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The and Booker merger What it means for you Your 10 questions answered Page 5 » 2 3 February 2017 RN CONTENTS Shaping the future of independent retail since 1889

Editor Associate editor News editor Chris Gamm Chris Rolfe Gurpreet Samrai @ChrisGammRN @ChrisRolfeRN @GurpreetS_RN 020 7689 3378 020 7689 3362 020 7689 3386 Your questions answered Features editor Reporter Reporter Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski Charlie Faulkner Dave Songer Page 5 @TomGK_RN @CharlieFaulkRN @DaveSongerRN 020 7689 3361 020 7689 3357 020 7689 3358

Reporter Head of production Senior designer Jennifer Hardwick Darren Rackham Anne-Claire Pickard @JenniferH_RN @DarrenRackhamRN 020 7689 3391 020 7689 3350 020 7689 3373 “We own the machine, meaning we can give away free drinks or Designer Account managers Marketing executive Emma Langschied Marta Dziok-Kaczynska Keelan Farley 020 7689 3380 020 7689 3354 020 7689 3356 use it as part of a meal deal” Production Erin Swanson Financial controller coordinator 020 7689 3372 Parin Gohil Jai Singh on profiting from coffee to go Billy Allen Nathan Gray 020 7689 3375 Page 30 020 7689 3368 020 7689 3363 Managing director Director of sales Marketing manager Nick Shanagher Mike Baillie Tom Mulready 07966 530 001 020 7689 3367 020 7689 3352 HEADLINES OPINION Account director Marketing executive Will Hoad Tom Thorn 020 7689 3370 020 7689 3384 4 BREAKING NEWS 22 YOUR NEWS RN analyses the Tesco/ Alarm at Welsh e-liquids Booker merger ban proposal If you do not receive your copy of RN please contact Tom Thorn on 020 7689 3384 or email [email protected] 8 STORE LOOKBOOK 24 YOUR VIEWS

Printed by Southernprint, Poole, on 80gsm Galerie Fine Gloss paper Adrian Thompson’s Still waiting for Camelot Distributor Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT local produce hub to mend terminal Audit Bureau of Circulations July 2015 to June 2016 average net circulation per issue 13,316 12 SYMBOL NEWS

Annual Subscription Click & collect app trials 11 opportunities to profit UK 1 year £150 Europe £302 2 years £237 Rest of world £354 13 NEWS & MAGS from magazines this week 3 years £333 PDF calls for retailer insight To subscribe contact 020 7689 3384 Page 33 14 PRODUCT TRENDS Newtrade Thin McVitie’s & Oreos launch 11 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2SD Tel 020 7689 0600 16 BRAND SNAPSHOT email [email protected] Updates on nine big brands RN is published by Newtrade Publishing Limited, which is wholly owned by NFRN Holdings Ltd, which is wholly owned by the Benefits Fund of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. 18 WHAT’S NEW? RN is editorially independent of the NFRN and opinions, comments and reviews included are not necessarily those of the Federation and no warranty for goods or services described is implied. Sauces under the spotlight Reproduction or transmission in part or whole of any item from RN may only be undertaken with the prior written agreement of the Editor. Contributions are welcomed and are included in part or whole at the sole discretion of the editor. 20 PRICEWATCH Newtrade accepts no responsibility for submitted material. Every possible Benchmark your meds prices care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information. For trade use only RN 3 February 2017 3

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OUR LOCAL Many of you are PRODUCTS incredibly positive ARE WELL LOVED about the benefits Page 8 the deal might bring

n Sunday afternoon, I stopped in at off-licence. Chatting to Kiri, a member of staff, he told me the store wasO closing for a week soon for a refit. They are doubling the store size, adding five metres of chillers for fresh food, a huge range of local beers and introducing news and magazines. Editor Fantastic, I replied, before asking if they are Chris Gamm joining a symbol group. His face dropped. Pre- @ChrisGammRN mier, he said, but they’d had some worrying INSIGHT 020 7689 3378 news over the weekend – the group was being bought by Tesco. 26 DATE NIGHT IN We chatted for 15 minutes about the topic Four retailers on how to cash in that’s dominated the national news, social media and the on Valentine’s Day shoppers RN newsroom for the past week. Kiri wanted to know what it would mean for his store, and had lots of questions. 30 COFFEE TO GO Will Tesco have a say in his store and the point of difference Deli2Go’ creator Markus they have over the Tesco Express down the road? Will the deal Hofmann gives eight be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority? tips to grow on-the- go coffee sales Would his product range and prices improve? Will he sell Tesco products? 33 THIS WEEK IN Kiri’s questions mirror those many of you have asked, so MAGAZINES while there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the deal, Blaze and the we’ve answered many of these in a special four-page report in Monster Machines this week’s issue. launch, and 10 other We’ve spoken to dozens of retailers from all the major groups sales opportunities How Mo sold as well as wholesalers, suppliers and industry experts. Many 48 gift of you are incredibly positive about the benefits the deal might boxes for bring, while many of you have raised real, valid concerns. Valentine’s Day What is clear is this is an exciting time for the convenience last year industry. The picture will no doubt become clearer as more details Page 26 emerge over the coming weeks and months. But rest assured, RN will be there answering your questions all the way. 4 3 February 2017 RN

MERGER £48.4bn Supply chain impact Wholesalers and groups ‘should merge to negotiate better deals’ Tesco 2016 sales £5bn Time to consolidate, Booker 2016 say industry leaders sales by Gurpreet Samrai vival in the face of increas- 25 Top 10 grocery retailers in the UK % and Charlie Faulkner ing financial pressures [email protected]

across the supply chain was Tesco through mergers which More symbol and buying would boost their numbers 20 groups must consolidate and ability to negotiate to succeed following the deals with suppliers. proposed Booker and Tesco Blakemore Wholesale sales 15 merger, leading industry director Raj Krishan agreed Sainsbury’s figures have warned. adding mergers were a pos- Wal-Mart Speculation has been rife sible way towards growth 10 about how the high-profile in the current flat market. merger will impact the Industry bosses said future of the supply chain, they believe other merger after last week’s shock talks are already underway, Co-op Group 5 JohnLewis news. Several industry fig- while others will be seek- Beteiliguungs Schwarz Booker ures told RN the only way ing opportunities. A senior to remain competitive will wholesale figure, who did be further mergers both not want to be named, 0 between wholesalers, and said: “The market has between retail groups and consolidated and that may wholesalers. continue.” Top 10 convenience retailers UK % Dee Thaya, of Abra Meanwhile, retailers 20 Wholesale, believes buying are bracing themselves for groups need to start work- further uncertainty in the Tesco ing together to negotiate market. better terms for their Sid Sidhu, of Simply 15 Co-op Group customers. Fresh in Kenilworth, said: “All the wholesale and “I think conversations retail buying groups should about further mergers merge at least in the nego- have already taken place. Booker

10 Spar tiation process,” he said. “It This has ignited a sense Sainsbury’s

will put us in a stronger po- of urgency. Talks between Spencer Marks& sition and it’s a better way Bestway and have

of moving things forward.” been rumoured for a while. Nisa

It comes only a few I imagine they probably 5 months after David Mc- couldn’t agree on terms. Corquodale, head of retail Most people are seeking to Bestway

at consultancy KPMG, said have the very same con- Musgrave in an exclusive interview versations again but with 0 with RN the route to sur- renewed vigour.” Source: Euromonitor SHORE CAPITAL Breakdown of estates Tesco Express ‘will not be beaten’ Tesco Express store manag- they shopped and why. If a drives down costs”. 3,358 1,903 stores ers will not accept Booker- Premier had a promotion on Asked whether prices supplied stores beating them loo rolls that was better than could align across all stores on price, a former supermar- Sainsbury’s, I would be onto under the proposed new stores 52 ket manager and indepen- my area manager saying, organisation, Booker chief Family Shopper stores dent retailer has told RN. ‘We’re a big company, why executive Charles Wilson 150 Vince Malone, of Premier can’t we compete with an said each brand has its own Tenby Post Ofce, said: independent?’” strategy and Tesco price link- “When I managed Sains- Mr Malone said Tesco ing isn’t a concern. 2,839 730 bury’s Local stores I would managers would doubtless Meanwhile, a petition Tesco Express, Metro Tesco Extra do weekly competitor do the same, but added “this against the merger by com- and One Stop stores and Superstores surveys of my area and talk could be good for the market parethewholesaler.com boss to customers about where if the extra buying power Keith Robinson was rejected. RN 3 February 2017 5

It’s come out the blue, but I think when we look back it will have had a positive effect on the whole convenience channel – if Tesco has lined up with the largest wholesaler there has to be ben- efits for independents. I imagine conversations about further mergers have already taken place. Sid Sidhu, Kenilworth, Warwickshire The lid has been lifted on the grocery industry’s biggest deal in recent history, but what does it mean, how will it affect the supply chain, independent retailers and the future of convenience retailing? Gurpreet Samrai, Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski, Chris Rolfe and Charlie Faulkner investigate I think it’s good news – it will directly ben- efit the buying power of Booker members. In terms of a threat to me as a , Tes- co doesn’t have the range we have and we offer unique products. Independents will always have the personal touch and the ability to adapt. Mital Patel, Brentwood Your 10 questions

There’s a lot of speculation, but ultimately answered retailers trust Charles Wilson. He’s not said anything he’s not followed through on. Access What are the advantages What are the arguments to technology and the banking side are definitely posi- 1 of the deal for Booker 2 against the merger? tives, as is joining the wider delivery network. But what members? happens where Premier and Tesco Express compete? Booker chief executive Charles Wil- One anonymous industry figure Dennis Williams, Edinburgh son is adamant the deal will allow labelled the merger as “very dan- the wholesaler to “further improve gerous for independents,” as retailers the choice, price, service and qual- could swap cheaper prices for data ity” it ofers its members. Dennis that ends up being used against Williams, of Broadway Premier them. “For independents to have in Edinburgh, says retailers need access to better pricing and better better margins. “The buying power quality of products, there may be con- is something I anticipate growing trol over range and that ultimately is in strength – to go from a relatively making Tesco’s power greater,” the modest buy-in of chilled to dealing source said. Martin Williams, former with one of the biggest chilled retail- managing director of Landmark ers has to mean better prices.” And Wholesale, is certain suppliers will It’s shocking – none of us saw it coming. although he admits some retailers sufer, particularly those which cur- What concerns me is the level of control are “uncomfortable” with Booker rently ofer multiples more favourable Tesco will have over the convenience market. joining Tesco, the prospect of escap- terms. Andy Read, of Milford Haven But for us, it’s not just about price, it’s about being able ing prohibitive banking charges, Best-one, also argues further price de- to deliver a quality fresh food range, which Tesco could by accessing Tesco banking, mobile flation across the industry could certainly bring to Booker. and PayQwiq services, is proving a leave retailers with smaller Paul Stone, Manchester soothing tonic. margins. » 6 3 February 2017 RN MERGER

