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The dawn of a new era.

The Voice of Independent Retailers

Sports & Protein

Performing!

Wholesale

Diageo’s millions

Vape ban

llicit wins

EPOS

Good tech

9th February to 22nd February 2024

Volume 36 No. 937

Easter Treats

Yum!

Please leave

this space for

Asian Trader

Masthead

The Voice of Independent Retailers

Me and My Brand

Nido

Winter colds

Get ready

Sheetal Sisodiya

Impulse queen

1st November to 14th November 2024

Volume 36 No. 954

Adult soft drinks

Tasty

AT Awards

Incoming!

BOLD. INNOVATIVE. REVOLUTIONARY.

THE UK’S FIRST LEGAL 10K PUFF DEVICE

PINK RASPBERRY

NICOTINE CARTRIDGES

PREFILLED TANK

8x ADDITIONAL 2ML CARTRIDGES

USB-C RECHARGEABLE

Calls to bring minimum unit

pricing for alcohol in England

Winter Remedies

Adult Soft Drinks

Winter Remedies

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4 NEWS

Leader: Let the party begin

Calls to bring minimum unit pricing for alcohol

in England

Sainsbury’s to revamp Local c-stores

Retailers have finally ‘lost faith in police’, law and

order

‘Mafia-style’ Romanian gang behind £73,000

crime spree

Inflation hits three-year low, but food inflation

strengthens

InPost takes over Menzies’ Express, Newstrade

logistics

Post Office CEO claims ‘deep regret’ over

compensation delays

New employee rights will ‘cost small retailers’,

warns Fed

Guest column: Bounty’s at Booker – the must-

have bottle

Guest column: The Autumn Statement – what

independent retailers need

10 NEWS FEATURE: Creating

memorable experiences

With a little thought and lots of creativity,

convenience retailers can not only boost sales but

also build lasting loyalty

12 RETAIL CORNER: Defying

the odds to reimagine

convenience

From a small village store to modern retail hub,

this family-run convenience store has been

serving up fresh essentials and community spirit

with local magic

14 AWARD-WINNER

INTERVIEW: Finding the

right fit

Sheetal Sisodiya’s merchandising instincts were

given free rein at her new store and quickly saw

her crowned the Impulse queen

17 ASIAN TRADER AWARDS

2024

The Asian Trader Awards approach – we look at

what is on the menu of events for the big night

and hear from our sponsors

26 WORLD OF WHOLESALE

A regular round-up of news and views in the

wholesale sector

28 “NOT” TWITTER

The best observations and comments from

retailers (and friends) on the ground

30 FEATURE: PMPs

PMPs are price-busters that are increasingly being

revealed as the secret weapon of convenience.

Be sure to make the most of them as the

economy continues to struggle

40 MUST STOCK

The latest product news

45 ME AND MY BRAND:

NESTLÉ NIDO

A whole milk powder with a real taste of home,

says Bal Tung, who explains how the popularity of

World Food is further advancing Nido’s reach in

the c-channel

46 FEATURE: WINTER

REMEDIES

Don’t underestimate the power of OTC meds in

the c-channel – it’s a great winter health-boosting

category for your bottom line

54 FEATURE: ADULT SOFT

DRINKS

The new and developing category of adult soft

drinks can solve the shoppers’ dilemma of what

to drink when you’re not boozing but don’t feel like

zero alcohol either

62 CLASSIFIED

63 GUJARATI

1st November to 14th November 2024

THE VOICE OF INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

VOLUME 36 NUMBER 954

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4 ASIAN TRADER 1 NOVEMBER 2024

Sainsbury’s has kicked of a

range improvement pro-

gramme across its convenience

store estate as part of its plan to

revamp the smaller stores.

According to recent

reports, the supermarket will

carry out a full range review,

where it will assess which

items are performing well in

its convenience arm Sains-

bury’s Local stores. This will

include whether particular

lines need to be removed or

added, including its selection

of “dine in” or “food-to-go”

products.

