Emma Bunyard

Our Commercial Competency framework is future-focussed, a future where Commercial Confidence is accessible for everyone!

2

Asda Introduces New Premium Own-Brand Asda is seeking to elevate its premium tier offering with the launch of a new own-brand called ‘Exceptional’. The supermarket stated that the new premium range champions taste whilst providing shoppers with the “very best quality” ingredients. It will roll out across multiple categories over the coming months, covering more than 500 products. The first Exceptional products have started landing on shelves, with a premium packaging design based around a green and gold colour palette. The rollout has begun with over 70 core chilled products, with lines including Exceptional Burrata, Exceptional Petit Liverot, Exceptional Chaat Masala Potato Salad, and Exceptional Double Stuffed Halkadiki Olives. Asda noted that it has invested over £170m in several initiatives to improve its own-label range over the last three years, including the launch of the ‘Just Essentials’ offer in 2022, the Asda Bakery refresh in 2023, and the launch of new sub-brands ‘Bistro’ and ‘Bom Bahia’. The retailer has also rolled out more than 4,500 new or improved products during this time, alongside its most recent M&S Taste Match campaign. Asda stated that the launch of the Exceptional range was the next step in its strategy to overhaul its own-label range and offer shoppers “fantastic tasting products at affordable prices”. Sam Dickson, VP Commercial Strategy, Own Brand, at Asda, commented: “At Asda, we’re constantly striving to exceed expectations and inspire customers with the quality and breadth of our ranges and work relentlessly to offer our customers uncompromising value, showcasing that affordable can also mean high quality. “The launch of our new premium brand, Exceptional, marks an exciting time for Asda’s own-brand offering. We’ve developed a range which offers customers something they’ll feel really proud to put on the dinner table – these products ooze quality and celebrate the very best of own brand, with taste at their heart.” Asda already has a premium range called Extra Special, but it did not say whether the Exceptional launch would affect this. NamNews Implications: * Over now to the consumer-shopper to determine whether the price/quality package is equal to branded equivalents… * …or is near enough to ensure repeat purchase. * (Expecting shoppers to compare produce with rival’s own label equivalents may prove to be too big an ask?) #OwnLabel

4

It has been a long time since I attended a top-notch marketing conference and MAD//Fest London did not disappoint. It was a seriously impressive event packed full of fantastic and thought provoking content, at a super-cool venue with fantastic food and great cocktails 🍹 3 things that struck me the most: 1. AI, AI, AI: all marketers need to understand and know how to use it; it’s not going to replace us; instead it can be an awesome co-pilot and will be especially useful for small businesses without big budgets. 2. The importance of marketing fundamentals: strong strategic direction, brand positioning and differentiation, balancing the long with the short term and seeing marketing as an investment in value and not a cost - ignore these at your peril. 3. It pays to support mental heath in the work place. For every £1 invested in supporting mental health at work, employers get an average of £5 back. Thanks Ian Maskell and @Luke Wilcox for the ticket and great company. #madfest24

25

2 Comments

If you wander down the Chilled Pizza aisle in Sainsbury's you will see our fantastic Crosta & Mollica bay takeover with our 3D header to top it off! We will be live for 13 weeks, driving massive brand awareness. Having worked in the past with Insight Traction: An FMCG Strategy Consultancy, I always recall their views on 4 pillars that brands need to lean on when it comes to shopper marketing: 1. Be visible at point of purchase (and memorable) ✅ 2. Be easy to understand (we are Italian and we make delicious premium pizza, made in Italy 🍕) ✅ 3. Be easy to find ( I think you will agree you can't really miss us now 😉) ✅ 4. Ultimately, become the obvious choice. We want to become the destination brand and be front of mind when shoppers want to treat themselves with a restaurant quality pizza at home! 🔜 Big shout out to Three Floors Up, Rob Russell & Simon Morton for bringing my hand-drawn sketches to life and make it amazingly impactful at shelf! Thank you to Lottie Blincow and Nectar360 for working with me on this and getting this over the line! And of course, thanks to Mathan Thiagarajah for agreeing to do it with us! #Pizza #CrostaMollica #Sainsburys #shopper #shoppermarketing #instore #instoreactivations #retail #brand #awareness #retailmedia #retailstrategy #retailmarketing

818

52 Comments

Great to have The Grocer sharing our business news as we open up growth in the retail channel with our new brand design, NPD and marketing investment. Do DM me if you are interested in investing in KinKind, using business as a force for good 🌎. #startups #angelinvestors

40

10 Comments

Good news at last 🚀🤘🏻 UK retail sales volumes beat expectations in August with a 1% rise, as warmer weather and end-of-season sales boosted food and clothing shops. Emphasising even small positives, and not talking of doom and gloom, its what the economy really needs to grow. #retail #sales #brands #fmcg #ukeconomy #retail #economicgrowth

