitors. Volumes and profit are both up and it has also driven footfall into the store.”

“Having a competitive price position on bread has really driven footfall into the store.

Together with the supporting POS, this has really helped encourage sales whilst keeping a good margin.”

MEAT MARKET

“Budgens have recently added the Meat Market to our range, and this has given our consumers an additional option of added value lines within our fresh offering giving a greater choice at a single and multibuy price point. In addition to this the small case size and long shelf life also helps to benefit our business as we build sales in this category.”

MILK

BREAD

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE FANTASTIC PROFIT-BOOSTING IDEAS FROM BUDGENS – AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE, PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR RDM.

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 39

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SUMMER POS—BEER & CIDER FESTIVA

L

Your Budgens: Budgens Beer & Cider Festival

Beer & Cider festival returns!

Beer&CIDER FeStIvAl

Bee CID

HANGING CARDS

The Budgens Beer & Cider Festival returns soon, offering a great opportunity for retailers to rack up additional footfall, sales and profits.

Beer&CIDER

With the days getting longer and temperatures creeping up it’s time for retailers to begin turning their attention to what should be a busy and profitable summer. To get the season kicked off in style, Budgens will once again be bringing back its annual Beer & Cider BEER &in CIDE Festival Period 3, IVAL from 26 April.

R FEST

FeStIvAl

With Covid restrictions eased, this summer is shaping up to be a sales scorcher as UK shoppers make up for

FeSt

lost time and socialise with friends and family. The Budgens Beer & Cider Festival offers the perfect opportunity to help get your shoppers back into the swing of things.

WHAT’S NEW? This year’s Festival is set to generate huge excitement among your shoppers thanks to a raft of new beer and cider products, some fantastic multibuy

BUDGENS CRAFT BASKET Did you know that craft beer sales make up 9.9% of grocery beer sales yet only 2.6% of sales in independent retail? That’s a huge opportunity for Budgens retailers, particularly as craft beer was the only beer segment in growth in impulse last year, up 4.9%.

To help retailers cash in, Budgens has created a special Craft Basket of 4-packs for the Budgens Beer & Cider Festival. The range is available in Period 3, from 26 April, at a special Festival price of just £5.50, before moving to an EDLP price of £6 after the Festival.

Code M267043 M265954 M261632 M265935 M276384 M276767

40 Your Budgens March 22.indd 40

Product Camden Hells Camden Pale Ale Brewdog Punk IPA Brewdog Hazy Jane Planet Pale NEW Brooklyn NEW

Case Size 6x4x330ml 6x4x330ml 6x4x330ml 6x4x330ml 6x4x330ml 6x4x440ml

WSP £20.69 £20.69 £22.19 £22.19 £22.19 £22.19

RSP £5.50 £5.50 £5.50 £5.50 £5.50 £5.50

POR 24.75% 24.75% 19.31% 19.31% 19.31% 19.31%

Volume 13: April 2022 20/04/2022 13:44:48

FINS

Your Budgens: Budgens Beer & Cider Festival

deals and a new ‘Craft Beer Basket’ that will help Budgens retailers cash in on the continued growth of craft beers.

New products for the Festival include Stella Unfiltered, a hazy Stella aiming to bridge the gap between premium lager and craft beer, and Heineken Silver, a new premium and refreshing variant targeted at Generation Z shoppers and backed up by a £15m media campaign.

Also new is Spanish premium beer Madri in a 660ml bottle and, for cider lovers, Strongbow Ultra which is a lowcalorie fruit cider that contains only 95 calories per can and is being launched with the help of a £13m media campaign.

BASKET SPEND While these big brands and new products are likely to be a huge hit

BRAND NEW FESTIVAL PRODUCTS

To help add excitement to the Budgens Beer & Cider Festival 2022, a collection of new products will be available to help retailers generate interest and attention both in-store and on social media.

STELLA UNFILTERED

l 2% ‘hazy’ Stella to bridge the gap from premium lager to craft beer

MADRI 660ML

l Spanish Premium lager

HEINEKEN SILVER 4X330ML

l Premium, refreshing 4% lager. Aims to recruit gen Z shoppers with a £15m media campaign including the Women’s Euros.

STRONGBOW ULTRA 4X330ML

l Low calorie fruit cider, only 95 calories!

Backed by a £13m media campaign.

EDLP Basket Updates As part of the Budgens Beer & Cider Festival, retailers will be able to access some fantastic 2-for-£4.50 deals on large bottles and some 3-for-£6 deals on cider.

These deals are sure to grow footfall as well as driving increased basket spend and profits.

