Pear
drop
Rhubarb
& custard
Pineapple
cube
Cola cube
to
ou
fue
Flavour
The No.1 sweets maker*
Source: IRI | Symbols & Independents | Time: 52 w/e 5th October, 2024
The Voice of Independent Retailers
Ramadan
It’s that time again!
Tribute
Nisa’s Dudley Ramsden
7th February to 6th March 2025
Volume 37 No. 958
Me and My Brand
InPost
News Feature
C-store crisis?
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L12W, Nielson IQ Off-Trade Data to 07.09.24
as seen
on TV
NO.1
RED & WHITE
PREMIUM
NPD
48
Business rate bill to surge by
‘over 140 per cent’ in April
Ramadan
Big Night In
21
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4 NEWS
Leader: What’s in store
Business rate bill to surge by ‘over 140 per
cent’ in April
Christmas beats Dry January for zero-beer
sales
Deposit Return Scheme plans advance in
Parliament
PMQs: Starmer vows to tackle rising retail crime
Government publishes guidelines on
disposable vape ban
Highstreet chain sees drop in crime with body
cameras
Report shows ‘£17.5bn sales to independent
retailers’
Alarm sounded over rise in illegal nicotine
pouches
Guest column: Trending tipples in 2025 –
here’s what to expect
Guest column: Shop theft podcast reveals
disturbing trends
10 NEWS FEATURE:
Convenience in crisis?
Amid reports of declining sales, mindful
strategies could reignite the convenience
sector’s spark, finds Pooja Shrivastava
12 DATA CART
Your at-a-glance guide to the big issues in the
sector
13 TRIBUTE: DUDLEY
RAMSDEN
Asian Trader pays a heartfelt tribute to a true
pioneer of the UK’s convenience retail and
wholesale sector
14 MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Keeping up with the latest industry moves
and promotions
15 “NOT” TWITTER
The best observations and comments from
retailers (and friends) on the ground
16 AWARD-WINNER
INTERVIEW
Amarjit Singh Rakhra had added space and
peace of mind for the community as part of his
retail offer, revolutionising what indies can
provide
18 RETAIL CORNER: Small
store with a big heart
Pooja Shrivastava finds a tucked-away
convenience store Newcastle suburb which is
doing something no other store in the country
does
19 WORLD OF WHOLESALE
A regular round-up of news and views in the
wholesale sector
21 FEATURE: RAMADAN
Ramadan isn’t just a sales opportunity – it’s a
chance for retailers to show up, stand out, and
win hearts
30 FEATURE: SPORTS AND
PROTEIN PRODUCTS
Protein is bursting out of the gym and flexing its
muscles on the shelves of c-stores as the nation
decides that dense nutrients are where it’s at
39 ME AND MY BRAND:
INPOST
Network Director Paul Selvey explains how a
revolution in online delivery is taking place –
earning indies rent from lockers and boosting
customer footfall
40 MUST STOCK
The latest product news
43 FEATURE: DAIRY AND
ALTERNATIVES
The UK still loves dairy, but its tastes appear
to be moving away from traditional, towards
newer – and value-added – product
48 FEATURE: BIG NIGHT IN
With the right mix of food, snacks, sweets and
drinks, convenience stores can corner the Big
Night In market
7th February to 6th March 2025
THE VOICE OF INDEPENDENT RETAILERS
VOLUME 37 NUMBER 958
NEWS
4 ASIAN TRADER 21 FEBRUARY 2025
Sales of low- and no-alcohol
beer were 20% higher in
December than January,
suggesting that traditionally
the month of abstinence has
been overtaken by December in
terms of alcohol consumption.
Tesco experienced record
demand for alcohol-free
beverages in the four weeks
running up to Christmas with
sales up by more than 15% on
2023.
According to David Albon, a
beer and cider buyer at Tesco,
quite contrary to five years ago
when the main demand for no-
and low- drinks came in “Dry
January”, it is now a trend,
especially among young
people.
Tesco confirmed that
interest in dry January is still
growing, with demand for
low-alcohol wine particularly
strong during the month and
sales up 15%. Sales of alco-
hol-free beer were up 10% and
alcohol-free spirits up 5%.