The supermarket will also be

looking at how it can better use

the space in its convenience.

Sainsbury’s has previously

announced plans to open

between 20 and 25 convenience

stores annually to increase its

presence on the high street.

As of June 2024, Sainsbury’s

has 834 convenience stores in

the UK.

It comes as Sainsbury’s and

Argos conﬁ rmed plans to hire

18,000 people at Sainsbury’s

and 2,000 workers at Argos to

help cover the busy Christmas

period.

Sainsbury’s to revamp

Local c-stores

Let the party begin

he clocks have been turned back, Halloween has risen

and returned to the grave, and now Diwali has lit up its

lanterns to show us the path ahead. Winter is of cially

almost here, but instead of hunkering down it is time to put

on your glad-rags and head to the 35th Asian Trader Awards.

Last year’s event was a packed-out triumph, and we hope to

ensure this year’s celebration is at least as vibrant

This issue went to press before the Chancellor’s

Autumn Statement – predicted to be dark and chilly – and

it is published just two days after it, which puts us in the

position of having any predictions immediately exposed

as right or wrong in the harsh glare of immediate judge-

ment. Andrew Goodyear’s very interesting column in this

issue does not make predictions, but rather outlines

Bira’s position and what storeowners should be looking

for in the budget – and it will be very interesting to

discover how far Chancellor Rachel Reeves is aligned

with retailers’ interests.

With the festive season fast approaching, it will be

interesting to see whether shoppers decide to open their

purses to buy festive treats – biscuits and cakes, advent

calendars (should be in stock now!) and confectionery,

spirits and wines and beers aplenty. The self-treat season,

if merchandised smartly, can mean repeat purchases

from late September right up to New Year.

The fact that the latest figures show that inflation is

finally under control (a little less in grocery than other

categories, but we can’t import our food from China) has

prompted speculation about another drop in interest

rates later this month. The immediate effect another

quarter per cent off one’s mortgage might mean for

champagne sales is slightly overdone in the Press, but at a

mass level, it will lift consumer spirits and on average

raise expenditure a bit more.

There is some evidence that a dip in customers filling

up their baskets in September, despite the cost-of-living

crisis slowing or even reversing (some hope!) may be due

to strategic forbearance – that shoppers are delaying

deploying money saved until they see the whites of Santa

Claus’s eyes, when they will suddenly go wild with

seasonal spending.

All we can recommend, absent evidence that people

are more broke rather than less, is that retailers should

stock carefully, merchandise colourfully, and pay close

attention to our upcoming festive product features to see

what might be at the top of consumers’ wish-lists this

festive season.

Perhaps the best Christmas gift the government could

give to hard-pressed and sorely-tried shopkeepers would

be finally to take retail crime seriously. As we report, the

ongoing crime wave, compounded by the appalling

inaction of police, has worn out the patience of retailers,

who now, short of being physically injured, do not even

bother to report most crimes. This terrible situation will

only be made worse by the draconian edicts of the upcom-

ing vape and tobacco ban, which will be welcomed by the

various foreign mafias who are moving in to take over

illicit trade in the UK.

Ministers are facing “pres-

sure” to increase the price of

cheap alcohol in England by

introducing minimum unit

pricing for alcohol after a

recent report highlighted the

“alarming” death toll in

England caused by cheap

drinks.

Lord Darzi’s investigation

into the NHS report, published

earlier this month, said deaths

attributed to alcohol stabilised

when “tough action” was

taken. He was referring to the

duty escalator, which increased

alcohol duty by two per cent

above inﬂ ation each year

between 2008 and 2014.

Darzi wrote, “Alcohol is

becoming more af ordable over

time, and deaths are rising at an

alarming rate. In the pandemic,

there was a 10.8% annual increase

between 2019 and 2022.”

A two-litre bottle of cider can

be bought in England for under

£2, which equates to 22p per

unit of alcohol.

Health of cials believe a

review is almost certain given

the ﬁ ndings of the report and

the rising death toll, even

though the government

reportedly ruled out minimum

unit pricing shortly after

winning power.

