Fundraising activity will be led by Community Champions and will take place in Asda stores, and in the local community, in Northern Ireland throughout November.

BBC Children in Need is currently supporting over 3,000 local charities and projects in communities across the UK – helping children and young people facing a range of disadvantages such as living in poverty, being disabled or ill, or experiencing distress, neglect or trauma.

For the past three years, Asda has focused on encouraging its customers to support the charity’s Power of Play campaign, which raises money to support children and young people across the UK through play.

Playing is an essential part of childhood development but research has shown there are not enough accessible, safe, play opportunities across the UK and that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are the most likely to miss out. The Power of Play campaign aims to help children in every community access play and increase their skills.

Barbara Logan, Asda Antrim Community Champion, said: “This year, colleagues across Northern Ireland will be positively Pudsey with enthusiasm throughout the month of November to raise both funds and awareness of the impact the money has, as well as the fundraising activities taking place in-store and in the wider community.”

Barbara added: “From community Pudsey parties to cake sales and fun games, colleagues will be busy raising funds for BBC Children in Need to ensure that as many children as possible will see their lives improved by this money.”

 As part of the campaign, Asda customers will be able to pick up free play passes instore which children will be able to ‘trade in’ with a grown-up for 30 minutes of play. Each of the play passes offers a different play activity and will help children to learn a variety of life skills, such as teamwork, patience and resilience, that will aid their development.

Asda NI Community Champions are holding a host of fundraising activities instore and in the community during November. For more information on how to get involved, please contact your local Asda store.

The post Asda colleagues in NI raise funds for BBC Children in Need first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Formerly known as Genesis Crafty, the company has dropped the ‘crafty’ and changed its strapline to Genesis – Baking it better since ’68.

Belfast design agency, Thought Collective, was commissioned to manage the rebrand, which follows the announcement that Genesis is investing over £750,000 in the business and recruiting an additional 35 staff.

The new identity is also being supported with an improved, expanded product offering, as Paul Allen*, executive chairman, Genesis explains:

“We have been listening to customer feedback and have introduced a fresh, bold contemporary new look for the Genesis brand range. Our customers love our products’ traditional credentials and with new eye-catching packaging, they will be able to see exactly what they are getting.

“Our extensive customer research also led us to develop new recipes, with an increased shelf life and even better taste.  The range, which includes delicious wheaten bread, pancakes, scones, soda bread, hot cross buns, coconut and iced fingers, brioche rolls and baps, has been rolling into stores over the last few weeks.  A revamped cake range is also planned for the new year which will see new lines sitting alongside the company’s established favourites.”

Mr Lyttle continues: “Genesis is also driving innovation in terms of our packaging. The company is currently trialling recyclable film across the range with a view to having 100% recyclable packaging by early 2020.”

Sam Bell, creative director with Thought Collective, the Belfast design agency which managed the rebrand, adds:

“Genesis is well established for creating quality products; a clear leader in the sector. Thought Collective’s job was to turn that position into a tangible brand. ‘Baking it better since ’68’ was conceived to encapsulate the company’s heritage as well as its vision for the future – it’s the rally cry for a team of innovative master bakers. Strategic copywriting, along with succinct naming and powerful typography have delivered strong foundations for the brand as we move towards phase two.”

The company currently employs more than 350 staff in its Magherafelt, Northern Ireland, premises with further recruitment scheduled in the next 12 months to keep pace with the level of ongoing expansion that the business is experiencing.

The post Genesis bakery gets a new look first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Adrian’s career includes 15 years of commercial experience working for FMCG brands across Marketing and Sales (UK and International) divisions. He joins from Tangerine Confectionery, owned by Valeo Foods, where he held leadership positions that include Head of Marketing and most recently International Sales Director.

Working alongside Simon Gray, who founded Boost in 2001, Adrian will be responsible for enhancing brand engagement, driving insight into the heart of the planning and decision making process and fuelling the innovation pipeline to build a sustainable long-term growth strategy. Northern Ireland will continue to be a key focus for the business.