23

1 Comment

🛒Tesco Leads as Surge Heading Into Christmas Tesco, operating over 2,800 stores across the UK, has reinforced its dominance as our leading grocer with a 28.1% market share—the highest since December 2017—with sales increasing by 5.2% in the 12 weeks to December 1 driven by Tesco’s competitive pricing, a robust loyalty program, and strong in-store performance. Sainsbury's, with over 1,400 stores, experienced a share increase to 15.9%, with sales up by 4.7%. Combined, Tesco and Sainsbury’s are now a whopping 44% of the market, clearly the dominant players. Lidl GB, the fastest-growing bricks-and-mortar retailer with over 960 UK stores, saw sales rise by 6.6%, with a nearly 10% increase in footfall. Aldi UK, operating over 1,000 stores, maintained its 10.3% share, with the continued rise of discounters. Asda, with its 600+ stores, struggled, seeing its share decline to 12.3% from 13.4% last year, as sales fell by significant 5.6%. Morrisons, with around 500 stores, increased its share to 8.6% with a 2% rise in spending, while Waitrose & Partners, operating 329 stores, grew slightly ahead of the market with a 2.6% sales increase. Ocado Retail, online-only, achieved an 8.7% sales increase, capturing 1.8% of the grocery market. Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer Food, with over 1,000 stores, outpaced the market with a 10.4% increase in grocery sales, with 32% of households buying groceries from M&S. I’m a bit obsessed with market share per store and regardless of its dismal performance in the hands of the Issa Brothers, Asda leads in store-level performance, while Tesco relies on scale over per-store dominance. Lidl and Aldi show strong competition, with Aldi slightly outperforming in per-store market share. 🍽️Christmas Costs and Spending The cost of a traditional Christmas dinner for four has risen by 6.5% to £32.57, driven by a 16.3% surge in potato prices and a near 15% rise in carrot costs. Despite these increases, December grocery sales are projected to exceed £13 billion for the first time, reflecting robust festive spending. 🥊 Although a time of peace, the High Street Fighters will want to win the Christmas Punch-Up Tesco’s market-leading position and expansive store network underline its ability to adapt to evolving consumer preferences, while Asda’s decline highlights the challenges of staying competitive in a market increasingly dominated by discounters like Lidl and Aldi. With promotions, loyalty schemes, and premium offerings shaping consumer choices, store networks and strategic pricing remain key to success in this dynamic sector. 💬 Sure to be a topic of discussion at the NRF. Join us from January 12-14, 2025, in NYC to explore how IBM is transforming retail at Booth #4639. More here: https://lnkd.in/dzY42Bmf. See you there! #TheCPGGeek #IBMRetail #IBMConsumer #FMCG #ConsumerGoods #Luxury #Fashion #Retail #Proud #RethinkRetailTopExpert #NRFRetailVoice RETHINK Retail #RethinkRetail National Retail Federation #NRF IBM

24

3 Comments

Speaking to many brands and suppliers across the Home and Garden Industry, I can see there’s clearly a lack of understanding when it comes to the terms drop- shipping on behalf of a retailer brand and selling on marketplaces. After attending the Virtualstock Summit earlier this month, Chris Dawson editor at ChannelX, took the time to brilliantly articulate the key differences between these two important areas and the pro’s and con’s of each. The key message from me is that these two areas should form a fundamental part of your business growth strategy. If you’re still sitting on the fence and wondering if selling on marketplaces or drop shipping your brand to consumers is right for you, then read on. Read it here - https://lnkd.in/eMNRWpsV #dropshipping #digital #ecommerce #marketplace

49

4 Comments

Which categories are driving UK symbol and independent convenience retail currently? Do you know how your category and brand is performing relative to the market? And my real question is, do you really know, or are you trusting aggregated market data that's based on a handful of stores and not telling you what's really going on? To the facts: - Tobacco still has the highest £ share of sales at 20%, but it's down 150 basis points on last year. - Picking up the pace are groceries, confectionery, chilled, alcohol, and soft drinks, all of which are growing their £ share of spend. - Groceries are the standout performer, growing share of spend by 70 basis points year on year. This just demonstrates the breadth of products that shoppers are looking for from their convenience stores. An opportunity for every brand in FMCG to sell more! Drop me a message if you'd like to base your convenience strategy and tactics on real EPOS from over 12,000 symbol and independent stores with Thumbprint #epos #sales #convenience

