November 2010

AFTER the last two years of ever-tight-ening margins, there is at last some good news for Irelands beleaguered grocery sector, with the latest Kantar Worldpanel report showing chinks of light in terms of market growth. In the 12-week period to October 3, 2010, we have seen solid market growth for the first time since February 2009, while the latest National Consumer Agency survey reveals the changes in consumer shopping habits. See full report on Page 4.

More good news for retailers comes with the news that the off-trade continues to grow, and now represents almost 35% of the entire Irish drinks sector in value terms and 55% of volume (Page 5), while retail groups like Tesco, Iceland and the Barry Group are investing in new store openings, in what is sure to stimulate growth across the sector.

In other news of green shoots, we report from the 9th annual Repak Recycling Awards, which took place recently in the National Convention Centre, where the winners included Tesco Ireland, Irish Distillers, Garveys SuperValu in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, and Kraft Foods Ireland (Page 25). In a hard-hitting interview, Derek Caswell, Commercial Director of Kraft Foods Ireland reflects on their Award win, as well as the companys deep-rooted com-mitment to sustainability, the Governments role in help-ing indigenous companies to compete in the EU and why Irish consumers are different to their UK counterparts and should be treated as such (Page 18).

Last but not least, the Festive Season is almost upon us, and its time to prepare by stocking up on the big brands guaranteed to sell this Christmas. We focus on the big seasonal sellers (Page 26-40) in grocery, while also examin-ing some of the biggest drinks brands in the country (Page 42-51).

.

Kathleen Belton,Editorial & Marketing Director

n inside view

Managing Director: Fergus Farrell

Editorial & Marketing Director: Kathleen Belton

Editor: John Walshe johnwalshe@tarapublishingco.com

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Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen

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T A R A

Over 53 years

serving the Irish

grocery trade.

November10Contents

1

Green Shoots for Grocery

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News4Solid Growth for Retail Sector.

5Off-Sales Continue to Rise; Opportunity Knocks for Tesco; Small Retail Thinks Big at EU Conference.

6Retailers Selling Smuggled Tobacco; Peter Foley Leaves Londis; Iceland to Open 40+ New Stores.

7Repak Announces Membership Fee Freeze for 2011; New Fresh Meat Range from BWG Foods; Bright Future for Barry Group.

8Co-operation Agreement to Combat Tobacco Smuggling; Retail Ireland Calls for Rates Reduction; Topaz Wins at Retail Excellence Ireland Awards.

Music Use In-Store15Brendan Griffin, Director of Licensing, IMRO, explains the ben-efits of in-store music and why you need an IMRO licence to play music in your store.

Shop Profile16Padraig Broderick has managed to grow his busi-ness at SPAR Croom, Co. Limerick, through a combi-nation of forward thinking and hard work on the part of the store owner and his symbol group partner.

The Retail News Interview18Derek Caswell, Commercial Director, Kraft Foods Ireland, on the com-panys deep-rooted com-mitment to sustainability, the effect of the recession and what the acquisition of Cadbury Ireland means for the business.

PostPoint News20PostPoint Christmas Giveaway; New BillPay Campaign; Competition Winners.

Gala Annual Conference22Kings Gala in Ashbourne was named Gala Store of the Year at the Gala Annual Conference.

Repak Recycling Awards25Prevention of packaging was the big winner at the 9th annual Repak Recycling Awards which took place recently.

Christmas Stocking Special Report26Your guide to the Christmas essentials, guaranteed to fly off your shelves this Festive Season.

Tobacco Products52Illicit cigarette sales are impacting on the legitimate tobacco market, but tobacco sales, when handled cor-rectly, remain a crucial element in every stores product mix.

SHOP 201060A 40% increase in new exhibitors and strong visitor numbers, allied to a variety of awards, helped Septembers SHOP 2010 to be a roaring success.

Off Licence Awards62The third Edward Dillon EuroSPAR/SPAR/SPAR Express Off-Licence of the Year Awards 2010 took place recently.

Shelf Life64All the latest news and gossip from the trade.

Regulars

10Industry News

63Whats New

Sectoral Reports

26Christmas Stocking: Essentials

40Christmas Stocking: Batteries

42Christmas Stocking: Drinks

51Christmas Stocking: Champagne

& Sparkling Wine

3

ContentsNovember 2010

November10Contents

26

18

THE Irish grocery industry and Irish consumers finally have a meeting of minds. After years at loggerheads - accusations of Rip-Off Republic during the Celtic Tiger and shoppers flocking to Northern Ireland in the current reces-sion - the two stables are beginning to understand one another. In a report from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, the 12 weeks ending on October 3, 2010 showed solid market growth and an improved situation for retailers, the first of its kind since February 2009. Meanwhile, a National Consumer Agency (NCA) sur-vey highlights a renewed sense of opti-mism amongst Irish consumers.

It has been a difficult time for busi-nesses and consumers, but we are begin-ning to see the balance between the two is much better, Fergal OLeary, Assistant Director of Research at the NCA told Retail News. Retailers are in business to make money and keep their customers as happy as possible, so they come back. Any part of a good business practice is to have a good consumer who knows what they are looking for, so they push the retailer in the right direction.

In 2010, consumers certainly know what they want. In October, the Irish grocery market grew by 1.2%, yet gro-cery inflation stands at 2.4%. This sug-gests shoppers have traded down to cheaper goods in order to save money. Discount stores have benefited as a result, according to Kantar Worldpanel, which collects data throughout the year from a consumer panel of 3000 house-holds in Ireland, who discovered that Lidl and Aldi had won market growth of 9.1% and 8.3% respectively in the month leading up to October 3.

Almost 1 in every 10 paid for grocery items is now spent in dis-count stores, David Berry, Commercial Director at Kantar Worldpanel Ireland and author of the report, explained to Retail News. Discounters have been real winners during the recession, he said. They have increased share signifi-cantly. Now theyre up to 10% share of the grocery market.

Not all retailers have been quite so fortunate, according to the report. Tesco has seen a dip in its market share to 27%, although this is from a record high of 27.6%. Meanwhile, Superquinns rate of decline has slowed from -12.4% in

March to -2.8% in October: a 6.6% stake in the Irish grocery market.

Aggressive expansion, even in the face of recession, can be to the advan-tage of a business, believes Berry. Tesco have plans to continue opening new stores, he said. Discounters have benefited from opening new stores. If you start from the position of closing stores, it is going to be difficult to hold your share. Superquinn, who have lost quite a bit of share over the course of the recession, closed one store and that has a big impact on their performance.

Superquinn may claw back ground with the opening of a new store in Dublins Heuston South Corner and two further store openings elsewhere in Ireland. Dunnes Stores, on the other hand, remains largely unmoved with a market share of 22.8%. Compared to a couple of years ago, however, when Tescos lead over the Irish chain was about 1% in mar-ket share, we are now at the point where Dunnes are 5% behind Tesco.

As the NCA survey suggests, the changing grocery plateau is a result of consumers thinking differently. Although income has decreased, consum-ers are researching and planning their purchases and comparing products. The average annual shopping bill has fallen from 6,127 to 5,572, so consumers have made permanent changes to their buying patterns. According to the NCA, one in three (34%) consumers is spend-ing more time bargain hunting, three in 10 (31%) are spreading their shopping across a number of shops, and three in four (72%) say the recession has made them think carefully about purchases.

Comparing 2005 to 2010, there has been an enormous change in consumer

behaviour, said OLeary. In 2005, consumers were generally unwilling to complain - they werent switching serv-ice providers, even when the service provider wasnt giving them very good service. They were confused and unsure about their rights. They were also very unhappy with the price they were pay-ing for nearly everything and felt ripped off. Contrast that with 2010. Consumers are more price conscious, thriftier, more confident about their consumer rights, more willing to complain, better money managers. More importantly, they are more empowered for all of their consum-er transactions.

As a result of this shift in shopping attitudes, specific product categories are winning out. Own brand is popular, explained Berry, as are categories such as pizzas and ethnic foods, pasta, rice and frozen poultry. In this research, we learned that people are preparing more meals from scratch, said OLeary. That suggests we are going back a little bit to the older ways of buying fresh ingre-dients. People have learned that this is generally a cheaper way to feed a family. There is money to be saved if food can be freshly purchased and prepared.

With the seasonal period approach-ing, more value growth is expected for the market, but if the recent surveys are to be believed, things have changed for the long-term.

People have learned hard skills over the last few years and they are unlikely to forget those lessons, said OLeary. We will have a healthier and more competitive consumer environment. I genuinely believe that is good for retail businesses as well. Good consumers cre-ate good business.

November10News

4

Solid Growth for Retail Sector

November10News

A NEW report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) suggests the off-licence sector continues to grow its share of the Irish drinks industry. The report, published by DCU economist Anthony Foley, found the off-licence sector had 34.8% of market value in 2009, compared to 27.5% in 2000. In 2009, off-licences had about 55% of alcohol volume sales and employed 46,000 full time staff across off-licences and distribution businesses.

