Gregor Murray

New figures reveal that British shoppers spent 📈6.2% more on fast-moving consumer foods (FMCGs) in the first quarter of this year🥫 Morrisons quoted💬 "As the weather, hopefully, improves and we move into an eventful summer that is driven by sporting events such as the Euros and Olympics, we’re optimistic that this will further drive levels of discretionary FMCG and Tech & Durables sales" which is great to hear!🙌 #FMCGnews #datareport #retailnews

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🚀 The air fryer revolution finally hits the UK ready meal aisle! The MJ's Diner air fryer ready meal range has launched into Farmfoods, Poundland & Dealz and other independent retailers, with talks of potential launches into Home Bargains, Morrisons and Sainsbury's. MJ's Diner claim this frozen range is a UK first. Ready meals have been slow to respond to the air fryer revolution. I'm not surprised innovation is being driven by the more affordable end of the market, targeting consumers on a tight budget seeking quick meal solutions. The question now is, will brands/retailers step up their game to offer healthier, higher quality, air fryer compatible meal options? 🔔 Hit follow for more insights on food & drink innovation opportunities #Foodanddrink #Innovation #Ukretail #Theaccidentalanalyst

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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

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What’s fuelling the day for Brits in the breakfast category? Divesh Parmar from Quaker Oats UK outlines the latest #trends and how to capitalise on them

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CMA Finds Little Evidence That Loyalty Pricing In Supermarkets Is Misleading Shoppers The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today revealed its initial findings from its ongoing review of loyalty pricing. This probe began in January, regulator has checked whether any aspect of the Tesco, Sainsbury’s, or Morrisons schemes mislead shoppers and if they offer genuine savings. The CMA noted if any pricing practices indicated that the non-loyalty (or non-member) price may have been artificially inflated to make the loyalty price appear “misleadingly attractive”. It has checked information from grocery retailers that offer loyalty pricing, analysing what happens to prices before, during, and after a product goes onto a loyalty price promotion. Its ongoing probe has already involved tens of thousands of loyalty price promotions. In a brief statement today, they said results to date suggest it is “unlikely to identify widespread evidence of loyalty promotions that mislead shoppers in this way”. However, examples were found of retailers alternating between ‘was/now’ promotions available to all shoppers and loyalty price promotions. The CMA said: “This raises questions as to what the ‘regular’ price is for the product and therefore whether the claim saving for the ‘was /now’ promotion is genuine. We are looking further into this issue.” They are also comparing a sample of supermarkets’ loyalty prices to those prices charged by other supermarkets at the same time. “Particularly given concerns raised by stakeholders, it is valuable for shoppers to have insight into how loyalty prices can compare with prices available elsewhere, including when they are on promotion at other retailers,” it said. Meanwhile, the CMA has commissioned a consumer survey to understand the impact of loyalty pricing on how people shop, including how much they shop around and compare prices. The survey will also explore issues such as whether loyalty pricing is affecting shoppers’ engagement with supermarket loyalty schemes, shoppers’ trust that the price savings for members are genuine, and whether shoppers have concerns about supermarkets’ use of their personal data. The CMA is due to publish a full report of its findings in November. [See full article, in Kamcity, link in comments] [By way of comparison with last year see the CMA’s   ‘Competition and profitability in the groceries sector’ report 2023, link in comments] NamNews Implications: *       Loyalty-shoppers are savvy, and understand and study deals. *       Loyalty-shoppers are in an (implied) agreement with the retailer… *       …to sell their buying behaviour data in return for the loyalty discount. *       It follows that as Retail Media Networks evolve… *       …this first-party data will become more valuable… *       …and perhaps the CMA should check the extent to which this incremental value of the data is shared with the loyalty-shopper? #Competition #CMA