Among the most popular
choices from the chain in
January were 12-packs of
Corona 0.0%, with demand up
by more than 250%, and
doubled sales for 10-packs of
Guinness 0.0.
Christmas beats Dry January
for zero-beer sales
What’s in store
here is a fresh President in the Whitehouse energeti-
cally signing new orders and laws, and “animal spirits”
are rampant in the USA as it works to re-industrialise,
after deciding to divert away from China, and as it continues
to “Drill, baby, drill!” ensure its supply of plentiful and cheap
energy. Unlike the UK.
In the UK, bond yields are on the rise without respite –
meaning that investors do not trust the government to
manage its ballooning debt, as the value of the currency falls.
In the media, despair about the UK’s economic prospects fol-
lowing on from (current ...) Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s
Budget appears to be gathering and the UK is rumoured to be
on bond “suicide watch”: an intervention from the IMF, as in
1976, might soon be needed to force the government to cut
back its expenditure.
How will this threatening economic climate afect
grocery and the c-channel? As we always repeat, the sector is
extremely resilient, as food is the one thing nobody can go
without for longer than a few hours (“three days without a
meal is a revolution”, as the saying goes). Nonetheless, it is
good to stay aware of what lies ahead after the Budget
measures take efect in early April, and to prepare for them
as best you can.
It goes without saying that although interest rates just
came down a tiny tad, taxes, overheads and prices are way
up, not just under this Labour administration, but also the
previous Conservative one, which boasted the highest
taxes since WWII and the highest inflation since the
1970s. That means purse-strings are already tightened.
Point one.
Then there are new workplace regulations coming in
alongside a massive rise in the minimum wage, which will
add bigly to retailers’ costs before any revenue is earned.
A National Insurance increase puts the sour cherry on the
wages cake, and then that is washed down with a bitter dram
of business rates. Ending the relief that had kept many
businesses afloat since Covid will doubtless hurt lots of
enterprises as it constitutes an increase for some of up to
140% – and will result in closures without doubt.
Next comes the extra work (meaning time, meaning
money, as in costs) for the latest recycling rules – again, read
all about it here and on the website in greater detail.
And don’t forget increased alcohol duties!
Then, June 1 brings the disposable vape ban, and there are
many ways to get yourselves a nice fat fine, so do check out
the detail of what exactly counts as disposable and what
doesn’t – again, here, and on the website with downloadable
guides.
At least by then the sun will hopefully be shining, as we
see what our leaders are planning to burden business with
next: namely, DRS which is ploughing its way through
Parliament right now, despite loud warnings from super-
market bosses that the 2027 start date is unworkable. After
that, we can look forward to minimum unit prices for
alcohol, which Wales is being threatened with right now.
Businesses are facing a rise of
“140%” in property costs due
to the government’s decision
to cut relief for the retail and
hospitality sector from 75% to
40%.
The decision will see
thousands of shops, restau-
rants, pubs, gyms, and
nightclubs grappling with
surging rates bills from the
beginning of April.
This increase in business
rates – forecast to raise £26
billion in England this year – is
expected to place further strain
on an already pressured high
street.
The Conservative govern-
ment introduced the relief
scheme in 2022 to cushion the
sector from high bills.
It provided eligible proper-
ties with 75% business rates
relief up to a cap of £110,000 per
business. Rachel Reeves
announced in October that this
would be reduced to 4%.
This will mean that retailers
benefiting from the relief will
find their business rates bills
increasing in April on average
from £3,751 a year to £9,003,
and restaurants on average from
£5,563 to £13,351.
A Treasury spokesman said,
“Without our action, business
rates relief for retail, hospitality
and leisure would have ended
completely in April this year.
“Instead, we are protecting
one in three business properties
from paying business rates,
extending 40 per cent relief for
250,000 properties in retail,
hospitality and leisure and
introducing a new permanently
lower business rate in 2026,
while more than half of
employers will either see a cut
or no change in their National
Insurance bills.”
Labour’s manifesto had
pledged to replace the system by
raising the “same revenue but
in a fairer way”.