I don’t think it will affect us, at least not for the next few years. This is all about buying power, with Tesco increasing market share, manufac- turers have more to fear than retailers because of the pressure Tesco will put on them for margins. Dee Sedani, Matlock, Derbyshire If it makes Booker prices cheaper, it will have a knock-on for the mar- ket, which will be good for me and mean better What will the deal mean prices for my customers. 3 for Booker and Tesco’s With the National Living negotiations with suppliers? Wage and pensions auto- Better prices were among the ben- enrolment you’ve got to efits Booker chief executive Charles look for the positives. Wilson singled out. “More scale… Andy Read, gives better terms, fresher food – Milford Haven that means everybody’s happier,” he said. Former Tesco executive and senior analyst at European Food Retail Bruno Monteyne agrees the move will give Booker “hugely more negotiating power”, but believes it will be “much less transformational” for Tesco. While some suppliers have been positive about the move, including own la- bel manufacturer Samworth Broth- ers, recent controversy regarding challenge for the CMA” and does Booker products will be a huge step Tesco’s negotiating techniques, in not envisage “anything but a Phase forward. Shore Capital adds, while We had a terms of its stand-of with Unilever II investigation”. It adds poten- it does not see Tesco brands appear- conference on pricing as well as its delayed tial remedies could be the sale of ing in Booker’s retail stores, it is call with Charles Wilson payments to suppliers, means oth- One Stop or the unwinding of the an opportunity for both parties to the day the news broke ers may be concerned. Highlight- Musgrave acquisition by Booker. streamline. and discussed concerns, ing the impact on the whole mar- However, while Mr Monteyne like the fact we’d be get- ket, Martin Williams says there is believes the deal should be scruti- ting into bed with the ene- “no doubt” suppliers will face the nised, he says two factors could see my. But every promise he’s biggest impact of the deal. it passed – Booker is not a retailer ever made us he’s deliv- and operates in a healthy whole- ered on, and he has turned Will the Competition sale market, and c-store consumers Booker around. I think we 4 and Markets Authority should be materially better of. should give it a chance. (CMA) investigate the deal? Mo Razzaq, Glasgow The CMA never comments on How could Tesco benefit mergers until a formal investiga- 5Booker’s own label? We don’t mind tion has been opened. However, While there are no plans to sell we know constant discussions Tesco’s own brand in Booker’s tapping into between companies involved and stores and vice versa, Mr Wilson the CMA’s legal team are com- says the benefit will come from the scale but mon ahead of an initial (Phase I) tapping into Tesco’s supply chain. we have to be inquiry. The CMA then has 40 days “What we know is by working with to clear the merger or refer it to a Tesco we can get an even fresher very careful we Phase II investigation, for which product at a better price,” he says. an independently-appointed panel Mr Monteyne agrees, stating the don’t turn into has six months to reach a decision. ability to take advantage of Tesco’s a holding shed I don’t think City analyst Shore Capital says the huge sourcing operation for fresh there’s any- merger is “an enormous potential food and private label products for for Tesco stock thing wrong with this merger. Success is all down to retailer behaviour – you will do well if you have good standards, staff, My gut reaction is it’s not a good thing for ranges and so on. Where small shop keepers – Tesco is getting into manufacturers have not the market by the backdoor and will dictate budged before, we will prices. If other mergers happen, all the eggs have better access to the will be in one basket and there’ll be fewer multiples’ prices. wholesalers to compete on price. Alpesh Patel, London Adrian Thompson, Filby, Norfolk RN 3 February 2017 7

It certainly explains the deals Booker was of- fering last year – they’ve never had deals like that before and obviously wanted to up their sales. I know Tesco looked at buying Costcut- ter but Costcutter wasn’t prepared to give it full control. What worries me is own brand – Costcutter’s isn’t strong. From Tesco’s Asmat Saleem, Fife, Scotland point of view, £3.7bn sounds cheap, which makes me wonder what’s going on at Booker – I understand the company turns over What will happen where more than £5bn a year. 9 Tesco Express and inde- Tesco’s retail prices are of- pendent stores compete? ten cheaper than Booker’s “The concern for a number of wholesale prices, so I hope retailers lies around things like its prices will come down what happens when you have a and range will increase. Premier and a Tesco Express near Peter Lamb, Bells Yew one another, or a One Stop?” says Green, East Sussex Dennis Williams, of Broadway Premier in Edinburgh. Addressing these fears, Mr Wilson says he doesn’t envisage much change in the way things currently work and says retailers shouldn’t expect to see new restric- tions on space either: “Are we going to be turning Booker retailers into Will this pave the way retailers warn the move would take mini ? Not a chance.” He 6for more mergers? sales from independents and risk added, Booker will remain able The resounding answer seems to eroding their identity. “We don’t to make 100% autonomous deci- Nisa is very be yes. Mr Monteyne says every mind tapping into the scale but sions. good at what wholesaler will now be reviewed we have to be very careful we don’t it does, but at by the big retailers, while others turn into a holding shed for Tesco What does this mean Christmas we had are considering the benefits of con- stock,” says Budgens retailer David 10for the future of con- five fruit and veg on offer solidating within their own sector. Knight. venience? at 39p, which was market- Dee Thaya of Abra Wholesale says With so many details still to leading. A week later, the it is time for buying groups to join Will the move cause re- emerge from the deal it is perhaps went down forces to put them in a stronger 8tailers to switch fascia? understandable that neither Mr to, at the lowest, 19p for a negotiating position. Mr Wilson admits it is a worry re- Wilson nor Tesco boss Dave Lewis bag of potatoes. It’s going tailers who see Tesco as the enemy have spent much time outlining to be even harder to be Is Tesco’s click & collect may jump ship, but says it aims to their longer-term strategy. But competitive. 7rollout across indepen- show them how working with elsewhere in the market there may Peter Mann, Luton dent stores achievable? Tesco can help them prosper. be clues. Walmart president Doug The rollout represents 35% of Whether retailers leave Booker McMillon recently outlined drivers Tesco’s £175m post-merger cost- because of the merger or if others of change the whole retail market cutting plan. In-store collection is will find its fascias more attrac- faces including “the internet of certainly cheaper for Tesco than tive remains to be seen, but what things, drones, delivery robots, home delivery, but Mr Wilson sees is clear is many retailers, despite 3D-printing and self-driving cars”. expanding Tesco’s click & collect their concerns, have reafrmed This will dramatically change both network to 8,000 Booker-afliated their trust in Mr Wilson, who the supply chain and consumer stores as a good opportunity to at- they credited with “turning the demand, he said, and though a tract new customers to its fascias. business around”. Mo Razzaq said: bigger more varied business may While Shore Capital describes the “I think we should try it – if we have the resources to succeed in proposals as “peripheral” to the don’t like it we can always switch this market, this deal avoids none I feel cautious deal, some industry figures and symbol groups.” of the hurdles. l optimism – it could result in an ungraded offer if we can tap into Tesco’s own label supply base. I’m not sure about Booker’s click & The NFRN is cautiously positive about this move as hopeful- collect idea, I’m not entirely ly it will result in investment in Booker and keener pricing comfortable with someone in its wholesale depots. Tesco’s investment reinforces the coming in, buying nothing NFRN’s belief about the importance of the convenience sec- from us, and collecting Tes- tor as customers shun weekly shops in favour of buying little co shopping at our expense. and often at local stores. David Knight, Henfield, Paul Baxter, chief executive, NFRN West Sussex 8 3 February 2017 RN STORE LOOKBOOK

Sourcing vegetables from farms near to his store means Adrian’s stock is as fresh as possible

ith strawberries, potatoes and – and we also do the In Bloom campaign. even brussels sprouts grown on We’ve been quite successful – every summer his doorstep, Adrian Thompson the village is full of flowers,” Adrian says. W is able to source fresh produce Filby benefits from a rush of summertime that, in a matter of minutes, travels from the tourists and in peak season his turnover can soil to his shelves. “I know it’s not possible for be up 30%. Any community investment that Local every retailer, but we are fortunate with the attracts them can therefore have a positive location we’re in,” he says. efect on the store. Speaking with this passionately comm- “We have an ‘open gardens’ weekend in unity-minded retailer, it is soon clear just July when villagers open their gardens up how fortunate he feels. and we have up to 500 people come to Filby. The store he runs, a in Filby, on We have a vintage bus that goes around the the outskirts of Great Yarmouth, was village and stops by the shop,” he adds. equals built by his father in 1963, originally as a In summer, the store increases its range separate fish shop and post ofce, but has of gift products, including Filby-branded gradually morphed into a modern 1,600sq ft chocolate boxes and tea towels to cater to the convenience store. tourist market. Adrian has been in the business since he But Adrian’s civic pride is far more than left college in 1983 but, at 87, his parents are a show for holidaymakers. Working with still involved, his dad still rising at 4.30am to local businesses is something the business help deliver newspapers in some of the most “homes in on”. loyal rural parts of their six-mile HND catchment A local florist supplies cut flowers – from Community-minded Mace area. £4.50 a bunch – and house plants selling for So what keeps him, and his parents, still up to £20 each which are available on sale or retailer Adrian Thompson uses so passionate about their business? return and ofer margins of up to 30%. “With “It’s a love of the area. My father was a something that’s perishable, if you can get close links with local firms local councillor here from 1964 until 2014 – a sale or return, that’s a big plus – you can’t and his symbol group to entice 50 years. I have been on the parish council really lose,” Adrian says. since I was 21 – that’s 32 years,” he says. The store also stocks “superb” hams and holidaymakers and loyal locals Adrian’s work in the community goes sausages from a local butcher, and gets daily into his thriving family store. “hand in glove” with his work for the fresh sandwiches delivered from Direct business, he believes. “We have a playing Catering – another local firm. Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski reports field and village hall – I’m chairman of that Some of these relationships date back RN 3 February 2017 9 I find the whole of RN provides a broader perspective on the industry. You can become inward looking as a retailer and RN helps keeps your finger on the pulse.” ADRIAN THOMPSON

The business gradually introduced more convenience store products over its five decades

“We’ve got the personal feel the bigger shops can’t create”

INFORMATION Location Mace Filby Main Road, Filby, Great Yarmouth, NR29 3AA Size 1,600sq ft Turnover £16,000 a week (average) Key categories Local produce, food to go, post office 810 3 February 2017 RN STORE LOOKBOOK decades, but Adrian has noticed a renewed hunger for local produce recently. “We swung away from it slightly when the big suppliers came in but if anything that’s probably swinging the other way now. If you have that little bit of something diferent it makes all the diference,” he says. 30% The rise in Mace Filby is built on these kinds of strong turnover summer relationships – at all levels. Two of the eight women who work alongside the family have done so for well tourists bring over 20 years. But the store’s ties with its symbol partner – Mace – go back to the day the store opened. “The firm has changed but we’ve stuck with them,” he says. It is through Mace they have embraced convenience’s modern standards – whether that’s being open for 16 hours a day or using the symbol’s links to operate a hugely successful Cuisine de France bake-of section. Recently, Adrian has been most impressed with the £2 bread and milk promotion he has been able to run as a Mace retailer through Costcutter. “That’s a deal that stands up to the big boys,” he says. So although he believes, thanks in part to pensions changes and the national living wage, this is the “most difcult” time the business has faced, Adrian remains confident. “There will always be a demand for local shops, The store specialises in and we’ve got the personal feel the bigger shops can’t local produce offering create.” l 30% margins or more

WANT YOUR STORE TO STAY AHEAD Adrian Thompson (right) OF THE LOCAL and his family have run their COMPETITION? successful store since 1963 Don’t just wish for the most competitive promotions around. Get in touch and make it happen.

