Best Talk 21 - Best-one

Issue 21
www.best-one.co.uk
INSIDE
How Chirag
invested in chill to
turn his business
around p2
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Best-one celebrates 10th birthday
at Bestway RDA awards
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New look consumer
leaflet and POS for
2013 unveiled p7
On October 11th
retailers and grocery
industry suppliers
celebrated the 10th
anniversary of the launch
of the Best-one group as
part of the Bestway Retail
Development Awards
at London’s Grosvenor
House, Park Lane.
Over 400 people attended the
event which recognises those
behind the convenience store
movement across England and
Wales and has become one of
the retail industry’s top award
schemes.
Christmas - Is it
worth the effort?
p24
Speaking at the event
Best-one director James Hall
paid tribute to the suppliers,
retailers and Best-one
employees who have driven
the group forward over the
years; “Just over ten years
ago, under Rizwan Pervez’s
stewardship, we started
Best-one from a blank canvas.
Today we have a turnover in
excess of £2.5 million per
week, a trading relationship
with 500 direct suppliers and
we service 850 stores. A huge
amount of planning and hard
work has gone into this. It has
taken commitment from all
departments within the
business, our retailers and our
suppliers who have invested
and supported us loyally over
the last ten years.”
The highlight of the glittering
evening with a Moroccan
theme was the presentation of
a special Best-one birthday
cake, carried aloft onto the
winners stage accompanied by
a troupe of exotic belly
dancers.
During the awards ceremony
section of the evening, 22
independent retailers shared
the £43,000 cash prize, and
this year the honours were
extended to include Scotland
and were billed by Bestway’s
group chief executive, Zameer
Choudrey, as “a celebration of
Great Britain’s independents”.
See page 9 for a full list of
the Retail Development
awards winners.
Chirag switches things
around to give his business a
major boost
Former accountant Chirag
Patel decided it was time
to bring the family
business in Battersea,
London, up to date when
he took over in 2005. The
changes he has made have
resulted in a sales upturn
of 30%.
When South London retailer
Chirag Patel took over the
family business in 2005, he
took on a traditional CTN with
a few convenience lines. The
store had dated lighting and
refrigeration and very little
consideration had been given
to concepts such as
merchandising and customer
flow. “My dad rented the
premises, so because it was
never his, he didn’t believe in
investing in the way the store
looked,” says Chirag. “I
suppose you could say he was
old fashioned in that way.”
But after deciding to leave his
career as an accountant to run
the store, Chirag was
determined to bring it into the
21st century. His first move
was to acquire the freehold.
2
The shop is situated on
Shaftesbury Estate, a housing
estate built for railway
employees in the Victorian era.
The properties on it are
cottages and today, residents
are a mixture of housing trust
families and young
professionals, giving Chirag an
excellent customer base in a
great location.
The major next move was to
refurbish the store and join
Bestway’s Best-one symbol
group. The refit involved
changing the whole interior,
from shelving to lighting and
introducing open-deck chillers
to replace the old-style fridges.
“The new chillers are fantastic
because they give me the
option to display and sell so
much more,” he says. “I was
selling only a couple of packs
of bacon a week for example,
and now I’m selling a couple of
cases.”
New lighting has also made an
impact on the store’s
appearance. “We replaced tube
lighting with spotlights that
have silver reflective sides that
shine at a 45 degree angle –
directly at the product instead
of onto the floor.”
Chirag is particularly pleased
with the Best-one fascia.
Because the store is in a
conservation area, instead of
the usual blue sign, it has a
cream sign with brushed metal
lettering. “Bestway paid for
50% of the sign and I paid for
the rest, which was fantastic,”
he says. And the benefits of
the refit are more than simply
visual.
Since the improvements, sales
have grown significantly.
“Initially sales went up 40%
and we’re now trading around
25-30% above what we used
to,” says Chirag.
Sales look set to rise again
with the recent acquisition of
an off-licence for the store.
Chirag now has a one metre
shelf for red wine and two
thirds of his chiller space has
been given over to beer and
cider.
“We’re looking at opening for
longer to make the most of the
alcohol licence, although I don’t
think my wife would be too
happy if I worked longer hours,”
he says. Chirag is determined
that the booze licence won’t
have an adverse effect on his
customer base and as a result
has decided not to stock 3l
bottles of cider.
Since working with Best-one
and establishing the store as a
successful outlet, Chirag has
become one of the company’s
ambassador retailers, which
means he gets to meet
suppliers and give feedback on
what it’s like to trade on their
behalf.
A recent Nestle factory visit
was one such opportunity. “It
was a great experience and
being listened to by a major
manufacturer helps me to feel
closer to them – and to know
that the convenience retailer is
being heard,” he says.
In the short term, Chirag plans
to continue his work at the
store and as an ambassador for
Best-one, but in the long term
he hopes to learn from other
successful retailers – in
particular how to step back
from the business and allow a
manager to run the store. “I’d
like to look at how other
retailers run their businesses
and follow suit,” he says.
Retailer at a glance:
Owner: Chirag Patel
Store name: Best-one
Location: Battersea
Size: 800 sq ft
Open: 6am-7pm Mon to Sat
7am-1pm Sun
3
Category Talk
Category Talk
Availability –
the No.1
shopper
requirement
Driving sales
with tobacco
Mike Laney continues: “The
tobacco category is incredibly
important to convenience
retailers; tobacco shoppers
visit more often and spend
more on each visit than the
average shopper (HIM! CTP
2012). It is therefore vital
retailers ensure their tobacco
range accurately reflects the
preferences of their tobacco
shoppers.
Mike Laney, Head of Convenience at Imperial Tobacco, comments: “The tobacco
category remains a key element of convenience retailing; there are over 12
million adult smokers in the UK and each year they spend around £14 billion on
their preferred products
“The regulatory and legislative
challenges, which have come
into force this year, especially
the above inflation tobacco tax
increases and the on-going
threat from the illicit
trade, have presented
obstacles to overcome.
However, thanks to the
difficult economic
conditions, many
shoppers have
switched to a ‘little and
often’ approach to
grocery shopping and
this is helping drive
convenience sales.
“Other factors have had
a positive effect on
retail tobacco sales this
year. For example,
retailers located in and
around international
transport hubs and
close to Olympic Games
venues, reported an
uplift in their tobacco sales,
not just during, but also in the
aftermath of the Games.
“2012 has arguably been a
year of innovation for the
tobacco industry;
manufacturers have been
responding to changes in adult
smokers’ preferences by
developing innovative new
SKUs for retailers to stock in
their stores. We have seen the
introduction of capsule
cigarettes, handy packs of roll
your own tobacco and
additive-free tobaccos.
Imperial Tobacco has been at
the forefront of this wave of
4
innovation; updating our range
with products such as the
value-for-money Golden
Virginia Smooth 8g Handy
Packs, Drum Additive-Free RYO
tobacco and Lambert & Butler
Fresh Burst, which
enables smokers to
control the flavour of
their cigarette by
squeezing a capsule in
the filter.
