NEWS
29 NOVEMBER 2024 ASIAN TRADER 5
Take-home sales at the
grocers increased by 2.3% over
the four weeks to 3 November
to reach £11.6 billion, making
this the biggest month of the
year so far according to the
latest Kantar data .
Take-home sales rise
coincided with a jump in the
number of shopping trips
made by households, hitting
a four-year high at 480
million.
“October was the busiest
month for the supermarkets
since March 2020, when
people were preparing for the
first national lockdown,” said
Fraser McKevitt, head of
retail and consumer insight
at Kantar.
“Trip numbers have been
going up gradually, but this
steady march hasn’t reached
pre-covid levels of shopping
frequency just yet. The
average for each household is
slightly over four trips per
week.”
Halloween played a part
and there are signs that some
consumers are looking ahead
in the calendar, starting their
Christmas shopping early,
McKevitt noted.
Some 3.2 million house-
holds bought at least one
pumpkin, and confectionery
spending got a boost to £525
million in October as sales of
chocolates and sweets both
went up, climbing by 13% and
7% each.
Grocery sales hit 2024 high in
October
Worth the hype and shelf
Worth the hype and shelf
space – boozy flavours to
space – boozy flavours to
take note of
take note of
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 explains why
stepping up the flavours on your
liquor section can prove to be a
tasty move
Space on your booze shelf is precious.
So, the idea of introducing flavoured
spirits into the mix might be daunting,
depending on the size of your range.
Nonetheless, they’re a great way to add
interest for your customers and show
you keep up with the trends.
Before you go on to find the right
flavours for your store, it’s important to
note the two distinct camps in flavoured
products. The first is the novelty camp:
fun flavours, often synthetically made,
that appeal to a younger drinker. These
might sit at the lower and mid-point of
the market. The second is a more
sophisticated flavour range – the
flavours themselves might be more
subtle, unusual, and could tend to veer
away from being really sweet or
synthetically composed. Often these
come with a premium price point.
Both make great additions to your
shelf, so long as they suit your custom-
ers. So, look at the price point of your
customers’ bottle spend to decipher
where to start looking.
Once you know, you can read up on
what’s popular for the season. This year,
it’s all about spicy flavours and dessert
flavours. Think jalapeño and chilies, or
more traditional spices like cinnamon
and anise. For dessert-inspired tipples,
look at cofee, hazelnut, and chocolate
infusions – especially around the festive
season. Don’t just look at vodka and gin
– all categories are now widening out to
include flavoured varieties, even tequila,
rum, and whisky, so don’t be afraid to
explore.
Above all else, know your customer.
And if they fit a demographic that’s up
for exploring, do your best to give them
something new and exciting. There are
plenty of great bottles out there!
Reflecting the national
situation, an undercover
operation conducted by Japan
Tobacco International (JTI) in
Leeds has revealed the
abundant presence of illicit
tobacco and vapes in the
region, with 43 illegal
products found across 18
stores.
The exercise, which
involved multiple test
purchases across the city,
highlighted how rife illicit
tobacco and vape products are
in the area. Of the 18 stores
visited, all had illicit tobacco or
vapes available, with 12 in the
Labour Chancellor’s constitu-
ency of Leeds West and
Pudsey.
Operatives on the ground
had no difculties purchasing
contraband vapes, with eight
products obtained, including
one vape boasting a puf count
of 15,000 – 25 times over the
legal limit.
Nine of the 18 stores visited
are known to be repeat
ofenders, having sold illegal
tobacco to operatives during
previous operations last year.
Since the start of 2022, JTI has
identified 59 retailers selling
illegal tobacco or vapes in
Leeds.
All evidence and informa-
tion gathered has been made
available to Trading Standards
in the anticipation that it will
support their eforts to enforce
and prosecute anyone found to
be selling illegal products.
“Once more, our undercov-
er operations have exposed the
stark reality of the illicit
tobacco and vape trade in the
UK,” said Ian Howell, Public
Afairs Manager at JTI UK. “The
vast availability of illicit
products is a crisis on our
streets and is increasingly
happening in the open.
The typical price for illicit
RMC on the day was £5, with
the most expensive purchase
being £7. For comparison, the
RRP of JTI’s lowest price RMC
product is £12.75.
JTI sting finds stores selling vapes 14,400 puffs over legal limit
Leeds: undercover op highlights
Leeds: undercover op highlights
illicit vape and tobacco crisis
illicit vape and tobacco crisis
NEWS/COMMENT