Pepsico Price Rise Will Push Shoppers to Discounters Wholesalers Say ‘Opportunistic’ Brexit Increase Will Be Passed to Retailers

28.10.2016 THE FUTURE OF FOOD TO GO Lessons from Hong Kong INSPIRATION Page 26 »

Building on our strengths Doubling chilled alcohol space grew sales 15% Page 24 »

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PRICING PepsiCo price rise will push shoppers to discounters Wholesalers say ‘opportunistic’ Brexit increase will be passed to retailers. Page 5 »

SYMBOLS Small stores fear being left behind Costcutter retailers concerned three-year rebrand plan is ‘out of reach’. Page 4 »

WHOLESALE Delivery charges ‘out of control’ as Smiths News blames hike Don’t miss on labour costs. Page 5 » non-fascia stores out Vol 127 No 43 Retailers call for FACES OF SUCCESS FOR TRADE USE ONLY better deals for Here are the 34 retailer finalists competing for the top spot in 12 43 unaffiliated stores. categories in this year’s Independent Achievers Academy. Read Page 6 » how the IAA has helped improve their businesses. Page 4 » GALA DINNER 2016

“After attending the 2015 Gala Dinner and seeing the quality of retailers and suppliers in the room we were inspired to benchmark our store this year.” KATE MILLS HEATH STORES, HORSMONDEN IAA TOP 100 RETAILER 2016

We challenge you not to be inspired!

Be there: 1 December, East Wintergarden, London [email protected]

#IAA16 Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 3

In the month the government has further increased the minimum wage, I’ve seen plenty of evidence that its National Living Wage strategy isn’t working. For example, while wages are increasing, research by the Resolution Foundation this week found self-employed people earn less than they did in 1995. This is backed by a recent RN poll, which found 50% of RETAIL NEWSAGENT NEWS ● CONVENIENCE ● PROFIT retailers said they had cut staff hours, putting at risk their major USP, while 30% said they had taken a hit to profits. The debate at this month’s Local Shop Summit shows even the very With the NLW in best retailers are struggling. They spoke about the gap narrowing its infancy, there’s between entry-level staff pay and that of managers and skilled workers. no surprise that Adam Hogwood shared his strategy for managing the transition to retailers are the NLW with Summit delegates, including how he’s improving staff efficiency and extracting value from suppliers. feeling some pain But is there another way to deal with this pressure? An article in the implementing it New York Times explained how notorious penny pincher Walmart turned around sliding sales and customer satisfaction scores by paying its people more. Not only has it increased average non-manager pay to nearly double the federal minimum wage of $7.25, it has also invested in training, better rotas and more opportunities for staff. As well as increasing customer service scores for 90 consecutive weeks, perception has shifted from Walmart being the last-ditch CHRIS GAMM employment option to the place ambitious people might want to work. Editor With the NLW in its infancy, there’s no surprise that retailers are @ChrisGammRN feeling some pain implementing it. Walmart has taken much longer to develop its strategy and used some of the world’s best economics brains to model it. But maybe it could be sign of where the future lies.

CONTENTS 24 NEXT WEEK 32 NEWS COMMENT & Coventry newsagent FEATURES is frustrated in 26 FOOD TO GO RN’s retail 4 INDUSTRY NEWS Smaller ANALYSIS bid to get smaller stores fear they may 16 YOUR STOCK, YOUR expert travels to Hong PoS display from Kong, widely regarded lose out in Costcutter SAY SAY What News UK; puzzle rebranding as the world’s most could Camelot do that magazines seem advanced c-store market, 6 BUSINESS NEWS No symbol would make the biggest to be multiplying to see if it’s possible to difference to your store? 22 PRICEWATCH preference, say suppliers survive all day on their NEW STORE MODELS and wholesalers How easy is it for you to Benchmark your food to go offerings How businesses like 7 NEWSTRADE National source ‘free-from’ foods? prices and check 28 CHRISTMAS MAGAZINES 18 INSIDE PARLIAMENT RN yours evolve successfully Saturday papers are post- your profit with Festive specials feature Brexit star performers reports from the Houses retailers around of Parliament where, last in the latest part of our 8 PRODUCT NEWS Mondelez the UK. This seven-part guide week, both sides week, ice cream 28 brings out its big guns of the tobacco 30 WINTER REMEDIES Cold 18 24 RETAILER PROFILE to help give Easter 2017 comfort for customers control debate laid chocolate sales a boost Harj Gill’s store has 32 PREVIEW out their stalls been at the heart 12 REGIONAL How putting 19 LETTERS Croydon of the Birmingham THIS WEEK margin over sales helped retailer claims village of Rubery for increase one store owner’s £150 of his 30 years. We find out IN MAGAZINES CHRISTMAS profits by 20% weekly profit how investment and 33 ROUND-UP 14 NFRN DISTRICT COUNCILS is going to changing with the 34 FOR YOUR SHELVES Making fresh and local Kent and Northern Ireland pay Smiths times has helped to Free REM CD with Mojo; work this winter

DC reports News charges; keep sales booming Empire bumper edition “THERE’S NO DOUBT TOBACCO CUSTOMERS SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ” RETAILER JOHN MCCLUREY SAYS, DESPITE HIS PROFITS FROM TOBACCO BEING ‘LOW’, THE CUSTOM IT BRINGS IS SIGNIFICANT Page 18 » 4 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent Follow RN f on Facebook facebook.com/retailnewsagent to have your say on the latest news