“Availability of their preferred
brand is consistently the
number one consideration for
tobacco shoppers so retailers
must ensure their offering is
constantly available or run the
risk of walk outs. Over 50% of
adult smokers will leave a
store without making a
purchase if their preferred
tobacco brand is out of stock
so finding ways to maximise
availability is of paramount
importance.
“Imperial Tobacco will
continue to innovate
and build upon our marketleading portfolio. We are
currently working on a number
of exciting product
innovations and next
year looks like it will
be another successful
year for all those
operating within the
tobacco category.
“The recently ended
public consultation on plain
packaging for tobacco products
has dominated industry
discussion this year. A
summary report of
consultation responses is likely
to be published on the
Department of Health (DoH)
website within the next
month; however the full report
is not expected to be
published until spring 2013. It
is vital for retailers to be
aware that just because the
consultation has closed, does
not mean views cannot be
expressed to local MPs who
are waiting for the publication
of the full report before
“Recent IGD research found
poor stock management is the
biggest cause of out of stocks
and this was mainly because of
inaccurate sales volumes
forecasting. Problems with
deliveries and inefficient onshelf management were also
found to have a significant
impact on out of stocks.”
making up their own minds.
“With tobacco display
restrictions in force in large
stores in England, Northern
Ireland and from December, in
Wales too, helping retailers
maximise sales and adapt to
operating in a ‘dark market’
environment will be a key
challenge that we have and
will continue to embrace.
Retailers can rest assured that
they will be kept up to date on
all legislative issues by their
Imperial Tobacco
representative.
“Imperial Tobacco conducts
regular research with hundreds
of our retail customers to
ensure we continue to meet
and exceed their expectations.
We will continue to innovate
and to provide our trade
partners with tobacco products
which are relevant, profitable
and earn their space on
tobacco units across the UK.”
Here’s a check list you can use to help you improve
your stock management:
Do you possess the correct
tobacco furniture?
Ensure your tobacco unit size
is commensurate with your
range and rate of sale. By
having the correct space to
sales allocation you can reduce
time spent re-filling your bestselling brands, such as Lambert
& Butler King Size.
Do you need to review your
range?
Are you holding stock that isn’t
selling? Are customers coming
into your store and asking for
brands you don’t stock? Make
sure you have the right range
available or you risk losing
valuable custom.
Is it time to change your
planogram?
Ensure you have an accurate
and impactful, space to sales
planogram to aid product
visibility and allow the
consumer to see that you
stock the brands they want to
buy. Your Imperial Tobacco
representative should be your
first point of call for assistance
with this.
Do you monitor your sales
data?
Monitor EPOS data, where
available, and keep up to date
with your sales trends. Make
sure you order the correct
amounts of stock for all
products to maintain constant
availability of your tobacco
range.
Do you work closely with
sales representatives?
Utilise the expertise from your
Imperial Tobacco
representative to make sure
the right range of tobacco
products are available and
visible to your customers at all
times.
Are you aware of how the
current economic downturn
has altered consumer
behaviour?
Growing numbers of adult
smokers are demonstrating
value-seeking behaviours. At a
time when every penny
counts, if you operate in a
highly price sensitive area it
may be wise to make more
products available in pricemarked packs.
Do you cater for your
busiest trading days?
If your busiest trading period
is, for example, on Friday
nights, carry extra stock to
ensure you maintain constant
availability. Going out of stock
and then having to re-stock
the tobacco unit when your
store is busy will lead to
frustrated shoppers and
stressed out staff.
Do your staff constantly
make sure your shelves
are full?
Your staff need to
understand how important
availability is to your
business - make it clear that
you will not tolerate empty
shelves or out of stocks.
They also need to know
which categories bring in
volume, which are linked to
additional sales and which
generate footfall and money
for the store. Why? In order
to succeed in today’s
competitive environment it’s
vital that everyone in the
store is driving for success
and understands how their
contribution can make a
difference and ultimately
lead to them keeping their
jobs.
5
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Downloadable
planograms by store type
Best-one retailers will
note some changes to
their consumer leaflets
and point-of-sale
material from BD1 as
we look to refresh our
shopper
communications and
make them stand out in
an increasingly
crowded market.
The consumer leaflets will
increase in size and change from
their current gatefold design to a
more traditional four page one,
allowing us to present the offers
in a clearer way that shoppers
will appreciate. The leaflet will
also feature more multi-product
deals based on the principles of
‘mission management’.
“Shoppers – busy mums or dads,
workers and commuters – are
looking for quick solutions when
they shop in convenience stores
these days” says Ross Halliday,
Best-one trading manager.
“Shoppers increasingly want
retailers to do the thinking for
them – to make their lives easier”
£
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Ross continues. “They want
total solution ideas that means
they can select everything they
need (and some items on
impulse!) if meal deal products
are merchandised together,
especially in the chilled and
frozen categories. The deals
we’re now starting to feature –
including the current fresh
pasta/Philadelphia cheese and
bacon meal deal and the
Warburtons/Heinz beans joint
promotion - are perfect examples
of how retailers need to change
their promotions to capture more
spend and, judging by the sales,
many are adopting the principle”
Ross continues.
To support the new leaflets
we’re also giving our pointof-sale a refresh.
Shelftalkers will now be
provided in two sizes –
larger ones for use on
gondola end and smaller
ones for on-shelf use that
don’t cover up neighbouring
products shelf edge labels.
And, in an idea borrowed from
one of the retailer ambassadors,
Kay Patel, we’ll be introducing
small shelftalkers that sit behind
the shelf edge stripping for nonleaflet BWS lines so that retailers
can choose whether to enhance
their alcohol promotions to
shoppers further.
Ross finishes “Our promotions
are strong and in this time of
shoppers really watching their
pennies, we felt the time was
now to make our leaflets really
stand out and show customers
that shopping with Best-one
retailers makes their lives easier
and saves them money.”
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We’re currently trialling media
screens in a few stores to see
what impact promoting a select
number of deals has on their sales
versus non-screen stores. The trial
is initially for three months but it
is expected that roll out to all
interested retailers will start in
early 2013!
7
Best-one Diaries
And the winner is...
Muhammad Shahzad of the Russell Supermarket in Marchmont Street,
London, claimed the title of Bestway Overall Retailer of the Year and
the top prize of £10,000.
The regional winners – including the inaugural Scottish Retailer of the Year – each
received £3,000, with the runners-up collecting £2,000 each.
They were:
North
South
Winner: John Leak of Much Hoole Village Store, Preston
Runner-up: Raja Jamil of Best-in Supermarket, Oldham
Winner: Shahzad Khaddam of MH Food Store, Luton
Runner-up: Selliah Karunakaran of Luton Food and Wine, Luton
Scottish Retailer of the Year:
Winner: Abdul Rashid of Salina Mini Market, Glasgow
Runner-up: John McGowan of Icon Stores, Aberdeen
Bestway hails Great Britain’s
Independents at RDA 2012
Twenty-two independent
retailers shared the
£43,000 cash prize at the
11th Bestway Retailer
Development Awards at
London’s Grosvenor
House, Park Lane, on 11th
October 2012. Over 400
people attended the
event which, since 2001,
has recognised those
behind the convenience
store movement across
England and Wales and
become one of the retail
industry’s top awards
schemes.
