Retail and data analytics experts, Talysis Ltd, have launched a major new solution for the convenience market. Convenience Data UK – CD:UK – provides retailers, wholesalers and brands with the most comprehensive insights ever available in the sector.
CD:UK incorporates the single biggest source of convenience data, from over 13,000 stores, including 1,600 forecourts. This includes representative samples from all major symbol groups and independents, across all regions. As quality is key to the insights generated, a strict QC process strips out any data that isn’t fit for purpose. The fragmented and entrepreneurial nature of the channel means that, not only are different EPoS systems in play, but system set-up and product classification differentials across all retailers and other anomalies are also present. Talysis consolidates and standardises the data; the result is a consistent, robust and accurate view of the UK convenience market, supported with at least two years’ history for trended analysis.
The size and quality of the data pool is simply the foundation for an all-encompassing solution which provides businesses with the insights & answers they need for strategic and tactical decision-making. Multiple tools provide both trended and transactional / basket insight, to enhance the understanding of shopper behaviour.
Brands can use CD:UK as a market measurement service, looking at value, volume, shares and trends, to help drive category strategy. Tactically, they can run field marketing teams, plan and execute targeted campaigns and measure return on investment. For retailers, the data can be applied to highlight shopper flow, in-store bottlenecks and improve store operations, as well as price and performance benchmarking.
Ed Roberts
“Our CD:UK solution is a real game-changer for businesses operating in the convenience channel," said Ed Roberts, Managing Director of Talysis. "It’s founded on exceptional quality data, that provides an accurate representation of the UK market. But it’s our bespoke application of that data for retailers, wholesalers or brands that sets us apart. CD:UK gives them the actionable insight and the answers they need to make strategic decisions & interventions.
“I’m delighted to launch this ground-breaking solution in our 15th anniversary year. CD:UK offers unprecedented understanding and opportunities to all businesses operating in this space. Complemented by our other tools, we are the only company that offers full end-to-end solutions for the entire wholesale and convenience retail channel.”
More information on CD:UK can be found on the company’s website www.talysis.co.uk together with details of how to book a personal demonstration.
Officers from Durham Constabulary and the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) have teamed up with Durham police and crime commissioner Joy Allen, Trading Standards, Public Health and local councils to tackle illegal vapes and tobacco.
The initiative, known as Operation Nightstar, is a proactive intelligence gathering and evidence led operation targeting shops selling illegal vapes and tobacco.
Part of Operation Nightstar is targeting shops and sellers believed to be involved in the illegal distribution of illegal vapes. A further strand focuses on protecting those at risk of being exploited in the process or as a result of these vapes being sold.
The final strand looks to raise awareness of these illegal vapes and urging the public to report any information or concerns they have.
“As legal vapes become more and more popular officers and partners are seeing a rise in illegal and dangerous knockoffs,” NEROCU Detective Chief Inspector Daryll Tomlinson, said.
“Illegal vapes are untested and unrestricted, they carry incredibly dangerous health risks and there are also concerns illegal vapes are connected to the exploitation of children or other vulnerable persons.
“We know that vapes are more appealing to children and while work such as test purchasing and targeted operations are ongoing to stop the sale of these to those underage, we need to make sure we’re working with the public and partners to stop the sale of illegal vapes altogether.”
Durham police and crime commissioner, Joy Allen, said: "The results of Operation Nightstar are alarming and completely unacceptable. The sale of illegal and non-compliant vapes, particularly to children, is not only a breach of the law but a direct threat to the safety of our communities.
“As police and crime commissioner, I am committed to ensuring that those who exploit vulnerable individuals, especially young people, face the full force of enforcement. Tackling drug-related crime, including the illegal vape trade, is a central pillar of my Police and Crime Plan. In addition to my work nationally where I raise concerns about adulterated vapes, I also play a proactive role locally as chair of the Strategic Drug Partnership, demonstrating my strong commitment to addressing these challenges head-on.
"We will not tolerate this kind of exploitation in County Durham and Darlington. Together with our partners, we will act swiftly and decisively to stamp out this growing threat and safeguard our communities.”
Shaun Trevor, Darlington Borough Council’s trading standards and health manager, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco and vapes is a serious crime which endangers public health and supports organised criminality. Darlington trading standards team is continuing its efforts, alongside Durham Constabulary, to target businesses involved in the selling of illegal tobacco and vapes, and to educate the public about the risks associated with using these them.
“We take all complaints seriously and will investigate and take action, as proceeds from this type of criminality can help fund more serious and violent offences. Any business supplying these products, particularly to underage children, can expect a visit.”