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Tesco Aiming For Extra £1bn In Sales From Premium Range The CEO of Tesco has revealed that the retailer is targeting an extra £1bn in sales for its Finest own-label range to meet growing demand for premium food & drink and challenge the likes of Waitrose and M&S. Finest currently has annual sales of £2bn. Speaking to the Financial Times, Ken Murphy said: “We haven’t yet set our stall out to say ‘what would it take to get to £3bn’, but we’re very conscious it is playing an increasingly important role.” He added: “We genuinely believe . . . that our intrinsic [food] qualities are every bit as good as anything you would get at Sainsbury’s and increasingly out of Waitrose … M&S, we probably still have a bit of work to do.” The report notes that in the face of higher living costs, shoppers are shunning restaurants and becoming more adventurous with their cooking at home. Data from Kantar shows that spending on premium own-label lines in the leading UK supermarkets rose 12% in the year to 9 June even as inflation eased. The figure was also nearly double the 6.9% growth in all brands owned by the grocers, including their budget ranges. The FT highlighted that Tesco’s Finest products account for only over 3% of the group’s £61.4bn sales, although this is equivalent to about a quarter of Waitrose’s total sales and M&S’s food sales, respectively. However, it has taken Tesco about a decade to reach the £2bn level from £1.4bn in sales in 2013. Murphy did not reveal whether there was a target date set for getting sales to £3bn, but Clive Black, a retail analyst at Shore Capital, told the FT that it would not be earlier than “the medium and long term before that number is reached” given that the industry’s annual growth is relatively modest. NamNews Implications: * ‘Shoppers are shunning restaurants and becoming more adventurous with their cooking at home…’ * …heightening consumer awareness of the difference made by quality ingredients… * …and the home-cost of ingredients vs the price paid in hospitality. * All potential threats to ‘eating out’ long term. * Apart from increased savviness re branded equivalents in store. One to watch… #OwnLabel #Hospitality

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83.2% of consumers in the UK want brands to represent a cause. That's why at Kind Currency, we believe that aligning your business with values, and key issues such as sustainability and inclusivity isn’t just ethical —it’s also strategic. Our platform connects companies with a growing community of conscious consumers, driving loyalty and real impact. Key Benefits of Joining Kind Currency👇: 💌 Enhance your brand’s reputation and trust 🤝 Increase customer loyalty and engagement 🍃 Contribute to meaningful social and environmental causes 📈 Ready to turn kindness into your competitive advantage? Join us and see how your business can thrive while making a difference. *Statistics sourced from Attest #SustainableBusiness #CorporateResponsibility #KindCurrency #Impact #BrandLoyalty

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Loving this HARIBO UK end-cap spotted in Sainsbury's!!! Ticks all the boxes... 👀 SEE IT Bright, contrasting colours (POSM and product) attract attention, as does implied movement created by the flying / exploding sweets on the header board 🧠 GET IT Strong branding... logo, DBAs... and of course the product itself... Visuals over text... every time! (There is science behind the age-old phrase "a picture paints a thousand words") What text there is is short and sweet... 19 words in total including the shelf edge strips (excluding SRP and packaging). And though I tend to witter on about use of CAPS on a regular basis... and the font on the shelf strips may be a little disfluent... I honestly don't think it's an issue on this display due to the frugal use of text 💖 WANT IT Well... you "know you wanna" don't you!!! Humorous, subtle and single minded call to action nudges the decision to buy What's not to like? #shoppermarketing #shopperinsights #icshoppers

