A North Yorkshire community is enjoying a contemporary new village store with an expansive range of fresh food, meal solutions and chilled alcohol following a long-awaited refurbishment by a multi-site independent retailer.
The Proudfoot Group, a Nisa key account, has embarked on a store development programme with the aim of bringing all their stores up to date while simultaneously improving their offer to customers.
The 3,000 sq. ft. store in Seamer, a few miles south of Scarborough, is the latest project to be completed by the family business.
Since the refurbishment completed in the summer, overall sales have grown by around 12 per cent, however Retail Support Manager Matthew Wood said increasing sales was never the key objective; instead the focus was on improving the look and feel of the store, making it inviting for the community and creating the necessary kerb appeal to attract new customers in.
“We replaced everything apart from the floor because the store had become quite tired and was certainly ready for some changes.
“We exposed the ceiling to give the store a warehouse feel and added LED lighting which really highlights the products in store.
“By replacing the shelving and making them slightly higher than before, plus adding in more chillers for food and alcohol, we have maximised the space we have available, and the range has grown by 25% which shoppers are really enjoying,” said Matthew.
Improving the chilled range was a key motivating factor in the overhaul with every category in chilled expanded while the ambient range has been condensed.
Matthew explained: “Chilled, BWS and impulse were all key areas for us in the development. It’s where the market is going, and we knew we needed to make changes to remain relevant to our shoppers as well as encourage new ones through the door.”
The two-week renovation has allowed for an increase of more than 50 per cent in chiller space including dedicated butchery chillers and additional freezers as well as the introduction of the Cook premium frozen range with four branded chest freezers added.
And the changes have been welcomed by shoppers who are using the store more frequently and spending more.
“We have increased our footfall with both new customers as well as existing shoppers making more trips. The focus on impulse is working well and we are getting younger people in now who are really attracted to the food for tonight proposition.”
European-style fruit-led or fruity beer is increasingly gaining popularity in the UK, emerging as the Britain’s fastest growing beer trend.
According to Tesco, demand for these lighter thirst-quenching beers, which have a typical strength of around 4% ABV, is rocketing so much that the supermarket has seen sales volume grow by 250 per cent in the last year.
These fruity beer styles have long been popular in western European countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy, and are associated with ‘after sport’ refreshment, particularly skiing and cycling.
Over the last 15 years, various European beers with fruity profiles have gradually become more popular over here such as Belgian strawberry brews Fruli and Bacchus Kriek, and more recently Radler, a shandy style beer from Germany and Damm Lemon from Spain.
Seven years ago, dedicated UK fruit lager brand Jubel was launched and quickly established themselves as one of the hippest beers for drinkers in the 21-35 age group.
The company now has five different varieties – peach, mango, blood orange, lemon and grapefruit - of its 4 per cent strength lager and has seen volume grow in Tesco by more than 300 per cent.
Tesco beer buyer Ben Cole said, “The soaring demand for fruit-led brews, particularly lager, has taken the UK drinks market by storm and is the biggest trend to hit the beer scene since the craft boom started more than 15 years ago.
“The trend actually has its roots in the craft beer movement because it introduced beers with tropical fruit profiles to more drinkers than ever before.
“For many people the craft movement changed the perception of what a beer could taste like and opened many drinkers’ palates to a wider range of styles.”
The trend is also similar to the fruit-led cider boom which began 20 years ago with the introduction of pear varieties.
That movement came after Magners reinvented cider as a refreshing drink to be enjoyed ‘over ice’ and within a few years other cider manufacturers such as Kopparberg were marketing fruit-led variants.
Jubel were the first UK company to exclusively take note of the fruit-led side of the beer market and formed in April 2018.
Founder Jesse Wilson got the idea for the company during a skiing trip to France where his group of friends found that the Bière Pêche being served – which included a shot of peach syrup – was light and refreshing.
Wilson said, “We were a mixed group of men and women, some of whom liked beer and some who didn’t, but we all loved the Bière Pêche being served – a pint of lager with a peach top – and it gave me the idea to start the brand.
“I thought that style of lager could be the perfectly refreshing pint in pubs and that’s where our business grew, with word of mouth spreading rapidly, to the point where it seems our flagship peach lager is now the fifth biggest craft beer in the on-trade based on CGA reported volumes.
“We are incredibly excited that retailers like Tesco see this as the biggest trend to hit beer since the craft beer movement, and we’re pumped to be pioneering it.”
Trust and Gander are unveiling a strategic partnership set to transform inventory management and markdown processes in grocery and convenience retail.
Presented at the Retail Technology Show 2025, this collaboration integrates Gander’s advanced markdown solution with Trust’s industry-leading inventory management and ePOS systems.