Beer Deal: 2 for £4.50 POR: 24.5% What’s included: l Singha 630ml l Madri 660ml NEW l Stella Unfiltered 660ml NEW

Cider Deal: 3 for £6 POR: 25.0% What’s included: l Rekorderlig Blood Orange NEW l Old Mout Strawberry & Apple NEW

“We sell a lot of beer and cider at the store so the Festival is a fantastic opportunity to make a lot more noise around the category and generate some excitement in-store and on social media. I’m looking forward to seeing how some of the new products perform and there are some great basket deals which I think will go down well with our shoppers.”

Noel Kavanagh, Budgens Hinchley Wood

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 41

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Your Budgens March 22.indd 42

20/04/2022 13:44:48

Your Budgens: Budgens Beer & Cider Festival

in your store during and after the Festival, there is an increasing number of craft beer fans out there – and Budgens has responded with a new ‘Craft Basket’ of premium 4-pack craft beers, all available to shoppers at just £5.50.

EDLP UPDATE

Craft beer sales make up 9.9% of beer sales in supermarkets, yet account for only 2.6% of beer sales in independent retail. This represents a huge opportunity for Budgens retailers and the Craft Basket will help them grow profitable sales during the Festival and beyond.

Three large bottle beers will be featured in a 2-for-£4.50 shopper deal: Singha 630ml and two new lines, Stella Artois Unfiltered 660ml and Madri 660ml.

Also featuring in the Budgens Beer & Cider Festival will be two exciting EDLP baskets featuring large format beer products and cider products, most of them new to Budgens.

For cider fans, the EDLP basket will see two new products featured in a 3-for-£6 shopper deal: Rekorderlig Blood Orange and Old Mout Strawberry & Apple.

These fantastic brands and outstanding products will help you grow basket spend and footfall, especially if you flag them up to your shoppers on social media.

BRING IT TO LIFE To maximise the opportunity presented by the Budgens Beer & Cider Festival, it’s important to start talking to your shoppers now about it and to build excitement as the Festival draws closer.

Alongside popular products from Camden and Brewdog, the Craft Basket also features two new lines: Planet Pale and Brooklyn.

Stock all six lines and you will be well equipped to attract more craft beer fans and grow incremental sales across your store.

Budgens will provide a full eye-catching POS kit that retailers can use to bring the Festival to life in their stores. Why not create a dedicated Festival fixture in-store, if you have the space, to make sure the event is unmissable to your shoppers.

And don’t forget to keep reminding shoppers on social media, highlighting deals and new products and maybe even running a ‘like and share’ competition offering some of the new products as a prize to grow your social media following and increase engagement and footfall?

“Having only opened the store in December last year, I’m really looking forward to the Budgens Beer & Cider Festival. It should be a fantastic opportunity to create some more interest in the local community and to let my shoppers try some brilliant products. Beer and cider are already popular so I can see the Festival being a great event for my shoppers.”

Kalyan Akisetty, Budgens of Alva

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 43

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Seasonal Opportunity: Queen’s Jubilee

Are you ready

for the Jubilee?

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on the 5th of June is a huge opportunity for Budgens retailers to engage with their communities and grow footfall, sales and profits.

Find out more are: platinumjubilee.gov.uk

PLAN AHEAD! June may still seem like a long time away but the Jubilee celebrations are set to be huge this year, so there are plenty of things that require planning, such as: If you plan to organise entertainment or equipment for a street party like a marquee, bouncy castles or face painters, it’s probably best to book them now.

If you plan to use bunting, street signs, posters and other informational materials for the party, it makes sense to order it all now to avoid missing out later.

If you need to have a temporary road closure for your street party, your local council will need around six weeks’ notice.

If you want to sell alcohol at the party, you may need a Temporary Events Notice, so it’s worth checking that now.

If you are planning a BBQ or street food offering, speak to your Booker RDM now to make sure that your food and drinks order is in place in plenty of time.

44 Your Budgens March 22.indd 44

This year, Her Majesty The Queen celebrates becoming the first ever British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, commemorating a remarkable 70 years of service.

While there are many events marking the occasion throughout the year the focal point will be the official Platinum Jubilee party on Sunday the 5th of June.

Communities across the country are being actively encouraged to take part in the Jubilee to both mark the Queen’s reign and bring communities together.

The festival offers a clear opportunity for Budgens retailers to engage with their own communities and to drive up footfall, sales and profits.

There are two simple ways that retailers can join in with the official celebrations: either by organising a street party (or taking part in one organised by the local community) or by organising a Big Jubilee Lunch on the 5thof June.

The Queen’s official Jubilee website – platinumjubilee.gov.uk – offers detailed guidance on how to organise both a street party and a Big Jubilee Lunch.

