Your Budgens Autumn 2021

Autumn 2021

Yogan’s partnership with Budgens is bearing fruit Grab some great deals for Christmas How to make £50k more profit per year Volume 10

NEWS • RETAILER PROFILES • LEGISLATION • GROUP BENEFITS • PROFIT BOOSTS • XMAS OFFERS Your Budgens October 21.indd 1

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Your Budgens: Contents

e… u s s i s i h t In 7

STEWART FENN’S WELCOME

56

Health & Safety Keep everyone safe this winter 8

Great deals and seasonal opportunities

Autumn and winter are great sales opportunities

8

NEWS Wins for Budgens at industry awards

11

WELCOME TO BUDGENS More stores join the Budgens family

13

INDUSTRY NEWS

Shoppers become more budget-conscious, say experts

15

LEGISLATION UPDATE Natasha’s law now in force

16

RETAILER PROFILE

Winning ways at Budgens 34

Winter wonders Great deals for Xmas

BUDGENS

A thriving family store at Pin Green, Stevenage

25

RETAILER PROFILE

How Yogan is building up a large estate with Budgens’ help

IT and customer services helpdesk Tel 0800 298 0758 All rights reserved. ©Booker Retail Partners.

All information within correct at time of printing.

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PROFIT BOOST

How you can earn £50k more profit in a year

44

BIGGER GROUP

The many benefits for Budgens retailers from being part of a bigger group

50

COMMUNICATION Make the most of our messaging to you

56

HEALTH & SAFETY

Advice on keeping colleagues and shoppers safe this winter

61

NEW PRODUCTS A round-up of the latest new products

67

GUEST COLUMN How to take the initiative on energy bills

44

25

Bigger Group Better for all 15

Email enquiries@bookerretail.co.uk Your Budgens Team Email yourbudgens@budgens.co.uk

34

WINTER WONDERS

Legislation update Natasha’s Law now in force

Cover Story

After starting as a forecourt cleaner in the 1980s, Yogan Yoganathan now has a chain of 12 stores and is constantly updating and developing the estate in line with the latest shopper trends and tastes. Now joined in the business by his son Sukanth, the pair are driving growth with Budgens, as shown by the recently expanded and redeveloped site at Hertford Road, North London.

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Welcome: Stewart Fenn

LEADING THE WAY IN

wintertime Welcome to the Autumn edition of Your Budgens.

strong demand throughout the winter months so it is worth reviewing your range to make sure it is relevant for your shoppers’ needs. We have some great EDLP pricing initiative on some key lines in this category, and you can ask for RDM for support if you need advice on building the best range.

This time of year marks a change in the seasons and a change-around of products and merchandising in stores, but there remain a great number of sales opportunities for Budgens retailers.

With children back at school and many office and factory workers returning to more familiar shopping patterns and travel regimes, we are expecting to see an ongoing rise in demand for food to go and other quick and easy solutions for mealtimes and snacking.

The Autumn opportunities of Halloween and Bonfire Night are very much a focus on stores right now, and I’m delighted to say that we have a tremendous programme of big festive promotions already underway and running right through until Christmas and the New Year period.

Budgens retailers have had great success at recent industry awards programmes, picking up accolades at the Forecourt Trader of the Year Awards for three of our stores and at the Convenience Awards, for the Shoppers’ Favourite Symbol Group.

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The latter awards was for the group as a whole, following feedback from the most important judges of all – our shoppers – so it is down to each and every one of you that we are seen as leading the way by our shoppers.

Budgens retailers continue to invest in new stores and significant refurbishments too, as evidenced by the stores featured in the issue.

As we move towards winter, we mustn’t forget that there will be increased concern about seasonal bugs and wellbeing in general, so we must continue to do everything we can to make sure our stores are as clean as possible, and that we have faultless hygiene regimes and colleague procedures in place to ensure that shoppers in our store have full confidence in us. We are expecting OTC medicines to be in

While there are many sales and profit opportunities to be capitalised on this winter, it is also very important to look after the cost side of the business as this will inevitably impact on the bottom line. Most stores will be able to save on their energy costs by taking advantage of the advice available through our dedicated energy specialist Saffron Business Solutions, just one of the many benefits available to Budgens retailers that come from being part of a larger group.

So, keep an eye out for our regular email communications and log on to the Booker website to make sure you can benefit from both the cost savings and the sales opportunities that are available to you this winter.

I wish you a great season of trading.

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In the

s w Ne

Success for Budgens retailers at the Forecourt Trader of the Year Awards 2021, with three major accolades presented at the ceremony in September.

Evening of triumph for Budgens forecourt retailers

Three Budgens retailers picked up major awards at the Forecourt Trader of the Year Awards 2021.

Fraser’s Budgens of Marlborough in Wiltshire won the award for Best Valeting Facilities.

Director Jonathan Fraser said: “It’s fantastic to have won. Lots of effort went into getting the facility up to the standard. We invested a lot of money in the site, but we had the space, and we know that jet washing is here for

the long term. Our supplier Wash Tec is a German company, and we were the first site they’ve worked on in the UK so it was a bit of a punt, but this award is justification.

“Our staff are passionate about giving every customer the best wash they can.”

At the same event, Budgens retailer AKV Services Sutterton from Boston, Lincolnshire won the regional prize for the Midlands (up to 4 million litres per annum), while Budgens Harleston

Service Station in Harleston, Norfolk, won the Midlands (over 4mlpa) prize.

Sabesh Sivilingham from Budgens Sutterton said: “The site is new – it’s only two years old – so we are very pleased to have won. The team have worked very hard this year.

“Budgens give me the maximum support with the business. Whenever I call them, they come and help me.”

Budgens wins major symbol group award

Budgens was awarded The Shoppers’ Favourite Symbol Group at the Convenience Awards 2021 last month.

Retail Partners, said: “Everyone at Budgens is absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award.

The award goes to the symbol fascia that scores the highest shopper satisfaction ratings compared to other symbol groups across a range of measures including speed of service, value for money, range, and friendliness of staff.

“It’s a great tribute to all of our retailers for the great service that they continue to give to their shoppers, and for the ways they embrace the latest product trends and recognise changing shopper requirements so successfully. This is a special award for all our retailers to enjoy.”

Gavin Claxton, Head Of Retail – Booker

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Gavin Claxton, Head Of Retail – Booker Retail Partners, accepts the award on behalf of Budgens.

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News: Charity

Booker tackles food waste and helps vulnerable people The wholesaler is partnering with food redistribution charity FareShare and free sharing app OLIO.

Budgens retailers pick up tech gear in Mars incentive A number of Budgens stores have been rewarded with some fantastic technology products as a result of taking part in an incentive scheme with supplier Mars Wrigley.

The Win2Gether promotion gave away prizes to retailers selected at random who had made the qualifying purchases of five cases of Mars Wrigley products during the specified period.

Budgens of Hassocks and Budgens of Holt each won an iPad Mini in the promotion.

Booker has teamed up with food redistribution charity FareShare and free sharing app OLIO to provide food to vulnerable people across the UK and to help reduce food waste.

The programme is currently live in all Booker and Makro branches and all BRP branches have been linked with local charities.

Through the FareShare Go programme, 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.

In addition, OLIO’s Food Waste Heroes are collecting food directly from Booker and Makro branches, which will then be added to its app for people in the local area to collect.

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Together. nearly 400,000 meals have already been distributed.

FareShare organisations will make the majority of collections from Booker sites, typically five days out of the week, while OLIO Food Waste Heroes are lined up to collect on days when charities can’t.

Further prizes of an Amazon Alexa went to Budgens Emmer Green, Budgens Colchester, Budgens Ruislip Manor and Budgens Belsize Park.

Catherine Marston, Sustainability Manager at Booker, said: “Over the past year Booker has donated the equivalent of over six million meals to local charities and good causes and this will really help us build upon this success.”

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “We are delivering upwards of two million meals per week to those in need, so this food is needed now more than ever.”

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Your Budgens: New Stores

e m o c l e W udgens to B

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

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BUDGENS KIMPTON

“This is our only store and it’s the first time we have worked with Budgens.