“It raises the price of the

strongest, cheapest drinks – the

ones that cause most harm,”

said Richard Piper, CEO of

Alcohol Change UK.

Scotland introduced

minimum unit pricing in 2018,

with a minimum of 50p per

unit. The price rose on Monday

to 65p. This puts the minimum

price for a 700ml bottle of 40

per cent ABV whisky at £18.20;

a 700ml bottle of 13% wine

£6.34; and a litre bottle of 5%

alcohol cider £3.25. Wales

introduced minimum unit

pricing in March 2020.

‘Pressure’ on Govt to impose new rule despite

Scottish results

Calls to bring minimum unit

pricing for alcohol in England

NEWS

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A gang of shoplifters,

responsible for the theft

of at least £73,000 worth

goods, runs its profes-

sional “maﬁ a-style”

operation like a serious

business, stated a recent

report.

Dubbed the “cham-

pagne gang” by National

Business Crime Solution

(NBCS), an organisation

which works with 100

businesses to tackle retail

crime, the gang originates

from Romania and is said to

be responsible for 60

shoplifting incidents across

the UK, from Gateshead to

Bournemouth.

The reports detailed how

during the heists, the gang

members wear blue tooth

headsets to communicate

and warn each other if

security guards are watching

them. They operate on

similar models- one member

will casually walk down

alcohol aisle scanning bottles

while the other member

deliberately set of the

security alarm to distract

staf .

Other members make

the best of the confusion

and simply walk out of the

store with their stolen

goods.

They came onto the

NBCS’s radar in early 2023

and have since started

stealing other types of

alcohol and meat to serve

changing demand. The group

also changes tactics when

new technology arrives that

might impede their opera-

tion.

‘Maﬁ a-style’ Romanian gang

behind £73,000 crime spree

Bounty’s at Booker – the

must-have bottle for your

booze shelf

Nick Gillett is

Co-founder and

Managing

Director of

successful spirits

distributor Mangrove Global, as

well as an industry expert and

commentator. In his column for

this issue, Nick mixes it up with a

terriﬁ c recipe that uses one of

this season’s hot brands

I’m always harping on about mixing up

your range with a few new bottles each

season. And thanks to premiumisation

(the trend that sees customers buying

more expensive booze) there’s a

decent chance a pricier bottle is going

to sell.

For those of you who use Booker,

you’ll know how great it is for picking up

something fresh to try on your illustrious

spirits shelf. It’s quick, it’s convenient,

and now it stocks a spirit – Bounty –

which is making waves across the UK

rum scene.

Fresh of the back of a stunning

display at Notting Hill Carnival, Saint

Lucia’s most famous export is a

deliciously drinkable range – and its

Coconut and Gold varieties are now

available at selected Booker branches.

As a category, rum is going nowhere.

We’re long past the “rum boom” and it’s

still a thriving sector with heaps of

innovation and quality brands a-plenty.

But what we’re beginning to see is a

move back to basics. Customers want

provenance and quality in their liquids,

and I’d argue that Caribbean-produced

rums, such as Bounty, are the perfect

bottles to quench that thirst.

Once you’ve bought your bottles of

Bounty, make sure you have the right

mixers. The Saint Lucians enjoy it simply

poured over coke with ice, or you can

create a bundle with Ginger Ale and

upsell the “Saint Lucian Mule” a simple

and spicy cocktail for Autumn:

Ingredients:

60ml Bounty Gold

100ml Ginger Ale

1/4 lime

Method:

Mix all ingredients in an ice-ﬁ lled glass,

squeeze the lime and stir softly with a

bar spoon. Enjoy!

Independent retailers across

the UK are facing stubborn

levels of retail crime and

alarmingly more retailers are

choosing not to report

incidents of theft, verbal and

physical abuse to police,

according to the latest survey

conducted by the British

Independent Retailers

Association (Bira).