Tobacco All roads lead to Sunder’s shop Leamington Spa retailer Sunder Sandher has seen new licensing faces visiting his store since sharing photos showcas- ing his community credentials on Google Maps. His One challenged Stop store was viewed more than 1,000 times in 10 Tobacco manufacturers days. He said: “We’ve had people coming in and saying and a top retailer training ‘We saw you on Google Maps and didn’t realise how company have cast doubt much you do as a community store’. Everyone goes to on Action on Smoking and Google Maps when they’re looking for something new, Health’s commitment to so niche products such as our homemade samosas have not push for a limit on the brought people in from as far as Stratford-upon-Avon.” number of stores allowed to sell tobacco. Chief executive Deborah Symbol group says refit ‘not compulsory’ ‘Not all owners can afford to spend £100,000’ Arnott told RN if licensing came into force in England it would not seek to use it to limit the number of stores in an area allowed to sell Smaller stores fear losing tobacco products. However, a spokesman for Imperial Tobacco said: “Imperial Tobacco does not out in Costcutter rebrand support the implementa- by Charlie Faulkner tion of a UK tobacco retailer licensing scheme. We do not believe any potential Retailers fear smaller stores scheme would achieve its will be left behind as Cost- primary aim – to tackle cutter rolls out its rebrand. tobacco duty evasion.” The group has unveiled Meanwhile, Tony details of its brand trans- Allen, managing director formation, including a new of Underage Sales, sug- logo, strapline and a fresh gested any such move approach to the look of would give power to local stores country-wide, both authorities to act indepen- inside and out, which it is dently, and could be used to rolling out over the next create tobacco retailer-free three years. areas. Asmat Saleem, of AHU given the impression stores addressed before rolling out consistent standard of store Stores Costcutter in Fife, is that do not conform to the a big rebrand. “50% of my in place. the first Scottish retailer to new look will be culled. chilled order didn’t arrive The new design will see trial the new-look store. Robert Maddon has a last week,” he added. fresh brought to front of Chiller to However, he believes 300sq ft store in Manches- Yorkshire retailer and stores and a new food to go smaller retailers could ter and has been a part of Costcutter board member range will be launched. RN thriller struggle to keep up with Costcutter for 14 years. He Mark Nicholls is excited understands it will also in- A wholesaler is hoping to the changes. “It does look said: “I paid £12,000 for a about the rebrand, but also clude new salad packaging, take out the fear factor in very nice but it’s going to refit just 14 months ago. I expressed concerns over fruit pots from a new sup- stocking chilled produce be pretty much impos- know it’s not much in the smaller retailers find- plier and a new meal deal. and encourage retailers to sible for Costcutter to get all grand scheme of things, but ing the cash. He said the Costcutter has said the take advantage of the profit their stores to spend up to I don’t intend to undergo group failed to ofer enough rebranding is not compul- opportunity. £100,000 on a refit,” he said. another one anytime soon.” reassurance that retailers sory. It added retailers also Paul Hargreaves, chief Mr Saleem added while he He believes core issues such would be supported, but also have the option of a phased executive of Cotswold was not directly told, he was as stock shortages need to be said it is important to get a approach to the refits. Fayre, aimed to address concerns around waste, highlighting not everything in the chiller “has IAA finalists speak of business benefits a shelf life of four or five The Independent Achievers in the judging forced him Meanwhile, Christine it really improves the days”. “Retailers don’t have Academy has helped store “to review his business Hope, of Hopes of Long- team feel and morale,” she to sell everything within a owners train their staf properly” and focus on town near Hereford, a said. week,” he said. and review all areas of their training and development. Digital Engagement final- A total of 34 retailers have Simon Mark, of Chellow business, this year’s final- “It’s about having the ist, said the independent made the finals, with the Heights service station, ists have said. right people in the right feedback enabled her to winners of each of the 12 said his store controlled David Knight, of Knight’s places at the right times, benchmark her shop again- categories to be announced waste by “keeping an eye of Budgens, who is a finalist people who can ofer in- st other stores, but the grea- at the IAA Gala Dinner on on fresh produce” and ad- in three categories – Staf depth knowledge on spec- test benefit has been the 1 December. justing orders accordingly. Development, Responsible iality products and the 55 impact on staf. For the full list of final- For more from Mr Harg- Retailing and Merchandis- local suppliers we use,” he “Our one-to-one chats ists, visit www.betterretail- reaves, see next week’s RN. ing, said the level of detail said. have been really useful and ing.com/iaa-finalists-2016/ Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 » 5 NEW STOCK FOR YOUR SHELVES Follow RN Page on twitter 32 @RetailNewsagent for expert advice to help you grow your sales Brexit blamed for 7% wholesale price rise on Walkers crisps Move criticised as ‘opportunistic’ Calls for tougher PepsiCo price rise ‘pushes measures The NFRN and Association of Convenience Stores have shoppers to discounters’ called for tougher measures to combat the sale of illicit by Charlie Faulkner sale managing director at troller at United Wholesale he said. tobacco and alcohol after a Blakemore, said: “Brexit Scotland, described it as Sophie Boxall, of Pelynt new report revealed their A price hike by PepsiCo has caused uncertainty and a “dire” situation for both Post Ofce in Cornwall, consumption has increased. has been condemned as an I think this is massively retailers and wholesalers. said: “It costs what it costs Quoting figures from “opportunistic” move likely opportunistic by PepsiCo He said: “I think PepsiCo and if we keep cutting mar- HMRC’s Measuring the Tax to push more shoppers considering the current is boosting its profit. Walk- gins to provide cheap prices Gaps 2016 report, the NFRN towards discount stores by performance of the cat- ers is a British product and customers will never learn said the consumption of wholesale bosses. egory and the fact they’ve I expect it is made with the true price of goods.” illicit tobacco has increased An increase of up to 7% taken weight out of the British potatoes.” The news follows Tesco’s to a five-year high, repre- on the wholesale price of bags not so long ago. Meanwhile, wholesale fight against Unilever’s senting a loss of £2.4bn in Walkers crisps is set to “It impacts the ofer we consultant David Gilroy price hike two weeks ago. tax revenue to the Treasury. come into efect on Mon- can make for our custom- said questions need to be However, both wholesal- NFRN chief executive day, which the company ers. We have to pass the raised about the reasoning ers say fighting against Paul Baxter said: “This is a has blamed on the impact cost on to them. We’ve behind the price rise when price increases is far more massive problem and needs of Brexit. Wholesalers told been told if we don’t accept other big players are not complicated for them in to be addressed as a matter RN they will be forced to the terms it won’t supply announcing increases. comparison to a supermar- of urgency.” pass the cost on to retailers, us. The value message is “It’s going to play right ket giant. but fear it could have a becoming distorted.” into the hands of discount- PepsiCo did not respond detrimental impact. Naeem Khaliq, Day- ers and make things even to RN’s request for com- James Russell, whole- Today symbol group con- more difcult for retailers,” ment before going to press. RN makes award list RN has been named a final- Retailers adopt ist in the Business Maga- some scary tactics zine of the Year category in this year’s PPA Independent Two retailers are using very Publisher Awards. It is up different ways to promote against three other titles. Halloween and drive sales. The winner will be an- Paul Mather, of Sherston Post Of- nounced in December. fice, has a life-size cut-out of him RN editor Chris Gamm decorated in full witch regalia said: “This is a brilliant to add theatre. “The kids love achievement reflecting the it and it brings attention to our team’s hard work in produc- Halloween section,” he said. ing a market-leading title Meanwhile, Paul Gardner’s each week.” Budgens store has a display of pumpkins outside. “Five years ago we didn’t sell a pumpkin and no one asked for them, but Change today I’ve sold three pumpkins to three kids,” he said. to laws? The Great Repeal Bill could unravel laws such as tobacco legislation, according to leading think-tank the Smiths in firing line over new carriage cost Institute of Economic Afairs. Delivery charges are “spiral- The letter states the addition to an increase ers have a responsibility The Bill, which would ling out of control”, the review concluded the cur- on the standing and to ensure a vibrant news transfer existing EU laws NFRN has said, after Smiths rent formula “no longer maximum charge, which market.” in British law, would enable News announced it was reflects the key drivers of will come into efect in Sukhdeep Balaghan, the government to decide adding a new cost to its bill. our distribution costs”, November for retailers who of Long Lane Post Ofce, which ones to keep, amend The wholesaler outlined adding “various changes in opted for the variable rate said: “I think we’re already or scrap. changes to its annual re- labour legislation over the last year. paying too much for the Director general Mark view in a letter to customers last decade have not been “An alternative has to be delivery charges. Littlewood said: “I have a last week, including the factored in”. sought,” said Brian Murphy, “We always assumed that modicum of confidence that introduction of a labour cost The labour cost will lead NFRN head of news. the labour rates would have we will unravel them once into the indexation formula. to an increase of 1.72%, in “Publishers and wholesal- been included.” we have Brexited.” 6 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent Follow RN f on Facebook facebook.com/retailnewsagent BUSINESS to have your say on the latest news P&H gives Uday’s shop really is Best-one in country an extra A shocked Uday Lal and his family were crowned Best-one national win- insight ners during its awards ceremony in Palmer & Harvey has London last week. Lal’s Best-one in teamed up with a consumer Wakefield, which is owned by Mr Lal insight and marketing with his wife Bhavika, brother Ashvin platform to give retailers and sister-in-law Versha, underwent access to shoppers’ buying a refit in February, providing a five habits. metre chiller exclusively for chilled Available to 3,000 of foods and dairy. The store has experi- P&H’s Plus Extra members, mented with emerging categories and the technology enables supports local charities and sports customers to pay, redeem teams. “It makes all of our hard work ofers, give feedback and feel worthwhile,” said Mr Lal. gain loyalty points. The system, which is Android, iOS and Windows Phone-compatible, works Claims of better support for symbols than unaffiliated rejected Indies of ‘critical importance’ by scanning a unique QR code that uploads the bill straight to users’ smartphones. It is hoped the system ‘Best support’ for all, say will reduce long queues and abandoned baskets. Simon Harris, business development controller suppliers and wholesalers at P&H, said: “We are consistently looking at by Charlie Faulkner support unafliated stores, being a Booker customer Bep Dhaliwal, trade ways of providing new and but now it’s much harder for 15 years and spending communications manager innovative ways of driving Suppliers and wholesalers to get the prices to compete thousands of pounds, he is at Mars Chocolate UK, said footfall into stores. The have hit back at claims with unless you’re a Pre- not able to access any deals the company ofers advice Zapper partnership will add they provide more support mier,” he said. at the wholesaler. on category management real value to our Plus Extra on deals and merchandis- “I used to get visits from Bestway, Walkers, and and merchandising, as members.” ing for symbol group stores merchandisers like Mars Coca-Cola were also named well as its Retailer Reward than unafliated retailers. and Mondelez, but now by retailers. Scheme. It comes after unafli- they only go to symbol A spokeswoman for Meanwhile, Bestway ated store owners told RN stores.” Booker said: “We have a and Batleys are in the BAT buys they feel smaller stores are Gary Pilsworth, of Ofey salesforce that covers both process of developing a being forgotten by large Stores in Hitchin, Hert- symbol group stores plus category advice website. rest of companies. fordshire, said he has tried unafliated stores and our Tony Holmes, sales direc- Pradip Amin, of Birds unsuccessfully to get hold aim is to provide the best tor at Bestway Wholesale, Reynolds Newsmarket in Ports- of merchandising material possible service to all of said: “Retailers who have British American Tobacco mouth, said wholesalers he has seen advertised in these retailers.” a greater tie-in with their has announced it plans such as Booker and sup- trade magazines. Booker added its Retail wholesaler receive ad- to buy the 58% share of pliers including Mondelez “When I call up and Club is open to indepen- ditional benefits for being Reynolds American it and Mars need to invest request it, I’m told it’s just dent retailers, its own part of a symbol or retail doesn’t own. more in unafliated stores. not available to shops like choice brands ofer 30% club. BAT intends to secure “The prices are sky high mine – independent,” he margins and its weekly “However, independent a $47bn (£38bn) deal to if you’re not tied in to a said. ofers deliver 40% margins retailers are still of critical catapult it back into the symbol. Booker used to He added that despite for retailers. importance to us.” US market, following the folding of its US subsidiary into Reynolds 12 years ago, the Financial Times has reported. It would make it Retailers get to choose their own PoS the world’s biggest listed Costcutter is giving retail- material. 300 promotions on at one that money could be better tobacco company in terms ers complete control of their It means retailers will time so it will be good to spent elsewhere.” of sales. PoS material, enabling be able to choose which have more control over Additionally, interactive Analysts believe that them to make decisions on promotions they want to that.” billboards, which provide low pack prices in the US, a in-store promotions. focus on in-store and will Mike Nicholls, a member pop-up notifications on dominant e-cigarette mar- From January, retailers be able to design their own of Costcutter’s board, said: shoppers’ smartphones, ket and receding litigation will be able to access PoS promotional material. “It’s good for retailers who will be rolled out across the cost concerns are all factors material through the cur- Asmat Saleem, of AHU are going to back it up. country following a trial that will drive sales growth rent app, rather than being Stores Costcutter in Fife, “Retailers are always which saw a sales uplift of and encourage similar flooded with lots of often- has welcomed the move. He throwing PoS material 13% in York and Coventry mergers. wasted paper promotional said: “We can have around away at the moment and stores. Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 » 7 BE THEIR WINTER REMEDIES HERO Follow RN Page 30-31 f on Facebook facebook.com/retailnewsagent NEWSTRADE to have your say on the latest news Johnston Press-owned i posts annual sales and margin gains Growth of cut cover price Star continues to fall away Saturday national titles continue to lead on post-Brexit newsstand by Chris Rolfe stand, the growth achieved by the Star while its cover September Monday to Friday newspaper sales National Saturday news- price was cut continued papers continue to be the to wane. Sales of all three Core Monthly Yearly Estimated Total sales *1 change change retail margin (000s) *2 sales *3 strongest performers on the editions fell month on newsstand post-Brexit, with month, while year-on-year Daily Mirror 638,065 -1.6% -11.9% £92.5 683,065 the i posting annual sales growth was smaller than in Daily Record 155,471 -2.2% -11.7% £22.2 160,434 and profit growth for retail- previous months. The daily Daily Star 476,617 -3.5% 18.8% £34.6 477,105 ers in the latest Audit Bu- edition grew by 18.8%, slow- The Sun 1,486,435 -1.9% -11.2% £165.7 1,582,709 reau of Circulation figures. ing from 19.7% and 26.8% The Johnston Press- in August and July. The Daily Express 376,329 -3.3% -4.2% £50.1 376,329 owned title increased Saturday edition grew by Daily Mail 1,243,922 -1.6% -6.2% £180.4 1,319,957 year-on-year sales by 14.4% 17% compared to 17.6% and Daily Telegraph 393,197 -1.1% -9.7% £135.3 414,189 in September on Saturdays, 25.1%. Sales of the Sunday Financial Times 34,118 6.8% -7.2% £18.4 55,338 building on 14.1% growth in edition increased by 14.6%, Guardian 130,861 -1.5% -6.0% £57.6 130,861 August and 16.7% growth in down on previous growth i 224,055 -0.5% 5.0% £26.9 292,603 July. Retailer profit from the of 16.6% and 29.2%. Retailer Times 323,777 -1.1% -0.8% £97.5 398,048 title grew from £230,000 in profit earned on the Sunday TOTAL 5,482,847 -1.8% -6.2% £881 5,890,638 September 2015 to £306,000 edition grew, however, stan- last month. ding at £558,000 compared to Saturday titles together £512,000 this time last year. September Saturday newspaper sales posted the smallest year-on- Cover price increases on year sales decline of 5.3%, the Sun, i and Times also Core Monthly Yearly Estimated Total with the Daily Express, resulted in increased profit sales *1 change change retail margin (000s) *2 sales *3 Daily Mail, Financial Times, for retailers on weekday edi- Guardian and Times posting tions, even though News UK Daily Mirror 818,104 -1.2% -11.7% £171.8 863,104 declines of 5% or less. and Johnston Press failed Daily Record 183,107 -3.2% -11.8% £36.3 188,070 Month on month, four to maintain margins pro- Daily Star 439,911 -5.3% 17.0% £53.2 440,399 quality titles increased sales rata. Sellers earned £10,000 The Sun 1,922,389 -0.8% -9.2% £288.0 2,018,663 post-holiday season. The more from The Sun than in Daily Express 477,421 -2.3% -1.8% £81.9 477,421 Financial Times, Guard- September 2015, despite an Daily Mail 2,016,163 -2.3% -5.0% £423.4 2,092,198 ian, i and Times were up 11.2% drop in sales. Retailers Daily Telegraph 562,052 -1.7% -7.3% £269.8 583,044 5.6%, 2.5%, 0.8% and 0.7% earned £55,000 more from Financial Times 73,477 5.6% -3.6% £58.1 94,697 respectively. the i, and £53,000 from The Elsewhere on the news- Times. Guardian 286,544 2.5% -4.5% £182.8 286,544 i 210,482 0.8% 14.4% £30.3 279,030 Times 475,456 0.7% -0.5% £167.6 549,727 Colourful opportunities TOTAL 7,465,106 -1.4% -5.3% £1,763 7,872,897 Publishers are continuing to said: “Art Therapy did well, the search for launch opportu- second edition is in now and September Sunday newspaper sales nities as the adult colouring it’s holding up too, the same market matures. as the rest of the market.” Core Monthly Yearly Estimated Total The recent launch of Ha- Eye To Eye Publishing’s sales *1 change change retail margin (000s) *2 sales *3 chette’s latest partwork, Art managing editor Guy Sunday Mail 176,117 -2.0% -12.2% £62.9 179,962 Therapy 50 Mindful Patterns, Haslam said his company Sunday Mirror 597,624 -1.4% -16.0% £175.7 642,624 brought the market into fo- was looking for new oppor- People 235,606 -2.9% -16.4% £69.3 242,606 cus again, following a num- tunities. ber of successful launches “The colouring in market Daily Star Sun. 280,431 -5.8% 14.6% £55.8 280,431 in the past two years. was a big thing last year, The Sun 1,318,040 -1.3% -9.0% £276.8 1,417,162 While some retailers and after the initial burst Sunday Express 343,663 -3.0% -4.1% £101.9 343,663 warned the colouring in of interest, it’s a matter of Sunday Post 147,253 -2.7% -14.3% £49.5 147,253 trend was beginning to die finding out what variations Mail on Sunday 1,183,155 -1.4% -7.7% £422.4 1,251,679 out in their stores, other people like,” he said. “It’s the Observer 182,636 0.4% -5.9% £134.2 182,636 store owners and publish- same as sudoku a few years Sun. Telegraph 327,980 -2.4% -7.6% £149.2 353,135 ers have said new titles are ago. It was clear it wasn’t go- Sunday Times 667,623 0.7% -8.3% £350.5 741,769 helping maintain sales in ing to carry on like that. The TOTAL 5,460,128 -1.6% -8.6% £1,848 5,782,920 the sub-sector. question is ‘how is it going to

Dev Patel, of This & That, settle down?’ We’re keen to *1 Core sales are newstrade sales and pre-paid subscriptions in the UK and Ireland; *2 ERM is the total income to retailers for one day’s sales, calculated using in Plaistow, east London, innovate.” margin statistics printed in RN; *3 Total sales includes bulk sales 8 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent

PRODUCTS Vimto set Six weeks to seal Blu deal Blu has launched a six-week initiative it hopes will increase consumer education and en- for fudge gagement with the brand. Named Six Weeks to Fall in Love, the e-cigarette company’s trial debut at Westfield London shopping centre offers Vimto has launched its first one-on-one product consultations and brand range of fudge as the brand introductions to better inform consumers. prepares for its 110-year an- Participants will be invited to continue the niversary. programme with a Blu kit worth £56 for £8. Available to independent Those taking up the deal will be sent products retailers now, the fudge each week over a six-week period. comes in two formats ‒ a 170g sharing carton (RRP £3.99) and a decorative 250g Manufacturer aims to beat this year’s £354m tin (RRP £6.99). New products, prizes and ad campaign lined up Vimto has teamed up with Gardiners of Scotland, a family-run business that specialises in traditional Massive Mondelez push confectionery products, for the fudge. Helen Hartley, Vimto brand licensing manager, to drive Easter 2017 sales said: “This is a hugely exciting launch as it not only by Charlie Faulkner pack, a Double Decker large ticularly focusing on eggs new adverts in the new propels Vimto into a new shell egg, as well as a Roses and bunnies, with the help year. sector but allows us to ofer Mondelez aims to boost its large shell Egg. Cadbury’s of PoS material. Retailers and customers a product that will appeal Cadbury Easter chocolate medium Creme Egg shell Mondelez has also an- are also in with a chance to a broader age range of sales next year with cre- egg remains the most pop- nounced new Minis Mix of winning a cash prize of consumers. Both formats ative displays, new products ular Easter egg for the bags of four wrapped vari- up to £1,000 if a ‘goo-less’ will be available all year and cash prizes for retailers company, according to ants of eggs; Dairy Milk, Cadbury Creme egg is round, but have launched and shoppers. Mondelez. Oreo, Creme Egg and Daim discovered. just in-time for the Christ- Easter chocolate sales Individual Creme Eggs Bar. The customer who dis- mas gifting season for those were up 3% to £354m this are also top of the list and Cadbury’s Easter cam- covers the egg will receive looking to trade-up.” year, according to figures 90g packs of Mini Eggs have paign launched this year the cash, as will the retailer from Nielsen, with Mon- been described as a must- will also be returning to who sold the chocolate. delez taking a 46% share. stock for retailers. Stores are TV screens and digital as There is also an opportunity Del Monte The company is hoping advised to start introducing well as being supported by for retailers to enter ‘Take a to boost its share of sales Easter products from the in-store activity. Shelfie’ to win £250 Love To and Disney with the launch of Cadbury beginning of January and Cadbury Creme Egg will Shop vouchers for their in- snack time Oreo Egg and Spoon four- to go big with display, par- launch the season with novative Easter displays. Del Monte has launched a kids’ snacking range made with 100% fruit and no Gluten-free vegan-friendly lagers launched added sugar or artificial Carlsberg is adding two glu- ter from the Žatec foothills ingredients. ten-free and vegan-friendly in the north west of the The Disney-branded lagers to its portfolio. country. pouches come with an Using traditional Liam Newton, vice image of Mickey or Minnie techniques, Celia is batch president, marketing for Mouse and have collectable brewed by Czech brewery, Carlsberg UK, said: “The caps. An app has also been Zatecky Pivovar, putting it fact that they are brewed developed to provide nutri- through a de-glutenisation to be gluten-free gives the tional information and has process that makes it safe brand an added point of games to play. for those intolerant to diference. We are delighted It is available in apple, ba- gluten. that Celia will be joining nana and strawberry, apple Available in organic and tion technique used by the while Celia Dark (5.7% ABV), our beer portfolio.” and mango, and apple, dark varieties, the beers brewer. Celia Organic (4.5% which also uses 100% Saaz Celia is available in strawberry and blueberry will also be suitable for veg- ABV) contains 100% Saaz hops, uses tofee Bavarian 330ml bottles and cans and flavours. ans due to a silicon filtra- hops and Moravian malt, malt and sand-filtered wa- has an RRP of £2.50. Hot products for your shopping list

Vimto is marking its 110th Del Monte’s Disney- Mondelez is aiming to anniversary with the branded pouches come beat last year’s £354m launch of its first fudge in a variety of flavours Easter chocolate sales Autumn 2 Day Advert_A4 11/10/2016 16:49 Page 1