We converted it from another symbol group and there was a lot of building work to do over a period of six months before we finished in late July. The community rely on us so we served shoppers from a store room at the back when we needed to – they were very understanding.

“We put in extra refrigeration, and we now have a big fresh meat range – some from Budgens and some from a local farm. We also added Cook frozen food, Costa coffee and American sweets.

“This is a mainly residential area, so we have lots of regular shoppers buying daily essentials and bigger baskets. Everyone is very complementary about the new shop and our relationship with Budgens is very good, they have been very supportive.”

Sanjay Kumar, Owner, Budgens Kimpton

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5 4

3 2

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1 BUDGENS DEAL Deal, Kent

2 BUDGENS DOVER Dover, Kent

QUEENBOROUGH 3 BUDGENS Sheerness, Kent 4 BUDGENS THANET WAY Faversham, Kent

THREE ELMS 5 BUDGENS Tonbridge, Kent 6 BUDGENS PUTNEY Putney, London

7 BUDGENS KIMPTON Kimpton, Bedfordshire

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News: Industry Update

Industry

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Average weekly spend has fallen while the number of items per trip remains stable, says Lumina Intelligence.

Shoppers becoming more budget conscious, research reveals The average weekly spend of convenience store shoppers decreased by 1% during the four weeks ending 25 July.

The data from the Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme shows the average weekly spend of a convenience store shopper declined from £23.56 in the four weeks ending 27 June to £23.27 in the four weeks ending 25 July.

During the same period, the average basket size remained stable at 2.8 items per trip, indicating that shoppers are becoming more budget conscious and opting for alternatives to higher value items.

The average visit frequency of convenience shoppers has also fallen slightly, from 2.8 times per week to 2.6, reflecting the easing of restrictions and pre-pandemic shopping habits

returning.

This is further highlighted by a decline in the proportion of shoppers using delivery and click-and-collect services.

The proportion of shoppers using delivery fell four percentage points, from 7.1% to 3.1%, while the number using click-and-collect declined markedly from 2.2% to 0.3%.

Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, Katherine Prowse, said: “As hospitality reopens and events return, there is also a challenge around budgets. Shoppers will be keen to make up for lost time, which could result in them becoming more budget conscious with their groceries. This is already apparent with spend declining and impulse purchasing on promotions increasing. Retailers can lean on this demand for promotions to drive footfall and highlight value.”

UK shopping habits shifting towards convenience channels Grocery spend at convenience stores grew by +3.3% in the four weeks ending 11 September 2021, outperforming the growth at UK supermarkets, which rose by +0.6% during the same period, new data from NielsenIQ reveals.

NielsenIQ says this shift toward the convenience channel is a result of a gradual return of prepandemic consumer habits, as workers slowly return to offices and children are back in schools.

The data shows visits to all stores are up 10% compared with last year. However, visits are still down 6% compared to 2019, showing there is still headroom for growth at stores. The online share of sales remains steady at 12.4%, slightly down compared with the same period (13%) last year, with the trend towards smaller online baskets.

NielsenIQ data reveals that total till grocery sales for the four-week period rose to +1.8% compared to the same period last year. This is an improvement from +1.1% in August 2021 and a +7.3% growth in sales against 2019.

“Shoppers could be becoming more budget conscious with their groceries. This is already apparent with spend declining and impulse purchasing on promotions increasing.”

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News: Industry Update

Government

Update A new labelling law has come into effect designed to help people living with food allergies to make safer choices about the food they buy.

Natasha’s Law requiring detailed allergen labelling comes into force With effect from October 1st, packaged food must now carry a detailed list of ingredients with the major allergens highlighted, such as in bold text.

The new legislation, also known as Natasha’s Law, requires businesses to label all food that is described as “prepacked for direct sale” with a full list of ingredients, with the 14 major allergens emphasised in the list.

The new law applies to foods packaged on the same site at which they are sold, such as ‘home made’ style sandwiches and salad pots, and bakery products put into wrapping for shoppers to select from shelves.

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The ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) has launched new guidance on how retailers can support wellbeing for themselves and their staff.

The law creates more consistency in food labelling requirements. Preexisting legislation already mandated detailed labelling for manufactured packaged foods, but until now food prepared on site and then placed into ‘grab and go’ packaging at the same premises was not covered.

The Wellbeing Guide has been developed in collaboration with the What Works Centre for Wellbeing to provide guidance for retailers of about practical steps to take on the shop floor to improve staff retention and customer service.

Except where circumstances require immediate action, local authorities responsible for enforcing the law are being advised to take a proportionate and risk-based approach to breaches of the law. The FSA is advising that minor errors are dealt with through extra guidance and support with the changes, particularly during the early months.

The guide looks at eight key areas of wellbeing, which are: Working environment, Relationships and connections, Health, Learning, Work and life balance, Personal and purpose, Colleague voice, and Personal finance.

For more information on Natasha’s law and a list of the 14 major allergens, visit www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/ allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses

Volume 10: Autumn 2021

ACS launches Wellbeing Guide for retailers and employees

The guide also includes case studies from across the sector and covers wellbeing for independent retailers as business owners. The guidance is available to download here: https://bit.ly/ACSwellbeingguide

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Retailer profile: Pirasath Satkunarajah

Working hard and working smart Pirasath ‘Pres’ Satkunarajah is using technology to create the perfect range and drive sales at his family’s Budgens store in Pin Green, Stevenage.

Meet the family; (l to r) Agash Satkunarajah, Satkunarajah Kandasamay and Pirasath ‘Pres’ Satkunarajah.

Retailing is very much in the blood of Pirasath ‘Pres’ Satkunarajah. His father Satkunarajah Kandasamay worked in retail and hospitality for 25 years, including once owning a chain of symbol stores and a chain of takeaway fried chicken outlets.

Satkunarajah has since sold his old shops, and now it is the turn of the next generation to drive the family business forward, with the addition of some modern thinking to take full advantage of today’s opportunities.

Pres is a trained accountant but says: “I always wanted to go into business for myself.”

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He opened first store five years ago – an independent outlet in Alperton – but took the next step when, with his father, he opened a store in Milton Keynes, now a Budgens, nearly four years ago.

“We’ve grown sales steadily there from a low level to a very respectable level now,” he says. “It’s been a good learning process.”

They took on their second Budgens store at Pin Green, Stevenage, in June 2020.

“I went to university and then worked at KPMG as an Volume 10: Autumn 2021 05/11/2021 13:05:43

Retailer profile: Pirasath Satkunarajah

“I am 100% convinced about the value of data that we get from the epos system. I’m a big believer in this. We have KPIs in the business and I’m always reviewing these.”

Pres Satkunarajah, Budgens Pin Green.

accounts assistant for nearly two years, and I think that background means I can bring a lot of processes and systems to the business to make sure it works efficiently.”

Pres’s brother Agash is also working at Pin Green, while studying finance at university.

“My job is at the front end, operations, product development and so on,” continues Pres. “I’m looking at shopper habits and what’s trending, and staying on top of operations at both stores. My brother is helping with the finance side of things and my dad is always there for support.”

While both stores are very much family businesses, Pres also relies on the support of his epos system.

“I am 100% convinced about the value of data that we get from the epos system,” he says.

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Retailer profile: Pirasath Satkunarajah

STORE FACTS Store size: 2,700sq ft Best Performing Categories: Food to Go, Fresh, Impulse, Grocery Services: Lottery, Paypoint, Parcels, ATM, Uber Eats Opening Hours: 7am – 10pm Monday to Saturday, 8am – 10pm Sundays Staff: 8

“I’m a big believer in this. We have KPIs in the business and I’m always reviewing these.

We have regular range reviews and category breakdowns, seeing which departments have grown, and all of this is using the epos sales data.”

marketing to be even more effective, so I allocate some budget to pay for enhanced advertising on the social platforms.”

This approach has already yielded great results for the business.

He continues: “We work with Budgens mainly because of the fresh range. So I look very closely at this category from month to month seeing which are the top sellers, where we are getting wastage and how I can grow sales further.”