The third bi-annual Retail

Crime Survey, completed in

September 2024, reveals a

concerning picture of escalat-

ing theft, persistent verbal

abuse, and a worrying uptick

in physical assaults on staf .

Bira, which works with

over 6,000 independent

businesses of all sizes across

the UK, found that 78.79% of

businesses that had experi-

enced theft in the past 12

months reported that the

frequency or severity of theft

incidents had increased.

However, the survey did

reveal that shop theft had

reduced slightly in the past

year, from 86.25% in Septem-

ber 2023 and 79.27per cent in

March 2024 to 72.83% this

autumn.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of

Bira, commented on the

ﬁ ndings and said, “The results

of our third crime survey in 18

months are deeply troubling.

We’re seeing a sustained

increase in criminal activity,

coupled with reduced police

response. Our members are

caught in the crossﬁ re, and it’s

clear that current measures

are failing to protect them.”

The Police response

remains inadequate. While

52.8% of reported thefts were

attended by police in both

surveys, 25% of reported

thefts resulted in no police

attendance ever, a slight

decrease from 27% in the

previous survey, but still a

signiﬁ cant concern. Moreover,

there was an increase in thefts

not being reported to police,

rising from 42.86% (March

2024) to 47.06% (as at

September 2024).

Recent spike in criminal activity has exhausted patience

Retailers have ﬁ nally ‘lost

faith in police’, law and order

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6 ASIAN TRADER 1 NOVEMBER 2024

Inﬂ ation fell by more than

expected last month, including

key measures watched by the

Bank of England, increasing

bets on an interest rate cut next

month.

The rate of annual consumer

price inﬂ ation dropped to 1.7%

in September from 2.2% in

August, the lowest reading

since April 2021, the Of ce for

National Statistics said.

Sterling fell by half a cent

against the US dollar immedi-

ately after the ﬁ gures were

published.

Core inﬂ ation, which

excludes energy, food, alcohol

and tobacco, dropped to 3.2%

from 3.6% in August.

“Lower airfares and petrol

prices were the biggest driver

for this month’s fall. These

were partially of set by

increases for food and non-al-

coholic drinks, the ﬁ rst time

that food price inﬂ ation has

strengthened since early last

year,” ONS chief economist

Grant Fitzner said.

There were also signs of

weaker inﬂ ation pressure ahead.

Prices charged by factories for

their goods fell by 0.7% in the

year to September, the biggest

fall since October 2020, during

the COVID pandemic.

The inﬂ ation rate was lower

than the 1.9% rise that analysts

forecast and has cemented

expectations that the central

bank would likely cut interest

rates again in November.

“It is absolutely amazing to

see such a dramatic drop in the

UK’s CPI number, and the news

had brought nothing (but) good

things for the Bank of Eng-

land,” said Naeem Aslam, chief

investment of cer at Zaye

Capital Markets.

In August, the BoE reduced

its key rate for the ﬁ rst time

since early 2020, from a 16-year

high of 5.25 per cent as

inﬂ ation returned to normal

levels.

Unclear whether interest rate cuts are on the way

Inﬂ ation hits three-year low,

but food inﬂ ation strengthens

InPost Group has acquired

the remaining 70% stake in

Menzies Distribution

Limited in an all-cash

transaction valued at £60.4

million. The transaction

concerns Express and

Newstrade segments.

The third segment,

MDS, responsible mainly

for full load transport and

warehousing was demerged

from Menzies and is not part

of the transaction. It will

continue to be run by its

existing management team

and InPost will retain a 30%

shareholding.

The acquisition builds on

the strong commercial

growth that InPost has shown

in the UK – tripling its revenue

in the UK market over the last

year – and will allow the

business to fulﬁ l several

strategic objectives:

This transaction gives

InPost full control over its

UK logistics operations,

allowing the company to

accelerate its plans for

implementation of new

services in the UK

market, including its

next-day B2C parcel

locker service.

It secures InPost’s

position among the leading

parcel locker service

providers in the UK and allows

the combined entity to take

advantage of increasing

consumer preference for

lockers in the UK.