The new partnership between Trust and Gander aims to empower retailers by reducing food waste, optimising markdown strategies, and increasing revenue from previously under utilised stock.
Through seamless integration, Trust’s inventory management tool will log price reductions in real time, syncing directly with the Trust ePOS system and Gander’s markdown platform.
Once a reduced item is sold via the ePOS, it will be automatically removed from the inventory list and Gander’s marketing channels, ensuring accurate stock visibility.
Retailers will benefit from a significant reduction in food waste, as greater visibility of reduced-to-clear items ensures they reach consumers before expiration.
By turning markdowns into revenue opportunities, retail businesses can transform potential losses into sales, improving their overall profitability.
Seamless inventory control will allow for real-time updates that enhance forecasting and operational efficiency.
Additionally, shoppers will experience improved product availability and competitive pricing, contributing to a better overall customer experience.
Mike Dotson, Managing Director at Trust Retail, commented: “We are thrilled to showcase this strategic partnership at the Retail Technology Show, demonstrating how collaborative innovation in fintech and retail technology can deliver meaningful efficiencies for grocery and convenience retailers.
"By integrating cutting-edge payment, inventory, and markdown solutions, we continue to drive transformation in the retail space.”
Stacey Williams, Business Development Director at Gander, added: “Our partnership with Trust at RTS 2025 exemplifies how technology can optimise markdown management while driving sustainability.
"By leveraging digital platforms, we ensure retailers maximise their margins while reducing food waste, enhancing customer engagement, and streamlining store operations.”
Trust’s inventory management system integrates directly with Gander’s markdown platform, enabling real-time data updates that ensure accurate stock tracking and price reductions.
As soon as an item is marked down, it appears instantly on Gander’s marketing platform, retailer loyalty platforms, and online grocery sales channels.
Once a reduced item is purchased through the ePOS system, it is automatically removed from inventory and consumer-facing listings, ensuring precise stock control and eliminating discrepancies between in-store availability and digital promotions.
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Loose produce vs. packaged produce in supermarkets
Despite being a nation of food lovers, when it comes to food waste, fresh produce are the UK’s most binned items, states a recent report, recommending that more fresh produce needs to be sold/bought loose to help break the "UK’s £1,000 a year food waste habit".
In Food Waste Action Week, Love Food Hate Waste publishes its annual Household Food Management Survey giving a snapshot of the nation’s behaviours and attitudes towards food.
Each year in UK homes an estimated 510,000 tonnes of potatoes are binned, representing 46 per cent of all potatoes bought.
The largest and longest running survey of its kind, the latest Love Food Hate Waste Household Food Management Survey show that self-reported food waste has increased to 21 per cent for the four key food items monitored (bread, milk, potatoes and chicken), meaning a fifth of these end up in the bin.
The rise in self-reported food waste recorded coincided with the easing of several key pressures that had kept food waste in check over recent years, including food price inflation and concerns about the cost-of-living and food availability.
But Love Food Hate Waste says one reason why so much fresh produce ends up in our bins is because most is sold packaged, denying shoppers a chance to buy an amount closer to their needs.
In the UK, only 19 per cent of fresh produce is sold loose by large retailers.
Jackie Baily, Senior Campaign Manager Love Food Hate Waste, “We see fresh produce as the real kitchen victim when it comes to food waste. Because most fruit and veg is sold packaged, we have to buy what we’re given not what we need, and that means a lot goes to waste.
"As a result, our bins have a diet that most nutritionists would envy. And we’re a long way from breaking our food waste habit because of this packaging.”
Ahead of the roll out of separate food waste collections in England, Love Food Hate Waste is keen to help people reduce the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables ending up in the bin through better access to loose produce.
An estimated 60,000 tonnes of food waste could be prevented if all apples, potatoes and bananas were sold loose, representing 8.2 million shopping baskets’ worth of food.
Love Food Hate Waste is using Food Waste Action Week to show the growing public demand for more loose fruit and veg in the fresh produce aisles. And WRAP, the environmental action NGO behind Love Food Hate Waste, is also calling for a consultation for a potential ban on packaging for 21 products in the fresh produce aisles.
Food waste made flesh
Love Food Hate Waste found that our ability to judge how much is the right amount to buy has weakened slightly for the first time in several surveys and that except for bread, most people find judging the right amount of fresh produce trickier than any other product – particularly potatoes.
When it comes to buying loose, people enjoy not having a date label on loose fresh produce and we’re happy to use judgement alone on when fruit and vegetables are still good to eat far more than a Best Before date - most noticeably for onions (75 per cent).