In the case of the Big Lunch, you can even order a free pack of materials to help you advertise and promote the event.

Both events are designed to be fantastic celebrations of community and neighbours, making them the perfect opportunity for Budgens retailers to become driving forces in this once in a lifetime celebration.

Volume 13: April 2022 20/04/2022 13:44:50

Seasonal Opportunity: Queen’s Jubilee

HOW TO ORGANISE A STREET PARTY Street parties are set to be a major feature of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, so why not organise one near your store? Here’s some advice from the UK government:

GET THE PARTY STARTED Organising a street party or Big Jubilee Lunch isn’t a complicated process.

There is no licence required and even if you need the street to be temporarily closed, all UK councils are being encourage to grant temporary road closures for the Jubilee. They will need six weeks’ notice but the request is usually a formality.

You do not need a risk assessment – a common sense approach will do, says the Government – and you don’t need public liability insurance.

If you are planning a street party, or considering one, it’s probably wise to start the ball rolling now.

Ask for volunteers to help with your preparations from among your team and your shoppers, allocate simple tasks to them and give them set deadlines.

It’s also important to remember that, with street parties likely in many communities across the UK, entertainment and equipment suppliers will be in huge demand. So if you plan to hire a tent or marquee, or you intend to hire bouncy castles, trampolines or face painters, it makes sense to book them now.

l Organising a street party for residents and neighbours is very simple and does not need a licence - though your local council may require you to complete a simple application form. l Plan early and to share jobs out amongst your team and residents. If you need a temporary road closure, get in touch with your council at least six weeks in advance. l You should not need a risk assessment. As long as consideration is given to the safety needs of those attending, common sense precautions should be enough. l If you plan to sell alcohol you will need to check whether you need a Temporary Events Notice, a temporary permission for licensable activities which currently costs £21 and covers events of fewer than 500 people. l There is no requirement to have public liability insurance. l The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed that one-off events such as street parties aren’t usually considered food businesses, so there are no forms to fill in. l You do not have to register a lottery (which includes raffles, sweepstakes and tombolas) if you are running an ‘incidental lottery’, but tickets must be sold at the event and prizes cannot be rolled over from one event to another. Anyone at the event (including children) can take part and no more than £100 can be deducted from the proceeds to cover organisational costs. No more than £500 can be spent on prizes (not including donated prizes).

And if you intend to host a BBQ, street food stalls or any other form of food and drink offering, why not speak to your RDM now? They will be able to help you with the planning and will help ensure that your order is in early so that everything goes smoothly on the day.

POS kits will be sent to all stores FOC 108542 Generic_JUBILEE_Shelf Strip 1000x38mm.indd 1

Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 45

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What’s new: Products

W E N s t c du

pro

CCEP

MONSTER ENERGY ULTRA RANGE According to the latest Nielsen data, Monster is one of the biggest energy drinks brands in independent retail, and energy drinks is one of the fastest-selling categories in independent retail - so the launch of two new lines from Monster offers Budgens retailers fresh opportunities to generate excitement in-store and on social media as well as driving footfall, sales and profits. With demand for tasty, zero sugar energy drinks growing, the two new fruity Monster Energy Ultra lines fit the bill perfectly.

Available in standard 12-can cases, both products offer Budgens retailers strong PORs of 37.8%. Site the new lines prominently in the chiller in the energy drink section where the eye-catching cans will help drive trial and draw more shoppers to the fixture.

Monster Energy Ultra Watermelon NEW

Budgens brings you all the latest new products

Monster Energy Ultra Gold NEW

RSP

£1.65 POR 37.8%

Mondelez International

CADBURY CARAMILK BUTTONS Following the hugely successful launch of the Cadbury Caramilk brand in June last year, Cadbury is bringing the popular products to market in a new format: Cadbury Caramilk Buttons. Available in 90g hanging bags, the caramelised white chocolate buttons help bring the brand to a wider audience and offer Budgens retailers the chance to freshen up their hanging bag fixture and grow sales and profits.

The Caramilk brand has quickly become a favourite with all ages and the new line is expected to be a hit with existing Caramilk fans, as well as helping bring new shoppers into the brand. Feature the new product on your hanging bag display and consider siting them at high traffic points in your store like tillpoints and aisle ends to drive trial and impulse purchases.

Cadbury Caramilk Buttons

RSP

£2.25 POR 25.6%

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Volume 13: April 2022 20/04/2022 13:44:52

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20/04/2022 13:44:54 15/02/2022 17:07

ACS Update: HFSS

Time to start:

planning for HFSS New HFSS legislation will have a major impact on how retailers lay out their stores.