It allows InPost to further

upgrade logistics capabilities

and improve quality KPIs.

InPost takes over Menzies’

Express, Newstrade logistics

NewsTeam shows support

for NewsTraid

Newspaper and magazine delivery

company NewsTeam have raised

more than £1,000 for NewstrAid

during their recent conference in

Paphos, Cyprus.

Involving 60 staf members from

NewsTeam, the conference included

a presentation from NewstrAid CEO,

Neil Jagger and concluded with a

fundraising event and raf e in the

evening which raised more than

£1,000 for the charity’s work.

The event saw three members of

NewsTeam staf sign up as Welfare

Volunteers for NewstrAid.

Anyone interested in becoming a

Welfare Volunteer for NewstrAid

should visit their website for more

information. https://www.newstraid.

org.uk/welfare-volunteers/

Global wine stuck in

a rut: trade body

Bad weather means global wine

production this year will remain near a

60-year low according to preliminary

estimates, said the International

Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).

“Early indications suggest that

2024 will be another year of relatively

low production, most likely below

250m hectolitres a year,” director

general John Barker said at the

opening of the body’s 45th congress

in Dijon.

Last year some 237m hectolitres

of wine were produced globally, the

lowest amount since 1961, as the

various ef ects of drought, heatwaves

and ﬂ ooding af ected grape harvests.

KP Nuts £100m

RSV milestone

KP Nuts has achieved a major new

milestone, reaching £100m RSV.

At more than four times the size

of the nearest branded competitor,

KP continues to drive category

growth, delivering a versatile range

of tasty ﬂ avours in a variety of

formats that cater to all occasions

and tastes.

The past year has been one of

KP’s most successful. The KP core

range, renowned for its quality and

delicious ﬂ avours, continued to

perform strongly, with the iconic

Original Salted Peanuts variant

gaining a Great Taste Award.

NEWS

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NEWS

The past year has been one of

signiﬁ cant change for the UK.

With a new government at the

helm, there’s cautious optimism

about fresh approaches to

long-standing issues af ecting

our high streets. However, the

challenges facing independent

retailers remain formidable.

As we’ve seen in previous

years, the Autumn Statement

can have far-reaching implica-

tions for our sector. This year,

we’re calling on the Chancellor

to deliver certainty, clarity, and

stability for independent

traders – elements that have

been in short supply recently.

One of our primary

concerns is business rates. For

years, Bira has lobbied for a

comprehensive review of this

outdated system. We believe

that reducing business rates for

all high streets would inject

much-needed conﬁ dence and

stability back into bricks-and-

mortar retail.

Energy costs continue to be a

signiﬁ cant burden for many of

our members. While we

welcomed previous support

measures, we need a long-term

strategy that addresses the

unique needs of small business-

es. We’re hoping to see targeted

support for those most af ected,

coupled with incentives for

energy ef ciency improve-

ments.

The labour market presents

another challenge. Many

retailers are struggling with

recruitment and retention.

We’re looking for measures that

support skills development and

make it easier for small

businesses to invest in their

workforce.

Consumer conﬁ dence is, of

course, crucial to our sector’s

success. We’re hoping for

policies that put more money in

people’s pockets, encouraging

spending on our high streets.

However, it’s not just about

direct ﬁ nancial measures. We

need policies that recognise and

support the unique value of

independent retail. This could

include funding for high street

regeneration projects, support

for local business communities,

or initiatives to encourage ‘shop

local’ campaigns.

Digital transformation

remains a key issue and

sustainability is another area

where government support

could make a signiﬁ cant

dif erence. Many of our

members are keen to adopt more

environmentally friendly

practices but ﬁ nd the initial

costs prohibitive.

It’s clear that the decisions

made will have a profound

impact on the future of

independent retail. At Bira, we

remain committed to being a

strong voice for our members,

ensuring that the unique

challenges and opportunities of

our sector are understood and

addressed at the highest levels of

government.

