Each year Asian Trader extols the virtues and advantages of retail clubs for independent-minded traders who prefer not to sign a binding contract with a fascia or symbol group.
We understand that independents are independent for a reason and like to retain decision-making power over as many aspects of their businesses as possible.
The comedian Groucho Marx famously said that he would never belong to any club that would accept somebody like him as a member – but what about a club where you could drop in and hang out, so to speak, without having to wear a funny hat or attend meetings?
There are many attractions and benefits of belonging to a symbol-group family, but it is only natural that full membership comes with some strings attached – for the benefit of all, and without which the group cannot be effective. Conditions of membership in symbol groups vary (see the upcoming Symbol, Fascia and Franchise survey in our 17 February issue) but will normally include a minimum spend requirement, and perhaps an obligation to partake in a set number of promotions, use a particular POS, and so on. For the true independent, an “opt-out” version of the symbol universe, where more freedom is granted in exchange for fewer rules, might be just the ticket.
A survey by Retail Attack revealed that there was an even split among retail club users who joined because they did not want to sign a contract with a symbol group and who wanted to retain the freedom to use whatever cash and carry they wanted. That sounds about right.
In the what now?
Retail clubs were originally set up by wholesalers who often also run their own symbol or fascia groups, and they have been around for quite some time now as an outgrowth of the original fascia concept.
One of the first in the UK for retailers (similar “clubs” such as Costco exist further downstream for consumers) was Sugro with its Sweet Break club, which started up in 1990 and is still going strong (it has over 2000 members); Parfetts launched Go Local in 2012.
Retail clubs were always a good idea for many reasons, not least because they benefited both the supplier and the retailer.
To begin with, they obviously helped the wholesaler move more product, and generated extra regular orders in addition to those from their symbol group members, allowing better bulk deals to be struck with suppliers.
Importantly, clubs trained the shy shopkeeper in dealing with the wholesaler on a subcontractual level, readying them for the big leap to symbol status, and many symbols and fascia groups contain former club members who “came in from the cold”.
For some independents, a retail club indeed remains a staging post on the way to full membership of a symbol group. For others, it can be a pleasant place to linger indefinitely. It would certainly be interesting to discover how many, if any, members of retail clubs are former symbol members!
Retail clubs also help independents to weather commercial storms. Tesco Metro opened its first site in 1992 and Tesco Express started a couple of years later, while Sainsbury Local opened its original branch – in Hammersmith – in 1998, and these were a direct threat to standalone stores because of their massive local footprint and their relatively low prices. When the multiples began their neighbourhood invasion, retail clubs were able to give independents a little bit of ammunition to fight back with.
Storeowners who preferred to use cash and carries as they wished rather than sign up to a symbol contract found that retail clubs carried fewer conditions that formal agreements (although they didn’t get some of the benefits, like financial help with shop refits and so on), but still gave them great and regular promotions, POS materials, margin and EPoS, among many other perks, while belonging to a looser confederation.
Now more than ever?
The UK – like the rest of the world – is embroiled in the steepest inflation for decades, combined with a contracting credit environment (meaning higher interest rates), an unprecedented and expensive energy disruption and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
This affects how much consumers can spend and also how much it costs simply for retailers to conduct their business. Needless to say, any help can be a great benefit under such conditions, and with access to deals and promotions, retail clubs can shine.
They were recommended in these pages during lockdown not only for value but availability, and the use-cases for retail clubs, despite the passing of the pandemic, have surely only grown.
Over time the benefits of retail clubs have become more sophisticated than just cut-price outers and shop posters. They now offer support, advice and even fascias – still without having to sign up to symbol status, and no joining fees or monthly fees. Indies can have access to promo skus with no, or minimum, compulsory spend, and – again – the promotions, which are regular and sophisticated to tie in with calendar events and other consumer spending highlights, can make a big difference to a retailer’s bottom line, not least by increasing impulse footfall and then getting customers to buy more once they are in-store, adding to average basket spend.
Nothing goes in a straight line, and the onward march of symbol and fascia is still slowed down by storeowners whose outlook is resolutely independent and maybe for this reason retail clubs are thriving as an adjunct to symbols and fascias. If you can resign from the club at any time (like Netflix) then it still feels like freedom rather than marriage.
The buying group Confex’s retail club, for example, says it is there “to help keep Members and their retail customers competitive within an ever-changing marketplace.” It points out that the multiples are continuing to grow their indie store numbers and the fascia groups are recruiting new stores in growing numbers. “But what about the Independent Retailers who are serviced by the Independent Wholesalers,” and “who want to retain their point of difference and don't want to be told what to stock, where, when and how to buy?”