“In our Milton Keynes store we had a range of Romanian and Polish products so we targeted that community via Facebook and saw a big uplift in sales. We ended up increasing the space allocated from half a bay to five bays!

And it’s another recent invention which helps to drive sales of fresh food.

The Pin Green store is part of a new development within a larger industrial estate, with new houses and flats, some directly above the store. As such it is designed to serve a range of different shoppers.

“If I need to push a certain line or group of products I use social media – Facebook and Instagram – to drive it harder.

“Leaflets do work, but I have found that social media Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 19

The front end of the L–shaped store is entirely impulse and food to go, while fresh food, bakery, grocery and alcohol is

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Retailer profile: Pirasath Satkunarajah

For the regular local shoppers with full basket spends, the offer is a lot more stable, but equally as important.

situated more towards the back for shoppers with time to browse.

“It works very well for the local shopper, but as we are located in a large industrial park we also need to be able to offer quick service for shoppers who just want to grab and go.

Pres continues: “Food to go is a huge part of our journey at Pin Green. We use it to add theatre to the store, and sales have been really good – it’s been received really well.”

The range includes machines for Costa coffee, F’Real milkshakes and Eskimo Joe slush. Sandwiches and soft drinks are also located adjacently.

“We push the the more traditional categories too! Fresh food is the long term future for us, so we market these products and are always looking to provide the best offer we can.

“Value is very important, and we work with Budgens in store as much as possible, running all the offers we can.”

The store gets a good level of morning trade from shoppers working on the industrial estate and the warehouses nearby, but there are lots of families in the flats and houses nearby wanting meal solutions in the evenings too.

“We also get plenty of older shoppers during the day when it’s a bit quieter,” says Pres. “During the pandemic we found that a lot of people wanted to shop locally, and we have retained a lot of those shoppers. Sales have been steady all summer.”

Other services are driving additional footfall, too.

“Parcel services have been huge for us,” Pres maintains. People who pick up or drop off usually do their shopping here too.”

Vaping is something else that is driving footfall to Pin Green, with in–store units from Real trading and JTI helping to make the store a destination for the category.

“Ultimately, you are selling space in retail! We are constantly reviewing the data to see what works and what doesn’t. For example, with American confectionery we started with just a very small amount of space and now it’s a full two metres, and we sell a range of American drinks as well.”

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Retailer profile: Pirasath Satkunarajah

“Parcel services have been huge for us. People who pick up or drop off usually do their shopping here too.”

Pres Satkunarajah, Budgens Pin Green.

A large range of pet food is another notable in-store feature. “Originally there was going to be a pet care superstore next to us, but they decided not to go ahead with the development so we thought there must be an opportunity and decided to go with a big range,” he explains.

The family’s other store in Milton Keynes was the first Budgens store to work with Starship, which makes home deliveries via mini robots.

Home deliveries from Pin Green are made using Uber Eats, and Pres is looking at other platforms as well to expand the service in the future.

“Moving from one store to two was organic growth for us, and we are looking for another store as well,” Pres adds. “But there is more to be gained here as well. Our fresh food participation at Pin Green is 21% and I know we can increase that – we are really trying to push it up to more like the 25% we have at Milton Keynes, and then higher still. We also see lots more growth in food to go.”

Like everything else in the business, Pres is constantly reviewing it, looking for opportunities, and staying on top of it all.

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Retailer CV:

• Pirasath ‘Pres’ Satkunarajah opened his first store five years ago, after training as an accountant.

• His father Satkunarajah Kandasamay previously owned a chain of convenience stores.

• Pres and his father opened their first Budgens store, in Milton Keynes, in 2018. Budgens Pin Green is their second store.

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Retailer profile: Yogan Yoganathan

A long road to success

Yogan Yoganathan’s latest store development at Hertford Road, Enfield, marks the continuation of a long-standing and successful partnership with Budgens.

Yogan Yoganathan with his son Sukanth outside Budgens Hertford Road.

Visvanathan Yoganathan, known to everyone as Yogan, has come a long way in the retail business and his partnership with Budgens is a major factor in his recent success.

Yogan’s first job in the sector was as a forecourt cleaner back in 1986 and, bitten by the retail bug, he bought first store in 1992. Over time, he built up the quantity and quality of his estate, opening his first Budgens store in 2004, in Radlett, Hertfordshire and today he now has 12 stores – two Budgens forecourts and one standalone Budgens store, plus nine forecourts trading as Londis. Yogan’s son Sukanth Yoganathan also now works in the business, as Operations Director of Yogan’s company JP&S. Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 25

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Retailer profile: Yogan Yoganathan

For the last six years, Yogan and Sukanth have been buying property and developing sites from scratch, including two brand new forecourts in 2019 and 2020, and the latest addition to the company’s portfolio is a forecourt site on Hertford Road in Enfield, north London.

The site was acquired in January this year as a busy filling station with an adjacent MOT centre and a 600sq ft store trading under a different symbol group banner, but Yogan immediately saw the potential for a larger store on the site with a wider range of products so he knocked down the adjacent MOT centre and extended the store to current footprint of 2,000 sq ft.

Yogan builds stores as well as he buys them, so he has extensive experience to draw on for major projects like this, and he supervised a complete refit of the larger unit installing a new floor, ceiling, counter as well as extensive new refrigeration and freezer space.

After an eight-week building and refurbishment project, Hertford Road reopened on 11th August as a Budgens store, much bigger and better than before.

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Retailer profile: Yogan Yoganathan

“Budgens have offers for forecourt stores every month, and we use those 100%.

They always bring people into the store.”

Yogan Yoganathan, Budgens Hertford Road

STORE FACTS Store name: Budgens Hertford Road Service Station Store Size: 2,000sq ft Best Performing Categories: Alcohol, Fresh, Food to Go Services: Lottery Opening Hours: 24 hours, 365 days a year Staff: 7

The store is roomy and comfortable to shop in whether you are a motorist in a hurry or a local resident looking for daily essentials and mealtime inspiration, with the broad range of chilled food and fresh produce that you would expect from a Budgens store.

Three freezers for Cook frozen meals offer plenty of dinnertime options – “Cook meals are doing very well,” says Yogan – while meal deals are available on products in the rest of the frozen section and for lunchtime snacks and sandwiches.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 27

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05/11/2021 13:06:06

Retailer profile: Yogan Yoganathan

Retailer CV:

• Visvanathan Yoganathan, known to everyone as Yogan, started as a cleaner in a forecourt store in 1986.

• He opened his first store in 1992, and his first Budgens store in 2004.

• He now operates a chain of 12 stores, three with Budgens and nine with Londis.

Food to Go is new at the site, and motorists and other shoppers can now choose drinks and treats from a section that includes F’Real milkshakes, Tango Ice Blast carbonated slush, Fwip gelato, hot food and bakery from Bake n Bite, plus a Tchibo machine for coffee and tea.

“Food to go is new to the area, and it’s all going well,” reports Yogan. “It really helps to bring people in, and sales are particularly good during the school run.”

As well as the popular food to go section, the off licence and fresh food categories also deliver strong sales, according to Yogan.

Space is also found for products where Yogan has discovered local demand is very strong, such as American confectionery, and products for the local Turkish community, including speciality cheese, drinks and dried foods.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 29

“Enfield is a mixed community and Budgens is a good brand for the area. There is lots of competition, but lots of opportunity too.”

Yogan Yoganathan, Budgens Hertford Road

“We can get a lot of the Turkish products through Budgens,” Yogan explains.

“Enfield a mixed community,” he continues. “Hertford Road is a busy high street and I think Budgens is a good brand for the area. There is lots of competition, but also lots of opportunity too.”

He continues: “Budgens has offers for forecourt stores every month, and we use those 100%. They always bring shoppers into the store.”

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Your Budgens October 21.indd 30

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Retailer profile: Yogan Yoganathan

Fuel sales at the site are significant – the forecourt dispenses five million litres a year – and this footfall supports the shop side, but for many people in the area it is the local shop that they walk to on foot. To support this idea, Yogan makes sure the promotional leaflets are delivered to all the houses nearby.