01543 363 003 openaonestop.co.uk

Want to see more of Adrian’s store? Go to betterretailing.com/adrian-mace-filby RN page ad.indd 1 30/01/2017 16:33 12 3 February 2017 RN SYMBOL NEWS Retailers can use purchase history for deals Customer loyalty boost Spar Go store gets click & collect app by Charlie Faulkner shop through its online exclusive ofers. [email protected] ordering facilities. Michael Lawes, co-found- Ms Gwilliam said: “A big er and director of Bizzleit, A St Helen’s Spar store is set reason behind developing said: “We are confident that to launch an app ofering the app is to build customer with Spar Go we will in- click & collect and delivery loyalty – we want to ofer crease ofer and promotion services for convenience regular customers dis- awareness on a fantastic and food to go. counts on everyday items. scale and drive savvy, Stephen Richards and “We have a Subway in- ofer-hungry shoppers in partner Stephanie Gwil- store as well as fresh pizzas store. liam, of Spar West Park and pasta made on site for “We have built the foun- Mews, have worked with very competitive prices. dations of a click & collect Bizzleit to develop Spar Go Both of these areas will be and delivery service into – due to launch this month trialled through the click the Spar Go app for Spar Go – which will enable them to & collect option as well as members. We hope this tailor promotions to their qualifying for our delivery will really take independ- customers through the service.” ent stores to the head of use of previous purchase The app is set to rolled out the fight for convenience history. It will also provide across the store in stages, market share.” the app out exclusively ers realise the benefits of the a more convenient way to ofering Spar Go members Mr Lawes hopes to roll across Spar stores as retail- technology. One Stop expansion doubles turnover WISH THERE A retail duo have more than doubled to £6,153 previously. Its grocery sales their turnover after embarking on account for 22% of the total sales, an extension to grow their business while alcohol accounts for 12.5%. WERE MORE size and ofering. Under the refit, the store has During a £97,000 store refit, Blair grown from 200sq ft to 1,000sq ft and Angela Southwood, of One Stop and has five counters – three shop in Louth, extended their formerly counters and two post ofce. HOURS IN unafliated newsagent to ofer gro- Mr Southwood said using plano- ceries and alcohol for the first time, grams to make best use of space and as part of a move to One Stop. adding extra shelving had also been THE DAY? “Entering the convenience world beneficial. “We’re overwhelmed, we was one of the best decisions we’ve expected sales to be better, but we Our systems take the hard work out of ever made,” said Mr Southwood. didn’t expect the success we’ve had,” running your business. Get in touch and The store now earns an average he said. “We’re now looking at how weekly turnover of £14,423 compared we can extend further.” make it happen. Retail groups’ revenues up Conviviality Plc has reported a 211% for the year ending June 2016. The 01543 363 003 increase in revenue to £782.5m for group’s turnover increased by 9% to the 26 weeks to 30 October 2016. £3.28bn. openaonestop.co.uk Conviviality Retail saw a 2.5% James Hall, symbol development increase in sales compared to the director, said: “Best-one retail is corresponding prior period, while performing well with 11% growth the franchisee margin was up 1.8%. over the period in question. This However, franchisee like-for-like continued in the latter half of 2016 retail sales were down 1.7%. with calendar year sales up 16% The Bestway Group has also from January to December, while announced its financial results foodservice is up 8%.”

RN 1/4 page vertical.indd 1 30/01/2017 10:23 RN 3 February 2017 13 NEWS & MAGS Retailers need to be more proactive on supply issues ‘We all share the same objectives’ Publishers look at new Tell us about problems initiatives Hearst and Condé Nast are considering further ini- says new PDF chairman tiatives to boost sales in independent stores after by Jennifer Hardwick and efcient chain,” he “It’s very easy to say completing a three-month [email protected] said. your newspapers always scheme with Comag. “Every day there are get delivered late. Tell us The scheme targeted The new chairman of the about 3,000 vans deliver- when, how frequently and 500 independent stores Press Distribution Forum ing to 55,000 independent how late. It’s a very easy and resulted in sales rises has called on retailers retailers. Do things go and fast process.” for all titles included and a to be proactive about right 100% of the time? He added the forum has 4% increase in independ- reporting service issues Definitely not. But they go seen a “significant reduc- ents’ share of the publish- to resolve supply chain right 99% of the time.” tion” in claims in recent ers’ sales. problems. Mr Straetmans said it years and that many During the scheme, the Frank Straetmans, was important for retail- claims are now resolved at stores received visits from managing director of Frank Straetmans ers to report complaints much earlier stages. a merchandising team Frontline, took over the to the PDF as soon as “Obviously, we rec- overseen by Hearst, Condé role from Mike Newman addressing them. possible to resolve issues ognise that sometimes Nast and Comag. on 1 January. “If there’s one thing efectively. things are not always Comag’s group sales He told RN that while I would like to do it is “Unfortunately, the going to be as perfect as development manager the newstrade faced chal- promote a message that industry generates a lot planned and therefore it Dean Russell said: “The lenges such as reduced we are all part of the same of noise, but it’s very dif- is important we main- key objective was to sup- resources and supply supply chain, we all share ficult to substantiate the tain a close eye on the port independent retailers chain issues, the industry the same objectives, and real issues if people don’t number and the type of through developing should be more open, pro- we all want to have a well- provide relevant evidence complaints we receive,” existing ranges by giving active and positive about functioning, sustainable of the facts,” he said. he said. advice on range and prom- inent display, and explor- ing opportunities for new Topps record- titles to be incorporated in breaker for to their ranges.” Both publishers are Wayne Rooney discussing further ways Topps sold 332 special to work with independ- trading cards released ent retailers in 2017, but for just 24 hours to full details are yet to be celebrate Wayne Rooney decided. becoming the all-time top goal scorer for Manchester United. NFRN puzzle The card is the best- selling Topps Now card mag prizes since the company NFRN members could launched the 24-hour win cash prizes for selling concept in the UK for high numbers of new puz- the first time at the start zle books from publisher of the 2016-17 Premier Eye to Eye Puzzles. League season. The PuzzlePad titles will launch on 2 March with a cover price of £2.50 in four editions – Codewords, Crosswords, Joint Smiths/Menzies venture to close Wordsearch and Sudoku. A distribution business two wholesalers which continuation of supply of the business is now Prizes will be awarded to co-owned by Smiths News supplies magazines to where possible, meaning in question, hence our members who sell more and Menzies Distribution non-traditional stores the titles will be switched proposal. copies of the titles than has announced it is likely such as music shops onto their regular routes. “In the event that other puzzle brands, with to close in the summer, and garden centres, has Paul McCourt, finance WWMD proceeds with a total of £2,000 available pushing a higher volume blamed its proposal to director of Menzies Distri- the proposal we are keen throughout 2017. of magazines onto the close on continuing de- bution said: “WWMD to maintain services “Puzzle magazines are regular supply chain. cline in the market. has provided an excellent where possible, and will strong sellers for inde- Worldwide Magazine But Smiths and Men- magazine service to the ofer WWMD’s customers pendent retailers,” said Distribution (WWMD), a zies said they would ofer specialist retail market, a seamless transfer of ser- the NFRN’s head of news joint venture between the WWMD customers a but the sustainability vice if they so choose.” Brian Murphy. 14 3 February 2017 RN PRODUCT TRENDS Thin move Food to go solution is ‘Swedelicious’ for biscuits A Swedish food to go Two manufacturers are company is rolling out a producing slimmed-down counter-top cooking unit variants of their best-selling in independent stores brands. across the UK after suc- Mondelez has released Oreo cessful trials last year. Thins, a thinner and crispier Sibylla, which sells version of its original biscuit, around 80 million freshly while in March, Pladis will prepared meals across unveil a Thins range of Europe, trialled its equip- McVitie’s Digestives in Milk ment in 10 UK independent Chocolate, Milk Chocolate stores and is now looking Cappuccino and Dark Choco- to roll the unit out and is used to prepare French – kabanos, classic frank- meal deal, giving retailers a late flavours in bag sizes expand the product range and Swedish-style breads, furter and bacon-wrapped 40% margin. ranging from 48g to 180g. The available with it. chips and sausages, which frankfurter – have an RRP Also planned are launches will be backed by The machine ranges in take around 30 minutes to of £2 and can be combined breakfast burritos, chicken multi-million-pound adver- size from 60cm to 2.1m and heat. The three sausages with chips to create a £3 burritos and burgers. tising campaigns. McVitie’s marketing direc- Smaller craft beers boost sales by £350 a week Specialist brews can sell for £7.99 tor, Kerry Owens, said con- sumers were increasingly on the lookout for “a little reward to treat themselves”. In December, McVitie’s re- Boost your takings with leased smaller versions of its Penguin brand, a multipack format that contains six bags of miniature biscuits. craft beer and small cans by Dave Songer [email protected]

Retailers can boost turnover by up to £350 a week by taking advantage of consumer demand for smaller cans of craft ales, a re- IS YOUR tailer specialising in the category has said. Dave Hiscutt, of Londis West- ham Road in Weymouth, Dorset, STORE told RN he sold 105 330ml cans in one week recently, all of which have margins of 30-35%. Craft beers are popular “We have a huge variety on a LOOKING at Dave Hiscutt’s store full bay of five shelves,” he said. “The success of the category is works in the store. down to rotating stock and sell- Brewery Magic Rock Brewing, TIRED? ing varieties with more unusual which produces beers stocked by flavour combinations. Crème Mr Hiscutt, told RN 330ml cans Don’t just wish for a brighter, fresher looking Brulee was one flavour that sold of ale were introduced as a means well, as was an ice cream flavour, for the on-trade to fit more cans store. Get in touch and make it happen. Buxton Omnipollo.” on shelves, but have since caught Mr Hiscutt added some cans on in convenience stores. sell for as much as £7.99, but still “The branding helps, many of attract interest from customers. the new beers have very distinc- Amathus, an independent tive designs that look great,” he drinks specialist in east London, said. 01543 363 003 agreed unusual flavours were The popularity of ale in 330ml openaonestop.co.uk popular with customers, with cans was given a boost late last a chocolate stout a particularly year when the Campaign for Real good seller. Ale, an organisation that pro- “It depends on the day, but motes UK real ale, granted Bris- we have some customers who tol’s Moor Beer brewery ofcial *ex VAT. Subject to terms and conditions of contract. will pick up a couple of cases. accreditation – the first canned Generally, we’ll sell at least a case beer in the world to receive such a week,” said Miguel Perez, who recognition. Knowledge is everything, I read RN because it gives me feedback on what top retailers are doing so I can get ideas on what to do next.