You can report information to your local police force via their website or by contacting the Illegal Tobacco Hotline: 0300 999 0000.
The cost of a bottled liquids is soon set to rise as the government’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging levy comes into force this year. To combat the extra cost, many breweries are considering to switch to cans.
Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is introducing the packaging tax to fund recycling. The EPR shifts the cost of household recycling from councils back onto the companies using the packaging.
Recent figures show that the EPR packaging levy will see an increase on the price of products packaged in glass. The biggest rise will be 12.2p a bottle for spirits.
Figures this week from the environmental solutions company Valpak shows that a huge cost will be faced by the companies with spirits at the top, followed by wine, then water and soft drinks in glass bottles, which will see a 6.6p per unit rise.
Defra’s estimates of the EPR fees for glass have varied widely. Its original summer estimate suggested it could be as much as £330 per tonne, but the September iteration fell to a maximum suggested fee of £115 per tonne and now the latest estimate has shot up again to £240 per tonne.
Defra has said it expects 80 per cent of the costs of EPR to be passed onto the consumer. The first invoices are set to land on the desks of producers and retailers in October.
A leading elderflower cordial and soft drinks maker claims that EPR will cost the company £750,000, wiping up to 80 per cent off its profits, The Times reported.
It is also feared due to additional cost by the EPR scheme, breweries will be forced to switch from glass to cans.
According to British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Emma McClarkin, the revised estimates for glass are an extremely "worrying step in the wrong direction".
'Government must be clear-eyed that these proposed higher additional costs on brewers would land an extra £160million, or 5p per glass bottle, on the sector.
"This could force some brewers to leave the glass bottle market.
"Given the incredibly narrow margins UK brewers operate to, as they make an average of 2p per bottle of beer, this means they will be forced to pass on extra painful costs to the consumer if they want to carry on making their product," McClarkin said.
British Glass chief executive Dave Dalton said, "We believe the cost could be even higher once additional supply chain costs and VAT are added."
"The bottom line is that the Government's packaging Extended Producer Responsibility scheme is putting thousands of jobs at risk in a sector that employs 120,000 in its supply chain - potentially shattering the UK glass sector."
Producers of soft drinks in plastic bottles and cans are exempt until 2027 as they have lobbied to be covered by a different deposit scheme.
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Northumberland Trading Standards seize substantial haul of illicit cigarettes and tobacco
A substantial quantity of illicit tobacco and cigarettes have been seized by Northumberland County Council’s Trading Standards officers from a location in southeast Northumberland.
Following intelligence, Trading Standards officers attended a business location where they discovered and seized 8,875 pouches of illicit Turner tobacco along with 76,000 illicit cigarettes with a potential retail value of over £400,000.
A criminal investigation into the suppliers of the tobacco and cigarettes is now underway.
“This illicit tobacco and cigarettes were destined to be sold across Northumberland. A seizure of this size will make a huge impact on the organised crime gangs who were set to profit from it and will significantly disrupt the illicit tobacco supply chain across our region,” Cllr Gordon Stewart, cabinet member with responsibility for Looking after our Communities at the council, said.
“I hope this sends out a strong and clear message, that we will not tolerate this criminal activity and there is no hiding place.”
Two-thirds of retail leaders respondents say they will raise prices in response to increased NI costs while food inflation could hit 4.2 per cent by the end of 2025, a leading retailers' body has said citing a recent survey.
British Retail Consortium (BRC) today (15) released the findings of a survey of CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) at 52 leading retailers, revealing significant concern about trading conditions over the next 12 months.
Sentiment languished at a concerning -57 with 70 per cent of respondents “pessimistic” or “very pessimistic” about trading conditions over the coming 12 months, while just 13 per cent said they were “optimistic” or very “optimistic” (17 per cent were neither optimistic nor pessimistic).
The biggest concerns, all appearing in over 60 per cent of CFO’s “top 3 concerns for their business” were falling demand for goods and services, inflation for goods and services, and the increasing tax and regulatory burden.
When asked how they would be responding to the increases in employers’ National Insurance Contributions(NICs) (from April 2025), two-thirds stated they would raise prices (67 per cent), while around half said they would be reducing ‘number of hours/overtime’ (56 per cent), ‘head office headcount’ (52 per cent), and ‘stores headcount’ (46 per cent). Almost one third said the increased costs would lead to further automation (31 per cent).