By comparison with last year, off sales are having a good year, explained Kieran Tobin, Chairman of DIGI, in an interview with Retail News. During the first half of 2010, a lot of cross-border purchas-ing was repatriated. The overall market was up about 6.5% and that is driven by the off-trade. The off-trade must be up 15%. There is also a shift from the on-trade to the off-trade. There has been a share gain for the off-trade.

According to DIGIs report, per-sonal expenditure on beverages in 2009 amounted to 7.185bn, or 8.5% of total consumer expenditure. Of this, 6.531bn of this was spent on alcohol and 654.3m on non-alcoholic bever-ages. Although 34.8% of this expendi-ture ended up in off-licences, 65.2% was spent in public houses, bars, restau-

rants, hotels and nightclubs.However, the report also revealed

that the drinks industry - valued at 3bn - is suffering thousands of job losses. DIGI proposed a package of measures to help restore consumer confidence and support the hospitality sector, including a ban on below cost selling of alcohol.

Off-Sales Continue to Rise

5

THE flag for Irish independent retail-ers was recently flown in Brussels. Tara Buckley, Director General of RGDATA, was one of the speakers at an EU confer-ence, Towards A Fairer Retail Market, which sought to improve equality and efficiency of the retail sector by 2020. Buckleys platform was part of a session concerning retail accessibility.

The main message I was trying to get across was that over the past number of years, there has been a feel-ing that the EU has gone by the big is best mantra, she told Retail News. They needed to take into account the contribution smaller independent shops make, particularly in a country like Ireland where we have a displaced pop-ulation. It is important people have local shops they can walk to. The contribution local shops make to their communities and the local economy should not be undermined.

As part of her five minutes on the podium, Buckley spoke about Irelands planning rules and guidelines, caps on retail store sizes, the preference for town centre development, and bans on

greenfield, out of town, development. She touched on the burden of regula-tion that the EU sometimes imposes on small business, giving an example of an owner of a small supermarket who had started importing goods from the UK and received a telephone directory of statis-tical data that he had to supply the EU.

I also spoke about other shops, smaller supporters of artisan producers and local producers, she continued. The EU needs to ensure we dont strangle them with a burden of regulation that takes away their viability as businesses.

Buckleys speech was followed by questions from the floor, during which time an attendee questioned whether a fair grocery market should involve small retailers going head-to-head with

big supermarkets. I responded that this is not about small versus big. Im mak-ing the argument for diversity: regula-tions, laws, planning laws that allow for diversity, so small and big can operate. We know the market has changed and developed over the last 20 years, but Im saying consumers should have a choice of both small and big.

Small Retail Thinks Big at EU Conference

RGDATA Director General, Tara Buckley.

Opportunity Knocks for TescoTESCO has opened a new supermarket in Naas, Co. Kildare, as part of a 113m investment in new stores and the redevelopment of other outlets around the coun-try. The store is creating 266 new jobs in the locality. In a sign of the dwindling workforce amid recession, the store attracted over 3,000 applicants for jobs. The supermarket giant plans to open new outlets in Galway, Mayo and Waterford before Christmas, creating 748 new jobs in Ireland this year.

6ICELAND are set to open more than 40 new stores across Ireland in the next four years. The AIM Group, one of Irelands largest independent whole-salers and the holder of the master franchise of Iceland supermarkets in Ireland, announced the new Iceland stores recently, along with the opening of 15 Home Savers stores, a new dis-count chain of homeware stores, and 50 2 Stores. The total level of capital investment will be over 25m and will create more than 2175 new jobs.

Commenting on the announcement, Tom Keogh, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the AIM Group, said, Our combined retail offering of value-for-money Iceland foods along with our own brand Home Savers stores, we believe will capture the Irish publics attention

and are sure-fire winners. We have a well funded aggressive roll-out programme of retail stores for the next four years.

Keogh stated that the group are committed to using Irish sup-pliers throughout the expansion programme. Iceland spends over 50m in Ireland on quality Irish produce, such as milk, bread, meat and poultry, he said. We are very committed to spending more in Ireland and we want to increase this value in the weeks ahead.

Nigel Broadhurst, Icelands UK Buying Director, went on to say, We are absolutely delighted with this latest development in our franchise partner-ship with the AIM group. Not only is it good news in terms of the development

of the Iceland business in Ireland but it also signals the start of much bigger things for the future. We are keen to develop strong relationships with food manufacturers in Ireland and would welcome the opportunity to review relationships with potential big volume suppliers.

Iceland to Open 40+ New Stores

November10News

Peter Foley Leaves LondisAFTER a very busy and challenging two years that has seen the completion of a number of specific business programmes for ADM Londis plc, Peter Foley has resigned from his position as Commercial Director of the Group to pursue other interests. The Group is currently recruiting for the role of Commercial Director and expects to make an appointment before the year end.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Board, staff and ADM Londis retailers to thank Peter for all his efforts and support during his time with the ADM Londis Group. We wish him the very best of luck in his future endeavours, stated Stephen ORiordan, Chief Executive, ADM Londis plc.

THE Barry Group is set to plough 5.5m into its business. The Mallow-based distribution company has earmarked 3.5m for a 55,000 square feet expansion of its ware-house facilities, which will bring its distribution centre to 200,000 square feet over a five acre site. The further 2m is planned for four new BuyLo Superstores, set to open in Killarney, Waterford, Shannon and Dublin before end of November.

As a country, we need to move beyond the negative busi-ness environment of the past two years and look forward to a brighter future, said Jim Barry, Managing Director of the Barry Group. The continued growth and expansion of our business is tangible proof that there are significant oppor-tunities in the marketplace for companies brave enough to seek them out and take advantage of them.

Bright Future for Barry Group

Departing ADM Londis Commercial Director,

Peter Foley.

SOME small shops across Ireland are starting to sell illegal tobacco in an attempt to remedy their plummeting sales. Benny Gilsenan, Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) spokesperson, told Retail News that smugglers are finding eager customers amongst retailers whose businesses are on the rocks. Somebody comes in and offers you 200 cigarettes at 40 that you can get a return of 85 for, he said. There are some small shops that will think, This is an opportunity for me to make a few bob. I cant make it on cigarettes normally. Theyve been suckered by these criminals into taking

these illegal brands.Do these retailers sell them under

the counter? Yes, generally speaking

the small corner shop or the small shop in a small town will know his customers [and what they want]. Im not saying he should do it and I would not condone it at all, but he knows his clients and can say to himself, I can give these to Joe Bloggs at 7 a packet and Im still mak-ing 3 a packet. Whereas on the genu-ine brands he normally sells, he makes in and around 62c a packet.

Criminals are also dropping fly-ers in housing estates, with price lists for illicit tobacco, Gilsenan continued. Advertised prices range from 28-40 for packs of 200 cigarettes.

Retailers Selling Smuggled Tobacco

Benny Gilsenan, Retailers Against Smuggling spokesperson.

Pictured at the opening of the Iceland store in Dublins Ilac Centre are (l-r): Nigel

Broadhurst, Icelands UK Buying Director, and Tom Keogh, Chief Executive Officer of

the AIM Group.

7REPAK, the industry funded used pack-aging recycling scheme, has announced that due to rigid cost control measures, there will be no increase in the 2011 fee membership.

This is the third year in a row that membership fees have been frozen, despite a backdrop of operating deficits for the last two years and a projected deficit for next year, due mainly to the increased cost of household collections and falling membership income.

Repak is also under strong pressure from the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, and Government to increase the packaging recycling rates to 75% by 2013 (up from the current recycling rate of approximately 60%). Such targets would place Ireland above all other European countries, with the exception of Belgium, for packaging

recycling rates. Achieving this means greater subsidies to waste contractors to incentivise collection of less attrac-tive and more difficult to recycle items. Additionally, the draft policy is calling on Repak to abandon its shared cost model and pay full cost, which would add further to members costs.

In such a climate, it is remarkable that Repak have being able to hold fees and have not increased fees like most oth-er European compliance schemes, where increases have been in double digits.

However, the organisation has indi-cated that rigid control of costs without increases is unsustainable and that future fee increases will be necessary to met future increased targets.

Despite the tough economic envi-ronment, Repak is the only packaging compliance scheme within the main

European member states to hold charg-es at previously low levels, while contin-uing to achieve national recycling tar-gets, noted Dr Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Repak. Based on the continued growth in domestic recycling, which currently accounts for over 70% of the Repak spend, and the necessity for Repak as a not-for-profit organisation to seek equilibrium with costs and expenditure over the medium-term, fee increases in the future will be needed.

BWG Foods has launched an exclusive Irish fresh meat range, Glenmr, invest-ing 1m over three years in the roll-out through its store network, totalling some 800 in the country.

BWG Foods has for the last 12 months been working with local Irish suppliers to develop a comprehensive range of quality, competitively priced fresh meat products, which are all sourced from Bord Bia accredited sup-pliers. There are 13 products in the range at present, with plans to intro-duce new products.

We identified a gap in our offering for a dedicated local fresh meat range and felt it was a category that would thrive in our stores based on consumer shopping habits, noted Willie OByrne, Managing Director, BWG Foods. All products selected for the newly created Glenmr brand have been produced by suppliers who meet the strict stand-ards set down by the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme.

