Retail News May 2010

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IT seems hard to believe but summer is officially here, not that you’d have realised it with the weather for most of May, and we’re long overdue a decent sunny season.

Inside, you’ll find our annual Summer Drinks special, focusing on the beers, ciders, wines, spirits, bot-tled waters, energy and soft drinks guaranteed to fly off your shelves and coolers this season (Page 22-39). We also speak exclusively to Michael Merrins, MD of Bulmers Ltd, about the impact of the recession on Ireland’s drinks indus-try and the spirit of innovation at our biggest cider brand (Page 18).

With the advent of the World Cup (Page 46) and the offi-cial arrival of barbeque season (Page 50), this month’s RETAIL NEWS focuses on the hottest brands to stock for sizzling sales this summer, from pizzas.and snack foods to paninis, baps and cracking barbeque sauces. Of course, al fresco dining is about more than barbeques alone, so we also examine the top salads and dressings on the Irish market (Page 56).

This summer also brings a big change in food waste reg-ulations, with retail outlets who produce more than 50kg of food waste per week obliged to source segregate their waste from July 1. You’ll find a guide to the new regulations on Page 42, as well as advice from Food Surplus Management (FSM), who specialise in recovery and recycling of short dated and out of date products and packaging for the manu-facturing, wholesale and retail food and drinks industry.

Meanwhile, our comprehensive News section (Page 4-9) includes the results of a JTI Ireland survey into Ireland’s illegal tobacco market, an RGDATA report on the value of Ireland’s independent grocery sector, and the good news that the exodus of Irish shoppers across the border seems to be slowing down.

Kathleen Belton,Editorial & Marketing Director

■ inside view

Managing Director: Fergus Farrell

Editorial & Marketing Director: Kathleen Belton, email: [email protected]

Editor: John Walshe [email protected]

Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen

Published by: Tara Publishing Co. Ltd., Poolbeg House, 1/2 Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 2413095. Fax: (01) 2413010.

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Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited.

“Over 53 years

serving the Irish

grocery trade.”

May10Contents

Summer Living

LIPTON GETS FRUITY WITH NEW PINK CITRUS AND

FOREST FRUITS FLAVOURS Lipton to host first live fashion shows at

Taste of Dublin 2010.

Lipton launched two new additions to the Lipton Fruit & Herbal tea range and announced details of its ‘Drink Gorgeous Garden Party’ at this year’s Taste of Dublin festival. The new Forest Fruits and Pink Citrus flavours will tantalise the taste buds for the ultimate summer refreshment.

The ‘Lipton Drink Gorgeous Garden Party’ at Taste of Dublin, from 10th – 13th June, will see the first ever live catwalk fashion shows at the event, featuring fabulous clothes from leading Irish boutiques inspired by the 7 Lipton flavours. A mixologist will serve up an exclusive Lipton Blush cocktail which will only be available to sample at Taste of Dublin to a backdrop of funky beats from the Lipton house DJ. Mixologists will also be demonstrating how to make Lipton Red Fruit Cosmos and Lipton Peppermint Mojitos to try at home!

Grainne Galvin, Brand Manager, Lipton commented, “We are delighted that Lipton is the first brand to introduce live fashion shows to Taste of Dublin. Fashion is at the heart of the Lipton Fruit and Herbal range and this is the first of a number of exciting fashion themed activities we’ll be introducing as part of the drink gorgeous campaign. The Lipton Fruit and Herbal range has been really popular with consumers since its launch in June last year and we are really excited about the addition of these 2 new flavours to the range.”

Lipton Fruit & Herbal teas contain real pieces of luscious fruit, refreshing herbs and aromatic spices and are naturally caffeine free offering light and satisfying refreshment. The pyramid bag provides perfect conditions for fresh, juicy, fruit flavours to combine with other delicious ingredients – ensuring every cup is brimming with tantalising taste.

The Lipton Fruit & Herbal teas are available in 7 variants including Red Fruit, Pink Citrus, Forest Fruits, Crushed Peppermint, Lemon & Ginger, Morocco and Alps.

Lipton Fruit & Herbal teas are available in all major retailers nationwide with a recommended selling price of €1.55

For further information on Lipton Fruit & Herbal teas go to:www.facebook.com/lipton.ireland or visit www.lipton.ie

Models Vogue Williams and Georgia Salpa announce details of the Lipton Fruit and Herbal ‘Drink Gorgeous Garden party’ at this year’s Taste of Dublin, which will

include the first ever live fashion shows to be hosted at the festival. The clothes featured will be inspired by the 7 Lipton flavours including

the new Forest Fruits and Pink Citrus flavours launched today.

1

News4Slowdown in Shopper Exodus to North; New Facilitator for Grocery Code of Practice; Shrinkage Survey Places Ireland 22nd.

5Scally’s Named SuperValu of the Year; Jacob Fruitfield Chief Honoured.

6Illegal Tobacco Trade Costing Retailers €692m.

7Spot Checks by Revenue on the Way; Retailers Accused of Short-Changing Staff.

8RGDATA Quantifies Economic Impact of Local Grocers.

SHOP 201015SHOP 2010, which takes place at the RDS, Dublin, from September 28-30, will showcase the latest innova-tions and products the Irish market has to offer.

Shop Profile16Dave McLean and Keith Harford’s new Daybreak store in Lucan, Co. Dublin, is thriving, thanks to the right focus on price and quality.

Retail News Interview18Michael Merrins, Managing Director, Bulmers Ltd, on the effects of the recession on the Irish drinks industry, the massive successes of the Bulmers brand and their continued focus on innovation.

Summer Drinks22As the summer takes hold, we focus on the big brands across the Energy & Soft Drinks, Bottled Water, Wines & Spirits, and Beer & Cider sectors.

easyFairs® PACKAGING IRELAND 40easyFairs® PACKAGING IRELAND takes place at the RDS, Dublin, on June 16 and 17, offering retailers the change to discover inno-vative packaging solutions.

Food Waste Regulations42July 1 sees the intro-duction of new Food Waste Regulations which require retailers producing more than 50kg of food waste per week to source segregate all food waste for separate collection.

SuperValu Quality Awards45A record number of SuperValu retail-ers have been presented with SuperValu Quality Awards, which are inde-pendently audited by the Excellence Ireland Quality Association.

World Cup46With World Cup fever about to hit our TV screens, this summer is all about entertaining at home. We highlight the big brands, guaranteed to score with consumers.

Write Up My Street55X Factor stars Jedward launched the 2010 Londis ‘Write Up My Street’ initia-tive in aid of Barnardos.

ADM Londis Store of the Year60Ray and Maura Keating’s Londis Plus in Cobh, County Cork, was the winner of the 2009 ADM Londis Store of the Year.

Shelf Life72All the latest news and gossip from the trade.

Regulars

10Industry News

68Drinks News

69Update

71What’s New

Sectoral Reports

50Summer Living: BBQ

56Salads & Dressings

62Tobacco Products

3

ContentsMay 2010

May10Contents

22

60

FEWER shoppers are crossing the bor-der into Northern Ireland to buy goods, a new report reveals. In the first three months of 2010, footfall to Northern Irish high streets and shopping cen-tres fell by almost 6% over the same period last year. Meanwhile footfall in the Republic is improving, Paul Slevin, Head of Sales and Marketing with Experian, told RETAIL NEWS.

“During the first quarter, south-ern Irish retailers extended sales and increased the level of sales,” he said. “This was helped by the currencies level-ling off and the reduction in VAT. Many reasons why consumers travelled across the border are gone, we believe. It’s just not worth the journey any more.”

According to Experian’s Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland, footfall to the north was down 8.3% in January, 4.3% in February and 4.6% in March. Footfall in the south increased by 1% in February and 0.4% in March. Slevin claims the January footfall is partly attributed to the bad weather - snow kept consumers housebound - but the trend continued throughout February and March, suggesting a shift in con-sumer behaviour. Price considerations are probably the main reason southern shoppers are staying closer to home.

“The reason people travelled north of the border was price,” said Slevin. “Dunnes’ share of the liquor market has jumped through the roof: duty was a big element as to why people crossed the border. If retailers are reducing their

prices, it becomes a harder decision to make that journey north.”

Governmental budgetary decisions may have helped. Over the last cou-ple of years, southern shoppers took advantage of the weak pound and lower VAT rate in the UK. Minister Brian Lenihan’s decision to cut VAT and excise rates, while the UK govern-ment raised theirs, created a more level playing field. Large retailers, such as Dunnes and Tesco, claim their border stores are up 20-30% in sales, while the CSO’s recent Retail Sales Index statis-tics suggest the decline in the rate of sales volume is easing.

“Following a prolonged two-year period of rapidly deteriorating retail

sales, the industry is now experiencing more modified decline. Many opera-tors claim the industry has reached the bottom,” said David Fitzsimons, Chief Executive of Retail Excellence Ireland. “Notwithstanding the fact that this modified decline is set against weak sales figures in 2009, the numbers are moving steadily in the right direction.”

The shopping exodus was never likely to be a long term problem, since consumers have always sought bargains across the border. Southern shoppers

spent €435m in Northern Ireland in the year to April 2009, costing the Irish government around €45m in VAT and €25m in excise, according to the Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland. But money also came south: cross-border tourist spending was in the Republic’s favour. Furthermore, Northern driv-ers spent over €23m on petrol in the Republic.

May10News

4

Slowdown in Shopper Exodus to North

New Facilitator for Grocery Code of PracticeA NEW facilitator has been appointed for Ireland’s Grocery Code of Practice, after the withdrawal of David Byrne, the former Attorney General and European Commissioner, from the position. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Batt O’Keeffe TD, has handed the role to John Travers, the former Chief Executive of Forfás. Travers will talk to relevant stakeholders over the months ahead in order to flesh out a voluntary code. Although Byrne was expected to report recommendations by the end of the summer, the new facilitator is not expected to complete his task until “later this year”.

Shrinkage Survey Places Ireland 22ndIRISH retailers lost €450m in 2009 to shoplifting, fraud and waste. Ireland is ranked 22nd in a survey of 41 countries that include Britain, the US, Australia and India, in the 2009 Global Retail Theft Barometer. According to the survey, razor blades, DVDs and CDs, cosmetics and skin-care, are amongst the most commonly shoplifted items.

REI Chief Executive, David Fitzsimons.

May10News

SCALLY’S SuperValu, locat-ed in the heart of Clonakilty in West Cork, has been named SuperValu of the Year 2010.

Over 192 SuperValu stores throughout the coun-try were adjudicated by independent competition judge, Paul O’Sullivan, Director of the College of Business at Dublin Institute of Technology. These audits focused on customer care, store presentation, fresh food offering, product range, operational standards, store hygiene and local community involvement.

Commenting on the award, store owner, Eugene Scally paid tribute to his team and said that their constant dedication and professional approach was what won the award for the Clonakility store.

“I believe that the great-

est asset of any business is the people who work in it and our business is as good as it is today due to the tremen-dous team that I have in my store,” he noted. “Our dedi-cated workforce, some that have been with me for over 20 years, all strive towards one goal, which is provid-ing the best value, service and range for our custom-ers. ‘Real Food Real People’ is more than just a phrase for us here in Clonakility: it is something we strive to deliver every day. We are delighted that we have been recognised for our efforts, not only by our customers but by our colleagues throughout the SuperValu network.”

Congratulating Scally’s SuperValu, Donal Horgan, Managing Director , SuperValu said, “Scally’s SuperValu has superb food credentials and is well

known in West Cork for its fresh meat, its BIM’s Best Seafood Counter, its in-store scratch bakery, the longest cheese counter in Ireland and a fresh food selection which is unrivalled in the market. It is a perfect exam-ple of a supermarket that continuously goes that extra mile by supporting their local

producers and providing its customers with a product range unmatched by any competitor in the market. This award is a testament to the hard work and absolute commitment of the team at Scally’s, who always strive to provide their custom-ers with a unique shopping experience.”

Scally’s Named SuperValu of the Year

Eugene and Catriona Scally are pictured receiving the SuperValu of the Year 2010 Award from Donal Horgan,

Managing Director, SuperValu, Ciaran Levis, Sales Director, SuperValu and Shane Nolan, Corporate Markets General

Manager, Eircom, competition sponsors.

Jacob Fruitfield Chief HonouredMICHAEL Carey, Executive Chairman of Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and Aidan Heavey, CEO of Tullow Oil, were named UCD Business Alumni of the Year recently. The awards, which are the highest honour UCD School of Business can bestow on a graduate, recognise alumni that have demonstrated proven leadership skills, notable achievement in business and a significant contribution to the community, whether in Ireland or abroad.

5

**

Executive Chairman of Jacob Fruitfield, Michael Carey (right) and CEO of Tullow Oil, Aidan Heavey: UCD

Business Alumni of the Year.

6

RETAILERS lost €692m to the coun-terfeit cigarette trade in Ireland last year, a new report reveals. Cigarette manufacturer JTI Ireland consulted numerous industry representatives as part of its Illicit Tobacco Trade Annual Review 2009, including the Minister for Finance, Revenue Customs Service, An Garda Síochána, Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) and the International Operators, Market and Street Traders (IOMST).

Vincent Jennings, Chief Executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Associations (CSNA), was asked to give a retail perspective on smuggling for the report, which states that nine retailers were investigated by customs last year for selling illegal cigarettes.

“We ceased trading with a retailer in August, 2009,” Cheryl Cullen, JTI Ireland spokesperson, told RETAIL NEWS. “That was an unprecedented move for a tobacco company. Thankfully, the majority of retailers are law-abiding. The retail chain hasn’t really been infil-trated, but we’re aware it can happen. Customs and excise take precautions by doing test purchases to see if any shops are selling counterfeit tobacco.”

In 2008, 20% of all tobacco consumed in Ireland evaded excise duty, increas-ing to 29% by the end of 2009. Retailers, however, appear to be a minor part of the problem, said Vincent Jennings, speaking to RETAIL NEWS.

“Manufacturers know that 99.9% of the product sold through retail is genu-ine product, sourced either directly or through cash and carries,” he noted. “But they are concerned, and rightly so, there might be slippage. For them, the brand and the integrity of the brand is every-thing: no different to any other brand holder. They will fight tooth and nail to sustain the integrity of their brand.”

Not only are manufacturers such as JTI losing earnings to the illegitimate trade, but their brand identity can also be damaged. 60% of all tobacco smuggled into Ireland last year was counterfeit.

“The counterfeiters have become a lot more sophisticated,” said Cheryl Cullen. “The packaging looks very simi-lar to the legitimate product. The compo-sition of the cigarette is not the same at all. The legitimate trade complies with strict rules and regulations. Then, when fake cigarettes are produced, there is no quality control. That is why we are con-stantly pushing for more political will to do something about this.”

Tobacco manufacturers have invest-ed heavily in tackling illicit cigarette sales. JTI, for example, pledged to invest $400m over 15 years, to help fight smug-gling. In Ireland, however, the industry claim their efforts have been hampered by the high price of tobacco. A packet of 20 cigarettes currently retails for around €8.45. “It is a very easy way of achieving revenue. You don’t have to do a single thing: one flash of a pen, and there you go, you have an extra €30m or €40m,” said Jennings.

The CSNA Chief Executive believes the high price of cigarettes gives smug-glers the opportunity to make more per carton - €4 or €4.50 - than in jurisdic-tions where the RRP is lower. Ireland promises big returns for tobacco smug-glers. “This is where I diverge from those people who are interested in tobacco con-trol: [anti-smoking group] ASH Ireland, the Cancer Society and the Office of Tobacco Control,” said Jennings. “They take a fanciful notion that you can drive the price up and smuggling isn’t neces-sarily affected.”

There are signs, however, that Government may be taking notice. Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan TD, did not increase the excise on ciga-rettes in last December’s budget, and he stated as part of JTI’s Review: “I did not increase the excise duty on tobacco products in my December Budget as I believe the high price is contributing to increased cigarette smuggling.”

Some commentators also claim more could be done to catch the contraband when it comes into the country. In 2009, customs seized 218.5m cigarettes, val-ued at over €92m. In April, €3m of black market would-be Marlboros were seized at Dublin Port. Nevertheless, the Irish Tobacco Manufacturers’ Advisory Committee (ITMAC) believes Ireland could lose €616m in taxes in 2010 because of cigarette smuggling.

Jennings has called for mobile scan-ners to be introduced at every shipping port, giving the customs added opportu-nity to catch smugglers. Despite the lack of resources, he is pleased that authori-ties are finally recognising illicit tobacco sales as a problem.

“Since the Revenue Commissioners took a direct interest in this, the approach from the state is noticeable,” he said. “Previously, it was difficult for them to accept that tobacco deserved assistance. For countless years, it has almost been like the elephant in the room. You simply didn’t talk about it, because to do so was considered pro-tobacco”.

Illegal Tobacco Trade Costing Retailers €692m

May10News

Vincent Jennings, CSNA Chief Executive.

RETAIL firms are using the recession as a smokescreen for profit, forcing pay cuts, unnecessary redundancies and reduced conditions, a union has claimed. Mandate Trade Union says staff wages have been cut by as much as €100, while public holiday pay and Sunday allowances have been reduced. The retail industry’s flexible contracts and working hours have helped employers make these decisions, Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary, told RETAIL NEWS.

“Flexibility is at the behest of the employers, to use in whichever way they deem appropriate: mostly the span of the daily and weekly hours. There are a range of different contract arrangements that allow an employer, at the stroke of a pen, to reduce weekly earning power by up to 50%,” Light said. “The current wages rates are not excessive. The first thing to do is to protect the hourly rate, but if the employer has the ability to reduce the number of hours in the week, it is a false victory.”

The union has targeted a leading grocery store, which wants to suspend late night, early morning, and overtime allowances. Another company has reportedly begun a redun-dancy scheme, replacing work-ers on a higher pay scale with workers on a lower pay scale. The company then sought 60% of payment costs in a rebate from state social insurance funds.

“The company in question is profitable and continues to be so,” said Light. “But it’s obvious

what is going on there: wage displacement. People at the top end of the pay scale were claiming it is a voluntary redundancy scheme. People are availing of it. No profitable company should initiate a redundancy programme that is not absolutely essential and necessary for the survival of the business.”

However, retailers might claim that in a recession, wage cuts and redundancies are necessary. Everyone is making cut-backs, so surely this comes with the economic turf? Light says Mandate’s deal with Superquinn in 2009, which initi-ated a voluntary severance package for 394 workers, proved

the union’s willingness to enter negotiations with companies.“The problem we have is people who are trying to jump on

the bandwagon in an opportunistic fashion,” he said, adding that wage cuts are perpetuating the recession.

“One could make the argument that not only does the exchequer have to take the hit in respect of covering 60% of the redundancy cost, but we are essentially moving people from work to welfare,” he said. “Retail requires a certain amount of consumer confidence, right across the spectrum, whether in food or non-food. We have pointed at those realities and the dangers that are implicit in such an approach. There is only one motive at play here: the protection and maintenance of exces-sive levels of profit.”

THE Revenue Commissioners are planning a series of spot checks in retail outlets across Ireland. As part of the checks, anonymous Revenue workers will carry out test purchases to ensure cash is not being pocketed, testing cash reg-isters and other Electronic Point of Sale systems. The Revenue will also interview employees to ensure they are legitimate.

The Revenue claim these spot checks are intended to uncover unregistered companies and businesses that trade in cash. In 2009, 12,419 audits of companies and individuals amounted to

€602m in unpaid taxes, but while previous spot checks concentrated on particular industries or professions, these checks will concentrate on streets and towns.

Speaking to RETAIL NEWS, Michelle Carroll, Revenue Press Officer, said: “Expertise on cash registers has been brought to bear on whole street, or whole town, cash businesses. As part of these nationwide programmes, every cash business in an area, includ-ing retailers, is visited, sometimes without prior announcement.”

Revenue representatives have conducted research into cash registers to understand how they operate. Retailers, however, are not the only tar-gets. “While the main focus of real time activity is on busi-nesses that use cash regis-ters, all sectors that have cash receipts are monitored. This includes professionals such as doctors, veterinary surgeons, etc.” said Carroll.

Spot Checks by Revenue on the Way

Retailers Accused of Short-Changing Staff

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May10News

Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary.

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In a report commissioned by RGDATA, leading economist Jim Power has calcu-lated the contribution of the independ-ent retail grocery sector to the national economy at €4.78 billion annually, equivalent to 3.6% of GNP. Power also notes the strong contribution made by family grocers to employment, with 95,000 people working in local family owned and run shops.

The report also identifies 13 meas-ures that it claims the Government needs to look at to preserve retail employment and keep local, family-owned stores open. In particular, it identifies and calculates the compliance cost of almost 40 separate “regulatory impositions” that retailers have to meet on a daily basis.

Power estimates that the cost of compliance adds an extra €26m to the overheads of retailers each year, and that retailers spend the equivalent of at least one full working week each year filling in forms and dealing with compli-ance issues.

According to the Report, the retail sector has borne the brunt of the reces-sion, with sales and volumes badly hit by decreased consumer spending, which has resulted in the lost of 24,700 jobs in retail shops over the last year, equiva-lent to one in four people currently working in the retail grocery sector.

The recession has also led to store closures, with smaller shops being affected most. In the first 10 months of 2009, the retail sector accounted for 15.5% of total insolvencies, placing it closely behind the construction sector.

Speaking at the launch of the Report, Power called for “increased attention and support from Government” for the independent retail grocery sector: “This sector needs to be accorded proper sup-port from the state development agen-cies, given the scale of the contribution that it makes, and the state needs to take active steps to reduce the regula-tory burden imposed on the trade.”

“It is refreshing to have a main-stream economic commentator recog-nise the valuable contribution that the independent grocery trade makes to the national economy,” commented Tara Buckley, RGDATA Director General. “At a local and national level, family shops are key stakeholders in their com-

munities and are operating in a very dif-ficult environment, bearing the brunt of the recession.

“This Report outlines the current state of the trade and indicates some concrete measures that Government can take to support and encourage this important sector. RGDATA will be lob-bying strongly to ensure that the rec-ommendations of this Report are acted upon by Government.”

The Report calls for immediate action from Government in the follow-ing areas:

- The abolition of the JLC mechanism for fixing wages in the grocery sector and its replacement by the National Minimum Wage, claiming that “the present mechanism puts retail gro-cery rates up to 25% higher than the National Minimum Wage”.

- Greater regulatory controls over the large multiples and large suppliers to address abusive or discrimina-tory behaviour impacting on family shops.

- The strengthening of the Retail Planning Guidelines and new con-trols on out-of-town parking.

- A sharp reduction in the regulatory burden for retailers, with a ration-alisation of compliance obligations and the consolidation of regulatory agencies.