The impact of the Budget on wider business investment was also clear, with 46 per cent of CFOs saying they would ‘reduce capital expenditure’ and 25 per cent saying they would ‘delay new store openings.’ 44 per cent of respondents expected reduced profits, which will further limit the capacity for investment.
This survey comes only a few weeks after 81 retail CEOs wrote to the Chancellor with their concerns about the economic consequences of the Budget. The letter noted that the retail industry’s costs could rise by over £7 billion in 2025 as a result of changes to employers’ NICs (£2.33 bn), National Living Wage increases (£2.73bn) and the reformed packaging levy (£2 billion).
The Budget is not the only challenge retailers are facing, with weak consumer confidence and low consumer demand also an issue. As part of the survey, CFOs offered their forecasts for the year ahead. These suggest that shop price inflation, currently at 0.5 per cent, will rise to an average of 2.2 per cent in the second half of 2025. This would be most pronounced for food, where inflation is expected to hit an average of 4.2 per cent in the second half of the year.
The forecast for sales was more muted. While sales growth is expected to improve on the 2024 level of just 0.7 per cent , at just 1.2 per cent this would still be below inflation. This means the industry could be facing a year of falling sales volumes at the same time as huge new costs resulting from the Budget.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the BRC, said, “With the Budget adding over £7bn to their bills in 2025, retailers are now facing into the difficult decisions about future investment, employment and pricing.
"As the largest private sector employer, employing many part-time and seasonal workers, the changes to the NI threshold have a disproportionate effect on both retailers and their supply chains, who together employ 5.7m people across the country.
“Retailers have worked hard to shield their customers from higher costs, but with slow market growth and margins already stretched thin, it is inevitable that consumers will bear some of the burden.
"The majority of retailers have little choice but to raise prices in response to these increased costs, and food inflation is expected to rise steadily over the year. Local communities may find themselves with sparser high streets and fewer retail jobs available. Government can still take steps to shore up retail investment and confidence.
"Business rates remain the biggest roadblock to new shops and jobs, with retailers paying over a fifth of the total rates bill. The Government must confirm the planned reforms will make a meaningful difference to retailers’ bills and that no shop will end up paying more.”
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Façade of the Brown-Forman Corporation building in Louisville, Kentucky
Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman Corporation has announced a series of measures including the restructuring the executive leadership team and an approximately 12 per cent reduction in its global workforce.
The company will also close its Louisville, US-based barrel-making operation, Brown-Forman Cooperage.
“In 2025, Brown-Forman celebrates 155 years of delivering Nothing Better in the Market. We have achieved this impressive milestone in part because of our relentless focus on evolving our strategy, our portfolio, and our organisation to grow and thrive,” said Lawson Whiting, president & chief executive officer.
“Today’s announcement will ensure we have the structure and teams in place to continue on this path, while also making investments that we believe will facilitate growth for generations to come.”
Brown-Forman has restructured its executive leadership team, consolidating and streamlining its commercial structure to leverage greater synergies and effectiveness in its markets.
Under the changes, Jeremy Shepherd has been named chief marketing officer. Shepherd previously led the company’s USA & Canada commercial division.
Michael Masick has been named president, Americas. Masick will continue commercial leadership for Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. In his expanded role, he will add USA & Canada to his remit.
Yiannis Pafilis has been named president, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific. Pafilis currently leads teams across Europe. In this expanded role, he will add Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and global travel retail.
Chris Graven has joined the executive leadership team as chief strategy officer. Graven has held roles in Brown-Forman’s HR, finance, marketing, and commercial organisations in her 20 years with the company.
Brown-Forman said it has made the “difficult decision” to reduce its global workforce by approximately 12 per cent of its 5,400 employees worldwide. The company added that it is “deeply committed” to supporting departing employees with comprehensive transition agreements.
The closure of Brown-Forman Cooperage, set to take effect by 25 April, is expected to impact approximately 210 hourly and salaried employees, part of the overall 12 per cent workforce reduction. The company added that it will source barrels from an external supplier in future.
Collectively, these actions are projected to deliver approximately $70 to $80 million (£65m) in annualised cost savings, a portion of which is expected to be reinvested to accelerate growth. In addition, the company will receive more than $30 million in proceeds in connection with the sale of the cooperage assets. The company expects to incur approximately $60 to $70 million in aggregate charges for severance and related costs associated with the workforce reduction and cooperage closing.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to our employees, particularly those impacted by these changes, for their dedication and contributions to Brown-Forman,” said Whiting. “We are committed to supporting them through this transition and are confident that these strategic initiatives will ensure the company endures for generations to come.”