Since taking over as operator of The National Lottery in February 2024, Allwyn has gotten straight to work introducing new initiatives and upgrading systems and equipment.

Having stepped into the role of Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford has been leading the team involved with their core customers, keeping retailers updated on the ongoing changes and plans for the future.

Having marked the 30^th anniversary of The National Lottery last November, Allwyn took the opportunity to celebrate with its retail partners here in Northern Ireland earlier this year, when Chair Justin King MBE hosted a special celebratory breakfast at the Titanic Hotel.

As Alison explained, continued communication with their 43,500 retail partners is key to them being able to deliver on their ambitions, namely on their ultimate goal of growing returns to Good Causes from £30 million a week to £60 million a week by the end of their 10-year licence.

“Our retail partners are the backbone of The National Lottery and, to most players, our public face. So, we need to effectively communicate with them to ensure they continue to be great supporters and advocates of The National Lottery and everything it delivers across the UK,” said Alison.

“One of our main priorities is to make buying The National Lottery as easy and convenient for people as possible. That means being in the places that people are shopping and also ensuring we’re keeping up with the ever-changing retail landscape.

“For example, we’ve partnered with Snappy Shopper to offer independent retailers the ability to sell Scratchcards for home delivery, as that is becoming more popular for people with busy lives from a convenience perspective. And, for any retailer that does not yet have The National Lottery in their shop, we’d love to hear from you.”

In the last 20 months, from taking over as operator of The National Lottery a number of retail initiatives have been introduced, including rolling out the new, sustainable suite of National Lottery permanent point of sale (PPOS) equipment; launching the Local Retail Champions campaign, which is now in its second year; and introducing ‘Share the Win’, which rewards retailers who sell high-tier winning tickets in their stores.

Significantly, during the summer, they took National Lottery systems and terminals offline for 34 hours to allow them to deliver the biggest tech upgrade since The National Lottery was first launched in 1994.

“This saw us deliver 30-plus new systems, including new gaming software on every National Lottery terminal, and a series of complex data migrations, including the transfer of tens of thousands of retailer records and millions of transactions from the old to the new systems,” said Alison.

“We also upgraded our Retailer Hotline to new modern contact centre technology.

“Thanks to the support from our 43,500 retail partners, we were able to get systems back up and running several hours earlier than expected and the vast majority of stores were able to continue selling National Lottery tickets in good time.

“A small minority of stores experienced residual issues, and we have worked hard, and continue to do so, to carry out remote troubleshooting and face-to-face visits. Subsequently, we’ve also started the scale rollout of the new state-of-the-art Wave lottery terminals – with the new terminals being universally welcomed by the retailers that have received them.”

It’s fair to say that most of the focus for Allwyn this year has been on preparing their systems, tech and, most importantly, their retail partners for the recent technical switchover weekend. This involved delivering and installing the new Wave terminals in around 8000 stores that previously had Compact Lottery Terminals.

Alison explained that as the new terminal software wouldn’t work on the Compact Lottery Terminals, they had to ensure those stores didn’t experience any interruption to trading following the switchover.

“We then also carried out more than 39,000 phone calls, emails and face-to-face rep visits to National Lottery retailers ahead of the weekend; sent out comprehensive upgrade support packs to all stores, which included customer-facing posters and table-toppers to keep in-store players informed; and we doubled the amount of retail support resource available on the ground,” said Alison.

“Now our primary focus turns to rolling out the remainder of the Wave terminals and the PPOS items across all stores, with the rollout carrying on at pace in Northern Ireland as we speak.

“For the retailers that are patiently waiting, we are replacing thousands of Altura terminals each week and the PPOS is also steadily arriving in stores, so look out for communication from our support team who will be in touch to book in your installation date.”

Allwyn returned as platinum sponsor for the 2025 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, as well as sponsoring the Community Store of the Year category, with Alison stressing the importance of them recognising and celebrating the achievements of Northern Irish retailers.

“It’s a real honour to be given the opportunity to help highlight, recognise and celebrate the huge contribution that independent retailers make to local high streets across Northern Ireland,” she said.

“It means a great deal to everyone at Allwyn to be able to celebrate the diligence, passion and perseverance shown by these retailers, day in, day out – many times 365 days a year.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ALISON ACQUAYE-ACFORD IN THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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For over 100 years, S&W has built a legacy of trust as Ireland’s leading wholesaler, consistently offering ‘A Whole Lot More’ to support the success of their customers.

Their long-standing history is testament to their unwavering commitment to the wholesale sector and the retail community across the island of Ireland, a commitment S&W continues to strengthen with clear promises for the future.

Indeed, S&W’s innovative transition nearly three years ago to an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT) – a first of its kind for a company of its scale in Northern Ireland – underscores their dedication to a stable and reliable future. This unique structure ensures that S&W’s focus remains firmly on the long-term success of their retailers and customers, fostering employee retention and mutual growth alongside valued suppliers.

As CEO of S&W Wholesale, Anthony McVeigh told NR the move to transition to an EOT was to cement the legacy of S&W as well as strengthen their partnerships with their customers, employees and suppliers.

“We wanted to install confidence in our customers, suppliers and wider stakeholders that S&W will be here for the long-term, to support their business and grow alongside S&W as their trusted wholesaler,” said Anthony.

“The EOT move has allowed us to successfully do this, as we look to the future with our new multi-purpose building currently in construction with local contractor, Kelly Bros from Warrenpoint.”