- A wider revenue base for local authorities with a value for money review of local authority charges.

- A renewed focus on the effects of cross-border shopping and a clampdown on illegal purchases by traders.

- Stronger enforcement of the plan-ning and casual trading laws.

- A mechanism for reducing current high rental charges.

- Extension of state supports to the retail grocery sector, which is cur-rently outside the support structure of the County Enterprise Boards and Leader Partnerships.

An RGDATA delegation, including President John Foy, Director General Tara Buckley and economist Jim Power, recently attended the Joint Committee on Economic & Regulatory Affairs to discuss the regulatory burden on local shops and the recommendations from the Power Report.

RGDATA Quantifies Economic Impact of Local Grocers

May10News

Planning AheadPLANS have been dashed for a new supermarket complex in Castlerea, after authorities called it an undesirable out-of-town development. The proposed development included room for a self-service convenience super-market, 117 car parking spaces, and an off-license. The appeal was initiated after RGDATA argued the proposal did not comply with the Retail Planning Guidelines.

Better news, though, for a new commercial development on Achill Island. The site, at Achill Sound, will include retail outlets, 16 apartments, two houses, and a boardwalk by the shore, and was given the thumbs up from An Bord Pleanála.

Meanwhile, size matters for retail developments in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary. Local authorities in the midwest region want to stop an increase in floor space, except when projects are undergoing redevelopment. Tesco Ireland has claimed such restric-tions will cost in the region of €100m in lost capital investment and a further loss of 700 potential jobs.

RGDATA Director General, Tara Buckley.

PICTURED are five year old Molly Murray from Dublin and Isabelle Hartley, Topaz head office, encouraging cus-tomers to support the company’s very successful ‘Help Us to Help Haiti” campaign. Over the last couple of months Topaz placed collection buckets in over 100 company owned sites and selected dealer sites all over the country, and

the campaign raised €75,000 for UNICEF Ireland’s Emergency Appeal for the children of Haiti.

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Topaz Raises €75,000 for UNICEF

ONE of Ireland’s most prominent literary char-acters, Sligo-born Neil Jordan was inducted into the Hennessy X.O Literary Awards Hall of Fame recently. Now in their 39th year, the Hennessy X.O Literary Awards are unique awards that espouse the importance of Irish litera-ture in the fabric of Irish life. The prestigious 2009 Hennessy X.O New Irish Writer Award was presented to Madeleine D’Arcy, winner of the First Fiction category, for her short story, ‘Is This Like Scotland?’ Other Awards presented on the night included Emerging Fiction to Michael O’Higgins for his short story, ‘The Migration’; and Emerging Poetry to Cork-born Olive Broderick for her poems, ‘Misconception’ and ‘Market Forces’. Neil Jordan is pictured at the Hennessy X.O Literary Awards, with his daughter Anna.

William Grant to AcquireC&C’s Spirits BusinessPREMIUM spirits business and independent family distill-ers, William Grant & Sons Holdings Ltd, has entered into a binding agreement for the purchase of the shares and assets of C&C Group plc’s spirits and liqueur business for €300m. The purchase will include the C&C portfolio of Irish spirits and liqueur brands: Tullamore Dew, Carolans, Frangelico and Irish Mist. C&C Group is required to obtain

shareholder approval for the disposal. Subject to that condition, it is expected that the transaction will be com-pleted on June 20, 2010. According to Stella David, Chief Executive Officer of William Grant & Sons, the company have been looking to further develop their non-Scotch port-folio: “Irish whiskey is a natural fit and C&C’s spirits busi-ness provides a unique opportunity to acquire a number of significant brands and enter the highly desirable and dynamic Irish whiskey category.”

SUPERVALU will account for approximately €500,000 worth of fresh Irish rhubarb sales this year. SuperValu stores expect to sell in excess of 250,000 units this year, with rhubarb bunches retailing at €2 each, with the first new season Irish rhubarb now available in over 194 SuperValu stores throughout Ireland. Three local Irish growers hold the contract to supply Irish rhubarb to

SuperValu: Coolmore Market Gardens, Carrigaline, Co. Cork; Jim Rooney, Skerries, Co. Dublin; and Derek Ryan, Oldtown, Co. Dublin. This is part of SuperValu’s strategy to source 100% Irish fresh produce where possible. The rhubarb is picked and packed by order every day, to be delivered onto shelves in SuperValu within 24 hours of harvesting. Pictured at the announcement is Yasmin Kelly, aged 10, from Dublin.

Walkers TV Now AwardsTHE Walkers TV Now Awards, which honour the best shows and stars on Irish TV, returned to Dublin’s Mansion House on May 22, where a host of stars from Irish TV and the most popular British soaps came together for a glittering, black tie ceremony. The excitement reached fever pitch as the winners of the 17 different categories were announced, all but one of which are voted for by the Irish public. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite soap stars, Irish shows, and male and female presenters. In addi-tion, Walkers introduced a new award for 2010 - the Walkers Favourite Soap Family award. Pictured at the launch of the Walkers TV Now Awards are: Joanne Fox, Walkers Marketing; Michael O’Doherty, Publisher, TV Now Magazine; Vivienne Connelly; and Donna Byrne, Walkers Marketing.

May10Industry News

SuperValu to Sell €500,000of Irish Rhubarb

Neil Jordan Joins Hennessy X.O Literary Awards Hall of Fame

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New Commercial Director at Premier Foods

HEINEKEN united two of Ireland’s biggest sporting heroes, the new Heineken Star Saturday ambassadors, Manchester United legend and Champions League winner Denis Irwin and Heineken Cup winning Munster champion Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley, to officially launch Heineken Star Saturday, when two of the world’s most heralded soccer and rugby finals took place on May 22. Heineken, the official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League and the Heineken Cup, celebrated both tournament finals on one ultimate day, Heineken Star Saturday, May 22. Pictured are Anthony Foley; Aisling O’Brien, Heineken Sponsorships Brand Manager; Denis Irwin and Pat Maher, National Events & Sponsorship Manager.

PREMIER Foods Ireland (PFI) has announced the appoint-ment of Steven Jones as its new Commercial Director. Steven joins PFI from the role of Commercial

Director at Heineken NI and brings with him significant experience of the Irish and UK food and drink markets, having also worked for Beamish and Crawford, Scottish and Newcastle and PepsiCo. Steven will be responsible for leading the Irish business, headquar-tered in Blanchardstown and employ-ing some 55 people. The Premier Foods Ireland brand portfolio comprises many long-standing family favourites, including Ambrosia, Erin, Gateaux, Mr Kipling, Chivers, McDonnells, Loyd Grossman and Hartley’s.

JOHN Sheehan, MD of Mood Media, is pictured with Mark Gould, Head of Retail for Telefonica O2 Ireland, checking out the new in-store digital displays at O2’s flagship store on Grafton Street. Mood Media digital display screens were installed in 72 O2 stores nationwide, with some stores using as many as nine of the 42” screens, allowing O2 to play the branded music channel, graphic animations and audio adverts developed by Mood Media for O2. Mood Media systems are already found in over 2,000 retail outlets in Ireland, including Tesco and SuperValu stores, Topaz stations, Unicare Pharmacies and Sherry Fitzgerald offices nationwide.

MARKS & Spencer have taken the top spot as the most reputable company in the Irish retail industry and fourth spot overall in the top 10 most reputable companies in Ireland, as Corporate Reputations launched the results of the Ireland RepTrak 2010 study. The Ireland RepTrak 2010, which ranked the reputations of some of the largest and most visible firms in Ireland, is the most comprehensive study of corporate reputations ever undertaken in Ireland. The study

measured companies’ reputations based on consumer’s trust, esteem, admiration, and good feelings about a company, while also gauging perceptions across seven rational dimensions of reputation. Google scooped the top spot as the most reputable company in Ireland, with Kellogg’s, BMW, Marks & Spencer, Nokia, Apple, The Irish Times, An Post National Lottery, Intel and Toyota rounding out the top 10 tier of Ireland’s ranking companies in 2010.

SUPERVALU will account for approx-imately €3.5m worth of Irish pepper and tomato sales this year. The first of this season’s Irish peppers reached SuperValu’s 192 stores nationwide on April 7, and the first Irish toma-toes arrived on April 12. SuperValu will source the peppers from Martin Flynn of Rush, Co. Dublin, and the tomatoes will be supplied by Jarlett Brett from Swords, Co. Dublin, and David Currid from Ballygunner, Co. Waterford. “This announcement is testament to our continued support for Irish food suppliers,” commented Ian Allen, Category Manager, SuperValu.

“We know that when given the choice, consumers will opt for Irish produce, particularly when it comes to fresh vegetables.” Model Nadia Forde is pic-tured at Brookfield Nurseries in Rush, Co. Dublin, with some First in Season Irish tomatoes.

May10Industry News

SuperValu Supports Irish Vegetable Growers

M&S Tops Retail Study

Sporting Legends Unite for Heineken Star Saturday Setting the Mood

PICTURED at the announcement that Nestlé Ireland will take part in the ‘Food for Simon’ Programme and provide approxi-mately 150,000 cups of Nescafé Gold Blend coffee to Simon’s services are Carol Anne Deasy, Nescafé Marketing Manager, with Sam McGuinness, Chief Executive, Dublin Simon. The coffee

will be used in Simon services where support and shelter is provided to people experiencing homelessness. “The staff at Simon are tireless in their energy and commitment to providing much needed services to Ireland’s homeless com-munity. We are delighted to be able to play a small role in assisting them in their ambition,” noted Nestlé Ireland, Country Manager, Oliver Sutherland.

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Nescafé Coffee for Simon

KEITH Farrell, Marketing Manager of Dr. Oetker Ireland Ltd, is pictured at the launch of a week-long promotion in association with Metro Herald in which readers were asked to find the Romantic Ristorante couple who were dining at a different city centre location each day. Keith is joined by the Dr. Oetker Romantic Ristorante Couple, model Jodie Wood and her handsome companion Niall Gallagher, in the main square of the IFSC, enjoying Mozzarella Ristorante pizza. Gondolier Gianmarco was also on hand, giving out Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza cou-pons and chocolates.

COSTCUTTER has renewed its broadcast sponsorship of the hugely popular CSI shows on RTE 2 for a second sea-son, totalling 65 new episodes across CSI New York, CSI Miami and CSI Las Vegas. The Barry Group, exclusive promoter of Costcutter business in Ireland, has invested in six new advertising idents to launch Costcutter’s renewed sponsorship deal, hiring Ireland’s best known impressionist and Gift Grub mimic, Mario Rosenstock to impersonate the voice of CSI Miami’s lead character Lieutenant Horatio Caine in the series of tongue-in-cheek Costcutter CSI stings. The six stings are entitled Cookie Jar, Cake, Custard, Dressing, Cupboard and

Strawberry and will air during CSI episodes broadcast on RTE 2 each Wednesday and Thursday.

THE Fahy O’Donnell family from Boher, Limerick have been announced as Walkers Family of the Year with TV3 and winners of a crisp €20,000! The Fahy O’Donnells also had the honour of presenting the ‘Walkers Favourite TV Soap Family’ award at this year’s Walkers TV Now Awards on May 22. Walkers and TV3 set out to find a family in Ireland who overcame ‘crunch time’ in the last 12 months, with spirit and humour, and the Fahy O’Donnell family have done just that. Two of the family’s four sons, Ronan and Tiarnan, have extremely rare AV malformations, and have endured gruelling surgeries and numerous hospital visits, but always remained positive and light hearted about their condition. Pictured are (back, l-r): eldest son, Caornan (16), with Walkers Brand Manager, Donna Byrne and Ronan (13); and (front, l-r): twin Tiarnan (11), dad Patrick, mam Neasa and twin Darragh (11).

Top Quality at EPAS ENVIRONMENTAL Products & Services Ltd (EPAS) is set to be awarded with international quality certificates ISO9001: 2008, ISO14001: 2004, and OHSAS18001: 2007. “It was a huge undertaking (with the benefit of hindsight) to target three standards simultaneously, but with a lot of hard work and an excellent team, we achieved our objectives, first time,” com-mented Jim O’Neill from EPAS. “It represents another significant milestone in the development of the business. We will strive to continue to improve what we do and seek to meet and if possible exceed our customers’ expectations.”

May10Industry News

Costcutter Renews CSI Sponsorship

Walkers Family of the Year Announced

Pizza Perfection from Dr. Oetker

A key date on the calendars of the retail, food, drink and hospitality sectors, SHOP 2010, now in its fifth year, is set to be the biggest and best ever. With all the right ingredients to help exhibitors and visitors alike, SHOP 2010 will be showcasing the latest innovations and products that the Irish market has to offer! Taking place on 28–30 September 2010, at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin, this year will also have a pinch of easyFairs® - the new owners of the show - who will bring a wealth of experience, unique added extras and a refreshing new approach.

Designed for those in the food serv-ice and food retail sector to find new products and network, SHOP 2010 expects to welcome approximately 4,000 focused buyers and decision-makers to this year’s show, including multiples buyers, forecourt and retail outlets, independent retailers, con-venience stores, symbol group buyers, supermarkets and wholesalers, as well as leading players within the food service and hospitality sectors.

Special Features & CompetitionsIn addition to business networking and informative seminars, this year’s event will host an array of special features and competitions. A firm favourite, the Product of the Show Awards have become renowned as the launch pad for companies to present their products to a captive audience. Ireland’s most prestigious cheese competition, The International Cheese Awards, will also be taking place this

year, as well as the Avonmore Irish Latté Art, Coffee in Good Spirits and Coffee Cupping Competitions 2010 and The Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s National Sausage and Puddings Final.

A new addition this year is the Dragons’ Den-inspired feature ‘Lions’ Lair’, where exhibitors can pitch their latest innovations to a panel of expert judges. Held in front of an audience, it will give exhibitors the unique oppor-tunity to pitch their products, services or ideas to key decision-makers within the industry.

Book EarlyeasyFairs®is also encouraging exhibitors to book early and benefit from a whole host of added service packages such as early inclusion in all marketing collateral, early bird booking rates plus free marketing tools with a minimum value of €2,000. Never before have exhibitors been offered such comprehensive packages that offer the opportunity to

raise their profile before, during and after the show.

Packages for early bird book-ers include free editorial in the show guide, PR on exhibitors’ news and attendance at the show, plus website presence with free web banners, buttons and regis-

tration links. In addition, exhibitors will be sent 100+ free personalised ticket invitations to send out to any-one they want to invite to the exhibi-tion. easyFairs® will also call up to 1,000 of their contacts and invite them to the show on their behalf and will send invitations to exhibitors’ data-bases, free of charge.

“We are looking forward to host-ing SHOP 2010 this year,” notes Matt Benyon, Managing Director, easyFairs®UK. “We want to build on the show’s success and offer exhibitors tailored packages that will help them get the best results, plus excellent return on investment from the event.

“We introduce businesses to each other that might otherwise not meet. We provide a platform for companies to really show what they’re capable of. We attract an audience that is in the market to buy. And importantly, we keep the cost and time involved in exhibiting at a minimum. For any business looking to sell more next year whilst keeping a tight leash on spending, SHOP 2010 has to be in the mix.”

May10SHOP 2010

SHOP 2010, which takes place at the RDS, Dublin, from September 28-30, will showcase the latest innovations and products the Irish market has to offer.

SHOP 2010 Open for Business

Margaret Andreucetti, easyFairs, and Kay Weldon, Cupcakes by Katie, at the launch of SHOP 2010.

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To book your stand for SHOP 2010, contact show manager, Leyla Mulvihill on +44 (208) 622 4411. See www.shop-exhibition.com for more information.

Originally a village near Dublin, Lucan has long since become part of the capital proper. However, it still retains a clearly defined village centre and that is the location for Dave McLean and Keith Harford’s Daybreak store.

Dave originally gained a wealth of grocery experience with Superquinn, where he advanced to management level. He then left the grocery retail sector for a time, but returned to set up a retail consultancy firm with his friend, Keith Harford, with whom he had also worked in Superquinn. However, late 2009 saw the duo deciding to open their own community store. Both knew Lucan well and were aware of a site with big potential.

Being fully aware that the midst of a recession was a very challenging time to attempt to open a new busi-

ness, the two friends nonetheless spotted an opportunity in adversity. There had been a convenience grocery retail shop trading on Chapel Hill in Lucan, but business hadn’t exactly been booming and the economy was showing little signs of improving.

Still, Dave and Keith were sure that the site was a prime location for a convenience store. With the right focus on price and quality, they were confident they could create a successful local shop, but the choice of symbol group partner was going to be crucial.

“Even with the tough economic times last year, Daybreak was growing and developing its brand,” Dave tells RETAIL NEWS. “The people I met with from the group were all extremely professional, I knew the Daybreak image and I felt there would be a lot of benefits for me in working with Daybreak.”

Transforming the ShopThe two entrepreneurs and Daybreak moved quick-ly to refit the shop and hire and train staff, in order to allow the store to open its doors in February of this year. Our economic woes actually provided them with another opportunity, as Dave explains: “A lot of people have lost their jobs due to the reces-sion and it means there is a pool of really great people out there, experienced and well trained. I was able to assemble a great team of staff from hun-dreds of applications. At the same time, the intro-duction of the Daybreak image into the shop really transformed it.”

The location of the shop on Chapel Hill is ideal for a local shop. It is situated directly across from a school: indeed, there are five schools in the immedi-ate vicinity. There is also significant passing trade

Dave McLean and Keith Harford’s new Daybreak store in Lucan, Co. Dublin, is thriving, thanks to the right focus on price and quality.

Daybreak Looking Good in Lucan

May10Shop Profile

16

Pictured outside Daybreak Lucan are Anthony Nolan, Territory Manager, Daybreak, and store owner Dave McLean.

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and a large amount of residential trade in the village. With the right loca-tion, the right staff and the perfect symbol group partner, Daybreak Chapel Hill was well equipped to begin trading – despite the weather and the state of the economy.

“There was considerable interest in the

community surrounding the new shop,” Dave explains. “We undertook four large leaflet drops around the area, supply-ing details of the new shop. Irish customers need good value for money at the moment and we had to get our price mix right. It was vital to communicate the quality and price of our offering to potential customers. The promotional cycles from Daybreak are great and allow me to offer fantastic Double Deals; the warehouse offers me very competitive prices; and the Good Value brand from Daybreak is also proving very popular, offering great value for money on selected product ranges.”

With five schools and an industrial park near the shop, the deli has plenty of potential. As well as offering value deals, local parents can also sign their kids up to the deli’s healthy option lunch offer, which has proven very popular.

Part of the Community“I want to create a local shop in the traditional sense of the word,” explains Dave, “where prices are reasonable, with staff that are friendly and a shop that is genuinely part of the community, rather than just in the community.”

It’s fair to say that he has succeeded in doing just that, thanks to the work ethic of Dave, Keith and their staff, together with advice and support from the team at Musgrave. “There’s a tremendous amount of hard work involved in getting a business up and running during a recession,” Dave explains. “Daybreak provides me with competitively priced stock, as well as fantastic support and advice on how to minimise operating costs. The balance between margin and sales volume has to be kept right, in order to keep customers coming back.”

So far, the shop has grown sales week on week, since it began trading in February. Although the increases have been modest, they have been consistent and represent good store performance, especially given trading conditions at the moment.

Strong Business ModelAccording to Anthony Nolan, Territory Manager, Daybreak, “We have all put a lot of hard work into this project. Dave and Keith have a very good understanding of the retail sec-tor and have been great to work with. Working with retail-ers of their calibre, we have been able to grow the Daybreak group and we aim to continue that growth throughout 2010.

“Dave and Keith have extremely high standards for his shop and a strong business model,” Anthony continues. “Working with Musgrave, they are able to offer their cus-tomers the right mix of quality and value for money to help the business grow.”

Dave and Keith could definitely have chosen a better year than 2010 to open a business. However, they have chosen the best possible partner for their business model, the best staff and positioned their shop at the right price point to make sure that the store succeeds and grows, despite the challenging market conditions.

FACT FILEOwner:

Location:Size:

Number of Staff:

Opening Hours:

Dave McLean and Keith HarfordChapel Hill, Lucan, Dublin1,200 square feet

7 full time & part time

07:00-20:00, Monday-Friday; 08:00-19:00, Saturday;08:00-18:00, Sunday.

May10Shop Profile

The word Bulmers is almost a synonym for cider in Ireland, such is the level of market penetration of the Tipperary-based cider brand. This didn’t happen by acci-dent, however: it’s the result of years of careful reposition-ing, innovative marketing and some brave moves on the part of brand owners Bulmers Ltd.

“We measure ourselves not in the cider business, because we have so much of the cider business here: we measure ourselves in the long alcoholic drinks (LAD) market,” explains Michael Merrins, Managing Director, Bulmers Ltd.

His is not an idle boast. Bulmers grew its share of the overall Irish beer market from 2.8% to over 10% in less than a decade. Of course, recent years have seen changes in the market, with the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland report-ing Ireland’s on-trade declining by 8.9% last year, along with a corresponding 4% dip in off-trade sales.

“The economic downturn has damaged everyone’s busi-ness,” Merrins admits. “From the drinks industry’s point of view, apart from the decline in the economy, people’s drinking habits have changed and there is no doubt that the Northern Ireland factor has been a huge element, par-ticularly in the off-trade. It has slowed down growth in the off-trade and even brought it into minus figures last year. Have we been affected worse than other sectors? I’m not so sure, but the drinks industry has had the smoking ban, the breathaliser, the morning-after breathaliser and a swing to the off-trade, which were all things that were going to hap-pen with or without a bad recession.”

Coping With the RecessionBulmers has not been immune to the effects of the down-turn, despite the fact that the brand marginally grew its share of the market last year.

Michael Merrins, Managing Director, Bulmers Ltd, on the effects of the recession on the Irish drinks industry, the massive successes of the Bulmers brand and their continued focus on innovation.

The Bulmers Effect

18

May10The Retail News Interview

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“The prospects for the Irish econo-my in the coming 12 months are pret-ty grim for ourselves, customers and indeed consumers,” Merrins notes. “The last three years have been poor for our drinks industry and certainly not helped in Bulmers case with the bad summers. While, we’ve had a reasonable start to this year, we have had the benefit of the Six Nations, St Patrick’s Day, with better than last year’s weather, but we still believe it will be a challenging year. As far as our own performance is concerned, we have been flagging the LAD market up to this time last year but happily we have improved that position with a marginal growth in our share and hope to hold that position.”

The duty reduction from the Minister was most welcome. “Although the excise cut wasn’t a massive reduction, psychologically it slowed down people’s desire to go North for their alcohol purchases,” Merrins feels, believing that, allied to the UK’s recent excise hike on cider, it will further strengthen Bulmers’ per-formance in its home market.