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Halloween Cider fans give Blind Pig a spin cakes’ £7m Heineken brought a pop-up DJ deck to London to pro- sales boost mote the launch of its range The cakes category pulled in of ciders flavoured with a £7m in Halloween sales last range of different spirits. year, according to figures Blind Pig comes in 355ml from Kantar. bottles and is available in Premier Foods is looking bourbon and blueberry, to capitalise on sales during whiskey, honey and apple the season with the launch and rum and poached pear of Halloween-themed flavours. The 5.5% ABV ci- Cadbury Cakes and Mr der was recently promoted Kipling variants. It includes at Portobello Market, with Pumpkin Patch Cakes and passers-by encouraged to try Mini Rolls Chocolate Trick their hands on the decks. or Treat packs, as well as Fiendish Fancies. Karmel Maletta, innova- New variant is a runaway success with customers ‘We’ve got through cases and cases’ tion controller for Cadbury Cakes and Mr Kipling at Premier Foods, said: “We know our shoppers love to try new products, KitKat ups production to particularly during occa- sions such as Halloween, so it is important that retailers create bespoke seasonal make more from Dough sections to attract consum- by Dave Songer ers and drive impulse Fresh in Kenilworth, said Linda Sood, of Falcon stock up through Palmer & purchases.” the new variant has proved News in Portsmouth, also Harvey, which has meant Nestlé has had to increase so popular in his store he rues the decision not to buy he has been able to continue production of its latest hasn’t needed to ofer deals more boxes than normal, selling them. “I ordered five KitKat variant after retailers to raise customer interest, now her supplier, Batleys, boxes from P&H around New look hoping to cash in on the an approach he takes with isn’t able to get hold of them. two or three weeks ago, so popularity of the chocolate other new confectionery. “I think KitKat has had I’ve not really needed any for Tilda bars were left disappointed “We’ve gone through production problems. I as I have two boxes left,” Tilda has revealed a new as suppliers ran out of stock. cases and cases of them wish I bought more – I he said. look as part of a multi- Retailers have told RN without having to ofer any messed up there,” she said. A spokesman for Nestlé million pound relaunch sales of KitKat Chunky promotion,” he said. “It’s Anish Parekh, of Londis told RN it is working very this month. Cookie Dough have been surprised everybody how in Ashton-under-Lyne, said hard to meet demand for The rebrand will take in very strong since its launch well it’s been received.” his main supplier, Londis, the “incredibly popular” all of Tildas’ products and in August, with many He added despite putting didn’t have any in stock bars and will be “making feature the taglines ‘Genu- struggling to get more stock in orders with three sup- when he attempted to order sure that more stock is ine Goodness’ and ‘Rice in the past few weeks. pliers he is still unable to more. available over the coming Grain Heart & Hands’. It Avtar Sidhu, of Simply replenish his stock. However, he was able to weeks”. will be supported by a marketing campaign including TV, print, digital and social media. The rebrand follows Sweet taste of success for sugar-free jam feedback from more than A new sugar-free jam has ference, using her Chinese very exciting. My jams use chilli. They have an RRP 2,500 consumers, according been launched by a start-up and Philippine heritage as more exotic ingredients of between £3.75 and £3.95, to Tilda. supplier looking to capital- inspiration. such as goji berries and lower than many other Rohit Samani, chief ise on the growing healthy “People are eating more coconut alongside more sugar-free jams in the executive at Tilda, said: eating trend. healthily and are trying to traditional ingredients like market. “The Genuine Goodness My Jam, produced in cut their sugar intake. But strawberries.” Ms Chan said she is keen relaunch will demonstrate Scotland, has been devel- some people think heal- The jams come in two to help retailers launch the Tilda’s commitment to the oped by Shuiken Chan thier options will not be as variants – strawberry, product in their stores and category and our custom- who set out to create a tasty and a lot of sugar- goji berry and ginger, and will provide free tasting ers.” sugar-free jam with a dif- free jam options are not blueberry, coconut and samples for shoppers.

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BRV347418 - EVE - R Whites Trade x5_RetailNewsagent_297x210mm_V00.indd 1 25/10/2016 09:01 12 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent Follow RN on twitter @RetailNewsagent for expert REGIONAL advice to help you grow your sales

Top shelf GroceryAid lifetime award for Gillian titles are Outgoing GroceryAid director general, Gillian Barker, was holding awarded the 2016 IGD Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony their own earlier this month. She worked as a Adult magazines are con- Saturday girl in a local corner shop tinuing to perform well in as well as Sainsbury’s and Safeway some parts of the country before joining GroceryAid in 2002. despite the closure of well- She worked there for 14 years, known titles last year. during which time the charity has Retailers told RN the trebled its fundraising income and sector has not slumped as increased its number of beneficia- much as they had expected. ries ten-fold. She will retire at the Andrea Monelle, of end of November. Orchard News in Weston- super-Mare, said: “Adult magazines are doing sur- prisingly well for us. It’s not all about volume says retailer Local Shop Summit hears Harj’s success story “We’ve got a lot there, quite a range, about 30 titles. We still get very good margin on them. “Most magazines retail Margin over sales sees at £5.99 or £6.99. We haven’t got an issue with selling them. Some people disapprove – but as long as store profits rise by 20% they’re legal and not inap- propriate, we’ll stock them.” by Tim Murray 8% of sales, but we’ve even Pritesh Patel, of Graham’s seen those start to come News in Haywards Heath, A Gloucestershire retailer back this year,” he said. said: “We don’t sell a huge has seen his profits rise by “Profit drivers rather amount, but it’s a good busi- almost 20% since looking at than volume sellers worked ness that ticks over.” margin rather than sales at well in most parts of the his store. store, although there has Harj Dhasee, of Village been a lot of learning. RN READER POLL Stores in Mickleton, de- When it comes to booze, cided to look at other ways Harj Dhasee big profit drivers don’t of boosting business at his work, it is very price driv- YES store when growth started than sales, driving margin He gave the example en. You need to keep your 32% slowing last year. rather than anything else.” of chicken fillet breasts, alcohol prices competitive, “I was pretty much Mr Dhasee said he where the value product is but we’re really pleased enjoying double-figure started to look at putting now lower down, while the with where it’s worked in growth on sales from 2008 profit drivers in rather than local product, which has a the rest of the store.” NO through to last year, but concentrating on volume. far better margin, is at eye Mr Dhasee shared his 68% there was nowhere else to “There are a lot of people level. strategy with retailers take it,” he said. “I couldn’t who get something that He said profits have risen at this year’s Local Shop see a way of taking them sells for £1.50 and decide as a result of the activity, Summit. For more photos Are you sticking any further as the growth to sell it for £1 to sell more. despite an initial drop-of and live coverage from the to tobacco RRPs slowed. Then we decided You’ve got to try it at £1.50,” in sales. event, visit www.better- to track margins rather he said. “We did lose about 7% or retailing.com/lss/ following the introduction of plain packs? Digital security system to fight shop theft NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Durham police are rolling the system. other areas.” sergeant Adam Norris. “You What would make you out a new digital security “We’ve been working on The constabulary caught can also get live intelligence more confident about system to help combat shop it for a number of years with its first shoplifter using the updates, for example if a selling fresh food? theft. a business crime reduction system earlier this month, known shoplifter is spotted SentrySIS allows the po- partnership in Leeds,” man- after evidence was uploaded in your area. And there’s an Have your lice and retailers to quickly aging director of the Leeds- directly to the police via analysis package, help- share information, CCTV based company, Lee Fella the computerised security ing the police to identify vote now footage and intelligence told RN. “For now we are system. hotspot times and locations. about active ofenders in working around Leeds, but “The system makes We can then target 15-min- Go to betterretailing.com their area. Around 30 stores we’re looking to develop the the process of reporting a ute patrols, which evidence have already signed up to product and roll it out to crime much quicker,” said shows reduces crime.” Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 » 13 A HONG KONG C-STORE DIET Follow RN Pages on twitter 26-27 @RetailNewsagent for expert REGIONAL advice to help you grow your sales Min alcohol Scheme rollout pricing for The Responsible Tobacco Re- tailing scheme will be rolled out in Northern Ireland over Scots ‘closer’ the coming month. Minimum alcohol prices in Scotland More than 90 retailers will moved a step closer this week after the be visited by mystery shop- Scottish courts rejected a legal challenge pers as part of the scheme by the Scottish Whisky Association. to identify those at risk of The policy, passed by MSPs in 2012, making underage sales. would set a minimum price of 50p per Retailers who don’t ask for unit of alcohol, taking a bottle of spirits ID will be ofered free-of- to at least £14. charge training, provided by However, the drinks industry could social enterprise Underage still appeal to the UK Supreme Court. Sales. David Frost, chief executive of the The programme is funded Scotch Whisky Association, said: “We by a partnership between continue to believe that minimum unit JTI, Philip Morris and pricing is a restriction on trade and Imperial Tobacco. It targets that there are more efective ways of independent stores and has tackling alcohol misuse.” already been rolled out in John Lee, head of public policy at the other parts of the UK over Scottish Grocers Federation, said the the past 12 months. During SGF had “reservations” about the policy. that time it has achieved “We didn’t feel the evidence was suf- a 19.6% improvement in ficiently strong to justify it. We are also performance from retailers, concerned about the impact on cross- based on evidence from border illicit trade,” he told RN. 4,000 test purchases. However, Motherwell-based retailer Customers make a date for Friday tastings Adeil Hussain said: “This is a good opportunity to standardise prices across Friday afternoon tastings are helping to drive alcohol sales at Manchester the board. The multiples attract custom- retailer Paul Stone’s stores. He holds the sessions most weeks at his Princess Food sales ers with cheap booze and it stops them Street store and often has them in his other four. This one pictured is with Tom being able to do that. At Christmas they Delahoyde – one of the Princess Street store’s student members of staff – giv- grow 1.6% sell Smirnof and Bell’s for as low as £10 ing out samples of Rekorderlig cocktails. Mr Stone said: “It creates a bit of UK food sales have grown a bottle, which is cheaper than Costco. interest and helps to launch new products by getting people to taste them.” by 1.6% in the third quarter This needs to be looked at.” of this year, the biggest increase since November 2013, according to BRC-KPMG Retailers teaching customers about tobacco legislation changes Imperial cards 'helping' statistics. “Late summer tempera- tures combined with shoppers continuing to benefit from the ongoing price war Retailers left to educate has seen food and drink sales in the black for a full quarter,” said Paul Martin, customers on EUTPD II head of retail at KMPG. by Tim Murray tomers to tell them about little public information A spokesman for the the changes for three or telling them what was Department of Health said Trinity Customers are still not four weeks,” said NFRN happening. it is focused on working aware of EUTPD II legisla- president Ray Monelle, of Peter Wagg, of News with the industry rather titles close tion months after it has Orch-ard News in Weston- On The Wharf in Canary than customers. Trinity Mirror has an- come into force, retailers super-Mare. Wharf, said: “We order He said the approach nounced the closure of four have warned, as 10-packs “I still don’t think the an awful lot of cigarettes includes updates on the Local World titles in the start to run out. public totally realises and tobacco from diferent progress of implemen- past 10 days, part of its drive Retailers told RN while what’s happening. We’ve wholesalers and 10s have tation, meetings with to make £12m of savings shoppers are trading up to been telling customers for started to dry up. tobacco reps and providing following its takeover of 20-packs rather than cut- a long time, you’ve just got “We’ve had periods training for enforcement the regional publisher last ting down, they are being to keep banging the mes- when we haven’t had any ofcers. autumn. left to educate them about sage out there.” 10s. The only habit it’s He added this is due to The titles are the Crawley the new regulations. Mr Monelle added there changing is that custom- the industry having to News, Luton on Sunday, the “We’ve been using the is a distinct lack of govern- ers are trading up. Instead enact the changes, while Northants Herald & Post, cards produced by Impe- ment information being of buying a packet of 10, the public will experience and Milton Keynes-based rial Tobacco to give to cus- given to consumers, with they’re now buying 20s.” it when it happens. One MK. 14 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent YOUR NFRN DISTRICT COUNCIL REPORT REGION KENT 17.10.2016 Greg Wilcox reports from the NFRN Kent district council meeting

NEM aims to get ing issues with Menzies, with Gravesend retailer more involved Jeet Chopra revealing his Nigel Smith told Kent shop had been plagued district delegates his new by late deliveries and role as national deliveries made on the events man- wrong days. ager will “Everyone is human help their and makes mistakes but district to resolving the problems Nigel include and I’m experiencing is Smith involve more becoming increasingly members in MPs are listening to retailers’ concerns about tough. Some issues take local events such as trade the proposed sugar tax, Hitesh Pandya said as many as 10 to 15 calls events and training days. to sort out,” he said. Mr Smith will work focused meetings, Nigel tation of members. He urged fellow mem- with districts in a co- Smith told delegates. Ron Rushbrook said bers to check the quanti- ordinating role to organ- Mr Smith explained it was impor- ties of newspapers and ise events. The hope, he the amalgamation, tant the new magazines they receive added, was that working which will create a new structure as a new packing system this way would help raise South East district, will only involved means errors are being retail standards. take place on 27 February people who made which are costing North West Kent next year. Until then, Anything wanted to be Ron retailers a lot of money. member Ron Rushbrook the two districts will involved. Rushbrook “It seems there is no praised the move. continue to operate as that helps Mr Smith one at Menzies will- “Anything that helps normal. said the aim of the re- ing to take the bull by members is to be wel- The aim, he added, members is to structure was to generate the horns,” he added, comed. Not everyone would be to move be welcomed. more and better-attended also raising the issue of can get to national trade towards a ‘no-branch meetings leading to claims being disallowed shows and this is one structure’, but no deci- Not everyone change and progress. with no excuse given. way of getting impor- sion would be made on Ramsgate retailer Once again, members tant information back to this until the results the can get to Hitesh Pandya said were told to call NFRN them,” he said. South West district’s another aim was to Connect whenever Mr Smith said plans experiment with operat- national trade improve current ways of they experience such were still at an early ing without branches are shows working. problems, so the NFRN stage, but he is working seen. Menzies delivery can take such matters up with the NFRN to put Members raised fears Nigel Smith with Menzies. them in place for next the new structure would NFRN national woes continue year. lead to reduced represen- events manager Members reported ongo- MPs listening to Gravesend retailer retailer concerns Harry Goraya said such Your say Plain packaging of tobac- a move was a ‘long time co will have a minimal coming’ but asked what How many e-cigarettes do you stock and how many on average do efect on reducing the involvement the districts you sell each week? number of smokers, will have in arranging several mem- events. I don’t We’ve got We sell bers agreed. Mr Smith said he stock e-cigs three difer- three or four But during hoped districts will be anymore – I ent varieties e-cigarettes a discussion heavily involved in set- only sold and sell, on a week and about recent ting up events and that one or two a month so average, a dozen outers. only stock one brand. tobacco Hitesh committees would only we drew a line about We’ve got liquids and I’m being squeezed on legislation, it Pandya be ﬁlled by members who a month ago. A few capsules and many cus- either side – I’ve got was reiter- want the district to be people went to e-cigs tomers are moving to Tesco on one side and a ated there would be no proactive. but then switched back capsules because there’s lot of people buy e-cig- changes to any laws that Amalgamation to normal cigarettes. no spillage. There’s an arettes there. We’re sell- are already in motion. People who like a good upward trend, especial- ing less than we used to Hitesh Pandya, who set for February smoke will revert back ly with people trying to because of the competi- had just spent two days An amalgamation of the to proper cigarettes. give up and price rises tion. at parliament, said MPs NFRN’s Kent and South- with normal cigarettes. were listening to the ern districts will aim Jeet Chopra Harry Goraya Bob Patel concerns of small traders to engender fewer but The Paper Shop, Gravesend Nisa Local, Gravesend Ramsgate on matters such as the better-quality business- sugar tax. Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 15 YOUR NFRN DISTRICT COUNCIL REPORT REGION NORTHERN IRELAND 18.10.2016 Heather McGarrigle reports from the NFRN Northern Ireland district council meeting

