Retail markets have been abuzz with activity as British Muslims were on a shopping spree in preparation of Eid al-Fitr, which is being celebrated today (April 21) in the UK, to mark the culmination of the fasting month of Ramadan that began on March 23.
The 30-odd days festival season arrived at a time when the whole retail community has been struggling hard to stay profitable with plummeting sales, while the cost of goods, energy, transport and staff rising phenomenally in the recent months.
The Islamic calendar’s two Eid festivals – Eid al-Fitr (celebrated at Ramadan’s close) and Eid al-Adha (later in the calendar) – usually come with a bonanza for retailers. Eid al-Fitr, also known as smaller Eid, is a three-day-long festival, while Eid al-Adha or greater Eid spans four days of festivities. The first day of Eid also marks the first day of the Islamic month Shawwal.
Photo: iStock
“The shopping appetite has phenomenally increased among Muslim customers in the recent days,” feels an independent grocer in Blackburn. “The trend can be seen as a precursor to the enhanced retail activity in the days leading up to and immediately following Eid al-Fitr. However, it is vital for retailers [especially independents who are battling for survival] to understand how to better control their stockpiles during the festival as part of an agile strategy to win over customers.”
According to the latest 2021 census, Blackburn with Darwen has a Muslim population of 54,146, which is 35.0 per cent of the population. Other settlements with large number of Muslims include London, Birmingham, Bradford, Luton, Dewsbury, Slough, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Manchester and High Wycombe.
Eid is sweeter
Britain is home to around four million Muslims, of whom around three million observe Ramadan fasting.
Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, is dubbed sweet Eid, while Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice, is known as salty Eid. As the name, sweet Eid, suggests, a variety of sweet dishes form part and parcel of the celebrations.
“The holy month is rooted in faith, culture and tradition, and is dedicated to self-reflection and prayer, after which Muslims celebrate Eid-al-Fitr with family, friends and of course, sumptuous food,” says Ali Akbar, an Indian-origin businessman and a native of Birmingham.
“Following a month of fasting, Muslims enjoy their first daylight meal along with family and friends on an expansive breakfast on Eid day. It is a custom for us to serve a variety of sweet dishes including Baklawa, besan ladoo, vermicelli, halwas, kheer, gulab jamun, barfi, gujiya, cookies, nougat and desserts during the meal.”
Volunteers prepare fruit and desserts for Muslim women to break their fast prior to sunset at East London Mosque on April 12, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Aisha Nazar/Getty Images)
Akbar, who lives with family in Digbeth, has already begun his festival shopping to avoid large crowds and the rush of last-minute shoppers. Along with sweets and confectioneries, Akbar buys a lot of food ingredients and flavours for cooking various Eid dishes at home.
Besides this, a wide variety of rice, wheat and flour; dried fruits, dates and nuts; fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry; dairy products; vegetable and sunflower oils; jams and sauces; soft drinks and exotic juices will be of huge demand in the coming days, closer to Eid.
“During special occasions like Eid, people would want to serve the best for their family and friends,” adds Anna Beheshti, head of marketing at Tilda. “Hence, they give even greater importance while choosing the best quality products. Our emphasis has always been to offer a wide range of premium rice products that are well suited to preparing meals during these occasions. With consumers feeling excited about the festival, retailers must make use of this opportunity by ensuring the visibility and availability of a variety of products in their stores.”
Customers will be looking for quality products after fasting – looking to treat themselves, family and friends. Independents must learn to deploy various retail tactics and communication methods to convert the potentiality of festivals like Eid onto their own favour by highlighting quality and value for money messages of various products sold in their stores.
“Good quality and affordable pricing go hand in hand during festivities,” points out Akbar. “Eid is all about celebrating the special occasion with family and friends. This is the time when we pay visits to relatives and friends, offering them sweets and gifts. We always look for the best products to be given as gifts. Also, the dishes are to be served among friends. So, of course, quality comes on top of our mind as we look to buy any products during Eid.”
It has always been a custom for Muslims to buy new clothes, gifts and decorative items for Eid al-Fitr. So, independents must also carry an assortment of gifts and decorative items on their shelves for the discerning customers who come to buy other Eid ensembles.
“Independents must try something fresh and different to eventually attract customers,” informs Kenton Burchell, Trading Director at Bestway Wholesale. “Of course, traditional fare will always be important to stock but unique offerings that are not available in the multiples could be a strong footfall driver. For example, the much-loved Hamdard Rooh Afza is a very popular drink that most multiples don’t stock and is available from Bestway. Independents must understand and act according to the changing shopping patterns of customers.”