The newly created Glenmr range will be exclusive to the SPAR,

EUROSPAR and MACE retail brands, and will include pre-packed meats and whole chickens as well as primal cuts. The primary suppliers of these beef, pork, lamb and poultry products cur-rently include: AIBP, based in Cahir, Co. Tipperary, supplying pre-packed beef and pork; Carton Bros., based in Co. Monaghan, supplying pre-packed poultry; Oliver Carty, based in Athlone,

Co. Westmeath, supplying bacon and ham; Irish Country Meats, based in Co. Wexford, supplying pre-packed lamb.

Commenting on the new range, IFA President John Bryan said, BWG Foods move to 100% Bord Bia Quality Assured Irish beef, lamb, pork and poultry under the new Glenmr fresh meat range is a positive and welcome development for both consumers and producers.

November10News

Repak Announces Membership Fee Freeze for 2011

New Fresh Meat Range from BWG Foods

Dr Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Repak.

Pictured at the launch of the Glenmr range is Willie OByrne, Managing Director, BWG Foods, with Brandon Noble and Eabha Last.

8RETAIL Ireland, the IBEC group that represents the retail sector, has called for a 20% cut in commercial rates in 2011. The group wrote to An Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD, Enda Kenny TD, and Eamon Gilmore TD, as well as the chair-person of every local authority, city and county managers to ask for a reduction of 20% in commercial rates when the local authorities finalise their annual budgets.

Retailers are competing to attract customers by cutting prices, not-ed Retail Ireland Director Torlach Denihan. Last year recorded the larg-

est ever annual fall on record in retail sales, and CSO data shows that the value of retail sales has fallen by 25% since 2007. Unfortunately the high cost of running a retail business has not declined, and this has contributed to the loss of over 47,000 jobs in the sector. Unless retailers can regain lost price competitiveness, the sector will struggle to avoid further redundancies.

He noted how retailers need all local councillors to support a reduc-tion in commercial rates to ensure that local retailers remain viable and retain employment.

JOHN Players parent company, Imperial Tobacco has recently signed a co-operation agreement with the Member States of the European Union, including Ireland, and the European Commission to jointly combat smug-gling and illegal selling of tobacco.

Under the agreement, John Player and its parent company, Imperial Tobacco, will work together with the European Commission and law enforce-ment authorities in Ireland and the Member States to tackle the smuggling and counterfeiting of tobacco products which cost the EU 10billion last year.

Building on the successful coop-eration that already exists between

Irish Customs and John Player, the Agreement will strengthen cooperation in a number of areas and includes pay-ments by Imperial Tobacco of US $300m (207m) over 20 years to combat tobac-co smuggling.

Commenting on the agreement, Andrew Meagher, Managing Director of John Player, said that the only winners in tobacco smuggling are the criminals, while government revenues and tobacco control measures are adversely affect-ed: The Agreement will enhance anti-smuggling initiatives in Ireland and underlines our commitment to partner with the authorities in the fight against tobacco smuggling and counterfeiting.

We want to play our part in dismantling this concept that Ireland is a smugglers paradise and this agreement underlines John Players commitment.

Retail Ireland Calls for Rates Reduction

Co-operation Agreement to Combat Tobacco Smuggling

November10News

Topaz Wins at Retail Excellence Ireland Awards TOPAZ has been crowned Irish Retail Company of the Year and Best Employer at the Retail Excellence Ireland Awards. Paul Candon, Marketing and Corporate Services Director, said it was a fantastic achievement, and the company was delighted and proud to be accredited by the REI: We are so proud at being named overall Irish Retail Company of the Year. This means a huge amount to Topaz, as we have only been around for a couple of years. Yet this shows how far we have come in this short time. It was also very pleasing to note the judging panel was looking for evidence of a business strategy that demonstrably contributes to the Irish economy, and that has always been a priority for us.

We are also thrilled to have won the Best Employer award, he continued. This is especially significant as we would not have won this award without the full support of our employees. We value our employees so highly and we are extremely grateful for their commitment, energy and dedication every day.

Retail Ireland Director, Torlach Denihan.

Andrew Meagher, Managing Director of John Player.

Pictured at the Retail Excellence Awards are (l-r): Paul Candon, Marketing and Corporate Services Director, Topaz; Arleen Quigg, CPL; MC Miriam OCallaghan; Frank Gleeson,

Retail Director, Topaz; Eddie OBrien, Chief Executive of Topaz; and Kevin Jephson, Chairman,

Retail Excellence Ireland.

www.bordbia.ie

Always choose porkwith the Quality Mark

Youd be amazed at what you can do with pork for everyday meals and what great value it is. Why not try something different like Stir-fried Pork with Ginger, Pan-fried Pork Chops with Orange and Rosemary or even Pork Fillet with Prunes. For an exciting range of pork recipes visit www.bordbia.ie

Theres more to

thinkPork

than you

10

PICTURED are (l-r): Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME); Billy Kelleher TD, Minister for Trade and Commerce; and Brenda Farrell, MD, Total Training, at the launch of ISMEs world-class online certified training programme for retailers and their staff, in collaboration with Total Training. This programme provides retailers throughout the country the opportunity to improve their retail skills and gain certification, without taking time away from work, as time is of the essence for small retailers. In a period when up-skilling is essential and time is scarce, this programme offers all retailers and their staff the opportunity of gaining world-class certified skills, said Minister for Trade and Commerce, Billy Kelleher TD. Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME, said, This initiative for the retail trade is opportune, timely and cost effective, allowing staff to upskill in an innovative and flexible manner, which will help retain staff and improve the prospects of the unemployed.

EUROSPAR has launched a nationwide consumer promotion in con-junction with Subaru Ireland, offering new and existing SuperEasy loyalty card holders across the country the chance to win a brand new Subaru Justy worth 12,000. Pictured launching the promotion are MD of Subaru Ireland, Neville Mathews, with Willie OByrne, MD of BWG Foods. This promotion, exclusive to EUROSPAR customers, runs nationwide until December 5, and SuperEasy customers will be automatically entered into the draw just by using their loyalty card in-store to collect shopping points. We are fully committed to rewarding customer loyalty and this exclusive promotion with Subaru Ireland will make a positive difference to the life of one lucky SuperEasy card holder, noted Willie OByrne.

New Online Training Programme for Retail Sector

EUROSPAR Motors Ahead with Subaru Promotion

SUPERQUINN has opened a new 20,000 square feet supermar-ket in Heuston South Quarter, Dublin 8, with the creation of almost 60 jobs. The store was officially opened by Minister for Science, Technology & Innovation, Conor Lenihan TD (pictured with Superquinns Executive Chairman, Simon Burke), during a special opening celebration attended by the local community. Superquinn also signaled that the opening of its HSQ store is the first of a number of stores it hopes to open over the next two years, in a return to growth for the business. Following two tough years, Superquinn is now focused on growth once more, and we are very happy to be making this announcement today and welcoming almost 60 new colleagues to the team, noted Simon Burke. Located within the contemporary Heuston South Quarter area adjacent to Heuston Station, Superquinn Heuston South Quarter is open from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday.

Flahavans Launch Recipe BookletA SELECTION of delicious oat recipes straight from the Flahavans kitchen has been launched in a special booklet by Mary Flahavan (pictured), Company Director and wife of John Flahavan, Company Chairman. The book, Tasty Oat Recipes, was launched to coincide with Flahavans Porridge Week on October 18, and is free of charge with 1.5kg bags of Flahavans Progress Oats in selected retailers nationwide. The book contains 12 mouth-watering recipes that showcase the versatility of oats, including break-fast options such as Apple Porridge and Fruit Oat Smoothie, lunch options such as Vegetable and Oatmeal Soup and dinner options such as Oatmeal and Fish Pie and Vegetarian Broccoli or Cauliflower Oat Bake.

New Superquinn Store in Dublin

November10Industry News

Repak membership will lighten your load.

PACKAGINGREGULATIONS

are putting

pressureyour business under

Any business with a turnover of 1million that places 10 tonnes, or more, of packaging on the market,must comply with the newly amended packaging regulations or face prosecution. Compliance is aseasy as joining Repak, from as little as 1 per day. 46 companies have already been prosecuted and,with over 2,000 inspections a year, your business could be next. Why risk heavy fines and even prison?

Find out more about your companys obligations under the amended packaging regulations - andhow Repak membership can help by visiting repak.ie

1.10

4,4),9:-

CONGRATULATIONS to Dublin newsagent Joe Sweeney, whose 10 members of staff, employed at his Newscentre store in Donaghmede Shopping Centre, Dublin, were jointly named Employee of the Year at the NFRN Awards Ceremony in London recently. Now into their sev-enth year, the NFRN Awards are a widely respected industry accolade, which focuses on the news and convenience retailing sector and recog-nises those who have made a real contribution to its success and future. Pictured at the award presentation are William Yates of Cadbury, with store owner Joe Sweeney, his wife Margaret, staff members Alice Jones and Mary Duggan, and Nikki Bedi, BBC TV and Radio Presenter.