DAVID WYATT, COSTCUTTER SNOWHILL, WEST SUSSEX

Develop your business with ideas from other retailers for just £2.40 a week

Order your copy today Tom Thorn 020 7689 3384 [email protected]

david wyatt RN full.indd 1 19/01/2017 10:52 16 3 February 2017 RN BRAND SNAPSHOT

Dual-flavour Doritos Have a Haribo Easter New Monster arrives PepsiCo has launched Doritos Heat- Haribo has launched an Easter-themed Coca-Cola European Partners has burst, a dual-flavoured tortilla chip. range, including the Chick ‘n’ Mix gift launched Monster Energy Ultra Citron, Available in two varieties – BBQ and box, Springtime Friends, Jelly Bunnies joining White, Red and Sunrise. Sales of Chipotle Cream – they will be supported and Fizzy Farm Animals sharing bags, low-calorie drinks have grown by 32% by TV and digital ads this month. as well as Easter Hunt multipacks. over the past year, according to Nielsen.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE AWARD WINNING ONE STOP FAMILY AND SEE YOUR BUSINESS GROW?

Call us on 01543 363 003 or go to www.openaonestop.co.uk and make it happen.

RN 1/2 page horizontal.indd 1 30/01/2017 10:25 RN 3 January 2017 17 BRAND SNAPSHOT

YOUR SNACKING

Carlsberg’s new look Carlsberg is launching limited edition packaging for its flagship brand as part SALES of a £15m campaign. Cans, bottles and a WITH THE FASTEST GROWING new premium 330ml-sized bottle will be RIDGED CRISP IN THE SAVOURY1 available in the of-trade until September. SNACKING CATEGORY

GREAT NEW 2 FLAVOURS

New recipe for Heinz This month, Kraft Heinz is introduc- WOULD YOU LIKE ing a new recipe across its Heinz Beanz range to meet consumer demand for reduced and no-sugar alternatives. A TO JOIN THE AWARD digital campaign launches on 1 March.

Walkers Max single WINNING ONE STOP serve is growing signifi cantly at FAMILY AND SEE YOUR 42%2

BUSINESS GROW? STACKER AVAILABLE NOW* Call us on 01543 363 003 or go to www.openaonestop.co.uk and make it happen. Kids’ campaign kicks off Cadbury has announced it is teaming To fi nd out how you could increase up with the Premier League a for three- year partnership that will use schools your snacking sales with Walkers initiatives to promote healthy living to children. visit www.countsformore.co.uk *Limited availability whilst stocks last Source: 1. Nielsen sales 52WE 10.12.16 YOY across the Total Market, Savoury Snacks. 2. Nielsen sales 52WE 10.12.16 YOY across Impulse RN 1/2 page horizontal.indd 1 30/01/2017 10:25

WALKERS_MAX_RN_HP_FINAL.inddRN 1/2 page vertical.indd 1 1 24/01/201726/01/2017 15:3911:48 18 3 February 2017 RN WHAT’S NEW

Liberty Fields Apple Aperitif Carabao Mallow and Marsh Made with apples grown in Liberty Field’s Afavourite in Thailand, Carabao takes Mallow and Marsh are 100% natural marsh- orchards, its Apple Aperitif should be served inspiration from Asian water-bufalo of the mallow bars. They’re free from gluten and egg chilled and can be mixed with spirits. same name. It is available in Original, Sugar and contain less than 150 calories. Varieties RRP £12.00 (345ml) Free and Green Apple varieties. include Vanilla & Milk Chocolate. Contact 01935 892430 / [email protected] RRP £1.19 (325ml) RRP £1.49 Contact [email protected] Contact 0203 745 5023 / [email protected]

Taking The Pea Soda Folk Joosed! Junior Taking The Pea is available in Wacky Wasabi, Soda Folk’s Root Beer and Cream Soda flavours Created for children, Bensons Joosed! Junior Cheesy Peasy & Onion, Sweet Chilli Salsa and are free from preservatives and made with is made with spring water and contains one of Smoked Ham flavours. All contain less than ingredients including Madagascan bourbon their five-a-day. It is available in Apple, Apple & 145 calories and are high in fibre. vanilla, organic maple syrup and cane sugar. Blackcurrant and Apple & Orange flavours. RRP £1.50 RRP £1.49 (330ml) RRP £1.40 (250ml sports cap) Contact 07914 053159 / [email protected] Contact [email protected] / www.sodafolk.com Contact 01451 844134 / [email protected] RN 3 February 2017 19

Dave Songer [email protected] 020 7689 3357

FocusSauces and condiments All three of this week’s sauces are of the spicy variety, with one inspired by the food of Africa, which has been highlighted as one of the cuisine trends for 2017

The Snaffling Pig The Snafing Pig’s pork crackling is double- cooked at high temperature. The five-flavour Lovepickle Tubby Tom’s range includes Salt & Vinegar and Habanero Chilli. Lovepickle is chilli tomato pickle Tubby Tom’s handmade Death Dust RRP £1.20-£1.50 (50g) based on an Indian family recipe. It seasoning contains the world’s hottest Contact 020 3096 5200 / hungry@snafflingpig.co.uk can be eaten with a range of meals chilli. Tubby Tom’s spicy range is and used as a dip or a marinade and is available in a mix and gift available in five strengths. set. RRP £3.50 to £4.25 RRP £7.95 (Death Dust), £4-5.50 (150g sauces) Contact 07748 839619 / [email protected] Contact [email protected]

Julie Atkinson Hollins Green Community Shop Warrington I always stock well- known chutneys like ploughman’s pickle, but I think it’s always worth selling new products too – such as the spicy tomato and Bim’s Kitchen sticky onion African Tomato & Tigernut Relish is that I took on Ten Acre spicy and handmade from crunchy African tigernuts, tomatoes, herbs and recently. A version of the New York deli classic, Ten spices. It is suitable with cheese, in They sell Acre combines the smoky taste of Pastrami in sandwiches and stir-frying. a vegan crisp. All Ten Acre products are also RRP £4.50 (210g) well. halal and kosher certified. Contact 07412 619013 /[email protected] RRP 99p (40g) Contact 0161 9747525 / [email protected] 20 3 February 2017 RN PRICEWATCH Profit checker OTC medicines Price checker

BENYLIN CHESTY COUGH ADULT 150ml Price distribution % PRODUCT

40% 82% of independents sell this product at or below the £5.49 RRP 35% Lemsip Max Cold & Flu Sachets 5s 30% Calpol Sugar Free Suspension Liquid 100ml 25% Lemon Cold & Flu Original Hot Lemon Powders 5s Happy Shopper 20% Ibuprofen Tablets 16s Benylin 15% Chesty Adult 150ml Covonia 10% Cough Mixture 150ml Happy Shopper Paracetamol Tablets 5% 16s Lemsip Max Cold & Flu Blackcurrant 0% 5s Strepsils Honey & Lemon

£5.31 £5.28 £5.29 £5.39 £5.59 £5.65 £5.79 £4.99 £5.04 £5.20 £5.40 £5.49 £5.50 £5.64 £5.68 £5.69 £5.99 16s - £4.99 +£6.00 Nurofen Tablets 12s Analysis Nurofen Express More than 43% of retailers sell emergency purchases, afording the average prices for Happy Shopper Liquid Capsules Benylin Chesty Cough 150ml below opportunity to increase margins by paracetamol and ibuprofen soar- 10s its £5.49 RRP, and 38.9% price bang pricing higher. Instead, Joey Duhra ing well above their 59p RRP (78p Lemsip on RRP. It’s a high figure consider- and Anish Parekh say it is with own and 86p, respectively), this looks to Max Capsules ing the OTC medicines market is brands that higher margins can be common practice among other 8s responsible for a huge number of be earned. With our table showing retailers too. How we drive our profit We stock a full range of medicines We stock 34 types of medicines Joey Duhra and remedies behind the counter. Anish Parekh and occasionally price above STORE Jule’s Premier Convenience Painkillers are year-round sellers STORE Londis Broadoak & Post RRP. People see medicine as a Store but, if people have a cold or cough Office necessity, so a slightly higher LOCATION Telford, Shropshire at this time of year, they’ll often LOCATION Ashton-under-Lyne, price – we generally only go a few SIZE 1,500sq ft buy a pack plus a cold remedy. We Greater Manchester pence above RRP – doesn’t deter TYPE shop on parade SIZE 1,000sq ft stock Nurofen for £3, but Booker TYPE main road them too much. With medicines does Euro Shopper ibuprofen with like paracetamol, I stock Happy TOP TIP an RRP of £1. We sell it for £1.50 TOP TIP Shopper, which are quite cheap at Stock children’s and this gives us a margin of 80%. Visit several cash wholesale so it’s a good opportu- ranges – no We sell Veno, Covonia, Buttercup and carries to get nity to get a decent margin. I aim one wants a and Beechams winter remedies. a good deal – it’s for 30% to 40%, but sometimes we screaming child with 30-35% margins. These an opportunity can get 50% to 55%. At this time and it’s a real customers also buy tissues, cough to make a good of year, wholesalers generally distress purchase sweets, lemons and honey and margin have ofers on medicine, so I shop even brandy and whiskey for their around and visit three or four to own remedies. get the best prices. RN 3 February 2017 21

Charlie Faulkner [email protected] 020 7689 3357

Data supplied by EDFM is a specialist in helping leading suppliers to the UK’s independent convenience channel get value, insights and business benefits from EPoS data. To find out how they could help you call 07976 295094 MY LOCAL HERO AVERAGE BOOKER RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER RETAILER UK RRP Retailers reveal the most profitable RETAIL 1 2 3 4 5 6 produce on their doorsteps PRICE* C-STORE IN SMALL C-STORE VILLAGE STORE C-STORE IN POST OFFICE ON NEWSAGENT RESIDENTIAL NEAR STATION IN IN NORTH SUBURB OF LARGE HIGH STREET IN ON BUSY HIGH NEWCASTLE ESSEX COASTAL LANCASHIRE WARWICKSHIRE LARGE SOUTH STREET IN EAST SUBURB TOWN TOWN WALES TOWN LONDON Paul Matthews Bradley’s Supermarkets, £3.96 £3.99 £3.99 £3.99 £3.99 – – £3.49 Loughborough Zip wood £3.70 £3.59 £3.99 – £3.59 £3.99 £3.89 £3.49 logs and kindling, Original Hot Lemon Powders £2.75 £2.49 £2.49 – £2.69 – £2.89 – £3.99, £3.69

