British variety store chain Poundland has launched a brand new own-label range to help shoppers battle cost of living crisis.
Dubbed The Manor Grove range, Poundland's own-label range will be cheaper alternatives to the big brands. The own-label items which are now being rolled out in all 700 Poundland stores include several popular condiments and gravy granules.
The brand now applies to a long list of condiments and sauces, as well as tinned food and oils but the discounter has told The Sun that more lines will be added in the coming weeks. Customers shopping online at Poundshop.com, Poundland's website, can also get their hands on some of the products that are already available.
The launch of the own-label brand comes just a few months after the chain slashed the price of dozens of products across its branches on a range of product lines including packs of Galaxy bars, Multi-Grain Rice Krispies and even smoke alarms.
The discount chain will also expand its chilled and frozen grocery rollout to 24 more stores from July 1. Popular items in the range so far have included products from brands such as Ginsters, Cathedral City, Lurpak, Sutherland sandwiches and Rustlers cheeseburgers.
A Poundland spokesperson said: "We know that UK branded ketchup prices were recently highlighted as being some of the highest in Europe. So whether people are red or brown sauce fans, we hope the launch of a new range exclusive to our stores gives a bit of bacon butty relief."
"So whether people are red or brown sauce fans, we hope the launch of a new range exclusive to our stores gives a bit of bacon butty relief," the publication quoted the spokesperson as saying.
Illegal vapes worth £4,000 have been seized by Gloucestershire County Council trading standards officers from a shop near Gloucester city centre, following the discovery of a hidden room in the premises.
Gloucestershire County Council informed that an inspection was carried out on Feb 27, to follow up on a number of test purchases of illegal vapes which had been made by an undercover trading standards officer in the weeks before.
During the test purchase conducted earlier, when the undercover officer previously visited the shop and asked for a particular brand of vape, they were handed a sheet of paper with various flavours.
The shop worker left the shop floor to go to the rear of the premises, before returning with the selected vape which contained more nicotine liquid than permitted by law.
Trading standards officers visited the shop Feb 27 to search the premises and focused on the space behind the shop floor. They noticed that of all the rooms in the premises, the toilet room had been recently renovated with a smart toilet and sink suite and PVC clad walls.
Officers also took account of room measurements and noted some missing floor space.
They discovered that the PVC cladding in the toilet room had been used to conceal a doorway into a hidden room, which was kept closed by magnetic door locks.
The trading standards officers found 468 illegal electronic cigarettes worth around £4,000 as well as the empty display boxes of a further 731.
Trading standards officers have discovered sophisticated concealments in the past in relation to the storage of illegal tobacco, but this is the first time a concealed room has been discovered.
Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member for trading standards at Gloucestershire County Council, said, “These products harm the trade of legitimate suppliers and pose a risk to public health.
"The level of sophistication in this concealment was considerable and this was a deliberate and concerted effort to evade detection.
"This seizure shows that our trading standards team will work tirelessly to keep these harmful products off the streets, no matter what efforts unscrupulous traders make to keep them hidden.”
Younger drinkers are driving the emergence of the premium cream liqueur category in the UK, according to new data from Irish cream challenger brand, Coole Swan.
The brand’s sales data shows 20 – 40-year-olds as the core consumer of Coole Swan, a demographic significantly contributing to the brand’s 67 per cent growth in the UK in 2024.
Coole Swan CEO, Mary Sadlier, believes this growth to be an untapped opportunity for the trade.
Data shows that Coole Swan consumers spend 84 per cent more instore than the category average and 70 per cent of its consumers come from outside the category, preserving the growth of the popular value end of the cream liqueur category.
Mary Sadlier commented, “Consumers are willing to pay more for premium alcohol, especially the younger consumer. It’s well documented that post millennials are drinking less, but when they are drinking, they’re opting for a better-quality liquid, with the finest ingredients and no additives.
"They might be buying less volume, but they’re spending more on quality, enjoying it for longer and really appreciating the liquid.