One of Yogan’s Londis stores is just three miles away in Chingford, so he has a lot of knowledge of the local area already, and that gives him the confidence to know that Budgens Hertford Road is going to be a popular option for local shoppers and that footfall and sales will continue to grow.

A major supermarket chain has a small format store nearby,

but Yogan is more than happy to compete against it.

“We will provide a big challenge to that store,” he says.

“I think that Budgens is the best brand you can choose to compete with other stores in the small supermarket shopping market. There are no other Budgens stores on the high street here, so we have something different to offer. And things are going well, we are improving sales everywhere.”

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 31

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05/11/2021 13:06:09

Your Budgens October 21.indd 33

05/11/2021 13:06:09

Seasonal Planning: Christmas and Winter

There’s a great deal for your shoppers

this winter!

Christmas is always a huge sales opportunity for local stores, and Budgens has an exciting package of deals to keep shoppers engaged and excited every week between now and the festive holiday period.

Also look out for plenty of other seasonal opportunities.

A great package of deals on big brands is heading your way this autumn and winter, designed to keep driving shoppers to your stores in the run up to Christmas.

The major campaign of special offers kicked off in September and there are many more deals heading your way to drive footfall and engagement in store all the way through the build-up to the festive season and beyond.

November’s great deals will include McVitie’s Moments (400g) at an enticing RSP of £4.00 and Mars Celebrations Pouches (370g) at an RSP of £2.99.

The deals on big brands and special seasonal packs keep coming every week right up until the New Year, meaning that your shoppers will have plenty of reasons to keep returning to your store throughout the Autumn and Winter, giving you the perfect platform to retain their loyalty right up through the lucrative Christmas period.

34 Your Budgens October 21.indd 34

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 05/11/2021 13:06:14

Key Great deals dates for Christmas: McVitie’s Moments 400g RSP: £4.00 WSP: £17.00 POR: 15% Ends: 14th November

Maltesers Large Box 310g RSP: £2.75 WSP: £14.30 POR: 10.86% Ends: 21st November

Celebrations Pouch 370g RSP: £2.99 WSP: £21.67 POR: 13.03% Ends: 28th November

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Truffles 200g RSP: £2.99 WSP: £12.70 POR: 15.10% Ends: 5th December

Andrex Gentle Clean 9 Roll RSP: £3.75 WSP: £13.99 POR: 10.5% Ends: 12th December

JJ Whitley Passionfruit Vodka 70cl RSP: £12.99 WSP: £60.69 POR: 6.6% Ends: 12th December

St Andrew’s Day 30th November Christmas Day 25th December Boxing Day 26th December Bank Holiday 28th December New Year’s Eve 31st December

Pipers Crisps 150g – FSDU RSP: £1.50 WSP: £60,00 POR: 20% Ends: 19th December

Finish Powerball All In One Max 13–pack RSP: £2 WSP: £10.50 POR: 10% Ends: 26th December

Trivento Malbec/Malbec Rose/Pinot Grigio 75cl RSP: £5.99 WSP: £26.95 POR: 10% Ends: 26th December

Red Bull 8x250ml RSP: £6.50 WSP: £13.80 POR: 15.1% Ends: 2nd January, 2022

Mionetto Prosecco 75cl RSP: £6.99 WSP: £32.85 POR: 6% Ends: 2nd January, 2022

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05/11/2021 13:06:16

Seasonal Planning: Christmas and Winter

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Just because the temperature is dropping and the nights are drawing in, it doesn’t mean is has to be a dark time for Budgens retailers. On the contrary, a dedicated range of winter–related products can ensure that you continue to give a warm welcome to shoppers even when the weather starts to freeze.

While occasions such as Christmas, Bonfire Night and Halloween are great opportunities to make additional sales during autumn and winter, there is a whole raft of products that remain in demand throughout the colder months of the year, and stores that have the right range of seasonal products for both planned and impulse purchases can continue to satisfy their regular shoppers every single day.

Products such as Over the Counter (OTC) medicines, personal protective equipment, car care and winter fuel are all worth considering as part of your core range this winter. Shoppers will be looking for these lines on a daily basis, so a well thought–out range and a strong offer will keep your in-store footfall, sales and profits hot even when the weather outside is cold and wet.

WINTER FUEL PRODUCTS

Staying healthy Product Image

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Get Set for Winter 2021

To make the most of the opportunities available, Budgens has prepared a Winter guide especially for members. Divided into two parts, the first section coversSupplied the start ofbythe autumn/winter period (P8– P10, until December), while the second part covers the different shopping Winter Essentials: missions in P11–P13 (January to early March).

Ready to Burn Certification No. WHY BUY? • • • • • •

Advice to be added.

Top of the list of new lines that many shoppers will be looking for this winter will be cold remedies and other medicines.

OTC medicines are common “distress” purchases so have always been key convenience store products, but coughs, colds and other common winter conditions are expected to be more prevalent this winter than previously due to people socialising again following a long period of lockdown and restricted interactions which reduced the spread of these viruses.

Homefire Ecoal So, with natural immunity lower than normal, there is likely to be higher than usual demand for cold remedies and pain relief products, while face masks and sanitiser gel may also be a priority for shoppers looking to beat the germs.

Key brands such as Lemsip, Strepsils and Benylin will feature in on ongoing everyday low price campaign during the winter months.

Personal Protective equipment such as face coverings and hand gels are available through Budgens for both staff use and sale in-store.

FULLY FUELLED If you are selling solid fuel in England, you need to be aware about the Ready To Burn Scheme, which came into force from May this year.

All packaging must include the official Ready To Burn logo – confirming that the product Brazier Smokeless Coal has been certified to the required standard – as well as the supplier’s name and unique certification number. Products in older packaging can still be sold in-store until May 2022, but retailers must display the supplier logo certification next to the products.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 37

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- Stock up on -

The UK’s nO.1 a i r d y c i b r n * a a n g d r o

Your Budgens October 21.indd 38

05/11/2021 13:06:18

Business Opportunity: More profit

Make £50k more profit!

Want to add an extra £50k to your bottom line?

Budgens has nine great ideas to use in-store to boost your profits.

The convenience sector is constantly evolving so ensuring that your store is ready to capitalise on any important sales opportunities is vital to growing your business and increasing your profits.

With retailers always on the look out for new ways to increase sales and boost profits, Budgens has identified nine fantastic ways to drive more footfall, sales and, most importantly, profits.

Well, Budgens retailers now have nine more reasons to celebrate with a new range of opportunities to add up to £50,000 more to the bottom line of your business.

Here, Your Budgens details nine key ways that you can build that profit by adding a new product category or taking advantage of new opportunities within a category you already stock.

Here’s how it adds up Category

Sales Per Week

Per Year

Coffee

£515

£26,754 £98

£5,110

F’Real

£252

£13,104 £96

£4,992

Tango Ice Blast

£233

£12,116

£143

£7,447

Multipack Confec

£250

£13,000

£50

£2,600

Halves/Quarters £200

£10,400

£46

£2,400

Hovis Bread

£13,208

£77

£4,004

£254

Profit Per Week

Per Year

Euro-Shopper £481

£25,000 £144

£7,500

Vape

£500

£26,000 £225

£11,700

Tobacco Club

£5,000

£260,000

£5,200

Total

£7,685

£399,582 £979

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 39

£100

£50,953

39 05/11/2021 13:06:18

The go-to destination for great everyday

biscuits!

M218227

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M260015 M258685

M260044

M219586 M260014

STOCK UP NOW! Your Budgens October 21.indd 40

05/11/2021 13:06:19

Business Opportunity: More profit

Costa Coffee

l Enhanced deal l Improved rebate (+10%) l 175 cups per week l RRP £2.10 (regular)

£5.5k

profit per Year

Hovis Bread

l Improved pricing l Great footfall driver l £13.2k sales per year

£4k

Additional Profit

Tango Ice Blast l l l l

Improved choice 72 cups per week RRP £3.20-£5.99 56% margin

F’Real l l l l

Improved choice 74 cups per week RRP £3.50 38% Margin

£4.9k

£7.4k

Profit per Year

£1 multipack confectionery

Spirits halves and quarters

l l l l

Improved choice Product knowledge £26k sales per year 45% POR

£11.7k

Additional Profit

l 100 lines available l Great Value l 30% POR minimum

£7.5k

Additional Profit

Profit per Year

l 22 x New Lines l £13k sales per year l PORs up to 25%

£2.6k

Additional Profit

l Improved pricing l Improved PORs - up to 30% l £10.4k sales per year

£2.4k

Additional Profit

Vape

EuroShopper range

£5k sales per week on tobacco club skus l Improved PORs +2% l £100 profit per week

£5.2k

Additional Profit

And if you adopt all nine, it all adds up to a whopping £50,000 per year in extra profit!