86p 59p 99p 99p 75p £1.19 99p – Where did you discover them? We’d been looking for a good log supplier for a while because we’ve always just sold kindling through Nisa – it was never a big £5.12 £5.49 – £4.99 – £5.49 £5.69 deal for us. I found a farm selling them down the road and asked who their supplier was. The firewood and kindling is going really £3.89 £3.79 £3.99 £3.49 – – – – well,– it’s the first year we’ve sold them. I thought we could put a better-looking product out and I saw these and just thought 78p 59p – 89p 75p £1.09 99p – looked like they were higher quality and more rustic. Who buys them? £3.99 £3.99 £3.99 £3.49 – £3.99 £4.19 – Everyone buys them – people doing a bigger shop or people who come in specifically for logs. We’ve had people take a bag to try and £2.91 £2.99 – – £2.69 – – £2.69 then come back for a few bags at a time. Why are they so successful? They look great and they burn well. In fact £2.62 £2.69 – £2.59 £2.69 – £2.59 £1.99 people say we sell them very cheaply. When we first got them in, we advertised them on Facebook to raise awareness that they were £3.56 £3.49 £3.49 – £3.39 £3.39 £3.59 £3.49 a new product. We’ve been selling them since the end of October and we’re averaging around 25 bags a week at a 50% margin. We £3.09 £3.99 £2.99 £2.99 £2.89 £2.99 – £3.49 also deliver them to anyone who lives in the village.

* from a sample of 3,500 stores

We have a chemist not far away, We have nearly a one metre bay of Julie Atkinson so when customers buy medicine Rocky Leach medicine and mainly stock the big STORE Hollins Green Community here it’s normally just for an emer- STORE Chellow Heights Service brands, except a Spar own brand Shop gency. We have the essentials Station & Spar paracetamol which we do quite LOCATION Warrington, Cheshire including Calpol for kids, which LOCATION Queensbury, Bradford well with. We don’t have them SIZE 600sq ft we sell a lot of. We stick to the big SIZE 3,000sq ft behind the counter anymore, but TYPE residential TYPE commuter road brands apart from paracetamol moved them onto the shop floor, where we ofer a cheaper 50p in view of the cashier, so people TOP TIP brand, Galpharm, which people TOP TIP can pick them up, read the label Make sure you prefer to Anadin because that Move medicines and see what’s in them. It’s made know your costs £1.50. We’re a relatively new from behind a diference to sales. We stick to competition shop, so we tend to stick to Palmer the counter if RRPs because the margins are rea- to remain & Harvey’s RRPs because we don’t you have room sonably good – generally around competitive want to get a reputation for over- so people can 30%. We sell Spar’s own brand pricing. We have a Tesco three browse paracetamol for 60p and get a 60% miles away so our policy is to ofer margin. l a fair price to entice people. 22 3 February 2017 RN YOUR NEWS Shoppers New-look beer cave warm to revealed contactless Heineken has com- pleted a refit of Justin payments Whittaker’s beer cave at his MJ’s Premier Contactless technology is store in Oldham. As helping increase transac- part of its Star Retailer tion numbers, retailers have initiative, the company said. rebranded the area Trish Lettley, of EJ Teare and made more of a Newsagents in Somerset, feature of premium said 50% of card payments bottled ales and lager in her store are now made which have a better using the technology after cash profit than cans. she introduced it a year ago. “It’s been in two “Contactless is really taking weeks and it’s a big of and impulse purchases improvement. We’re have definitely increased,” definitely selling more she said. premium lager and One Stop retailer Vip Mea- beer,” said Mr Whit- suria agreed contactless taker. technology has boosted bus- iness at both his stores since he introduced it in 2015. Retailer puts community first in revamped shop ‘You’ve got to look to the future’ “It definitely makes a diference; customers like that it’s much quicker. There’s also been a big rise in Apple Pay – we have up to Local produce to make up six customers using it a day,” he said. Store is 50% in village store refit by Jennifer Hardwick Village Store. contacting other local sup- sell a newspaper to anyone closed to [email protected] Mr Pentland was inspired pliers for products including under 50 now. You’ve got to to make the switch to local fish, ham, eggs, pease pud- look to the future.” A Newcastle retailer is ma- produce after introducing ding, tea and cofee. A large amount of his put focus king local produce the focal beer from local company Mr Pentland added the store is taken up by three point of his business in a Wylam Brewery a year ago, name change would help large greeting card stands on HND refit to transform it from a and then from Tyne Bank modernise the business. which Mr Pentland will re- A retailer in Newport has newsagent to village conve- Brewery a few months later. “When people see duce to one, to hold around decided to close his store to nience store. “Local beers are a trend at ‘newsagent’ now it gives 50% of his current stock. He focus on his HND business. Graeme Pentland is the moment and we’ve seen them the impression you will also reduce his maga- Jon Powell, of The Newsa- planning a full refit of his strong sales there, so we’re only sell newspapers and zine stock by around 50%. gent, sufered an 80% drop Ashburton News & Conve- hoping it will be the same magazines. A new design for the in store sales after changes nience store. Local products for other lines,” he said. “We will still sell them business has not been fully in local bus routes meant 52 will rise from 5-10% of his “The hope is we will get because we do well on home agreed as yet, but Mr Pent- fewer buses stopped outside range to 50% as part of the lots of new people into the delivery, but in the 23 years land hopes the new-look the shop per hour. move, and the business store.” I’ve been here I’ve seen huge store will be open around But Mr Powell said his will be renamed Ashburton He is in the process of changes and I am lucky to Easter. HND business, which was launched in 2015, has grown by 500% recently. He originally considered Trump’s inauguration boosts paper sales halving the store size, but Newspaper sales were on week. “When there is a con, sales and marketing but did not give specific instead decided to close the boosted by President need for in-depth analysis manager for the i. “There’s figures. doors for the final time on Donald Trump’s inaugu- people still turn to news- certainly an appetite for “Mail Newspapers Saturday. ration as readers sought papers,” said Neil Jagger, Trump news which bodes continues to believe and “It’s sad because I’ve been coverage of the event. Trinity Mirror’s group well for the year ahead.” invest in high-quality there for 19 years, but we Sales of the Mirror newspaper sales director. The Guardian achieved journalism, so it’s no sur- were in the store all but increased by 15,000 cop- “It’s good to see strong a week-on-week sales prise that readers seek out earning all our money by ies week on week on 20 newspaper sales across increase of 2% on 21 Janu- our coverage in increased 8am. The HND business is January, the day of the diferent publications ary, while the Daily Mail numbers during major getting better every week,” ceremony, while the i despite the multi-media reported increases on news events,” said spokes- he said. achieved a 4% rise week coverage,” said Paul Ba- both 21 and 22 January, man Alex Moorhouse. RN 3 February 2017 23

Call for more Scotsman’s celebration rate relief sales boost The Scotsman boosted for c-stores sales by a fifth with a special 200th anniversary edition. in Wales Publisher Johnston The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Press reported a week-on- is calling for more business rate relief for week increase of 21% for small shops in Wales after revealing 89% of the souvenir edition on 25 stores in the country are small businesses. January, which included The organisation’s 2017 Welsh Local Shop the publication’s original Report shows convenience stores generate front page and a letter of £309m in sales a year and employ 25,000 congratulations from The people. Queen. “Convenience stores in Wales are the cor- The newspaper will nerstones of their communities, providing publish a series of special vital services such as Post Ofce services editions throughout its bi- and other staples such as mobile phone top- centenary year, following up and lottery,” said ACS chief executive its coverage of momentous James Lowman. events over its history. “We call on the Welsh Assembly Govern- Editor Ian Stewart said: ment to support small shops in Wales, “Marking the occasion particularly through giving more shops full with this special supple- or partial business rate relief.” ment is the perfect way to Vince Malone, of Tenby Post Ofce in JTI store visit sheds light on new legislation kick of celebrations, as we Pembrokeshire, said he agrees more rate look forward to showcas- relief should be ofered. A Hull convenience store received a visit from a JTI representative to speak ing the best of The Scots- “Our ratable value has just been reas- to customers about the tobacco legislation changes. The visit to Wharfedale man’s past editions.” signed and we have been put above the Premier lasted four hours. Owner Sam Coldbeck said: “It’s a really good idea £12,000 mark so we now aren’t getting any because a lot of people don’t realise how quickly the packet changes are rate relief,” he said. “It’s a double whammy coming in. It’s helpful for JTI to explain them all to my customers.” for us. It’s a big strain on our resources.”

