Sugro UK, the member-owned buying and marketing group, once again hosted its annual overseas Business Convention. This year it was held in numerous locations throughout India.
This highly successful event marked another milestone for the Group, delivering substantial incremental growth with almost 10 million cases purchased during a three-month incentive period, benefiting both Members and Supply Partners alike.
The convention brought together over 80 Members and Suppliers for a mix of formal and informal oneto-one business sessions, fostering strong networking opportunities and bolstering the marketplace. Feedback from attendees highlighted the exceptional value of face-to-face interaction, emphasising how these events continue to strengthen the Sugro ‘Family’ dynamic.
Beyond business discussions, Sugro UK extended its impact through a meaningful charitable initiative tied to the location of this year’s convention. As part of its commitment to giving back to the communities hosting their events, Sugro UK, alongside Supply Partners—Red Bull, Suntory Beverages, Britvic and AG Barr—made a significant donation to support the CSR Project Jaisalmer.
The project will help renovate the Government Upper Primary School in Jaisalmer, which has been neglected by authorities for many years and lacks basic sanitary facilities. Established in 1964, the school serves 100 pupils, who urgently need improved conditions.
Sugro’s donation will directly support the renovation of sanitation facilities for both boys and girls, ensuring a healthier and more dignified learning environment for the children. This project will make a massive different for all pupils, but for the girls, in particular, whose school attendance rates significantly drops due to period poverty (According to Dasra, 23 million girls drop out of school every year in India due to a lack of menstrual hygiene management facilities in schools).
Emma Senior, Managing Director at Sugro UK, commented, “This was a record year of attendees for the Sugro Convention and the feedback from members and suppliers alike has been incredible. It was fantastic to see so many new faces, with some suppliers attending for the first time.
My personal highlight was cutting the ribbon on the toilets in the Jaisalmer school. We had a resounding welcome from the children, their teachers and the leaders from the town. Their appreciation was certainly felt by all of us.”
Yulia Petitt, Head of Commercial & Marketing added: “Sugro has had 18 consecutive years of growth and continue with its strong performance in 2024 with the year-to-date growth of +15% compared with the same period in 2023. With some excellent business opportunities being discussed between Members and Suppliers during the convention trip, there is no doubt that the Group will continue with its remarkable performance this year.
"As always, the convention trip was delivered with very high standards and some fantastic feedback from our Members and Suppliers. It was great to see how the event once again brought the Sugro ‘Family’ together, this time in the incredible setting of India.”
Looking ahead, Sugro UK is committed to hosting more successful events both locally and internationally. With its continued focus on business excellence and charitable initiatives, Sugro will keep supporting its Members and Supply Partners while driving growth, innovation, and community impact in the wholesale sector.
Sugro UK, the member-owned buying and marketing group comprising of over 90 independent wholesalers, today (3) announced the expansion of its membership with the addition of Akdeniz Finsbury Ltd as a new member to the group.
Akdeniz Finsbury Ltd have been trading since 2009. They operate across the Retail, Wholesale and Restaurant sectors. They have five supermarkets and five restaurants of their own, which stock a wide range of product lines across all key categories.
As well as sourcing their own business outlets, Akdeniz Finsbury Ltd supply grocery and foodservice products to a wide customer base, carrying a full range of grocery, impulse, household, and foodservice lines.
To support this, they have opened a new warehouse in Harlow which will carry all current grocery and foodservice lines with a view to increasing their reach and capacity to supplying fifty supermarkets and twenty-five restaurants outside of their ownership.
Abdullah Gilgil, Director of Akdeniz Finsbury Ltd, said, “We are so happy to become part of Sugro. We think that partnering with Sugro uk means tapping into a powerful network of collaboration and shared strength.
"We believe, together, we maximise value, streamline operations, and pave the way for sustainable growth.”
Sugro’s Business Development Manager, Sue Hubber added, “We are very excited to welcome Abdullah Gilgil and his Team at Akdeniz Finsbury Ltd, to the Sugro Family.
"There are some great opportunities for Sugro to support the new extended venture and existing retail and restaurant outlets. It is great to add more consumer-facing outlets and drive activation of our Supplier brands.”
In unrelated series of events over last few days, convenience store workers became the victim of violent crimes that left them shaken.