This year the honours
were extended to include
Scotland and were billed
by Bestway’s group chief
executive, Zameer
Choudrey, as “a
celebration of Great
Britain’s independents.”
8
Speaking at the awards, Mr
Choudrey said: “The Bestway
Retailer Development Awards
have, for the past decade,
recognised those providing
outstanding service and support
to their local communities – and
the crucial role they play as a
route to market for suppliers in
the grocery sector. Bestway
itself was founded 35 years ago
by independent retailers and it’s
always inspiring to see the
talent we have in this industry.
I congratulate all the winners
and runners-up and wish them
continued success.”
Retail Development seminars
run by Bestway as part of the
awards have helped more than
4,000 independent retailers to
build a more profitable business.
Winners are judged on
improvements made over the
past 12 months in criteria
including customer service; the
range of goods stocked; Pointof-Sale (POS) materials; sales,
including the success of new
lines; pricing policy; and store
layout.
Bruce and Donna Morgan of Best-one Brownlies in Biggar, near Edinburgh
picked up the Best-one trophy and £3,000,
with Padma Makan of Best-one in Clayton, Manchester, claiming the £2,000 runner-up
Best-one symbol group prize.
Above: Bestway Retailer of the Year
Muhammad Shahzad receives his award from
Bestway’s group chief executive Zameer
Choudrey
Mohammed Issa MBE of 1st Stop 2 Shop in Dundee, Scotland, collected the
Community Award along with £1,000 for his valuable work towards the welfare of
the local community.
And 12 Category Winners walked away with £1,000 each for their award-winning
display and promotion of products across key sectors; they were:
Above and left:
Suppliers, retailers and
Bestway personnel enjoy
this glittering occasion
Below: Don’t try this at
home! The Moroccan belly
dancers strut their stuff!
Chilled & Frozen (sponsored by Birds Eye, Kepak, Muller, Wiseman Dairies)
Jitendra Patel of Niki News, Battersea, London
General Grocery (sponsored by General Mills, Heinz, Kellogg’s, Nestlé Grocery,
Tate & Lyle)
Mohammed Naeem Wasim of Moston Superstore & News,
Moston, Manchester
Household, Health & Beauty (sponsored by Kimberley Clarke, Procter & Gamble,
Reckitt Benckiser)
Thiru Ramash of Toddington Food & Wine, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
Tobacco (sponsored by Imperial Tobacco)
Narinder Devgun of Heath Hayes Post Office, Birmingham
Confectionery (sponsored by Kraft, Nestlé Confectionery)
Azeem Siddiq of Pure Convenience, Salford
Crisps & Snacks (sponsored by KP McVities, PepsiCo Walkers)
Thiru Ramash of Toddington Food & Wine, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
Soft Drinks (sponsored by AG.Barr, Britvic, Boost, Coca Cola, GlaxoSmithKline, Red Bull)
Vishnu Patel of Nikes Convenience Store, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire
Water (sponsored by Nestlé Waters)
Rajvinder Bains of Ospringe Food & Wine, Faversham, Kent
Wines & Spirits (sponsored by Accolade Wines, Diageo, J Gallo, Pernod Ricard)
Mohammed Asim Aksar of News One, Heywood, Lancashire
Beer & Cider (sponsored by AB Inbev, Heineken UK, Magners, Molson Coors)
Shahid Hussain of Glanamman Service Station, Carmarthen, Wales
Pet Food (sponsored by Masterfoods, Nestlé Purina)
Vasutheyan Rajaratnam of VM Stores, Cardiff, Wales
Baby Food (sponsored by Danone Baby Nutritian)
Vishnu Patel of Nikes Convenience Store, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire
Above: Bestone Retailers of the Year
Bruce and Donna Morgan and (below)
runner-up Padma Makan, receive their awards
from Best-one director James Hall.
9
Right: VMB
News,
Birmingham
Left:
Balfour Road,
Cowley, Oxford
In the last issue of
Best-talk we featured
the story of Best-one
retailers Alkesh and
Chan Gadher who won
the “Transform your
Patch”competition,
which was run in conjunction with Convenience Store
magazine. Inspired by Alkesh and Chan, many other
Best-one retailers have since stepped up to support
this great campaign, which has benefited communities
across the UK, as well as driving sales of soft
drinks.
“Transform Your Patch”
which ran in association
with Groundwork, the UK’s
leading environmental
regeneration charity, and
soft drinks manufacturers
Britvic and Pepsico UK,
transformed land across the
UK throughout 2012 by
converting each consumer
purchase of the featured soft
drinks into 1 square centimeter
of transformed outdoor space.
Left: Garden
Lane News,
Sutton-In
Ashfield
Left:
Balfour Road,
Cowley, Oxford
Above: Global
Food/Wine, Stratford,
London
Left: Cambridge
Service Stn, Eccles
Right: Holden Bridge
S/stn, Stoke-On-Trent
Right:
Chatham Rd S/Stn,
Maidstone
Best-one retailers Rajiv and Kavita Mohan of
Best-one Laleham Food & Wine, Staines, held
a MacMillan Coffee morning at their shop
recently. It was all part of the World’s Biggest
Coffee Morning, a fun idea, which raises
money for Cancer Support. Rajiv & Kavita sold
raffle tickets for prizes donated by the
Best-one group and local businesses, as well
as providing an impressive range of
beverages and home-baked cakes. The highly
successful event raised £582 for the charity.
Well done to everyone involved!
Above: Wiggley’s
Corner shop, Cowley,
Oxford
Robbie Savage, Denise Van Outen, Emma Griffiths
and Fazer added their celebrity support to the
campaign, as well as hundreds of retailers who
whole-heartedly embraced the concept.
10
­In addition, 15 Best-one retailers who purchased
cases of the qualifying products also won superb
Apple ipad2’s, a few of whom are pictured here.
Above: Brothers Convenience
Store, Portsmouth
Congratulations to the organisers, sponsors and all
who took part and, of course, the lucky iPad
winners.
Left: Tower stores,
Wapping, London
Above: Manton News,
Worksop
Above:
Kavita selling her
raffle tickets
left: an impressive
array of cakes!
Left: M&S Stores, Widnes
11
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Essentials are
Essential
in January
Since its launch in
September the
Best-in Essentials range
of no nonsense, no frills
products has gone down a
storm with Best-one retailers
with more than half already
stocking several products
from the range.
'!& $.1'0 ! (# 0,--#" 3'0& * .6'- + 3&'0# '!'+% +" + #"' )# &,))5 "#!,. 0',+
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#'+"##. +" +,3* +
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100#. #+.'!&#" !&,!,) 0# $) 2,1. !,,('# 3'0& !&1+(/ ,$ 3&'0# #)%' + !&,!,) 0#
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“It’s not surprising really given
today’s savvy shoppers are
looking to cut their shopping
bills” says Nick Brown, Best-in
buying manager for Bestway.