THIS years Gala All-Ireland Camogie Championship cul-minated in a fan-tastic triple header All-Ireland Day at Croke Park. Tens of thousands of Camogie fans, players and sup-porters gathered to see their respective teams be crowned Gala All-Ireland Camogie Champions, with Wexford regain-ing the senior crown, Offaly winning the intermediate title and Antrim lifting the jun-ior title. Una Lacey, Captain of Wexford, is pictured celebrat-ing winning the Gala All-Ireland Senior Camogie Final, with President Mary McAleese and Gary Desmond, CEO, Gala in the background. This year, Gala continued with the Gala Performance Awards and 10 awards were handed out dur-ing the season recognising individual players contributions to their teams, and to the sport of Camogie. We hope that by recognising these players, it demonstrates that every performance counts; something that resonates with our 200 stores who deliver outstanding customer service to their com-munities daily, noted Gala CEO, Gary Desmond.

Newscentre Team Are Top Employees

Gala Score with Camogie Championship STONEHOUSE

Marketing Ltd recently held a golf day which raised a whopping 44,000 for the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund. Tom Shipsey, CEO, Stonehouse, is pictured presenting the cheque to Donald Williamson, IGBF President of Appeals.

Pumpkin Feast at SuperValu SUPERVALU expects to sell 80,000 worth of pumpkins this year, with 80% supplied by Irish growers. The seasons first Irish grown pumpkins went on sale in SuperValu in time for the traditional Halloween celebrations. Grown by Oisin OGradaigh at Keelings Farms, Dundalk, Co. Louth,

the pumpkins range in price from 1 for the small size to 4 for the giant size. SuperValus commitment to Irish based growers and producers resulted in combined Irish retail sales of 1.2 billion of fresh Irish food in 2009.

This commitment to investing in local produce guarantees top quality, fresh Irish fruit and vegetables for consumers. Six-year-old Molly Kate Fitzpatrick is pictured with some of the new season SuperValu pumpkins.

Stonehouse Tees off for IGBF

November10Industry News

12

RT media sales recently hosted its first cross-platform conference for 200 of its advertis-ing clients. The theme of the afternoon was Competitive Advantage Through Creative Thinking and it was chaired by Pat Kenny. Speakers included Luke Reaper from Behaviour & Attitudes, who presented some details on a new research study on how the media consumer interacts with various RT-platforms throughout the day. Bernadette Grant, Marketing Director, Kellogg Company of Ireland (pictured) spoke about the highly-successful Field of Dreams multi-media campaign, which was followed by a lively presenta-tion from keynote speaker, Hamish Taylor, while leading figures from the advertising industry took part in an interesting debate on the challenges facing the Irish advertising industry today.

RT Cross Platform Conference

DAVID Walsh, Group Retail Manager at the Gift Voucher Shop (left), is pictured with Dragons Den entrepreneur Sean Gallagher and Aoife Davey, Marketing Manager, Gift Voucher Shop, at the launch of the One4all iPhone App. The new app, which is free to download, allows users to locate retailers that accept One4all gift vouchers and cards on a map while out and about and to share locations with friends. In addition, shoppers can check the bal-ance on their One4all Gift Card at the touch of a button and view their transaction history. It is the first app to locate all Post Offices nation-wide as well as PostPoint outlets and Topaz service stations.

BEWLEYS is the only Irish coffee company to feature among the 33 leading Irish businesses commended in the Carbon Disclosure Project 2010 Ireland Report. The authoritative report, produced by KPMG, ranked Bewleys in the top 10 among the leading Irish corporate businesses, indicating that the company has a strong understanding of climate change issues, a commitment to address these issues at the top level of the organisation and has developed the capability to manage the companys carbon footprint. Pictured at Bewleys Grafton Street Cafe are Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, with Siofra Campbell, Chairman, and John Cahill, Chief Executive of Campbell Bewley Group.

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Bewleys Carbon Credentials Commended

TV personality Brendan OConnor is pictured with Alanna Clarke (10), Jamie Kelly (9), Erick Davis (8) and Kelly Clarke (10) at the launch of MACEs Kits4Kids giveaway, which sees MACE giving away about 150 full team soccer & Gaelic kits. The initiative is open to all soccer and Gaelic teams

in the Under-18 brackets. Customers pick up nomination forms in-store or on www.mace.ie/kits4kids and every time MACE Own Brand product is purchased, customers are given a jersey sticker. Once five stickers are collected, this completes the nomination card and counts as one nomina-tion. The club with the most nominations per store wins a full ONeills kit for their kids team.

Garniers Blonde Ambition LORRAINE Keane is pictured with David OBrien, Product Manager, Garnier, at the launch of the Garnier Nutrsse 2010 Shade of the Nation Campaign, which revealed that the Garnier Nutrsse 2010 Shade of the Nation is Natural Blonde 8.03, which confirms our desire to brighten up our lives this year! The survey of over 800 Irish people saw respondents vote for blonde as their preferred shade, a change from the 2009 winner Intense Red 6.66. The Shade of the Nation survey also revealed that Irelands favourite brunette shade is Nutrsse Deep Golden Brown (4.3) and favourite red shade, Nutrsse Deep Red (4.6). To celebrate, Garnier Nutrsse will be launching Natural Blonde 8.03 as their official Nutrsse Shade of the Nation 2010 as chosen by the Irish public.

BuyLo Opens In Killarney KILLARNEYS new Irish discounter, BuyLo, opened its doors just in time for the busy October Bank Holiday weekend. Jim Barry, Managing Director of the Barry Group, which is the exclusive promoter and owner of the BuyLo franchise, said, The opening of the new BuyLo store on the Cork Road marks the beginning of an exciting new shopping experience for the people of Killarney. BuyLo is a successful and proven retail concept and I have no doubt that the Killarney store will prove as successful as our other outlets in Tralee, Ashbourne and Mullingar. According to a spokesperson for BuyLo, the stores early trading has exceeded all expectations. The BuyLo model is Irelands answer to rival German discounters, offering an Irish solution to discount

retailing, with well-known brands of food and non-food household items at significantly discounted prices.

November10Industry News

MACE Kit4Kids

New One4all iPhone App

Why does a store owner need an IMRO licence?Just like any other input into your business, the use of musical compositions by a retail store must be paid for. Thus, when you use copyright music in a retail shop (and you do this by using a radio, TV, or any other music conveying system), under the law, you must first get the permission of the owner of that piece of music for such use. You can do this for over 10m music works by taking out a licence from and paying royalties to IMRO.

What exactly does an IMRO licence allow a store owner to do?To use in their business over 10m copyright musical works, the public performance right to which is controlled by IMRO in the Republic of Ireland.

If a store owner has already bought CDs, for example, why does he/she still need an IMRO licence to play them in-store?The purchase of a CD does not authorise the purchaser to perform the musical works therein in public. It only allows the purchaser to perform the works within the domestic environment; hence, the need for a licence from IMRO.

Where do the licence fees go?IMRO is a not for profit organisation representing the public performance rights of composers, songwriters and music publishers in Ireland. All distributable royalties collected by IMRO, less a deduction to cover its running costs, are paid directly to those who compose, write and publish the music that you are playing in your retail store.

How much does an IMRO licence cost?The level of royalties due in respect of background music use is dependent on the shop floor area. For example, the cost (pre-VAT) for a shop space up to 100m is currently 206.75 pa for the first year and 137.64 pa in the second year of the licence. That works out at 56 cents a day for the most extensive range of the best quality music available! For a shop with a floor area up to 500m, the cost works out at 1.41 per day. It should be noted that a retail store can save 33% of the year one price if they obtain a licence in advance of using music. Please contact our Licensing Department at (01) 6614844 or by email at licensing@imro.ie or visit www.imro.ie for further information.

What are the potential benefits to a store owners business?With competition in the retail trade becoming increasingly intense, consumers are being encouraged to select one retail premises over another. This is where the power of music becomes a positive influencing factor. Research (Source: www.

musicworksforyou.co.uk) has shown that music has the tendency to put customers at ease, thus encouraging them to spend more time in retail outlets. Therefore, the longer they spend in your shop the more likely they are to make a purchase. Research shows that 84% of shoppers say they like shops that play in-store music and of that percentage, 23% claim they would be prepared to pay 5% more for goods if music is being played. This demonstrates that creating the right atmosphere can help drive your business. In addition and very importantly, the advantages of using music in your shop extends to staff motivation as well as buying behaviour. Again from research (Source: www.musicworksforyou.co.uk), 66% of staff surveyed believed that background music made them feel better and more motivated at work, and as all retailers know, with improved motivation often comes improved productivity.

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November10Music Use In-Store

Brendan Griffin, Director of Licensing, IMRO, explains the benefits of in-store music and why you need an IMRO licence to play music in your store.

Hitting the Right Note

Brendan Griffin, Director of Licensing, IMRO.