‘Don’t sell Sun’ provide a recommended range to stock. move opposed A statement from Delegates expressed their NFRN’s head ofce said: opposition to Derry & “There has been a posi- Strabane Council contac- tive response from many ing local newsagents and businesses who have retailers encouraging signed up. them to stop selling and “They have seen big displaying The Sun. changes in their margin The Council passed Derry & Strabane Council’s and improved a motion raised by request to retailers not to sell cash flow.” independent councillor The Sun was rejected by delegates Gwen Paul Gallagher, which Patterson also called on Derry & Four through to campaign, opposing the reported her Strabane to support the proposed soft drinks tax. own magazine Gwen campaign group Total awards finals Belfast council mem- sales were Patterson Eclipse of The S*n. The The district was delight- ber Raymond Hamilton up by 33%, move follows a wide- ed to learn four members said an East Belfast MP however Tyrone member spread boycott of the have made it to the finals had pledged support. “I James Simpson hasn’t paper which has been in of the NFRN Awards got a letter from Gavin seen much change. place in Liverpool since on 23 November. The Robinson who said that It was agreed that the the Hillsborough disaster finalists are Judith It should be he supported us and scheme seems most ef- in 1989. Mercer of Belfast, Peter would do his best for us,” fective at larger conve- Strabane member Sea- McBride in Omagh, down to the he said. nience stores. mus McFadden was not Alison McDermott from at the meeting, but sent a Omagh and Brian Savage individual to Mixed response Engagement of statement which said: “It of Newry. decide what should be down to the in- to initiative politicians dividual retailer to make Support for anti- they think is The Northern Ireland It was agreed that a decision on what they + Newspro initiative the Northern Ireland think is right for their sugar tax moves right for their has seen mixed results, district needs “to be store, their business and Delegates added their store delegates were told. more concerted in its their clients.” Mr McFad- voices to the NFRN’s Marketing consultan- eforts to engage its get den felt the pressure from support for the Face Seamus McFadden cy Lucid Group analyses support from our politi- the council is unfair. The Facts: Can The Tax Retailer, Strabane a shop’s ofering and cians.” Portstewart member Member Ken Chap- John McDowell Your say man described a recent described the British Retail Consor- council’s tium report, stating that action as What product range or service makes your business stand out? “40,000 shops have closed “dangerous”, down in the last referring to 10 years” as John We are the We dedicate Our deli hot the NFRN’s “scary”. McDowell only shop in a whole wall food to go boycott of Members Lurgan sell- in our small is popular, the Daily Mirror in the are keen to ing pipe to- shop to dis- probably due 1960s. The newspaper raise aware- Ken bacco and pipes. We sell playing magazines, to our location – it is an group successfully sued ness of their Chapman Peterson pipes, together and it is really efective. industrial and residential for inducing breach of business pres- with all the filters and People buy with their area, so lots of workers contract. sures, including issues accessories, displayed in eyes, and they can eas- or people on their way to Belfast member around cigarette sales. a glass-fronted unit. We ily see the choice they work grabbing a bite for Pauline Schiefer said: “I They also want to lobby get a good margin on have. Because of our lunch. Our of-sales also wouldn’t stop selling it. for fairer business deals pipe sales – close to 50% location in the Great do well and in response to I’ve got my bills to pay.” from utilities provid- ‒ and we also sell a lot of Victoria Street bus and demand we are focusing Mr McFadden has ers, and a discussion pipe tobacco. train station, we get a more on premium and asked for a letter to be about minimum wage lot of tourist trade – so locally-produced beers sent to the council from increases. we’ve also started sell- and ciders. the NFRN, opposing the The council plans ing souvenirs. boycott. President Gwen Raymond Farrell Pauline Schiefer Gwen Patterson to bring these to the Patterson is to contact Paperchase Rail News Spar Clandeboye table at a parliamentary the NFRN’s head ofce to Lurgan Belfast Bangor reception at Stormont in action this. February. 16 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent Do you want to see your views in RN? [email protected] OPINION 020 7689 3350 Your say YOUR SAY Following Camelot admitting it needs to do more to support retailers, what change would make the biggest difference to your store?

Ravi Kaushal

RETAIL NEWSAGENT Burlington News, NEWS ● CONVENIENCE ● PROFIT Chiswick 11 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2SD You can’t get through to them Tel 020 7689 0600 these days, there’s no point of email [email protected] contact. It makes life very dif- Annual Subscription ﬁcult. Similarly, there’s often UK 1 year £150 Europe £302 2 years £237 Rest of world £354 problems with its terminals, and 3 years £333 when you get them out, they To subscribe contact 01737 457236 say it’s your fault and want to charge you. The terminals seem Editor Account Directors to collect a lot of dust, there’s Chris Gamm Will Hoad static, and it’s difcult to clean 020 7689 3378 020 7689 3370 them – then Camelot blame Associate Editor Account Managers Chris Rolfe Marta Dziok-Kaczynska you. Funnily enough, I got a call 020 7689 3362 020 7689 3354 from Camelot this morning, so News Editor Erin Swanson maybe they’ve started to improve to, and I’d like them to sort out service we get from Camelot. Gurpreet Samrai 020 7689 3372 already. scratchcard supplies, we have Even when there was an News020 7689 body 3386 Nathan Gray more problems now. It creates a issue with scratchcards earlier Reporter Letters020 7689 name, 3363 Raj Dhillon bad impression when you have this year, they made us aware Charlie Faulkner lettersSales addressexecutive Westcombe Park Food and Wine, 020 7689 3357 empty stands, even if you double- of the shortage. My rep is very Khi Johnson south east London Features Editor 020 7689 3366 face them, it doesn’t look good. good, too, and I go online when I never used to have any problems I have any problems, which Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski Audience 020 7689 3361 Development with Camelot, but in the past Duncan McCutcheon are rare. The only thing I’m not Head of Production Executive couple of years we have. I’d like McCutcheon’s Newsagents, happy with is what they’ve done Darren Rackham Chris Chandler to see more rep visits, they’re not Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne to the game – customers don’t 020 7689 3373 020 7689 3382 coming as much as they used I’m actually happy with the like it. Senior Designer Marketing Manager Anne-Claire Pickard Tom Mulready 020 7689 3391 020 7689 3352 Designer Marketing Assistant Emma Langschied Tom Thorn YOUR STOCK How easy is it for you to find free Your020 7689 3380stock020 7689 3384 Production Managing Director from foods such as gluten-free? Coordinator Nick Shanagher Billy Allen 07966 530 001 020 7689 3368 Vip Panchmatia more aware of it and that will gluten-free I already had in Director of Sales Wharf Convenience Store, help with the range. Once we my store until I started the Mike Baillie Ebley get a bit more help, it will really section, then I saw a lot of 020 7689 3367 Warburtons has come out with start to work. things we were already selling a range of gluten-free products were free-from. We worked with Email ﬁ[email protected] which is a good start, that’s Dave Hiscutt Warburtons on its launch and If you do not receive your copy of RN working for us. We are develop- Londis, they gave us support, which please contact Chris Chandler on 020 7689 3382 or ing the range and we are look- Weymouth, helped build sales. It’s not a email [email protected] ing at a dedicated section. It is Dorset huge or high volume range, Printed by Southernprint, Poole, difcult and we could do with We’ve got a bit of a section, we but it does service an extra on 80gsm Galerie Fine Gloss paper a bit more help, but it looks work with Epicurium for a lot group of customers. Distributor Seymour Distribution, like suppliers are starting to be of it. I didn’t realise how much 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Paul Mather Audit Bureau of Circulations July 2015 to June 2016 average net Sherston Post Office Stores, circulation per issue 13,316 Gloucestershire Winner of the 2009 ACE gold award for We have a gluten-free section circulation excellence by a smaller magazine in our shop, and what all retailers can take advantage of Retail Newsagent is published by Newtrade Publishing Limited, which is wholly owned by NFRN Holdings Ltd, which is wholly owned by the is there are hundreds of foods Benefits Fund of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. which are gluten-free which Retail Newsagent is editorially independent of the NFRN and opinions, comments and reviews included are not necessarily those of the they already stock. It’s about Federation and no warranty for goods or services described is implied. product knowledge, we have a Reproduction or transmission in part or whole of any item from Retail Newsagent may only be undertaken with the prior written member of staf who is wheat agreement of the Editor. intolerant, which helps. We Contributions are welcomed and are included in part or whole at the sole discretion of the editor. only have 20 to 30 items in our Newtrade Publishing accepts no responsibility range, but have others around for submitted material. Every possible care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information. the shop. We’ve printed out For trade use only tags that point them out to customers. Retail Newsagent Xmasad - 3692Final AW.indd 1 RN page ad.indd 1 * Nielsen 20 w/e 02.01.16 ** Kantar WorldPanel 20 w/e 4th Jan 2016 † IRI UB Seasonal Biscuits Defnition, 20 w/e 4th January 2016 NO.1 ASSORTMENT EVERYDAY stock the bestsellingbiscuitsnow! 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21/10/2016 10:29 20/10/2016 16:36 18 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent INSIDE PARLIAMENT The future of tobacco Last week saw the two sides of the tobacco control debate take to the Houses of Parliament to reach out to independent retailers. RN was present at both meetings to hear what the campaigners had to say

Who? Action on a lot of money,” he admitted, but in- praised the moves already made by Smoking & Health sisted declining sales and profits from government to stop criminal traders. When? 4.15pm Tues- the category meant stores like his had However, he was clear in his asser- day 18 October to seek out “other opportunities”. ASH tion that illicit tobacco, and the crimes What? Launch of the report Counter itself will not be championing any committed against retailers, had to be Arguments: How important is tobac- specific alternative to a tobacco-reliant stamped out to enable the entire net- co to small retailers? business model and says this is for in- work to prosper. Anti-smoking group ASH’s latest re- dividual businesses to decide. On Holloway Mr Mackinlay, the son of a grocer port is designed to show retailers that Also during the meeting, Ms Arnott whose career was brought to an end tobacco provides such small margins reaffirmed the group’s support for to- Road it’s easy by the local supermarket, said that that retailers should disinvest in the bacco licencing – funded by tobacco to buy illicit more retailers suffer nationally due to category. manufacturers – though she indicated increased tobacco regulation and that With data collected from 591 retail- this would not be a tool they would use cigarettes store owners and staff – who he said ers’ EPoS terminals, ASH has calcu- to limit the number of tobacco retailers “represent 390,000 members of the UK lated the average retailer makes £242 in a specific area. at 50% of workforce” – deserve to be listened to profit per week from tobacco. RN in- Bob Blackman MP also announced their RRP more. He said that the rise in popular- vited Best-one retailer Kay Patel along he had been re-elected as the chair of ity for illicit tobacco came as “no sur- to the launch and he suggested that the All-Party Parliamentary Group on prise”, and added that alcohol had been retailers who were most reliant on to- Smoking and Health. “I would never open to the same abuse for some time. bacco sales would often be the smallest do anything to cause damage to small Constituent and friend of Mr stores, which were least likely to use shops or small shopkeepers,” he said. Mackinlay, and TRA retail crime EPoS terminals. spokesperson, Hitesh Pandya, spoke TOM GOCKELEN-KOZLOWSKI But even accepting these figures after the MP. To frame his talk he used there was widespread questioning of the plight, as he saw it, of retailers who how inconsequential the profit figure Who? TRA Small were “being ignored” on a range of is- – which equates to more than 33 hours Shops Manifesto 2016 sues. In reference to the lawmakers paying the National Living Wage – ac- When? 2.30pm “just down the corridor” he said they tually is. Wednesday 19 October “didn’t have a clue”. Still, ASH’s goal from the report What? Launch of 2017’s A Fair Deal “I want Craig to be listened to. He’s turns out to be encouraging retailers for Small Shops report, which raises the only man at the moment and we to move their gantries. “It’s not in re- awareness about tobacco-related is- need a voice,” he added. tailers’ best interest to have a product sues that affect retailers Next to speak was the former that’s not very profitable taking prime The Tobacco Retailers Alliance (TRA) president of the NFRN, Mahendra place behind the counter,” said Debo- represents and campaigns on behalf Jadeja. He predicted “things would rah Arnott, the group’s chief execu- of legitimate retailers. Its latest event get much worse” when 10-packs of tive, who added that in recommend- was attended by Conservative MP for cigarettes are no longer available ing moving away from the traditional South Thanet, Craig Mackinlay, with and, by way of example, pointed gantry she was in common cause with proceedings opened at Westminster towards an area of London where trade bodies including the NFRN. Hall by TRA’s national spokesperson, he said illicit trading was rife. Retailer John McClurey spoke in fa- Suleman Khonat. “On Holloway Road it’s easy to buy vour of what he called an “interesting Mr Khonat highlighted the “inte- illicit cigarettes at 50% of their and challenging report”. gral role” that independent traders RRP,” he said. “There’s no doubt smokers spend played in their local communities and DAVE SONGER l Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 19 [email protected] 020 7689 0600 The opinions on this page do not necessarily represent those of the editor Letters may be altered by the editor for reasons of clarity or of length I am losing ACADEMY IN ACTION £200 a week Follow up of sales to Smiths’ fees Twelve months ago, Smiths News gave us an option of a fixed rate for two years. I am on the fixed template like many others, and today I received a letter saying while my rate will not change this year, for those on a variable rate Customer the template has changed. We are being told that the Service charges will be increased in such a way Smiths is making Back in June, Karen Murray, itself look like saints by not regional sales manager at Philip increasing standing charges Morris, visited Naresh Gajiri and this year. Rakesh Sood’s Premier store in But what about next year A PUZZLING MATTER Glasgow to discuss what steps and percentages on sales can I am curious if anyone else papers are returned, do we they could take to improve their increase quite easily? has noticed this puzzling have the 2p taken back? We phenomenon that is have still handled them. customer service. We caught up I think approximately £200 with them to see what of your weekly sales profits are occurring. Next point, if the papers lost in charges. Every morning when I are late, and it’s a publisher results they’ve seen. What about claims? We pay open my shop it seems like issue, why are we expected these exorbitant charges and the puzzle magazines have to contact the publisher Naresh’s action plan wait for four to five hours to had a house party and had for restitution? We pay the receive them, if not the next guests stay over – either that wholesaler for all the papers, Decide on and write down three day. or they have mastered the art and we pay the wholesaler customer service values and How do you promote sales on of procreation. for delivery, then surely communicate them to staff this? Perhaps it’s time to look There were 43 titles this simple contract law states Introduce recognition awards at staff for a claims refund on the DSC? morning, against average that our contract is with the meetings to reward staff that go the Peter Gauntlett monthly sales of 15 single wholesaler? extra mile P.L. & E.P. Gauntlett, magazines across eight titles. And now I’m on a roll. If Use social media to capture customer Croydon Sarcasm aside, in this we pay the wholesaler for feedback and make changes based on A Smiths News spokesman day and age, what possible delivery and the wholesaler what they say said: “The review has concluded economic and environmental is repeatedly late, then the that the foundation of the sense can this make? What wholesaler is in breach of Naresh says template is still appropriate, but a complete waste of my contract and is liable to be “The IAA visit was very useful. We have changes are required to ensure time checking them and sued, unless of course they created customer service values, including an accurate reflection of our cost returning them, and the issue automatic restitution, values around honesty and offering service to serve. Therefore, we will be printing and transport costs. because if we have to chase with a smile. At the last staff meeting we introducing a labour element to Another puzzling issue and it they should pay us for asked staff to contribute ideas on great our index calculation, previously a further note: if we are given the time we spend chasing service and they’re going to feed back to us a 2p handling allowance restitution. at the next meeting. made up only of the Retail Price “At every monthly meeting we actively for handling inserts for the Aidan Staton index and Freight Transport Streetly Stores, Dudley, praise the staff members who have Association index. Alongside papers, then why, if the West Midlands given exceptionally good service and, for the indexation change for 2016 Christmas, we’re planning to reward staff which will be 1.72% we will also with gift vouchers. Staff are enthusiastic other newspapers. I’ve had it The PoS is a good idea, but it be increasing the minimum and about the changes and customers have for about a year, it was part of just doesn’t work in my store. noticed too. maximum carriage charge by £1 a deal with The Sun and News I need a smaller display and I “We haven’t managed to sort out and £2 respectively. These changes UK from a rep. know they make them. Facebook yet as we’re looking for someone will take efect on 27 November. to give us some help with it.” The problem is, it’s a bit big, I’m begging them, please Customers who chose to fix their I’m looking for a smaller one. come and help me, but I can’t DSC, an ofer submitted to all I’ve seen smaller ones in other get an answer. We’re part and our customers in 2015, will not stores, they just have two parcel of the industry. I think be subject to the new templated shelves, one for The Sun and we deserve better than this. Your action plan structure until the end of the fixed one for The Times. Arif Ahmed period in November 2017.” Ahmed’s News, Visit betterRetailing.com/IAA I’ve been trying to get in to find out more about Naresh & touch with News UK, through Coventry Small problem A News UK spokesman said: Rakesh’s and the other retailers’ the app and I’ve left messages visits from the Academy and and messages and messages, “Our rep for Coventry has been in develop your own action plan to is a big worry all with no response. It’s contact with Mr Ahmed and will I have an in-store PoS display been like this for at least four be visiting his store this week to see similar results in your store from News UK for The Sun and months. replace the unit.” PART 4 PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS…