Last year, Bulmers did undertake some initiatives, like the reduction in the price of the Bulmers Pint Bottle and this had “a positive impact in a climate where customers are look-ing for real value. In a similar vein, we changed our off-trade strategy,” Merrins explains.

“For the first time ever, we engaged in value pack activity. Heretofore, we didn’t engage on price: we went for ‘premium price, premium product’ and our offers were based around gifts rather than value. But whether anyone likes it or not, people are looking for value in every sector and we responded to that. Both of these initiatives, plus the duty reduc-tion, were responded to very positively by our consumers.”

The MD feels that the move from on- to off-trade drinking will continue in Ireland, as he feels there is “a new gap in drinking time”.

“Up to three or four years ago, people went to the pub at around 7:30 or 8:30 and then went on to the nightclub,” he explains. “Now, peo-ple have the likes of Setanta Sports and Sky Sports in their homes, and they’re getting good value in the off-trade, so given the climate, they’re choosing to drink at home and go straight to the nightclub. We can’t ignore that.”

Bulmers have responded to this move, and not just on price: “We have been quite innovative in terms of our pack sizes and we have been innova-tive with retailers. We are particu-larly good on category management so we’ve been taking advantage of that. We are probably better than most at putting our product in danger of being sold.”

Bulmers PearHowever, probably the largest contrib-utor to Bulmers’ success over the last year was the launch of Bulmers Pear in March 2010. The cider category has traditionally been quite conservative in terms of new product development. Why the change over the last 12 months?

“We were very pleased with the success of Pear,” admits Merrins. “We realised that the loyalty of consumers is such that they feel like they own our brand, but if we didn’t give them


embracethepear.com

New Recipe Pear. Pearfected.

“We measure ourselves not in the cider business, because we have so much of the cider business here: we measure ourselves in the long alcoholic drinks market.”

20


something back, they would start to stray. In fact, they had already start-ed to stray, because other companies do things with brands that attract them.” That all changed last spring with the high profile introduction of Bulmers Pear.

“The timing of the launch of Pear was very important for Bulmers as it completely rejuvenated our Bulmers brand,” Merrins explains. “It brought a lot of lapsed Bulmers drinkers back to the brand, and it also brought a lot of new drinkers to the brand.

“Our bullseye market for Bulmers Pear was 18-24 year olds, predomi-nantly female, and yet when we launched it, every gender, every age group tried it and drank a lot of it, throughout the land,” he notes. “We got numbers beyond our expectation. It surprised us, but it was just what we needed at a time when our brand was flagging.”

While admitting that “there is always a settling down period” after a new launch, Merrins is delighted that

Bulmers Pear remains the number one pear cider brand in Ireland.

Undoubtedly, one of the primary factors behind the success of Bulmers Pear was its award-winning ‘Embrace the Pear’ advertising campaign, with Merrins noting how the company “completely changed our advertising approach, introducing some humour into the campaign with the Clonmel workers, which really captured the imagination.” That campaign saw Bulmers really embracing digital media for the first time: “you can expect more innovation in that area because that’s our bulls-eye target market”.

Bulmers BerryHaving committed to renewed innova-tion with the launch of Bulmers Pear last March, this year saw the com-pany unveiling another new product, almost a year to the day since Pear, in the shape of Bulmers Berry. Is it a case of leveraging the positive reac-tion to Bulmers Pear or is it being treated in a completely different way?

“We’re using a lot of the same cri-teria but quite a different approach, because it is a different product and the audience is different,” he main-tains. “The ‘Undergrowth’ campaign is quirky and different but it does retain some of the key elements, such as the Clonmel workers and the humour.

“As the product is only in the market a few weeks, it is very early days and like all new products, it takes time to get distribution and buy-in, but we are hopeful that it will be successful and further support the Bulmers brand.

“We are very committed to innova-tion in the cider market and this is going to be part of our way forward and we see it as key.”

International PerformanceWhile not shying away from the brand’s less-than-stellar performance in the UK market over the last cou-ple of years, Merrins is upbeat about Magners’ international future (British firm HP Bulmer maintain interna-tional rights to the Bulmers trade mark).

“Internationally, we have been repositioning ourselves for growth,” he

notes. “The past two years have been really difficult but we believe we have stabilised our position and hopefully it’s a case of ‘onwards and upwards’.

“In the UK business, we have very much gone back to basics,” he contin-ues. “We’ve re-structured our team and made great progress, particularly in the off-trade. We’ve changed our advertising campaigns, which are now much more appropriate, and are receiving positive response from trade and consumers. Given the brand is a short six years in the UK market and the contribution it makes to the overall business and given the size and scale of the GB cider market, we would be quite optimistic for the future, albeit in a strong, competitive market.

“Here in Ireland, because we have such a share of the cider market, we don’t even think about the cider mar-ket – our recruits are stout, ale and lager drinkers,” he continues. “In the

“People’s drinking habits have changed and there is no doubt that the Northern Ireland factor has been a huge element, particularly in the off-trade. It has slowed down growth in the off-trade and even brought it into minus figures last year.”


UK, we’re only an infant and we’re competing against people who own the cider market, and Heineken are fairly formidable opponents. We went at it, spent a lot of money and we made really good progress, but we’ve had to readjust our thinking and approach to it.”

Magners LeagueOne of the big factors in their favour is their continued sponsorship of the Magners League, one of Europe’s pre-mier rugby competitions. Indeed, high profile sponsorships have been a key part of the brand’s marketing strat-egy for some time, from the Bulmers International Comedy Festival to the Bulmers Summer Sundays race meet-ings.

“Outdoor, TV, radio and in-store or pub Point Of Sale is a very good com-munication tool and hopefully, most people, if not all, will get to see it. But the one thing sponsorship allows us to do is to engage with consum-ers in ways which advertising won’t,” Merrins explains. “If you look at the audiences for the sponsorships we’re involved in, it is primarily our target

audience. It brings other elements of our Bulmers personality to the brand and it really creates great occasions and environments for people to try our products.”

We wondered would they ever con-sider changing the entire brand fam-ily name to Magners, given that their biggest sponsorship is the Magners League. While admitting that it’s a constant question they get asked, Merrins feels that there is no confu-sion between the brand names.

“Because we have a brand called Bulmers here, with the level of share we have, there is unquestionably a risk that if we move to Magners, our loyal Bulmers drinkers may not appreciate that we’ve changed the name of what they like best. If there were indications that it was confusing or impacting on our growth or sales, naturally, we’d have to consider it, but at this point, it’s not on the agenda for changing.”

Irish HeritageWith recent high profile campaigns like Love Irish Food focusing on brands’ home-grown credentials, how important is it for Bulmers to promote its Irish-ness?

“Very important,” he avows. “We are absolutely Irish to our roots and every single aspect of our communica-tions highlights that. Our loyal cus-tomers feel that they own the Bulmers brand, not us, and they know it as an Irish brand.”

So finally, how can the Irish drinks industry get back to a state of growth again?

“As I said earlier, the Irish economy is in a very difficult place at the moment and will be for the next couple of years and that makes trading in the drinks industry very challenging,” Merrins concludes, “but we will do all we can to take full advantage of our innovation, despite these challenges.”

“Internationally, we have been repositioning ourselves for growth. The past two years have been really difficult but we believe we have stabilised our position and hopefully it’s a case of ‘onwards and upwards’.”

21

Irish consumers are increasingly concerned over health issues, a fact which is impacting on the sector. According to the latest Euromonitor report into the soft drinks sector, rising consumer health awareness has led to a decline in demand for carbonated soft drinks, while, despite the recession, fruit/vegetable juices and bottled water continue to increase in popularity, whilst functional drinks are also performing strongly due to rising demand for drinks with energy giving properties.

Despite these trends, the soft drinks sector remains a vital sales channel for retailers, and remains one of the most valuable sectors in-store. Convenience stores are key drivers of soft drinks sales, which are often bought on impulse while on-the-go, especially by younger consumers who are leading increasingly hectic lives.

Euromonitor predict that soft drinks growth rates are expected to remain relatively stable over the coming years, with rising demand for healthier beverages, especially within bottled water and functional drinks, fuelling sales.

GlaxoSmithKlineAs Ireland’s number one energy drink, with 64.5% volume share of the market (Source: ACNielsen, ROI, Extended Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT 4WE March 21, 2010), Lucozade

Energy continues to lead the category with innovative products and outstanding marketing campaigns.

2009/10 has proved to be challeng-ing for the carbonates market with only 0.2% volume share growth on the latest MAT. Despite these challenges, Lucozade Energy has successfully grown ahead of the market at 9.4% volume share.

Ireland’s favourite energy drink for over 80 years, Lucozade Energy provides an energy boost to help keep consumers energised and comes in a range of convenient formats, such as the ever-popular Lucozade Energy 380ml, ideal for those on the move and offering a choice of flavours to

suit consumer tastes.Lucozade Energy Cherry is the lat-

est addition to the range and is ideal for those looking for a refreshing ener-gy boost while on-the-go. Available from all major retailers from May 2010, Lucozade Energy Cherry 380ml will be supported with a nationwide outdoor advertising campaign, as well as through strong in-store promotion-al and POS support.

Ireland’s energy market continues to evolve, with the launch of ‘Energy Shots’ in 2009. This new segment has extended the category offering to a totally new dimension, and as such, will represent a major opportunity for incremental sales to the retailer.

New Lucozade Alert Plus energy shot, launched in October 2009, pro-vides consumers with a quick energy boost when needed. Lucozade Alert Plus is the only market leading energy shot brand that contains 120mg of caf-feine per serve.

An exciting programme of activity is planned for Lucozade in 2010 across multi-media channels in line with the new “Get The Energy” campaign. This will be driven alongside in-store acti-vation across the summer to keep the nation energised at key times.

As Ireland’s number one sports drink, with 59.5% volume share of the market (Source: ACNielsen Extended Scantrack, MAT, March 21, 2010), Lucozade Sport continues to lead the category with innovative products and

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May10Summer Drinks: Energy & Soft Drinks

Soft drinks are big business for Irish retailers, with the convenience channel in particular a key driver of sales.

The Soft Parade

Category Advice- Focusing on the key brands,

giving them the most space and best visibility can increase your sales by up to 25%.

- Your range should focus on the top sellers, with more space allocated to the top SKUs.

- Similar products should be located next to one another.

- At least one case of each top SKU should be on-shelf to aid filling shelves.

(Source: GlaxoSmithKline)

New Lucozade Energy Cherry 380ml should prove to be a firm favourite

with consumers this summer.

*Source: AC Nielsen, ROI, Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT, 4 WE 21 March 2010

24

outstanding marketing campaigns. Like Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport has successfully grown ahead of the carbonates market at +6.9% volume share, despite the challenges faced in this market.

Lucozade Sport works with leading Irish sports teams and stars, includ-ing Ronan O’Gara, Henry Shefflin and Colm Cooper. The Lucozade Sport range includes the ever popular Orange, Raspberry & Tropical fla-vours, available in various formats to suit all consumer needs.

With only 50 calories and avail-able in two flavours, Summer Berries and Lemon & Lime, new Lucozade Sport Lite 500ml, is already popu-lar amongst consumers looking to improve their workout. Launched in March 2010, Lucozade Sport Lite is available from all major retailers and will be supported throughout the sum-mer with a nationwide TV advertising campaign, alongside in-store promo-tional & POS support.

In addition to this exciting NPD from Ireland’s number one sports brand, Lucozade Sport is exciting in-store promotion planned, which is

sure to capture the excitement of World Cup mania. Over the month of May, Lucozade Sport is giving consumers a chance to pick up a free football with every two bottles of Lucozade Sport 500ml purchased. This promotion will be supported nationwide in-store with a great POS suite and further supported through press and on-line via a Astro.ie Nationwide 5-a-side tournament, where consumers will be in with a chance to win Barclays VIP Premier League Trips.

Monster EnergyMonster Energy is the largest selling energy drink in the USA. Monster Energy continues to grow across Europe and the world, introducing new consumers to the great Monster

Energy taste.In Ireland, Monster Energy con-

tinues to grow, with more consumers coming into the energy category to experience the great Monster fla-vours, like Monster Ripper, which is 50% fruit juice. Monster Energy is almost more of a lifestyle than a drink and with great athletes and bands, it appeals directly to the consumers who like something out of the ordi-nary. Supported by local sponsorships, extensive sampling and endorse-ments from athletes like Ken Block, Valentino Rossi and Jensen Button,

2010 is looking great for the continued growth of the Monster Energy brand in Ireland.

In Ireland, Gleeson Group are the distributors of Monster Energy, and have done an amazing job in making Monster Energy now the most widely available 500ml can energy drink in the country.

Britvic IrelandThe Squash market is in strong growth over the last year as consumers see it as a recession friendly category. The market is growing by 13% in volume and continues to be driven by Britvic Ireland brands. MiWadi and Robinsons claim almost 70% of market volume in this category.

MiWadi is the market leader with over 40%, while Robinsons commands nearly 30% of the market.

The Squash category is recruit-ing more users and is a category for all seasons as consumers move into Squash all year but in particular in the summer, which is key for the cat-egory. Consumers are looking for cost effective ways to give their children the drinks they love and MiWadi and Robinsons are leading the way in doing that. It is key to have Squash on feature and display for the summer months.

Both MiWadi and Robinsons will have fantastic plans for Summer 2010


With only 50 calories and available in two flavours, Summer Berries

and Lemon & Lime, new Lucozade Sport Lite 500ml, is already popular

amongst consumers looking to improve their workout.

In Ireland, Monster Energy continues to grow, with more consumers coming into the energy category to experience

the great Monster Energy flavours.

MiWadi is a truly iconic Irish brand and continues to go from strength

to strength in the marketplace, appealing to all age groups.

25

– the ‘Super Squash Summer’.MiWadi is a truly iconic Irish

brand and continues to go from strength to strength in the market-place, appealing to all age groups. From small beginnings in 1927, when it was filled by hand in Nassau Place (Dublin) and distributed by horse and cart, MiWadi has become one of Ireland’s best-loved brands and continues to be the largest squash brand in Ireland. It is still produced in Dublin to this day and around 16.5m litres of MiWadi are consumed every year. MiWadi is a key brand in the Love Irish Food Campaign and the LIF logo will be on all MiWadi packs in the coming months.

MiWadi fruit squashes are all pre-pared from sun-ripened fruit and con-tain real fruit juice. They are sold in 1L and 2L bottles. MiWadi has been a fruity and flavoursome part of child-hood in Ireland for over 90 years and has always remained relevant to Irish families, with a wide range of flavours in both regular and NAS formulations. No Added Sugar is the key driver of category growth in Squash as consum-ers look to reduce sugar intake for their children.

MiWadi Extra Fill Packs have been a key innovation for the category this year, increasing frequency of pur-chase and weight of purchase for the brand and the category. MiWadi has

successfully increased the amount of occasions where Squash is consumed in the home through both above and below the line campaigns.

MiWadi will launch a new campaign this summer to drive the Squash category, focusing on above the line advertising, sales promotion and in-store activation, which will ensure that Squash is at the forefront of consumers’ minds throughout the sum-mer months.

Robinsons is the number two brand in the Squash market and has the largest range on the market. There are four main variants in the range: Robinson’s Fruit Squash, Robinson’s Fruit &

Barley, Robinson’s High Juice and Robinson’s Barley Water. Each part of the range offers

consumers new flavours and different drinks for every occasion.

Robinsons will continue to drive the Squash market this summer with a new look, new launches and a sensational on-pack offer for consum-ers, as well as other strong consumer promotions.

Robinsons is launching a new packaging design that will make it easier and more exciting for shoppers to shop the Squash category. The design will create greater variety stand-out and will drive quality per-ceptions of Robinsons and the Squash category in general.

To celebrate the brand’s 75th Anniversary of spon-soring Wimbledon, Robinsons Barley Water is being relaunched in a fantastic retro bot-tle, reminiscent of the brand’s old glass bottles. This will have maxi-mum shelf standout and there will be in-store activity around Barley Water to drive trial.

Robinsons Select are a range of sophisti-cated quality Squashes in three fresh, con-temporary flavours:

Orange, Mandarin & Peach; Apple & Wild Blueberry; and Red Grape, Pomegranate & Raspberry. This range will replace Robinsons High Juice. They have no artificial colours or fla-vours and were loved by consumers in research. They will appeal to families with kids, aged 15-24 and will keep families drinking squash for longer.

In May, Robinsons will launch a new Wimbledon on-pack promo-tion that will allow consumers to win one of five packs every day. The Wimbledon Pack includes a Nintendo Wii with an EA Grand Slam Tennis game until the end of the tennis tournament, which will help to bring Wimbledon to life in Irish homes. This will run for eight weeks leading up to the tournament.

The latest 4 week ACNielsen period shows Robinsons Fruit Shoot reaching an all time high share of 12.7% value share of the RTD mar-ket (Source: ACNielsen total Scan, February 21, 2010). Robinsons Fruit Shoot are the original on-the-go drink, specially designed for kids. The core Fruit Shoot range are all No Added Sugar varieties.

A key part of the Fruit Shoot range is Robinsons Fruit Shoot H2O: a still spring water with natural fruit flavours. Fruit Shoot H2O Spring Waters are sugar free and free from artificial colours and fla-vours. Available in three delicious flavours, they’re an easy and tasty way to ensure kids enjoy drink-ing water and keep hydrated. And because they’re handily packaged in


Robinsons will continue to drive the Squash market this summer with a new look, new

launches and a sensational on-pack offer for consumers, as well as other strong consumer

promotions.

Robinsons Fruit Shoot are the original on-the-go drink specially designed for kids.

26

an easy-squeezy sports bottle, they’re ideal for helping to keep active kids hydrated after sport, play and when they’re on-the-go.

Over the Easter holidays, Robinsons Fruit Shoot went out in search of a new member for their ‘Juice Crew’ to star in the next Robinsons Fruit Shoot TV advertise-ment. They brought roadshows to shopping centres around the country, giving kids an opportunity to show-case their skills and be in with a chance of landing a role in the new TV ad. See www.fruitshoot.com for more information.

Coca-Cola HellenicCoca-Cola Hellenic have launched the Fruice Dilute Double Strength range, available in Orange, Blackcurrant and Orange &

Pineapple with no added sugar, no artificial colours or flavours. These three core flavours will be launched in grocery, with an additional fourth flavour for the licensed and wholesale channel, Lime. Through the launch of the Fruice Dilute Double Strength range, Coca-Cola Hellenic will help to grow the dilutes segment by driving incremental litres to the category and thus providing retailers with an increased category margin.

The flavours being launched are the top three performing flavours in the market, and combined, they account for 62% of the market (Source:

ACNielsen ROI Multiples Scantrack MAT Oct 2009 Vs py). These three flavours are also in growth: therefore, Coca-Cola Helenic are giving consum-ers exactly what they want. Most importantly, consumers have endorsed the flavour line-up and in taste tests, the range was positively received.

Fruice has a proven track record within the marketplace and is in growth v prior year +2.1% and currently comprises 13.8% of the market. Fruice is currently the number one impulse juice in the ROI market. The impulse market is in decline across all categories, impulse juice being hardest hit of all at -16.6%. Yet despite the market decline, Fruice is still holding its number one position

(Source: ACNielsen Convenience Market Track Units Sold YTD Dec 2009).

Since its introduc-tion in the early ’90s, Fruice has continued to grow from strength to strength as a pre-mium brand which offers high quality juice credentials. Also, both consumers and retailers alike are familiar with and trust the Fruice brand and recognise it as a premium juice that always delivers on quality and value.

Fruice Dilute Double Strength represents a great opportunity for the convenience chan-nel. The smaller pack format will appeal to the lighter/top up shop of the convenience shopper.

Gleeson GroupThe continued success of Finches Sparkling Orange 500ml highlights consumer desire for quality Irish products. Finches, from the Gleeson Group, is available in Orange, Orange Light , Lemon and Rock Shandy.

Finches is one of the few carbon-ated oranges made with pure natural spring water, which, teamed with a high juice content, guarantees a

refresing recipe to quench any thirst. Its sophisticated contoured bottle makes it the perfect convenience part-ner for the on-the-move consumer dur-ing this summer season.

Also from the Gleeson Group, Country Spring is the only three-litre soft drink available in Ireland. Made from pure Irish spring water and manu-factured in Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary, Country Spring is a high qual-ity, 100% Irish product.

Available in eight fan-tastic flavours (Orange, Cola, Lemon & Lime, Red Lemonade, White Lemonade, American Cream Soda, Apple and Sugar Free Orange), there is a product to suit every taste in the family.

This May, Country Spring have developed a new exceptional value pack, flashed at €1.49 for the three-litre bottle. Seen as an attractive offering for the value conscious consumer, Country Spring has bucked the market trend, showing significant growth in recent months, making it a must-stock product, according to the Gleeson Group.


Country Spring is the only three-litre soft drink available in

Ireland and is showing significant growth in

recent months.

Coca-Cola Hellenic have launched the Fruice Dilute Double Strength range, available in Orange,

Blackcurrant and Orange & Pineapple.

Finches, from the Gleeson Group, is available in Orange, Orange Light , Lemon and Rock Shandy.

27

The water market is currently in volume growth of +1.7% although the market is still challenged in value (Source: ACNielsen, MAT, February 21, 2010). These trends show that, even in a recession, consumers’ desire to drink bottled water is as high as ever but they are demanding better value for money.

According to the latest Euromonitor report into the entire soft drinks market, as a result of rising consumer health awareness, demand for carbonated drinks is in decline while, despite the recession, fruit/vegetable juices and bottled water continue to increase in popularity. Rising obesity levels and govern-ment campaigns have helped to fuel demand for healthier beverages and fruit. Indeed, Ireland’s bottled water market is bucking the international trend, where domestic brands like Ballygowan and Deep RiverRock are leading the market, at the expense of international brands.

BallygowanBallygowan, Ireland’s original and number one water brand, is responding to consumer demand for value across all channels, and the brand is offering great prices

and promotions across its range. Ballygowan is also the only water brand involved in the Love Irish Food Campaign and has been central to the campaign.

As market lead-er, Ballygowan is also working to con-tinue to reinvent the bottled water market and make it more relevant in recessionary times. In February, Ballygowan launched a ground-breaking campaign to raise much need-ed funds for breast cancer aware-ness. Supporting the Marie Keating Foundation and its campaign partner in Northern Ireland, Action Cancer, the Ballygowan ‘Be Part of It’ cam-paign aims to help save lives through early detection.