IMRO has a national on-the-ground sales team monitoring the use of music on all commercial premises, including retailers. The relevant person for your area can be reached via the IMRO office by phoning their licensing team at 01 6614844.

Kerryman Padraig Broderick cut his teeth in retail working for the Garvey Group as a store manager for 10 years, before taking the plunge into shop ownership in 2007. When the chance arose to purchase the SPAR store in Croom, Co. Limerick, the Irish economy was flying high and Padraig saw it as an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up.

Unfortunately for Padraig, our economic bubble burst soon after he purchased the shop. However, not only has Brodericks SPAR in Croom survived the past few years of recession but it has managed to grow its business through a lot of hard-work on the part of Padraig, his staff and his symbol group partners in SPAR.

I became manager of this shop in 2005 and took owner-ship in 2007, the store owner recalls. We achieved growth in sales in the shop every year from 2005 until last year, which was the first year where sales showed no growth. With the economy still showing little sign of recovery, I knew the only way to grow sales was to exploit a new area of trade.

Recognising that his store had a good reputation for fresh food and a loyal local customer base used to trolley and basket shopping, Padraig felt that high-end convenience and

food services were under-exploited. We used to shut the deli down at six oclock, after which time we had no fresh food-to-go offering for customers.

Massive RevampThe result of Padraigs rethink: a massive revamp, which resulted in significant changes across SPAR Croom. Floor space was increased by 25%, allowing for the introduction of a number of new elements to the shop. Some of the extra 1,000 square feet of retail space, however, was not filled but used simply as space, to help create a large open-plan envi-ronment for the interior of Brodericks SPAR.

The fresh meat, fruit and veg offering was given addi-tional floor space and frozen food was also increased sig-nificantly, allowing all these sections to offer customers a bigger and better selection. New elements were introduced, such as an upgraded deli, an in-house bakery and the Hot Spot microwave, greatly increasing the range of food-to-go available from the shop. A large health and beauty section was also created as part of the revamp.

Padraig Broderick has managed to grow his business at SPAR Croom, Co. Limerick, through a combination of forward thinking and hard work on the part of the store owner and his symbol group partner.

Onwards and Upwards for SPAR

Novemer10Shop Profile

16

Padraig Broderick is pictured outside his 5,000 square feet SPAR store in Croom, Co. Limerick.

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Not only did the revamp of Brodericks SPAR enable Padraig to offer a superior selection of grocery to his cus-tomers, it married a new high convenience element to the existing business model. Customers were delighted when they saw the new look of the shop and even moreso when they found out all it had to offer.

Incredible Customer ReactionThe reaction from some of my customers was almost disbelief, enthuses Padraig. Although Croom is close to Limerick City, it has a very rural feel and people were genuinely surprised by the quality of the new shop. The deli now offers a huge selection of really top quality food-to-go, including pizzas and ready-to-eat meals. We also offer ready-to-cook meals that are proving very popular and we already have a queue in the mornings for the fresh baked bread. For late nights, the Rustlers Hot Spot microwave has also been very successful.

With a fully staffed butchers counter, Brodericks SPAR already had a strong trade in fresh meat. This has been complemented by the introduction of the Glenmr range of pre-packed meat, which has proven very popular with Padraigs customers, given its top quality and competitive price point. Since the revamp, the proportion of sales in fresh meat, fruit and veg and deli has increased from 18% to 25% and across the shop, margin is up by an average of 3%, which is no mean feat.

The full off-licence in Brodericks SPAR was another area with traditionally strong sales. As part of the revamp, it was re-designed to offer all its wines grouped by price point, rather than by type or region, with wines grouped as 5, 6,

7 etc. This strategy has worked superbly, with wine now accounting for 50% of off licence sales, while total off-licence sales are up by 10% on last year.

The development of SPARs own brand range has also helped retailers like Padraig enormously, as he explains: SPAR has invested strongly in the brand and it is show-ing dividends for retailers. He also cites SPARs regular retailer meetings as a valuable tool, where retailers share experiences, hints and tips with each other.

Passion for RetailIndeed, Padraig is quick to point to the high levels of sup-port from his symbol group partners as critical to his stores success: SPAR have been absolutely fantastic to work with throughout this project. SPAR is a very open, very retailer-driven organisation. My local Retail Operations Advisor, Colin Power has a passion for retail that is infectious. All through this project, I have been given all the support and expert advice that I have needed.

The store owner notes, however, that its not just during a revamp that the support is there. SPAR has built an excep-tionally strong brand across the country and it has also pro-vided retailers with cost saving measures to help us maintain margins in difficult trading conditions. Theres no denying there is a lot of gloom around, but there is also a lot of inno-vation and action being taken by SPAR to help retailers.

By way of example, he highlights innovations like the Virtual Academy as proof of SPARs retailer-driven, forward thinking philosophy: Virtual Academy allows me to train and upskill staff from a PC in the shop rather than losing the staff member for a whole day.

With the quality of support being provided by the SPAR Group and the continuing hard work of Padraig and all his staff, Brodericks SPAR in Croom is managing not only to sur-vive the reces-sion but actually grow the business as well.

Fact File

Owner: Location:

Size: Number of

Staff:Opening

Hours:

Padraig BroderickMain Street, Croom, Co Limerick5,000 square feet

25 full time & part time

06:30-23:00, Monday-Sunday

Novemer10Shop Profile

It was back in 2005 when Derek Caswell realised just how important the issue of sustainability was. Sitting at a table with Costa Rican coffee growers, in Europe to promote the fact that Kenco had signed an agreement with the Rainforest Alliance, Kraft Foods Irelands Commercial Director asked them what has been the biggest benefit from their involve-ment with the Rainforest Alliance? It means our children dont die any more, was the answer he received.

Not just an industry buzz-word, sustainability is key to the future of our planet, and thats not hype or spin, merely a fact. Sustainable development is defined by the United Nations as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future genera-tions to meet their own needs.

For the last seven years, Kraft (with the Kenco brand in particular) have been at the forefront of the move towards sustainability, and the company was rewarded for its efforts at the recent Repak Recycling Awards, where it was pre-sented with the Repak Best Prevention Initiative Award, which Caswell describes as a public affirmation of the fact that were doing the right thing.

The award was ostensibly for the introduction of the Kenco Eco Refill pack, which replaces the glass jars and removes 97% of packaging from the supply chain, but is ultimately the cul-mination of a mission which began back in 2003.

Because Kenco is such a big brand, when we originally linked with the Rainforest Alliance in 2003, we couldnt physically get the quantity of coffee we needed to be certi-fied by the Rainforest Alliance, so we realised that this was going to be a long journey, Caswell explains. Kraft Foods is one of the biggest global purchasers of coffee on the worlds commodities market, so to get a company like ourselves to decide that this was a direction we wanted to move in meant that you couldnt flick a switch to make such a high percentage of the worlds coffee crop sustainably pro-duced, so it was a long-term project.

Some companies put a sustainable, fair trade or organic variant on-shelf, alongside all their mainstream

brands, but the reality is that if you want to really make a difference in society, you have to bring that ethos to your mainstream brands. That is where the bulk of the volume comes from and it really makes a difference at the other end of the supply chain.

Last year saw Kenco announce that 100% of the coffee beans they use are sustainably sourced. Rather than resting on their laurels, however, they decided that the next step was to examine their packaging; hence the development of the Eco Refill Pack, which may be extended across other products in the Kraft Foods portfolio.

While admitting that the laminate used in the Eco Refill Pack itself cannot be recycled, Caswell notes that the com-pany is working on material that will be able to maintain the integrity of the product and be recyclable, but the tech-nology is not quite there yet. The vision is to get to a 100% sustainably produced and recyclable pack.

In the meantime, Kraft have a partnership agreement with Terracycle, who make affordable, eco-friendly products (including shopping bags, back-packs and even toys) from a wide range of different non-recyclable waste materials. It is in its infancy in Ireland but in the US and the UK, Terracycle is gaining some traction, says Caswell.

As a business, Kraft is committed to sustainability, right through the entire organisation, he sums up. The business is committed to exploring every possible way to becoming more sustainable in all areas of its activity, be it the crops we buy for use in our products to the production plants. This is a core belief and core ethos of the company. Im not going to say that the journey is easy or quick, but we are committed to it.

The Economic ImpactIn general business terms, Kraft Foods Ireland recently post-ed their 2009 results, which saw turnover down by almost 20%, from 42m to 35.1m.

We are all aware of the difficult economic situation which exists in the country at the moment, which has an impact on consumption for an awful lot of people, Caswell

Derek Caswell, Commercial Director, Kraft Foods Ireland, on the companys deep-rooted commitment to sustainability, the effect of the recession and what the acquisition of Cadbury Ireland means for the business.

18

November10Retail News Interview

Master of his Kraft

notes. This economic impact is felt most strongly in our away-from-home business. We have a very large and very successful away-from-home business in Ireland, but that has been impacted by the greater eco-nomic reality. But that is cyclical: the economy will recover, and our away-from-home business was and prob-ably still is one of the most successful within Kraft.