NEW PACK DESCRIPTORS UNDER EUTPD II

Owing to the new legislation, the way we refer to our tobacco products is changing, with certain current names and descriptions no longer compliant from 20 May 2017. We understand that consumers use brand and colour when asking for their pack of cigarettes. With current taste descriptions – ‘full flavour’, ‘smooth’ and ‘menthol’ – no longer compliant, new standardised pack descriptors have been devised to help differentiate the SKUs. For full flavour products, brands in Sub-Premium through to Sub-Economy will adopt either the descriptor ‘real’ or ‘original’, with the exception of Carlton Red (which stays the same) and John Player Special Black (which adopts the descriptor ‘Legendary Black’). For those full flavour products in the Premium category whose names are changing, Superkings Black will transition to Superkings Original Black, Regal will transition to Regal Blue and Embassy Number 1 will adopt the descriptor ‘Red’. For our other products the transition will be as follows:

‘Smooth’ products become ‘Bright’ Lambert & Butler Smooth Gold, ‘Menthol’ products become ‘Green’ WILL BE KNOWN AS

‘Capsule’ products become ‘Crushball’ Lambert & Butler Bright Gold. The name of JPS Triple Flow, a smooth cigarette in the economy category, remains unchanged. Meanwhile as

•SUPPORT•TRAINING• STARTAVAILABILITY•RANGE•TRUST• ‘King Size’ is the standard cigarette size, it will no longer be PREMIUM CIGARETTES Current Description Format Current Davidoff Pack Size Compliant mentioned on pack. ‘Superkings’ variants will continue to be Classic SKU Compliant – Pack Size Davidoff 20 Davidoff Gold Classic – 20 Embassy 20 Davidoff referred to on pack. Some examples are: Number 1 Bright Gold King Size 10 20 Embassy Number 1 King Size 20 Embassy Embassy Number 1 Red 20 Filter TRAINING – Embassy 10 Filter JPS King Size Blue JPS Real Blue – Embassy Embassy 20 Filter 20 Blue King Size 20 BRAND Regal Embassy Bright Blue King Size 10 20 DESCRIPTOR Regal King Size 20 Regal Regal Blue LIST 20 JPS King Size Silver JPS Bright Silver Filter – Regal 10 Filter – Regal Superkings 20 Filter 20 Black Superkings 10 Superkings Black Superkings 20 Superkings Superkings Original Black 20 JPS King Size Menthol JPS Green Blue Superkings 10 Superkings You should have receivedBlue a brand descriptors list. Superkings 20 Superkings Superkings Bright Blue 20 Menthol It can also be viewed on ourSuperkings trade 20 website at: Woodbine Superkings Green 41888 12pp A5 Brand Descriptor List_Final AW-4.indd 1 – 20 JPS Superkings Blue JPS Superkings Real Blue 20 Woodbine Virginia Blend 20 www.imperial-trade.co.uk41888 12pp A5 Brand Descriptor List_Final AW-4.indd 2

14/09/2016 10:13

For Tobacco Traders Only

RN page ad.indd 4 20/10/2016 15:59 STANDARDISED PACKS, BUT BRANDED TRADE OUTERS…

Branding on individual packs of tobacco will not be compliant after May 2017, however, trade outers of cigarettes will change their packaging to become fully branded – meaning our products will continue to be easily identiﬁable in cash & carries. Meanwhile, any Codentify codes on individual SKUs will remain fully scannable. Codentify codes

Front

Examples of standardised pack designs. Back Examples of standardised pack 200 outer wrap design. For illustrative purposes only, and subject to change. For illustrative purposes only, and subject to change. START PACK UPDATES & CONSUMER INFO CARDS

START pack updates will include further materials to assist retailers with understanding the transition in descriptors, and bring to life our brand variants in their new format. This will help when adapting to the navigation START•SUPPORT•TRAINING•AVAILABILITY•RANGE•TRUST• of new-look gantries and be a useful quick reference Spin! guide to support retailers.

Look out for your brand variant wheel, coming soon... SMOO

CRUSHBALL

New consumer MENTHOL

SMOOTHER SMOKING EXPERIENCE SMOKING SMOOTHER information cards EXPERIENCE SMOKING FULLER

KNOW R YOURKEY:

Original Silver Original

SMOOTHER SMOKING EXPERIENCE SMOKING SMOOTHER

BRANDBlue Bright Superkings

Lambert & Butler & Lambert are also now available, Richmond

VARIANTS O V EXPERIENCE SMOKING FULLER

which are a useful A

30g

Sunrise

GV Bright GV

KEY:

reference guide L

KNOW Blend Quality 30g Gold Leaf JPS Leaf Gold

U YOUR F to the forthcoming BRAND VARIANTS changes for your shoppers. Spin!

Examples of standardised cigarette card insert. For illustrative purposes only, and subject to change. …THROUGH EUTPD II AND STANDARDISED PACKAGING

www.imperial-trade.co.uk

RN page ad.indd 5 20/10/2016 15:59 22 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent Benchmark your prices against PRICEWATCH your peers In focus Ice cream Sample prices WALL’S MAGNUM CLASSIC 110ml Price distribution % PRODUCT

70% 71% of independents sell this product at or below the £1.80 RRP 60% Wall’s Magnum Classic 110ml Wall’s Magnum 50% White 110ml Magnum Double Chocolate 40% 88ml Calippo Orange 105ml 30% Twister 80ml

20% Wall’s Feast 90ml Euro Shopper 10% Classic Choc Ice Cream 80g Cadbury Flake 99 0% 125ml Magnum Mint

£1.91 £1.70 £1.76 £1.78 £1.79 £1.85 £1.95 £2.15 £1.80 £1.86 £1.89 £1.90 £1.99 £2.02 £2.05 £2.10 £2.00 -£1.70 +£2.15 100ml Euro Shopper Classic White Ice Cream 80g Analysis Solero Ice cream may experience peak ert options, whatever the weather. that did deviate from RRP, only two Exotic sales during summer, but demand Most retailers stick to RRP, highlighted here did so by more 90ml for them remains healthy during with 77% of them doing so in the than 10p. The ice cream with the Orange the colder times of the year. Why? cases of Walls’ Feast, Solero as well highest number of retailers pricing Pop-up Retailers suggest many customers as Magnum Classic, White and above RRP was Twister, with 62% 110ml choose to have ice creams as dess- Double Chocolate. Of the retailers of retailers improving the margin. How we drive our profit I have stocked Booker’s Euro Sho- We do impulse and take-home Mike Brown pper pricemarked range in my 12- Avtar Sidhu products. Magnum, without a STORE Brown’s Newsagents basket freezer for around four STORE Simply Fresh shadow of a doubt, is one of our LOCATION Middlesbrough years – all nine sell well. The str- LOCATION Kenilworth biggest sellers, even though we SIZE 300sq ft awberry Cornetto equivalent re- SIZE 2,000sq ft sell it for £1.90 – we add 10p on to TYPE high street tails at 60p and other favourites TYPE edge of town every RRP. The prices jump up ev- are ice pops, at 10p, and Calippo ery year and they’re quite expen- Shots for £1.20, which kids love. I sive now. It’s really worth having TOP TIP went to a branch meeting recen- TOP TIP a good range and you would I have my own tly and most people were sticking Don’t have a be surprised how much people freezer and can with Euro Shopper because they range that’s so are prepared to spend; this sum- stock what I want. sell well, and have been particu- large it makes the mer we’ve had people coming Euro Shopper’s larly this year. I don’t stock the freezer messy or in and buying single Magnums range gives me a much more expensive ice creams untidy because it while spending £50 to £60. The 30% margin – a – a family of five can buy one can affect sales cash profit, the bit that goes in better return than cheaper ice cream each for under your pocket, can be upwards of Wall’s £3 rather than £10 or £15. 80p. Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 23

Dave Songer [email protected] 020 7689 3358

Data supplied by EDFM is a specialist in helping leading suppliers to the UK’s independent convenience channel get Sample prices value, insights and business beneﬁts from EPoS data. To ﬁnd out how they could help you call 07976 295094 MY LOCAL HERO BOOKER AVERAGE RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER RRP Retailers reveal the most profitable 1 2 3 4 5 6 produce on their doorsteps VILLAGE C-STORE SMALL LARGE TOWN LARGE SHOP HIGH STREET PARADE OF SHOPS NORTH OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE CENTRE SHOP IN NEWCASTLE SHOP IN S.E. IN SMART SURREY GLASGOW VILLAGE SHOP IN LANCASHIRE RESIDENTIAL MANCHESTER THAMESSIDE TOWN SUBURB SUBURB SUBURB Adam Hogwood Budgens of Broadstairs £1.80 £1.83 £1.80 £1.80 £1.80 £1.70 £1.80 £1.85 Little Stour

£1.80 £1.84 £1.80 £1.80 £1.80 £1.70 £1.80 £1.85 Orchard cider vinegar £1.90 £1.88 £1.90 £1.90 – – £1.90 £2.00 (£3.50)

£1.00 £1.05 £1.00 £1.00 £1.00 £1.00 £1.00 £1.10 Where did you discover it? The producers used to hold a farmer’s market very near to the store and this went on to win the Kent Good Taste Awards. It’s made £1.00 £1.06 £1.00 £1.00 £1.10 £1.10 £1.00 £1.20 from the juice of 100% English apples and can be used in salad dressings, chutneys and for preserving. We sell them in 500ml bottles £1.00 £1.06 £1.00 £1.00 £1.10 £1.00 £1.00 £1.00 and we get a margin of 30% ‒ it’s really growing in popularity. It’s good for business because the producer also makes ciders and 60p 60p 60p – 60p – 60p – wines, so its cider vinegar acts as an efective cross-promotion tool. Who buys it? £1.69 £1.70 – £1.79 £1.60 – £1.95 – It has a wide appeal so there’s no set demo- graphic. It may be people who are new to cooking and want a premium product with £1.80 £1.86 £1.80 – £1.70 – £1.80 – which to cook, while for foodies it makes for a good point of diference over other more run-of-the-mill products. 60p 60p 60p – – – 60p – Why is it so successful? People just expect certain lines to be local now and this goes just outside the box a lit- £1.25 £1.32 £1.25 – £1.30 – – – tle. For us, stocking the product is important because it shows we work with local people and are making an efort to get the name out 50p 50p 50p – 50p – 50p – there. It’s been great aligning ourselves with local markets.