The first phase of the Ballygowan ‘Be Part of It’ campaign saw the launch of Ballygowan Pink bottles. Ballygowan Pink contains the same still pure, Irish still water, which Ballygowan is known for, presented in a stylish pink bottle, and is available in 500ml, 2L and 6x1.5L packs. The glass 250ml and 750ml licensed trade bottles are also sporting the distinc-tive pink ribbon. Every bottle sold will help raise funds for breast cancer awareness.

Initial results from the cam-paign have been fantastic, with the Ballygowan brand performing ahead of the market. The ‘Bpartofit’ facebook fanpage gathered 12,000 fans within the first month, Ballygowan Pink was the top rated outdoor campaign in February (PML) and this has trans-lated into share growth in the grocery channel (Source: ACNielsen, 4 w/e February 21, 2010).

Ballygowan ‘Be Part of It’ will con-

tinue to be heavily supported through-out the summer with above and below the line activity, alongside in-store promotions. In-store activation is key, according to Ballygowan, as consum-ers are actively looking to buy Pink, so the advice from the company is to make sure it can be seen.

Ballygowan Pink will continue to be in the news across the year. For Easter, they linked up with Munster Rugby to create a unique fundrais-ing event for the Marie Keating Foundation around the Munster/Leinster game, while the brand will also lead key activations around the Women’s Mini Marathon and have lots of other fundraising initiatives planned across the summer in the build up to Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

Deep RiverRockDeep RiverRock, from Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland, is not only available in the iconic 500ml bottle, but also has a sporty 750ml bottle, the top selling impulse water SKU in Ireland (Source: ACNeilsen, MAT, November/December 2009). This pack is so popular because it is ideal for consumers with healthy, active lifestyles. It features an easy grip bottle and a no spills, no mess re-sealable sports cap, making it consumers’ perfect partner for all activities. It helps to contribute to consumers’ recommended daily allowance (RDA) of water and contains essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.

This portable on-the-go pack is perfect throughout

May10Summer Drinks: Bottled Water

Irish bottled water consumption is growing in volume, despite the recession, thanks to consumer desire for healthy lifestyles.

Clear Winners

Every bottle of Ballygowan Pink

sold will help raise funds for breast

cancer awareness.

Deep RiverRock’s sporty 750ml

bottle is hugely popular with Irish

consumers.

28

the day, and is also available in a fun 330ml pack, ideal for kids aged 5-12 years old.

Tipperary Natural Mineral WaterTipperary Natural Mineral Water, from the Gleeson Group, has once again proven to be gold standard water, winning two Gold Medals at this year’s British Bottles Institute Awards in London. Winning gold medals in both the still and sparkling mineral water category, Tipperary Natural Mineral Water is a natural choice for consumers looking for a quality, premium Irish water.

At the beginning of 2009, seven-times Gold Medal-winning Tipperary Natural Mineral Water launched the ‘My Bottle’ campaign, highlighting the huge range that offers bottle sizes and formats for all consumers and occa-

sions.Tipperary

Natural Mineral Water has recently launched the new flip-top cap for the 500ml Tipp Active range. The bot-tle top is not only innovative but more environmen-tally friendly. The Tipp Active 500ml range includes the 8x500ml pack, flashed at €4.99. The packs come in easy-to-use display boxes. In addition, Tipp Active has just launched a 50% Extra Free bottle, offering consum-ers a 750ml bottle

of water for the price of 500ml. Tipperary Natural Mineral Water

has also recently expanded the hugely successful 1.5L pack offering. Originally available in a 4x1.5L pack flashed at €3, the complementary 6x1.5L pack flashed at €4.49 is proving to be a clear consumer favourite. The Tipperary 2L bottle is also now avail-able in a price flashed bottle, offering consumers a single bottle for €1.

Tipperary Kidz is the ideal lunch-box size and with the 15-for-10 pack available for the busy back to school period, Tipperary Kidz will continue to be the water of choice for Ireland’s kids.

Crystal SpringsNaturally filtered for over 50 years, through 100 metres of sandstone, Crystal Springs, also from the Gleeson Group, is the market leader in the five-litre water category. This summer, Crystal Springs will continue to offer consumers real value for money, as it always has done.

The five-litre bottle is ideal for busy households and the Crystal Springs twin-pack, flashed at €4, has proved hugely popular and is must stock item. Coming into the summer months, five-litre water sales continue to grow. Crystal Springs is just com-ing out of a very successful TV burst for April, which ensures the brand is at the forefront of consumers’ minds.

Crystal Springs comes from one of the purest water sources in Ireland

and is bottled in Co. Tipperary, making it a 100% Irish product. It is available in single five-litre bot-tles, five-litre twin-packs and single 10-litre packs.

May10Summer Drinks: Bottled Water

San PellegrinoSAN Pellegrino water, from Stafford Lynch, with its iconic red star symbol, has always been an elegant icon of the Italian art of living. This has seen it make it way onto our cinema screens, as famous directors such as Woody Allen and Billy Wilder wanted it on the cinema sets of famous Hollywood movies, including The Goddess Of Love, Sabrina, The

Devil Wears Prada, and more recently, It’s Complicated.

This summer, San Pellegrino are launching in Ireland their range of highly successful spar-kling fruit drinks. Combining San Pellegrino waters with handpicked Sicilian fruit, San Pellegrino present San Pellegrino Limonata and San Pellegrino Aranciata, to quench consumers’ summer thirst. Presented in a 33cl can, these sparkling fruit beverages carry a foil eco-lid to maintain a clean drinking area on the can, so consumers can fully enjoy the refreshing taste of San Pellegrino sparkling fruit drinks.

Combining San Pellegrino waters with handpicked Sicilian fruit,

San Pellegrino Limonata and San Pellegrino Aranciata are set to

quench consumers’ summer thirst.

Crystal Springs will continue to offer consumers real value for money in the

five-litre water category.

Tipperary Natural Mineral Water has recently launched

the new flip-top cap for the 500ml Tipp Active range.

San Pellegrino water, with its iconic red star symbol, has always been an elegant icon of the

Italian art of living.

Part of you

M yRight atthe heartof theactionbottle

A look at Nielsen figures to December 2009 gives a snapshot of the off-trade wine market in Ireland. The figures indicate a very strong bias toward three distinctive wine styles. These styles are also selling strongly in both the multiples and the independent off trade and symbol groups. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Pinot Grigio and Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene are the big hitters. As we head into summer, all three styles are ideal for summer drinking and are likely to generate sales during the summer months.

So why have these particular wine styles gained such popularity?

New Zealand has really started to make a worldwide name for its wines. Many of the white wines produced in this small country are of excellent quality. The majority of vineyards are situated in coastal areas; gener-ally cool but ideal for the produc-tion of light wines. The white grape variety Sauvignon Blanc performs particularly well in this country, where its aromatic qualities are more pronounced: as a result this grassy, citrus, fresh style of wine has gained many followers.

The latest figures reported in December 2009 show that the value of New Zealand wine sales increased by 17.5% in Ireland. The volume share increased by 14.9% in the €12-12.99 price bracket and by 30.3% in the €10-10.99 bracket. The Irish wine market has been going through tough economic times but consumers still seem willing to pay more for New Zealand wine and they appreciate the premium quality.

You will find New Zealand Sauvignon in the portfolios of all of the key wine distributors. Names to look out for include Babich (Ampersand); Cloudy Bay (Edward Dillon & Co); Craggy Range and Lawson’s Dry Hills (Febvre & Co.); Delgats Wine Estates, owner of top selling New Zealand wine brand Oyster Bay, as well as Nautilus (Cassidy Wines); Hunters Wines & Matua Wine Estates (Gilbeys Wines); Kim Crawford Wines (Liberty Wines); Nobilo & Villa Maria (Barry & Fitzwilliam); Saint Clair (Findlater Wine & Spirit Co); Siefried (Classic Drinks); Sileni Estate (Dalcassian Wines & Spirits); Spy Valley Wines (James Adams), as well as the other top seller, Wither Hills (Comans Wines).

Pinot GrigioPinot Grigio is the Italian synonym for the Pinot Gris grape, which was long thought to be a mutation of Pinot Noir but has recently been discovered to be a cross of the Pinot Meunier and the Traminer varietal. Pinot Grigio (the Grey Grape as it is known, both for the varying and exotic hues of its skin but also for the fogs that blanket vineyards in northern Italy where this grape is grown in abundance) can be made in various different styles, from crisp and dry to fruity and spicy to sweet and rich. In Italy, Pinot Grigio has a distinct level of acidity that can make for pleasant wines with notes of peaches, apricots, spices and cream.

Once again, many of the top importers carry an Italian Pinot Grigio; indeed, it is worth noting that many of the new world wineries are starting to use the Italian name for the grape, because it has become almost a brand name in its own right. From Australia, have a look at the Rosemount Diamond Cellars Pinot Gris (Edward Dillon & Co.) as a good example of New World Pinot Gris.

Italian producers are very well represented in Ireland. There are

30

May10Summer Drinks: Wines & Spirits

Jean Smullen looks at the wine styles set to sparkle this summer, while we also focus on the spirit brands guaranteed to excite consumers’ taste buds.

Summer Smashers

32

a huge number of really good pro-ducers available from most key dis-tribution companies and having a chat with your local representative is always a good idea. Companies who are have strong Italian portfo-lios include: Ampersand, Barry & Fitzwilliam, Cassidy Wines, Classic Drinks, Febvre & Co., The Findlater Wine & Spirit Co., Gleeson Group, Iber/Expo, James Nicholson Wine Merchants, Karwig Wines, Liberty Wines, Mitchell & Sons, Searsons Wines, Soleway Wines, Tindal Wine Merchants, Wine Knows and Wines Direct, among others.

ProseccoProsecco is a light fresh sparkling wine, low in alcohol and intensely aromatic. The DOC is for a dry white wine labelled Tranquille (still), or for the sparkling wines labelled either Gentile or Frizzante (slightly sparkling) or Spumante (fully sparkling). The DOC applies to the region, which runs for 33km from the town of Congegliano to the picturesque village of Valdiobbiandene in the Treviso province of Veneto.

As a sparkling wine style, Prosecco is rapidly creating a niche for itself as a price effective tradi-

tional sparking wine style, which can compete on price with the best which the New World has to offer. It first started to appear on Irish shelves about six years ago and has now really caught on with the cash-challenged Irish consumer as a reasonably priced sparking wine for celebrations.

Most of the key Italian import-ers carry a Prosecco. Names to look out for include Bisol (Searsons Wine Merchants) and Ca Morlin (Liberty Wines).

RoséFinally, a word about Rosé, another seasonal wine style. Rosé wines now account for almost 5% of the total wine market in Ireland (just under 8m cases). Again, you will find Rosé wines on most price lists. New from Chile is the Pink Sin produced by Mont Gras (Barry & Fitzwilliam) who also carry Echo Falls, another big name from California.

Rosé wine styles to look out for include Chivite from Spain (Ampersand). From the USA, Blossom Hill (Gilbeys Wines), E& J Gallo (Cassidy Wines), Fetzer & Paul Masson (Edward Dillon), and last but not least Torres (Spain, Chile & California) and Sutter Home

(California), both imported by Findlater Wine & Spirit Company.

Barry & FitzwilliamMichael Barry of Barry & Fitzwilliam claims that they now have probably the most successful prestigious French wines on the market, taking account of the success of Michel Lynch and Guigals wine from the Cote du Rhone, while the Gabriel Meffre range, which includes La Chasse du Pape, adds to their armoury of French wine. Faiveley Burgundy Wines, Jolivet Loire Wines and Preiss-Zimmer Alsace wines complete an outstanding portfolio of French wine.

From Germany, Blue Nun is still an old favourite and will be heavily pro-moted by Barry & Fitzwilliam / Allied Wines, offering a litre bottle for the price of 70cl.

From Australia, McGuigan wines con-tinue to outperform the market. The Black Label range com-prises of a Cabernet/Merlot, Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Rosé as well as McGuigan Black Label Sparkling Chardonnay and Sparkling Rosé. The range will have strong above-the-line marketing sup-port, particularly in national press and radio, with a major emphasis on Neil McGuigan’s award at the IWC awards as the Best White Winemaker in the World and Winemaker of the Year at the IWSC awards.

The Tyrrell’s Moores Creek range is gathering momentum and the Old Winery range does extremely well in the premium category, while Brown Brothers wines have garnered a fan-tastic reputation from wine writers the world over and are very popular with the Irish consumer, as are those from Hardy’s. Hardy’s will be backed by a radio campaign and the major empha-


The Magic of MoëtFOR more than 260 years, Moët & Chandon has been the reference for fabulous celebrations, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary with the pop of a cork. So what better way to mark any occasion this summer than with a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne.

As the world’s leading champagne house, Moët brings a sense of magic and celebration that elevates any occasion, anywhere. Whether adding sparkle on red carpets for the most prestigious film awards and festivals around the world, celebrating landmark occa-sions such as lighting up Lady Liberty for her 120th birthday or introducing international star Scarlett Johansson as the first Hollywood celebrity face in champagne, Moët is undeniably the global expert of celebration. Consumers can bring a touch of magic to summer events this year, by celebrating with a timeless bottle of Moët & Chandon.

For further information on Moët & Chandon, please contact Edward Dillon & Co. Tel: (01) 8193300.

Montes wines are the latest addition to the Barry & Fitzwilliam

portfolio from June 1.

33

sis will be on the promotion of Hardy’s Stamp litres for the price of 75cl.

Paul Masson is one of the great success stories from California in the last number of years. Sales continue to boom here in Ireland, with 2009 looking to be a record year. Distinctive by its Carafe shaped bottle, the red, white and rosé litres retail at €9.99.

Also from California comes Robert Mondavi wines, whose Woodbridge range will be promoted aggressively, the massively popular Glen Ellen range, as well as Concannon and Bonny Doon.

The Kumala and Boscendal ranges from South Africa are very popular. B&F have recently launched the Boschendal Pavillion range at under €10, to bring Boschendal into the value for money category.

From New Zealand comes Villa Maria, which has been one of New Zealand’s leading wine award win-ners, both nationally and internation-ally, since the early 1980s. The repo-

sitioning of the Private Bin Range has seen sales surge in the last six months. From the same coun-try, Nobilo is a well-priced range of excellent quality wines, which include the entry level White Cloud (RSP €8.99).

Mont Gras continues to grow strongly, from entry level Blends at €6.99 to the fantastic Reserva at €11.99, while the Soleus range of Organic Wine produced by Mont Gras is also going from strength to strength.

Montes wines are the latest addition to the Barry & Fitzwilliam portfolio from June 1. “Montes is amongst the finest producers of top class Chilean wines, from the Villa Montes range, right through to the iconic Alpha Range,” notes Michael Barry, who thanked the team at previ-ous distributor, Findlaters, for their work with the brand.

From Spain, Beronia Rioja wines from Gonzalez Byass and Raimat from Penedes are two exceptional ranges which have developed a cult following here.

B&F also includes Argentina’s Santa Julia/Zuccardi range in their portfolio, with a fantastic price/qual-ity ratio. At the top end, Zuccardi Zeta is on absolute wow, according to Michael Barry.

B&F also carry Codorniu, as well as the Charles and Piper Heidsieck Champagne brands.

Barry& Fitzwilliam / Allied Wines have a very strong line up in the Fortified Wine Sector, including Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry, Croft Original Sherry, Tio Pepe Sherry, Cockburns and Taylor’s Port.

Cassidy WinesErrazuriz Estates, distributed in Ireland by Cassidy Wines, have announced the renewal of their sponsorship of Tennis Ireland in time for an important Davis Cup match in July. Errazuriz have invested heavily in 2009 and 2010 with the opening of their new winery later this year.

Errazuriz wines are widely avail-able in Ireland with the Estates Range retailing at €9.99 and the Max Reserva range retailing at €14.99. Winemaker Francisco Baettig will be

in Ireland in the late summer to con-duct a number of tastings.

Findlater Wine & Spirit CompanyThe hugely successful The Bend in the River wine, with over 40% of the German market, are launching their new Sauvignon Blanc to the range this year.

Ireland has seen a growth in the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety and The Bend in the River is keeping up with market trends and supply-ing the demand for this varietal. Deliciously fresh and crisp, with aromas of exotic fruit and hints of gooseberry, this is an excellent ape-ritif and a perfect match to spicy or Asian cuisine.

Already in the Top 20 wine brands in Ireland, The Bend in the River range is an easy drinking lifestyle brand, and continuing the success of 2009, will be supported by above the line and a strong promotional cam-paign in 2010.


Echo Falls SpritzONE 250ml bottle of Echo Falls Spritz is the equivalent to just one unit of alcohol, so consumers can quench their thirst, enjoying one of the refreshing new varieties; either the Chardonnay (white) – zesty and refreshing with a light sparkle and subtle lemon-lime fruit flavours, or the White Zinfandel (rosé) – lively and refreshing, with a light sparkle and bursting with sweet summer berry fruits. Aimed primarily at the female market, Michael Barry of Barry & Fitzwilliam feels that this has great potential and could be “the hit of the summer”.

Errazuriz Estates, distributed in Ireland by Cassidy Wines, are widely available in Ireland, with the Estates

Range retailing at €9.99.

The Bend in the River range is an easy drinking lifestyle brand, which has just

added a Sauvignon Blanc to its portfolio.

34

SPIRITSOf course, summer wouldn’t be summer without cocktail fever sweeping the nation, as consumers all over Ireland reach for those long drinks that seem par for the course when the sun shines. We focus on some of the premium brands to stock up on this summer.

Edward Dillon & Co. LtdFrom Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd, Grey Goose, widely renowned as the world’s best tasting vodka, is available in four delicious and distinct flavours, Grey Goose L’Original, L’Orange, La Poire and Le Citron. Each bottle of Grey Goose is produced using the finest gastronomic traditions in France under the watchful eye of the Grey Goose mâitre de chai. Grey Goose also boasts some of the best cocktails ever created and to view some of these recipes, visit www.greygoose.com. Grey Goose is available from leading off licenses nationwide and retails at €45.79

Bombay Sapphire gin, also from Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd, is deli-cately infused with aromatic flavours of 10 botanicals – which include the peels of the juiciest Spanish lemons. These peels are dried naturally in the Mediterranean sun, allowing the zest

to capture the fruit’s essential oils and ensure this classic drink bursts with citrus and a long, refreshing taste.

This citrus ingredient is the ideal partner for the freshly squeezed lemons used to create the Bombay Sapphire Collins, which is based on the classic ‘Tom Collins’ cock-tail. For more information on Bombay Sapphire, visit www.bombaysapphire.com

Barry & FitzwilliamThe Barry & Fitzwilliam vehicle distributes a wide range of premium spirits. They include Teachers Scotch, Courvoisier Cognac, Rémy Martin Cognac, The Famous Grouse Finest Scotch Whisky, Jim Beam Bourbon, Vladivar Vodka, Boru Vodka and Stolichnaya.

Cointreau is the per-fect partner for cocktails, renowned for livening up a

Margarita, making a long drink even longer with 7Up or the stylish party Cosmopolitan cocktail.

Bols Distilleries is one of the largest and oldest producers of fine spirits and liqueurs in the world, some dating back to the year 1575. Many of the unique flavours of Bols liqueurs are made with fruit juices, thereby creating the ideal platform for some of the best cocktails around.

The selection of flavours available from Bols is vast and includes Bols Blue, Grenadine, Advocaat, Crème de Cacao, Cherry Brandy, Amaretto and many more.

Sourz’ unique, dual sweet & sour flavour is performing extremely well in Ireland, while Jagermeister, the famous German schnapps, is a huge seller in the shooter market, particu-larly among student trend setters and is growing internationally, with sales in Ireland up 10% for the first quarter of 2010.

B&F have added two exciting brands to their portfolio in the shape of Tia Maria and Disaronno. Tia Maria is a hugely popular coffee liqueur world-wide, particularly in its mixability in cocktails, with cof-fee or in desserts, or mixed with milk and ice as a luxurious long drink. With its distinctive square glass decanter and smooth almond flavour, Disaronno has a secret recipe which is said to include the pure essence of 17 select-ed herbs and fruits with an infusion of apricot kernel oil.


Barry Group Signs Exclusive Distribution DealsBARRY Group, one of Ireland’s largest alcohol wholesalers, has signed up some of the world’s best known wine, beer and spirit brands for exclusive distribution in its Carry Out and Costcutter off licenses. New brands include Yali, an eco-friendly range of Chilean wine, and South African wine, Spier. Premium Russian beer Baltika, and Sobieski, one of Poland’s top vodkas.

“Our focus remains squarely on stocking quality product at best value for our customers, but it’s also about providing a wide range and choice so that the needs and tastes of our con-sumers are met whenever they visit a Carry Out store,” noted Jim Barry, MD of The Barry Group.

Tia Maria, from Barry & Fitzwilliam, is a hugely popular

coffee liqueur worldwide.

From Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd,

Grey Goose is widely renowned

as the world’s best tasting

vodka.

Bombay Sapphire gin is delicately infused with aromatic flavours of 10

botanicals – which include the peels of the juiciest Spanish lemons.

Ireland’s off-trade beer and cider market continues to blossom, as more and more consumers choose to enjoy their favourite tipple in the comfort of their own homes. This summer should provide ample opportunities for the off-trade to thrive, thanks to the advent of barbeque season and the month-long soccer celebration that is the World Cup in South Africa, which takes place from June 11 to July 11, as armchair sports-fans throughout the country relax in front of the TV, generally with a bottle or can of their beer and cider brand of choice.

HeinekenHeineken, Ireland’s number one draught lager, has been enjoyed around the world since 1873. So what has Heineken got on this summer?

Heineken Music is synonymous with great gigs and musical experienc-es. With high calibre acts including Passion Pit, Peter Doherty, Marina and the Diamonds, Miike Snow and White Lies, Heineken Green Spheres continues to go from strength to strength with each gig around the country. Added to this, Heineken Music’s association with Oxegen and Electric Picnic ensures Heineken con-tinues to lead the way in the music arena, providing the ultimate musical experiences through the year.

This year, for the first time, the rugby and football sporting worlds col-lided, providing the ultimate sporting occasion on May 22. 2010 represents

a special year for Heineken in sport, with 15 years of the Heineken Cup, and the year the Heineken Cup Final meets the UEFA Champions League final. Heineken Star Saturday, which took place on Saturday, May 22, was a unique opportunity for soccer and rugby fans to celebrate with an ice cold Heineken across Ireland on one epic day.

With the sun shining and BBQ season in full swing, the Heineken Draught Keg provides the perfect opportunity for consumers to serve the perfect glass of smooth, cold beer, whether it’s a party or a barbeque or watching the match on the outdoor projector.