The bigger issue, however, is in terms of the grocery sector, where one of their major customers took a decision to source Kraft Foods Irelands product range from outside this country, which according to Caswell accounts for a large proportion of the revenue decline.

This is not just an issue for Kraft Foods Ireland but for the entire indig-enous supply chain, as major multi-ples increasingly seek to source prod-uct from larger markets, primarily the UK, where they can take advantage of vast economies of scale.

The Irish consumer is still a very individual consumer, with very differ-ent needs to the UK, Caswell stress-es. I feel that some multiple retailers underestimate the brand loyalty of the Irish consumer, who doesnt like to be told what brands they are going to buy and consume. For a long-term successful business, giving your cus-tomers what they want is the key.

Caswells words would seem to be borne out by the fact that even a curso-ry glance along the shelves of multina-tional grocery retailers in Ireland sug-gests that last years move to source more brands directly from the UK has

already been rolled back, with Irish brands, so beloved of our homegrown consumers, back taking pride of place in a host of categories. Ultimately, con-sumers dictate the market.

For the Irish consumer, it is in their long-term interest to make it clear to any retailer what brands they want and why they want them, Caswell stresses. If Irish consumers dont get the brands they want in one store, they will simply go to a rival store. No retailer is going to be in business very long if they dont give their customers what they want.

Improving Irelands CompetitivenessThe retailers will doubtless argue that they can source the same prod-ucts cheaper from overseas. One of the big reasons for this price dis-crepancy is the high cost of doing business in Ireland, as was identified in a Competition Authority Report

last year. So how do we make Ireland Inc. more competitive?

We have to recognise that Ireland is an island and, by its nature, is always going to be more expensive to get to, so we may never be as competitive as a country like Spain or Italy, he ponders. When you look at the Irish minimum wage versus other European countries, there is a huge difference. I dont see Ireland going back to paying the kind of low wages they pay in Spain, for example, and nor do I think it would be the right thing to do, but we have to be clever about how we do business in a more efficient and effective way.

There are a whole lot of things that the Government dont make easy for Irish business, Caswell stresses. Even from a regulatory point of view, we need to make sure we are operat-ing on a level playing pitch. Take a commodity like milk, for example: what an Irish producer is required to do to put milk on the shelf is sub-stantially more onerous than what is required from producers in other countries. With the freedom of move-ment of goods and services across the EU, somebody can decide to import milk from another country, which may be of a significant lower quality,

and place it on-shelf here in Ireland. Thats not a level playing pitch. Government need to make it easy for businesses to compete. They have to look at the regulatory burden that is placed on industry to ensure that standards are consistent across the EU, to allow Irish manufacturers to produce their goods in a fair way.

The Cadbury QuestionThis years acquisition by Kraft Foods of Cadbury is arguably the biggest news to hit the market over the last couple of years. Describing it as a very exciting time, Caswell sees it as a massive opportunity to bring the two businesses together and make the combined business bigger than the sum of the two parts. To that end, Kraft Foods Ireland will be mov-ing from its current location to the Cadbury Ireland plant in Coolock by the end of the year.

Looking to the future, Caswell predicts that value growth will return to the market as more added value propositions are brought to market by companies, and he predicts a par-ticularly bright future for Kraft Foods Ireland: The combination of the exist-ing Kraft Foods Ireland business and the existing Cadbury business will be a fantastic organisation and Im very excited about the possibilities which it brings for the new organisation. When this is complete, the vision is to have a much stronger, larger and more effective business. I think we will have a much larger organisation with access to much more products that we can look at bringing to market in a way that we wouldnt have been able to do before.

19

November10Retail News Interview

Government need to look at the regulatory burden that is placed on industry to ensure that standards are consistent across the EU.

Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, John Gormley TD, is pictured

presenting the Repak Best Packaging Prevention Initiative 2010 Award to Kraft Foods Irelands Derek

Caswell and Toby Bevans. Also pictured are Andy Fanning from award sponsor EPA (left) and Dr

Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Repak (right).

POSTPOINT wishes to thank all par-ticipants for entering our Win Big with PostPoint competition in the October issue of Retail News.

Congratulations to the below winners:

Anthony Walsh Dublin 14

Mel Lundy Dublin Port

Richard BrennanLeighlinbridge Co. Carlow

As Irelands leading electronic service provider, PostPoint are happy to support your business in terms of Mobile Top Up, BillPay, Gift Cards, Stamp Retailing, Calling Cards, Tolling and Parking solutions. If you would like to speak to a sales repre-sentative about any of the above serv-ices, please contact the Retail Support Desk on 1890 20 42 20.

Christmas is bright for retailers this year with Stamps and One4all Gift Cards. These exclusive PostPoint products will be sure to increase footfall into your store this Festive Season.

Stamp sales increase by over 300% in the weeks leading up to the Festive Season, with the first two weeks of December being a particularly busy period.

One4all Gift Card sales double within the first two weeks of December, with a further 3000% surge in sales during the final week leading up to Christmas.

If you would like to speak to a sales representative about selling One4all Gift Cards or Stamps in your shop please contact us on 1890 20 42 20 or check us out at www.postpoint.ie

Remember One4all Gift Cards are FREE to order, so why not order today?

PostPoint, a wholly owned sub-sidiary of An Post, would like to wish its retailers a Happy Christ-mas and a prosperous New Year!

www.postpoint.ie20

POSTPOINT, a wholly owned subsidi-ary of An Post are rolling out a BillPay radio and print promotion, which runs from November 22 until December 3. The objective of this promotion is to high-light any new bills live with PostPoint, educate customers about BillPay and ultimately drive footfall into your shops.

Both the radio and print promotions will surround a Christmas focus, high-lighting the following core messages of controlling your finances, convenience

and making life easier. These radio advertisements, radio promotions and press campaigns will be fully utilised across the West of Ireland and parts of Leinster.

Once again PostPoint, in conjunc-tion with An Post, demonstrates they are here to help you, the retailer, drive customers into your store.

For more information check out the latest news at www.postpoint.ie or contact the Retail Support Desk on 1890 20 42 20.

POSTPOINT is giving you, the retailer, a free Christmas Opening Hours post-er for your shop.

Every year, in the run-up to Christmas week, we notice that you, the retailer, regularly request a Christmas Opening Hours poster for your shop, notes Barry Dignam, Head of Sales & Marketing, PostPoint. We have decided that this year we will give you exactly what you want by including this poster in your Retail News magazine.

A regular problem for customers at Christmas is not knowing when their local shop is open, at a time of the year when standard opening hours can vary significantly. PostPoint is here to help by providing this poster and allowing you to keep your customers notified of your shop opening hours.

You will find your poster inserted into this months magazine, ready for you to use when needed.

Barry Dignam concludes: We at PostPoint, in conjunction with An Post, hope you enjoy your poster and wish you a happy Christmas and a prosper-ous New Year!

New BillPay Campaign

PostPoint Christmas Giveaway!

November10 PostPoint News

Competition Winners STAMPS

GIFT CARDS

Christmas is Bright with

Gift Cards and Stamps will be sure to drive footfall into your store this Christmas.

Call PostPoint on 1890 20 42 20 to speak to a sales representative

Heres the research to prove it :

www.postpoint.ie

Gift Card sales increase by up to 3000%.

Stamp sales increase by over 300%.

Give us a call today or visit us online at www.postpoint.ie

22

In just under one year of trading, Kings Gala and Gulf Oil Forecourt, Baltrasna, Ratoath, has scooped the Gala Store of the Year title, beating off stiff competition from the 200 Gala stores across Ireland.

Kings Gala walked away with the top title, following independently-audited store assessments by QHS under the Gala BEST (Business Excellence Standards Tool) pro-gramme. The awards, supported by Nestl Ireland, took place at Galas Annual Conference, held at Carton House, and were MCed by RTE presenter, Daithi OShea.

The title of Gala Store of the Year is the highest acco-lade that a Gala retailer can be awarded, and along with the title, Kings Gala was presented with a fabulous five-star trip to Las Vegas to celebrate the win in style.

To be awarded Galas BEST store is an amazing achievement for Kings Gala. Previously, a derelict, dormant forecourt had been situated on the land and we worked tirelessly to develop the site to make Kings Gala

the best it could be, said a thrilled Brian King, Proprietor of Kings Gala in Ashbourne.

Our forecourt and store opened in early 2010 and the response from customers has been phenomenal. We have created jobs for 23 people and its due to them and our excellent managers, John White and Robbie Fisher, that the store has been awarded this title.

King went on to thank the the team from Gala Retail Services for the support which we received since the idea was born. Theyve been with us every step of the way and the Gala systems, procedures and offerings have been instrumental to our success.

An Exemplary StoreGala CEO, Gary Desmond, described Kings Gala in Ashbourne as an exemplary store where the standards implemented are second-to-none. The commitment of Brian King to make his store the BEST is a huge credit to Brian and his hard working team. The store beat off competition from 200 Gala stores, which is an incredible feat. The Store of the Year Award is recognition of the excellent customer service and standards in retailing that Brians customers from Ashbourne, Ratoath and surrounding areas receive daily.