For us multipacks have really Pricemarked items are a big draw Shahid Razzaq taken of pretty sharply, and that’s Linda Sood for our customers. It’s an area that STORE Family Shopper for ice lollies not just ice cream. STORE Falcon News Lyons Maid has just entered into, LOCATION Blantyre I do ﬁnd that sales tail of a little LOCATION Portsmouth which is great because its 70p SIZE 3,500sq ft during the colder times of the SIZE 600sq ft Cornetto-style range has sold re- TYPE residential year, but of the 12 chest freez- TYPE town centre ally well. As for non-pricemarked ers we have in the store, the one ice creams, Feast, Magnum and holding ice creams, desserts and Twisters are the ones we concen- TOP TIP frozen cakes is one of the most TOP TIP trate on, but for those buying for Keep a good stock popular we have, and we still Have the right the family, 60p to 70p is good value during the colder have to restock every two weeks. stock. Know your so I’m really glad that the big months, as there The pricemarked Euro Shopper customers, meet names are now doing them. It’s is still healthy range is one of our most popular; their demand and levelling the ﬁeld. Our store isn’t customer demand that returns margins of more don’t get bogged in an afuent area so people won’t than 30%. down by margins pay over the odds, for example Mars doesn’t sell well because it’s too dear. l 24 » 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES Pages 34-37

ew people outside of Birmingham tionery and soft drinks and Rush deals with have heard of the village of Rubery alcohol. Being brothers does make us com- and fewer still of the Select & Save on petitive, but that’s great for business. We FWindmill Avenue. But, as retailers take pride in what we do and I think that’s and owners of the store, Harj Gill and his the real benefit of owning and working in family have served the village for more than your own business.” It’s a 30 years, and if you’re a Rubery local, there’s The store has undergone several trans- a good chance you’ll know Mr Gill. formations over the years, as Harj explains: Although the business is going from “We’ve had three major refits. Firstly we strength to strength now, Harj describes bought the store next door and knocked the how it wasn’t always plain sailing: “Mum wall through ‒ that made a massive difer- and dad bought the store back in 1983,” says ence to the space we had. Then we extended Harj. “Things didn’t quite go to plan as it into the yard out the back. The last exten- family turned out once they’d bought the business sion was in 2011, which allowed us to double that the accounts had been falsified, so dad the size of our chilled alcohol section to 9.75 went to work for Rover for a few years and metres. Alcohol sales account for about 40% mum ran the store on her own. Dad was of our revenue so this was a real strategic getting up at 5am to go to the cash and carry move for us. Before the extension and refit before work. It was a really tough time.” we took around £19,000 in turnover a week, Now, with business booming and but we’re turning over around £22,000 now.” affair the store picking up awards, these early Being part of the Nisa family, Select & struggles are forgotten. Save is able to ofer three-weekly promo- “The ups and downs make you a stronger tional deals and can keep prices particularly person; more determined to make the competitive on wines and spirits – a big The Windmill has been at the business succeed. When I look where we earner for the brothers. “We’ve got a lot of started, what my parents – and now me and competition just five minutes away on the centre of the village of Rubery for my brothers – have achieved, we are proud.” high street – a Tesco Metro, a Costcutter, a 30 years. Harj Gill explains how Rush and Bob, Harj’s brothers, joined the Farm Foods store and a Co-op. I think what business straight from school, and Harj diferentiates us is that our customers have constant investment keeps the offer himself has been in the business for 21 always been more than just customers and relevant and sales booming. years. this store is part of the history of the village. “We each run our own departments – I do “We do what we can to give back to the Matt Hutchings reports fresh and chilled, Bob deals with confec- community – last year we gave 460 bottles Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 25 Every time I read RN I learn something different ‒ especially from retailer profiles. You can learn something new from every one.” HARJ GILL

Harj Gill believes there’s always room for change and growth when running a convenience store “We see of water to the local middle school for their sports day, and in November we had an Facebook as open day with wine tasting, for the adults a way to connect and face painting and goody bags for the on another kids. The people here are our friends – people we’ve grown up with and seen grow level with the up – and that relationship keeps people community coming back.” Asked what’s next for the business, Harj without spending says there’s always room for change and hundreds growth. “We’re still growing. We’ve just on advertising” done a massive range review and we’re considering dropping DVDs. We’ve also just introduced fresh ﬂowers and a cofee machine and they’re both doing really well. We’re also waiting for an LED screen to be delivered from Highstreet Digital. The ﬁgures suggest we can boost sales of our promotions by about 12% by showing them on the screen,” he says. And with the family keen to keep the store – and their community – up to speed, Harj is looking at getting his store a better VISIT MY SHOP online presence. “We’re looking at getting into social media as everyone has a smart- phone these days and we see Facebook as The a way to connect on another level with Windmill the community without spending hun- Windmill Ave, dreds on advertising.” l Rubery, Birmingham Want to see more B45 9TA of Harj’s store? Go to betterretailing.com/ windmill-birmingham 26 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent FOOD TO GO BREAKFAST 7-Eleven Daily Café Lippo Centre, Admiralty

Breakfast is a key part of the day in this store. I choose the store as it is located close to a meeting I am due to have in Lippo Tower 1. Once in store, I can choose what I want to order from three well-lit display screens, a member of staf at a kiosk takes my order. Literally seconds later, an English Breakfast Pot (con- taining sausage, bacon, scrambled egg, baked beans, tomato and, interesting- ly, mashed potato) and an Americano cofee is ready for me. Living on The price of HK$35 (£3.67) is more than reasonable for the meal, which is sold as a part of a meal deal. In addition to the other breakfast options, which included scrambled egg in a brioche bun, the store sells hot bakery the c-stores of items, such as croissants and Danish pastries, which are available all day and then ofered in a two-for-one promotion later in the day. During the breakfast period, a leaﬂet on my serving tray, as well as on the future point-of-sale signs, highlights a lunch Hong Kong is widely considered to be home to the world’s most advanced convenience store market. But just how advanced is that? Could, for example, retail LUNCH expert Simon King survive on their food to go offerings all day? RN asked him to find out

ong Kong convenience stores convenience stores in the city. are exactly what they’re Close to wherever you are, Hong described as, convenient. Kong convenience stores are open 24 H They’re found on almost ev- hours a day. When you first walk into ery street in the city and have all sorts one of Hong Kong’s convenience stores of things to purchase inside. you may notice that it seems a little One of the great things about Hong crowded in there. Kong is that most things that you need These stores carry a lot of products are at a store within a short walking in a small space, and they have to find Products like distance of your accommodation. a way to cram it all in. Hong Kong juices and According to the latest figures, people are very good at using limited Beautifully Snacks Hong Kong has a population of just space to its maximum capacity. hot meals Paterson Street, Causeway Bay over seven million, with a density of Looking around the store you’ll find approximately 6,300 people per square lots of interesting Chinese and Japa- need to be I want to buy a light lunch, so kilometer – that’s almost four times as nese candy, Hong Kong-style drinks, I head to this outlet, which is lo- high as in London. toys, personal hygiene products, fresh and cated close to one of Hong Kong’s With space therefore at a premium, magazines, alcohol, Hong Kong-style appetising busy roads, where the pedestrian most people don’t store much food in fast food, and much more. It’s pretty crossing stops trafc every 52 sec- their homes. It’s more convenient to much a one-stop shop for almost any- to look at onds. walk to a store that’s thing you need. Food here is served by staf on the less than a block Visiting the city for business, I was pavement, while other staf prepare away, get fresh tasked with seeing just how advanced the wide range of freshly-squeezed ingredients daily these stores are. Could I survive on juices that are available from be- and then cook their foodservice ofers for every meal hind a counter. breakfast, lunch or in a day? And what does the experi- For lunch I opt for five spicy dinner – or a grow- ence tell retailers in the UK about fish balls, covered in chilli sauce, ing trend is to eat the direction of travel for foodservice which were served on a kebab-style at one of the many operations in the country. Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 27

BREAKFAST DINNER

International convenience operator 7-Eleven has hundreds of branches in Hong Kong

promotion which includes noodles in chef and kiosk staf. Once I’ve finished soup for HK$28 (£2.93). For that price, my breakfast, staf are keen to hear you could choose from four types of any feedback which highlights an noodles and from three diferent soup impressive level of customer service. bases. In addition, a selection of top- Circle K pings were available, ranging in price Jardine’s Bazaar, from HK$5 (52p) to HK$10 (£1.05). Causeway Bay Seven members of staf are working in the store including a barista team, For dinner, I want some traditional Chinese food that I could take back to What can Brits learn? my hotel room. UK store owners could learn a Inside the store, the sales assis- lot from this store about the im- tant, Fong, shows me the menu and portance of in-store merchandis- explains that I could order individual ing and using display screens items from a list of 24 choices. She to highlight menu options clearly also highlights the set-menu options to customers. that are available, each with a hot beverage, ranging in price from HK$26 (£2.75) to HK$31 (£3.28). She tells me that the menu I was looking at is available from 10.30am, but with the store open 24 hours, she does not say how late in the night it could be ordered until. The extensive menu is well designed and accompanied by good photography. I opt for soy sauce fried noodles, a portion of two steamed dumplings and five Shanghai wontons, which are priced at HK$10 (£1.05), HK$9 (95p) and HK$12 (£1.26) respectively. I also buy a 330ml can of Coca-Cola for HK$7.50 (79p). It takes around four minutes for my order to be fulfilled. With Fong the only person working on the food counter, this was too long as a queue skewer, shark fin soup and a freshly- me picking up lunch at around 1pm, started to form. squeezed apple juice – these were I soon realised that it may have been Stores like this need to ensure that priced at HK$15 (£1.59), HK$15 (£1.59) sat there for up to two hours. staf are trained and bottlenecks don’t and HK$18 (£1.90) respectively. It might sound basic, but if a form. The food is also only okay in This outlet, in a high-footfall area, store is going to ofer impressive quality. The noodles have clearly been serves the same menu from around fresh products like juices or hot cooked earlier as they are congealed 11am until just past midnight. meals they need to be fresh and in the plastic container and it takes There is no doubt that service was appetising to look at. some efort to separate them. quick – something that is key for UK convenience retailers to think about What Brits can learn What Brits can learn? when planning their hot food of- Any UK c-store operators who want UK operators can easily promote fering. to get involved in foodservice needs the same menu all day like this But the meal was not good. The to know the pitfalls of keeping food store. Staying on top of the amount apple juice was lumpy and not the too long. Wastage is an issue, but of food produced, rather than pur- colour juice made with fresh apples cooking fresh food regularly is a chased, is key for offering a great should be. better option than leaving custom- service that’s also profitable. The food was lukewarm and with ers disappointed. l 28 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent

CHRISTMAS GUIDE Magazines

Christmas is a famously huge opportunity for retailers to increase their sales and a time 49 to highlight the importance of local stores to CRACKERS communities. We take a look at magazines for (29-35) the fifth of our seven special festive features Great ideas for growing sales from top industry figures Festive focus 30

on magazines Kay Patel Global News, London 29 The magazine specialist Make way for Mark Ansell’s 900sq ft store in Liskeard kids’ titles specialises in magazines, with a 2,000-title We always look to upsell Perry Thaker range that brings in customers from all over Cornwall. He explains how he makes use of during Christmas and we Charlotte Street News, leave a stack of Radio Times London displays and units that increase the focus on Mark Ansell on the counter – they always magazines and drive up sales Liskeard News, sell well. Another favourite High-end mags Liskeard at Christmas are children’s mags, so we make more make great How I plan for Christmas ordering system logged in through- presents We increase magazine orders across out the day. room for them. our whole range in the lead up to How I bring Christmas to life We stock very high-end Christmas. This is particularly specialist titles on subjects true for Women & Home and Good We’ve dedicated the end bay of our like fashion and music. Housekeeping, as both experience a magazine section to our Christmas They’re more expensive dramatic spike in sales. titles and our free-standing units than standard titles and are Kids’ and adults’ titles The Beano stand alongside them. We aim to often bought as presents for and The People’s Friend have been in keep our magazines in customers’ friends and family. store since the beginning of October faces from now on, so I’ve utilised our launches for and have prominent locations. We’ll newspaper cube to create a three-tier receive Good Food and Christmas-spe- display. cific craft magazines from November. In terms of ordering, we favour My new product for Christmas 2016 Smiths, though we also use Connect Simply Christmas is a new title for 2U on the odd occasion that we have 2016, and we’ll be interested to see trouble sourcing any titles from them. how well that sells, but overall it’s a very busy time for magazines – it What my customers want seems all of them are producing We do get orders from customers Christmas specials this year. for specific titles the closer we get to To keep up with demand, I tend Christmas and will keep them back to use our ordering system to get in if necessary. We can also give them anything with Christmas in the title live information on when they’ll be – they’re so popular, we’re confident hitting our shelves, as we keep our we’ll sell them all. A one shot from Hubert Burda that features 300 gift ideas 31 Lifestyle titles always a big draw I fill a two-foot-high mobile stand with magazines like Ideal Home, Paul Patel Homestyle Christmas and Good WH Smith Local, Housekeeping. I find that 10 copies of Southampton the most popular titles is enough. Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 29

33 Make plans for the future I leaﬂet all 400 of my delivery customers to tell them about TV guides, as it’s Jon Powell an opportunity to add value and The Newsagent, potentially get long-term subscriptions. Newport I may use the list in future to highlight ofers on other items.

34 32 The publisher’s view The 93rd Radio Times Christmas issue hits Mike Mitchelson magazine stands on 3 December. By investing Brampton Post Office, Cumbria Ian Lewis in retailer support, the team behind it expects Richard Campbell Spar Crescent Stores, great sales from the biggest issue of the year Publisher (Radio Witney, Oxfordshire Times), Immediate Generate visual What opportunity does the Radio sive marketing, including fantastic impact Be a Times oﬀer this year? support from retailers to maximise Our Christmas double issue will be sales. We group the best- trendsetter selling titles and specials in shops from Saturday 3 December together to try and make and we’re more excited than ever. What's your best tip for success? We have 63 linear-metres the most of this one-o Our 2015 Christmas edition gener- We recommend maximising f of storage, stock between opportunity. Space is ated over £6.2m in RSV: by far the displays using multiple facings 700 and 800 magazines tight in our store and this biggest ﬁgure for any magazine all showing the full cover, siting the and largely follow Smiths' approach generates real year and over three times as much magazine on any promotional space advice on what to stock. To available, including the counter, visual impact. give us the edge we try to revenue as the second-biggest Christmas TV listings title. and asking customers if they have stock magazines that follow bought their copy yet. Immediate popular trends. How do you maintain this success invests in over 10,000 Christmas year after year? free-standing display units – we It comes from investing in market have a huge once-a-year audience so Magazine leading editorial boosted by exten- make sure that you get your share. launches for 2016

A special edition of Making A Christmas take on features 77 projects for the popular colouring in market the festive season 14 projects for anyone Contains 700 ideas across craft, cooking and determined to make 35 decorating their own presents Keep an eye on local events Harrogate’s craft and food festivals shortly before Christmas mean that NEXT WEEK: magazines like Knit & Stitch, Simply f the shelves. Adrian Rodda Crochet and Good Food ﬂy o AR News, We’ll add shelf talkers and may havel a Harrogate food-focused window feature too. FRESH & LOCAL 30 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent WINTER REMEDIES How you can

be their hero “This is Half a million more children will receive the annual flu jab this winter alongside millions of other elderly and an all-year vulnerable adults. But what about everybody else? Dave opportunity” Songer speaks with three retailers about how to range and Peter Mann, who runs a Nisa Local display vital remedies over the next few months in Luton, ensures he’s ready for the winter upturn in illnesses but knows there’s an opportunity to gain sales from sufering customers at all times. We stock lozenges all year round in our store, with Lockets our most popular brand. We increase the range of these from around October when the temperature drops, doubling the We get a number of flavours we ofer from two to four. steady flow Sales naturally tend to tail of when of business the weather improves, but our lozenges won’t disappear from the shelves en- from comm- tirely because people still get colds in summer. uters who In the case of medicines, they’re also need cold or always available but we’re not permit- ted to sell everything so that restricts flu relief us a little bit. However, being just a few doors along from a pharmacy that closes at 5.30pm, we get a steady flow of business from commuters returning home who need cold or flu relief when they’re closed. What else goes To raise the number of impulse and in the basket? distress purchases we’ve recently Our customers buy additional, installed a three-tier tower on the non-medical items along with counter, which really drives sales. winter remedies including sweets Our two-metre-long bay is well and drinks, but in the main they stocked and customers will nearly buy other remedies to be used in always leave with something – it conjunction with each other – would be a missed opportunity not such as using throat lozenges to be well prepared. We run promotions during winter with cough mixture. including Lockets for 50p per pack. The deals are set by Nisa so we take the lead from them. There’s often a deal on Fisherman’s Friend, too.