35

May10Summer Drinks: Beer & Cider

When temperatures rise this summer, Irish consumers will be reaching for cold beers and ciders, with the arrival of barbeque season and the World Cup in South Africa set to boost sales.

Warm Weather: Cold Comforts

The massively popular Heineken brand will be supported with a host of brand activity this summer.

36

Murphy’s StoutMurphy’s, from Heineken Ireland, is deeply entrenched in Cork, having been brewed at Lady’s Well Brewery since 1856. Its smooth creamy consistency and gently roasted flavour proves that James J. Murphy and his brothers certainly got it right when they started brewing over 150 years ago. Murphy’s has a long and proud tradition of success in renewing and strengthening its relationship with successive generations of stout drinkers.

Offering the best food, sport, and entertainment for culture vultures, Murphy’s Little Big Nights Out series continues to delight Cork this season as the perfect midsummer treat. To date, the series has seen musical mas-terpiece The Blues Brothers shown in The Flying Enterprise, the 1986 All-Ireland Hurling Final screened with Cork’s hurling legends, the noto-rious John Spillane in Counihan’s and Florence and the Machine in the Opera House. Anyone wanting to get in on the next Little Big Night Out should apply for tickets at www.lit-tlebignightsout.com.

Summer 2010 will also see Murphy’s sponsor the inaugural Cork Oyster Festival to the delight of foodies everywhere. The fest will be showcasing the best in local seafood at some of Cork’s finest restaurants.

BeamishSummer 2010 sees Beamish become increasingly synonymous with top class horse racing, hosting key races

at some of the finest courses in Ireland. This summer, the brand will be satisfying punters’ thirst for racing across the finest furlongs of the country, including Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, Bellewstown, Co. Meath, Laytown Strand and The Curragh in Kildare.

In tandem with the racing associa-tion, Heineken Ireland continues to reaffirm its commitment to the development of Beamish and has since widened its distribution over the

past year, resulting in increased sales for the brand. Founded by dynamic duo William Beamish and William Crawford in 1792, over 200 years on, Beamish is one of the oldest and favourite stouts still brewed exclu-sively in Ireland.

Winner of the Monde Selection international food quality award for Best in Stout in 2009, Beamish contin-ues to cement its long-standing tradi-tion of superior quality. Distinguished dark malts and selected roast barley allow Beamish to provide the charac-teristic of chocolate and coffee-like fla-vours, positioning it as the premium choice for stout connoisseurs.

Bulmers Ltd2010 saw an exciting new product launch to the Irish drinks sector as Bulmers Ltd launched a new variant into the Irish cider market, Bulmers Berry. The new fruit cider enters a largely untapped, growing market with considerable potential.

“Bulmers is absolutely delighted to add another extension to our brand portfolio,” noted Michael Merrins, Managing Director, Bulmers Ltd. “After carefully exploring the oppor-tunities for the brand following the successful launch of Bulmers Pear last year, it became evident that the fruit cider market presented an excit-ing and logical extension for Bulmers, driving our commitment to growing the cider category, whilst responding to consumer demand. Our research has shown that the blend of apples with blackcurrants, raspberries and strawberries in Bulmers Berry is spot on in terms of consumer tastes and initial feedback has really filled us with confidence about the potential for Bulmers Berry in Ireland.


Murphy’s has a long and proud tradition of success in renewing and strengthening its relationship with

successive generations of stout drinkers.

Winner of the Monde Selection international food quality award for Best in Stout in 2009, Beamish

continues to cement its long-standing tradition of superior quality.

New Bulmers Berry is a unique blend of 17 varieties of apple, fused with

the finest selection of blackcurrants, raspberries and strawberries.

No matter what the weather, you’ll need to make more room to keep Bavaria Crown on the

shelf with this year’s refreshing forecast. After all, we’ve been brewing this great tasting beer

since 1719 using the finest natural ingredients of malted

barley, hops and the purest mineral water.

For more information about our

full range of high quality products, visit us online at

www.bavaria.ie

20 million cans in production

this year, rain or shine.Now that’s a

brilliant forecast.

Bavaria® Premium Pils300 YEARS OF EXPERTISE IN EVERY DROP

Enjoy Responsibly. Visit

38

“We have had great success with Bulmers Pear which, in the 10 months since launch, has grown to become the number one Pear cider in the Republic of Ireland, based on consumer sales in the licensed and grocery trade,” he continued. “We anticipate the same success with Bulmers Berry and are putting significant support behind the launch. We feel strongly that Bulmers Berry will prove to be a real talking point with consumers and trade alike, and will generate a welcome buzz around the drinks industry.”

Bulmers Berry is a unique blend of 17 varieties of apple, similar to Bulmers Original, fused with the finest selection of blackcurrants, raspberries and strawberries. With an ABV of 4.5%, Bulmers Berry is a premium and natural product, main-taining the distinctive character of its parent Bulmers.

New Bulmers Berry will be sup-ported by a heavyweight national TV, outdoor, online and sampling campaign. In keeping with the undergrowth nature of the product, Bulmers has opted for an under-ground theme for its launch activity in association with Secret Wars. For the first time ever, Bulmers is rolling out a PR, online, viral and word-of-mouth campaign prior to the launch of the mainstream ATL activity in the sum-mer.

Bulmers’ extensive sponsorship activity includes The Magners League, the Bulmers All Ireland Cups and Shields golf tournament, and Bulmers Live Summer series on Thursday eve-nings at Leopardstown Racecourse.

Bulmers Light Irish Cider is the only low calorie cider on the Irish market and retains all of the char-acteristics of Bulmers Original Irish Cider, i.e. alcohol volume (4.5%), taste, colour, carbonation and nose. Bulmers Light has only 92 calories per 330ml bottle, providing a lighter alternative. In 2010, Bulmers Light supported both the Dublin City University Fashion Show in the Helix and the DIT Fashion Show in Vicar Street.

Corona ExtraCorona Extra has grown dramatically in both the on and the off trade over the last few years and the trend already this year is for more of the

same. Corona is currently backed by an intensive radio, cinema and national press campaign with the theme, ‘Experience the Extraordinary’.

“Sales have risen threefold in the last three years and anec-dotal evidence would suggest that Corona Extra is the biggest selling bottled beer in the on-trade at the moment,” says Barry & Fitzwilliam Managing Director, Michael Barry. The 12-pack for the off trade has really helped its visibility in this sector. “We anticipate a 10% growth in our overall Corona sales for 2010 in

a market that is suffering dramatical-ly,” Barry enthuses. “We are already plus 30% for the first quarter.”

BavariaBavaria has been brewed in Holland since 1719 using the finest natural ingredients; natural mineral water from their own wells and malt from their own malting house. Available in Ireland from the Gleeson Group, Bavaria is priced very competitively and offers consumers a superb tasting beer.

This year, Bavaria launches its new TV campaign ‘The Drop’, fol-lowing on from the huge success of the ‘300 Years’ campaign last year. With summer approaching, music festival season is upon us and Bavaria is sponsoring a number of summer music events around the country, including Sea Sessions in Bundoran, Indiependence Festival in Mitchelstown and Castle Palooza in

Tullamore. A huge press and radio campaign will surround these events, along with in-store promotion.

WarsteinerAlso from the Gleeson Group, Warsteiner is one of the best known and well-respected lager brands in Europe and is among the most popular beer brands in Germany. Served in more than 60 countries around the world, the Warsteiner Brewery has maintained the highest quality standards for over 250 years.

This pilsner-style beer, which is brewed using select ingredients and especially soft water from the company’s own Kaiserquelle (‘Emperor’s Spring’), is brewed in the town of Warstein in Germany and


Barry & Fitzwilliam anticipate a 10% growth in overall

Corona sales for 2010.

Bavaria is priced very competitively and offers consumers a

superb tasting beer.

Warsteiner is one of the best

known and well-respected lager

brands in Europe and is among

the most popular beer brands in

Germany.

39

dates back to 1753. All beer is brewed in strict accordance with the German Purity Law of 1516 (no chemicals, additives or pre-servatives). This guarantees that Warsteiner is of the absolute highest quality.

Warsteiner 4.8% Premium Verum is a pilsner-style beer with a fresh, clean, perfectly-balanced taste crowned by a frothy head and a mild, crisp hop finish. 2010 will be a big year for Warsteiner in Ireland as the brand expands its draught penetra-tion around the country.

Devils Bit CiderClaiming the number two spot in the Irish cider market, Devils Bit, from the Gleeson Group, continues its upward curve in the market, providing outstanding value for a cider of the highest quality.

Named after the Devils Bit moun-tain range in County Tipperary, where some of Ireland’s finest cider apples are grown and harvested, it is made using no artificial colours,

sweeteners or flavours, to 6% ABV. With more and more people looking for greater value for their money, without hav-ing to sacri-fice quality, Devils Bit has con-tinued to increase its sales and looks set for an excep-tionally strong 2010. Summer 2010 also sees the beginning

of a major rebrand for Devils Bit, with a new, modern style set to give

the brand an improved, eye-catching appeal.


Guinness Backs Emerging Social Entrepreneurs

THE Arthur Guinness Fund awardees 2010 were announced at an awards ceremony at Guinness Storehouse recently. Pictured at St James’ Gate are Caroline Casey (right) and Gabby Murphy from Kanchi, one of the recipients.

Devils Bit continues its upward curve in

the market, providing outstanding value for a cider of the highest

quality.

easyFairs® PACKAGING IRELAND 2010 is your perfect opportunity to find the most pioneering suppliers of packaging material and technology, as well as new innovative ideas. If you want to improve production efficiency, be more cost effective and want to ensure quality and flexibility then this is a unique opportunity to find the best solutions under one roof.

5 Shows under one roof, exhibitors covering every element of the packaging supply-chain:

SUPPORTED BY:

For more information and to register for FREE visit www.easyfairs.com/packagingireland

16TH - 17TH JUNE 2010, RDS, DUBLIN

Discover Hidden Opportunities…

European packaging show specialist easyFairs® brings its highly successful event format to Ireland for the second time in June with easyFairs PACKAGING IRELAND. The show offers an exciting opportunity for Irish retailers to discover innovative new packaging solutions.

easyFairs®, which organises around 20 packaging shows across Europe, launched easyFairs® PACKAGING IRELAND last year, and after such a successful launch, the show is now going to be a perma-nent annual event. Almost 1,000 retail managers, brand managers, product developers and packaging technolo-gists, from brands such as Coca-Cola Ireland, Kerry Foods, Diageo and Microsoft, attended last year’s event, and this year’s visitor figures are expected to be even higher.

Irish Product DebutseasyFairs PACKAGING IRELAND, which takes place on June 16 and 17

at Dublin’s RDS, will be playing host to the very latest developments in retail packaging, with many products being displayed and demonstrated for the very first time in Ireland.

One company using the show as an Irish launch pad for its latest product is Italian manufacturer PFM Packaging Machinery. The company will be giving the first Irish demon-stration of its new integrated multi-head weigher and bagging machine. Designed for the smaller retailer, the new ZC1S operates at speeds of up to 80 bags a minute and employs a bag-ging section in which the forming tube is inclined, allowing products to slide gently into the bag, rather than drop under gravity.

“The ZC1S has been developed to provide an inexpensive system

for handling delicate goods, yet neverthe-less offers a high degree of flexibility and accuracy and is simple to use,” says Chris Bolton, PFM Sales and Operations Director.

Award winning self adhesive label manu-facturer, Multi Labels, will give the first Irish demonstration of their Gallus EM280 com-bination press, which has all the latest tech-

nology, allowing Multi Labels to offer 10 colours with hot foil in any station and up to three screens in any station.

Nick Monk, Managing Director at Multi Labels, comments: “The

Gallus EM280 press is much more competitive on shorter running combi-nation work than our other specialist presses. The hot foil on the Gallus is proven for very high quality premium labels, and we aim to extend our presence in the speciality sectors of the beverage, personal care and food markets.”

40

May10easyFairs® PACKAGING IRELAND

easyFairs® PACKAGING IRELAND takes place at the RDS, Dublin, on June 16 and 17, offering retailers the change to discover innovative packaging solutions.

easyFairs® Have Packaging Wrapped Up

Pictured are easyFairs UK Managing Director, Matt Benyon, and Laura Byrne, Marketing Executive, Repak.

TIME & COST-EFFECTIVE TRADE SHOWS

PFM Packaging Machinery will be demonstrating their new integrated

multi-head weigher and bagging machine, the ZC1S, which operates at

speeds of up to 80 bags a minute.

41

Other Exhibitor HighlightsVeriplast Solutions will be exhibiting its new rPET packaging line, which combines excellent product characteristics with an attractive and striking design. The SalaDISC is airtight and designed to keep the product fresh. Sealing for extra protection is easy. With its varying capacities of 500, 750 and 1000cc, the packaging is easy to process automatically. Yet another clear benefit is that the SalaDISC guarantees a high level of product differentiation: the quality of the product is obvious at a single glance. For an extra image boost, the packaging can also be provided with a colourful label or banderole, ideal for any retailer wanting to grab the customer’s attention.

Following on from their success at the UK easyFairs Packaging Shows, which took place in February of this year at Birmingham’s NEC, Charpak will be looking for similar success with the Irish crowds in June when they showcase their recently launched hinged lid pack, aimed at the indul-gent snacking market.

Justin Kempson, Sales Director, says: “There are two sizes available, one for a premium cupcake and the second for high end muffins. Visually stunning with cakes inside, they enhance the product and will increase the sale rate of this type of premium cake.”

Produced in clear rPET (minimum 50% recycled content), the pack is

designed to both protect the product and give excellent visibility. Labelling/tamper evidence is by means of a C-label. They are simple to close and offer an easy solution to having prod-ucts available for impulse purchase.

learnShops™ and Repak ConsultationsJenny Thornton, FMCG brand specialist, is one of the highlights of a compelling seminar line-up taking place at the event. After senior roles with Yoplait, Tayto and Musgrave, former tennis pro Jenny has developed a new marketing process which she claims can bring new life to FMCG brands and really help improve retailers’ profits.

“For my easyFairs learnShop pres-entation, I will be focusing on the Life Process. This is a seven step process that brings brands to life,” explains Jenny. “The process allows you to use your creative flair while using a systematic process, which ensures that plans actually go to market. So at each stage, you can say – ‘where are we now,’ ‘where are we going to next,’ ‘have we achieved our objectives to date?’”

During the two days, show partner Repak will also be offering free one-to-one consultations with its technolo-gists, who will be advising retailers, brand managers etc. on innovative ways to cut down on their packaging. This is Repak’s second time support-ing the show after a successful part-nership last year.

Laura Byrne, Marketing Executive, Repak, comments: “It’s fantastic to be working with easy-Fairs again. The first show was such a phenomenal event for us. It’s the only Irish show which looks at sus-tainable packaging – so when we had the chance to get involved again, we jumped at the chance.”

Show ExtrasAlong with the 120 companies expected to exhibit, and the free-to-attend learnShops™ and Repak consultations, easyFairs® Packaging Ireland will also deliver plenty of inspiration and learning. The Student Design Challenge will see some of the country’s most promising design talent going head-to-head. While at

Lion’s Lair - a Dragons’ Den style contest - companies will be putting their innovations to a panel of packaging experts.

“At easyFairs® Packaging Ireland 2010, visi-tors will get to see first hand what packaging technol-ogy can offer them, what options are available to them, and the very lat-est in pack-aging inno-vations,” summa-rises easy-Fairs UK Managing Director,

Matt Benyon. “With so many new product launches, coupled with a fan-tastic line-up of big name exhibitors and seminar speakers, we’re expect-ing a fantastic event. For any retailer looking to improve their packaging solutions this is the place to be.

Register FREE now at www.easyfairs.com/packagingirelandFor more information phone 0044 20 86224417.

May10easyFairs® PACKAGING IRELAND

Veriplast Solutions will be exhibiting its new rPET packaging line

which combines excellent product characteristics with an attractive and

striking design.

Multi Labels will give the first Irish demonstration

of their Gallus EM280 combination press, which offers 10 colours with hot

foil in any station and up to three screens in

any station.

Charpak will showcase their recently launched hinged lid pack, aimed at

the indulgent snacking market.

From July 1 of this year, any retailer producing more than 50kg per week of food waste must source segregate all its food waste and ensure that it is either collected by an authorised waste collector, treated on premises or transferred to an authorised facility.

Supermarkets and convenience stores who produce less than 50kg of food waste per week have another year to comply with these regulations (July 1, 2011).

Diverting Waste From LandfillThe goal of these new Regulations is to promote the segregation and recovery of food waste in the commercial sector, thus diverting it from landfill. They will facilitate achieving the targets set out in the European Commission’s Landfill Directive 99/31/EC for the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill sites to composting and anaerobic digestion plants, and to other forms of biological treatment: the National Strategy on Biodegradable Waste provides that a 36% diversion of such waste is required in 2010. Minister Gormley does not support incineration and he has specified in the legislation that the food waste cannot be sent to incinerators.

Where a source-segregated collec-tion for food waste is available, the Regulations include a general prohibi-tion on depositing food waste in the

residual waste collection service. In addition, obligated businesses are prevented from shredding or hydrating food waste by mechanical devices to facilitate its discharge to the sewerage infrastructure, other than in accordance with the terms of a relevant licence.

“Effectively, what the Food Waste Regulations mean for retailers is that they must segregate waste from their supermarkets at source,” explains Niall Lord, Sales Director of Food Surplus Management (FSM), who specialise in recovery and recycling of short dated and out-of-date products and packaging for the manufacturing, wholesale and retail food and drinks industry. “Therefore, it will involve separate bins for food and a separate collection.”

Once waste is segregated, it must then either be:

(a) Collected by an authorised waste collector and transferred to an authorised treatment process.

(b) Subjected to an authorised treatment process in the premises where the food is produced.

(c) Transferred directly by the producer for the purposes of an authorised treatment process.

Food Waste Management ReportEach retailer must also submit a food waste management implementation report to their local authority, detailing the use, type, quantity, origin, management arrangements and destination of food waste – i.e. they must prove that they are compliant with the legislation.

An annual environmental report (AER) may be prepared by a producer in response to a notification by local authority. This AER would contain the following:

(a) Quantities of food supplied to customers;

(b) Quantities of food waste consigned to biological treatment, other methods of treatment or discarded as waste;

(c) Measures proposed and/or adopted to reduce food waste.

42

May10Food Waste Regulations

July sees the introduction of new Food Waste Regulations which require retailers producing more than 50kg of food waste per week to source segregate all food waste for separate collection.

Are You Segregating Your Food Waste?

Under the new Regulations, food waste must be segregated at source, effectively involving the use of separate

bins for food waste.

CONTACT US NOWFood Surplus Management Limited, Oaktree Business Park, Trim, Co. Meath

Tel: 046 948 3002 Fax: 046 948 6750 Email: [email protected] www.fsm.ie

RETAILERS, ARE YOU PREPARED FOR JULY 1ST 2010?

NEW FOOD WASTE REGULATIONS 2009 REQUIRE YOU TO SEPARATE YOUR SURPLUS FOOD FROM GENERAL WASTE!

HOW?

FOOD SURPLUS MANAGEMENT HAVE A SERVICE IN YOUR AREA.

• 80% OF RETAILERS GENERAL WASTE IS PACKAGED FOOD

• FROM JULY 1ST ALL UNSOLD FOOD MUST BE SEPERATED FROM GENERAL WASTE

• CATEGORY 3 ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS MUST BE COLLECTED BY LICENSED COLLECTOR

FSM operate a fleet of 15 vehicles ranging from 7.5 ton rigids to 45ft articulated trailers. Included in our fleet are 6 of our own designed double deck bodies which were designed specifically for supermarket collections.

We are servicing businesses in the 32 counties of this island.

FSM ARE FULLY LICENSED OPERATORS OFFERING A FULLY COMPLIANT SERVICE

CURRENTLY PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO OVER 350 LARGE AND SMALL SUPERMARKETS NATIONWIDE

SERVICE ALSO PROVIDED TO FOOD MANUFACTURING, WHOLESALE AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES

FSM OFFER RETAILERS TWO BIN TYPES:

RED BIN for the collection of: packed meats, yogurts, milk, butter/cheese, beverages, juices, ready meals, soups.

GREEN BIN for the collection of: fruit, vegetables, bread, cakes, cereals, biscuits, confectionary, pasta/rice, all dry food.

44

Interestingly, the AER has to include measures that the waste pro-ducer adopted to reduce food waste in the first place. Businesses already using a brown bin service in Ireland by source separating food waste and weighing it (brown bin service in Ireland is charged on a per kilo basis), were astounded by how much food waste they generate. This led some businesses to examine ways to pre-vent food waste such as food portion control and buying food prepared.

The Regulations also prohibit the use of in-sink macerators, stating that the output from an in-sink macerator cannot be disposed of into the sewer system.

Animal By-Product LegislationThese new Regulations are aligned with the Animal By-Product legislation and the scope excludes categories and types of animal by-products regulated by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which are required to be collected and disposed of in a different manner under ABP rules.

“The enforcement of the Animal By-Product legislation is coincid-ing with the new Food Waste Regulations, which means that not only must supermarkets have an animal by-products collection, but they also must have all their other food waste separated,” explains FSM’s Niall Lord. “Effectively, all food waste from supermarkets must be source segregated, and there must be a separate food waste collection, as distinct from their general waste collection.”

Full CompliancyAccording to Niall Lord, FSM’s service, which they currently provide to approximately 350 retailers across the country, is fully compliant with the new legislation. “We are a licensed animal by-products collector, which none of the waste companies are, and meat waste tends to be the biggest problem for stores,” Lord notes. “We have a nationwide service throughout all 32 counties on the island of Ireland.

“There is no de-packing involved,” he continues. “We provide two bin

types, one for animal by-products and the other for non-animal by-products. Bigger stores get two collections per week, but most stores have their food waste collected once a week. With very small shops, if they can freeze their animal by-products, we can arrange to collect them every two weeks. We will tailor our service to suit the individual store.”

According to the FSM Sales Director, most of the country’s larger supermarkets already have source segregation in place for their food waste. He cites FSM’s customer base, which includes Tesco, Superquinn, Marks & Spencer, SuperValu and Centra stores right across the coun-try: “We also currently supply our service to a number of smaller retail-ers, and I see that business increas-ing as the Regulations come into effect.”

The new Regulations do allow for food waste to be biologically treated (e.g. composted) on the premises where they are generated under speci-fied conditions, but Niall Lord doesn’t see this as a realistic option for most retail stores.