"For the trade, these new consumer habits mean better margins and repeat custom from proven higher spending consumers. It’s a real growth opportunity that doesn’t cannibalise the value end of the market, given that nearly three quarters of our consumers are discovering the brand from outside the category. ”
The global cream liqueur market is projected to register a CAGR of 10.5 per cent from 2023 to 2029. Global data shows that growth is largely driven by premium brands, which are growing faster than the rest of the category in Europe and the US.
Sadlier continued, “Irish Cream Liqueurs are having their day and Coole Swan is here to disrupt as the next generation cream liqueur. Blended with care, Coole Swan has fresher ingredients, a smoother finish and a cleaner taste and has won multiple, prestigious awards globally, to prove it.
"It’s hard to believe that a brand created in a shed in County Meath has gone on to create such disruption in the market. We don’t have big budgets behind us, simply loyal, satisfied customers who keep coming back.”
As well as maximising strategic price promotions throughout the year, Coole Swan also expects to secure brand growth through new retail and wholesale listings, working with its UK distributor. The brand is also investing in digital marketing to further tap into this younger, engaged audience.
Food sales continued to see an uptick last month against overall dip in sales as shopper confidence rose a little as retailers brace of additional costs and legislative changes in the coming months, shows industry data released today (11).
According to British Retail Consortium (BRC), total retail sales increased by 1.1 per cent year on year in February, against a growth of 1.1 per cent in February 2024. This was below the 3-month average growth of 2.4 per cent and above the 12-month average growth of 0.8 per cent.
Food sales increased by 2.3 per cent year on year in February, against a growth of 5.6 per cent in February 2024. This was level with the 3-month average growth of 2.3 per cent and below the 12-month average growth of 2.8 per cent.
Non-Food sales were flat year on year in February, against a decline of 2.7 per cent in February 2024
Commenting on the figures, Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, “Retail sales saw more modest growth in February. While sales growth across non-food categories was generally muted, it was propped up by online purchases, particularly in computing and electronics.
"Jewellery, watches and fragrance sold well thanks to Valentine’s Day, reversing declines seen last year, and furniture also returned to growth. Fashion performed poorly due to the gloomy weather throughout the month, but retailers are hopeful the early March sunshine kickstarts spending on Spring and Summer wardrobes.
“This weak performance makes many retailers uneasy, especially as they brace for £7bn of new costs from the Budget and packaging levy in 2025, as well as the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill.
"The industry is already doing all it can to absorb existing costs, but they will be left with little choice but to increase prices or reduce investment in jobs and shops, or both.
"The focus of the Employment Rights Bill should be on unscrupulous employers but instead the industry faces ongoing uncertainty and a trajectory that risks punishing responsible businesses who provide valuable employment, particularly at entry level. It is time for government to course correct to ensure investment and growth are not undermined.”
Regarding the performance in food and drink sector, Sarah Bradbury, CEO at IGD, said, "Despite upcoming cost challenges, shopper confidence rose to 2 (from -3 in January) due to wage growth and the impending rise in the National Living Wage.
"Early February saw positive retail value sales, likely from Valentine’s promotions, but overall, February's volume sales dipped. Shopper confidence is expected to remain volatile in response to the external environment."
Over the past year, the UK’s local shops have recorded an estimated 6.2 million incidents of shop theft, compared to 5.6 million in the previous year.
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has released its 2025 Crime Report today (10), revealing another record level of theft committed against convenience store retailers.
Key figures from this year’s report include:
Crime cost retailers an estimated £316m over the last year
Retailers have spent over £265m on crime prevention and detection measures in their store over the last year
Taken together, the cost of crime and investment in crime prevention amount to a 10p crime tax on every transaction in a convenience store
There were over 59,000 estimated incidents of violence in the convenience sector over the last year, and 1.2million incidents of verbal abuse
59 per cent of retailers believe that incidents involving organised crime have increased over the last year
Behind every figure in the report is a retailer and their colleagues, working hard in a community to provide essential services but facing crime on a regular basis. Two retailers featured in this year’s report have been subject to robberies, abuse, theft and physical violence.