“We have negotiated with many
leading suppliers to provide the
lowest prices possible on a range
of over 30 excellent quality
products. The result is
exceptional value for shoppers
and excellent profit margins of
up to 37% across the range” he
continues.
“The sales performance
and feedback from
retailers around the
country indicates the
range has been well
received by retailers and
is selling well in stores.
We’ve had several
positive comments
back about the
bright, simple
design and that
shoppers like the
endorsement of the
Great British Value
Price Mark design
whilst. Some retailers
have also been reporting that
consumers have been saying
that the quality of the product is
perceived to be at the top end of
other Value Labels available in
the market.
So what’s next for the range?
In-store bakery and
Food-To-Go Training Day
“As we all know,
January’s a key
time of year when
shoppers are
looking to cut back
after overspending at Christmas”
says Ross Halliday, Best-one
trading manager. “So, to help
shoppers and retailers our BD1
consumer leaflet promotion will
heavily feature on some of the
best-selling products from the
range including 9 packs of toilet
tissue for £1.25 each, 450g
packs of custard and bourbon
creams for 79p each and any 2
for 59p on baked beans and
chopped tomatoes
to really help
retailers show
their customers
that they can save
money when
shopping locally”.
Going forward
we will be
launching
Best-in
Essentials
Noodle Snacks in two
flavours – chicken and mushroom
and curry – with price marks of
50p that allow retailers to, again,
make over 33% POR and there
are plans to extend the range by
another dozen or so lines during
the course of 2013.
If you haven’t discovered the
selling power of Best-in
Essentials, now’s the perfect
time to start!
healthy compared to many
other categories in-store,
typically over 40%”.
So to help retailers see and
understand the potential for
these categories in-store we’ve
teamed up with Country Choice
to host regional training
sessions all around the country.
Customers are using modern
convenience stores
differently these days. The
multiples’ convenience
stores are changing
shoppers’ expectations of
what they want from their
local store and, with so much
more choice, are prepared to
shop elsewhere if they can’t
find what they want.
“As their lives get busier,
traditional meal times are no
longer the norm and cause
people to eat and drink on
the move” says Ross
Halliday, trading manager for
Best-one. “And, despite instore bakery and hot foodto-go having been around
for years, many independent
retailers are reluctant to get
involved with either,
believing it to be too
complicated and expensive
rather than see the high
margin, impulse-led category
that it really is” he continues
“and, best of all, in-store
bakery and food-to-go’s
profit margins are very
As Darren Pope, Best-one’s
national account manager and
host for these sessions says
“running an in-store bakery
doesn’t have to be complicated
or time consuming. We have
many different concepts and
options to suit all retailers.
The best way for a retailer to
see how simple it is, is for us to
show you, which is why we
recommend retailers comes to
one of our presentation days
and see it for themselves.
“The response we have had
from all retailers that we have
presented to has been
fantastic and from this, many
have gone on to run a very
profitable in-store bakery or
food-to-go operation.”
We will be contacting you
when the next training
session is booked for your
region. If you’re
interested in attending
one sooner please contact
Darren Pope on 07894
096670.
13
SNIPPETS
Best-one owners
survive arson attack
Best-one store owners Jimmy
and Sophie Naeem had a lucky
escape when the front door of
their home was deliberately set
alight recently. The family
needed treatment for smoke
inhalation after fleeing the
blaze which was started during
the early hours of the morning.
The alarm was raised by their
18-year-old nephew Bobby
who spotted the smoke.
Sophie and Jimmy got everyone
out of the house and called the
fire brigade. Meanwhile Mrs
Naeem tackled the fire with
buckets of water before North
Wales Fire Service arrived. Mr
Naeem said: “We were very
lucky, there was smoke
everywhere. Bobby spotted the
smoke and alerted us. If it had
been a few minutes later I
don’t know what would have
happened.” Mrs Naeem added;
“Our two nephews, Bobby and
Ali were staying with us and
our daughter, who is seven. You
couldn’t see anything except
smoke and fire. We managed to
get ourselves downstairs and
out the back way”
The door was burned through
by the blaze, and its glass
shattered. Inside the walls on
the ground and first floor were
damaged by black smoke.
A North Wales Police
spokesman said; A 17-year-old
male has been charged with
arson.
Looking to cut your
energy bills? Bestway
Direct can help
According to the energy
regulator Ofgem, Britain risks
running out of energy
generating capacity in the
winter of 2015-16. In its
recent report it predicted that
the amount of spare capacity
could fall from 14% now to
only 4% in three years,
leaving Britain relying more
on imported gas, which would
make price rises more likely.
You’ll be acutely aware of the
fact that business electricity
has risen sharply over the last 3
years (by 38% on average)
whilst gas has gone up by an
average of 41% in the same
period. And, with all suppliers
now starting to increase their
prices, there has never been a
better time to fix your rates.
If you are in your renewal period,
or have just had a price rise in
your contract, call the Bestway
Direct approved independent
energy broker Utility Savings
Corporation Ltd on 0844 855
1400 for a free, totally
independent energy health
check to see how much they
can save you on your utility
bills or visit the usc at;
www.usc.uk.com
MAXIMISE SALES
THIS SPRING
Alkesh and Chan’s Isleworth store hits the
headlines thanks to Mo Farah
Footfall at Alkesh and Chan
Gadher’s Best-one store and post
office in Isleworth, Middlesex has
been set racing since the postbox
outside the store was painted gold
in honour of double Olympic gold
medal winner and local hero Mo
Farah.
“Ever since the Olympics our
postbox has attracted loads of
attention, and the store has been
in the news as a result. We’ve been
on TV and in the national
newspapers too” said Alkesh. “Lot’s
of people have come along to have
their picture taken with the
postbox - it’s been great for
business”
According to Alkesh “Everyone
wants to get their hands on the
special stamp, issued by Mo Farah’s
local post office - it’s been fantastic
being a part of such a major event!”
SPRING 2013
TV SUPPORT
Following the Olympics, The Royal
Mail released a stamp honouring
the athlete’s 10,000m victory
which has also been in big demand
at the in-store post office.
14
www.ferrero-trade.co.uk
www
.ferrero-tr
o ade.co.uk
Category Talk
STOCK SOMETHING SPECIAL
AND PUT A SPRING IN YOUR SALES
“Spring represents a £1bn sales opportunity for chocolate confectionery
in the UK with three key gifting occasions to drive category growth” comments
Levi Boorer, Ferrero UK Customer Development Director.
1
“The impulsive nature of Boxed Confectionery and Chocolate Novelty products means that
convenience retailers typically take a higher share of sales during this period than the big
multiples,”
“By focusing on bestselling boxed chocolates and novelty products, convenience
retailers can increase their sales across the combined occasions of Valentine’s Day,
Mothers Day and Easter2. Shoppers don’t want the cheapest option, when looking
for something special to give their loved ones, so there are plenty of opportunities for
convenience retailers to offer their customers
something different while also increasing
basket spend during this key period.”