November10Gala Annual Conference

Kings Gala in Ashbourne was named Gala Store of the Year at the Gala Annual Conference recently.

King of Stores

Pictured at the Gala Store of the Year presentation are (back row, l-r): Diarmuid Murphy, Nestl, sponsors of Gala Store of the Year, with Daithi OShea, compere at the Gala conference; (front row, l-r): Liam Peters, Chairman, Gala;

Brian King, Proprietor of Kings Gala winner of Gala Store of the Year, and Gary Desmond, CEO, Gala.

The Gala own brand range consists of 200 lines and is expected to generate an estimated 15m of sales for Gala in 2011.

23

Kings Gala is an excellent example of Galas pro-gressive and forward-thinking retailers. On behalf of Gala, I would like to congratulate the whole team at Kings Gala.

Presenting the awards was Tom Hardiman from Gala Retail Services and Diarmuid Murphy from Nestl Ireland. WFCs Gala store in Bosheen was named as the Gala Express Store of the Year, with Karen Farrell from Wexford Farmers Co-Op collecting the award on the night. Our dedicated customers and enthusiastic team, managed by Lisa Philpott, are instrumental to the stores success, she noted.

Other award winners on the night were: McGloinsGala,Foxford:GalaMeritAward WFCGalaGroup:GalaCommunityAward McCaugheysGala,Clones:Galaawardfor

Environmental Awareness DurkansGala,Louisburgh:GalaBestFreshFoods

Award

MulrooneysGalaGroup:GalaBestTraining & HR Award

Camier,Gala,Ballydehob:GalaBusiness & Finance Award

Gala Own Brand RangeThe other major news at the Gala annual conference was the unveiling of the Groups own brand range to over 200 retailers. The Gala own brand range consists of 200 lines and is expected to generate an estimated 15m of sales for Gala in 2011.

Gala is a 100% Irish-owned convenience group and it was hugely important to us that all of our new products were of Irish origin, stressed Gary Desmond. Consumer appetite for own brand products has been increasing steadily for some time and over the last six months, weve been trialling our own brand products to make sure that the value propo-sition maintains the quality that Gala is renowned for.

Benefiting the Simon Community The annual trade fair at the Gala conference was well supported by suppliers, with over 50 stands on display, and huge customer discounts available for Gala retailers. Following the Trade Fair, suppliers generously donated all surplus products to the Simon Community in the Midlands, benefiting those less fortunate. Products, including Gala Own Brand, were collected from by Cormac Lally and Cristina Hurson from the Simon Community, who distributed the products at the emergency centre for the homeless in the Midlands.

November10Gala Annual Conference

Pictured at the Gala Own Brand announcement and launching Galas new chilled distribution agreement with RDD are (l-r): Liam Peters, Chairman,

Gala; Tony Cluskey, Marketing & Promotions Manager, Gala; Gary Desmond, CEO, Gala; and Mark Flanagan, Managing Director of RDD.

Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala (second from right) is pictured with Gala Own Brand suppliers (l-r): Daire Loughnane of Loughnane Foods; Jane McEvoy of

McEvoy Foods, and Padraig McEneaney from Celtic Pure.

Denise Lord and Siobhan Comerford from Gala Retail Services are pictured with Cristina Hurson and Cormac Lally from the

Midlands Simon community.

National Waste Prevention Programme

Owners and managers of retail outlets need to ensure that their refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat-pump (RAC) equipment is operated in compliance with European Regulations to prevent emissions of the refrigerant gases this equipment relies on.

What is the Purpose of the Regulations? The purpose of these regulations is to reduce the emissions of refrigerant gases such as F-gases (uorinated greenhouse gases) and ODS (Ozone Depleting Substances), which are often found in RAC equipment. These gases are excellent refrigerants, but are major contributors to climate change and are extremely harmful to the ozone layer.

What do I have to do?Owners and operators of RAC equipment must take measures to avoid emissions, check for leaks, keep records of leak checks carried out, ensure maintenance is carried out by qualied personnel and ensure that contractors hold company certication. The EPAs new guidance booklet provides details on the key obligations, gives an overview of best practice and concludes by demonstrating how good containment of gases can improve the efciency of RAC systems, leading to potential nancial benets.

Who is responsible?It is the operator, often the owner, of the RAC system that is responsible for compliance with the Regulations.

Will this cost me money?Well maintained RAC systems are cheaper to operate: a 10% decrease in operational efciency may lead to a 10% increase in energy costs. The steps necessary for compliance with the F-gas and ODS Regulations provide an opportunity to assess and optimize the energy efciency of your RAC equipment and reduce running costs.

Where can I get more information?A copy of the guidance booklet entitled Complying with Regulations Controlling Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depleting Substances - A Guidance Note for Operators in the Retail Sector is available on the EPA website www.ozone.ie or by contacting the Environmental Protection Agency LoCall: 1890 33 55 99 Email: ods@epa.ie

New EPA Guidance for Operators of Refrigeration and Air-

Conditioning Equipment in the Retail Sector

Smuggled CigarettesFreephone

Smuggled cigarettes not onlydamage the economy of thiscountry and legitimatebusinesses, they also help tosupport organised crime.

You can assist us in combattingthis threat by contacting the new confidential freephone:

1800 295 295

Kraft Foods Ireland were among the winners at the Repak Recycling Awards, lifting the Best Prevention Initiative Award for their Kenco Eco Refill packs, which led to a 97% decrease in its packaging, preventing over 100 tonnes on its products (see our in-depth interview with Kraft Foods Irelands Commercial Director, Derek Caswell on page 18).

The awards, which took place as

part of Repak Recycling Week, acknowl-edge best practice and prevention in packaging recycling of companies, schools, local authorities and waste con-tractors from around the country.

Some of the outstanding achieve-ments include Tesco Ireland, who lifted the Best Practice Award Industry Member. In the last year, packaging on Tesco own label products has been reduced in line with their target of a 15% reduction by 2010, they have increased the use of returnable packag-ing in both their stores and distribu-tion centres, diverted more than 64% of all waste material to landfill and are reducing the carbon footprint of all stores by 50% before 2020. They have diverted 17,000 tonnes of used packag-

ing away from landfill into recycling, as well as implementing a food recy-cling project across all stores, resulting in 3,700 tonnes of food waste being recycled that was previously landfilled.

Winners of the Repak Best Member Award, Irish Distillers were recognised for using 70% recyclet in their Jameson bottles. They have increased their recycling by 9% and diverted more than 95.5% of all waste

material from landfill in 2009.

Meanwhile, Garveys Supervalu in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, took the Best Practice Award for Independent Retailers, hav-ing achieved a 90%+ recycling rate of all waste, while reduc-ing its waste bill for the year by 18%.The award winners included: Repak Best Packaging Prevention Initiative: Kraft Foods IrelandRepak Best Practice Award Industry Member: Tesco IrelandRepak Best Member Award: Irish Distillers

Pernod RicardBest WEEE and Waste Battery Recycling Event of the Year: Cork County Council

Repak Best Practice Award Independent Retail: Garveys Supervalu, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

We are witnessing through the Repak best practice awards a develop-ing partnership that focuses efforts to recycle more and prevent packag-ing waste arising in the first place, noted Dr Andrew Hetherington, CEO of Repak. What is clear is that all organisations can make a real impact but this needs commitment and a structured approach which Repak is able to provide to its members. This developing support for recycling and for removing excess packaging will have a lasting and profound effect on Irelands environment.

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November10Repak Recycling Awards

Prevention of packaging was the big winner at the 9th annual Repak Recycling Awards, which took place recently in the National Convention Centre.

Green Giants!

Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government John Gormley TD is pictured with Paul Whelan, of Irish

Distillers Pernod Ricard, winners of the Repak Best Member Award 2010.

Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government John Gormley TD is pictured with

(l-r): Tom Walsh from AES (award sponsor), Toms Garvey, from Garveys SuperValu, Dungarvan,

Co. Waterford, winners of the Repak Best Practice Award 2010 Independent Retailers, and Dr Andrew

Hetherington, CEO, Repak.

Tesco Ireland were named winners of the Repak Best Practice Award Industry Member. Pictured are (l-r): Bill Dolan; Kieran Whelan, WEEE Ireland; Leo

Donovan, CEO, WEEE Ireland; Michelle Mahon, John Walsh, Lorraine Sheils and Allan Davies, all from Tesco Ireland.

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The Festive Season is almost upon us and its time to stock up on seasonal sellers, those products guaranteed to prove popular with Irish consumers this Christmas, from selection boxes to Sellotape, pastries to potatoes.

Irish consumers are the second biggest spenders in Europe when it comes to Christmas, according to the annual Deloitte consumer survey of Christmas spending, despite the fact that they plan on spending an average 10.6% less this Christmas. The average spend per household in Ireland this Christmas will be 1,020, significantly higher than the average European spend of 590.

The survey, which was carried out in the last two weeks in September, shows that of the average spend per household in Ireland this Festive Season, 650 will be spent on gifts, 250 will be spent on food, and 120 will spent on socialising.