New legislation on products deemed high in fat, sugar and salt come into force in October and has major implications for how retailers set out their stores and promote products.

Convenience stores are used to adapting when the rules change, and the last two years have shown that retailers are fantastic at changing swiftly to ensure that their business can continue trading effectively, not just through the restrictions forced by the pandemic but also significant recent developments like the introduction of Natasha’s Law, fuel grade changes on forecourts, and calorie labelling for some food products in force from April.

As we now hopefully look beyond any issues in stores associated with the pandemic in 2022, preparation has begun for the next big shift in the way that we can set out our stores and promote products to customers as we count down to the introduction of HFSS restrictions in October.

This legislation, which aims to restrict the location and promotion of over a dozen product categories, will affect thousands of stores and will require many to carry out a fundamental rethink of their strategy and the way that their store is laid out. The rules on both where you can put products and which promotions are allowed are complicated, so it’s crucial that you know you’re going to be on the right side of the law come October, because the enforcement community are going to be looking at this issue specifically when they’re out visiting stores. (It’s not confirmed yet whether they’ll be Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 49

bringing a tape measure with them, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility).

The Government has recently published its official guidance on HFSS but they are not completely clear on the key issue of whether symbol group stores will be included within the scope of the regulations.

There are exemptions for stores with a relevant floor space of under 2,000 sq ft and for those with fewer than 50 employees, but the ’50 employees’ definition could include everyone working in stores under a symbol fascia. This is a live issue right now and something ACS is attempting to gain clarification on.

We’ve been working on HFSS since its inception several years ago and have now launched a comprehensive guide for retailers which details every step of the process to ensuring that your store is compliant. In the coming months there are likely to be more questions on interpretations of tiny details of the rules, and we’ll be covering those as well through our partnership with Surrey and Bucks Trading Standards. Just go to ACS.org.uk to download the guide and get in touch at acs@ acs.orguk, or on Twitter @ACS_localshops with any questions.

49 20/04/2022 13:44:55

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20/04/2022 13:44:56

Guest Column: Angela Hughes

It’s time to prepare for new calorie labelling laws A new law which comes into force in April means retailers will need to display the calorie content of nonprepacked food and drink for immediate consumption.

Booker Technical Director Angela Hughes discusses the impact that forthcoming new calorie labelling legislation will have on many Budgens retailers.

A new law is set to come in to force on the 6th of April this year that will have a profound impact on all Budgens retailers who sell food-to-go, offer instore dining facilities to their shoppers or provide home delivery services for food and drink within the scope of the regulations.

From that date, retailers offering these solutions will be required by law to display the calorie content of most of their non-prepacked food and drink.

The law covers all ‘out of home’ food businesses where food or drink is prepared in a way that means it is ready for immediate consumption, on or off the premises.

What does that mean for retailers?

Essentially, the regulations require calorie information to be displayed at the point where a shopper chooses what food they are going to buy. So that will mean calories information has to be added to menus, for instances, or on labels next to food and drink on display.

While the legislation is principally aimed at hospitality businesses like restaurants and bars, it will affect Budgens retailers offering nonprepacked food-to-go in their stores or retailers with an in-store dining area.

The Government says the new legislation is geared to making it Volume 13: April 2022 Your Budgens March 22.indd 51

easier for shoppers to make informed, healthier decisions but it also hopes to encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer and provide lower calorie options for shoppers.

If you sell via a third-party delivery websites or apps, it’s also worth noting that you will be required to provide calorie information to the website or app provider for all products listed for sale on the website or app.

The penalties for failing to comply are severe. If a retailer fails to meet the regulations, they could be issued with an ‘improvement notice’ and if they then fail to comply with that improvement notice they could be issued with a £2,500 fixed penalty fine.

Additionally, calorie information must be made available to the shopper when the food is delivered. That could mean a calorie labelled menu with the order, or stickers on food containers displaying calorie information.

So it’s vital that Budgens retailers prepare for the new regulations in good time.

The new regulations will also affect retailers offering home delivery. If you sell food in scope of the regulations on a website or mobile app - including third party delivery apps – you will be required to comply. The website or app will need to display the calorie information of food offered for sale.

Certain categories of food are exempt from the new legislation, including fresh fruit or vegetables (including potatoes), as long as they are not added to other food, or sold as an ingredient in food consisting of more than one ingredient.

These are significant new regulations and retailers should familiarise themselves with their new requirements from the 6th of April as soon as possible. For more information, visit www.gov.uk

“The Government says the new legislation is geared to making it easier for shoppers to make informed, healthier decisions but it also hopes to encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer and provide lower calorie options for shoppers.”

51 20/04/2022 13:44:56

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