UNLOCK GOLDEN GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
“As the No.1 classic boxed brand3 Ferrero is well placed to help convenience retailers unlock this sales
opportunity. Last year, our Pralines range performed ahead of the category during the Spring season4,
while our Kinder range significantly outperformed the kids confectionery category during Easter (+31%)5.
We are currently one of just two manufacturer’s driving growth in Boxed Confectionery6 and plan to drive
further growth with a £6m marketing investment in pralines including TV advertising during the Spring
season for the first time since 2008.”
Seasonal Giving
Valentines Day 14th
February
The Ferrero Rocher five pack grew
+40.7% last spring7 and with an RRSP
of £1.39 it is perfect for siting with
glossy magazines for an indulgent night in.
The new Rocher Heart is an ideal gift for Valentines Day.
With an RRSP of £4.49, it has a premium look at an
affordable price point. The Heart is set to add incremental
sales to the category.
VISIBILITY
Mother’s Day 10th March
Inlaid assortments, like Ferrero
Collection are key at Mother’s Day
when they have their highest year
round share of category sales, and
across Mother’s Day, the 16 pack is
growing +52.6% annually8
Visibility is the key to
driving Boxed Chocolate
sales. Maximise during
key seasonal peaks and
maintain a presence in
highly visible locations
The Rocher 24 pack (a Top 10 Boxed Chocolate SKU)9 is
perfect for all those special occasions, RRSP £7.29, and the
Rocher Heart is also an ideal gift for Mother’s Day.
Easter 31st March
OCCASIONS
Occasions drive boxed chocolate sales. Make sure you split
your fixture by the key occasions your customers are buying for
over spring:
Treat 7%
Time together 49%
Giving 25%
Present 19%
1: Nielsen Scantrack, Total Coverage, Total Chocolate Confectionery, 14wks to 07.04.12
2:.Nielsen, Total Boxed Value Sales, Total Coverage, Valentine’s Day (3 wks to 19.02.11), Mother’s Day (3 wks to 02.04.11),
Easter (4wks to 30.04.11)
Ferrero is bringing its golden touch to the £67m Spring
Novelties sector with the launch of
a premium moulded bunny in
January. With crunchy hazelnut
pieces in the chocolate shell, the
100g bunny has the same unique
flavour as the classic Ferrero
Rocher. RRSP £2.99
A premium SKU, Ferrero Eggs
target the top end of the Mini
Eggs category. Available in two
great flavours - Ferrero Eggs Hazelnut and Ferrero Eggs
Cocoa. RRSP £1.99
The unique, Rocher Easter Egg, will also be available in a
new 100g medium size, so consumers can indulge in the
same luxurious taste and look for less with an RRSP of
£5.99.
Levi Boorer’s
top tips
l Always remember the key dates:
14th February Valentines Day, 10th March Mothers’
Day, 31st March Easter Sunday
l Retailers should prepare early for Spring, getting
your displays and range ready in January
l Ensure boxed chocolates are at the heart of your
confectionery display, with Ferrero Rocher 16 pack and
Ferrero Collection 24 packs being the key SKUs. Driving
growth in Spring and still sellable after Easter
l Kinder Surprise should be at the heart of any Kids
confectionery display, generating strong sales at Easter,
while also remaining a top seller all year round
l Use seasonal SKUs like the Ferrero Bunny to add
excitement but don’t overstock eggs as it’s hard to
compete on these lines that are heavily promoted
l NPD is important but remember +85% of sales will
come from core SKUs. The best sellers will provide a
greater rate of sale
l Create secondary displays in high traffic areas to
capitalise on the impulsive nature of purchases during
this season, using bespoke POS helps create in-store
theatre and draw attention
l An incremental sales opportunity can be created
through driving linked purchase between seasonal
products, like boxed chocolates and cards
l Be aware of which brands are being heavily
supported with marketing as this will drive consumer
awareness which you can translate to sales
3: Nielsen Scantrack, Total Coverage, Classic Boxed Confectionery excl. twistwraps, MAT to 29.09.12 4: AC Nielsen Scantrack – Grocery Multiples, Total Spring, Top 20 Manufacturers Value Chg % vs YA. Ferrero
+2.9% vs Total Boxed -1.9% 5:. AC Nielsen 3 wk to 07.04.12 vs 3 wk to 23.04.11 6: Nielsen Scantrack, Total Coverage, 12 weeks to 29.09.12 7: Nielsen Scantrak, Total Coverage, 52wks to 29.09.12
8: Nielsen Scantrak, Total Coverage, 52wks to 29.09.12 9: Nielsen Scantrak, Total Coverage, 52wks to 29.09.12
SNIPPETS
First ever Local Shop report provides
fascinating insight into independent
convenience store owners
The first ever Local Shop Report published by the Association of Convenience
Stores provides new insights into a part of the retail sector that exists in every
community and makes a major contribution to the UK economy. The report
offers brand new information about you - the people who run the stores, the
products you sell and the services you offer to your communities.
Key insights in the report
include...
l Local shops foster
entrepreneurs, more than 77% of
stores are owned and operated
by small business owners. It is
also a place for many starting out
in business, 70% of retailers are
investing for the first time; and it
also attracts people of all ages, 1
in 10 is under 30 years old.
l­Local shops are a vital source
of employment offering in excess
of 372,000 jobs across the
country. A quarter of employees
are aged 16-24 and 88% of
stores offer training. It is also a
sector where families work
together more than 60% of
independent retailers employ at
least one other member of their
family
l­Local shop ownership is
ethnically diverse – 48% of local
shop retailers cite themselves as
Asian British and there is
significant variation by region with
89% of London retailers citing
themselves as Asian compared to
13% in the South West.
l­Local shop owners work long
hours – 60% of retailers work
longer than 50 hours per week
and 31% take less than 10 days
holiday a year.
l­Local shops provide a growing
range of services such as bill
payment services, cash machines,
mail order collection and home
news and grocery delivery.
To download the report, visit the ACS website at
www.acs.org.uk or for more information contact ACS Public
Affairs Manager Jacqui Gracey at jacqui.gracey@acs.org.uk
Best-one meets 007 at
Skyfall preview
Lucky Best-one retailer Haresh
Karia recently won a fantastic
competition run by Coke Zero to
attend a special preview of the
latest James Bond movie Skyfall, at
the O2 complex in London. Haresh
had to include a case of Coke Zero
in his Best-one order to gain entry
to the competition, and so thrilled
when his entry was selected, that
he dropped us a line to tell us all
about it: “Guess what? I won a pair
of tickets & me & a friend, Ganga,
went to see Skyfall. I would
appreciate it if you can convey my
thanks to the team at Coke Zero for
a fantastic and memorable evening.
I am a Bond fan and was looking
forward to seeing this film, but the
opportunity to see it on a preview
evening was utterly brilliant. There
was a pre-party hosted by Coke and
as you can see from the attached
photos there were some lovely
young ladies!
There was one of the actual bikes
from the film great food and a
casino too before the film.
What a great evening!
Thank you Coke!!”