Food to Go is just one of several great opportunities to earn more profit. A new Budgens deal with Costa Coffee offers you an enhanced rebate, earning you more with each cup sold, while Tango Ice Blast and F’Real milkshakes both come with strong margins and an expanding choice of flavours.

Great value can mean more profit too, with 100 lines in the EuroShopper range to choose from, all with great PORs, plus improved pricing for halves and quarters of spirits and more big brand lines available in confectionery multipacks - all meaning great value for your shoppers and more money through the tills for you.

Vital footfall drivers play their part too, with improved PORs for retailers joining the Tobacco Club, and improved pricing for Hovis bread, so you can earn more on the lines that keep your shoppers returning day after day.

And when you add in the growing opportunity to become an expert in the vape market too, it all adds up to a huge £50,000 bonus to your profits!

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 41

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On a mission to fly o f f t h e s h e l ve s

• Suppor ted by a brand new T V, radio, print, outdoor and digital campaign for September 2021

• Each bot tle contains 20 billion L.casei Shirota bacteria • Unique bacteria scientifically proven to reach the gut alive

• Gluten free, fat free and suitable for vegetarians • Also available in Yakult Light – enriched with vitamins D & E

Your Budgens October 21.indd 42

Variant Code

Variant Desc

Case

M205934

Yakult Light

5

M217985

Yakult Orig Mlk Drnk 20D

5

05/11/2021 13:06:20

Your Budgens October 21.indd 43

05/11/2021 13:06:20

Retailer Benefits: Bigger Group

Why a

Bigger Group

is bringing big advantages for retailers Budgens retailers can boost their businesses by accessing a wide range of benefits available through being part of the Booker Group.

“The impulse market is a lot more trendbased than grocery, so we are constantly adapting our offer here.

Having new products first from Budgens is a big help.”

Pirasath ‘Pres’ Satkunarajah, Budgens Pin Green

44 Your Budgens October 21.indd 44

The additional scale that Budgens retailers enjoy through being part of a bigger group delivers a whole series of benefits that can drive footfall, sales and profits in stores.

These benefits include improved product quality and pricing, opportunities to create points of difference in the local catchment area, and a host of cost savings that make businesses run more smoothly and more profitably.

Offering exciting new products to shoppers has always been a great way of driving

CASE SIZE: 6 X 70CL WSP: £116.94 RSP: £29.25 POR: 20.0%

increased footfall, sales and profits, as well as enhancing your reputation as a retailer in the local community.

As competition intensifies and driving additional footfall becomes more challenging, being the first to market with exciting new products can make a big difference to footfall and basket spend.

This is particularly true for impulse products where new flavours and formats or limited edition lines that catch the shopper’s eye instore are a major stimulus for incremental purchases, helping to boost basket spend to even higher levels.

Being part of a bigger group allows Booker to gain access to exclusive products and to add value for both shoppers and retailers through its rolling NPD introduction programme Group exclusive products in particular have proven to be massively popular with both Budgens retailers and shoppers. Exclusive products can play a major role in driving footfall to your store and offer an important point of difference over the competition, Volume 10: Autumn 2021 05/11/2021 13:06:21

Retailer Benefits: Bigger Group

Recent Group Exclusives

Cost Savings Being part of a bigger group means that Budgens retailers can also access a range of cost savings across both product buying prices and consumables that are used within the business.

l Limited edition Whitley Neill Watermelon & Kiwi Gin l Dairy Milk Orange Tablet

Membership of the Budgens Tobacco Club, for example, enables retailers to benefit from lower cost prices on key tobacco brands in return for adhering to the RSPs. At the Tobacco Club price levels, PORs are generally enhanced by 2% or more.

l Jaffa Cakes Blackcurrant

The scale of the Booker Group also means that advantageous deals can be found on products such as store equipment, EPoS systems, cleaning services and materials, till rolls, and energy saving solutions, all of which add pounds to your bottom line without having to sell any additional product!

Bigger Group Key benefits l Exclusive products l Exclusive deals and incentives l First to market of big brand launches l Tobacco Club l Own brand range l Savings on added value services particularly on exciting new products from big brands. By featuring these exclusive lines on social media, Budgens retailers can bring more shoppers to their door more often.

Some of the most recent Booker Group exclusive additions include new Monster Assault, a freshlyupgraded full sugar variant of the popular energy drink.

Packaged in distinctive, eye-catching camouflage cans, the £1.45 price-marked product is exclusive to Booker for six full months and delivers excellent PORs of 38%.

Other Group exclusive products over the last six months include the limited-edition Whitley Neill Watermelon & Kiwi Gin, Dairy Milk Orange Tablet and Jaffa Cakes Blackcurrant.

While the exclusive ranges and products offer something truly unique for retailers, Budgens has also been able to ensure that retailers get access Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 45

EPoS systems An exclusive deal with the Retail Data Partnership enables retailers to obtain a free ShopMate EpoS system.

The bundle includes the till system, receipt printer, scanner and cash drawer all completely free, with just a weekly service fee plus a one-off payment for training and installation payable by retailers.

The ShopMate system will keep prices updated, automatically load promotions, provide electronic order and delivery notes and enable stocktakes by product or category. Media screens and chip & PIN payment technology are also integrated within the system.

An alternative system provided by Point Four is also available at a Booker exclusive rate of just £14.85 per week. Designed to run on your own equipment, the Point Four system includes solutions for home delivery services, click & collect and mobile phone scan & go as well as stock control, reporting and ordering capabilities.

“We get regular updates from Budgens about new products coming through and, as long as they are right for our stores, we get them in early.”

Mohan Samy, Budgens, Middlesbrough

45 05/11/2021 13:06:21

Your Budgens October 21.indd 46

05/11/2021 13:06:22

Retailer Benefits: Bigger Group

to the most important NPD all year round, as well as incorporating many of those new lines into its promotional programme.

Energy saving

Special pricing has often ensured that retailers can offer the latest and most exciting lines to their shoppers at special introductory pricing to drive trial and footfall.

Retailers can make big savings on their bills by updating their equipment to lower energy usage equivalents, such as by installing LED lighting.

In addition to a steady stream of big brand exclusive products, Booker has also continued to provide Budgens retailers with an extensive array of own brand lines in the most important categories.

Booker’s key added value service suppliers includes an exclusive deal with Hawley Energy Group, which specialises in LED lighting design and installation, smart metering services as well as independent energy advice.

Fresh food is a key area where the scale and level of focus provided by a larger group makes a huge difference at retail level. A major project is currently underway to align the supplier base for fresh produce across the group, resulting in procurement on a much bigger scale, CASE SIZE: along with a more intense regime of 17 X 122G WSP: £9.59 RSP: £1.29 POR: 38.1%

Further cost savings can also be made by switching your energy provider in order to obtain better rates. Saffron Business Solutions provide an advisory service to Budgens retailers and offer a guarantee to find an energy supply for every retailer at the market rate or better.

Retailers looking to integrate new technology into existing structures can also contact retrofit specialists SolX Energy via the brochure.

Store equipment Looking for store equipment? Suppliers can cover all your needs with some significant savings thanks to a range of deals and discounts.

“We definitely get a benefit from being part of a larger group – having that size and scale behind you really helps you as an independent retailer. We get a lot of NPD ahead of the market, and it’s great that we are in a position to get these exciting new products as soon as they are available.”