That, in essence, is the USP of a retail club – and it appeals to the buccaneering, entrepreneurial spirit of many indies who still bridle at the thought of belonging full-time to a fascia.
Typical benefits on offer, in Confex’s example, are free membership, no joining fee, competitive pricing and enhanced promotions – all levelling the playing field a good deal in favour of the independent trader by Confex acting as a bridge between indie wholesalers and retailers.
Unitas runs Today’s Retail Club, that is available for adoption by its wholesaler members for their customers, and their “Plan For Profit” literature that regularly provides detailed and free category guides. It supplies widely used promotional materials and the facility for storeowners to print their own POS using club templates. It also features a profit-on-return calculator.
“We know it’s a tough environment out there and you’re under pressure to deliver cheap deals to rival the supermarkets and the discounters,” says the Today’s Retail Club, which now has 2,700 members. “This is why it provides retailers with a great range of bestselling products at competitive prices – to keep your customers coming back for more.
“Our promotions run every three weeks and are packed full of leading grocery, impulse, licensed and non-food brands, all offering great margins. We’ll provide you with attention-grabbing point of sale materials, including window posters and personalised leaflets for your customers, designed to drive footfall and grow your sales.”
Looking around
Local retail clubs such as those run by DeeBee wholesale (Hull and Grimsby), Khanjra (Blackburn) and United Wholesale Grocers Limited’s (whose Shop Local retail club is available to stores of any turnover or size, and offering a free fascia) are examples of Unitas members partaking of the parent organisation facilities.
Parfetts runs its Go Local retail club and says that with two formats to choose from, it provides a promotional solution for every format of independent convenience store. It also promises promotions of hard hitting, key lines to drive footfall and sales to your store: “Go Local Plus promotions are ideal for retailers who wish to compete in today’s demanding convenience market, but are restricted by store size,” says Parfetts.
“Go Local is an entry-level retail promotion, highlighting core range, everyday products at competitive prices. Go Local is available to all convenience retailers, providing promotional prices to entice customers and drive footfall. With over 900 Stores, across the North and Midlands, Go Local delivers great prices to the consumer, whilst giving local Independent Retailers the opportunity to compete (and often beat) supermarket prices!”
Each promotion is at least four weeks long and is extended at key times of the year to enable local and Parfetts reports that sales have grown every year since the club began in 2001, and now exceed £20 million per year.
Go Local is supported by a dedicated team of Retail Development Advisors, who can advise on all aspects of convenience retailing, from merchandising and category management to licencing and planning.
Booker has a stable of symbol groups in Londis, Premier, Budgens and Family Shopper. But it also has a retail club, Shop Locally (motto: “Great value, local service”), which promises not just deals that change every four weeks but also Every Day Low Prices (EDLPs) locked down for three promotion periods, as well as a range of materials such as shelf-edge and stack cards, promo-pricing at POS and window posters.
So if you don’t feel like committing to a long-term symbol(ic) relationship, and haven’t given them a try yet, retail clubs might just give you an extra edge that could turn into greater profits without any upfront costs.
The Retail attack survey, not recent but the most recent pone around, suggested that what Retail Club members would like more of is, in order, bigger rewards and rebates (35per cent), more promotions (29 per cent), more PMPs (also 29 per cent) and then more own brand lines (just seven per cent – although the trend for own label is hot right now).
As the inflation of 2023 continues, it looks like retail clubs will be more of an attraction to even the most gun-shy independent!
Today, on The National Lottery’s 30th birthday, operator Allwyn is announcing that, through selling tickets, National Lottery retailers have helped players raise a landmark £50 billion for Good Causes since 1994 – funding an incredible 700,000 individual projects across the UK.
Allwyn is also announcing that National Lottery retailers have now earned over £8 billion in sales commission since the first draw on Saturday 19 November 1994.
In addition to changing the face of communities up and down the UK, more than 7,400 millionaires have been created and over £95 billion awarded in prizes since the launch of The National Lottery in 1994.
Over 570 dedicated independent National Lottery retailers have been selling The National Lottery since launch – including Brian McLister, owner of McLister’s Store in Ballycastle, and Raj Patel, owner of News Bit in Bushey.
Through selling National Lottery tickets to players, Raj’s store has raised over £700,000 for National Lottery Good Causes since 1994, while Brian’s store has raised over £650,000.