Further strain on high street retail, hospitality to come
Business rate bill to surge by
Business rate bill to surge by
‘over 140 per cent’ in April
‘over 140 per cent’ in April
NEWS
21 FEBRUARY 2025 ASIAN TRADER 5
The Labour government is
getting rid of a “shoplifters’
charter” to take a grip on
rising retail crime left behind
by the Conservative party,
prime minister Keir Starmer
stated in the Commons Cham-
ber.
Starmer was answering a
question raised by Labour MP
Claire Hughes when he
acknowledged that shoplift-
ing is no more a “low level”
crime.
Citing an example of
seaside town Llandudno
where businesses are
struggling with a rise in
shoplifting, Hughes raised the
concern in the Commons
Chamber, adding that
thieves are now
committing robbery in
full view of staf
because they have no
fear of consequences.
She stated, “The
recent funding boost for
neighbourhood policing is
very welcome, but will the
Prime Minister please tell my
constituents what more the
Government are doing to
tackle retail crime and deter
repeat ofenders?”
Starmer agreed, saying
shoplifting is not a victimless
crime.
He said, “For far too long,
crimes such as shoplifting
have been written of as ‘low
level’.
“That is wrong; such
crimes are devastating. The
Conservative party left us
with rising crime and
efectively told the police to
ignore shoplifting of under
£200-worth of goods.
“We have got rid of that
shoplifters’ charter, and we
are working hard to ensure
that we take a grip where they
lost control.”
PMQs: Starmer vows to tackle
rising retail crime
Trending tipples in 2025 –
Trending tipples in 2025 –
here’s what to expect
here’s what to expect
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 looks
ahead to what might prove to
be a very volatile – but for spirits
a very interesting – year
The time has come, once again, for me to
weigh in on what we’re expecting from
booze, here in Britain, in 2025. And
there’s a lot to pack in! So, let’s get
started …
Top of the pack for this year, is likely
to be similar to 2024 – Tequila and Rum
will dominate. When it comes to
Tequila, we’re expecting more growth
and a bit of diversification – flavoured
varieties and maybe people delving
further into the agave category with
Mezcal. Rum will remain popular as ever
with a continued leaning towards
brands that show provenance of
production – so get a few Caribbean
varieties on your shelf. Whisky is seeing
more and more drinkers look to
diferent world varieties while vodka is
as popular as ever (although I find
there’s not too much to get excited
about there).
Another success story from this year
was low- and no-alcohol spirits. I think
the success will continue but we’re
going to see a ratification of the
category as the lower-quality liquids
drop out of the market, and Ready to
Drink (RTD) products continue to be
popular in the right setting, with the
right customer.
Aside from the categories them-
selves, look out for brands who boast
sustainable credentials and a social
conscience – we know consumers care
more and more about this, and they’re
getting more experimental too, so don’t
be afraid to jazz up your range.
Finally, this year will be tricky for
some producers as duty rates are set to
go up again in April, so support the
creative, independent producers who
care about the quality of their liquids.
Your customers might just notice the
diference!
MPs have voted to approve plans
to introduce a Deposit Return
Scheme (DRS) in England and
Northern Ireland in October
2027.
The materials that will be
included in the scheme will be
single use plastic (PET) and
metal drinks containers. Glass
will not be part of the scheme.
While the regulations apply
only to England and Northern
Ireland, it is expected that
Scotland will introduce a scheme
that will be interoperable across
the diferent UK nations.
Despite concerns raised by
retailers, suppliers and other
stakeholders, the Welsh
Government still intends to
introduce its own scheme that
will include glass and focus on
reuse.
During the debate Members
of Parliament highlighted the
need to work closely with
convenience retailers to deliver
an efective DRS across the coun-
try. You can see clips from the
debate here.
Speaking in Parliament,
Environment Minister Mary
Creagh emphasised the urgency
of addressing waste.
“Keep Britain Tidy estimates
that two waste streams, plastic
bottles and drinks cans, make up
55 per cent of all litter across the
UK. When it comes to addressing
waste, this Government will not
waste time,” Creagh stated.
The scheme is aiming to
collect 70% of containers by
2028, increasing to 90% by 2030.