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The news this week that Carlsberg Group made a bid to buy Britvic plc showed how much category blurring in beverages, is driving total business growth strategy and also M&A activity. I wrote an article in Checkout Magazine on this very topic in 2023: Beverages 2.0 - The Total Beverages Company Beverages companies are looking to align their strategies to market trends and consumer needs and long-term shifts in consumer demographics and consumption patterns necessitate a continual reevaluation of current strategies, this most apparent in the soft drinks category and also in the alcohol category – as alcohol moderation gathers pace. A company's beverages portfolio mix needs to reflect the changing consumer, with an increasing share of low- and no-calorie products and added functionality and address the longer-term growth of great tasting of low and no alcohol premium offerings. High-calorie brands are losing space to water and water-based beverages and functional drinks. An aging population will continue to drive change in the portfolio mix towards healthy aging, such as zero alcohol along with low-calorie and added-functionality beverages, while a younger population want healthier choices that taste great and are environmentally and sustainably orientated. The pathway for long terms success and growth is to offer a wide portfolio of beverages for different consumer need states and occasions (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) creating a total beverages company, with this impacting not just product development and innovation, but brand positioning and route to market to their get their products in to the hands of the final consumer… proving that Beverages is indeed an exciting and dynamic category. #beverages #alcohol #softdrinks #carlsberg #britvic #categoryblurring #strategy #growth #innovation Lars Jensen Paul Villis Carol Dunne Jean-Philippe Delforge Sheelagh Pentony Thomas Hahlin Ahlinder Erlon Pereira Jerry O'Keeffe Alison Wilkinson Ian Chesworth David Deeley Brian Short Bourcard Nesin Jim Watson Francois Sonneville Gilles Halotel Marc LEJEUNE Farrah Gilsenan John Craven Maev Martin John Savage Stephen Rannekleiv Mark Gallo Kristof König Linda Chatton Michel Aubanel Jean Noel Ortal Gwyneth Kelly Sergio Saavedra Rodríguez Birgit Schaaf Barbara Lezzer Magdalena Edyta Przewoźnik Aoife Mc Donald Breda Kelly Erika Minaguchi Mark Allen David Walsh

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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

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Asda Unveils Revamped Retail Media Unit Asda has officially launched its revamped retail media business called LS Eleven Media Services, formerly known as Asda Media Partnerships (AMP). Following reports of its creation back in January, LS Eleven, named after the postcode of Asda’s headquarters in Leeds, has now been introduced to key suppliers. It follows the earlier appointment of London-based retail media agency SMG (Shopper Media Group) to manage the supermarket’s retail media planning and operations. LS Eleven will build on the offerings AMP developed over the past decade. It will leverage data and technology to drive “more relevant, customer-centric” media planning for brand partners and a more connected omnichannel experience for Asda customers as part of the retailer’s growth strategy. SMG proprietary software product Plan-Apps – which handles millions of pounds of media spend every day – will be embedded into Asda’s technology stack to enable end-to-end planning, management and measurement cycles for brand campaigns. SMG will leverage Asda’s first-party data, derived from its Asda Rewards loyalty programme, to create targeted omnichannel campaigns and help brands reach consumers across various touchpoints, including in-store, online, TV, social media and other digital channels. “We are proud of what we have achieved [with] Asda Media Partnerships over the last decade, but our partnership with SMG and the launch of LS Eleven Media Services is a step-change in our media offering for our brand partners,” said Matt McLellan, vice president, customer, Asda. Sam Knights, CEO at SMG, added: “Asda has a clear strategy for growth, and the combination of our growing proposition across large stores, convenience and food partnerships, alongside our leading rewards program, offers us an incredibly exciting opportunity to work with brands to deliver even more relevant campaigns for our customers. “The launch of LS Eleven Media Services comes at an exciting time in our journey with Asda. Asda’s strong brand partnerships and loyal customer base offer us the opportunity to develop a sophisticated, innovative retail media network at scale. Using Asda’s rich first-party data and our innovative Plan-Apps technology, brands will be able to connect with customers across every stage of the customer journey in a way that always puts the customer first.” NamNews Implications: *. The appeal of Retail Media revenues at up to 70% gross margins to Asda is obvious. *. So anticipate actions that will optimise their first-party data. *. The issues will be the extent to which they will use the incremental revenues to invest in price cuts or pay down deb *. Watch this space… #RetailMedia #RMN