Avtar ‘Sid’ Sidhu, Budgens Kenilworth

Shelving, dump bins, display towers and ticket rails from Concept Data Display come with a discount of up to 15% for Booker–affiliated retailers.

Similar 15% discounts can be claimed from purchases of uniforms and badges from Geiger BTC, as well as trolleys and baskets from Formbar.

Discounts on display units, shelving and queuing systems from Sure can be up to 45%, while there are 40% discounts available on Bartuf display units and exterior signage from Signwaves.

Exclusive discounts are also available on display and merchandising equipment from HL Display and Gadsby & Son, with a range of special prices from other suppliers too.

CASE SIZE: 12 X 500ML WSP: £8.99 RSP: £1.45 POR: 38.0%

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 47

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Your Budgens October 21.indd 48

05/11/2021 13:06:31

Retailer Benefits: Bigger Group

“As an independent retailer it’s important to get the benefits of scale where we can. Being first to market with new lines is definitely an advantage.”

David Knight, Knight’s Budgens, West Sussex

Cleaning & Hygiene A full washroom service bundle, including sanitary bin and sanitiser, from PHS is available at the special price for Booker–affiliated retailers of only £2.19 per week. The company also provides services such as the supply and cleaning of bespoke door entrance mats.

Other supplier deals include a 60% discount on washroom services from Initial, and 35% off services from the Cleaning Consultancy.

Also check the Added Value Services brochure for discounts on janitorial supplies and other consumables such as till rolls and stationery.

Other services Ask for a Booker Exclusive Business Cover quote from The Retail Mutual and you will receive a free £20 gift card.

There are also discounts available from insurance brokers Jelf.

Security deals include a 50% discount plus a free cloud camera as an exclusive offer from Verisure.

Satellite Finance also offers Budgens retailers beneficial interest rate deals on borrowing.

quality control checks at branch level. This in turn will mean that the quality and freshness of produce will be on a consistently high level, delivering benefits for the shopper and giving them a reason to make your store the destination of choice for fresh food.

CASE SIZE: 17 X 180G WSP: £22.65 RSP: £2.00 POR: 20.0%

Also in the brochure are contact details for key service providers such as The National Lottery and the Post Office, plus suppliers of ATMs and bill payment machines.

For a brochure outlining all of the added value services available at specially negotiated rates, including contact details of all the suppliers mentioned, ask your RDM. The brochure is also available online at Booker.co.uk under the Added Value Services tab. Up to £10,000 worth of savings per retailer are available!

ADDED

VALUE

SERVICES UP TO £10K

Beneficial rates on a huge range of other added value services can be obtained through the Added Value Services brochure such as HR services, health & safety advisors, alcohol licensing specialists, providers of disability access audits, business rates advisors and leaflet distribution firms.

VINGS* WORTH OF SA

Market Leading Retailer Services Zero starting from * Cost per month

Acquiring

er.co.uk

www.book

Merchant and credit debit Process all through your card transactions and receive epay terminal market rates. competitive

Mobile Top

Up

Create your ve very own exclusi gift card

Gift Cards

Volume 10: Autumn 2021

SIM's

Pharos

49

and (A voucher service) coupon clearing

Paysafecard

Pre paid debit card £

Your Budgens October 21.indd 49

05/11/2021 13:06:34 quote to receive your Contact epay get you started, please BOOK1 ment and

Your Budgens: Communications

Keeping your finger on the pulse

Regular communication from Budgens is designed to help you stay on top of your game by providing updates on new lines, sales opportunities and changing market conditions.

50 Your Budgens October 21.indd 50

In the fast-changing world of retail it is essential that store owners can get hold of the latest information, advice and insight to continue to give their shoppers the best possible choice, price and service.

Budgens is constantly striving to make sure you have the latest facts at your fingertips and across the group’s email and web platforms it is focused on sharing the latest news, advice, sales opportunities and resources to help you drive sales and keep on top of all the operational necessities in-store.

Budgens communications are sent by email and the websites are all accessible on mobile phones, as well as on tablets and laptops, meaning that you can keep up to date in store, on the shop floor or on the go,

wherever you are and at a time that suits you.

Covering new products, special offers, retailer and consumer competitions, advice and updates on equipment and the latest information on product availability, the range of communication channels are designed to help you keep your business running and thriving with Budgens.

The Budgens team is always working to improve the service we provide to retailers, so if you have any feedback about the communications you receive, please let your RDM know.

You can make the most of your partnership with Budgens by keeping up to date through our three main channels.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 05/11/2021 13:06:34

Your Budgens: Communications

DAILY UPDATE Look out for the Budgens Daily Update in your email inbox at around 5pm every weekday. The purpose of the update is to give you the latest information that could have an impact on product range and store operation during the next 24 hours. Operational alerts and reminders might also feature on the update depending on the time of the year or where unexpected issue have arisen.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS YOU RECEIVE FROM BUDGENS, CONTACT YOUR RDM.

It is advised that you look out for the Daily Update each day (Monday to Friday) and share the information with the relevant members of your team.

Daily Update l Range updates. l Operational alerts and reminders. l Latest operational news. l Sent by email daily (Mon-Fri).

Action: Share with the relevant members of your team.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 51

51 05/11/2021 13:06:36

STOCK THE UK’S FAVOURITE CRAFT BEER PUNK IPA AND HAZY JANE 4-PACKS AVAILABLE NOW.

Your Budgens October 21.indd 52

05/11/2021 13:06:37

Your Budgens: Communications

PRODUCT TALK Arriving by email every Wednesday is the Budgens Product Talk bulletin, which has the purpose of sharing the latest product and industry news in order to help you drive your sales, optimise your range and keep you up to date with important information.

More detailed and colourful than the Daily Update, Product Talk is designed to help you make the most of opportunities in the marketplace by sharing information about new product development, retailer and shopper competitions, offers and sales opportunities, key dates and deadlines as well as wider industry updates advice on equipment and the support and resources available from Budgens to maximise returns from the above.

The bulletin also includes clickable links to access more information or to register an interest in a particular development.

PRODUCT TALK HEADSTART Costa Gingerbread Lat

te 250ml



LIMITED EDITION





CO STA GINGER BR

EAD LATTE 12X25O M

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NEW PRODUCTS Munchies Salted Ca

Avai l abl e Now

ramel Fudge

NEW





Product Talk is issued at 5pm every Wednesday so check your inbox to make sure you don’t miss out on valuable information and sales opportunities. Again, it is advisable to share the information with the relevant members of your team.



MUNCHIES SALTED CARA MEL FUD G E 8X97G

Product Talk l New product information. l Special offers and sales opportunities. l Support and resources available from Budgens. l Wider industry updates. l Sent by email every week (Wednesday, 5pm).

Action: Share with the relevant members of your team.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 53

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Your Budgens October 21.indd 54

05/11/2021 13:06:40

Your Budgens: Communications

MY BUDGENS The third key strand to the channels of communications available is the My Budgens website. Accessible through the Booker.co.uk platform, the website is updated daily with a huge array of content including the Webshop, trading packs, information on pre–sells, category advice, availability and range updates, the Printshop and more.

The site is the central hub for placing orders, as well as accessing the latest news and advice, sourcing useful tools and resources and printing PoS material.

Make sure you and the rest of your team have login details and are familiar with the information and resources you can access online.

The website is easy to use on laptop, tablet and mobile phone, so you can take advantage of all the services on the shop floor or on the move as well as from the store’s back office.

And so with daily and weekly emails plus a regularly updated and easily accessible website, Budgens is always striving to keep you fully up to date with all the support and information you need to keep driving footfall, sales and profits, and to be in the best possible position to take advantage of the latest sales opportunities.

My Budgens

IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS YOU RECEIVE FROM BUDGENS, CONTACT YOUR RDM.

l The central hub for placing orders. l Updated daily. l Access to the latest news and category advice. l Availability and range updates. l Useful tools and resources such as trading packs and PoS printing.

Action: Make sure you and the relevant members of your team have login details.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 55

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Health & Safety: Virus Prevention

Keep yourself and your shoppers safe this winter Even though most legal restrictions regarding the virus pandemic have been lifted across the UK, there are still some very important steps to take in order to keep you and your shoppers safe.