The UK’s Ramadan economy, which was worth at least £200 million in 2018, has exponentially grown over the last few years. The retail activity has also significantly increased in the post-pandemic phase. Independents must restrategise themselves to win a major share of this growing market.
Bon appétit
The food and garment sectors, which remain central to the celebrations, receive a growing number of customers across various venues and price points. Although online shopping has become a retail phenomenon, especially after the onset of Covid-19, there are still many customers who prefer to buy items at brick-and-mortar outlets.
“Preparations for Eid festival begin as early as the first week of Ramadan,” states Akbar. “Towards the end of Ramadan, the community tends to stock up on food staples [groceries and ingredients] to cook traditional meals to serve family and guests. Buying food staples usually occurs in the last week of Ramadan to ensure that items are fresh to use. And, my first shopping preference has always been our neighbourhood independent outlets as we know each other well.”
Although multiples are witnessing a remarkable increase in footfalls, traditional stores and independents are receiving a good number of customers, reflecting the diverse tastes and preferences of people from the same community.
“As consumers feel excited about the festival, independents must make the most of this opportunity to ensure the visibility and availability of various products that would cater to Eid customers,” says Beheshti. “Ramadan presents the perfect opportunity to engage with a different set of audience by pushing relevant products whilst supporting the celebration’s values of togetherness and inclusion, which is key for customers.”
Biryani made with Tilda rice
“The food categories should be merchandised based on factors like customer trends and preferences, local demographics and competition,” says Ashish Amin, Creative Group Head, Surya Foods. “Companies should also use visual merchandising to attract customers, such as by grouping related items together, using eye-catching displays and placing higher-margin items in more prominent locations.”
Another important factor to consider is leveraging store layout to create a better customer experience, such as having a dedicated fresh or frozen food area or displaying convenience items in an easy-to-navigate space. Additionally, strategic product placement can help increase sales – by, for example, putting breakfast items near the checkout or placing items that customers typically buy together nearby.
“With Ramadan accounting for 43 per cent of rice category sales in 2022 (+three per cent YoY), it is evident that rice is a core ingredient for these celebrations,” explains Beheshti of Tilda. “Among food staples, retailers must strive to stock a range of high-quality rice products for customers celebrating the festival. The right product mix, rack arrangement, price points, retail positioning, offers and discounts, advertisements, etc. drive sales. The independents must work towards making it all in tandem for success in business.”
Brands at play
Targeting customers during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid, food manufacturers like Bestway Wholesale, Dina Foods, Surya Foods, TRS Foods, Tilda, For Aisha and Barr Soft Drinks have come up with a wide range of products.
Festival offerings from Dina Foods include baked goods, savoury snacks and traditional confections. The company recently launched dates coated and filled with chocolates and variety packs of Baklawa to woo Eid customers.
“Retailers should be able to adapt their festival offerings to cater to Eid celebrations especially when the fast is over and people want to treat themselves,” says Souheil Haddad, managing director of Dina Foods. “Dina Foods Baklawa is a hot selling commodity that is being shared among family and friends during the Eid celebrations. Baklawa also comes in an excellent gifting box for our customers during the Eid festival.”
Surya Foods, which is one of the largest importers of authentic world foods to the UK market, has around 54 world food brand lines and over 2500 products in its kitty. This Eid, Surya Foods is offering a wide range of pulses and beans under its popular brand Laila, to cater to the growing demand for healthy plant-based products.
“Consumers are increasingly looking for healthier meal options during the festival month,” feels Ashish Amin, Creative Group Head, Surya Foods. “Recipes featuring ingredients with lower carbs, fewer calories and no added sugar are increasingly popular as people look to balance their diets and wellbeing. Laila Foods has a wide range of pulses and beans to cater to the growing demand for healthy plant-based products.”
Tilda offers a wide range of premium rice products which are well suited to preparing meals for celebrations. The brand saw an increase of 49 per cent in shopper penetration during Ramadan season in 2022 within big-bag formats, and highlights the demand for bulk-buying ahead of Eid.
“Products such as Tilda Grand Extra Long Basmati are particularly relevant for Eid celebrations,” says Beheshti. “It is vital for retailers to consider stocking a range of Tilda products, such as Tilda Pure Basmati, Tilda Grand Extra Long Basmati, Tilda Grand Sella Extra Long Basmati, and Tilda Golden Sella Basmati across a variety of pack sizes, as part of the festival menu.”
For the festival season, the UK’s third largest wholesaler Bestway has initiated a multi-phased promotion strategy running in the lead up to Ramadan, offering market-leading product ranges at unbeatable prices.