By the third year, this must
include at least 85% of contain-
ers made from PET plastic and
85% from other in-scope
materials, such as aluminium
and steel.
This comes a few days after su-
permarket chiefs urged the
government to postpone the
launch of the DRS as it claimed
the proposed October 2027 roll
out was “not feasible”.
Govt ignores supermarkets’ plea that date is ‘unworkable’
Deposit Return Scheme
Deposit Return Scheme
plans advance in Parliament
plans advance in Parliament
NEWS/COMMENT
NEWS
6 ASIAN TRADER 21 FEBRUARY 2025
DEFRA’s new guidance
confirms that from 1 June 2025,
all disposable vapes will be
illegal. This applies to sales
online and in shops and to all
vapes whether or not they
contain nicotine.
The guidance released is for
importers, retail outlets, vaping
product manufacturers and
wholesalers.
This includes any shop or
business that sells single-use
vapes, such as a convenience
store, market stall, petrol
station, specialist vape shop and
supermarket.
As mentioned in the
guidance, for a vape to be
considered reuseable, it must be
both rechargeable and refillable.
A vape is not considered
reuseable, if it is rechargeable
but not refillable, or refillable
but not rechargeable
A vape is not considered
rechargeable if it has a battery
you cannot recharge or a coil
you cannot buy separately and
easily replace (the coil is the
part of the vape that’s powered
by the battery to produce heat,
vaporising the e-liquid). With a
reusable vape, you may be able
to directly remove and replace
the coil, or remove and replace
the pod (or cartridge) in which
the coil is encased.
A vape is not considered
refillable if it has a single-use
container, such as a pre-filled
pod, that you cannot buy
separately and replace, or if you
cannot refill the container.
And to be reusable, a vape
must have a battery you can
recharge and be refillable with
vape liquid.
The DEFRA guidance clarifies
that if you sell vapes, you must
ofer a take-back service where
you accept vapes and vape parts
after the introduction of the ban
comes into force.
DEFRA advises how to stay on right side of the law, avoid fines
Government publishes
Government publishes
guidelines on disposable vape ban
guidelines on disposable vape ban
Poundland has seen a
significant reduction in
serious incidents of theft
and lesser cases of anti-so-
cial behaviour after
installation of body
cameras, one of its top
executives has stated.
Calling body cameras
are a “great visual deter-
rent” Adam Starkey,
Investigations Manager at
Poundland stated, “Since
installation of the body
cameras, we have seen a
significant reduction in
serious incidents.
“Colleagues have com-
mented that the cameras
support their confidence in
dealing with anti-social
behaviour and they feel
protected in the working
environment.”
Having analysed data from
the six months before and
after installation, the stores
where body cameras have
been deployed have seen an
average of an 11% decrease in
incidents reported,
specifically violence
towards colleagues,
whereas stores without
the body cameras have
seen a significant increase,
especially in violent,
weaponised crime.
A high number of
spotlight stores (high
shrinkage outlets) have
benefited from a significant
decrease in shoplifting or have
dropped of the spotlight list
entirely.
“As a company we are
focused on listening to our
colleagues’ safety concerns
and to help them with the
issues they face in stores.”
Highstreet chain sees drop
in crime with body cameras
Carlsberg: out of Russia
Carlsberg: out of Russia
– into profit
– into profit
Carlsberg announced it returned to
profit in 2024 thanks in part to
completing the sale of its Russian
subsidiary.
The Danish brewer sought to
pull out of Russia after the Ukraine
invasion in February 2022, but it
was only in December 2024 that it
was able to sell its Baltika brewery.
The amount of the transaction
was not disclosed, but the compa-
ny’s annual statement indicated
that Carlsberg received 2.3 billion
kroner (£258 million).
2024 has been a year of major
events for Carlsberg, with the
acquisition of Britvic.
Village c-store reopens
Village c-store reopens
three-years after fire
three-years after fire
The store in Gargunnock, near
Stirling, has reopened its doors
after a three-year hiatus caused by
a devastating fire.
Thanks to the eforts of the local
community, a new retailer Ashok
Pothugunta and the support of
Nisa, the much-needed store is
back.