Public Health Wales says sweet flavours attract youngsters ‘Another constraint on business’ Fears e-liquid ban would devastate vaping market Johnston’s by Charlie Faulkner risks of e-cigarettes are being the most popular ASH said, in its 2016 report [email protected] significantly lower than flavour. on vaping, that ‘regular Mail scoop cigarettes they are not She said: “They have use of electronic cigarettes Johnston Press will now Retailers have raised without risk.” been encouraging people amongst children and print The Daily Mail in the concerns about the impact Neil Fitzgerald, of Booker to switch from tobacco young people is rare and is south west. a ban on sweet-flavoured e- Corner in Llandudno, cigarettes to e-cigarettes confined almost entirely The company’s Ports- liquids would have on their sells around 20 bottles of and now they’re try to to those who currently or mouth Web facility in businesses after Public e-liquids a week with an move people away from have previously smoked.’ Hampshire will print the Health Wales called for the annual turnover of £2,000 e-cigarettes. “Taste is an important Monday to Saturday issues move last week. for his vaping section. “It seems as if they keep reason why smokers of the title, following As- The health body said “Retailers are already up targeting cigarettes at the choose to try electronic sociated Newspapers’ deci- “confectionery-like fla- against it with the restric- moment rather than alco- cigarettes. Unnecessary, sion to close its print site at vours of e-liquid should not tions on cigarettes. It’s hol or anything else.” non-scientifically-based Didcot. be permitted, to reduce the just another constraint on JTI said it agreed e- and arbitrary restrictions “We are delighted to win appeal of vaping to chil- our businesses if this goes cigarettes should not be on the use of flavour in- this new business and this dren and young people”. ahead,” he said. made available to buy or gredients would limit the further confirms our print- The statement high- Meryl Williams, of be used by under-18s, and ability of manufacturers ing services division as one lights a concern that Pike’s Newsagent in should not be used by non- to innovate and market a of the best in the country,” vaping can be seen as ‘safe’. Porthmadog, sells a range smokers. wide range of competitive said Ashley Highfield, chief It states: “But this is not of fruit-flavoured e-cig- A spokeswoman said: products that meet con- executive ofcer of John- the case, while the health arettes, with blueberry “The anti-smoking charity sumer preferences.” ston Press. 24 3 February 2017 RN YOUR VIEWS Come on Camelot, we PLEASE GET IT RIGHT, MENZIES need better Yet again, Menzies has failed to deliver my papers and magazines at support here the agreed time of 5.30am and the Two weeks ago, we wrote situation is not getting any better. in about Camelot’s lack For over three months now they of response following the have been delivering my papers theft of our scratchcard late. It’s actually happening once or unit during a burglary in twice a week, and when I call the September (RN, 20 Janu- call centre I’m given the same nar- ary). A week later, Camelot rative “the run is late, but it doesn’t responded, saying an show why”. engineer was booked to Yet Menzies still has the audacity me by email so that I have an audit does not improve. replace the damaged dis- to charge a delivery fee for a sub- trail and can hold someone to ac- Amit Patel South east London penser (RN, 27 January). standard service. count in future? So, was that the end of the Today I have been informed that Please also credit our account A spokesman for Menzies said: “Our story? Unfortunately not. my RDT is 7am, not 5.30am, but we the sum of £100 for loss of sales aim is always to deliver supplies, logistics I received a phone call open at 5.30am so I’m not sure who during this period (we have lost permitting, at a time which supports our from Jackie at Camelot to gave them permission to change three counter saves) and my time customers’ business needs. A member of tell me an engineer would this and when. and efort. Mr Patel’s local management team will be call with a new scratch- Can someone senior at Menzies We are seriously considering in touch shortly to discuss his service con- card stand. This call lasted please look into this and reply to closing our account if the situation cerns and seek a constructive resolution.” less than one minute, contained no apology, and Jackie clearly knew noth- and we have no indication police. Apparently, all Instead, we will get the starting again. We know ing about the background as to when/whether we six of these have already usual response about from past experience the to the issue. When I asked will get one. become “settled packs” how the system will system takes months to about scratchcards, I We had some scratch- and have therefore already identify when we need catch up on how many was again referred to the cards still in date and had been invoiced. scratchcards and will scratchcards we are sell- (costly) helpline. activated six of these on 11 So we are still short of send them automati- ing. In the meantime, we The engineer arrived January when we received scratchcards, but if we cally. As we haven’t been will lose sales, have empty and fixed the dispenser, our original damaged ring the (costly) helpline, able to sell scratchcards dispenser windows and it but it didn’t have a screen, dispenser back from the we will not get any help. since September, it is like will take far longer to get

RN READER POLL YOUR SAY Have you had enough support and information from tobacco manufacturers on EUTPD II?

NO Mike Mitchelson order now so it’s easier to Avtar Sidhu there will be a big issue in 43% Brampton Post Office, find everything and it has Sukhi’s Simply Fresh, May because a lot of the YES Brampton, Cumbria put labels everywhere. No- Kenilworth stock is starting to run out I have an Imperial gantry body seems to be talking I haven’t had much support, everywhere already. I’m 57% and we do get a regular call about what’s happening in but I understand every- sure manufacturers will from an Imperial rep who May. I’m trying to manage thing that’s happening. have to take back anything keeps us up to date. Imperial it myself so I’m not left We’ve gone for 20s only left because they have the has kept us informed on the with a lot of old stock, but and put everything in ownership of that stock. Have you changes and on everything no-one will say who’s going alphabetical order to keep I think it’s their obliga- that’s happened with the to take it. things simple. I don’t think tion. increased packaging. Retailers across the country are worried sales by about what will happen in focusing on May and what will happen to all the old-style packets. core ranges? We want to know who is going to help with any stock issues then. NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Is the Booker/Tesco Maria Lewis merger good news for Bargain Booze, Portcawl, independent retailers? Bridgend Imperial has sent us plenty of information and has been Vote now out this week to visit us and advise us on merchan- betterretailing.com Go to dising. It is in alphabetical RN 3 February 2017 25

some categories and with Your social comments this week far too many in others. Camelot really needs to contact us facebook.com/ThisisRN and @ThisisRN address this issue, and its customer service. Steve Archer, Booker/Tesco – your instant reactions Archer’s Premier Store, Congleton Dan@WhitstoneStores @whitstonestores Camelot is investigating It’s reassuring Dave L & Charles W can see the the complaint and will polarisation in our industry - we need step change like respond in next week’s RN #tescobooker to survive as indies back to the levels of sales we were making before the theft. Susan Connolly @RetailSusan I am sure many retail- Surely Tesco deal is against indie our interests. They ers are still of the same 100 opinion as us – the will be dictating prices in the indies market. We need system worked far YEARS AGO @ACS_LocalShops on the case better for retailers 3 February 2017 when we could ring A book called “The Land and the Empire” and order the scratch- is to be published, putting forward a new Paul Baxter @PaulBaxterNFRN cards we needed. The theory for agricultural practice in Britain Good chat with Steve Fox,Booker/Tesco merger automated system does in light of the war. We can no longer be as is great news for independents, better access to not work, leaving us reliant on sea-borne food supplies as we banking/payment services/products and prices without scratchcards in were before the outbreak of the war if we hope to be a prosperous nation. Thornton’s Budgens @BelsizeBudgens Shocked by news that Tesco buying our wholesaler AROUND WITH Booker. Will fight to for all we stand for and to retain THE ROUNDSMAN our independence Blanche Fairbrother TRDP @RetailDataP Oh, what a joy on 16 January when I went up the Tesco-Booker “merger.” - wonder how other path to Dr Fair’s front door and there were some wholesalers to the c-store sector are feeling right now? snowdrops in flower. It gave a grey wet dismal morning a huge lift. I always think January is a very down-and-out month, but this year with the And other talking points… weather being as it is has been a real drag, so little flowers were a very welcome sight. My goodness, Paul Stone @stonespar these last few days have been so damp and foggy Beardo and Mojo 330ml that if you didn’t know better you could be forgiven lovely new ales from for thinking it was November. @robbiesbrewery in store My bank account is having its annual nervous @SPAR_PrincessSt and Spar breakdown. I’ve had my tax bill, car tax bill, public Oxford Road liability insurance bill and an electricity bill, which all needed to be paid in January. My cheque book is now lying down in a darkened room to recover. I would like to thank both Mike Brown and Steve Parfett for their lovely letters about my invitation to the Palace Garden Party, but it is something I just can’t go to. I have spoken to people who nominated me in the first instance and they now fully understand that not only could I miss my round julie orritt @rottweilers2009 for a couple of days, but also I am not a person who Don’t forget your loved ones could get all dressed up and go to London feeling like this Valentine’s day. Call into a fish out of water. I do my job because I want to help Spar Broadfield for some provide a service in a community that has lost a lot, cracking deals not for recognition or being in the spotlight, so I’m sorry guys… @lawrencehunts Friday 20 January was a bit of a sad day for me. I had to say goodbye to Nigel and Mary Holroyd, who are relocating to the Market Drayton area, way out of my patch. They are a lovely couple and I shall miss them. Mary is a very good cook and frequently there would be a slice of cake or pie in a container on the doorstep, so I will certainly miss my treats too. 26 3 February 2017 RN DATE NIGHT IN Where Sid Sidhu Simply Fresh, Kenilworth the magic The main location: And two other important Our gondola end places… As Valentine’s Day approaches, Outside our store we’ll run ofers on two difer- A range of flowers will be out- ent price points and promote side which is the first indicator happens them through a gondola at the for customers that we’re a des- front of the store. It’s all about tination for Valentine’s items. making customers spend that It will also be the first place At an otherwise slow time of year bit more and to do that you they’re made aware of the ofers for many retailers, Valentine’s Day need to create in-store theatre we’ve got. and ofer a simple solution. shines out as a major opportunity One ofer will be a fizz and On our aisles boxed chocolates or flowers Although we have the promo- for seasonal sales. Four retailers tell linked deal with a selection of tion at the front of the store Charlie Faulkner where the profit proseccos and boxed chocolates we’ll ensure all items included to choose from, at two items for in the ofers are clearly labelled opportunities lie in their businesses £10. We’ll also provide a which will help navigate cus- total meal solution, in- tomers through the store to find cluding champagne, the other items. With oferings boxed chocolates and like that we tend get a 20% dinner – all of that margin and last year we saw a for £30. 32% uplift. Suresh Patel Premier Upholland, Lancashire

The main location: And two other important places… My promotional display Alcohol aisle We have a display at the front of the We have a few restaurants and a store dedicated to Valentine’s Day florist near us so we try to focus on and we’ve just started providing ofering what they can’t. We drop hampers of Valentine’s Day-themed the price of prosecco down by a items, like Lindt chocolates, prosecco couple of pounds, for example, as and teddy bears. We tried it out last well as stocking £1 boxes of choco- Mother’s Day and it went really well. lates. Around Valentine’s Day we see We price them at around £45 and sales increase three-fold. that gives us a 25% margin. I first saw them in rafes and they looked A second promotional bay really good so I thought I’d give them On top of what we do at the front of a go. the store, we convert another pro- motional shelf into Valentine’s Day ofers. We do very well on Love Heart sweets. We tend to get through up to Link-selling alcohol with gifts five cases in February. works well for Suresh Patel

» THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BRING OUT THE GENTLEMAN

A GIFT FOR HIM THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

28 3 February 2017 RN DATE NIGHT IN FIVE PRODUCTS TO GET YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY Shahid Razzaq SALES GOING Premier Mo’s Convenience Store, Cadbury Milk Tray Glasgow As part of a £3m advertising cam- paign Mondelez has rejuvenated We tried the classic box of chocolates this The main location: And two other important places… winter – launching it back on to Our alcohol section Our card display selling television screens across the Our alcohol area is fairly near the front We have a seasonal card section flowers for country. of the shop and as soon as customers which will be taken over with Val- enter it there’s a promotional stand. entine’s cards. We’re also attaching the first time This year we’ll be ofering prosecco at the cards to 500g Dairy Box boxed £7.99 – £1 of – but we’re also hoping chocolates and flat-packed Valentine’s last year and to have a tie-in deal with Edinburgh Day-themed wrapping paper all for £6. we sold out Gin because the Rhubarb variant We did it two years ago and we sold 48 goes really well with fizz. We’re still boxes while getting a 20% margin. in two hours confirming that at the moment but, if it goes ahead, the prosecco and the gin Our store-front will be displayed on the promotional At the front of the store we’ll have shelving area in the alcohol section. hampers with chocolates, a teddy bear, prosecco and love heart choco- Walkers Sensations lates that we scatter inside before A cosy evening in front of a wrapping it in cellophane. We sold 38 good film is not complete with- last year but this year we hope to sell out the obligatory snacks so nearer to 60. make sure sharing snack bags and dips are highlighted in store. Tropicana Or how about offering a Shahid Razzaq hopes to romantic breakfast in bed sell 60 Valentine’s hampers deal, which wouldn’t be complete without a re- freshing glass of orange juice to go with those perfectly poached eggs. Love Hearts Shelley Goel Swizzels added One Stop Gospel Lane, new products to its Love Birmingham Hearts range at the end of last year. It now offers charming Swiz- zels ‘Love-Letter’ which contains a bag of Mini Love Hearts and Love The main location: And two other important places… Hearts Tins. Our store radio Our store front Our store atmosphere is diferent We will look like a flower shop from which is why I think we manage the outside of our store. We have lots to remain competitive. We have of bouquets of flowers, ranging from the radio playing, we welcome our £5 up to £20. We tried selling flowers customers and we chat to them. At for the first time last year and we sold the till, as we chat to them and make out in two hours. them smile, we subtly suggest other items they may want to consider, and Our card section suggest things they should try out - We have a card section in the store we tell them about the lovely boxed and we’ve found people are prepared Wine chocolates we have. to spend more money on cards for Treasury Wine Estates Valentine’s Day. We have cards on can offer shoppers a bit sale priced at 99p up to £7 and our of sparkle to their eve- margin is about 25%. nings with Blossom Hill Spritz, avail- able in Cherry, Lemon and Rasp- berry & Blackcur- rant flavours l A welcoming atmosphere helps Shelley Goel attract sales Stock the range in store now! For category advice go to www.deliciousdisplay.co.uk

RN page ad.indd 1 24/01/2017 13:55 30 3 February 2017 RN COFFEE TO GO

Maintain a clean and clutter-free environment “As with anything that customers intend to eat or drink immediately, they’ll only buy from a clean envi- ronment. The standards have been raised by the high street chains that are typically very clean,” says Markus Hofmann. Profit “It’s vital to make sure areas in the shop don’t look scrufy – that doesn’t entice shoppers back. Brightly lit, clean environments will.” For Stuart Cunningham and in a cup Manny Patel, whose machines have a built-in cleaning function, the UK shoppers have grown to expect process is straightforward. However, for Emma Cooper, who works at excellent coffee whenever they Hockey’s Village Shop in Hampshire, want, thanks to fierce high street the process is a little more involving. “We have four baristas trained to competition. Markus Hofmann tells use and maintain our manual cofee Dave Songer what independent machine, which requires the pipes to be cleaned and descaled,” says stores can do to compete Emma. In a competitive market high cleanliness standards are essential

Talk about Promote your offer with additional customers purchases Making sure customers are aware It’s also about ofering what people of the machine in the store can need, says Mr Hofmann, such as often be overlooked, says Markus We have in the morning when customers Hofmann, who made a discovery four baristas don’t just want a cofee but also a while working on Shell’s food croissant or baked product. service, Deli2go. “Unless retailers trained to use Hot drinks such as cofee pair up were actively selling the cofee, and maintain well as a meal deal, particularly in whereby the staf actually told the case of pastries and baked goods customers at the till, many cus- our manual and sandwiches; Gurdeep Dhillon tomers didn’t know it was there. has recognised this and makes the They were blind to it; even if it was coffee most of it during the morning in his right by the till.” machine Leamington Spa Simply Fresh store. Manny Patel has a good relation- He ofers hot drinks with his Delice ship with his customers at his Sur- de France breakfast mufns as part biton store, Manny’s Convenience Linked meal-based of a £3.79 meal deal. Store, and his cofee has become a purchases can “It brings in a broad range of hit with commuters in the morning. drive extra people,” says Gurdeep. “There’s a “It’s a Tchibo that makes an excel- profits factory down the road, as well as lent quality cofee,” says Manny. a building site, and it’s a good “It increases sales of products like way of bringing them in through pasties and crisps and each cup the door. I hope they’ll then gives us a margin of 40%. We come back for their lunch or only need to sell 10 cups a day.” on their way home.” » *

*

*Source: GLOBAL Data, IRI & KWP, Volume Sales, December 31st 2016

RN page ad.indd 1 30/01/2017 15:08 32 3 February 2017 RN COFFEE TO GO Reward Offer free-from your alternatives As with including a wide selection Customer of drinks, the success of alterna- customers’ loyalty card tive milks such as soya or almond loyalty depends very much on the area, buy 9 and get the 10 Try doing says Mr Hofmann, as they don’t Giving customers a have universal appeal. “The trend th what Pret reason to come back to FREE is definitely heading the way of it buy a cofee can be achieved a Manger being seen everywhere but we’re with loyalty cards that give a not there yet – make sure that free drink after a set number do and there are enough customers who have been bought. They have want it before ofering it.” long been a familiar site and give out a Jai Singh doesn’t currently ofer Mr Hofmann thinks that a free coffee speciality milks with his cofee but more innovative approach says it is something he “wants to can work better. to selected explore” in the future. “We stock “They’re a good way to change their best soya milk and more and more people customers’ habits but stamp cards customers.” customers are buying it,” he said. are overused and a lot of customers Jai Singh does just that in just collect them. Cofee is a low-cost his Go Local Extra store in Shefeld. item, so try doing what Pret a Man- “We own the machine so it gives us ger do and give out a free cofee to a lot of flexibility, meaning we can Ornamental selected customers. For independent give away free drinks or use it as part coffee froth retailers it means they can reward of a meal deal,” he says. designs are one innovation by chains that indies are Draw inspiration catching up on from the multiples Mr Hofmann recommends retail- ers should adopt ’s model and have cups on the till that cus- Provide tomers go and fill up themselves. The advantage of this approach, Meet your he says, is that it can encourage alternatives the purchase of other items while shoppers wait – such as baked customers’ to coffee goods – as well as keeping the ma- Opportunities exist to sell drinks chines out of a busy till areas. ethical standards other than cofee, including Jai Singh also likes the idea of cus- There is a growing trend among specialist teas and hot chocolate, tomers helping themselves to cups shoppers to know the provenance says Mr Hofmann, but he warns and chose a Rijo 42 machine that of their cofee, says Mr Hofmann, retailers to think of their audi- does just that. and it can be a good way to earn a ence. “It may be worthwhile customers’ trust. “Bean origin can to explore having a range be a good way of raising customer wider than just cofee. But for interest, and sourcing beans that those without a user-operated are fairtrade can be a good option. machine, it can be a complex For retailers not using user-operat- task – only do it if there’s a big machines it’s a great way to gain demand,” he says. “Research credibility.” I’ve carried out shows that only Retailers also may want to look 10-15% of cofee sellers sell tea, at how the independent cofee shop for example.” sector compares with the same high Ofering a wider range works street goliaths. For Earthy Canon- for Stuart Cunningham, who mills, a cofee-shop-cum-bistro in installed a Nescafé & Go machine the centre of Edinburgh, provenance in his One Stop on Burnthouse is certainly a big consideration. “We Lane in Exeter. “The machine’s use a very good quality bean that’s become really popular with kids low in bitterness while also fairtrade, in the area, who like to have hot organic and rainforest certified,” chocolate on their way to school,” says store manager, Kevin Mcinally. says Stuart. “It’s a great footfall “Those sustainable qualities are defi- driver that ups the basket spend.” A well-known brand nitely appreciated.” l can give you credibility RN 3 February 2017 33 THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES Round up

Jennifer Hardwick Magazines reporter [email protected] COLD FRONT IS NOT SUCH A BAD THING Winter has well and truly arrived in the last couple of weeks, but one retailer I spoke to in the depths of the cold spell told me he sees an unexpected upside to the plummeting tem- peratures. Commenting on recent trade, he said he had previously expected to see fewer people coming into the store in really cold periods, because many like to batten down the hatches and stay in the warm. But in the last couple of years he has noticed Fun learning he sells a lot of magazines to elderly customers who tell him they want extra reading material because they don’t want to venture out too much, so need something to keep them enter- A BLAZE OF GLORY FOR tained indoors. A lot of retailers and publishers have been talking about the problem of people impulse- buying less in January because of tighter NEW KIDS’ TV SPIN-OFF budgets, so it’s good to hear of opportunities coming to light. With a free gift and stickers included in every issue, this monthly, A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the targeted at pre-school children, is revving up for hot sales rise of the one shot in reaction to momentous events. A NEW CHILDREN’S TV spin-of is rolling into But as you may have read in last week’s town with a magazine based on computer- RN, Northern & Shell surprised even itself animated series Blaze and the Monster Ma- with a sales rise of 20,000 copies on its spe- L cially created George Michael tribute issue of chines. The action centres around Blaze the AUNCH monster truck and his driver, an eight-year- OK! – proving opportunity can also come from old boy named AJ, and their adventures to- BLAZE titles you have steady figures on. gether in Axle City, which is full of big- On sale 9 February It may sound obvious, but just noticing wheeled Monster Machines. The target au- Frequency monthly if certain kinds of customers are visiting in dience for this new 36-page magazine is pre- Price £3.99 higher numbers than usual could give you school boys aged between three and six. It Distributor a great idea for a new display, or at least which features stories, puzzles, crafts and learning Marketforce titles are worth displaying more prominently. activities, with a focus on problem-solving Display with Thomas The good news is, once you’ve made a con- & Friends, Cars, Lego nection you might not have made before – such and technology. There will also be a free gift Star Wars and sheet of stickers every month, with the as with a group of people who buy more maga- first month’s including a race car set. zines in the winter – you’ll be ready to increase your sales to them in future.

BRAND STARTER NEW PA CK 2017 £2.99RRP STARTER STICKER PA CK PA CKET

50PRRP

© 2017 Football Association of Wales. © Irish Football Association 2017. Football Association of Ireland © 2017. All Rights Reserved. STICKER COLLECTION ©The Scottish Football Association 2017. All Rights Reserved. ON SALE SOON © The Football Association Ltd. 2017 34 3 February 2017 RN THIS WEEK IN MAGAZINES

S L BBC GOOD FOOD PECI A BBC Good Food is serving up value recipes in On sale out now this special budget issue. It features midweek Frequency monthly meals that cost £1 a head and promises to help Distributor Frontline cooks transform cheap vegetables into something Display with Olive, BBC a little bit diferent. Guest contributors include Easy Cook, Jamie Diana Henry, French chef Dominique Ansel, who shares his baking tips, and diving Tom Daley, who talks about his family and shares his easy dinner recipes.