Right: Hari (left) and Ganga
living it up at the O2
19
Above: The marketing team, Left to right: Gita Varsani, Hansa Halai, Rosaline Choudahary, Vidia Varsani, Ligaya Wickramanayake
Meet the ladies who
make it all happen
Right: Regular
publications
produced by
the team
Running an organisation the size of Best-one is much like running a family, albeit
on a much larger scale. Somebody has to take care of all the details, and iron out all
the day to day problems, so everyone else in the family can have an easier life.
At Best-one, that somebody is known as the Business Development team!
Much of the success and
growth of the Best-one group
over the past ten years has
been founded on highly
professional marketing
campaigns and the effective
flow of information - helping to
keep retailers informed and up
to date with the latest deals,
as well as providing members
with their own marketing
material to keep their
customers informed.
The detail of every single deal
or promotion that’s agreed
with suppliers on behalf of
Best-one retailers has to be
accurately recorded, collated
into a price list and order form
(PLOF) for retailers, and then
fitted into a tight promotion
schedule, which provides the
retailers with their promotional
20
leaflets and point-of-sale
material.
In addition the team update
delivery schedules for 31
depots across the UK, liaise
directly with retailers, helping
them with enquiries, and keep
each individual BDE up to date
with any information they
require.
This large scale on-going
operation is carried out at the
group’s Park Royal HQ by a
small team of highly capable
women who have fine-tuned
their operation to run like
clockwork. It’s a tightly knit
group who tend to stay out of
the spotlight, although their
contribution to the success of
the group hasn’t gone
unnoticed by Best-one insiders
such as Sikander Abbas, the
group’s senior corporate
negotiator; “The Business
Development team is
absolutely vital to the success
of this business. We have
chosen them well and we are
very proud to have them. It is
so reassuring to know that
they have every detail
buttoned down and really
understand the business at the
sharp end. Perhaps the biggest
compliment I can give them is
the fact that I rarely give them
a second thought- simply
because they know exactly
what they’re doing - once the
deals are done and off the
buyers desks the marketing
team take over and the rest
just happens!”
The team comprises;
Ligaya Wickramanayake
PA to Best-one director
James Hall
10 years experience at
Best-one
Hansa Halai
Ordering co-ordinator
8 years with Best-one
Rosaline Choudahary
Administrator
6 years with Best-one
Vidia Varsani
Promotions co-ordinator
9 years with Best-one
Gita Varsani
Gita is the latest addition
to the department having
recently joined the
company as administration
assistant
Best-one has been in the
news a lot recently due to
its 10th birthday
celebrations, culminating in
the issuing of 42,000 copies
of our 10th anniversary
special edition of Best-talk
via Independent Retail
News.
3 NEW ADDITIONS
TO THE UK’S FASTEST GROWING
ECONOMY BRAND*
Undoubtedly, the feature
that generated most
interest from existing
members and those looking
to join, was the article about
‘The changing face of Bestone’, highlighting the new
store look we’re rolling out
to retailers serious about
partnering with us.
Facing up to the challenges of modern
c-store retailing
In 2000, the shape of
convenience retailing changed
forever. Why? That was the
year Tesco purchased the One
Stop chain of convenience stores
bringing the UK’s largest grocery
retailer face-to-face with many
independents for the first time.
And now, it seems, all the
multiples are looking to extend
the estate of convenience stores
to take advantage of the way
people want to shop today.
Alongside this change, the credit
crunch, high inflation and high
fuel prices have left people with
less money to spend. As many
of the multiples’ results have
shown recently, people are
avoiding the superstores and
looking to shop locally. And, for
many independent retailers, the
likelihood of tobacco ‘going dark’
in 2015, as it has in the
multiples this year, could be the
final straw for many unless they
meet the changing needs of
today’s shoppers.
s¬ ¬ ¬OF¬ECONOMY¬CIGARETTES¬
PURCHASED¬IN¬THE¬5+¬ARE¬ABOVE¬
+ING¬3IZE*
UNLOCKING THE FULL
POTENTIAL OF AN ICONIC BRAND
Luckily for Best-one retailers, we
already have a solution!
RRP: JPS Silver SKS 20s £6.40, JPS Silver SKS 10s £6.15, JPS Blue SKS 10s £6.15.
For the avoidance of doubt, customers are free at all times to determine the selling price of their products.
Source: *ITUK Estimates
www.imperial-trade.com
This advertisement is for the information of tobacco traders only
The first new look store, owned
by Guljit Singh, has opened in
Bowker Vale near Manchester.
Inside, the 1,200 sq. ft. store
been designed to incorporate
much of what today’s local
shoppers are looking for in a
modern convenience store,
including:
l A 5m chilled foods cabinet
stocking a wide range of
chilled foods, including
snacking, ready meals, fresh
pizza, fresh meat and fruit
and vegetables
l Country Choice’s Entry Level
Bake-Off and Hot Food
solution
l A state-of-the art Tchibo
coffee machine
l A brand new Britvic 1.8m soft
drinks chiller
l An alcohol section laid out to
the latest category thinking
provided by Heineken
l Complementary categories
have been sited adjacent to
each other to encourage
larger basket spends
And the outside is no less
impressive, featuring a new 3D
fascia with the name of the area
prominent to really help shoppers
believe in our ‘Heart of the
Community’ strapline, and the
attractive lifestyle window
graphics designed to entice
shoppers inside.
The whole look and feel is of a
modern, attractive convenience
store meeting all the needs of
shoppers in its community and
the regular passing trade.
James Hall, Bestway’s Group
Director of Symbol says “the new
in-store layout, 3D fascia,
window graphics and internal
store design has been
implemented in the first
retailer’s store, near Manchester,
in the past few weeks. The
whole concept has been
developed to allow us to offer
retailers interested in delivering
a truly shopper-led experience
that will be aspirational for
existing retailers to step up to
and help change the attitude of
other symbol groups’ retailers
about joining Best-one.
“I want to be clear, this is a store
concept designed with today’s
shoppers in mind. Retailers who
want the new store design and
layout will have to demonstrate
that they’re prepared to meet
the following criteria:
l
Implement your BDE’s store
model recommendations
l
Comply with our latest
planogram for chilled foods
l
Food-to-go and coffee will
need to be available at a
level agreed with your RDM
l
Develop your store to
Bestway Direct’s standards
by one of our approved
shopfitters
l
Implement our consumer
leaflet promotions with 100%
compliance
l
Purchase a minimum 80% of
your wholesale spend via
Bestway Direct (includes drop
shipment)
l
Use or install an approved
EPoS system and supply retail
data supplied to Bestway
Direct
l
Agree to regular compliance
monitoring to ensure
standards are maintained
Retailers need to recognise that
shoppers and the competitive
landscape have changed and
continue to do so at a rapid pace
and independent retailers need to
keep pace by meeting these
challenges if they’re to be
successful in the future.
If you’re interested in
becoming a Best-one top
tier retailer, please contact
your BDE
23
FEATURE - Christmas time
Don’t forget the batteries!
This is the time of year to make sure you are fully stocked with batteries. Your customers will rely on you for those last
minute purchases - make sure you are stocking right cells for your customers’ needs.