“How do they handle animal by-products and where do they go with the food waste?” he asks. “The drive here is to divert as much biodegrad-able waste as possible from landfill, and the good news for retailers is using a service like ours not only ensures compliance with all the regu-lations but it is cheaper than landfill. Any of the stores using our service have found that their waste bill has been reduced, primarily because they are taking so much weight out of their general waste.”

May10Food Waste Regulations

FSM’s service, which they currently provide to approximately 350 retailers across the country, is fully compliant with the new legislation.

Food Surplus Management specialise in recovery and recycling of short dated and out of date products and packaging for the manufacturing, wholesale and retail

food and drinks industry.

SuperValu presented Excellence Ireland Hygiene & Food Safety Certificates to a record number of SuperValu retailers from all over the country, who had completed the National Hygiene & Food Safety programme from EIQA (Excellence Ireland Quality Association), at its annual Quality Awards, held recently in the Malton Hotel, Killarney, Co. Kerry.

No fewer than 185 stores received a SuperValu Quality Award for 2010, which is independently audited by the EIQA.

Additionally, a further record number of 85 SuperValu stores received the Supreme Hygiene Award, which rewards retailers that have performed to a consistently high level over a three year period.

Rigorous Quality MeasuresThe awards demonstrate SuperValu’s ongoing commitment to rigorous

quality measures and the highest levels of hygiene.

“SuperValu stores continue to push out the boundaries of excel-lence in everything they do,” said Donal Horgan, SuperValu Managing Director, speaking at the awards. “The brand is committed to meeting and exceed-ing the highest stand-ards of food safety. Quality is at the heart of everything we do and the number of stores that have been awarded an EIQA Award is a testament to this. The hygiene ethos is embedded in daily standards and is maintained through-out our food chain, from production right through to the supermarket shelf.

“A quality performance is about determination to con-stantly serve our custom-ers to the very best of our ability,” he continued. “It’s about going that extra mile, not because we have to, but because we want to. It’s about the range of food we offer, our customer service standards, our store locations, and not only meeting, but exceeding expectations”.

Consistency of DeliveryIrene Collins, Managing

Director of Excellence Ireland Quality Association, stressed how “the EIQA National Hygiene programme incorporates all recognised codes of good hygiene practice, ensuring robust standards and excellence in hygiene and food safety. Today’s consumer is more demanding than ever and superb hygiene and food safety standards are expected. However, it is the consistency in this delivery that ensures an organisation achieves stand-out and SuperValu certainly is recognised amongst the wider community for its outstanding results in this area.”

She went on to stress the impor-tance of such achievements being “acknowledged and applauded and so become an incentive for others to strive to reach the same high standards”.

“SuperValu’s well deserved repu-tation for high standards with their approach to hygiene and quality are not just an add-on to what they do, but very much a part of their every-day routine,” she concluded.

May10SuperValu Quality Awards

A record number of SuperValu retailers have been presented with SuperValu Quality Awards, which are independently audited by the Excellence Ireland Quality Association.

SuperValu Retailers Score on Quality

Ciaran Levis, SuperValu Sales Director, and Martin Roper, Technical Director, Excellence Ireland Quality Association,

are pictured presenting store owner Eugene Scally, from Scally’s SuperValu, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, with the

Excellence Ireland Hygiene Award.

Donal Horgan, SuperValu Managing Director (left) and Irene Collins, Managing Director of Excellence

Ireland Quality Association (right), are pictured presenting Cormac Quish, Quish SuperValu Group, store manager Niall Shanaghy and Anne Cheasty,

Quish’s SuperValu, Tramore, Co. Waterford, with the Supreme Excellence Ireland Hygiene Award.

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Despite the fact that Ireland failed to quality for the World Cup in South Africa, which kicks off on June 11, interest remains high around the country for the greatest football tournament on earth. While many of us will be wondering ‘what if’ the hand of Henry hadn’t cruelly ended our World Cup dream, there remains a month-long feast of football, which will culminate on July 11 when one team from the 32 qualifiers will be crowned champions.

The biggest football tournament in the world also brings big profit opportunities for those in the retail trade, as legions of consumers set about entertaining at home. Cross-merchandising a range of snack foods, drinks, convenience foods, barbeque products etc. will bring added sales opportunities for canny retailers. Many of the biggest brands in your store will be running special promo-

tions for the duration of the World Cup, and it’s important to highlight these in-store to maximise sales.

PepsiCo IrelandPepsiCo Ireland have launched the 2010 PepsiMax football campaign, featuring a selection of the world’s most exciting soccer players. Current World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi, is joined by Ricardo Kaká, Frank Lampard, Andrei Arshavin, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres and Michael Ballack in the spectacular new Body Paint campaign. The eye-catching promotion positions the colourfully painted players on billboards and buses around Ireland. In addition, these lively images will be featured on limited edition packs of PepsiMax throughout the summer.

“Over the years, we have created a range of exciting campaigns that are innovative, irreverent and capture the

imaginations of our fans, ranging from featuring sumo wrestlers to cowboys to surfers,” said Elizabeth Sheehan, Marketing Manager, PepsiCo Ireland. “This year, at a time when every major brand is focused on football, we want to push the boundaries even further and bring fans a campaign that not only features the best players in the world, but also presents them in a unique and personal way that is light hearted, entertaining and fun. The body paint images bring a modern look to a very traditional means of expression and showcase each of our players’ universal passion for the game.”

McCainIt seems McCain, Ireland’s biggest player in frozen potato and frozen pizza, is unstoppable. This winning brand continues to press forward, hungry to achieve its twin goals of

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May10World Cup

With World Cup fever about to hit our TV screens, this summer is all about entertaining at home. We highlight the big brands, guaranteed to score with consumers.

Football Fever

The 2010 PepsiMax football campaign features a selection of the world’s most exciting soccer players in a spectacular Body Paint campaign.

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growing the frozen potato and the frozen pizza categories by launching a new range of innovative products.

Just in time for the World Cup, they’re adding something new and exciting to the extensive McCain line-up! ‘Footballs’ are delicious balls of creamy mashed potato with a crispy coating: watch them quickly become a favourite with families.

And there are two more new names to look out for: McCain Pizza Maximo and McCain Pizza Anytime. Like all their pizzas, they’re real crowd-pleasers! Perfect for sharing, the Maximo American Hot is ideal for those who like things a little bit spicy, while the McCain Pizza Maximo Cheesy Garlic will appeal to cheese fans and vegetarians.

You can expect McCain Pizza Anytime to be a huge hit every time! In three popular varieties - Hawaiian

Style Ham & Pineapple, Spicy Chicken, and Four Cheeses – these piz-zas are perfect for snacking.

Not to be left in the shade, all the packs in the McCain Prepared

Potato range have been given an eye-catching new

look. This should boost sales of favourites like McCain Wedges that

include Lightly Spiced, Sea Salt & Black Pepper and Summer Wedges.

WalkersWalkers has launched a multi-million euro quest to find the world’s best crisp flavour, as part of its biggest ever flavour promotion. Millions of crisps fans are expected to show

their support for the ‘Walkers Flavour Cup’, which kicked off last month, as 15 internationally inspired flavours including Irish Stew, English Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding, German Bratwurst Sausage, Argentinean Flame Grilled Steak and Brazilian Salsa go bag-to-bag in a special flavour tournament which runs until July.

All of the 15 fla-vours will be available

in multipacks and eight of the fla-vours in single serve.

The Walkers Flavour Cup is sup-ported by an extensive marketing programme, including TV advertising, online activity and a strong mobile and social networking presence. All communication will encourage con-sumers to buy and trial each of the flavours and then visit www.walk-erscrisps.ie. Once there, consumers can support their favourite flavour by joining a flavour fan club where they will have a chance to win fan club prizes. At the end of the competi-tion, the flavour with the most fans

will be declared the Walkers Flavour Cup Champion. Walkers are also encouraging consumers to show how passionate a flavour fan they are by uploading a short video or photo to

May10World Cup

New McCain Pizza Anytime is perfect for snacking.

Gary Lineker is pictured with the Walkers Flavour Cup squad, launching the competition to find the world’s best crisp flavour.

McCain have a stunning range of frozen potato and pizza products available this summer, including new Footballs,

McCain Pizza Maximo and new look McCain wedges.

As part of the Walkers Flavour Cup competition, consumers can try an

Irish flavour in the form of Irish Stew.

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become their flavour’s Superfan. The best Superfan entry from each of the 15 flavours will win €11,000!

Eye-catching Point-of-Sale mate-rial, including posters, wobblers, stackers and clip strips, is available to help retailers to create massive in-store impact and consumer awareness which will drive incremental sales.

Nicky Wells, Walkers Marketing Manager, says: “After the massive success of ‘Do Us a Flavour’ last year, we’ve come up with an even bigger idea with an international feel which is going to be even more engaging for our consumers. By stocking up on the range of internationally inspired flavours and using the eye catching Point-of-Sale material, retailers can really make the Flavour Cup promo-tion come alive in store. By leveraging the multimillion euro market-ing investment, they will be able to generate significant incremental sales. And for the first time ever, consumers can try an Irish flavour in the form of Irish Stew.”

Chicago TownFrozen pizza brand Chicago Town is launching a radio advertising campaign as part of its investment to promote its limited edition Footie Feast Pizza.

The pizza, part of the Chicago Town Takeaway range, is aimed at armchair football fans ahead of this year’s World Cup in South Africa.

An on-pack promotion will also give consumers the chance

to win either a branded inflatable footie stadium or a city break to either Barcelona, Madrid or Milan.

“We see the World Cup and other football fixtures as a key opportu-nity for the brand to tap into the social aspects of football,” noted Keith Farrell, Marketing Manager for Chicago Town Takeaway. “The Chicago Town Footie Feast will be a key product for many retailers to anchor their World Cup activity around, giving particular excitement to frozen as probably the only real World Cup offer available within the pizza sector.”

Chicago Town Takeaway is Ireland’s fastest growing pizza brand (Source: ACNielsen, Scantrack, March 2010) and is available to order from Dr Oetker Ireland.

Robert RobertsMcCoy’s Crisps, the number two ridged crisp on the market, worth €2.8m, is enjoying strong success and the brand is set for a sales boost with its World Cup-themed promotion on-pack. McCoy’s fans can enter the competition via text or online at www.mccoys.co.uk for a chance to win one of 10 all-expenses-paid football trips around the world. Locations include Barcelona, Milan and the World Cup host nation, South Africa. Fans can also bag football survival kits every 90 minutes, providing everything they need to enjoy the football this summer. The promotion will be supported

in-store will high impact floor displays and strong consumer value offers.

The McCoys range now offers four delicious flavours: Flamegrilled Steak, Salt & Vinegar, Cheese and Onion and New Bacon Sizzler, a delicious extention to the range.

Football fans are being prompted to celebrate best quality footie moments with KP Nuts, renowned for its best quality credentials. The pro-motion will direct consumers who buy packs of KP Nuts to vote by text or on-line at www.kpnuts.com for their best quality football moment of all time for a chance to win prizes. Entrants to the promotion stand the chance of winning thousands of football themed prizes, including mini footballs, repli-ca shirts and table football, as well as a holiday to a top football destination.

May10World Cup

Consumers are being prompted to celebrate their best quality footie

moments with a KP Nuts promotion, which gives them the chance to win thousands of football-themed prizes.

Footie Feast Pizza, part of the Chicago Town Takeaway range, is aimed at armchair football

fans ahead of this year’s World Cup in South Africa.

South African Sweet Chutney and Dutch Edam Cheese, two of the international flavours in the Walkers Flavour Cup competition.

The credit crunch has meant that for many Irish consumers, staying in was the new going out and more of the same is predicted for this year – although for the summer season, going out doesn’t have to mean spend-ing a fortune on restaurants. With the barbeque season hitting full swing, consumers can simply go out…in their gardens and on their patios, as the al fresco lifestyle once again stakes a claim on Irish hearts and stomachs.

Over the past six years, National BBQ Week, the annual celebration of better BBQ’ing, has helped Ireland embrace BBQ culture and despite some pretty appalling summers has also helped increase the number of BBQ’s held each year, as well encouraging consumers to be more adventurous on the grill. Timed to kick-start the Irish BBQ season, the 6th National BBQ Week (June 7-13) will also help celebrate the start of the 19th FIFA World Cup. For the particularly adventurous, there are 32 special BBQ recipes, one for each of the national teams compet-ing in the Tournament.

The third Have a Better Barbi Day takes place on August 2, Bank Holiday Monday, encouraging grill masters all over Ireland to create the biggest BBQ event yet!

Irish consumers have really embraced al fresco dining, with the barbeque market estimated to be worth over €330m per year, and showing strong growth over the last few years. There is an increas-ing trend towards after-work barbequing, although

the majority of barbeques are still held at the weekend. Irish barbequers are also becoming more adventurous, with prime cuts of meat and gastro-grill seafood joining the old favour-ites, burgers and sausages, on grills around the country.

Cuisine de FranceThis summer, Cuisine de France is focusing on the original Parisien. Made with French flour from the Paris basin, the Cuisine de France Parisien, remains the ultimate accessory for summer holidays. Supported by a strong consumer campaign across television, radio and online, the Cuisine de France Parisien is a must-stock item for all stores. The campaign will be supported with a €1 price point in June and July, ensuring that consumers get great value from Ireland’s favourite French bread brand. As the leading French bread supplier in Ireland, Cuisine de France has been supplying Irish Families for over 20 years.

Rib WorldEstablished in 2004, Rib World is already amongst the top three producers of cooked pork ribs in Europe, with a turnover exceeding €9m and a workforce of more than 50. Rib World is a state-of-the-art processing operation, based in Clonmel, County Tipperary. Following detailed analysis in Europe, the demand for a fully cooked, high-quality, loin rib by the foodservice and retail market was identified. Mid-2006 saw the company move into the retail sector, leading to rapid growth, and Rib World product is now stocked by the majority of leading retailers, including Tesco, SuperValu, Superquinn, Dunnes Stores, Lidl and Aldi. Their loin ribs are cooked in a BBQ marinade/sauce and defatted for a better eating experience. The product can be used both in the oven, garden BBQ or the Micro-oven.

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May10Summer Living: BBQ

Summer is almost upon us, with profit opportunities across a range of food groups and the advent of BBQ season. We focus on the big brands to stock for sizzling summer sales.

The Heat is On

Supported by a strong consumer campaign across television, radio and online, the Cuisine de France

Parisien is a must-stock item for all stores.

Rib World have enjoyed tremendous success in Irish and export markets, and

their products are now stocked by the majority of leading retailers, including Tesco, SuperValu, Superquinn, Dunnes

Stores, Lidl and Aldi.

Restaurant Quality Ribs… …at Retail Prices.

®

“Great taste at your fingertips”

New Product LaunchPork Fillet in BBQ Flavour Sauce & Glaze and Piri Piri Sauce & Glaze.

The Most Tender Meat Cooked to Perfection

Succulent Fully Cooked Pork RibsAvailable in a Range of Flavours

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HJ HeinzHeinz Ketchup is synonymous with taste and what better accompaniment for summertime barbecues than the extensive Heinz Tomato Ketchup range. Boasting a large variety of

sizes, Heinz Tomato Ketchup is available in glass, Squeezy and Top Down formats. Heinz Top Down Tomato Ketchup, available in 460g, 700g and 910KG sizes, offers the benefits of an innovative no mess, no waste, stay-clean cap and all the taste of Ireland’s favourite

tomato ketchup. Heinz Tomato Ketchup is the number one selling tomato ketchup brand in Ireland with a 60.6% volume share of the Tomato Ketchup category in ROI (Source: ACNielsen, April 2010). Heinz new website, www.SqueezeHeinz.ie has been specially developed for Irish consumers and has lots to offer, including facts about Heinz Tomato Ketchup, recipes, tips and a kids’ zone.

BBQ sauce is popular indoors all year

round but is also the ideal accompa-niment to barbequed foods, making it a household essential in summer months. HJ Heinz, the market leader in BBQ sauce, claims a combined mar-ket share of 37.1% (Source: ACNielsen, April 2010), across its two BBQ brands, Heinz and HP. There are two BBQ varieties under the Heinz brand, Original and Hot ‘n’ Sizzling, both in the handy Heinz Top Down format.

The HP range of sauces, from HJ Heinz, includes HP Classic BBQ in 250g glass, along with Classic Woodsmoke and Spicy Woodsmoke varieties in a 430g squeezy pack.

Lea & Perrins, the original Worcestershire Sauce provides the ideal base for home-made marinades.

Irish PrideThe soft rolls category is one of the key categories in the bread market, delivering 4% volume growth this year (Source: ACNielsen, MAT, February 21, 2010). The sector appeals to the consumer as it offers variety and convenience.

Irish Pride claims leadership of the soft rolls category and following a focused approach to sales develop-ment, has grown its market share to 23% (Source: ACNielsen, MAT, February 21, 2010). This success has been achieved through the superior quality of the soft rolls range pro-duced by Irish Pride in their state-of-the-art bakery in Taghmon, Co. Wexford.

The Irish Pride range offers con-sumers versatility and choice. Their Bunsters burger bun and hot dog roll range is perfect for any barbeque, while the Irish Pride Bap range

can be enjoyed as a healthy snack throughout the day, and includes the soft textured Floury Bap and a healthier high fibre option with their Healthy Grain Bap.

Irish Pride Bakeries will continue to focus on growing their sales and brand presence in the soft rolls mar-ket to help customers to get the best possible performance from the cat-egory during 2010.

Levi RootsCaribbean food entrepreneur Levi Roots is expanding his range of squeezy bottled sauces with the launch of two new relishes - Mango & Chilli and Reggae Reggae Relish, which will be hitting supermarket shelves this month. The new condiments mark the brand’s first venture into the relish category and will sit alongside Reggae Reggae Tomato Ketchup and the newly introduced squeezy Reggae Reggae Sauce to create the brand’s exciting new ‘squeezy’ sauces portfolio. Furthermore, the new relishes are set


Heinz Tomato Ketchup is the

number one selling tomato ketchup brand

in Ireland with a 60.6% volume share of the Tomato Ketchup

category in ROI.

Heinz BBQ Sauce is available in the handy Heinz Top

Down format.The Irish Pride Bunsters burger bun and hot dog roll range is perfect for any

barbeque this summer.

New from Levi Roots, Mango & Chilli Relish is a mango-based sauce with a combination of Caribbean Herbs and

Scotch Bonnet Chillies.

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to revitalise, and add value to the pickles, chutneys and relishes category.

Mango & Chilli Relish is a mango-based sauce with a com-bination of Caribbean Herbs and Scotch Bonnet Chillies. Reggae Reggae Relish incorporates the origi-nal Reggae Reggae Sauce flavour with a mixture of vegetables,

including onions and carrots.The brand’s original and best sell-

ing condiment, Reggae Reggae Sauce is also now available in a convenient ‘squeezy’ bottle. The jerk sauce and marinade has already proven to be extremely popular, particularly dur-ing barbeque season, while Reggae Reggae Tomato Ketchup was the first of the Levi Roots range to become available in a squeezy bottle in February 2009. Best described as a unique Caribbean style of ketchup, the sauce includes ingredients such as red Scotch Bonnet chillies, allspice and herbs, and has been designed to add value to the tomato ketchup cat-egory.

“With barbeque season fast approaching, consumers are on the look out for new ways to excite their taste buds, so we’re delighted to be launching Mango & Chilli and Reggae Reggae Relish - perfect for consumers to enjoy with burgers, sandwiches or perhaps even as a base for a Caribbean inspired canapé,” notes AB World Foods New Business Development Controller, Howard Morrish.

“We are also delighted to announce that original Reggae Reggae Sauce is also now available in a squeezy bottle, joining our family of

squeezy sauces. We anticipate that it will prove just as popular as Reggae Reggae Tomato Ketchup, which has received listings in all major super-market chains and received a great response from consumers when launched last year.”

Blue Dragon The summer barbeque occasion is a key event for oriental food brand Blue Dragon’s condiments range, as the popularity of in-home consumption increases and consumers seek to add a touch of excitement to their home cooked barbeques.

“Consumers are becoming increas-ingly familiar with the flavours of Eastern cuisine and want to be able to experiment by adding the clas-sic Oriental tastes they enjoy most to their favourite Western dishes,” notes Tracy Hughes, Blue Dragon Consumer & Trade Marketing Controller. “Blue Dragon’s Squeezy Sauce range - Thai Sweet Chilli Original and Thai Sweet Chilli Hot - meets these exact criteria by intro-ducing an extra twist to the tradition-al barbeque feast.

“Blue Dragon’s condiments range not only increases variety and con-venience in the market, it also allows those bored with ketchup and mayon-

naise to add a touch of the Orient to their burgers and bangers.”

Blue Dragon is set to add further value to its condiments range this summer with the launch of New Blue Dragon Upside Down Thai Sweet Chilli squeezy sauce. Available in two sizes, this new packag-ing format will continue to drive the Oriental con-diments mar-ket, whilst maintaining Blue Dragon’s authentic-ity. The new convenient format will also be popular with families, with the bottle’s no slip grip feature enabling easier handling by younger consumers.


Fuelling the Barbeque SeasonTHE Instant BBQ range from Bord na Móna Fuels Ltd has reportedly been a big success for retailers, as it provides a ultra-convenient summer product. This range of BBQ fuels – Instant Lighting Tray and Instant Lighting Charcoal – was developed with Bord na Móna Fuels’ philosophy of quality, convenience

and ease of use in mind.The Instant Lighting Charcoal contains two

ready to use bags, lights with one match, no firelighters needed and no fuss. The Instant Lighting Tray contains an oil dressed grill. Both products are ‘FSC’ approved and meet the BSEN 1860 (British and European) standards,

which is kinder to the environment and provides a safe, efficient solution for barbequing.

With the unpre-dictability of the Irish weather, Bord na Móna Fuels BBQ Range is always ready whenever the sun starts to shine.Bord na Móna’s Instant BBQ range: a bit hit with

retailers and consumers alike.

Levi Roots’ new Reggae Reggae

Relish incorporates the original Reggae

Reggae Sauce flavour with a mixture of

vegetables, including onions and carrots. Blue Dragon is set to

add further value to its condiments range this

summer with the launch of New Blue Dragon

Upside Down Thai Sweet Chilli squeezy sauce.

Jedward recently launched the 2010 Londis ‘Write Up My Street’ initiative in aid of Barnardos, where they debuted their latest musical offering, the ‘Write Up My Street’ rap, to a crowd of delighted children from Kildare Place National School in Rathmines.

Encouraged by a terrific response to the inaugural ‘Write Up My Street’ initia-tive in 2009, which saw over 3,000 entrants and €30,000 raised for Barnardos, Londis are once again asking young people across Ireland to sub-mit short stories on the theme of ‘Community: The People, The Place and The Pride’, depicting what they love about their communities and what makes the villages, towns and cities in which they live so unique.