“We have expanded our product range and are offering Ramadan essentials through our own brand White Pearl,” adds Burchell, “although White Pearl was launched as a basmati rice brand, it has diversified its offerings by adding ghee, oil, flour, lentils, spices, and canned fruit and vegetables into its product portfolio.”
Barr Soft Drinks’ juice brand Rubicon offers consumers a range of regular and high-sugar juice drinks to cater to different occasions during the festival. The wide range of flavours and formats available in sparkling variants come with a broad appeal with shoppers catering to different tastes amongst family and friends.
“Traditional shoppers will vouch for brands that they know and trust,”avers Adrian Troy, marketing director. “Rubicon shoppers are loyal over celebratory periods. Our inhouse research revealed thataround 92 per cent of our customers are loyal and prefer buying our brand. In addition, new shoppers use events and celebrations as inspiration to try something new.So, Rubicon’s wide range of flavours and formats, available in still and sparkling variants, has a broad appeal with shoppers catering for a number of different tastes.”
For Aisha has been offering a wide range of pouch and tray meals, catering for children and babies up to the age of three. The company’s product range includes wonderful recipes inspired by cultures from around the globe including Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Green Bean and Lamb Curry, Chermoula Chicken, Cambodian Fish & Coconut Curry and Moroccan Chicken Tagine.
“This year retailers should be prepared for a particularly busy period, with the independent sector likely to see a particular uplift in sales,” adds Haddad of Dina Foods. “Independents can operate with speed and offer greater variety than the multiples, providing a welcome platform for innovative suppliers during the festival.”
Independents must keep in mind that Halal food items are an important norm during Muslim festival celebrations.
Eid in the Square
The UK’s Muslim communities organise events offering various family activities during Eid. In cities like London and Birmingham, such events attract thousands of people, enabling them to celebrate the festival together. Eid in the Square, in London’s Trafalgar Square, is held annually on the Saturday following Eid al-Fitr. It usually features live entertainment, stalls, exhibitions, and children's activities.
“We’ve a feast of global food stalls to tempt you with including Indian street food from Mr Bombay, silk road delights from Oshpaz Uzbek Street Food, Venezuelan fayre from Pabellon and Somali treats from Hooyo East,” according to the London government’s website. “The North Terrace will be awash with stalls including Desi Doll Company, Yunus Emre Institute London, Islamic Art Prints, London Muslim Health Network and many more.”
Now in its 18th year, the Mayor (Sadiq Khan] of London’s free, annual festival once again welcomes Londoners and visitors to the capital’s iconic Trafalgar Square to celebrate the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, on April 29.
“Celebrations in London are always a spectacle and this year is no different,” adds Akbar of Birmingham. Preparations are already undergoing for the Mayor of London’s annual festival in the capital’s iconic Trafalgar Square. This year’s theme focuses on family, education, and innovation with an exhilarating line-up of acts on the main stage. Similarly, other municipalities of Birmingham, Blackburn, Luton, Bradford and Dewsbury will also have grand Eid festivities.”
Birmingham is also said to be host to the largest Eid celebration in Europe – the ‘Celebrate Eid’ event – which usually expects 60,000 attendees each year with fairground rides, rodeo bull riding and various tasty food stands.
The East London Mosque will also be holding its own celebration to mark the end of Ramadan. InLeeds, celebrations are spread far and wide as families gather together. Some families travel from Birmingham and Bradford just to come to the Leeds Grand Mosque to celebrate Eid. Edinburgh is host to a variety of Eid celebrations, with parties hosted across the city in parks and mosques.
British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), which represents hobbyist beekeepers, has urged retailers to stock local honey, after a new research raised significant questions about the composition of blended honey samples imported to the UK and sold at supermarkets.
In a recent authenticity test, 96 per cent of samples of imported honey from supermarkets were found to be ‘atypical’ for honey, compared to 100 per cent of UK beekeeper samples that were deemed ‘typical’.
The Honey Authenticity Network UK (HAN UK) sent 30 honey samples for testing last month, with 24 out of the 25 jars of imported honey not meeting the required standards. All five of the samples sent from UK beekeepers passed the test, as well as one supermarket honey, which was also British honey.
The test was carried out at The Celvia research institute in Estonia, which has developed a DNA Metagenomic test in which the composition of samples is compared against a database of more than 500 genuine honeys.
Diane Drinkwater, chair of the British Beekeepers’ Association– which has a membership of nearly 30,000 beekeepers across England and Wales– said she was “disappointed, but not surprised” at the outcome of the results, adding:
“Our members are small, local producers of artisan honey. Whilst the amounts that they can produce each year will vary due to the seasonable nature of the product, our methods of extraction are unique, and each jar will have its own distinct flavour and texture,” Drinkwater commented.