Outside of the fresh produce category, people use date labels (Use-By) for items for which food safety is an issue, such as fresh chicken and pork. But for milk, we’re evenly split between using our judgement or a date label.
On a per capita basis, the latest survey suggests that 27 per cent of UK citizens classify as ‘higher’ food wasters. In addition, Love Food Hate Waste found a disparity between people’s perception of their own waste and the reality, with nearly 8 out of 10 interviewees believing they waste less than the average.
Food waste occurs across all sociodemographic groups in the UK, without exception. But Love Food Hate Waste warns that certain groups are more prone to falling into the high food waste category.
Higher levels of food waste were concentrated among younger people, those with children and those with a higher number of displaced meals (when plans change last minute, or something happens meaning we don’t eat the food we’d planned at home).
In addition, Love Food Hate Waste found a link between people who use alternative methods of food shopping and higher levels of reported food waste, albeit a far lesser number.
This includes those who use Click and collect (38 per cent higher food waste), fruit and veg box schemes (48 per cent), subscription delivery (47 per cent) and delivery companies (40 per cent).
Love food Hate Waste has put forward a range of recommendations to help mitigate against household food waste.
These include making it easier to purchase the right amount of food through better access to loose produce, introducing smaller pack sizes at comparable prices and curbing in-store promotions encouraging over-purchasing for perishable foods (e.g., impulse-driven multibuy offers).
And enhancing individual citizens’ skills in meal planning and portion estimation.
EPoS system ShopMate has rolled out a new partnership with DNA Payments, a leading provider of advanced payment solutions.
Through this strategic partnership, ShopMate enhances its support for retailers by integrating a seamless and efficient payment solution into its EPOS system, ShopMate Pay.
ShopMate Pay will be available to existing and new ShopMate customers who will benefit from a unified approach for all their payment and EPOS needs.
“At ShopMate, we understand the challenges convenience stores face,” said Brian Eagle-Brown, managing director at ShopMate.
“Our partnership with DNA Payments allows us to deliver a payment solution that’s highly efficient and adaptable to the unique needs of independent retailers. Together, we’re making it easier for these vital community businesses to flourish.”
Jan-Pieter Lips, chief executive of DNA Payments, added: “Convenience stores and small retailers are some of the fastest and most enthusiastic adopters of new payments technology – they know what works, and demand the best.”
“That’s why we’re proud to be partnering with ShopMate to deliver industry-leading solutions like ShopMate Pay to thousands of convenience stores across the country.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against Bestway Retail, banning a Christmas advertising campaign for Bargain Booze that featured Santa Claus.
The ruling, published today (March 19), determined that the ads, which ran on Facebook and Instagram in December 2024, had a particular appeal to children, violating advertising codes for alcohol products.
The ads depicted Santa Claus arriving at a Bargain Booze store, using a tablet to determine whether customers were “naughty” or “nice,” and magically gift-wrapping alcohol. Festive music and nostalgic Christmas imagery were prominent in the campaign.
The ASA’s ruling centred on the way Santa Claus was portrayed in the ads. While acknowledging Santa’s broad appeal across age groups, the regulator concluded that the ads’ presentation was excessively child-focused.
“The ads contained many nostalgic Christmas elements, including Father Christmas in his full traditional costume and playful festive music,” the ASA stated. “We considered that the overall impression of the ads was reminiscent of classic Christmas family films, which would be familiar, and therefore appealing, to children of all ages.”
The ASA further cited elements such as the exaggerated expressions of surprise, magical elements like Santa’s “naughty or nice” app and magical gift wrapping, and juvenile humour like festive wordplay in customer names as contributing to the ads’ appeal to children. The humour of Santa arriving in a car with the personalised plates "GIFT5 1981" and paying with contactless technology was also considered to be aimed at a younger audience.
Bargain Booze defended the ads, arguing that Santa is a cultural icon with broad appeal, not specifically targeted at children. They also emphasised that the ads did not depict anyone drinking and that they targeted the ads to an audience aged 18 and over.
However, the ASA found that the age targeting on Facebook and Instagram was insufficient, as these platforms do not require robust age verification upon sign-up.
“Because the ads were seen in an environment where users self-verified on customer sign-up and did not use robust age-verification, and interest based targeting had not been used, we considered that under-18s had not been entirely excluded from the audience,” the ASA stated.
The ASA concluded that the ads breached CAP Code rule 18.14, which prohibits alcohol advertising that particularly appeals to under-18s.
Bestway Retail has been told to ensure that future alcohol advertising does not have particular appeal to children. The ads are banned from appearing again in their original form.