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Having spent many hours walking the aisle of the UK retailers supporting our clients on their growth strategies, one of the highlights from this updated really caught my eye 12.5% growth in Finest, well above the 5% for food. Just last night delving deeper into the growth of finest, the support inshore within the main fixtures, off location and promotional activity are all clearly supporting the growth of the Tesco premium brand. Valuable insights which signposts growth opportunities into retail export markets for contract manufacturing opportunities helping retailers expand their premium categories which looks to be increasingly focused on great tasting affordable food to differentiate. Some great examples being #condiments, #seafood, #frozenmeals, #bakedgoods #slowcookedmeats #foodandrink #milk #premiumfoods #retail #groceryretail #ukretail #australianretail #contractmanufacturing #responsiblysourced #privatelabel #ownbrand MONIKA KEMP (Née Gajek) Food and Drink Exporters Association (FDEA) Prof. Consulting Group #export

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ICYMI! Head of Co-op Media Network Dean Harris recently sat down with the wonderful The FMCG Guys Guys at Retail Media Summit UK. Since our launch earlier this year it has been quite the journey! Dean discusses how Co-op’s strengths in convenience impact our retail media strategy. From tackling different shopper missions to the opportunities of scale, reach and the halo effect Co-op's retail media offers brands, there is SO much to get excited about 👏 Watch the full snippet below 🎥 Retail Media | Convenience Retail | Co-op

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UK soft-drink maker Britvic plc has rejected a £3.1bn takeover bid from Carlsberg Group , saying the Danish brewer was “significantly” undervaluing a group whose brands include Robinsons and Fruit Shoot. Carlsberg made an initial bid of 1,200 pence per share earlier this month, before sweetening its all-cash proposal to 1,250p, which London-listed Britvic rejected on June 17. As well as producing its own brands, Britvic is PepsiCo’s bottler in the UK. Carlsberg is PepsiCo’s bottler in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Cambodia and Laos. The brewer of Kronenbourg and Tuborg said the acquisition of Britvic would offer it “long-term growth opportunities”. It said it was considering its position after Britvic rebuffed its second bid. The acquisition of Britvic would offer Carlsberg the opportunity to expand its drinks bottling in Britain, for both alcoholic and refreshing beverages products. Interesting to see how all this plays out in the weeks and months ahead for both Carlsberg Group and Britvic plc and what potential wider impact this may have on the beverages industry, across both alcoholic and soft drinks categories. #carlsberg #Britvic #beer #softdrinks #alcohol Lars Jensen Jean-Philippe Delforge Paul Villis Carol Dunne Alison Wilkinson Thomas Hahlin Ahlinder John Savage Farrah Gilsenan Sheelagh Pentony Erlon Pereira Ian Chesworth Marc LEJEUNE Breda Kelly Francois Sonneville Stephen Rannekleiv Bourcard Nesin Jim Watson John Craven Bryan Roth Mark Gallo Erika Minaguchi Kristof König Linda Chatton Gilles Halotel Jerry O'Keeffe Wayne Donovan David Deeley Brian Short Gwyneth Kelly

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Why Do Some Brands Hate Pedigree Wholesale Limited? It seems to us that as soon as certain brands realise they can go direct to the end consumer, they start undermining Pedigree. Every day, we get emails and calls with people saying ''I know you order direct with Pedigree, but by ordering through us, if you spend X, you get Y'' Yes, by cutting the middle man, you can potentially make more, but from a Pet Shop's POV, there are many pros of sticking with Pedigree: - They have a massive network. - They are lovely to deal with, are very helpful and they do indeed support independents. This point really needs to be double clicked on. Independent pet shops simply want returning customers, and DESPISE being undermined by some companies that say they want to help when all they want is to cut you out. - By ordering multiple items from them, you don't have to put many different orders with many different suppliers. I wonder if businesses undermine relationships with other suppliers to make just a few more pounds when, in the end, we're all here for the long term. We spend a great deal of money with them & are big fans. Tom Neale Steve Brown Gerard O'Mahony https://lnkd.in/e7ejtZzT

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Thank you, Business Leader, for featuring the journey of Modern Milkman and what it's like to be an authentic CEO. Discover how we've turned our ideas into action and how humble beginnings can lead to big things. Read our story here https://lnkd.in/ejkxtD9V

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