“We will continue to champion the benefits of local honey in an era of increasing debate over the composition of imported honey sold in the UK”.
According to the International Trade Centre, the UK imported an average of 50,917 tonnes of honey in 2023, of which 39,405 tons were from China. Jars and bottles of honey can be bought off the shelf for as little as 69p, but often feature a blend of products from a number of different countries.
Honey adulteration can take many forms, with one of the most common methods being to bulk out honey with cheap syrups made from corn, rice and other crops.
These new results follow similar outcomes from imported honey samples in Europe, with 80 per cent of samples from Germany, 62 per cent of samples from Finland, and 100 per cent of samples from Austria failing the same test.
Lynne Ingram, BBKA Honey Ambassador and chair of the Honey Authenticity Network UK said: “It is disappointing that yet again, samples of cheap imported honeys in UK supermarkets have been found to be ‘atypical’ for genuine honey. All British honeys in the tests were found to be genuine.
“The lack of appropriate monitoring, testing and enforcement by UK government has led to the UK being flooded with cheap honey, much of it from China.
“Consumers wanting authentic honey are advised to be guided by price as very cheap honey is unlikely to be genuine; to read labels carefully and choose honeys that are not a blend. Ideally buy British honey.
“We would also call on more UK supermarkets to stock British honey.”
Wiltshire Police have arrested five people and seized more than £55,000 worth of illicit vapes, tobacco and alcohol following a series of warrants in the Broadgreen area of Swindon.
In a joint operation HMRC and Trading Standards, officers executed four warrants in Manchester Road at three stores and a property on Tuesday as part of the force’s ongoing Clear Hold Build work within Broadgreen.
The raids led to the seizure of thousands of pounds worth of illegal vapes which breached the legal capacity limit and “were for sale directly next to the counters.” Officers also seized illicit tobacco and alcohol.
Some vapes were advertised as containing more than 15,000 puffs – well in excess of the 600 puff limit for disposable vapes.
Five men were arrested on suspicion of breaching section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1994. They have been taken into custody for questioning.
“This was a highly successful morning involving excellent multi-agency work,” Sergeant Winter, of the Swindon Central South Neighbourhood Team, said.
“Community intelligence is vital to enable us to conduct operations like this. If you have any concerns around activity going on in your community then please report it to us.”
As industry leaders is cash handling, Volumatic has long supported the use of cash and the importance of maintaining access to cash for both consumers and businesses. The company recognises the importance of the new set of rules created by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) two months ago, to safeguard access to cash for businesses and consumers across the UK.
Since introduction, the new rules are intended to ensure that individuals and businesses who rely on cash can continue to access it and the outcome has already sparked the creation of 15 new banking hubs across the UK, including one in Scotland, with many more to follow.
These hubs provide shared spaces for consumers to access basic services, such as depositing and withdrawing cash, and are being embraced by businesses keen to support the use of cash, who have been struggling in recent years due to the flurry of bank closures across the UK.
With this in mind, Volumatic welcomes the increase in banking hubs and other facilities but recommends businesses go one step further to make things even easier.
“We have known for some time that more and more people are using cash again on a daily basis and so it’s great that access to cash is being protected by the FCA, something that we and others in the industry have been campaigning for, for a long time,” said Volumatic’s Sales & Marketing Director Mike Severs. “Both businesses and consumers need to have easy and local access to cash, and these new rules ensure cash usage continues to rise and will encourage more businesses to realise that cash is still an important and valid payment method.”
With time being of the essence for most businesses, making a journey to the nearest bank, banking hub or Post Office isn’t always possible on a daily basis, plus there is the obvious security risk to both the money and the individual taking it to consider.
Volumatic offers integration with the G4S CASH360 integration
Volumatic’s partnership with G4S, announced back in April 2024, means every business dealing in cash anywhere in the UK can have access to a fully managed solution. This will be especially relevant to those who currently have to walk or travel a distance to a bank or PO to deposit their cash.
Severs adds: “Although having more banking facilities is fantastic news, Volumatic can help businesses even more by bringing the bank to them through an investment in technology like the CCi that can offer integration with the G4S CASH360 solution. Together, we make daily cash processing faster, safer, and more secure and the combination of solutions will save businesses time and money for years to come, making it a truly worthwhile investment.“
Volumatic offers a range of cash handling solutions, with their most advanced device being the CounterCache intelligent (CCi). This all-in-one solution validates, counts and stores cash securely at POS, with UK banks currently processing over 2.5 million CCi pouches each year. When coupled with the upgraded CashView Enterprise cash management software and its suite of intelligent apps, the Volumatic CCi can offer a full end-to-end cash management solution – and now goes one step further.