“I feel proud that we’ve been able to make a difference,” said Brian McLister, owner of McLister’s Store in Ballycastle. “We’ve always strived to serve our local community and to help wherever we can. It’s great to be able to see the benefit of National Lottery funding in your area. Our local museum has been completely regenerated thanks to the funding they’ve received. It feels good to know that we’ve helped in some way.”
Raj Patel, owner of News Bit in Bushey, added: “Whenever I hear that over £30 million is raised every week for Good Causes, it makes me happy that by selling tickets and Scratchcards in my store, I’m helping in some way.”
Allwyn has been running some special games and draws to celebrate three decades of The National Lottery, including:
Last Saturday’s (9 Nov) special Lotto £15 million "Must Be Won" draw which saw a millionaire made and the jackpot roll down to boost all the lower prize tiers.
A EuroMillions 100 European Millionaire Maker draw on Saturday 22 November which will see 100 prizes of £1 million (or €1 million) guaranteed to be won in a single night.
A special 30th birthday Scratchcard that hit stores in the lead up to the birthday and offers the best chance of winning £30 on a game, as well seven top prizes of £300,000.
Brian McLister
Allwyn’s Interim Retail Director, James Dunbar, said: “By selling billions of tickets, and continuing to be the majority sales channel, it’s hard to ignore just how central National Lottery retailers have been in helping players raise £50 billion for Good Causes since 1994. They’ve now earned over £8 billion in sales commission along the way, which further demonstrates the incredible impact of The National Lottery on the UK over the last 30 years. We would like to thank retailers for their amazing commitment and support over the last three decades.”
Three decades of National Lottery funding has created an unparalleled legacy: powering athletic excellence, protecting cultural treasures, advancing artistic achievement and strengthening communities nationwide.
Running alongside the major initiatives are the hundreds of thousands of grants – usually for £10,000 or less – which help small projects to make an amazing difference in their areas.
Since funding began in 1994, UK athletes have won more than 1,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals. The National Lottery has funded the making of more than 600 films which have won an incredible 551 awards, including 16 Oscars, 128 BAFTAs and 34 Cannes awards. Popular attractions and notable landmarks across the UK such as the Eden Project, the Giant’s Causeway, the Kelpies, the Angel of the North and Wembley and the Principality Stadium have all received support from The National Lottery.
Nearly half of Brits (44%) say they would prefer a G&T to a cup of tea when getting together with friends, according to a new survey by spirits major Bacardi Limited.
The UK consumer survey was conducted as part of the sixth annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report which anticipates the key trends redefining global cocktail culture and the spirits business in 2025.
Cocktail culture in the UK is continuing its growth trajectory with nearly half (48%) of all Gen Z consumers (aged 18-29 years old) surveyed saying they would prefer to celebrate a special moment with a cocktail instead of Champagne.
The same group also has a growing interest in cocktails over beer and wine. In the UK, 35 per cent of Gen Z respondents said that compared to last year they are more likely to drink a cocktail than beer and 29 per cent said the same about wine.
“As a family-owned company that’s been around for over 160 years, Bacardi has a strong track record of identifying trends in what and where people are drinking,” says Steve Young, business unit director for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland.
“It’s how we ensure our portfolio of premium spirit brands, including Bacardí rum, Bombay Sapphire gin, Grey Goose vodka and Patrón tequila, are the drinks enjoyed by each new generation of consumers.”
Commenting on the UK’s top 10 cocktails for 2025, Davide Zanardo, head of advocacy for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland, said: “The G&T tops our poll for 2025 so perhaps it’s not surprising it’s now rivalling the cup of tea as the country’s national drink. The love that Brits have for Bombay Sapphire has made the iconic blue bottle a feature in bars, stores and homes across the UK.
“In 2025, the tequila trend will be unstoppable with the Margarita shooting up the rankings of the most popular cocktails in the UK, rising eight places from number 13 in 2024 to fifth in 2025. Agave is what everyone in the industry is talking about and that’s reflected in the demand for ultra-premium tequilas like PATRÓN.”
Top 10 UK cocktails for 2025 are:
1. Gin & Tonic
2. Piña Colada
3. Mojito
4. Rum & Coke
5. Margarita
6. Passionfruit / Pornstar Martini
7. Vodka & Lemonade
8. Irish Coffee
9. Daiquiri
10. Gin & Lemonade
Globally, the five macro-trends defined by the 2025 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report are:
1: Premium Fans. Fandoms are redefining premium entertainment as they invest in immersive experiences that embrace hospitality add-ons and bespoke travel packages, and next year’s highly anticipated Oasis reunion is only going to fuel this trend. Brands and venues are responding to this demand with offers that include luxury hotels for “gig-tripping” packages and sports bars curating exclusive cocktail experiences. The synergy between fandom and premium spirits at live events is helping to shape the future of entertainment.