In one of the incidents that happened in Peterlee in Durham county on Jan 25, a convenience store worker was doused in petrol by robbers who then threatened him with dire consequences if he did not hand them the cash. The burglary occurred during early morning hours.
Police have released CCTV images of a man after a lone shop worker was doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight during a shop robbery in Peterlee.
He then demanded money before fleeing with a quantity of cash. While the shop worker was not physically harmed, he was left understandably shaken by the ordeal.
Durham Constabulary has released the CCTV images of the suspect.
In another incident, a staff member at No Problem convenience store was threatened with a gun.
Detectives are appealing for witnesses following an armed robbery at an Armley convenience store.
Leeds District CID would like to speak to anyone who saw or has information about the incident which took place at the No Problem convenience store on Armley Ridge Road, during the evening of Sunday, 26 January.
Police were called at about 8.34 pm to a report two masked men had entered the store and threatened a staff member inside with what appeared to be a handgun.
Both then fled with a quantity of cash, cigarettes and alcohol, leaving the staff member unharmed but very shaken.
West Yorkshire police said, "A number of enquiries remain ongoing and anyone who saw either of the males fleeing the scene or has information or footage which may assist the investigation is asked to contact Leeds District CID on 101 referencing police crime number 13250047909."
Retail crime is said to be "spiralling out of control" with people in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and threatened with machetes.
This is more than three times what it was in 2020, when there were just 455 incidents a day. Incidents included racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons. There were 70 incidents per day which involved a weapon, more than double the previous year.
With the total number of incidents continuing to grow, and their nature becoming increasingly aggressive, satisfaction with the police remains low, with 61 per cent of respondents describing the police response to incidents as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.
Of the remaining, 29 per cent rated the response as ‘fair’, a further 6% said good, and 3% described it as ‘excellent’, the first time in five years that any retailers have rated it as such.
Theft also reached an all-time high with over 20 million incidents (over 55,000 per day) costing retailers £2.2 billion in 2023/24 (up from £1.8 billion the previous year). Many more incidents are linked to organised crime, with gangs systematically targeting stores across the country, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods and rotating around multiple stores.
QR Squared, a new digital service designed to help brands of all sizes future-proof their packaging through certified QR codes, launches today (3).
Powered by GS1 standards, QR Squared will introduce a fully compliant, approved, and secure platform to create and download Digital Link QR codes for the food and grocery sectors. In an industry first, this will provide a seamless transition from traditional barcodes to 2D barcodes, from enterprise businesses to challenger brands of all sizes.
Ahead of packaging change initiatives, including the discontinuation of barcodes and the introduction of Digital Product Passports, QR codes will become an essential tool for businesses.
The QR Squared solution enables brands to easily upgrade their current barcodes to QR codes, which will scan securely at point-of-sale at retailer checkouts. The same QR code is scanned by customers to access more information on the brand or product.
QR Squared’s analytics dashboard service enables brands to know how their on-pack QR codes are performing. GS1 standards enable batch-level inventory management, as well as the option to include expiry dates and serial numbers in the QR codes to unlock next-generation supply chain opportunities.
Part of the Polytag Group, QR Squared allows brands to efficiently manage complex supply chain challenges. By owning the domain within QR code URLs, brands can build trust with consumers while tracking engagement in real-time to understand when and where products are being consumed to effectively optimise marketing initiatives.
Brands can quickly create and manage customised landing page content for each product - at scale - through their QR Squared account. This content, accessible via a simple scan of the QR code, provides consumers with relevant and engaging information.
The platform also allows brands to easily update and edit landing pages in real-time, even after products have been labelled, ensuring timely and relevant messaging for consumers.
Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1 UK
Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1 UK said, “The launch of QR Squared marks a significant step forward in transforming how we track, trace and engage with packaging.
"The GS1 UK team has worked closely with Polytag to ensure that the platform meets the highest requirements for GS1 standards, a collaboration that illustrates how innovative thinking and partnerships can lead to actionable solutions that deliver real value to businesses, consumers, and the planet alike.”
Alice Rackley, CEO of QR Squared and Polytag commented, "To brands that want to elevate their on-pack labelling and leverage next-generation QR codes powered by GS1, QR Squared provides the best value solution in the market today.