Despite more and more
gadgets having integrated
batteries, there is still a
huge demand for batteries
at Christmas. They may not
be needed by smartphones
and MP3 players, but
they’re still vital for
items such as remote
controls, toys and
torches.
Is Christmas worth making an effort for?
Christmas is, traditionally,
one of those times of year
the retail trade gets excited
about! Even in these times
of austerity shoppers seem
to find the money to ensure
they can enjoy a fantastic
Christmas and New Year
break.
And whilst the Christmas
and New Year holidays, with
all the extra visitors that
often turn up, have people
tending to shop on the
internet or at the major
multiples, convenience
retailers can still benefit
from people’s willingness to
spend at this time of year.
There are three distinct
opportunities for retailers to
meet shoppers’ needs over the
Christmas period:
1.
2.
3.
Emergency top up
Party Essentials
Everyday needs
BD12 is Best-one’s largest ever
promotion on ambient, BWS
and chilled and frozen foods,
comprising hundreds of deals
on products for the occasion.
24
Deals such as the BOGOF on
Walkers sharing bags, Coca
Cola 2L at 2 for £3, energy
drinks such as Red Bull and
Boost and the great Carling 15
pack for just £9.49 are bound
to be winners.
But you can be sure shoppers
will forget some vital
ingredient for Christmas day,
whether it’s the prawns, roast
potatoes, Yorkshire puddings
or the vegetables – and they’ll
be delighted to find them
available from you. And if
they can, the chances are
they’ll be back after the
holidays to support you after
you supported them in their
time of need!
And for those friends and
family get-togethers shoppers
will also be looking for chilled
and frozen products such as
dips, snack items (check out
Tiger Tiger’s new range of
frozen Oriental and Indian
snacks and Bowyers snack
eggs and cocktail sausages),
Cathedral City’s new
‘Selections’ mixed pack of
cheeses and beautiful
cheesecakes from Coppenrath
& Wiese.
Do now:
l Christmas Day is on
Tuesday this year. Liaise
with your chilled and frozen
foods suppliers to ensure
you have full availability of
the key products in your
chilled and frozen range
right throughout the period
until they start making
regular deliveries again –
especially bread and milk
l Review your chilled
and frozen foods
Christmas range to ensure
you have the range of
products shoppers will be
looking for:
l Don’t forget those
Emergency top ups for the
day itself such as frozen
prawns, roast potatoes,
Yorkshire puddings and
frozen veg
And don’t forget to have
plenty of stock of those
all important batteries!
Rather than sticking to one
brand, retailers should offer a
range of batteries to give their
customers a choice of price
point. For example offering
Duracell, Energizer and
Panasonic alongside budget
products such as Agfa or JCB.
8
No battery display would be
complete without brand leader
Duracell and its consumers are
exceptionally brand loyal.
Duracell is, of course,
renowned for its long-lasting
properties, illustrated by the
pink bunny used in the
advertising. But now Varta
plans to make its batteries
‘more appealing to
consumers’ with onpack claims that it’s
cheaper AA and AAA
cells last just as long
as Duracell’s.
Varta sales director
Anthony Sewart
explains: “We were
confident that our AA and AAA
alkaline
batteries would
match the performance of the
comparable market-leading
product, so it is reassuring that
impartial testing matched our
expectations. Intertek carried
out tests according to
International Electrochemical
Commission standard
procedures independently, but
on behalf of Varta.”
Most c-stores keep batteries
on display behind the till
for security reasons,
but Panasonic Energy
sales manager UK and
Ireland, Tim Clark, says
this is where a little bit
of knowledge is
needed to boost sales.
“Retailers can help
ensure consumers pick
the battery that’s right for
them. For instance, you don’t
want customers left
disappointed by buying a zinc
battery that won’t work in
their child’s toy. It would
be good if the retailer
could advise them a little
on the correct battery to
buy.”
Probably the biggest
surprise in the battery
market is the rechargeable
sector is in decline. This
seems amazing at a time
when consumers are
watching their spending and
rechargeables seem to offer
such great value.
Panasonic’s Clark says:
“Rechargeables really are a
no-brainer for the
consumer, but
sales are in
decline. They’re
getting cheaper
to buy but
people don’t
really
understand them. Most
people like the idea of a
rechargeable but find them
difficult and complicated and
therefore don’t engage with
them. ”Panasonic is
attempting to cut through
the confusion with a simplified
charger offer comprising an
entry-level charger, a fast
charger and a universal
charger. Each comes with fully
charged batteries. Energizer
too, is trying to simplify the
shopping experience for
consumers by clearly
communicating the
difference between
its rechargeables.
New packaging
uses simple icons to
show consumers the
most appropriate
battery for a device. And an
on-pack performance grading
system allows them to choose
the performance or power that
fits their device usage needs.
Alkesh’s View
Batteries aren’t a footfall
driver, but they are a
necessity. We stock Duracell, Energizer and
Panasonic so we can give customers a choice on
price. Duracell is the most popular and we are
currently selling ‘four plus four free’ packs. But
we’ve also got four-packs of Panasonic AA’s for £1.
We managed to get them on offer and are able to
pass that offer on to our customers.”
Battery sales used to be completely seasonal but not
anymore; they sell all year round, so there’s no need
to worry about being left with stock after Christmas.
We have them behind the till. We did try putting
them out on shelf but we lost more than we sold!
We stick to the best sellers, the AA and AAA’s.
We also have a couple of rechargeable products, but
the pricing on those is difficult for us.”
25
From landlady to BDE - It’s all
worked out perfectly for Christine
Following a successful career with Cadbury’s, Christine Reast spent years of running a village pub
with her husband near Loughborough. Frustrated by trading restrictions and the many hours stuck
behind the bar she decided it was time to get out and about and use her business acumen in a new
way. An opportunity to join Best-one, four and a half years ago as a Business Development
Executive provided her with a role that has worked out perfectly for Christine, and even more so for
the Best-one members in her Midlands region.
As soon as you meet Christine
Reast it’s easy to see how she
would have been the ideal pub
hostess, with her friendly smile
and willingness to chat to
people and take a genuine
interest in their day to day
lives. However, just like in the
licensed trade, there’s a
serious side to retailing, the
part that creates profits and
brings success, and that’s
where Christine’s talent really
lies. Since joining Best-one
four years ago she’s become
one of the group’s leading
BDE’s with a rapidly expanding
group of accounts to look after
across the middle of the UK.
She is so successful her role
has actually grown to include
training other BDE’s within the
group.
One of the reasons for
Christines success is her
forward thinking attitude and
willingness to embrace new
ideas, keeping her retailers one
step ahead of the competition.
Best-talk caught up with her at
one of her retailer’s stores in
the beautiful village of Barrowon-Soar close by her old pub,
where she was enthusing
about the new i-Pov system
which has been introduced for
26
all Best-one
BDE’s.
always 100% accurate. I would
then have to verify all the
facts at home at the end of
the day, before I could get a
real idea of how the store was
performing. All of this wasted
valuable time, which is
something you can’t afford to
do these days. The retailer
who provides the right product
or service first will make and
retain new regular customers.