The initiative to revive the shop,
led by Gargunnock Community
Shop Limited, saw 259 investors
contribute a total of £65,415
through a community share ofer.
The campaign exceeded
expectations, demonstrating the
strong commitment of residents to
save their only local store.
Tesco axes 400 jobs in
Tesco axes 400 jobs in
stores, head ofce
stores, head ofce
Tesco plans to cut about 400 jobs
from stores and its head ofce,
seeking efciency savings so it can
“invest in the business”.
The move follows that of
Sainsbury’s, which said last week it
planned to reduce its headcount by
over 3,000 roles.
British companies, and
particularly large employers, are
facing increased costs this year
after the Labour government’s first
budget in October hiked National
Insurance contributions for
employers and the national
minimum wage.
Tesco said it would try and find
alternative roles for impacted staf.
NEWS
21 FEBRUARY 2025 ASIAN TRADER 7
NEWS
The latest episode of our High
Street Matters podcast has
uncovered disturbing insights
into shop theft, moving far
beyond what many wrongly
dismiss as a victimless crime.
Through conversations with
Professor Emmeline Taylor,
one of Britain’s leading retail
crime experts from City, St
George’s University of
London, we’ve gained crucial
understanding of why
criminals target independent
retailers.
What emerges is a picture
far more complex than many
might imagine. We’re no
longer dealing with simple
opportunistic theft. Professor
Taylor’s research reveals three
distinct groups at work.
opportunists, drug-afected
persistent ofenders, and
organised criminal gangs who
have identified retail as a
high-reward, low-risk target.
The scale of the problem is
staggering. One former
ofender interviewed by
Professor Taylor needed to
steal £1,500 worth of stock
daily just to fund their
addiction. When you multiply
this across the country, the
impact on retail businesses
becomes clear.
What’s particularly
concerning is how criminal
behaviour has evolved. These
aren’t opportunistic thieves
taking a few items. The targets
have expanded beyond
traditional high-value goods
like groceries, alcohol and
cigarettes. Everything is now
at risk, and the perpetrators
are increasingly calculated in
their approach.
For independent retailers,
the impact goes far beyond
lost stock. These are often
family businesses, built
through years of hard work
and personal investment.
When theft occurs, it’s not
just merchandise being
stolen - it’s someone’s
savings, their security, their
peace of mind.
The mental toll on our
shopkeepers is overwhelming.
Many report feeling vulnera-
ble and unsupported, facing
daily threats and aggression.
This isn’t just about financial
loss - it’s about the human cost
to people who are the back-
bone of our high streets.
Through the podcast series,
we’re bringing these issues to
light, providing crucial
insights into criminal psychol-
ogy and behaviour. Under-
standing why these crimes
occur is the first step toward
developing efective preven-
tion strategies and securing
better support for our mem-
bers.
The High Street Matters
podcast continues to explore
these and other crucial
subjects impacting independ-
ent retailers. New episodes
will be released throughout
the year, covering various
topics relevant to today’s retail
landscape. What’s clear from
this episode is that retail crime
requires a coordinated
response - this has become
nothing less than a national
crisis. You can find all of our
podcasts on major platforms
by searching for “High Street
Matters”. Please do give it a
listen!
In his regular column, Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre discusses
revelations from the latest High Street Matters podcast about the
psychology of retail crime.
Shop theft podcast
Shop theft podcast
reveals disturbing trends
reveals disturbing trends
Strong revenue forecast
Strong revenue forecast
for A.G. Barr
for A.G. Barr
The company behind brands like
IRN-BRU, Rubicon, Boost, and
FUNKIN, has announced a
sparkling trading update for the full
year ending January 25, 2025,
anticipating sustained revenue
growth and double-digit profit
growth.
A.G. Barr expects revenue of ap-
proximately £420 million for the
2024/25 fiscal year, up 5% from the
2024’s £400 million.
The company’s core soft drinks
brands all delivered strong
performances. Rubicon stood out
with another year of double-digit
revenue growth, while IRN-BRU
solidified its position as one of the
top five carbonates in the UK.
Brits cash out £80bn
Brits cash out £80bn
from ATMs in 2024
from ATMs in 2024
New data published this week by
LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM
network, showed that consumers
withdrew £79.5 billion from cash
machines in 2024.