"QR codes can operate at barcode level unlocking meaningful consumer communication opportunities to those businesses that want to get ahead of the curve. The team behind QR Squared are confident that the solution launching today - in partnership with GS1 - will transform many industries.”
The QR Squared platform is designed for ease of use, featuring a simple three-step process and an easy-to-navigate dashboards. Subscription to the platform starts at just £10 per month with no payment required until the QR codes are live on pack.
Suntory Global Spirits, a world leader in premium spirits, has launched its first standalone commercial business in the UK, led by Nick Temperley, Managing Director – UK, Ireland & Eastern Europe.
The company is now directly responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of its portfolio of world-renowned spirits brands in the UK, including Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon, Hibiki and Yamazaki Japanese whisky, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky, and Roku and Sipsmith gin.
The launch follows the company’s previous announcement in March 2024 that it would establish its own commercial business in the UK.
Suntory Global Spirits has held significant distilling operations in the UK for many years, as the proud producer of Laphroaig, Bowmore, Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch and Ardray Scotch whiskies, as well as London’s beloved Sipsmith gin.
The launch of this new distribution business will significantly increase the company’s employee base in the country, with a team anchored in its central London head office, and additional capabilities in Scotland and in key locations across the country.
Temperley will be supported by an experienced UK management team, who together bring decades of experience from previous roles across a wide range of consumer products companies.
Nick Temperley comments, “We are incredibly proud to begin this new era for Suntory Global Spirits in the UK. We have put together a hugely energetic, experienced and talented team, and they will be out in the market every day, building true partnerships with all our customers.
"Guided by Suntory’s unique East-meets-West approach, we will strive to put quality at the heart of everything we do and build our brands with agility, creativity and care.
Nick Temperley, Managing Director – UK, Ireland & Eastern Europe- Suntory Global Spirits
“The UK is a dynamic, sophisticated and competitive market. We see significant growth opportunities within the categories where we are strongest, particularly in Japanese spirits, Scotch and American whiskey.
"We have some of the best loved spirits in the industry and we are looking forward to working in partnership with retailers and hospitality to bring great drinks and great times to the UK market.”
Yuri Grebenkin, President of International, Suntory Global Spirits, adds, “The launch of Suntory Global Spirits UK is major step forward for our global company, as we continue to expand our footprint and direct capabilities in select European markets.
"We are well positioned to expand our share in key categories, invest in our brands and build meaningful relationships with our European customers and consumers as we aim to become the World’s Most Admired Premium Spirits Company.”
Alcohol prices increased from Saturday (1) as the government’s planned rise in tax and duties came into effect.
During the Autumn Budget in 2024, the Chancellor of Exchequer announced that from 1st February Alcohol Duty rates on non-draught products will rise in line with the 2nd Quarter 2025 forecasted RPI inflation rate of 3.65 per cent and that the temporary easement of wine alcohol duty bands will also cease.
Retailers selling non-draught products will need to be aware of the following changes:
4 per cent alcohol by volume 500ml bottle of non-draught beer will be 2p higher
5 per cent alcohol by volume 500ml bottle of non-draught cider will be 1p higher
A 70cl bottle of 37.5 per cent ABV spirit is set to see its duty increase by £0.30, while a 70cl bottle of 40 per cent ABV spirit is set to see its duty increase by £0.33.
Since the new alcohol duty system came into effect on 1st August 2023, there has been a period of duty easement aimed at making the transition easier for businesses.
During this time, any wine that has an alcoholic strength of at least 11.5 per cent but not exceeding 14.5 per cent has been treated as if it were an alcoholic strength of 12.5 per cent (for the purposes of duty).
This flat tax rate for wines with an alcohol content between 11.5 per cent and 14.5 per cent came to an end on Feb 1.
Retailers selling wine will need to be aware that:
The end of the wine easement will cause an additional duty-increase for wines 12.5 per cent to 14.5 per cent alcohol by volume, and a decrease for wines 11.5 per cent to 12.4 per cent alcohol by volume.
The more alcoholic a wine is, the higher the rate of duty is levied.
The duty rates will not only change according to their ABV but will also increase in line with RPI inflation (3.65 per cent).