After more than 18 months of unprecedented disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most legal restrictions governing store operations have now been removed across the UK. Wearing a face covering in-store is no longer a legal requirement in England – although it remains as such in Wales and Scotland – and as a retailer you now have much more control over which of the virus-related measures that you have already introduced you choose to retain in future.

However, one consideration remains paramount, and that is to keep yourself, your team and your shoppers safe.

As an employer, you must protect staff from risks to their health and safety.

56 Your Budgens October 21.indd 56

The government classifies Covid-19 as a workplace hazard and so should be managed in the same way as other workplace hazards, which includes completing a sufficient assessment of the risks of Covid-19 in the workplace and introducing control measures to manage that risk.

The main way of spreading the virus is through close contact with an infected person, but surfaces can also be contaminated with Covid-19 when people who are infected touch them, or cough or sneeze near them.

Therefore, many of the measures that you have already introduced to help prevent the spread of the virus are still highly relevant, even if they are no longer a legal requirement.

Good ventilation, protective screens and encouraging the use of face coverings by staff and shoppers all help to minimise airborne transmission of the virus, while maintaining regular cleaning of surfaces – particularly surfaces that people touch regularly such as baskets, handles and coffee machines – and advising shoppers and staff to wash their hands and use hand sanitiser frequently will help to prevent transmission by contamination.

Make sure that you have your cleaning station at the entrance to the store stocked with hand sanitiser and wipes at all times. Cleaning products, personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitiser gel and sanitising stands continue to be available through Budgens.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 05/11/2021 13:06:42

Health & Safety: Virus Prevention

Shopper communications Whatever you decide, consult with Many Covid-related regulations, such colleagues, make sure they are briefed as limits on the number of people on the decision of the business and that can meet indoors, the one metreseek to understand what would make plus rule on social distancing and the them feel safe. In addition, it is vital requirement for people to wear face that you keep your shoppers up coverings (in England),have now to date with what you are changed status to become doing in store to ensure merely guidance that PLEA it is a safe and secure won’t be enforced by the SE W AIT environment for them authorities.

HER E to shop in.

If you haven’t already ACS (the Association done so, reviewing all of Convenience the virus-related signage Stores) recommends and equipment that has that retailers update been introduced over the signage and other shopper last 18 months will help you communications to reflect to decide what needs renewing, any change in policy regarding face replacing or removing. coverings, store capacity limits, social distancing posters and floor markers, Further decisions need to be made on and queueing systems. whether to have any policies on social distancing in store, shopper limits Posters reflecting the new policy on and queueing systems as well as, in face coverings for use in store can be England, whether to have a policy on downloaded from the ACS website at face coverings. www.acs.org.uk

SELF–ISOLATING RULES The law regarding self–isolation after being in close contact with a positive Covid–19 case has been updated. Under the new policy, people who have been double–vaccinated more than two weeks prior to the contact, or are under 18, are now exempt from the requirement to selfisolate, and this applies across England Scotland and Wales. Anyone that tests positive for Covid-19 or is experiencing symptoms will still be required to selfisolate regardless of vaccination status.

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 57

HOW TO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS

l Make sure the store is well-ventilated. l Use screens to reduce contact between people. l Encourage the use of face coverings by staff and shoppers. l Advise shoppers and staff to wash their hands and use hand sanitiser frequently. l Maintain regular cleaning of surfaces, particularly surfaces that people touch regularly. l When providing assistance, aim to keep close contact with shoppers to a minimum. l Where possible, offer contactless payment.

57 05/11/2021 13:06:42

We’re new bottles made from old plastic.

®

*Except label and cap. All rights reserved. COCA-COLA, COCA-COLA ZERO, DIET COKE, SMARTWATER, FANTA, SPRITE, DR PEPPER, LILT and OASIS are registered trade marks.

Your Budgens October 21.indd 58 06207_GB949_55_North_BRP_100%_rPet_280x210mm_v01.indd 1

05/11/2021 13:06:43 16/07/2021 11:44

Health & Safety: Virus Prevention

Looking forward A lot has changed over the last 18 months, and with change comes opportunity. In what ways has the retail landscape in your area changed as a consequence of the lockdown? There may well be gaps you can fill as a business opportunity.

Some shoppers – especially the elderly and vulnerable – will still be looking to minimise social contact and possibly even more so during the winter months.

Many retailers introduced home delivery services during the lockdown period and it is worth considering making this a permanent service in future.

Viruses such as the flu and common cold are expected to be more prevalent this winter due to the impact that social restrictions have had on immunity and exposure, so it is important to stock up on cold remedies, pain relief and medicated sweets to make sure you’re able to meet shoppers’ distress purchase needs.

Despite the return to offices and other workplaces, many shoppers will continue to work from the home, so social media remains a key space in which to engage with shoppers. Highlighting value through promotions is key, along with promoting services such as home delivery.

And last but by no means least, wellbeing is more important now than ever before. Make sure your colleagues and team members know that they can access a range of financial, emotional and practical support from our industry charity, Grocery Aid.

WELLBEING SUPPORT One of the legacies of the pandemic is that wellbeing is more important now than ever before. Make sure your colleagues and team members know that they can access a range of financial, emotional and practical support from our industry charity, Grocery Aid. Support services include a range of Find Out More guides covering the specific effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with topics such as Resilience, Keeping Well, Managing Worries, Preventing Burnout and Motivation.

Call the confidential helpline on 08088 021122

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 59

FOR MORE INFORMATION ACS downloadable posters and one-page briefings: www.acs.org.uk/advice/ covid-19-coronavirus Government guidance: www.gov.uk/guidance/ working-safely-duringcovid-19/shops-branchesand-close-contact-services Grocery aid: www.groceryaid.org.uk/ Also check your daily and weekly bulletin emails from Budgens, which will keep you up to date on any new developments.

59 05/11/2021 13:06:44

Complete the Range!

Now available from Booker Retail Partners Refillable, Re-flintable, Reliable

High-impact printed designs

Clipper Classic ‘Silver Top’ Lighters Midas No. M094427 Display pack of 40 lighters

Clipper CK Electronic Refillable Lighters Midas No. M267102 Display pack of 40 lighters

Clipper Carousel Lighter Display Midas No. M262879 144 + 20 free lighters

UK's #1 Lighter!

17.1%

Total Lighter Market by Value

Clipper UK Ltd Brands

42.5%

Manufacturer #2

38.9%

@clipperuk

Your Budgens October 21.indd 60

/clipperukltd

@clipperuk

www.clipperofficial.com/uk

Others

Source: IRI Data MAT to 11/07/21 Total Lighters Market 76,326,800 GBP

Contact us: info@clipperukltd.co.uk

© Clipper UK Ltd 2021. All rights reserved.

05/11/2021 13:06:45

What’s new: Products

W E N s t c du

pro

Britvic

7UP FREE 2-LITRE Carbonated low calorie lemon and lime flavoured soft drink with sweeteners. The 2-litre bottle contains eight servings.

RSP

£1.89

POR 32.4%

Budgens brings you all the latest new products

Lucozade Ribena Suntory

Coca-Cola European Partners

Asahi UK

RIBENA SPARKLING BLACKCURRANT

MONSTER RIPPER 500ML

GROLSCH PREMIUM PILSNER CAN 4X440ML

Sparkling blackcurrant juice drink with sugar and sweeteners, made from British blackcurrants and rich in vitamin C. Available in 330ml cans.

330ml: RSP

£0.85 POR 45.6%

A new addition to the Monster range, Ripper is a carbonated fruit energy drink with taurine, caffeine, ginseng and B vitamins with sugars and sweetener.

RSP

£1.45 POR 30.2%

The relaunched brand now has a lower ABV of 4% in response to demand from UK shoppers, says the manufacturer. A blend of malted barley and two hops creates the famous Grolsch taste.