In total, adults over the age of 16
made 915 million cash withdrawals
last year. This equates to approxi-
mately 16 trips to the ATM per
person, with an average withdrawal
of £86 each time, totalling £1,424
over the year.
ATMs account for 93% of all cash
withdrawals in the UK, ahead of
cashback and counter transactions
at bank branches, post ofces, and
banking hubs.
Wrexham gets its first
Wrexham gets its first
Go Local Extra
Go Local Extra
A Wrexham convenience retailer
has opened a new Go Local Extra
fascia store, the first of its kind in the
city.
With over 26 years of experi-
ence and two other successful
convenience stores in Wrexham,
Subash Subakaran was operating
under the Premier fascia for most of
that time, but he wanted a change
with his latest retail venture.
The 2,000-square-foot store on
Prince Charles Road received over
£200k in investment and was
transformed into a Go Local Extra
store from an empty unit previously
used as a Co-op.
By Andrew
Goodacre, CEO
of Bira (British
Independent
Retailers
Association)
NEWS
8 ASIAN TRADER 21 FEBRUARY 2025
The food and drink wholesale
distribution sector generated
£33.6 billion of turnover in
2023-24 with £17.5 billion
coming from sales to mainly
independent retailers, a
report released by wholesal-
ers’ body Federation of
Wholesale Distributors
(FWD) reveals.
“Going for Growth: The
Impact of Food and Drink
Wholesale Distributors”,
highlights the crucial role
wholesalers play in the supply
chain as well as in overall
economy.
Retail businesses account
for 52% of food and drink
wholesalers’ revenue, while
foodservice and caterers
account for 29% and 10%
respectively.
AI and automation hold
significant potential to
positively impact the sector
like in identifying the wallet
share gaps and predicting
reorder needs. However, the
report states that companies
are yet not fully embracing
these technologies, saying “no
distributor has integrated AI
into its operation to a great
extent”.
60% of respondents
indicated they have incorpo-
rated AI into supply chain
management.
FWD reiterates in the
report to reach net zero Scope
1, 2 and 3 emissions by
2040, which will require 90
per cent reduction in
emissions and coordinated
actions across value chains.
Furthermore, the sector
is facing labour shortage
stemming from ageing
workforce, Brexit, images
issues and competition.
Delivery remains the most
common route to customers
with 58% of sales value
fulfilled through deliveries,
40% through cash and carry
and 1.3% click and collect.
The report said food and
drink wholesale distributors
directly contributed £3.5bn to
national output in terms of
gross value, employing 77,000
people. The overall value chain
that it supports employs a total
of 1.5 million people, about
4.8% of the UK workforce.
Channel accounts for over half of wholesaler revenue
Report shows ‘£17.5bn sales
Report shows ‘£17.5bn sales
to independent retailers’
to independent retailers’
Experts have warned over
illegal high-strength nicotine
pouches, saying they could
cause inadvertent overdosing
and harm to teenagers and
young adults.
There has been an
alarming rise in illegal
pouches containing potential-
ly dangerous levels of
nicotine. During the last 12
months, Oxfordshire Trading
Standards has seized more
than 900 packets of non-com-
pliant nicotine pouches from
retailers and launched several
criminal investigations. In
Dorset, 844 seizures were
made by ofcers.
Since nicotine pouches are
new there are no specific
regulations covering advertis-
ing, strength or age restric-
tions.
Instead, they come under
General Product Safety
Regulations which means they
need to be clearly labelled in
English with safety guidelines.
Most pouches contain six
to 20 milligrams (mg) of
nicotine while some products
contain 50mg. However, some
illegal pouches claim to
contain as much as 150mg of
nicotine, although tests
conducted on behalf of Trading
Standards found levels varied
greatly.
The government said new
legislation would stop nicotine
products being marketed to
children and it was investing
£30 million in enforcement.
JTI and BAT said their
products were for over-18s and
welcomed stronger regula-
tions.
The Department of Health
and Social Care said: “Snus is
harmful and illegal to sell in the
UK, which is why we are
cracking down on illicit
retailers by boosting funding
for enforcement on the high
street and at the border.