2: In-The-Know Imbibing. Cocktail culture is evolving from spectacle to substance, as IYKYK – i.e. If You Know You Know – experiences take centre stage. Mixologists will transform into designers, educators and opinion leaders, using their craft to create a more meaningful connection with every person that walks into their bar. In fact, 61 percent of UK respondents to the Bacardi Consumer Survey are concerned that drinks created by AI will miss the emotional and artistic finesse of bartenders.
3: New Cocktail Frontiers. Digital fatigue and a growing desire for cultural exploration mean people are craving real, multi-sensory engagement—in fact, UK respondents to the Bacardi survey ranked cocktails that provide a multi-sensory experience as a key reason for paying more. This shift is transforming how people enjoy drinks and where they enjoy them. 2025 will see the rise of immersive venues which cater to early evening, sensory-rich cocktail moments.
4: Culinary Connoisseurs. The line between food and drink is blurring as mixologists experiment with kitchen staples like milk, oil, and brine to create a new wave of gastro-inspired drinking experiences. Nearly three-quarters (70%) of bartenders draw inspiration from the culinary arts when creating cocktails, according to the Bacardi Global Brand Ambassador Survey. This trend aligns with consumer interest in savoury and herbaceous flavours, which grew by 20% and 15% respectively in 2024.
5: The Future Spirit. As brands evolve to align with the values of next-gen consumers, 2025 will see a push for inclusivity and a drive for positive change. A strong focus on community building and education will see support for organizations that improve the hospitality landscape. The Bacardi Global Brand Ambassador Survey underscores the industry's motivation for deeper connection with 62% of respondents expressing interest in more professional networking opportunities in 2025.
Thousands of British farmers today (19) are set to march to Parliament Square to protest against the end of an inheritance tax exemption that has helped family farms pass down the generations, saying the move will threaten food production.
First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.
Opposition to the so-called "tractor tax" is one part of a wider backlash against Reeves's financial plans. Farmers say the change will threaten the viability of family farms, which often have tight profit margins, and that their children will have to sell land to cover the tax bill, raising the risk that food production will suffer.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has organised an event in which 1,800 of its members will meet with local MPs at Westminster to voice their anger on Tuesday, as thousands are also separately expected to stage a demonstration in Whitehall. Protest organisers say that while this event will be peaceful and include children driving toy tractors, rallies could escalate in the future if the government refuses to budge.
In an interview with BBC News, Tom Bradshaw, president of the NFU, said that farmers felt particularly aggrieved because last year, when Steve Reed was shadow environment secretary, he said Labour was not planning to change agricultural property relief (the inheritance tax exemption). He said farmers only started hearing rumours that the government was going to go back on this about a week before the budget.
He said he did not accept the government’s claims that most farms will not be affected by the change. Instead, he said, “75 per cent of the commercial farms in the United Kingdom will be within the scope of this policy change.”
Bradshaw also said farmers were willing to work with the government to produce a better version of the policy. He explained: "This policy is ill thought through. There’s still a 20 per cent benefit for the uber-wealthy to invest in agricultural land, and with the changes they’ve made to pensions, they’ve now incentivised people to rip money out of pensions and invest in up to £1m of agricultural land.
"That is not going to deliver for food security. It’s absolutely nonsensical. It’s not joined up. There’s no thought about the impact on food production or the families that produce this country’s food.
"Let’s sit down [with the government]. Give us the question. Tell us what the exam question is. We will work with you. If you want to stop people using land as a tax dodge, let’s work out the policy that does that. But this policy is not the answer."
The government argues that tax exemptions have led to wealthy non-farmers seizing agricultural land and pricing out genuine young farmers, and point to Budget funding of £5bn to help farmers produce food.
Retailers are invited to board Bestway’s Profit Express’ train as Bestway Wholesale launches its major Christmas campaign to its B2B customers across its nationwide depots, allowing retailers to access to its leading festive deals to drive shopper footfall against the backdrop of the theatre. The campaign will be live until Thursday 2 January 2025 giving customers the elevated, engaging and high impact theatre they have become famous for over the last three years.
In collaboration with key suppliers, the ‘Profit Express’ festive campaign delivers all the magic of theatre and festive fun, ensuring exceptional visibility and engagement for its expected 80,000 retailers shopping the Christmas campaign.
With a proven track record of delivering high-impact seasonal campaigns and aiming to build on last year’s success when the business achieved an average 158% volume uplift on SKUs during the Christmas campaign, Bestway is doubling down on the promotions to help ease the pressure on customers over this peak trading period – giving more back and strengthening its support for independent retailers with relevant offers for the festive period.