Simon Gray, Managing Director and Founder of Boost said: “We are delighted to welcome Adrian to the team.  His appointment as Marketing Director marks an important milestone in our evolution and by working as part of the leadership team he will help shape the future growth strategy and steward the brand positioning. I look forward to working together to build upon our strong foundations and ensure we have a robust brand strategy and infrastructure to deliver Boost’s growth ambitions in Northern Ireland, the UK and overseas.”

Adrian Hipkiss said: “I am thrilled to join Boost Drinks as Marketing Director. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the business and we have a great opportunity to build on our strong position in the independent retail market and cement brand affinity with shoppers.”

Boost was established in 2001 after founder and MD Simon Gray saw the opportunity to offer consumers a great quality energy drink at a fraction of the price of other brands at that time.  Two years later in 2003, Boost was launched in Northern Ireland and now the company owns the number one selling soft drink* within the independent convenience sector which covers more than 1,100 independent retail stores, excluding the large multinational supermarket chains.

Boost is available in various pack formats across seven core Energy flavours, as well as limited editions and Sports and Protein drinks.  To find out more about Boost go to https://www.boostdrinks.com/

The post Boost Drinks appoints new marketing director first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The partnership will enable retailers to sign up to Uber Eats through CSG, benefitting from a favourable package, including discounted sign up costs and superior margins.

The move marks Uber Eats’ first partnership in the UK convenience sector and follows an extensive trial in a number of the Group’s stores across London and the South East.

Participating retailers saw an average £1,500 added to their monthly retail sales.  Using CSG’s Shopper First dashboard – which give their retailers unique insights into their local shopper behaviours – they can tailor the range they offer to meet their shopper needs and maximise sales.

A wide range of products will be available* for delivery on the Uber Eats app, including everyday essentials such as milk, butter and bread, “meal for tonight” options, along with soft and alcoholic drinks and sweet treats.

Toussaint Wattinne, General Manager of Uber Eats in the UK, said: “At Uber Eats, we are always striving to offer the best and most convenient selection for our customers that fits their lifestyles. We’re thrilled to offer local Costcutter Supermarkets Group retailers’ array of great value products at the touch of a button, delivered directly to customers’ doors.”

Sean Russell, Marketing Director for Costcutter, said: “With 28% of food and groceries now purchased online in the UK**, our partnership with Uber Eats is a great way to reach new customers and demonstrates our continued commitment to helping our independent retailers thrive. We’ve responded to strong demand for real-time delivery and taken the lead in the convenience sector to give our retailers another point of difference in a highly competitive sector.”

Costcutter Supermarkets Group retailers are able to sign up to the platform from today and a series of regional roadshows will be held around the country in the coming weeks to demonstrate how retailers can embrace and maximise this sales opportunity.

The post Costcutter launches partnership with Uber Eats first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Neighbourhood Retailer is searching for 2019’s Community Store of the Year, and the power is in your hands!

Now in its fourth year, the Community Store of the Year Award returns to find Northern Ireland’s top community retailer.

We are looking for a neighbourhood store with strong links to supporting its local community, who endeavours to better the area in which it stands, and who can demonstrate examples of philanthropy and social enterprise. Our independent judging panel, Spotcheck NI, has been working diligently behind the scenes to whittle down hundreds of entries to eight finalists – one from each county, and two from Belfast.

However, the Community Store of the Year is the ONLY accolade at the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards where the judges don’t get the final say. You so. 

It is over to you, the public, to decide who you want to win the coveted industry title. 

To vote, just head to https://neighbourhoodretailer.com/community-store-of-the-year/

Here are our fantastic finalists:

Nisa Local Parkgate, Co. ARMAGH

Creightons of Finaghy, BELFAST

SPAR Ballybeen Co. DOWN

Centra Derrylin, Co. FERMANAGH

SuperValu Dungiven, Co. DERRY-LONDONDERRY

Nisa Local Ardboe, Co. TYRONE

The winner will be announced live on stage at the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards on November 14, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza, Belfast.

The post Vote for your Community Store of the Year! first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.