Independent retailers are the

backbone of our high streets and

local communities. They bring

diversity, character, and

personal service that can’t be

replicated by large chains or

online giants. As such, support-

ing them is essential for

maintaining the vibrancy of our

towns and cities.

We look forward to analysing

the Autumn Statement in detail

and will continue to work

tirelessly to ensure that the

needs of independent retailers

are met, both in this ﬁ scal event

and beyond. Our sector’s

resilience has been tested time

and again, but with the right

support, I’m conﬁ dent that we

cannot just survive, but thrive in

the years to come.

The retail sector eagerly awaited yesterday’s Autumn Statement from

the new Labour government. Bira’s CEO, Andrew Goodacre, shares

his thoughts ahead of the announcements by Chancellor Rachel

Reeves on what independent retailers need and expect from this

crucial ﬁ scal intervention.

The Autumn Statement – What

independent retailers need

Kliro and ICB launch

Fortitude Spirits

Kliro Capital Partners, who acquired

ICB in June 2023, announced the

launch of Fortitude Spirits Group,

with the ambition to become one of

the leading independent UK spirits

companies.

It will comprise three divisions:

Fortitude Spirits, which will

create, nurture and scale distinctive

brands; Fortitude Drinks UK, will

leverage its 35-year history,

distributing Fortitude Spirits and

third-party brands across every UK

channel; and ICB Distillers will

expand its production capacity to

distil, blend and bottle the groups’

brands, as well as private label and

third-party products.

Alzheimer’s Society

partners with PayPoint

Alzheimer’s Society and PayPoint

have announced a partnership to

simplify and enhance cash dona-

tions and transactions. The collabo-

ration addresses the growing

challenges for charities when it

comes to handling cash, particularly

as high street banks and Post Of ce

branches become less accessible.

With nearly 30% of all charity

donations still made in cash, the

partnership provides a timely

solution to prevent any unnecessary

decline or delay in donations received

due to logistical challenges posed.

The service works with PayPoint

extensive network of 29,000

retailers across the UK.

Unilever sells Russian

subsidiary

British consumer goods giant

Unilever has completed the sale of its

Russian subsidiary to Arnest Group,

a Russian manufacturer of perfume,

cosmetics, and household products.

The sale includes all of Unilever’s

business in Russia and its four

factories in the country, along with

the business in Belarus.

“The completion of the sale ends

Unilever Russia’s presence,” said

CEO Hein Schumacher.

Last year, Unilever has come under

ﬁ re from Kyiv, which placed the group

on Ukraine’s “International Sponsors

of War” list, claiming it continues to

proﬁ t from operations in Russia.

By Andrew

Goodacre, CEO

of Bira (British

Independent

Retailers

Association)

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8 ASIAN TRADER 1 NOVEMBER 2024

The Post Of ce’s outgoing CEO

Nick Read, expressing “deep

regret” that the Post Of ce had

not lived up to delivering

“speedy and fair redress”.

Read, who resigned last

month, was giving evidence at

the Post Of ce Horizon IT

Inquiry, focussing on ﬁ nancial

delays to victims, when he

admitted that the government

is using the company as a

“shield” concerning compensa-

tion schemes.

Edward Henry KC, repre-

senting wronged sub-postmas-

ters caught up in the Horizon

scandal, asked Read if the

government “is using the Post

Of ce as a shield or a ﬁ re curtain”.

He replied, “That could be a

description, yes.”

Henry continued, “The fact

you’re [the Post Of ce]

administering two out of the

three schemes gives the

government a degree of

protection… one step removed

gives it room for plausible

deniability?”

Read responded, “That’s

true.”

The outgoing Post Of ce

boss denied the company has

been instructed “to minimise or

suppress compensation claims

whilst avoiding public scruti-

ny”.

Read admitted the compen-

sation process had been “overly

bureaucratic” and expressed

regret that the Post Of ce had

not lived up to delivering

“speedy and fair redress”.

However, he insisted the

“approach” and way of “engag-

ing” with victims has changed

in the last few months, with

“lessons learned” since the start

of the year.