The report provides some use-ful insight into consumers buying behaviour for retailers. Similar to last year, utility, durability and value for money will be important considerations. Four out of five Irish consumers will focus more on purchasing useful gifts this year. In addition, 78% of respondents indicat-ed that they will aim to buy discount or retailers own label products and purchase fewer branded products.

The survey emphasises the impor-tance that retailers will need to place

on their strategy this Festive Season, noted Susan Birrell, Consumer Business Partner, Deloitte. The mainly price-driven strategy that con-sumers have adopted will lead them to seek out information on where they can find the best prices and special offers. It will also have an impact on

the mix of products purchased some-thing retailers will have to take into account in their merchandising.

Nestl Quality StreetA leading gifting brand, Quality Street brings together a selection of 12 different sweets, guaranteeing

November10Christmas Stocking: Essentials

The Best in Festive FareYour guide to the Christmas essentials, guaranteed to fly off your shelves this Festive Season.

A leading gifting brand, Quality Street brings together a selection of 12 different sweets, guaranteeing theres always something for everyone.

* Nielsen Scantrack, Multiples Value Sales 4 we Dec 27/09** Nielsen Market Track 16 weeks to Dec 27/09

600k media

support

30% of Confectionery Gifting sales occur in December* Quality Street is a leading Gifting Brand at Christmas Quality Street tin sales growing +30% YOY** Heavyweight support campaign TV, Outdoor & PR Stock up now to benefit from sales throughout the seasonContact your local Nestl Sales Representative or

telephone 1890 88 26 07 to place an order

theres always something for everyone. Last Christmas saw tins of Quality Street grow by 30% year-on-year, not surprisingly as one in four of us purchased a tin.

Back by popular demand, this Christmas customers can pick up their favourite individual sweet from the Quality Street My Favourites range available now in My Green Triangle, My Caramel Swirl and the ever popular My Purple One.

Quality Street will also benefit from a heavyweight support campaign which will include TV advertising, 6 sheets, 48 sheet, 3D specials & PR. Retailers wishing to maximise sales and profit should take advantage of this by stocking up before the adver-tising goes live and by maintaining the brands presence right through the season.

ThorntonsChristmas is an ideal opportunity for retailers to maximise sales within their stores. Confectionery is one of the most universal gifts and will provide retailers with the chance to generate higher sales and increase footfall over the festive period. Celebrating 100 years of business in 2011, Thorntons is a leading boxed chocolate brand and claimed second spot in the premium

confectionery market for Christmas 2009. The range for Christmas 2010 has been updated with a new design, with a vibrant range of colours to ensure maximum stand-out on-shelf.

The Milk Collection & Premium are available to order in 452g and 310g formats this year a delicious range of chocolate. The Milk Collection range is a must stock for Christmas and includes a variety of flavours, includ-ing caramel, fudge, praline, fruit & nut centres and plenty more!

Thorntons Chocolate is distributed by Flanagans Sales and Marketing in Ireland. To stock up for the Festive Season, please contact 01 4506100 or visit www.flanagansdirect.com.

Emma Jeans Sponge FingersEmma Jeans sponge fingers are perfect for all occasions and ideal

for that special dessert. The delicious sponge fingers can be eaten straight from the pack as a treat and truly complement a cup of coffee. Emma Jeans sponge fingers are a key ingredient in Tiramisu and Trifle. There is a step-by-step guide of how to make Tiramisu on the back of the pack, and consumers who have used it are delighted with the end result!

The baking category is one that continues to grow and flourish. Indeed, the baking shelf is no longer perceived as an old-fashioned category: rather, it is an area which is bringing in new consumers all the time across all age groups.

Emma Jeans also caters for the health conscious consumer

with less than 4% fat per packet, fit-ting perfectly into the widely recog-nised movement toward healthy eat-ing habits. Emma Jeans is available in a 200g size and is a firm favourite amongst households throughout the country.

Emma Jeans sponge fingers are packed for and distributed by Flanagans Sales and Marketing in Ireland. To place an order, please con-tact 01 4506100 or visit www.flana-gansdirect.com

JacobsWhen it comes to tins of biscuits, Jacobs are the clear market leader with 51% value share of the total Christmas Assortments biscuit market. This includes the top three selling value share SKUs - Jacobs Afternoon Tea 1kg , Jacobs USA 1kg and Jacobs Elite Chocolate Kimberley 660g (Source Nielsen Scantrack 13 weeks ending 27th Dec 2009).

The iconic biscuit trio of Kimberley, Mikado and Coconut

Creams are also available in fam-ily sharing tubs this Christmas. Jacobs Chocolate Mallows , Jacobs Elite Pleasures and Jacobs

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November10Christmas Stocking: Essentials

The Thorntons range for Christmas 2010 has been updated with a new design with a vibrant range of colours to ensure maximum stand out on-shelf.

Emma Jeans Sponge Fingers, ideal for that special dessert this Festive Season.

Please contact Flanagans Sales and Marketing to place an ordercall 01 4506100 www.anagansdirect.com

Christmas Great gifts for everyone

Christmas is an ideal opportunity for retailers to maximise sales

A delicious range of premium chocolate at affordable prices

Thorntons is the leading boxed chocolate brand, celebrating 100 years in 2011

Thorntons was the No. 2 manufacturer in the premium confectionary market for Christmas 2009

Biscuits For Cheese Selection com-plete a mouth-watering line-up which are all must-stock items. These traditional brands continue to be as popular as ever, particularly over the Festive Season.

Avonmore CreamTop of everyones shopping list this and every Christmas is Avonmore Cream. Irelands favourite cream has a wide range of products to suit every occasion over the Festive Season, including traditional fresh cream, freshly whipped cream, light, double and flavoured whipped cream.

Adding a taste of Christmas to any desert, Avonmore Freshly Whipped Baileys Cream has all the convenience of Avonmore Whipped Cream and the unmistakable taste of Baileys: it is the perfect comple-ment to Christmas pudding or mince pies and is a delicious topping on coffee. Equally popular, Avonmore Freshly Whipped Brandy Cream is an indulgent blend of fresh Avonmore Whipped Cream with the flavours of rich golden brandy: perfect when spooned generously over mince pies and delicious Christmas pudding.

Whipped cream dominates consumer usage during the Christmas period, be it for mince pies, pudding or Irish coffees. Avonmore Whipped Cream is already whipped and ready to serve, providing consumers with added convenience at this busy festive time. Sales of whipped cream treble over the Christmas period,

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November10Christmas Stocking: Essentials

Avonmore Freshly Whipped Baileys Cream has all the convenience of

Avonmore Whipped Cream and the unmistakable taste of Baileys.

KIllEEn, as the number one player in the cleaning product and refuse sack market with a whopping 40% market share (Source: ACnielsen), is driving the category with innovations to satisfy all your customers needs this Christmas!

Killeen, from Boyne Valley Group, continues to deliver a powerful com-bination of high product performance, whilst remaining value for money for the consumer.

This Christmas, Killeen has a cloth and scourer to tackle any cleaning job around the home. The ever versatile Kitchen Mate sponge scourer remains a firm favourite with consumers due to its flexibility and durability in the kitchen. Killeen Easi Clean shifts stubborn stains fast and is suitable for any household cleaning job: it is also ideal for scrub-bing Christmas vegetables.

For clean-up after all those staff and home parties, Killeen Aware bio-degradable sacks save the earth with-out costing the earth.

In addition, Christmas cleaning is made easier by Killeen in-home products, including 4 Pack Micro Fibre Cloths, 6 Pack Mop Ups, Bathroom Cleaner and Polishing Sponges.

Clean Up this Christmas with Killeen

Killeen Recycled Refuse Sacks: massively popular for Christmas

clean-ups.

Killeen Easi Clean shifts stubborn stains fast

and is suitable for any household cleaning job.

Jacobs Afternoon Tea and USA, two of the most popular biscuit brands in the Christmas Assortments category.

Jacobs Elite Chocolate Kimberley and Jacobs Elite Pleasures: two surefire winners from the Jacobs portfolio.

Its all good.

Stock up on these best-sellers from McCain and be ready for the Christmas rush. Our roast potatoes and wedges are top of so many customers shopping lists, that you

can expect strong demand. Were also running a high-impact communications campaign on TV, Radio, Outdoor and Press, and supporting it with promotions and POS

making sure that McCain is the name on everyones lips this Christmas.

with consumers stocking up for all their favourite festive treats.

Available nationwide, the Avonmore Cream range offers the great fresh taste shoppers expect in convenient formats and pack sizes suit-able for todays lifestyles. Avonmore is the cream market leader with 47% market share (MAT Oct 2010) and con-tinues be the lead the category.

CariCari Real Dairy Cream, from Boyne Valley Group, is guaranteed to spice up Christmas fare this year. It not only tastes delicious but is ideal for use in finishing off cakes, tarts, desserts or given the season, as a final flourish on a coffee, Irish or otherwise.

Cari Cream is equally at home in the chilled cabinet or

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November10Christmas Stocking: Essentials

MAxIMIse your in-store bakery sales this yea