23

Are period cups the best thing since sliced bread? 🍞 The outcome from this episode of sliced bread suggests yes they are! Coming out on top of all the options for sustainable period products 🥇 I particularly loved how they explore many different elements of the product not just its sustainability, from affordability to usability. 💸 Showcasing how the cup an be better both on a personal level as well as an environmental level is a real focus for us at Eleria 💜 A fantastic listen for anyone keen to learn more about sustainable period products, from both a business and personal perspective 🌿 https://lnkd.in/eQZE4NRp

9

Our annual Britvic plc Soft Drinks Review was released yesterday, and as a category it’s always so interesting to see the changing consumer behaviours that shape our brands. Our report found that: ·       Category sales in grocery and convenience stores have grown, demonstrating the dedication and ingenuity of manufacturers and retailers as well as the wide range of roles soft drinks are playing in people's lives. We have witnessed the soft drink category expand rapidly at forecourts, where sales have grown by 9.9% on volumes up 1.6%.  ·       There is a rise in people using forecourts for a wider range of purposes, like top-up shopping and on-the-go treats. All this presents significant opportunities for soft drinks, the channel’s bestselling food and drink category.  ·       Retailers increasingly recognise that the soft drinks they stock help determine people’s choice of store. As such, Britvic is a trusted manufacturer that aims to support retailers in meeting those needs, with launches of various flavours through our rotational Tango Editions series, offering various formats, and health-conscious options to help retailers offer their customers everything they need.  You can read more about how the category is continuing to accelerate on our website:  https://lnkd.in/eBaTNyPT

44

It must be Marketplace News day today! We’ve all known about it for months, but here’s the official press release announcing the launch of the Tesco Marketplace, giving customers the opportunity to shop thousands of products from trusted brand partners online. Peter Filcek, Marketplace Director at Tesco said: “This is a really exciting moment as we expand our online offer – making it even more convenient for customers to shop at Tesco and even more rewarding with customers able to collect Clubcard points on all purchases. And if you think they’re not going to do DIY and Garden - think again! More on Insight DIY here - https://lnkd.in/e6js8FW7 #marketplace #ecommerce #digital #retail

123

7 Comments

Back from sunny Italy to gloomy London but with plenty of Exec Supply Chain searches to keep me busy! Here's an extended snippet of top 𝑭𝑴𝑪𝑮 market 𝒖𝒑𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 to make up for the lost week. Read on for 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 across 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯t & more! 🧃Diageo piloting 90% paper bottle packaging for baileys 🍫Mondelēz International fined €337.5M for hindering EU trade of chocolate, biscuits & coffee 💊Danone invest €70M in a medical line for patients suffering from disease-related malnutrition 🥫Campbell's investing ~$230M trough 2026 into newer, modernised & efficient supply chain 🐕Hill's Pet Nutrition DTC site creation to increase product availability & supporting animal shelters 🧴Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. improves national direct store delivery operations with Kalil Bottling Co. acqusition 🍿Mondelēz International investing over $5M in new Singapore snack lab & innovation kitchen 🌱PepsiCo created a free platform where users can identify & address climate impact on crops 🍺The HEINEKEN Company & Blue Yonder to mix & match demand planning models, building a connected supply chain through AI Stay tuned for more news next week - anything I've missed? 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘! #supplychainnews #fmcg #supplychainsustainability #sustainablesupplychain

35

For all the Home and Garden retailers out there watching the development of the Retail Media landscape and thinking- “you know we should probably do something about this, or at least find out more” - then this may help. The link below takes you to an interesting blog from a business called Goodway, which covers everything you need to know about building your own retail media network and will help you decide if it's the right move for you. Goodway is a division of Goodway Group and has been at the forefront of the digital marketing industry in the US for over 15 years. Read it here - https://lnkd.in/eVUrkxCF #retail #retailmedia #advertising #digital

32

1 Comment

What a week... Our largest-ever retail order is packed and ready to go out to Boots UK - almost DOUBLE the size of our second-biggest order for retail. Our original 3 x SKUs and an additional 4 x SKUs, launching next month in over 160 new Boots locations. Well over 100,000 units packed and palleted ready for collection. A huge achievement as we expand further across our category in Boots due to significant uplifts in sales. Retail is fast becoming a key area of focus for us and there is no better time to stock the world's best zero-sugar, natural vitamin and electrolyte hydration sachets! A huge well done to the ViDrate team for the rapid turnaround (on top of a record order for Amazon and a huge increase in online orders). Myself and the ViDrate team are also super excited to reveal a huge announcement with Boots in 2-3 weeks time - stay tuned! Just in time to finish the preparation for a flavour launch in approx 2 hours! #retail #growth #boots #expansion #entrepreneur