F R T MOJO EE GIF This month, Mojo’s editor-in-chief Phil Alexander On sale out now has done an in-depth interview with The Kinks’ Price £5.25 Ray Davies about his career as well as covering the Frequency monthly shooting which incapacitated him in New Orleans Distributor Frontline in 2005. Also featured are Neil Young, Thin Lizzy, Display with NME, Q Madness, The KLF, Blondie, Magnetic Fields, Anohni, Ian Hunter and Elbow. This issue comes with a free tribute CD to The Kinks.

F Bestsellers R S PEPPA PIG BAG O’ FUN EE GIF T Food A total of nine free gifts are included with this On sale 9 February Title On sale In month’s issue of Peppa Pig Bag O’ Fun. The theme is Price £4.99 date stock centred on a visit to an aquarium and gifts include Frequency monthly 1 BBC Good Food 02/03 a fishing net set, magic slate, Peppa-shaped mould, Distributor Comag colouring book, stickers and a magic painting book. Display with Sparkle 2 Delicious 01/03 Inside there are plenty of activities and stories for World, Fun to Learn Friends 3 Take a Break Favourite Recipes 02/03 young fans following the ever-popular Peppa and 4 Eat In n/a her famous family and friends. 5 Easy Cook 02/03 6 SP L Olive 04/02 WATKINS’ MIND ECI A 7 Food to Love 01/03 BODY SPIRIT On sale 7 February 8 BBC Home Cooking Series 23/02 Price £4.95 The spring issue is traditionally Watkins’ Mind Frequency quarterly 9 Food & Travel 24/02 Body Spirit’s best-selling edition of the year. It fea- Distributor Seymour 10 Jamie Magazine 01/03 tures the annual Spiritual 100 list. Two spiritual Display with Breathe giants, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond 11 Magazine, Soul & Spirit Decanter 01/03 Tutu answer one timeless question, and Deepak 12 Superfood 22/02 Chopra explores the nature of reality. 13 Healthy Food Guide 01/03 14 S Cake Decoration & Sugarcraft 16/02 Q PECI AL 15 Cakes & Sugarcraft 09/03 This issue includes a special 2017 preview over 43 Price £4.50 16 Vegetarian Living 09/02 pages, including interviews with U2, Kasabian, On sale out now Haim, The Killers, Royal Blood and The Vaccines. Frequency monthly 17 Free-from Heaven 23/02 The title also celebrates the return of The XX, with Distributor Frontline 18 Vegan Food & Living 23/02 an exclusive interview with the band discussing Display with Mojo, NME 19 Food Heaven 02/03 their new album I See You. Elsewhere, there’s a list of the 20 songs which defined George Michael’s career. 20 Great British Food 02/03 According to publisher Bauer Media, independents

Data from independent stores supplied by account for 14.2% of the magazine’s sales.

THE ORIGINAL MINI PUZZLE MAGAZINES

PROVEN SELLERS. PLEASE STOCK AND DISPLAY RN 3 February 2017 35

[email protected] 020 7689 3350 @JenniferH_RN f facebook.com/@thisisRN

LA H MY ANIMAL FARM UNC Industry De Agostini’s new partwork will feature two new On sale 8 February illustrated adventure stories each week focusing on Frequency weekly viewpoint life on the farm, as well as fun facts and games to Price £1.99 keep children entertained. Each issue comes with Distributor Comag Dean Russell Display with Zippo Group sales development a new farm figure showing of its own personality. manager, Comag The partwork is published in a smaller format to be Collection, Real Life Bugs & Insects the right size for little hands. The launch will be sup- ported by a TV advertising campaign through the on-sale period of issue 1, which is priced at £1.99, going up to £5.99 from Issue 2. lthough the way we communicate to

F independent retailers has dramati- R T EE GIF cally improved over the past few CALM COLOUR CREATE On sale 9 February years, there is still no better way of This edition of the adult colouring-in magazine Frequency monthly working with individual stores than is themed around springtime, featuring flora Price £4.99 Aface-to-face visits. and fauna illustrations and calming patterns to Distributor Comag In recent years Comag has ofered a mer- help brighten up colouring enthusiasts’ winters. Display with Relax with chandising service to all of our clients, working The magazine features a mix of patterns, man- Art, Zen Colouring, Art with a network of merchandising companies dalas and tangle designs for budding artists to Therapy Collection and our own in-house field team. The cam- put their mark on. This issue comes with a set paigns have varied from supporting local and of free mini gel pens. national events to point of sale placement in S PECI AL conjunction with a TAB’S TAKE A PUZZLE launch or major Top Along with the usual wide variety of puzzles to On sale 9 February Frequency monthly promotional tip complete, including crosswords, codebreakers and Price £2.30 activity. In each logic puzzles, there’s an extra large selection of prizes You can contact Distributor Frontline case the univer- to be won for top puzzlers in this month’s edition. sal response was [email protected] Display with Take a for more information on The £10,000 worth of prizes on ofer include a Cuba Break’s Take a Crossword, that they proved holiday worth £3,000 and a three-night break in Take a Break’s Seasonal successful, with the benefits of magazine Paris, as well as £2,500 worth of cash prizes, Espresso Puzzle Collection all parties enjoy- merchandising or to discuss makers and Segway experiences. ing the benefits of how you can get involved additional sales. In September 2016, F R T YOUR FITNESS EE GIF Hearst and Condé Nast, with the support of Elle MacPherson tells readers how she stays fit On sale out now Comag, embarked on an initiative whereby 500 in her fifties in this issue, as well as sharing a leg Frequency monthly stores were selected to receive a store visit as workout. Other features include how to walk yourself Price £4.99 part of an independent retailer sales campaign. slim, the best fitness kit for every body shape and a Distributor Marketforce These visits were carried out by the in-store 5k running training plan. This month’s edition also Display with Natural merchandising team and were repeated for a comes with a free copy of the first issue of new maga- Health Magazine, Women’s three-month period. zine Healthy Diet, which lists 33 calorie-counted Health, Weightwatchers The results demonstrated incremental sales recipes and an easy Mediterranean diet plan. for all titles with participative stores out- performing other independents by 20%, and increasing share of the independent channel P BBC EARTH MAGAZINE R N by 4%. Such was the success, discussions are O O This month BBC Earth Magazine’s publisher The MOTI ongoing for future independent retailer devel- River Group is running a promotion for its top 500 On sale out now opment in 2017 across both publishers. independent retailers, ofering free A3 posters and Frequency monthly Although it is unrealistic to facilitate a regu- shelf talkers. Retailers can win a £100 John Lewis Price £3.99 lar sales call to all independent retailers, a more Distributor Comag voucher for the best display and highest sales of the Display with British targeted campaign with selected independent issue, by sending in a photograph and their final copy Wildlife Magazine, How it retailers has demonstrated that through educ- sales volume. Content in the issue includes a feature Works ation and collaboration sales growth of mass- on animals who pair up for life. market titles can be achieved and drives regu- lar customer trafc back in to stores.

COMING UP IN NEXT WEEK’S RN HOW ONE STOP RETAILER DANNY WILSON REVITALISED HIS SEVEN YORKSHIRE STORES Plus, whether you are a community c-store or traditional high street newsagent, what is the right digital strategy for your store? And catering to the babycare market made simple 36 3 February 2017 RN

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Newspapers

Daily newspapers price/margin pence/margin % Saturday newspapers Sunday newspapers Sun 50p 11.15p 22.3% Sun 70p 14.98p 21.4% Sun £1 21p 21% Mirror 65p 14.5p 22.3% Mirror £1 21p 21% Sunday Mirror £1.40 29.40p 21% Mirror (Scotland) 70p 15.61p 22.3% Mirror (Scotland) £1 21p 21% People £1.40 29.40p 21% Daily Record 65p 14.3p 22% Daily Record 90p 19.8p 22% Star Sunday 90p 19.89p 22.10% Daily Star 30p 7.26p 24.2% Daily Star 50p 12.085p 24.17% Sunday Sport £1 24.3p 24.3% Daily Mail 65p 14.5p 22.308% Daily Mail £1 21p 21% Mail on Sunday £1.70 35.70p 21% Express 55p 13.31p 24.2% Express 80p 17.152p 21.44% Sunday Mail £1.70 35.70p 21% Express (Scotland) 50p 12.10p 24.2% Express (Scotland) 80p 18p 22.5% Sunday Telegraph £2 45.50p 22.75% Telegraph £1.60 34.4p 21.5% Telegraph £2 48p 24% Sunday Times £2.50 52.50p 21% Times £1.40 30.1p 21.5% Times £1.50 35.25p 23.5% Observer £3 73.50p 22% FT £2.70 54p 20% FT £3.50 79.1p 22.6% Scotland on Sunday £1.70 39.95p 23% Guardian £2 44p 22% Guardian £2.90 63.8p 22% Racing Post £2.60 61p 23.46% i 50p 12p 24% i Saturday 60p 14.4p 24% Sunday Herald (Scotland) £1.70 35.7p 21% i (N. Ireland) 50p 12.5p 25% i (N. Ireland) 60p 15p 25% Sunday Express £1.40 29.65p 21.18% Racing Post £2.30 54.0p 23.48% Racing Post £2.60 61p 23.46% Sunday Post £1.60 33.6p 21% Herald (Scotland) £1.30 29.90p 23% Herald (Scotland) £1.70 39.1p 23% Scotsman £1.50 33.75p 22.5% Scotsman £1.95 43.88p 22.5%

Weight Watchers 28-2917-18 December January Scale of third-party advertising insert payments Total Supplements Ad inserts Number of Heaviest Insert Original Mail Mirror News Express Guardian Telegraph weight weight weight Inserts ad insert weight scheme UK TelegraphSunday Times 1,575g965g 1,115g490g 180g60g 9 3 50g45g Cumulative? no yes no no no no no DailySunday Telegraph Times 1,025g760g 670g510g 70g0g 0 3 45g0g 0-69g n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a ObserverTimes 835g575g 130g535g 50g10g 4 1 10g25g 70-100g 1.5p 2.5p 2.57p 2.7p 2.93p 2.75p 2.93p 101-200g 2p 3p 3.36p 3.3p 3.65p 3.35p 3.65p SunSunday Telegraph 770g565g 220g355g 100g50g 53 35g 201-300g 4p 5p 6.09p 5.5p 6.26p 5.75p 6.26p DailyGuardian Mail 750g515g 440g265g 55g75g 32 50g35g 301-400g 5p 7p 7.43p 6.7p 7.06p 7p 7.06p Mail on Sunday 405g705g 395g225g 145g10g 71 10g45g 401-500g * 7.5p * * * * * GuardianMail on Sunday 370g655g 280g350g 20g 2 10g Over 500g * 8p * * * * * TheObserver Times 580g– 90g – 80g – – 3 65g – * By negotiation 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 RN 2203 December February 2017 2016 CLASSIFIED 39

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