RSP

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 61

£5.00 POR 26.0%

61 05/11/2021 13:06:46

VEGAN HAS NEVER

BEEN SO TASTY 12 MILLION BRITS WILL BE MEAT-FREE BY THE END OF 20211 THE UK’S NO.1 VEGAN MAYO , WITH • OVER 50% VEGAN MAYO MARKET SHARE 2

50% OF HELLMANN’S VEGAN BUYERS • ARE NEW TO THE TOTAL MAYO CATEGORY UP YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH •A TRADE 47% INCREASE IN AVERAGE SPEND PER BUYER VS REAL MAYONNAISE

Midas Code: M270875

GREAT TASTE, 100% PLANT BASED 2

Your Budgens October 21.indd 62

1 FINDER – UK DIET TRENDS 2021 KANTAR MARKET SHARE MAT 14/07/21

05/11/2021 13:06:47

What’s new: Products

Kabuto

Pladis

KABUTO KATSU CURRY NOODLES 85G

MCVITIES FULLY COATED 149G

A fresh tasting katsu curry noodle dish with red peppers, ginger and turmeric. A quick, filling and tasty meal, ready to eat in just four minutes - just add boiling water and stir.

McVitie’s Digestives The Fully Coated One and McVitie’s Hobnobs The Fully Coated One are new varieties of the wellknown biscuit brands. The products have no artificial colours or flavours and are suitable for vegetarians.

RSP

£2.09 POR 25.0%

RSP

£1.99 POR 25.0%

Mondelez International

CADBURY MINT FINGERS 114G Crisp mint flavoured biscuits covered with Cadbury Milk Chocolate. Suitable for vegetarians.

Each pack contains around five portions.

RSP

£1.65 POR 25.0%

Group Exclusive

KP Snacks

Mondelez International

TYRRELLS CRISPS 60G

CADBURY MINT GIANT BUTTONS 110G

Hand-cooked English crisps in 60g packs, in three flavours: Lightly Salted, Cheddar & Chive and Salt & Vinegar. Products contain no artificial flavours, colours or MSG.

Large button-shaped bites of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, now available in a new mint flavour.

RSP

£1.00 POR 29.9%

RSP

£2.25 POR 26.1%

Group Exclusive

KP Snacks

MINI CHEDDARS PLOUGHMAN’S LUNCH 50G Baked cheese snack biscuits with ploughman’s Cheshire Cheese flavour.

RSP

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 63

£0.75 POR 26.7%

63 05/11/2021 13:06:51

THE UK’S NUMBER ONE FABRIC CLEANING BRAND* BOUGHT BY 20 MILLION UK HOUSEHOLDS!**

#1

LIQUID DETERGENT BRAND IN THE UK*

TOUGH ON STAINS, KINDER TO OUR PLANET

STOCK UP NOW! CONTAINS PLANT-BASED STAIN REMOVERS

CONTAINS RECYCLED PLASTIC

*Source: AC Nielsen Value Sales MAT June 2021 **Source: Kantar World Panel One Household Data MAT June 2021

Your Budgens October 21.indd 64

05/11/2021 13:06:51

What’s new: Products

Onken Onken

ONKEN KEFIR STRAWBERRY POMEGRANATE AND ONKEN KEFIR LEMON GINGER 350G

ONKEN STRAWBERRY POUCH 110G The yogurt has a fruity strawberry taste, with a rich and creamy texture. Presented in a squeezable pouch it is designed to put inside a lunchbox or a handbag as a snack.

RSP

Kefir is a yogurt packed with live cultures and has added immune system boosting vitamins B6 and B12. This yogurt is gluten free, has no artificial flavourings, colours or preservatives, and is suitable for vegetarians.

£1.15 POR 26.2%

RSP

£1.50 POR 27.7%

Dolce Mamma

DOLCE MAMMA DESSERTS 2X80G The Profiterole Dessert features filled choux buns topped with chocolate sauce, while the Tiramisu Dessert features sponge cake and coffee sauce. These ready-to-eat chilled desserts enable shoppers to enjoy a local restaurant favourite at home.

RSP

£1.25 POR 30.0%

Addo Food Group

Ferrero

WALLS CHICKEN SCOTCH EGG 113G

THORNTONS CARAMEL DESSERTS

The Chicken Scotch Egg, a simple healthier alternative to the traditional pork-based snack, is made with British chicken, onion, garlic, nutmeg and a blend of fresh herbs including sage, parsley and coriander, coated in a golden crumb.

RSP

£1.29 POR 30.2%

Thorntons Caramel Trifle features layers of caramel flavour sauce, chocolate sponge, chocolate mousse and a sweetened stabilised whipped cream topping. Thorntons Caramel Cheesecake has a digestive biscuit base with a caramel-flavoured cheesecake layer, finished with a caramel flavour sauce.

Caramel Trifle 2x95g RSP

£1.25 POR 25.1%

Caramel Cheesecake 2x100g RSP

Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 65

£1.50 POR 25.1%

65 05/11/2021 13:06:56

PRODUCT Patak’s Korma Sauce Patak’s Tikka Masala Sauce Patak’s Rogan Josh Sauce Patak’s Balti Sauce Patak’s Madras Sauce Patak’s Jalfrezi Sauce Patak’s Spicy Pappadums Patak’s Plain Pappadums Patak’s Lime Pickle Patak’s Raita

Your Budgens October 21.indd 66

CODE M172459 M172482 M172483 M205938 M205939 M205942 M206175 M209168 M668194 M270139

CASE 6x450g 6x450g 6x450g 6x450g 6x450g 6x450g 8x80g 8x64g 6x283g 6x170g

Offer subject to availability from 30/09/21 to 03/11/21

05/11/2021 13:07:12

Guest Column: Catherine Marston

Energy supply problems?

Booker can help.

Given the current situation in the energy industry, many retailers may be concerned about ensuring they are getting the best possible deal, but Booker can offer support through Saffron Business Solutions.

Catherine Marston, Sustainability Manager at Booker, explains how Booker can help if you are facing challenges with energy suppliers, as many retailers are.

The energy sector is facing immense difficulties at the moment, as retailers will undoubtedly be aware. Several major suppliers have already gone under and many retailers will of course be concerned about securing supply and ensuring they are getting the best possible deal for their business.

It’s likely that you have already been approached by brokers, but before you commit to a new contract, remember that Booker can help.

Through Saffron Business Solutions, formerly Booker Energy, we are able to work with you and help you secure the best deal for your store. Saffron have been procuring energy supply contracts for Booker and their customers for over 15 years.

If you need a new electricity and/or gas supply contract now or in the very near future, don’t panic and don’t feel you need to rush into new agreements.

There is a solution: Saffron can help you take control of the situation and choose the best deal for you.

It is true that, for a number of unrelated reasons, gas and electricity prices are very high at present causing Volume 10: Autumn 2021 Your Budgens October 21.indd 67

“Extremely happy with the level of service provided by Saffron Business Solutions. They provided a honest and clear indication on comparisons with no hidden charges and understood our needs. They illustrated good relationship with their approved suppliers, which led to a prompt transfer in supplier and ongoing after care.”

Ronak Patel, RJP, Arbury

serious concern for businesses and difficulties for suppliers. So if you do need a new supply of gas or electricity now or very soon, please do not panic.

We can help.

Firstly, it’s a good idea not to agree to a new supply contract over the phone from someone you do not know or have never spoken to before. Additionally, do not give out information about your current supply, suppliers, current rates or general information to people you do not know – they may exploit it.

Instead, call Saffron Business Solutions for free and impartial advice and to discuss the best way to procure you a new energy supply contract. It is

a free to customer service; there are no tricks and they will never try to sell you a contract over the phone.

They will advise, support, and explain the best way to get a new ‘best price, best fit’ contract and put you in control of the process. Pricing is clear and transparent and you will be assured the best market price for gas, electricity and water supply contracts. Saffron also provides lifetime support, the best available credit terms and no hassle billing, as well as making switching suppliers as pain-free as possible.

Simply call them on 03448 222 802 or visit www.sb-solutions.co.uk

67 05/11/2021 13:07:12

*Nielsen Total Coverage, Defined Savoury Frozen, 52 w/e value sales data to 17.07.21 *Excluding Ice Cream

Your Budgens October 21.indd 68

05/11/2021 13:07:17