“Our Tobacco and Vapes Bill
will put us on track for a
smoke-free UK and stop vapes
and nicotine products,
including nicotine pouches,
from being marketed to
children.”
Alarm sounded over rise in
illegal nicotine pouches
Nisa’s charity supported
Nisa’s charity supported
over 360k people in 2024
over 360k people in 2024
Nisa’s Making a Diference Locally
(MADL) charity has cemented its role
as a cornerstone of community
support across the UK in 2024,
achieving incredible milestones and
touching the lives of over 360,000
people.
Last year, MADL donated over £1
million, spread across 1,340 individual
donations, to small charities and
community groups nationwide.
These contributions bolstered food
pantries, enhanced opportunities for
children, strengthened community
bonds, and provided much-needed
winter support.
In addition to MADL’s direct
contributions, Nisa colleagues rallied
behind charitable causes, showcas-
ing their dedication to making a
diference.
Surge recorded in whole
Surge recorded in whole
food sales
food sales
Brits are increasingly leaning towards
cooking from scratch and are ditching
ultra processed food, thus embracing
a much simpler approach to their diet.
Waitrose has reported that its
back to basics for many in 2025 due to
growing awareness around ultra
processed foods, with many turning
away from low-fat, highly processed
products. Whole milk and full-fat
Greek yogurt sales are up 11% and 21%
and block butter sales by +20% as
compared to dairy spreads while
brown rice is seeing +7% more sales
compared to white rice.
PayPoint reports strong
PayPoint reports strong
Q3 performance
Q3 performance
PayPoint Group has delivered
another positive quarter, with robust
performance across its key seasonal
businesses, reinforcing its confidence
in meeting FY25 expectations.
In a trading update for the three
months ended 31 December, the
group reported a 1.9% increase in net
revenue to £53.0 million, driven by
strong performances in its e-com-
merce and Love2shop divisions,
where net revenue increased by 1.9%
to £8.2 million. However, card
payment revenues declined by 5.7%
to £7.8 million, reflecting lower
consumer spending and a challeng-
ing environment for UK consumers.
LIMITED
EDITION
LIMITED
EDITION
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NEW
NEW
GB’s second largest
GB’s second largest
flavoured carbonate brand
flavoured carbonate brand 1
Growing ahead of the
Growing ahead of the
total flavoured carbonates
total flavoured carbonates
category in value and
category in value and
volume sales
volume sales 2
55% of Cola sector
55% of Cola sector
value growth year to
value growth year to
date has come through
date has come through
Cherry variants
Cherry variants 3
To find out more, request POS kits and
download digital assets email [email protected],
call 0808 1 000 000 or visit my.ccep.com
© 2025 The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved. Dr Pepper Cherry Crush Zero Sugar are registered trade mark of The Coca-Cola Company.
1. Nielsen Total GB: MAT val WE 07.09.24 2. Nielsen Total GB MAT val and vol WE 07.09.24 3. Nielsen Total Coverage YTD to 07.09.24
SCAN TO VISIT
MY.CCEP.COM
NEWS FEATURE
10 ASIAN TRADER 21 FEBRUARY 2025
espite being regarded as the
community’s lifeline, the
convenience retail sector is sadly
facing a consistent decline in sales.
Yet, as Asian Trader reports, the tide can still be
turned if retailers embrace smarter strategies,
leverage technology, and remain attuned to
shifting consumer demands.
Recent data from Kantar paints a stark
picture. Over the past year, symbols, inde-
pendents, and even the Co-op have seen their
market share erode, with year-on-year sales
plummeting by 5.8 per cent by January 2024.
This stands in sharp contrast to the
steady or rising trends observed in
supermarkets like Tesco and Aldi.
The findings are corroborated
by Talysis and TWC, both special-
ists in the UK convenience market.
Talysis’ CD:UK, an analysis
based on over 13,000 stores,
including 1,600 forecourts, shows
that over the last twelve months,
symbols and independents’
moving annual total (MAT) has slipped by 0.61
per cent.