Amit Puntambekar, who runs a Nisa Local in Fenstanton, was attacked and injured when he attempted to challenge a thief and has been dealing with violent threats for months.
Speaking in the report, he said, “When your staff are threatened with a hammer, when someone threatens to kill you who lives near your shop and the police don’t take it seriously, what’s the point?”
Ian Lewis, who runs a SPAR store in Minster Lovell, had his store targeted by two ram raid attacks in recent months, the second of which between Christmas and New Year where thieves ripped out the stores’ cash machine.
Speaking in the report, he said, “My business was ram raided by criminals in a Land Rover and the cash machine ripped out. My parents live above the shop, I will never forget the voicemail that I got from my parents when this happened.”
The report comes as parliament considers the Crime and Policing Bill at Second Reading stage today (10). The Bill aims to introduce a separate offence for assaulting a shopworker, to scrap the £200 threshold for shop theft offences, and to increase police powers to deal with anti-social behaviour, among other measures to deal with prolific offenders effectively.
ACS has backed the Crime and Policing Bill as a long-overdue turning point on retail crime, and is urging everyone involved in the justice system, from local forces to Police and Crime Commissioners, to make tackling retail crime a priority this year.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said, “The levels of theft, abuse and violence experienced by retailers over the last year makes for shocking reading, but it will not surprise our members who are living it on a daily basis.
"Criminals targeting local shops without fear of reproach cannot be allowed to continue, which is why we’re fully supportive of the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill.
"In our Crime Report, we have set out ways that retailers and the police have made a positive difference, putting in place strategies that work to keep retailers and their colleagues safer, and we need stronger legislation to back that up.
"This must be the moment we commit to ending the retail crime crisis, through Government, police and retailers working together.”
Retail footfall rebounded last week from the week before in high streets and retail parks whereas shopping centres continued to see a decline, shows the latest figures.
The rise in high street activity is being attributed to warmer weather, and schools reopening following the half term break across the UK which will also signal a return to the office.
According to MRI Software, footfall rose on four out of seven days last week peaking on Sunday and Wednesday in all UK retail destinations, however the drop in activity came on Friday which was far more significant in shopping centres.
High streets benefitted from the warmer weather on Saturday with a rise in footfall recorded however retail parks and shopping centres saw a drop in activity on this day compared to the week before.
All town types seemingly benefited from the milder weather conditions with footfall rising from the week before, especially in coastal towns and Greater London where double digit rises were recorded from the week before.
Market and historic towns also witnessed strong activity, alongside MRI Software’s Central London Back to Office benchmark. Apart from the West Midlands, regional footfall in all UK retail destinations remained strong particularly in the East of England and the South West.
Retail footfall rose by +1.8 per cent overall last week from the week before driven by a +4.2 per cent rebound in high street activity and by +0.1 per cent in retail parks.
Shopping centres, however, saw a -1.6 per cent decline in footfall, reflecting cautious consumer behaviour ahead of Mother’s Day and Easter, which fall two weeks later this year than in 2024. This suggest shoppers may be planning purchases more intentionally.
Week on week, Sunday and Wednesday were the strongest days with footfall in all UK retail destinations but driven predominantly by high streets experiencing strong rises.
This upward trend continued into the weekend with activity rising by +4% on Saturday whereas retail parks and shopping centres saw a much quieter day with footfall declining, a sign of milder weather conditions encouraging people to outdoor retail destinations.
Coastal towns also benefitted from the improved weather conditions as footfall rose by +11 per cent week on week, a double digit trend which was also echoed in Greater London (+10.6 per cent). The return to office was evident in Central London.
Compared to 2024 levels, high street footfall remained flat whereas shopping centres and retail parks saw a footfall decline.
With seasonal shifts in major events that typically drive retail footfall, including Mother’s Day and Easter moving to later in March and into April, these annual fluctuations are expected to level out over time.