Also, at Best-one we pride
ourselves on the amount of
time we actually spend with
all our retailers. It’s very
much a partnership with our
members and I’ll see all my
retailers at least one a
month, and more if they
require it.”
IPov (which
stands for
information at
point of visit)
gives BDE’s a
series of interactive
tools, that
provide
valuable onthe-spot data
and feedback.
This effectively
means that trading
decisions, such as
stock levels and
ranging can be
reached instantly
whilst the BDE is on
site. According to
Christine the system
now makes her job
much more efficient;
“The i-Pov system drags all the
relevant data from the
retailer’s EPOS system which
has been securely stored at
Best-one HQ, and displays the
details on a mini tablet, that I
take with me to the stores I
visit. Previously I would spend
hours preparing for a store
visit by gathering as much
Top: Christine with one of her
retailers Darren Hickman.
Above: Christine provides an instant
store analysis for Darren using her
iPov tablet
information about the retailer’s
business as possible. Even so I
would often have to rely on
details provided by the retailer
on my visits, which were not
Ipov includes amazing new
interactive “store
performance analysis”
software devised by Bestone that crunches a range
of information such as market
trends, store size, regionality,
customer base and current
product range. Based on the
gathered data the system will
instantly provide guidelines on
stock levels and range
allocation, indicating accurate
projections on what the
retailer should expect to make
from each area of his or her
business. Live testing of the
system is already showing
minimum sales uplifts of 10%.
The figure comes as no surprise
to Christine, who has seen her
retailers make dramatic uplifts in
sales following previous
reappraisals of stocks. According
to Christine; “Chilled foods is a
classic example where retailers
have traditionally under stocked.
Using my Ipov with the instant
store analysis I can now show
them exactly what they should
be making in this area, and the
amount of space they should be
allocating. I can also go online
with the tablet whilst i’m
instore, arrange for a
merchandiser visit, organise
orders online - even introduce
new local suppliers, a trend
which is becoming increasingly
important for independents.
Stats prove that 80% of sales
comes from 20% of stock, so
accurate ranging is going to be
the way forward for retailers in
the future”
and sheets, plus a heavy laptop
with power cables, dongles and
such. Now I have everything i
need at my fingertips to really
make a difference to the
success of a store - and it all
fits perfectly in my handbag!
Quite apart from the
security benefits it
makes me look less
like a pack horse
and more
like a lady!
Christine admits that It’s not just
the benefits to retailers that
appeals to her about the IPov
tablet.; “The one thing I used to
hate about store visits was
dragging around masses of files
On your marks...
27
The future is here. Kachng!
Introducing the brand new
internet based EPoS that’s
perfect for smaller C-Stores.
MICROS is here to support
you!
Kachng! is the latest
concept in Electronic Point
of Sale. This compact and
flexible solution is ideal for
small stores who
traditionally don’t have the
space for large amounts of
EPoS equipment.
The Kachng! solution is
backed up by an interactive
support website. The easy to
use site means you have
information, help and
guidance at your finger tips:
Kachng! is accessed over the
internet, meaning you can
operate your Point of Sale and
Back Office reporting
wirelessly from a tablet.
Colin Mealor, a BestOne
Retailer in Blackpool who
installed the system in April
said: “The system is truly hightech, using the latest tablet
and cloud technologies, but at
the same time taking up a
minimum of counter space.
Scanning is simple, using the
hand held device and
transactions are easily made
via the touch screen. The
software allows new products
to be easily added, along with
special offers, promotions and
shelf-edge labels.”
Developed in conjunction with Best-one, Kachng! brings a host
of benefits that help Best-one retailers stay ahead of the
competition:
l
Margin management functions help you maximise
sales and profit levels
l
Your shop looks smarter and more professional with
printed shelf edge labels (Kachng! comes equipped
with a thermal printer)
l
You can order stock online via the fast and easy
Best-one web facility
l
Know what your customers buy, what they don’t buy
and stock up accordingly
l
You can offer consumer promotions at the touch of
a button
Item enquiry
Nothing
to pay up front
and from only
£25 per month
for support
Item look up
Price entry
l
Frequently asked
questions
l
Online support videos
l
Online Forums – you can
search and see what
other Kachng! users are
saying
l
Online chat – ask our
analysts online if you
need help
GOLDEN
VIRGINIA 50g
WITH
“I found the support site very
helpful and easy to use. I
found a document that
showed me how to change
the front screen layout, it
didn’t take long to find and it
helped me change the
buttons on screen.
“As I was looking through the
forums for advice a little
message box popped up
asking if I wanted to chat to
someone. I accepted and got
live one-to-one support with
someone from MICROS who
was very understanding and
helpful. They responded very
quickly with the answer to
my question.” Zach Mealor,
Best-one retailer
See it for yourself. To find out more about Kachng! call MICROS now on 0844 375 4556,
email epos@micros.com or visit www.kachng.com.
28
A PERFECT
COMBINATION
The world’s No.1 hand
rolling tobacco brand
*
*Source: ITUK Estimates October 2012
www.imperial-trade.com
This
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advertisement
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for
or the
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information ooff ttobacco
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Meet the BDE
Linda Richardson
Linda lives near Swindon. She has a 27
year old daughter, Nicola and is a regular
dog-sitter for Nicola’s collie, Skye
How long have you worked for Best-one?
3 years, my first year was working as a
merchandiser, then I applied for the BDE role.
Finally, we would like to
wish all our retailers a
very merry Christmas and a prosperous
New Year
What did you do before that?
I worked for Trader Media Group, visiting
retailers developing their magazine range and
setting up in-store promotions.
What would be your ideal way to spend
Christmas?
Family get together, as I am one of 6, two
brothers and three sisters and including nieces
and nephews, its always good to get everyone
together.
...and what will you actually be doing this
year?
We have our Christmas lunch booked and will
be taking over most of the restaurant! Then an
afternoon of board games always brings out the
competitive ones..
Are you a last minute Christmas shopper - or
little miss organised?
Leave most of it to the last minute, late night
shopping makes it much more fun.
What the most memorable Christmas
present you've ever received?
My first bike without stabilizer.
What will be your new years resolution this
year?
Like every year, to get fit, it usually lasts about
a month.
30
What were your favourite subjects at
school and what did you want to be when
you grew up?
I was very much into my sport, and was part of
the school netball team, cross country running,
relay and gymnastics, but I wanted to be a hair
dresser and own a salon.
You can Invite any 4 special guests (living
or from the past) to your fantasy
Christmas party. Who would you choose?
Valentino Rossi I'm a big fan and would find
out some tips on his riding techniques, Jon Bon
Jovi to get the party rocking, Richard Gere and
Brad Pit just to make up numbers.
If you weren't a BDE what would be your
ideal career?
Racing motor bikes, being up there with the
Moto GP guys. Imagine doing something you
love and being paid for it. What more could
you ask for.
Sum up a typical working day in a
sentence
Challenging, stressful, but rewarding.
31