Ed Roberts, MD of Talysis Ltd, told Asian
Trader, “The downward trend is even more
noticeable in the latest four weeks (-2.42 per
cent) and 12 weeks (-3.12 per cent), which
indicates the decline has started to ‘set in’
more recently.”
The Christmas period, traditionally a boon
for retailers, was “particularly disappointing”
for the convenience sector, Roberts adds.
TWC’s SmartView Conveni-
ence data, based on 5000+
independent convenience stores
and reflective of the 30,000
independent c-stores in Great
Britain, echoes similar sentiment.
It also shows a “4.4 per cent” YoY
decline in 52-week MAT perfor-
mance to 29 December 2024.
Diferent data reports, analysis
and methodologies, yet they all
are revealing the same picture,
that symbols and independents are losing
ground.
What is happening?
To understand what is going on, Asian Trader
Amid reports of declining sales, mindful
strategies could reignite the convenience
sector’s spark, finds Pooja Shrivastava
likely to see a fall in overall performance, he
adds.
In 2024, sales of tobacco (value) were down
by -4.66 per cent (value) and 9.21 per cent
(volume) year on year, representing a
whopping “£300 million of revenue lost” to
the sector.
Roberts adds, “The two biggest categories
(tobacco and alcohol), which combined
account for just over half of convenience value
sales, are showing a decline – it’s no wonder
that sales and market share in this sector are
falling!”
In addition, what is emerging as a problem-
atic aspect (surprisingly) is the sheer volume
of SKUs in convenience stores.
“In the past twelve months, Talysis has
seen over 6,000 diferent soft drinks SKUs
and 8,000 alcohol SKUs selling in CD:UK. It’s
fair to say that stocking and display decisions
for symbols and independents can be a game
changer,” Roberts adds.
Pete Patel, a seasoned
retailer with 10 stores under
the Costcutter and Bargain
Booze banners, acknowl-
edges the struggles facing
some independent retailers,
though he maintains that his
stores are able to buck the
trend through timely investments.
“There are lots of factors, but the main one
I believe is competition, not only from
supermarkets but also from online and quick
commerce. In fact, it is the latter that is
becoming more and more aggressive and has
made things quite difcult and tricky,” Patel
explained.
Patel also senses a feeling of uncertainty
among c-store shoppers.
“People are tightening up. So, instead of
shopping locally, they are going to the
discounters more often,” he notes.
Symbol groups and wholesalers are bound
to feel the impact of this downturn.
Guy Swindell from wholesale group
Convenience in crisis:
Can retailers turn the tide?
got in touch with leading retailers,
symbol groups and retail experts. It
turns out that the decline is multifac-
eted, driven by both internal and
external factors.
Tom Fender and Sarah Coleman
from TWC attribute a significant part of
the decline to the ongoing slump in tobacco
sales over the past couple of years.
“There is a long-term decline in tobacco –
minus nine per cent value year on year,”
Fender and Coleman explain. “This could also
have a significant negative impact on retailers’
cash flows.”
Alcohol sales have also taken a
hit in the convenience channel
with beer, wine, and spirits all
showing continued decline.
Surprisingly and contrary to
market trends, sales of low and no
alcohol lines also continue to
remain low in independent
convenience stores.
“This is a missed opportunity,”
says Fender.
Further exacerbating the convenience
channel’s challenges are supermarkets and
discounters’ loyalty cards and data-led
strategies.
“Supermarkets are cranking up promo-
tions,” Fender points out. “There has been a
month-on-month increase in promotions for
16 consecutive months, with an average
promotion discount of 22 per cent.”
Discounters like Aldi are becoming the new
“community retailers” with their
tight ranges, better prices and
relatively easy-to-shop experience
as compared to “40000 square
feet supermarkets”.
Roberts from Talysis echoes
these concerns, particularly the
slump in tobacco sales.
“If we remove tobacco from the
equation, total convenience value
is actually up by +1.55 per cent
MAT and +0.48 per cent in the
latest four weeks,” he explains, showing just
how vital the category has been to overall
performance.
Accounting for 34 per cent of total conveni-
ence sales, any drop in tobacco is more than
Pete Patel
Ed Roberts
Tom Fender