Peter Mann boosts basket spend by stocking cough mixture alongside lozenges Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 31

“Customers are split into brand loyal and not” Some “Customers At David Wyatt’s Costcutter store Nurofen the most popular of those. The customers near Gatwick Airport in Crawley own-brand varities of painkillers that there is a careful balance to be found we stock also do well, however. This is see them are attracted between stocking trusted brands for a relatively recent change that we’ve and seem those willing to pay a premium and noticed, thanks in part to stores like by products catering to value-seeking customers Aldi and Lidl which for years have been to think with own brand products. selling lesser-known brands at much they see on TV” I would have said that, as a cat- cheaper prices. Our discount brand that they’ll egory, winter remedies are necessity paracetamol costs 70p and many cus- work better In the Shropshire town of Telford, purchases and not products that go tomers are happy to buy these instead retailer Julie Duhra finds custom- through big changes or innovations, of a major brand. There is a clear split, if they have ers at her Jule’s Premier store often meaning our core range stays pretty though, with a significant number of prefer products that are seen on TV constant. Our range covers pain relief, customers happy to pay up to three advertising – even believing that this advertis- cold and flu treatments and products to times more for recognised brands, be- campaigns ing is a mark that a product will combat allergy symptoms, all of which lieving that they work more efectively. work more efectively to sooth or really add to our overall basket spend. We have a wide range of cold, flu and behind relieve symptoms Winter remedies aren’t the sort of headache tablets, including Lemsip December is always the busiest time items that are bought on their own, Max Cold and Flu, Benylin Cold & Flu them for us in terms of winter remedies, they’re distress purchases so we posi- capsules and Nurofen, while for the with adult ranges accounting for the tion them clearly on display directly kids we stock Nurofen for Children and majority of our sales. We get in more behind the counter. People are pretty Calpol. We don’t sell huge quantities Buttercups cough syrups around organised and they tend to stock up on of children’s remedies but, as a father October for children – to coincide cold and flu and related products; we’re myself, we think it’s important to have with them returning to school – and only five miles from Gatwick and we them. Other staples include Strepsils Covonia for adults, both of which are get have zero business from those for the treatment of sore throats, good sellers. using the airport because and to clear congestion we As for cold and flu relief, Lemsip they’ve already bought stock Sudafed and Vicks powders have good uptake but we don’t them. VapoRub and Vicks sell them in capsule form because our Pain relief is What else Breather Tubes. customers prefer Booker’s own brand, definitely our goes in the which is ideal for us because, at 65%, bestseller, with basket? the margins are better. Again, we get Our store is on a garage forecourt more of those in from around October and we find that our customers and stock them in greater numbers will generally only buy until the end of February. During this winter remedies on impulse period we also increase our range of as they fill up their cars Strepsils and Halls Soothers, introduc- with petrol. ing more flavours before stocking only the most popular flavours for the rest of the year. We base what we’re going to buy from my bestsellers according to our EPoS terminal, however we also react to market and customer demand. This often happens when a new product or brand is being advertised on the telly – some customers see them and seem to think that they’ll work better if they What have advertising campaigns behind else goes them. We’ll make the decision on in the basket? whether to stock any product depend- Our medicated sweets are ing on its margins and the time of year. We stock very little of the branded positioned on the main fixture ibuprofen, instead opting for Happy so they’re close to the sweets. For Shopper’s lower-priced alternative; those coming in for Halls Soothers our customers don’t want to spend they’ll also pick up Haribo, for £2.50 on painkillers. If we get asked example, and often mints or for the branded variety we’ll speak to chewing gum from the our customers, advising them that counter as well. our cheaper alternative will give the same results. l 32 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent

RETAIL NEWSAGENT RECOMMENDS Round we go Good eye for pies A stamp of approval Hershey’s, the makers of Reese’s brand, Lancashire Baker Holland’s, has Spar’s award-winning Luxury Mince is rolling out a real peanut butter launched three new variants of Pies, which will be launching on Oc- biscuit, Reese’s Rounds, in the UK this frozen pies - Chicken Balti, Chicken tober 24, have been recommended by month. & Vegetable and Steak Pies. the Good Housekeeping Institute. RRP £1 RRP £2 RRP £2 Outers 8 Outers 6 Outers 12 Contact 0141 331 5280 Contact 01706 21359 Contact 020 8426 3700

Always staying ahead Sweet additions Add some heat Always Soft & Fit is being rebranded Country Choice caterers has revealed Market Deli is extending its range of pita as Always Sensitive and launching a its new thaw and serve confection- and classic potato chips with the addition new-look packaging. ery which includes gingerbread muf- of a Cayenne Chilli with Spanish Tomato ﬁns topped with tofee icing. ﬂavour in a 40g potato chip format. RRP £1.39 or 2 for £2.50. RRP £1.39 or 2 for £2.50 RRP 83p Outers 20 Outers 20 Outers 18 Contact 0800 521366 Contact 0800 521 366 Contact 0118 930 6666

Healthier Nurishment Try this one Grouse investment Grace Foods is relaunching its Crabbie’s fans have the chance to win a Maxxium UK, distributors of The Famous Nurishment Extra – ofering new range of rugby themed prizes as part of Grouse, says this year will see the largest packaging and up to 50% less sugar. an on-pack ofer on 500ml glass bottles ever Christmas marketing investment in of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer. the brand, valued at more than £2m. RRP £1.09 RRP £12.49 RRP £17.14 for 70cl or £23.01 for 1 litre Outers £12 Outers not given Outers not given Contact 01707 326 555 Contact 0845 6000 666 Contact 01786 430500 Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 33 NEVILLE [email protected] 020 7689 0600 RHODES @RetailNewsagent Putting on a show

The future of newspapers long term may be in doubt but thousands of stores still benefit from the footfall and turnover they bring. It's therefore vital retailers and publishers continue to invest in maximising sales

Visiting a shop I’ve used occasion- years ago those sales had dropped 35%. The financial impact on Against this background it ally over the years to buy a news- to 60 million; now they are down retailers has been mitigated to may seem perverse of me to be paper, I went straight to the usual to 41 million. some extent by cover price rises, suggesting that retailers should place, past the counter and about Since the ABC introduced more but overall the retail trade’s profit be doing whatever they can to half way down the shop, only to detailed reporting for the national from sales of national newspapers support newspapers. The publish- find the papers weren’t there. dailies in April 2012, average Mon- has fallen over the past four and a ers certainly don’t deserve it, “Where have they hidden them day to Friday copy sales have half years by around 16%. but many retailers, particularly now?” I muttered to myself, as I fallen by nearly a third, Saturday That’s a loss to the retail trade neighbourhood stores, need the walked to the back of the shop, sales are down by 26%, and the of around £1.6m a week or £80m additional sales that newspaper before returning up the other aisle Sunday market has plunged by a year. footfall produces. to the counter, still looking. The alternative to giving news- I was about to share my papers every chance to sell is that thoughts with the manager when fewer will be sold, causing faster I spotted the papers. Their new Einstein and the newstrade falls in circulation, and hastening site is a wall display, facing the *+ The maxim attributed to Albert Einstein – that it is madness the demise of more titles. customers as they open the door, to keep doing the same thing and expect to get di fferent results Retailers can’t save newspa- each title with a full facing, so – is now routinely ignored by most of the national newspaper pers, but it is in their interest to with the windows left clear – as publishers. Assuming the minimum aimfor their print editions try to sustain them for as long as they are following a recent refit – is to stabilise sales, it’s madness to keep being late into the possible. the public can read the headlines wholesalers, unless they have convinced themselves that it doesn’t With the red-top and mid-mar- from the pavement. Magnificent, result in any significant sales loss. A saner approach would be to ket titles now relying heavily on particularly in a shop that’s slowly stop being late and see what benefits it brings. It’s also madness impulse sales, only good displays morphing from a newsagents into to keep on raising cover prices well above inflation, and expecting in prominent positions will help a c-store. not to lose sales. For example, the cover price of the weekday Daily retailers make the most of the Newspapers need this sort of Telegraph is now 25% higher than it was in April 2012, against a national newspapers category, support, now more than ever rise of only 9% in the Retail Price Index, and its sales have fallen which is still worth over £1.8bn in before. Circulations have been in by 29% – leaving retailers £90,000 a week worse off. On the other annual RSV. decline for 50 years or more, slip- hand, the cover price of the Saturday edition of The Times has “Where have they hidden the ping at first, then sliding and now remained unchanged over the same period, and its sales are down papers?” is a question shoppers tumbling down. by only 2%. I’m no Einstein, butthe great man would have probably should never have to ask. Twenty five years ago UK news agreed with the newspaper mantra that was drummed into me: retailers were selling 100 million never give the readers a reason not to buy the paper. Neville Rhodes is a freelance national newspapers a week; five journalist and former retailer 34 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent

[email protected] 020 7689 0600 @RetailNewsagent f facebook.com/retailnewsagent

Round up

TIM MURRAY Magazines reporter RANGE KEY TO BIG STORE EXCLUSIVES Someone I know well through my other work, in the video and film industry, used to work for one of the big supermarkets. And among the roles he carried out at one stage of his career, was as its news and magazines buyer. A few years ago, after starting Profit on the menu to freelance here at RN, I bumped into him and told him what I was up to. This was long after he’d left the grocer in question but he threw his arms up and, still exasperated, said it was the strangest busi- GET SET FOR A TASTY ness he’d ever worked in. “There’s no excitement, there’s no negotiation, they just tell us the price and we say what we want to stock,” he recalled. I was reminded of his words when I saw the FESTIVE SALES BOOST latest supermarket exclusive from a retailer, as Empire announced its motion cover featuring The Christmas issue of BBC Good Food is coming very soon and with the forthcoming Potter-related spin-off Fantas- it a welcome end-of-year bumper issue to give you bumper takings tic Beasts And Where To Find Them was going exclusively through Sainsbury’s. Hot on the heels JUST LIKE Immediate’s other big seller, of the exclusive Tesco price for Woman & Home, it Radio Times, the Christmas issue of BBC might appear as if the grocery chains are now using Good Food, on shelves for longer than the magazine sector as the latest territory for their F battles over exclusivity and market share. the month, sees a notable uplift in sales. R T B E IF U R There’s a free gift too, the Good Food Recipe E G MPE What can independents do about it? I’ve seen Calendar, with a brand new seasonal rec- them go down a similar route with other industries, BBC GOOD FOOD wading into other sectors all guns blazing, and it’s ipe for every month. The contents include On sale 28 October the basics – and most important – parts not easy to compete. Frequency monthly But, having said that, magazine sections of the of Christmas, such as turkey, through to Price £4.35 post-Christmas carol hot chocolate and supermarkets are notoriously messy, by mid-morn- Distributor Frontline ing at the weekend particularly, they’re all over peppermint polar bears. Panel blind taste- Display with BBC Easy testing of Christmas products makes for Cook, Olive Magazine, the place. The children’s sections are impossible to strong talking point and PR opportunities. Delicious navigate, with comics shoved back in willy-nilly and a right mess. As ever, range is key. Sure, Sainsbury’s might have Empire, but they won’t have Little White Lies, Sight & Sound, Starburst, US film, TV and more magazine Entertainment Weekly.

THE BEST-SELLING CHRISTMAS COLLECTION OF PUZZLES on sale 4 November at a premium price £3.39£3.39 xx 30,00030,000 sales!sales! Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 35

F R T S SHOWCASE EE GIF PECI AL Egmont’s ever-shifting monthly Showcase publication this month devotes itself to one of the current On sale 18 October crazes for seven to 10-year-old boys, namely the Frequency monthly Price £4.99 anime franchise Yo-Kai Watch. It encompasses, like Distributor Frontline the best Japanese series (think Pokemon) a TV series, Display with Hi-Fi News, game, toys and, now, a comic too. It features stories Hi-Fi World, Hi-Fi Choice and information about the diferent Yo-Kai charac- ters, puzzles, masks, a competition to win a Nintendo 2DS with Yo-Kai Watch game and a free disc spinner.

F R T MOJO EE GIF The now departed REM feature as cover stars on the On sale 20 October latest issue of rock magazine Mojo, with the publica- Frequency bi-monthly tion doing one of its major in-depth features on the Price £5.99 US guitar group – 15 pages and counting – as well as Distributor Seymour an REM-friendly CD covermounted too. Other fea- Display with Q, Uncut tures include the obligatory David Bowie and Brian Wilson articles, which should further boost interest.