166

45 Comments

The most interesting thing about #kantar today is that Aldi are within 2% of Asda's market share. Unthinkable even a year ago, but represents a real concern for any retail leaders around the discounters carrying on regardless. Whether sales for #aldi are +2% / -2% or otherwise on Kantar. There will no let up from the discounters on their approach....... #Asda at -5.6% will surprise no one and as stated on here; Christmas will be the nadir but one can only presume brighter times are here with Allan Leighton. The challenge is that it will take time to get the tanker moving. #Morrisons were just +2% which given the woes of #asda is nowhere near strong enough. The stories of the BWS cabinets being opened tells its own story on sales growth, alongside the non-food specials being removed and more space opened out to festive food lines.......... Paints quite a worrying picture. The growth is barely there so clearly #Asda shoppers are decamping elsewhere. #Tesco lead the market growth with +5.2% sales and share up to 28.1%, #Sainsbury's remain strong at +4.7% and share just shy of 16%. #Lidl's growth continues to impress with +6.6% growth and share of 7.7%, only +0.3% on the year, however. It's clear from the wider market view that customers are holding off on purchases, the calendar flow for Christmas (IE still some way off and two more weekends) is playing in to this. Clothing data from #Kantar yesterday showed full price sales abruptly in to reverse too...... Clearly the #budget announcement on NI has spooked employers and by definition, employees who are suddenly worried over job security. Confidence is a fragile thing and the interest rate rises were some time ago, indeed, the rates have fallen since. But a number of customers will be having their ultra low rates come to an end, which immediately puts even more pressure on discretionary spending. Alongside this; #inflation has slowed but we are still recovering from the days of +10% inflation. I would wager most customers haven't felt inflation fall at all, if anything, the opposite is true. Indeed the #Christmas lunch is +6.5% this year. But inflation is slowing?!?! #kantar calls out Wines/Champagne and Spirits having biggest buy on deal. Buy 6, Save 25% on Wines has been almost everywhere in the market for weeks. The new 10p off a litre of fuel! All eyes on the big weeks to come; but consumer (and employer) confidence is notably fragile at the minute and the government must take full responsibility for this......... PS buried in the wider release is the news that #MarksandSpencer have benefitted from one in three households, at 32%, buying food, drink and other groceries from M&S during the 12 weeks to 1 December. Big periods for events and M&S wider appeal is starting to play through with the all important Christmas period where M&S typically pick up extra sales too. Sales +10.4% (!) #foodretail #christmas #trade #kantar

196

4 Comments

Kingfisher plc has today published their Q1 Trading Results for the period ending 30 April 2024. Key points - Q1 sales of £3.3bn; total sales +0.3% (constant currency) and -0.3% (reported) - LFL -0.9% including a +1.9% calendar impact (of which +1.1% relates to the leap year)(1) Thierry Garnier, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Trading in the first quarter has been in line with our expectations. We have seen continued resilience in our core categories, although ‘big-ticket’ sales have been weak reflecting the broader market as expected. In the UK, we have gained considerable share across our banners. Our trade proposition continues to resonate with customers, driving positive LFL sales at Screwfix and strong LFL sales growth of 8.5% at TradePoint. In France, while slightly improved on Q4, trading reflects the weak overall retail market. And in Poland, we are seeing encouraging sales trends as the consumer environment improves. More on Insight DIY here - https://lnkd.in/e2bBBeCi #retail #retailnews #homeimprovement #trading

162

7 Comments

A very good article by Adam Leyland from The Grocer on Carlsberg Group bid to buy Britvic plc and the potential coming together of a leading alcohol and soft-drinks company. The next few weeks will tell if Carlsberg is successful in it's quest to acquire Britvic, but it does open the question will the beverages industry now see other similar moves in this approach to M&A activity? Will other leading beer companies look to follow the lead set by Carlsberg? Would a leading spirits company look to acquire a softdrinks company with a strong mixer and tonic range? For any beverages company, strategic and long-term growth is all about winning "share of throat" through having a strong and varied portfolio of brands and products to meet consumer needs across different occasions and need states. M&A activity offers the potential to do this quicker than through organic growth. Interesting times ahead! #alcohol #softdrinks #categoryblurring #occasions #beverages #Carlsberg #britvic Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly David Deeley Brian Short Sheelagh Pentony Lars Jensen Paul Villis Gilles Halotel Mark Allen Jerry O'Keeffe Ian Chesworth Sergio Saavedra Rodríguez Birgit Schaaf Erika Minaguchi Jean-Philippe Delforge Bourcard Nesin John Craven Joshua Schall, MBA Farrah Gilsenan Marc LEJEUNE Erlon Pereira Alison Wilkinson Declan Stack Mark Gallo Xavier Herrera Francois Sonneville Kristof König Jean Noel Ortal Magdalena Edyta Przewoźnik Barbara Lezzer Alison Van Houten David Walsh Stephen Rannekleiv

26