At the Heart of the Community“Londis retailers are at the heart of communities throughout Ireland and appreciate, now more than ever, the importance of the support and shared values of their local community,” explained Ruth Norton, Londis Marketing Manager. “As parents themselves, they want their own children to grow up surrounded by the support of a warm and welcoming community and to understand and appreciate the value of being part of an active and supportive community.

“This competition encourages young people across Ireland to really engage with the spirit of community and, in particular, to consider how each one of us can contribute to the collective power of more vibrant and supportive communities in Ireland, be it your local village, town, football or classroom. We know Ireland is a great place to live, so we’re really looking forward to hearing all about the best

of our communities! Discovering the vibrant imagination and creative tal-ent of our young people in doing so is a real bonus.”

Winning entries from each county in Ireland will be chosen by the judges for inclusion in a specially commis-sioned book to be sold in participating Londis stores across Ireland, with proceeds going to Barnardos chil-dren’s charity. In addition, one overall primary school, which is deemed to have the most entrants per student population, will receive a €5,000 library voucher for their school. The best entry from each age category will receive a €250 book voucher.

The age categories are:a) 5-7 yearsb) 8-10 years c) 11-12 yearsd) 13-18 years.

Community and EducationThe proceeds of the book will help thousands of vulnerable children to make the most of their education by attending Barnardos After School programmes in communities across the country. Speaking at the launch, Barnardos Chief Executive, Fergus

Finlay, said, “Barnardos is delighted to be working once again with Londis to celebrate two areas that are at the very centre of Barnardos’ work – community and education. Barnardos works in the heart of local communities all around the country and every day we see the challenges faced in those areas. We also see the great accomplishments of people, simply by pulling together to create a better world for themselves and those around them. ‘Write Up My Street’ encourages children to acknowledge and

celebrate the strength and spirit of their local community. A lot of our work here in Barnardos is about supporting children to start school and then helping them to stay in education. We are delighted to be part of an initiative that makes writing fun and encourages children to tell their stories.”

See www.londis.ie for more infor-mation and to read the stories that were selected for publication last year.

May10Write Up My Street

X Factor stars Jedward launched the 2010 Londis ‘Write Up My Street’ initiative in aid of Barnardos.

Londis Have the Write Stuff

Londis Marketing Manager Ruth Norton, is pictured with Jedward, and mini-Jedward, Robert and Aaron Lynch,

aged 8, from Castleknock, at the launch of the 2010 Londis ‘Write Up My Street’ initiative.

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Summer is on the way, with the swing towards lighter eating, making fresh salads the perfect choice for family meals and quick and tasty snacks.

Consumers want to move out of the kitchen and want that summer-time al fresco dining experience. They want convenient and easy meal solu-tions to help make life a little easier.

There was a time when salads were seen as the sole preserve of those on a diet: bland and tasteless, they took up space on menus as an option for those looking to lose weight. These days, salads are big business.

The well-documented move towards healthy eating has helped, with consumers across the globe concerned about obesity levels. But all this would count for nothing with-out the most important factor: taste. Today’s salads are filling, healthy and packed with flavour, thanks in the main to innovative new products designed to dress salads with ever-more exotic tastes. Every year, new dressings, marinades and sauces help to turn ordinary salads into extraordi-nary taste sensations.

However, the notion of dressing salads has a rich history, with the Babylonians using a combination of oil and vinegar to dress vegetables and

salads almost two thousand years ago, while mayonnaise is thought to have debuted in the court of the French nobility more than two centuries ago.

Today’s salad dressings market includes everything from mayonnaise and salad cream (which enjoy massive household penetration) to soy sauce, as well as a host of vinaigrettes and dressings, from classics like Caesar to chutneys and Indian-style pickles.

Hellmann’sHellmann’s have a vast range of products for all tastes, for those great BBQ days out, with a portfolio spanning mayonnaise, salad dressings and BBQ Sauce and Ketchup.

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise is the top selling mayonnaise in the Irish market and continues to dominate the sector, claiming 85% value share. The popular Mayonnaise comes in glass and squeezy formats for consumer convenience.

Consumers also have the choice between Real, Light, Extra Light and Garlic Mayonnaise.

Hellmann’s also claim leadership of the salad dressings market, with a value market share of 34%. The Hellmann’s dressings range includes seven varieties which are firm Irish favourites, including Caesar, Italian and Balsamic. Hellmann’s Salad Dressings will be supported in-store with strong promotions throughout

the summer season.No barbeque

would be complete without the addi-tion of Hellmann’s BBQ Sauce. Indeed, Hellmann’s BBQ Sauce’s tangy taste is a welcome accompa-niment to any eating occasion.

The latest addition to the Hellmann’s range is Hellmann’s Tomato Ketchup. Full of tomatoey good-ness, Hellmann’s Ketchup is a must have for bar-beques this sum-mer.

Hellmann’s will be sup-ported with strong above the line support throughout the summer sea-son, including press, TV and radio. Hellmann’s will also be supported in-store this summer, with consumer competitions and strong consumer promotions.

HJ HeinzThe HJ Heinz portfolio boasts a large range of dressings and accompaniments which are ideal for salad days. Heinz Salad Cream has

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May10Salads & Dressings

Summer is the peak selling period for salads, dressings and condiments as Irish consumers seek out lighter, healthier meal experiences.

Dressed To Impress

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise is the top selling mayonnaise in the Irish market and continues to dominate the sector.

Hellmann’s Salad Dressings will be supported in-store with strong promotions

throughout the summer season.

Hellmann’s Fat Free Vinaigrette, hugely popular with Irish

consumers.

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been popular with generations of Irish consumers, offering lots choice, with both regular and light varieties. The extensive range of Heinz salad cream is available in glass and squeezy packs and also in a Top Down 460g. The Heinz salad cream range also includes the highly successful Weight Watchers from Heinz Salad Dressing.

The Heinz Mayonnaise range includes regular and light varieties in a handy Top Down 420g pack. The Heinz range of Deli Mayos are ideal to add extra zing to a salad or sandwich, with delicious varieties including Roasted Garlic, Sundried Tomato and Caramelised Onion.

Heinz Baby Beetroot, Crinkle Cut Beetroot and Silverskin Onions are all available in 440g jars to add that extra zing to salad days. The range of Heinz pickles, including Ploughmans, Piccalilli, Mild Mustard and Tangy Tomato, complement any salad.

Newman’s OwnSummer entertaining revolves around al fresco favourites – salads and barbeques. And thanks to the late and much-loved actor Paul Newman, you can give both star qualities with the fabulous Newman’s

Own dressings and marinades, made using only the best all-natural ingredients, and distributed in Ireland by Stafford Lynch.


FLORETTE claims top spot in branded salads across all major retailers, claiming a 26% share of Irish salad sales. Its Crispy range is the number one selling line, growing at 86% year-on-year, according to the company.

The Crispy range lends itself well to al fresco dining, due to its ver-satile usage. The mix of crisp and sweet lettuce leaves is ideal for serv-ing as an accompaniment to any meal base and suits all tastes, which is vital when entertaining.

“Convenience is a key consumer consideration when it comes to bar-bequing and as bagged salads have the benefit of minimum preparation time, they offer the ideal choice for impromptu barbecues,” noted Nigel Cooke, Florette Sales Manager. “The barbecue season also prompts a significant uplift in sales for bagged salad, with a massive 50% of Florette’s total sales occurring during the summer months of May, June, July and August.

“We will be driving sales of Crispy this summer through the use of volume-added promotions,” he continued, “and we are also introducing bigger 350g packs for our Mixed range, designed to specifically target the ‘family-sized’ needs of al fresco entertaining.”

Bags of Flavour from Florette

Florette’s Crispy range is the top-selling branded salad product, and is showing

strong growth year-on-year.

Heinz Salad Cream has been popular with generations of Irish consumers.

Newman’s Own dressings and marinades are made using only the best all-natural ingredients.

The hugely popular Newman’s Own Creamy Caesar Dressing.

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27 years on and it’s his Italian dressing – a delicious blend of red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and punchy garlic – which is still a best-seller, closely followed by his balsamic vinaigrette, made with distinctive and delectable aged balsamic and perfect for dolling up a plain tomato salad or drizzling over peppery rocket.

Just after his first batch was marketed, Paul Newman decided that any profit from Newman’s Own would go to worthy causes. To date, the Newman’s Own Foundation has donated more than $300m to chari-ties worldwide, including charities in Ireland.

Lakeshore Salad DressingsUsing only the best ingredients and made to traditional recipes,

Lakeshore accompaniments bring food to life. Consumers can dress up salads with the delicious range of Lakeshore Salad Dressings – the ever popular Honey & Mustard Dressing, a premium Caesar Dressing, Italian Dressing, French Style Vinaigrette, Thousand Island and, for the weight conscious, there are two Low Fat Dressings – Low Fat Caesar Dressing and Low Fat Balsamic & Red

Pepper Dressing. All Lakeshore’s products are made with the finest ingredients and come in an eclectic range of flavours.

FreshwaysTo celebrate the arrival of longer days, Freshways are introducing a new choice of salads and a healthy fruit

treat. Consumers can choose between Fusilli Pasta with Pineapple & Ham, finished with a poppy seeds and mayonnaise dressing, or a delicious Ham & Honey Mustard pasta salad. Both are bursting with flavour, and contain a convenient “spork” for lunch-time in the park.

Freshways’ Fruit Surprise contains nothing but fresh melon, pineapple, apple and grapes, cut into bite-sized chunks.

In addition, Freshways have recently launched their new Healthy Ways range. The range consists of four sandwiches, one wrap and one salad. All these great lunch options are either low fat or reduced fat, thanks to lean recipes that maximise flavour, while no longer using butter in the range.

Like all products in the Freshways range, their on-the-go snacks and Healthy Ways range are hand-made

in Ireland, guaranteeing the best in freshness every time.

Secret Garden SaladsSecret Garden Salads, from Wonderfoods, are produced fresh daily at St. Margarets, Co. Dublin, and distributed nationwide. The bagged leaf range includes Italian, Sweet and Crunchy, Rocket and Spinach, Iceberg and a delicious Caesar salad with bruschetta croutons, parmesan cheese and a creamy Caesar dressing. The range also includes a Family Salad Bowl and a smaller Garden Salad Bowl, which is ideal for two servings.

An exciting range of deli salads is also available, offering everything from traditional coleslaws and potato salads through to cous-cous, pasta and rice salads, combined with fresh vegetables and delicious dressings.


The bagged leaf range of Secret Garden Salads is proving extremely

popular with Irish consumers.

Consumers can dress up salads

with the delicious range of Lakeshore

Salad Dressings, including the ever popular Honey &

Mustard Dressing.

For the summer season, Freshways have launched a new choice of salads, Fusilli Pasta with Pineapple & Ham

and Ham & Honey Mustard Pasta Salad, and a healthy fruit treat,

Freshways’ Fruit Surprise.

Secret Garden Salads, from Wonderfoods, are produced fresh daily at St. Margarets, Co. Dublin, and distributed nationwide.

When RETAIL NEWS first met Ray and Maura Keating, they had big plans for their brand new Londis Plus supermarket. The shop is situated at the top of the hill, away from the centre of Cobh but when it opened, there was a lot of construction work going on in the vicin-ity as the demands of the booming Celtic Tiger called for commuter housing in Cobh for people working in Cork city.

The Celtic Tiger is extinct now, but the housing estates were finished and filled before the recession hit and Ray and Maura and their Londis Plus are still thriving in Cobh. Not only that, late last year, they were rewarded with the 2009 Londis Store of the Year Award!

“We were absolutely delighted to win the Store of the Year award,” enthuses Ray. “We have assembled a fantastic team of staff and management in the shop over the years and the award is a testament to their ability and com-mitment. We always operate the shop to high standards and the fact that has been recognised by Londis and we have won the award shows just how hard we are working to keep our business running effectively and efficiently in these challenging economic times.”

The Keatings won the Londis Customer Care Award in 2008, but wanted to build on that success, as Ray explains: “The Store of the Year Award is great as a benchmark for the business. Every year since we opened, we have improved the systems in the shop and we are constantly looking for ways to improve standards. Winning the award shows us we are doing things right, but it doesn’t mean we’ll stop looking for ways to do things better and next year, we will look to perform strongly in the awards again.”

Loyal Customer BaseIn the five years since the store opened, Ray, Maura, their staff and Londis have built the business up, creating a very loyal customer base. Given the size of the shop, it was always able to offer customers a great product selection and great value for money and that has really stood to Keating’s Londis Plus now that the economic situation has changed.

Not only have Ray and Maura been working hard to stay competitive, Londis has been matching their efforts. Under an agreement with the UK wholesaler Nisa-Today’s, ADM Londis has secured the future wholesaling rights in the Republic of Ireland for Nisa’s Heritage and Value pri-

Almost five years since its first visit, RETAIL NEWS returns to Ray and Maura Keating’s Londis Plus in Cobh, County Cork, winner of the 2009 ADM Londis Store of the Year.

Londis Plus Thrives in Cobh

May10ADM Londis Store of the Year

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Pictured outside Londis Plus, Cobh, Co, Cork, are (l-r): Ray and Maura Keating, store owners; Leo Jones, ADM Retail Development Manager; and

Dave Cussons Store Manager.

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vate label brands. The range of these products available in Londis stores comprises everyday grocery categories such as fruit juices, canned food, sauces, cooking oils, health & beauty.

“The Heritage and Heritage Value ranges have proven very popular with customers already,” Ray notes. “It’s just one of the innovations the Group has developed to help us keep our businesses competitive. One of the great strengths of Londis is the retailer driven business philosophy. The Group is focused solely on the success of its shops and retailers. At our regular cluster meetings, the topic of dis-cussion these days is mostly about cost saving initiatives and increasing the efficiency of the business. There is a fan-tastic flow of information from retailers to the Group and back again, enabling us to react quickly as individual retail-ers to the changing needs of our business.”

Value for MoneySince Keating’s Londis Plus opened, both Aldi and Lidl have

arrived in the Cobh commu-nity, which has further sharp-ened their focus on keeping the business com-petitive.

“Londis has been absolutely fantastic support to us through the years,” notes Maura. “We have always had a great working relationship with the group. We make a really good team and it complements the

team we have put together in the shop. Peter Cussen, our shop manager, Fintan Harte, our financial controller, all the staff, in fact, have worked tremendously hard to build the business to where it is today and continue to do so. It’s the success of that mix, symbol group and shop, that keeps our business thriving and led to our success in the Store of the Year Award.”

Offering their customers good value for money is vital in keeping their business, and it’s an area where Londis have excelled. “We can offer customers really competitive prices, through the new brands introduced to our shelves and to traditional branded goods through the strong promotional cycles offered by the Group,” Ray states. “More than ever, price is the deciding factor for customers: if they cannot get good value for money, they won’t come back. We still need to have an attractive image and friendly, well trained staff, but without the competitive edge that Londis gives us, our business would not be as strong as it is.”

At the Heart of the CommunityThe presence of the shop in the community is not limited to offering great products at good value prices and provid-ing valuable local employment: Keating’s Londis Plus is closely involved with local schools and sports clubs in terms of sponsorship and also pitch in to the Tidy Towns competi-tion. It all keeps the shop at the heart of the community that has built up around it over the past five years.

With the right team in the shop, the right attitude and the right symbol group partner, Ray and Maura have built up a strong business in Cobh. Their hard work has been recognised by the success in the Store of the Year Award and is continu-ally demonstrat-ed by the success of their business.

FACT FILEOwner:

Location:

Size: Number of

Staff:Opening

Hours:

Ray & Maura KeatingCobh, County Cork

7,000 square feet

65 full time & part time

07:00-22:00, Mon-Wed; 07:00-0:00, Thur-Sat; 08:00-23:00, Sun

May10ADM Londis Store of the Year

The Irish tobacco market is one of the most challenging in Europe, thanks to a combination of stringent legislation and the continued rise of illegal tobacco sales, which are estimated to account for almost 30% of the entire market.

Indeed, industry experts estimate that the Non Irish Duty Paid sector has grown from 7% of the market in 2005 to 27% in 2009, meaning that 1.7 billion cigarettes were Non Irish Duty Paid last year. This equates to €692m in lost retail sales to retailers from illegal sales.

However, despite these obsta-cles, Ireland’s tobacco sector is worth approximately €2 billion per year, which demonstrates the contin-ued importance of the tobacco and cigarette category to shops across the country. The Roll Your Own (RYO) sector is rising steadily, as Irish consumers seek out greater value in these tough economic times.

According to a new Tobacco Category Overview from John Player, Irish consumers purchased almost 2,773m cigarettes in 2009, down from 2,788m in 2008, while the RYO category grew from €25.1m in 2008 to €34m in 2009. Similarly the value-priced sector of the market is growing,

up from 5.3% of the total market in 2008 to 7.1% in 2009 (figures sourced from Nielsen Extended Scantrack).

Of course, the tobacco sector also acts as a major driver of foot-fall into your stores. According to research from Nielsen, Irish adult smokers visit your shop five times per week, compared to 2.4 visits for non-smokers, and spend an average of €5.50 on additional purchases while there. Tobacco consumers are extremely brand loyal: indeed, the tobacco category carries the highest rate of out-of-stock intolerance, with 62% of adult smokers liable to leave your store if you are out of stock of their chosen brand (Source: Nielsen Neighbourhood Retailer Year Book 2009).

John PlayerDespite the Government’s increased crackdown on contraband products, which includes the introduction of a new tax stamp, significantly higher penalties for individuals caught selling illegal products, and the record number of seizures to date, Non Irish Duty Paid (NIDP) still comprises approximately 27% of the

total amount of cigarettes consumed in Ireland, resulting in massive losses to retailers.

Street selling, door-to-door sales and market selling are unfortunately a feature of life now in Ireland, and deprive retailers of footfall, which is an unintended consequence.

John Player works closely with Customs & Excise and other Government officials, their cus-tomers and with the Irish Tobacco Manufacturers’ Advisory Committee (ITMAC), to raise awareness about the scourge of illegal tobacco selling.

Despite the solid growth in illicit sales, there is some positive news. The Roll Your Own (RYO) market con-tinues growing, as a seemingly end-less recession pushes consumers to seek out greater value. Compared to this time last year, within a total mar-ket that’s grown 29%, Golden Virginia and Drum are up an astonishing 50% and 43% respectively (market data sourced from Nielsen Scantrack, 4 weeks ending 21 March 2010).

A major part of Drum’s success is attributable to the launch in August 2009 of the Drum Combi Pack, offer-ing adult smokers 12.5g of Drum and

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May10Tobacco Products

There is some good news for the tobacco sector, despite the proliferation of illegal tobacco sales throughout the country.

Hot Topics

The Drum Combi Pack offers adult smokers 12.5g of Drum and 50 Rizla

Green papers in a box format at a very competitive price.

Golden Virginia sales are up an astonishing 50% over last year’s sales

figures.

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR TOBACCO PORTFOLIO BYSTOCKING ALL PRODUCTS FROM THE NUMBER 1 & 2

BRANDS ON THE MARKET

DRUM 12.5G • DRUM COMBI PACK 12.5G • DRUM 25G • DRUM 50G • DRUM BRIGHT BLUE 12.5GGOLDEN VIRGINIA 12.5G • GOLDEN VIRGINIA 25G • GOLDEN VIRGINIA COMBI PACK 12.5G

6 OUT OF 10 CHOOSEDRUM OR GOLDEN VIRGINIA

OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS, GOLDEN VIRGINIA & DRUM HAVE GROWN 50% AND 43%, RESPECTIVELY*

Source: Nielsen Scantrack, 4 weeks ending 21st March 2010.

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50 Rizla Green papers in a box for-mat at a very competitive price. The convenience and appeal of the Combi Pack has made the Roll Your Own sec-tor even more valuable to consumers.

Rizla has gained 13.5% market share from last year, and controls nearly 84% of the rolling paper mar-ket. Rizla Red, Rizla Green and Rizla Blue, the top three SKUs, comprise 72% of the total market.

In November 2009, John Player introduced its new Limited Edition John Player Blue slide pack, Blue Moon. The new format provides the company’s flagship brand with a mod-ern and innovative profile. The slide pack follows on from the successful limited edition tin for John Player King Size launched in 2008.

Positively, research shows that more than 6 in 10 adult smokers find the new Blue Moon pack very or fairly appealing, and in terms of the design, consumers viewed the slide pack as contemporary and styl-ish. Additionally, nearly 7 in 10 adult smokers claim they are very or fairly likely to re-purchase the Blue Moon pack, with 59% of the interviewees satisfied overall with the slide pack (Source: Interviews, Millward Brown Lansdowne, December 2009).

With the successful launch of Blue Moon, ‘Blue’ continues demonstrat-ing its strength as a brand favourite, evolving into one of those rare brands that have become an Irish icon. To supplement the success of Blue Moon, 2010 will see further innovations on the John Player brand.

Superkings claims leadership of the longer length market, with a Nielsen share of 5.6% MAT. Over the last three months, Superkings’ volume share has grown to 5.8%. Superkings claims 68% of volume/share, with Superkings Blue at 22% & Menthol at 10%.

Following on from the hugely suc-cessful animal skins rayo activity in 2009, Superkings saw another rayo refresh in March of this year, with 11 striking designs circulating the coun-try in March and April.

In today’s tough economic climate, consumers are constantly looking for a bargain, without compromising on quality. With the launch of John Player Special (JPS) last May, John

Player now holds nearly 2% of the entire value segment in Ireland, and offers adult smokers a varied choice for less money.

With nearly 6 out of 10 adult smok-ers choosing to go elsewhere for their preferred brand when faced with an out of stock (OOS) scenario, the aver-age turnover for each “lost” adult

consumer is an astonishing €3,500 per annum (€14 - a pack of cigarettes and cross purchases - x 5 x 50). Therefore, it’s critical that retailers correctly stock brands, ensure availability, and avoid an out-of-stock at all costs.

There are several methods availa-ble to retailers, but what John Player tells retailers is simple: ROAD.


Agio CigarsAGIO Tip has enjoyed popularity for many decades amongst cigar enthusiasts in Ireland and it remains the leading brand in the Irish tip market.

The best seller Agio’s Filter Tip 5 has a distinctive, white and royal blue packaging containing five cigarillos made in Holland. Each cigar comes wrapped in easy-to-open cellophane, with a stylish white plastic mouth-piece containing a charcoal filter.

The restyling of the Tip range last year gave the range of cigars a sig-nificant incremental sales boost in a declining cigar market. The packaging was refreshed with a modern design that is both stylish and classical.