It does this by providing web service integration with other third-party applications such as the CASH360 cash management system, provided by the foremost UK provider of cash security, G4S Cash Solutions (UK).
“Ultimately, only time will tell how successful the FCA’s new rules will prove. In the short amount of time the new legislation has been in place, the signs are already looking good, and coupled with the new technology we offer, it is a good thing for businesses and consumers alike in the ongoing fight for access to cash and more efficient cash processing,” concludes Severs.
Retail technology company Jisp has launched an NPD service as part of its new Direct to Retailer business unit.
The new NPD service will allow brands to launch or trial new products in a guaranteed number of convenience store locations, with on the ground review of execution by Jisp’s retail growth manager team, and performance data and insights deliverable through its scanning technology and back-office systems.
Brands will also be able to draw on retailer and consumer feedback on the product and its performance thanks to Jisp’s significant resource in user communication, with over 1,000 retailers and more than 100,000 registered shoppers.
Brands can set the parameters of the NPD activity delivered through Jisp’s new service, selecting the duration of the campaign, the number of stores to launch into and even the geographic spread or demographic make-up of the stores included.
Product merchandising and promotional execution in store is monitored by the Jisp RGM team and full reporting is available to help brands better understand the success of their new product and shape future promotional strategy.
This robust data and insight set means that Jisp can not only provide a reliable view of what is selling in stores, but through its scanning technology can also indicate who is buying the product, when, where and why.
Alex Rimmer
“As part of our recent strategic review and restructure, we identified five key pillars of growth, or business units through which to drive new business,” said Alex Rimmer, director of marketing & communication at Jisp.
“Our existing core business already provided us the means to develop new services efficiently and through discussions with major brands, retailers, wholesalers and industry authorities, we identified a need for guaranteed implementation and execution of NPD in the convenience sector.”
Compliance is further assured using Jisp’s Scan & Save scanning technology along with a retailer reward scheme which pays stores for their participation and commitment to the process.
With 1,000 stores already registered with Jisp, the company is in talks with other businesses about opening the new NPD service to their stores given the benefits of securing NPD and reward for execution.
“This is a Win-Win for the sector,” added Alex Rimmer. “Brands can create a bespoke NPD launch campaign with a guarantee that their product will be instore, on shelf and correctly merchandised and promoted, receiving actionable data and insight to shape future strategy. Retailers secure access to NPD, support in merchandising it and reward for taking part, while customers find more local touch points where NPD from their favourite brands are available.”
With this new service promising to be such a valuable asset to the market, retailers and brands are encouraged to contact Jisp to capitalise on the opportunities.
Tesco is slashing the price of more than 222 own-brand and branded products in its Express convenience stores.
Essentials including milk, bread, pasta and coffee are included in the lines which have been reduced in price by an average of more than 10 per cent at Tesco Express stores. The retail giant has made more than 2,800 price cuts across stores in recent months. With 2,048 of convenience stores at the end of the 2023-24 financial year, Tesco aims to benefit hundreds of thousands of customers from the cheaper deals.
The firm said the move comes in the wake of more than 2,800 price cuts made by the chain across its stores in recent months. From Wednesday, customers will pay £1.45 for a four-pint bottle of milk at their local Tesco Express store (down from £1.55) and a Tesco Toastie White Thick White Loaf is also 10p cheaper at 75p.
There are even bigger savings on Tesco Chicken Breast Portions (300g), which have dropped in price by 25p to just £2.25 and a 200g jar of Tesco Gold Instant Coffee now also costs 25p less at just £2.25. Among the branded products with price cuts are Warburtons White Sliced Sandwich Rolls, with the price of a six-pack cut by 10p to just £1.20 and Domestos Original Bleach 750ml, which is now just £1.19 in Express stores after an 11p price cut.
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said, “Today’s round of price cuts on more than 200 lines in our Express stores underlines our commitment to offering great value to Tesco customers.
"Whether you are picking up coffee and milk for the office or a loaf of bread and a tin of soup on the way home, our Express stores offer both convenience and great value.”
This comes a week after One Stop, the convenience store chain owned by Tesco, has reported a surge in sales to nearly £1.3bn during its latest financial year. The Walsall-based company posted a revenue of £1.29bn for the 12 months to 24 February, 2024, an increase from the previous year's £1.17bn. Over the course of the year, the number of stores directly operated by One Stop increased from 712 to 733, while its franchised locations also grew from 291 to 317.