NOBLE ROT B UMPER The 12th issue of luxury food and wine magazine Bestsellers Noble Rot has a lobster wine waiter as its striking On sale out now cover image, and is subtitled the You Gotta Say Yes Frequency bi-monthly Cooking & kitchen Price £9 To Another Excess issue. Inside its award-winning Title On sale In writers turn their eyes to Beaujolais, looking not just Distributor Marketforce date stock Display with Decanter, at the wine region and the products it produces, but BBC Good Food 28.10 Monocle, BBC Good Food 1 also at restaurants and food in the French city of Lyon 2 Delicious 01.11 at the heart of the area. It also includes celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi within its pages. 3 TAB’s My Favourite Recipes 03.11 4 Eat In 28.10 B EMPIRE UMPER 5 Olive 04.11 It may have signed over its groundbreaking motion- On sale 28 October 6 Easy Cook 27.10 style front cover to Sainsbury’s as an exclusive, but Frequency monthly 7 BBC Home Cooking Series 27.10 the mere fact that the limited edition-style cover is Price £4.50 8 Food & Travel 27.20 certain to sell out within hours should create plenty Distributor Frontline of interest around the December issue of Empire. Display with Total Film, 9 Jamie 27.10 Sci-Fi Now, SFX The cover features the forthcoming spin-of from the 10 Superfood 28.12 Harry Potter franchise, Fantastic Beasts And Where 11 Decanter 02.11 To Find Them. 12 Cake Decoration 27.10 Healthy Food Guide 01.11 S 13 FOOD TO LOVE PECI AL It’s the ﬁrst Christmas edition from relatively 14 Free From Heaven 27.10 On sale 28 October recent launch Food To Love and the magazine is 15 Vegetarian Living 03.11 Frequency monthly planning to celebrate in style. The seasonal issue Price £4 16 Food Heaven 03.11 contains everything from the traditional turkey Distributor Frontline with all the trimmings to more unusual variations, 17 Cakes & Sugarcraft 10.11 Display with BBC Good as well as everything readers will need to have the Food, Delicious, BBC 18 Great British Food 04.11 perfect New Year’s Eve party. As publisher Bauer Easy Cook 19 Quick Bite 02.11 notes, sales of titles such as this can enjoy as much as a 90% sales uplift. 20 Vegan Life 24.11 Data from independent stores supplied by

BRAND ON SALE SOON! NEW! INCLUDES: COLLECTOR’S ALBUM PLUS! TRADING 16 CARDS © 2016 MARVEL PACKET: £1.00 TRADING CARD COLLECTION STARTER PACK: £4.99 www.paninigroup.com 36 28 October 2016 Retail Newsagent THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

S CLASSIC & SPORTS CAR PECI AL Retailer The year-end issue of Classic & Sports Car is tradi- On sale 3 November tionally the year’s biggest seller, helped by the free Frequency monthly viewpoint calendar that comes with the edition. This year Price £4.90 is no diferent, with publishers expecting a sales Distributor Frontline Simon Carrington Display with Top Gear, Publisher, uplift of somewhere in the region of 50%. As well as Classic Car Weekly BBC Good Food Magazine the free calendar, the magazine – the biggest issue of the year – features pictures and reports from its writers on a driving trip to France.

S STUFF PECI AL GOOD FOOD FOR A The magazine for the gadget fan, the December On sale 3 November issue is, according to Haymarket and Frontline, Frequency monthly GREAT CHRISTMAS expected to deliver an increased volume of 15%. Price £4.99 The reason? It’s the publication’s year-end awards Distributor Frontline hristmas is big news for food maga- special, unveiling the best tech buys of the year, Display with T3, Men’s zines, and for the UK’s best-selling taking in everything from Apple Watch 2 through Health food magazine, BBC Good Food. And to the Amazon Echo, rating the best phones, com- 28 October signifies the start of the puters, cameras, fitness gadgets and more from festive season when the legendary the past 12 months. CChristmas issue hits the shelves. The food magazine market in the UK is F S R T worth more than £13m and there is no better PE I AL EE IF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY C G time for retailers to get the most out of this The hype has started in earnest for the second Guard- On sale out now huge sector than in the run up to Christmas. ians Of The Galaxy film, due in cinemas in 2017, with Frequency quarterly Sales of Good Food maga- the trailer for the Marvel title just out. With lots of Price £3.99 zine are worth more on-set pictures, posters and more the second issue of Distributor Marketforce than 28% of the Top the magazine has therefore arrived at a perfect time. Display with Incredible 1 total food market, It comes complete with a free Star-Lord Quad Blaster Hulk, Batman Magazine generating two tip 2 and the magazine itself features comic strips, puzzles, and a half times As the UK’s number one food media brand, BBC Good Food 3 fact files and a whole lot more. more RSV than has Christmas covered. Ensure 4 the nearest competitor. you place this issue front of F 5 B R T fixture to capitalise on the MAKING JEWELLERY UMPER EE GIF Over its six week 6 It’s the 100th issue of Making Jewellery and the pub- on-sale period, success of the cookery On sale 10 November market. 7 lication is marking the event with a substantially in- sales of Good Food’s creased pagination, as well three free packs of beads. Frequency monthly Christmas issue will 8 What’s more, its enjoying a strong performance Price £5.50 triple as readers look 9 in 2016, thanks to its redesign. This bumper-sized Distributor Seymour to the BBC as they plan their perfect festive Display with Crafts 10 issue is a biggie and, with 120 diferent projects for celebration. its readers to get involved with, including lots of sea- Beautiful, Bead & Jewellery, Making Packed with more than 100 inspirational 11 sonal ideas for the party season, GMC and Seymour recipes that always work, Good Food is the 12 firmly believe it will be the biggest of the year. nation’s must-have companion this Christ- 13 mas. Plus, of course, BBC Good Food magazine has the added benefit of coming with a free 14 EAT IN S calendar which we know makes our magazine PE I AL 15 It’s another seasonal cookery guide for the shelves, C a must-buy for our readers. with this Eat In Christmas special ofering up a 16 On sale 28 October But it’s not just Good Food magazine. BBC massive 85 diferent recipes and ideas for yuletide Frequency monthly Vegetarian Christmas, BBC Easy Cook and 17 treats. These include the more traditional as Price £2.90 our brand new BBC Good Food Christmas Col- 18 well as twists on Christmas themes – chestnut Distributor Frontline lection mean that the BBC’s food magazines and butter bean wellington and parsley-crusted really do ofer something for every reader this 19 Display with BBC Good turkey – as well as scores of puddings, including Food, Delicious Christmas. Worth more than £1m in RSV, the 20 free-from oferings. BBC’s Food magazines are set to make a huge impact on retailers’ shelves this Christmas.

COMING UP IN NEXT WEEK’S RETAIL NEWSAGENT HOW GIACOPAZZI’S AWARD-WINNING NISA LOCAL BRINGS A TASTE OF ITALY TO KINROSS

Plus, make sure your magazines range is ready to take advantage of Christmas sales RETAIL NEWSAGENT opportunities, and learn how the best decades-old businesses keep ahead of the curve NEWS ● CONVENIENCE ● PROFIT Retail Newsagent 28 October 2016 37

Newspaper terms

Daily newspapers Margins/pence Saturday newspapers Margins/pence Sunday newspapers Margins/pence Sun 50p 11.15p Sun 70p 14.98p Sun £1.00 21p Mirror 65p 14.5p Mirror £1.00 21.00p Sunday Mirror £1.40 29.40p Mirror (Scotland) 70p 15.61p Mirror (Scotland) £1.00 21.00p People £1.40 29.40p Daily Record 65p 14.30p Daily Record 90p 19.80p Star Sunday 90p 19.89p Daily Star 30p 7.26p Daily Star 50p 12.085p Sunday Sport £1.00 24.3p Daily Mail 65p 14.50p Daily Mail £1.00 21p Mail On Sunday £1.70 35.70p Express 55p 13.31p Express 80p 17.152p Sunday Mail £1.70 35.70p Express (Scotland) 50p 12.10p Express (Scotland) 80p 18p Sunday Telegraph £2.00 45.50p Telegraph £1.60 34.4p Telegraph £2.00 48.00p Sunday Times £2.50 52.50p Times £1.40 30.10p Times £1.50 35.25p Observer £3.00 73.50p FT £2.70 54p FT £3.50 79.10p Scotland on Sunday £1.70 39.95p Guardian £2.00 44.0p Guardian £2.90 63.80p Racing Post £2.60 61.00p i 50p 12p i Saturday 60p 14.40p Sunday Herald (Scotland) £1.70 35.70p i (N. Ireland) 50p 12.5p i (N. Ireland) 60p 15p Sunday Express £1.40 29.65p Racing Post £2.30 54.0p Racing Post £2.60 61.00p Sunday Post £1.60 33.60p Herald (Scotland) £1.30 29.90p Herald (Scotland) £1.70 39.10p Scotsman £1.50 33.75p Scotsman £1.95 43.88p Sunday newspapers Margins/percentage Sun £1.00 21.00% Daily newspapers Margins/percentage Saturday newspapers Margins/percentage Sunday Mirror £1.40 21.00% Sun 50p 22.30% Sun 70p 21.40% People £1.40 21.00% Mirror 65p 22.30% Mirror £1.00 21.00% Star Sunday 90p 22.10% Mirror (Scotland) 70p 22.30% Mirror (Scotland) £1.00 21.00% Sunday Sport £1.00 24.30% Daily Record 65p 22.00% Daily Record 90p 22.00% Mail On Sunday £1.70 21.00% Daily Star 30p 24.20% Daily Star 50p 24.17% Sunday Mail £1.70 21.00% Daily Mail 65p 22.308% Daily Mail £1.00 21.00% Sunday Telegraph £2.00 22.75% Express 55p 24.20% Express 80p 21.44% Sunday Times £2.50 21.00% Express (Scotland) 50p 24.20% Express (Scotland) 80p 22.50% Observer £3.00 22.00% Telegraph £1.60 21.5% Telegraph £2.00 24.00% Scotland on Sunday £2.15 23.00% Times £1.40 21.50% Times £1.50 23.50% Racing Post £2.60 23.46% FT £2.70 20.00% FT £3.50 22.60% Sunday Herald (Scotland) £1.70 21.00% Guardian £2.00 22.00% Guardian £2.90 22.00% Sunday Express £1.40 21.18% i 50p 24.00% i Saturday 60p 24.00% Sunday Post £1.60 21.00% i (N. Ireland) 50p 25.00% i (N. Ireland) 60p 25.00% Racing Post £2.30 23.48% Racing Post £2.60 23.46% Herald (Scotland) £1.30 23.00% Herald (Scotland) £1.70 23.00% Scotsman £1.50 22.50% Scotsman £1.95 22.50%

Newspapers

Scale of third-party advertising insert payments Weight Watchers 22-23 October Insert Original Mail Mirror News Express Guardian Telegraph Independent Total Supplements Ad inserts Number of Heaviest weight scheme UK weight weight weight Inserts ad insert Cumulative? no yes no no no no no no Telegraph 1,620g 840g 545g 10 340g 0-69g n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Sunday Times 1,155g 620g 215g 3 115g 70-100g 1.5p 2.5p 2.57p 2.7p 2.15p 2.75p 2.65p 2.49p Mail on Sunday 1,085g 320g 430g 5 335g 101-200g 2p 3p 3.36p 3.3p 2.75p 3.35p 3.30p 2.77p Guardian 880g 340g 145g 5 55g 201-300g 4p 5p 6.09p 5.5p 5p 5.75p 5.66p 5.32p Sunday Telegraph 860g 550g 45g 1 45g 301-400g 5p 7p 7.43p 6.7p 6p 7p 6.38p 6.65p 401-500g * 7.5p * * * * * * FT 810g 450g 0g 0 0g Over 500g * 8p * * * * * * Times 730g 460g 0g 0 0g * By negotiation Mail 635g 225g 95g 5 40g Insertion payment guide Per copy sold Guardian Newspapers =2p. News UK =2p. Associated Newspapers =2p. Express Newspapers =2p. Telegraph Group =2p. Per copy supplied Independent News & Media =2p. Financial Times =2p. Mirror Group Newspapers =2p To advertise in the Retail Newsagent classified section call 020 7689 3366 or email [email protected] CLASSIFIED (Please mention Retail Newsagent when replying to the advertisements)

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Back in the day Crisps boycott falls flat after AROUND WITH THE Lineker starts Jungle rumble ROUNDSMAN 100 There’s nothing like an ill- of Match Of The Day, some with Blanche YEARS AGO fated or daft boycott to set brave souls decided to organ- 28 October 1916 the pulses racing. And this ise a boycott of the crisps he Fairbrother Retailers were warned by the week it’s been an attempt at helps advertise. Times – in a full-page advert – boycotting Walkers Crisps, But it seemingly failed instigated by a few Brexiteers to get of the ground, and, I have come to the conclusion that all members that they needed to keep their of management at Smiths News’ head ofce in returns down to the absolute and their ilk, outraged at what’s more, many social Gary Lineker’s comments media users vowed to eat Swindon are some kind of endangered species. minimum. Strict guidelines It appears they must at all times be protected on the importation of paper about refugees at Calais and more of the snacks rather the British response to the than any others. from marauding customers who would like had been further toughened, to speak to someone in authority about this meaning that publishers crisis. An online poll voted in And as well as a campaign his favour and to continue wretched change over with our deliveries. needed to be even more careful It is costing me considerably more in fuel about wastage. to get the former footballer buying them, until its creator turned telly pundit (and pulled the plug, seemingly because I have to travel so far to meet up with reasonable human being by unhappy with the result. my driver. But it’s either that or get my papers the looks of his supposedly We’re of for a pack of Ham & far too late. I have tried telephoning Swindon controversial tweets) turfed Mustard ﬂavour… more than once, but I keep being told I cannot 60 be put through to anyone on the management YEARS AGO team. 27 October 1956 Gorilla tactics a weighty matter I have to say times have really changed, when The federation gave the PPA Mr Handover was head of Smiths News I spoke one last chance to try to stop to him. When Mr Fitzmorris was in charge retailers from selling maga- I spoke to him. These days customer respect zines ahead of publication date seems to have come to an end. At least my cus- as they arrived. The problem tomers know that they can speak to me at any of news vendors and kiosks’ time. It’s called personal service. early selling of magazines was My vehicle has had its MOT. With what was raised at a fractious London needed to be done for it to pass, my bank balance district council meeting. has had a nervous breakdown and will be in rehab for weeks. There is a small Methodist Chapel at Wood-

The sugar tax may be on the and there was no rampage seaves and although it has a service every horizon for retailers, with, as after getting hopped up on Sunday morning it is quite a rare occasion for a 25 professed by the government, the drink – the animal was wedding to take place there, but it had one last YEARS AGO the intention of stamping out tranquillised and returned to Saturday that caused a bit of interest in the vil- 26 October 1991 childhood obesity. its enclosure shortly after it lage. Fortunately, the weather was lovely and a With Sunday trading for big- But will no-one think of had gone on its blackcurrant good time was had by all. ger stores still not a regular oc- the gorillas? For it seems as binge. Last Wednesday morning Mr Astbury went currence, supermarkets were if Kumbuka, the simian that It is not clear whether or to go out to work only to find that where his car looking to open on the Sunday escaped from its enclosure in not manufacturers would be should have been there was just a pile of broken before Christmas. And worse London Zoo, helped himself studying the results of Kum- glass that had been the side window and his car for newsagents, it looked as if to a whopping five litres of buka’s blow-out, although had been stolen. grocers such as Tesco would undiluted squash. there must be an interest With it went his tool box that was locked in be stocking newspapers on We’re not sure of the efect – it must be a record for the the boot, his favourite CDs and his radio. It was the Sunday, much to the ire of it had on the gorilla’s weight, largest amount of undiluted a great shock to him and very upsetting. At the independents. but it certainly didn’t seem squash ever drunk in one end of the day I just wonder how these crimi- to fire him up that much sitting. nals can live with themselves.

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