The Agio range also includes Clair Tip, Sweet Tip and Half Corona.

Agio Tip has been a firm favourite of Irish consumers for many decades.

Best Selling Cigarettes in Ireland BRAND SHARE OF SALES1. Benson & Hedges King Size 17.6%2. John Player King Size Blue 16.3%3. Silk Cut Purple King Size 12.7%4. Marlboro Gold King Size 8.9%5. Silk Cut Blue King Size 6.7%6. Carroll’s No. 1 King Size 5.1%7. Superkings Black 3.9%8. Major Extra Size 3.3%9. Silk Cut Silver King Size 3.2%10. Rothmans King Size 2.5%11. Pall Mall Red King Size 1.5%12. Marlboro Red King Size 1.3%13. Superkings Blue 1.3%14. Silk Cut 100s 1.2%15. Mayfair King Size 1.1%16. Mayfair Superkings 1.0%17. Silk Cut Blue 100s 0.7%18. Silk Cut Silver 100s 0.7%19. Lambert & Butler King Size 0.6%20. Superkings Menthol King Size/ Consulate Mentol King Size 0.5% (Source: Nielsen Extended Scantrack)

SMOKING CAUSES CANCERIrish Government Warning

VU PAR

For trade use only – not to be left within sight of consumers

• NEW Vogue

PACK DESIGN,

CREATED IN PARIS

• SAME DELICATE TASTE

• AVAILABLE NOW

THE LEGEND’S NEW LOOKLA LÉGENDE SUBLIMÉE

Freephone 1800 604 500 for more information

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ReviewConstantly monitor what brands are selling quickly, what brands are not, and what customers are asking for that you are not currently stocking.

OrderAvoid an out-of-stock situation by not delaying your tobacco order. If you sell 15 John Player King Size packs per day, and you only have 45 packs remaining, know when you have to place an order to ensure your delivery is in-house (especially over the weekend).

AllocateMake certain you allocate the right amount of space to the right brands.

Daily StockingIf you fill your cigarette unit daily, you should never face an out-of-stock scenario.

PJ CarrollPJ Carroll is Ireland’s oldest tobacco company and is the maker of leading brands including Carroll’s Number 1, Major, Cutters Choice, Sweet Afton, Rothmans, Consulate, Pall Mall, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Vogue.

PJ Carroll began the year with a series of celebratory pack sleeves for Carroll’s Number 1. In total, there were five variants, each one depict-ing a classic Carroll’s image for each decade since the 1950s. This was to mark Carroll’s Number 1’s 50-year celebration.

Last year saw PJ Caroll upgrad-ing the Pall Mall packaging, while April saw Vogue Signature packs transformed to a new pack design. The premium quality superslim ciga-

rette retains the same blend that consumers have come to recognise, only repackaged in a more distinc-tive design.

For four weeks, Vogue was rolled-out with a new transition pack, informing customers of the pack rede-sign and including a sneak preview of

the new stylish design in preparation for the full roll-out in May.

Both the Bleue and Menthe vari-ants of Vogue feature the new design, which combines a white background embossed with a metallic purple logo and a new inner foil. Both variants also have a unique ‘Pearl’ in either Bleue or Grass Green on the top of the pack, designed specifically to help differenti-ate between the two variants.

“We updated the Vogue pack to a new design in order to stay relevant to our adult consumers,” noted PJ Carroll Premium Brand Manager, Hinesh Patel. “The addition of the ‘Pearl’ means customers can eas-ily recognise their chosen variant. Remaining true to the Vogue blend, consumers will benefit from a new pack that is distinctive and unique.”


PJ Carroll released a series of celebratory pack sleeves for Carroll’s Number 1, marking the brand’s 50-year celebration.

The Pall Mall pack enjoyed a packaging upgrade last year, which is proving popular with Irish consumers.

Vogue has been transformed with a new pack design, which combines a white background embossed with a metallic purple logo and a new inner foil.

1 in 4 cigarettes sold1 is Ireland’s #1 brand2 + Benson & Hedges is the #2

Irish market data1 Silk Cut 26.2% SOM (AC Nielsen, March 2010) 2 Silk Cut No.1 brand (Checkout Top 10 Tobacco Brands 2009) 3 B&H No.2 brand (Checkout Top 10 Tobacco Brands 2009) 4 B&H Gold KS 17.8% SOM (AC Nielsen, March 2010) 5 Mayfair (AC Nielsen, June 2009 – March 2010) 6 Camel (AC Nielsen, March 2010) 7 Amber Leaf (AC Nielsen, MAT March 2010).

+ is the fastest growing value brand5 + Camel is the #2

brand3 with B&H Gold leading the market as the #1 selling SKU4

= It all adds up

American Blend brand6 + Amber Leaf is the fastest growing RYO brand7

Living It Up with Moët & ChandonCONSUMERS across the country had the chance to win tickets to the Irish premiere of the highly anticipated Sex and The City 2 movie, thanks to Moët & Chandon, the official champagne of the film. Three fans had the opportunity to win four tickets each to live it up like Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda for the night with a pre-premiere Moët & Chandon champagne reception and overnight accommodation at The Merrion Hotel, along with limousine transfers to and from the movie premiere. Moët & Chandon is synonymous with cinema, playing an important role not only on-screen, but the brand has hosted events at the Cannes Film Festival since the 1950s and has been the official champagne of the Golden Globe Awards for over two decades.

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MURPHY’S has scooped two prestigious Outdoor Advertising Awards, the Grand Prix and Best Outdoor Campaign, for its Official Pint of Us campaign, which created location-specific outdoor advertising in Cork that celebrated the brand’s rich Cork heritage, county colloquialisms, iconic monuments and the spirit of the city. Billboards strategically placed with tailored messaging such as ‘Officially the Shakiest Bridge in Ireland’ and ‘Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Officially Ireland’s largest trophy case’ instantly connected and amused local Cork stout fans. The awards were judged on strategic and tactical planning, as well as poster design and results, all of which Murphy’s delivered in spades. Pictured at the Awards Ceremony are (l-r): Diarmuid McSweeney, Michelle O’Brien, Brian Sword and Thomas Brady, Stout Brand Manager.

Corona Sponsors Film FestivalMICHAEL and Kathleen Barry of Barry & Fitzwilliam are pictured with The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dara Murphy, and Tanya Murphy, Lady Mayoress, at the launch of the Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival at The Bodega, Cornmarket St, Cork. The Festival takes place in Scull, West Cork, from May 28-30. “Corona Extra is very much at the centre of things and we are delighted to have taken on this title sponsorship,” said Michael Barry of importers Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Bulmers Berry Gets Arty BULMERS Berry have unveiled live art installa-tions in Dublin and Cork as part of the Bulmers Berry Undergrowth Movement outdoor advertising campaign. These live installations are the first of their kind in Ireland on such a large scale and are part of a more extensive Bulmers Berry above-the-line campaign, which runs across outdoor, including bus-sides, i-stores and ambient, featuring three con-cepts, Hair, Tattoo and Vine, all carrying the strapline, An Undergrowth Movement. “The cultural movement has been a great fit with the undergrowth movement that is new Bulmers Berry, rolling out the new outdoor innovation,” noted Orlaith Fortune, Bulmers Marketing Manager. One of the artists is pictured completing the live art installation on Terenure Road North in Dublin.

May10Drinks News

Heineken On the Ball WORLD football freestyle champions Charlotte Lade and John Farnworth are pictured with Heineken Assistant Brand Manager, Karl Fielding (front), in Dublin to celebrate Heineken’s new UEFA Champions League on-pack cam-paign. The football freestylers raised their game with an on-street football freestyle battle on Dublin’s South King Street, while extra time included Ireland’s very own top freestylers, Original Funk, who showcased their skills. Football fanatics

witnessed a true world class football skills spectacle and it was up to them to judge on control, creativity and style. Heineken’s Raise Your Game on-pack promotion had 100 prizes a day and two trips to the UEFA Champions League Final up for grabs.

Officially the Best Outdoor Campaign

Massive Extension at SuperValu GlanmireRYAN’S SuperValu Glanmire is set to create 30 new jobs as part of a €10m expansion of the exist-ing store in Glamire, Co. Cork. With over 13,000 square feet added to the exist-ing store, it now stands at an impressive 26,000 square feet and includes a new three-storey car park, offering customers 292 car park-ing spaces, in addition to the 85 already available. The 30 new jobs will bring the numbers employed by Ryan’s SuperValu in Glanmire to almost 160.

Liam and Diane Ryan also own a further three SuperValu stores Grange and Togher in Co. Cork and Kilmallock in Co. Limerick, which between them employ a further 400 people.

“The development of our new SuperValu store in Glanmire has been planned carefully to meet the needs of the local community and provide excellent service, range and quality in a modern, convenient location,” noted store owner Liam Ryan (pictured with Donal Horgan, SuperValu MD). “We have spoken and listened to our customers to ensure the extension and refurbishment includes all the additional services and products they would like to see in their local store.”

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May10Update

Just Food Company Wins SuperValu AwardTHE Just Food Company, based in Cobh, Co. Cork, was the winner of the Local Food Producers Award at the inaugural SuperValu Irish Food Producers Awards, and impressed the judges with their handmade approach to production. “We do things differently to many food com-panies. We use organic ingredients and small batch pro-duction methods because we believe these both contribute to a better product and fresher taste. Our team in Cobh are all experienced food industry professionals, allowing us to respond to respond to the natural differences in our organic ingredients. It is fantastic to see these differ-ences and the great effort of our team, being acknowl-edged,” explained a delighted Deirdre Hilliard, MD, The Just Food Company, who is pictured with Paul Farrell, Commercial Director, The Irish Times; Dick Lenehan, Head of Food at Enterprise Ireland; and Donal Horgan, Managing Director, SuperValu.

SMEs Urged To Proactively Tax PlanONE of the country’s leading tax experts has urged SMEs to proactively tax plan to aid their cash flow. Speaking at the Institute of Tax Annual Conference recently, Jackie Masterson, a Tax Partner with Russell Brennan Keane, spoke to the assembled tax experts on “Staying Positive - Assisting and Advising SME Clients”. A challenging subject in these times, Jackie focused her attention on practical cash flow tips and recent topical developments specifically affect-ing the Small and Medium Enterprises sector.

Masterson considered various cash flow saving tips across all types of taxes. In relation to Corporation Tax, she focused on the new start-up exception and also high-lighted how the R&D tax credit, which is significantly underutilised by the SME sector, can be of benefit to many SME businesses. “This credit, which has been ignored by many in the past, should be seriously re-looked at in view of the fact that it is now more valuable, €25 credit for every €100 of qualifying spend, and can be paid as a cash refund to businesses over three years, in certain circum-stances,” she said.

Most businesses have the challenges of dealing with bad debts and Jackie encouraged them to examine any bad debts or provisions in the context of a tax deduction for corporate taxes or a refund of VAT. In relation to VAT, she also outlined the possibility of accounting for VAT on a cash receipts basis. Masterson also reminded delegates of being able to use a pending redundancy rebate against other taxes immediately.

Overall, Masterson was very positive regarding recent developments in the SME sector and advised businesses “to seek out tax incentives, grants and other cash flow savings as a route to surviving and growing in the current economy”.

Flahavan’s Named SuperValu Irish Food Producer of the Year THE Flahavan’s Group has won inaugural SuperValu Irish Food Producers Awards, which were created to recognise excel-lence, quality and innovation within the food and beverage sector in Ireland. Flahavan’s impressed the judging panel with their commitment to continually adapt and innovate their product offering to meet the changing needs of consumers. “We

are extremely proud to be associated with the Irish Times and Enterprise Ireland in recognis-ing the best producers in Ireland and I would like to congratulate our well deserved winner Flahavan’s, all of the companies short-listed and of course each of the category winners,” noted Donal Horgan, Managing Director of SuperValu, who is pictured with John Flahavan, Chairman of Flahavan’s. Other winners included Barry’s Tea who won the People’s Choice Award; Kepak took the Quality Commitment Award; The Just Food Company won the Local Producers Award; Country Kitchens Bakery won the Best Fresh Produce Award; Delicious Gluten Free Bakery took the Best Newcomer Award, while Flahavan’s also won the Innovation Award.

THE 2010 Heineken Kinsale Sevens took place on the May Bank Holiday weekend, and was launched by Irish interna-tional legends Andy Ward and Jonathan Bell. For 22 years now, rugby festival fever has been the toast of Kinsale and this year’s Heineken Kinsale Sevens, hosted by Kinsale Rugby Club, featured teams from as far and wide as Africa and Fiji, as well as a host of teams from across Europe. Andy Ward and Jonathan Bell are pictured with Pat Maher, Heineken; Michael O’Sullivan, President, Kinsale RFC; Tomas O’Brien, Mayor of Kinsale; Jonathan Barry, Heineken; Ronan Kett, Tournament Director; and Nikita O’Connell, Kinsale RFC.

HUNKY Dorys’ brand new advertising campaign, entitled ‘Rugby’, has been caus-ing quite a stir around the country. Presenting a unique take on the line-out, scrum, tackle and place kick, the images were captured by world-renowned sports photographer, Walter Iooss Jr, who has covered virtually every major sporting event in the world. A new web-site, www.hunkydorys.ie, showcases all the ads from the campaign, as well as some additional bonus content for its dig-ital followers.

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Heineken Kinsale Sevens

New Hunky Dorys Advertising Campaign

SCA has announced an exciting, new marketing cam-paign for its leading household towel brand, Plenty, including a new TV campaign. Building on the brand’s core message, ‘One Sheet Does Plenty’ which was intro-duced in 2009, the new brand icon, Juan Sheet, will replace the housewife duo Brenda and Audrey in the new-look TV advertisements. The introduction of Juan Sheet, the sexy Latino cleaning superhero, forms one of the final stages of the brand’s migration from Bounty to Plenty. The ad will see Juan Sheet saving the day by

cleaning up spills with just one (or if you like, ‘Juan’) sheet of Plenty – bringing to life the brand’s key messages in a fun and crea-tive way.

SUPERQUINN is to sponsor Taste of Dublin 2010, the capital’s premier outdoor food and drink festival, which takes place in the Iveagh Gardens from June 10-13, with more than 30,000 foodies and wine lovers expected to attend the gourmet festival. 2010 marks Superquinn’s 50th birthday as well as the 5th birthday of Taste of Dublin. “This is a really exciting initiative for us,” noted Feargal Quinn, Founder and non-Executive President of Superquinn, pictured at the launch with model Andrea Roche. “Superquinn is famous for quality Irish fresh foods, great Irish hospitality, its expertise and commit-ment to support Irish producers.” James Wilson, Trading Director at Superquinn, adds, “By sponsoring Taste of Dublin, we have a wonderful opportunity not only to celebrate our 50th birthday, but to engage directly with thousands of people who are passionate about quality food and wine. It will be our biggest birthday party ever!”

May10Update

SCA Unveils New Brand Icon for Plenty

Superquinn Sponsors Taste of Dublin

May10What’s New

KENCO is set to introduce an excit-ing packaging inno-vation to the hot beverages category with the launch of its 150g Eco-Refill packs in May. Available in

both Smooth and Rich Roast variants, the new Kenco Eco Refill pack offers coffee drinkers a more environmentally friendly and better value way to enjoy their morning wake up call, with 97% less packaging weight than Kenco glass jars. The Irish launch of Eco Refill follows a hugely suc-cessful UK launch which has driven incremental volume both for Kenco (72% of volume incremental) and the Pure Soluble Category (46% of volume incremental). Look out for the ‘97% Less’ campaign which will feature across TV, out-door, press, radio and digital, supported by €600k invest-ment during May and June.

FRESH prepared vegetable and salad producer W o n d e r f o o d s have bagged themselves a Bord Bia Horticultural Food Award, lifting the Best Prepared Fruit & Vegetable Producer Award for 2010. This award recognises and rewards exceptional achievement in the area of fresh prepared horticultural produce pro-duction. Currently employ-ing 65 people, this family-owned company produces a wide range of quality, ready-

to-eat convenience salads and prepared vegetables, mainly under private label to the retail trade, while their own Secret Garden brand of salads and vegetables is dis-tributed nationwide.

THE Mutt & Jeff range of world class, premium pet treat products from Phoenix Pet Foods Ltd, have been developed based on a thor-ough understanding of the pet treat market. Following extensive research of the current trends in the pet treat sector, Mutt & Jeff ticks all the boxes, such as premi-umisation, humanisation, health and wellness, while the brand’s stunning design communicates its quality, provenance and health benefits. The products are 100% meat, with no additives, no colours or preservatives. The range is slow cooked to enhance the natural fla-vours, and is also rich in Omega 3.

PREMIER Foods has just launched its new ‘Great Little Ideas’ brand which provides innovative hints and tips to help banish the boredom of everyday meal making. The new initiative will see a bright yellow star icon and a tasty tip marked on packs of Ireland’s favourite brands such as Ambrosia, Loyd Grossman, Oxo, Mr Kipling, Hartley’s and Sharwoods. The on-pack campaign, which can already be found on supermarket shelves across the country, has been designed to give regular meals a makeover and inspire consumers to make more of their store cupboard staples, eliminating the phrase ‘not this again!’ from family meal-times. See www.greatlittleideas.com for more.

GEORGIA Pacific have announced a full brand re-launch of the Thirst Pockets range. Number two in Ireland’s kitchen towel category, the re-launch is sure to strengthen Thirst Pockets’ position in the Kitchen Towel category, which is worth €22m annually. In response to extensive research, the new Thirst Pockets range has made significant improve-ments in performance and strength: the new product will be a massive 100% stronger and 30% more absorbent than

the original family favour-ite. New packaging has been developed to clearly communicate the prod-uct improvement and the Thirst Pockets elephant becomes the brand hero to highlight the physical strength and absorbency of the product.

F A M I L Y bread brand Kingsmill is p a r t n e r i n g with the UK’s top entertain-ment show - Britain’s Got Talent - to launch an on-pack promotion, offering consumers the chance to win a range of ‘money can’t buy’ prizes, including tickets to the live show and live tour! The on-pack activity, designed to reinforce Kingsmill’s strong family and fun credentials, spans the brand’s sliced bread, rolls and bakery snacks portfolio. Participating sub-brands include Kingsmill Great Everyday White, Tasty Wholemeal, Love to Toast, 50/50, Crusts Away!, Little Big Loaf and brand new Oatilicious.

Thirst for Success Winning Ways at Wonderfoods

Mutt & Jeff Launches

Premier Foods’ Great Little IdeasKingsmill’s Got Talent

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Kenco Eco-Refill Packs

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GLENISK, the award-winning, family owned organic dairy, has teamed up with one of Ireland’s leading cookery schools, Cooks Academy to help Irish people to rediscover their love of cooking. Glenisk Organic Crème Fraîche features an exciting new on-pack offer, with the chance to win one of several week-long cookery courses from Cooks Academy, as well as recipe books. The courses, suitable for beginners, provide a wonderful introduction to cook-ing, helping to inspire a love of food.

TOPAZ are offering families a chance to get away to the sun with their great holiday promotion. For every €20 spent on fuel, customers get a €20 voucher towards the cost of a holiday. A family of five could save up to €300. The promotion is being run in conjunction with Direct Holidays, who have a range of sunny des-tinations to choose from. Pictured at the launch of the promotion is Ava Hartley (aged 4)from Clonskeagh, Dublin, with Aidan Cahill, Marketing Manager, Topaz and Amanda Kelly from Direct Holidays.

MARKETING solutions and consumer engage-ment website Pigsback.com have announced the promotion of Clíodhna Byrne to Brand Manager. Clíodhna joined Pigsback.com in early 2008 as an Account Executive. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in Communications and Public Relations from IT Carlow.

FAMILY-run food emporium, John R’s Food Hall, has become a bustling hub of activity for artisan food enthusiasts in Listowel, Co. Kerry. This third generation family busi-ness has become a centre for food-tastings and demonstrations, as well as a focal point for friendly chat and debate about the latest developments in food and farming, with owner-manager Pierce Walsh renowned for his helpful knowledge and advice. In fact, the majority of produce is sourced locally and Pierce’s encouragement and guidance has been instrumental in assisting numerous start-up food businesses to launch their brands.

Shelf Life

CUISINE de France have given consum-ers another reason to treat themselves by cutting the RSP of their delicious Classic Muffins from €1.89 to €1.50. The Classic Muffin comes in four delicious flavours: Classic Blueberry, Triple Chocolate, Berry Blast and Toffee & Apple.

May10Shelf Life

SUNFLOWER fairy Samara Jones ( aged 8) is pictured with RTÉ’s Kathryn Thomas in launching Sunflower Days 2010. Sunflower Days will take place on June 11 and 12, as hundreds of volunteers nationwide will sell sun-flower pins for €2 each, with all proceeds going to local hospice services. This year, Sunflower Days are kindly sup-ported by Irish Pride, and the new “Irish Pride Sunflower Heroes” hon-ours people throughout the country who work tirelessly on behalf of their local hospice.

IT was with great sadness that RETAIL NEWS learned of the death of public relations con-sultant Sharon Prior, who passed away recently after a long illness, fought with remark-able courage and integrity. Sharon set up Prior Communications in 1994 to specialise in consumer PR, having previously worked with Kenny’s and Grayling, as well as being PR and Sponsorship Manager for Tennent’s Ireland. We would like to offer our condolences to Sharon’s husband, Paul Nolan, her daughters, Sophie and Julie-Ann, and the rest of the Prior family.

THE Irish Direct Marketing Association (IDMA) is hosting a special half-day Loyalty & Retention Marketing Conference on June 2 in the Aviva Stadium, bringing together some heavy hitting specialists from Ireland and the UK to speak to the Ireland’s marketing pro-fessionals. The IDMA is expecting over 200 of the top marketers in Ireland to attend the conference, providing a great opportunity for networking across industries and businesses. See www.idma.ie for more details.

Since launching in 1998 and now with over 300 stores open, the

Gala Group is maintaining its number 1 position as Ireland’s fastest

growing retail symbol group. Operating under three brands, Gala,

Gala Superstore and GalaXpress, the Gala retail team have a unique

knowledge of the needs and ambitions of

retailers and place a strong emphasis on

retailer profitability. So, if you want to

connect with Ireland’s most dynamic retail group, make sure you call

Gala first, on Callsave 1850 600 100.

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Proud sponsors of the Gala All-IrelandSenior and Junior Camogie Championship

Gala Retail Services Ltd, Summit House, Embassy Office Park, Kill, Co. Kildare. Tel: 045-910 066. Fax: 045-910 061. Email: [email protected] Callsave: 1850 600 100

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Retail News May 2010