Inspired by the animated Christmas adventure film, Polar Express, retailers can enjoy a ride on the Bestway Profit Express steam engine, an unmissable and exciting journey to the North Pole. Along the way there will be several stops brimming with amazing festive deals where retailers can jump off to take advantage of the promotions and enjoy the festive cheer.
Each of the Profit Express carriages will be a real focus of the campaign, specially conceived to inspire customer excitement and interaction and display the promotional offers in depots nationwide. Large digital screens within depots will shine a light on special products, retailer promotions and supplier content.
Online, Bestway has taken the Profit Express train to the virtual digital realm giving its site a festive glow up of all the things it loves about Christmas. Its website www.bestwaywholesale.co.uk will be reflecting the festive spirit through a disruptive animated homepage and dedicated landing page with its 2024 seasons greetings of fabulous deals and promotions.With a train ride in the snow, Bestway will take its customers on a journey of key branded offers.
As a huge part of the trading calendar, Bestway aims to share the Christmas trading spirit with creatively themed marketing digital communications with a series of emails, WhatsApps and competitions to be won, ensuring its retailers are the first to hear about the promotions via targeted messages.
Kenton Burchell, Trading Director for Bestway Wholesale and Retail, says:
“We are really excited by this year’s Christmas campaign and confident we’re offering the very best deals in the market. We’ve saved some top deals of the year for the biggest shopping season to help our customers to increase sales and optimise their margin and profit at this time.
“Retailers can enjoy large-scale fun which is interactive and engaging directly with them in our depots and online on our website and apps. This year’s campaign is based on the story (now a much-loved film) about a young boy who embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about the spirit of Christmas.
“It’s the perfect forum for suppliers to showcase their Christmas products, enhance brand visibility and drive additional sales during this key trading period.
Burchell concludes:
“We hope the campaign will encourage our retailers to make Bestway their number one choice of where to shop for their festive products this Christmas. By doing so, they will be rewarded – our whole aim is to help them make more possible for their business and their customers this Christmas”.
Imperial Brands has reported a robust performance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, helped by strong cigarette prices and rise in its Next Generation Products (NGP) segment.
The group, whose brands include Golden Virginia tobacco, Rizla rolling papers, Winston cigarettes and the vaping brand blu, delivered a 4.6 per cent increase in tobacco and NGP net revenue on a constant currency basis. This was driven by strong pricing in the tobacco segment, which offset a 4 per cent decline in volume, and a remarkable 26.4 per cent rise in NGP revenue.
Group adjusted operating profit also grew by 4.6 per cent at constant currency to £3.9bn, reflecting operational resilience and strategic execution.
“As we enter the final year of our current strategy, the investment we have made in consumer capabilities, cultural transformation and agile ways of working has supported another year of accelerated financial delivery and growing capital returns,” Stefan Bomhard, chief executive, said.
In tobacco, the group has delivered aggregate market share gains across its five priority markets, with four out of five markets in share growth. In the UK, the company faced a 50 basis point decline in market share, which it attributed to high excise duties and a rise in illicit tobacco trade.
However, the company said, despite these challenges, the UK remains “an important value contributor.” Tobacco and NGP net revenue in the UK accounted for 7 per cent of the group's total, supported by strategic price increases. The NGP sales benefited from the successful roll-out of new products including the 1,000-puff blu bar disposable and the rechargeable blu bar kit, the company added.
NGP has emerged as a growth driver, with Imperial for the first time reporting increased revenue in all three regions.
In the Europe region, the company saw strong growth in vape, led by the UK and supported by new products including the 1,000-puff blu bar disposable and the rechargeable blu bar kit. The NGP net revenue in Europe now represents around 8 per cent of tobacco and NGP net revenue.
CEO Stefan Bomhard expressed confidence in delivering the final year of the group's current strategy, highlighting the transformation into a strong challenger in the tobacco and NGP sectors.
“Our operational delivery coupled with consistently strong cash flow generation has supported enhanced shareholder returns with increases to both our ordinary dividend and share buyback. We are on track to deliver five-year capital returns of c. £10bn, representing 67 per cent of our market capitalisation in January 2021 when we launched our strategy,” he said.
In the coming year, the company expects to deliver low single-digit tobacco and NGP net revenue growth and to grow the group adjusted operating profit close to the middle of our mid-single digit range, driven by continued profit growth from the combustible tobacco business and a further reduction in operating losses in the NGP portfolio.