“Becoming an EOT employer means our people have a genuine stake in S&W’s future,” added Laura Cassells, Head of People and Culture at S&W.

“It protects our culture, keeps us independent, and creates space for growth – growth of the business, growth in opportunities for our people, and growth in the positive impact we can make in our community.”

This summer, S&W announced it had appointed building contractor, Kelly Brothers LLP from Warrenpoint as the main contractor on its new, purpose-built facilities in Newry.

The new site, which is located approximately three miles from its current headquarters in Carnbane Business Park, is situated adjacent to the southbound side of the A1 dual carriageway, supporting the company’s future growth plans right across the island to better service our customers.

The proposal for the 180,000 sq ft storage and distribution warehouse including ancillary office accommodation is a major boost to the EOT business, as it looks to the future.

“As a Leadership Team, we recognised that the business has been curtailed in recent times through space constraints and operating across multiple sites,” said Anthony.

“This investment in the new facilities will secure the long-term future of S&W as a leading independent grocery wholesaler – one that our customers can continue to place their trust in.

“As an EOT business, it is essential that we continue to invest in the business, our people and in the local community. This new facility will allow us to maximise our operational efficiency and support our customers further.”

In the meantime, the company has continued to invest in other sides of the business, including its ever-growing fleet and logistics operations.

“We have already invested significantly in our fleet with new additions, including temperature-controlled lorries this year to help service our customers more efficiently,” said Clive Whylie, Head of Operations.

“With the development of our new site well underway, we have upgraded and invested back into our warehouse efficiencies with the introduction of new state-of-the-art pallet and reach trucks. This crucial investment will enable our award-winning operations team to enhance both the reliability of our service to customers and our internal operational efficiencies.

“Our continuous improvement mindset at S&W is centred around a core value – prioritising the customer. We are constantly looking for ways to improve as a team and offer a better service each time for our customers.”

Delivering on a promise to offer ‘A Whole Lot More’ for its customers, S&W established an exciting new symbol brand, Nearby in 2021. Exclusive to the company, it was launched with a commitment to play a vital part in a modernisation strategy to help independent retailers forge deeper connections with their local communities.

Promising to refresh the look and feel of convenience stores, the Nearby brand delivers a sense of togetherness, convenience and great value that’s never too far from home.

Nearby has proved it is more than a symbol for independent retailers. With a retail support system in place, the latest market knowledge and retail technology, retailers can focus on what they do best, while Nearby supports the rest.

Having marked the fourth anniversary of Nearby this summer, Chief Sales Officer Michael Skelton told NR their Nearby stores are central to the company’s mission.

“The success of Nearby stems from our unwavering customer loyalty in independent retailing, paired with our robust wholesale support,” said Michael.

TO SEE THE S&W WHOLESALE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT IN THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, CLICK HERE

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Celebrating its 150^th anniversary, AG Barr is a well-known and long-established drinks company, which has grown from being primarily known for IRN-BRU to becoming a dynamic FTSE-listed PLC with ambitious growth goals.

Having recently acquired Boost, a drinks brand which has enjoyed phenomenal success in Northern Ireland across its 20-year history, AG Barr has committed to building on this success, promising further investment and innovation.

As Gavan Morris explains, the acquisition of Boost was a strategic move to strengthen their position in the rapidly expanding energy drinks sector.

“This acquisition complements our existing energy brands, Rubicon RAW and PWR-BRU, and allows us to cater to the increasingly diverse energy drink consumer,” said Gavan.

“Boost, with its strong presence and established growth trajectory, is well-positioned to be a key player within our portfolio. Boost’s success in Northern Ireland has been exceptional, thanks to two decades of dedicated investment in the region.

“The consumer base has developed a genuine affinity for the brand, driven by consistent product innovation and outstanding value. Our most recent campaign, ‘There’s a Boost for That’, aims to build on this success by driving consumer trials for our latest product innovations, including Boost Sport Cloudy Lemonade and Boost Energy Blue Raspberry.

“The early feedback has been incredibly positive, and we expect these new lines to be among the best-performing NPD in recent years, further reinforcing Boost’s position as Northern Ireland’s #2 energy drink brand across the Sport, Energy and Iced Coffee categories.”

Gavan started his long career in the drinks sector with McCabes and Bass Brewers before moving to an 11-year tenure at C&C Group, where he held various sales and marketing positions. In 2009, he joined AG Barr to manage Ireland and assumed his current role as International Business Unit Director in 2020, a particularly challenging time given the global impact of covid-19.

“Despite these challenges, we successfully navigated the pandemic and expanded our presence to around 40 countries worldwide,” said Gavan.

“My role primarily involves overseeing the establishment of distribution partnerships across key markets, though we occasionally manufacture locally in certain regions. Europe remains our core market, contributing approximately 90% of our international business, driven by key brands like Rubicon and IRN-BRU.

“However, we have made significant strides in North America in recent years, helping us quadruple the international business. The future looks promising, with substantial investments lined up to fuel continued growth.”

Despite industry-wide pressures, AG Barr reported record turnover for the year ending January 2025 – up 5.1% year-on-year – driven by strong brand performance, innovation, and international growth, with Gavan outlining a relentless focus on understanding the consumer and delivering exceptional value through great-tasting products as the key attributes to this success.

“Rubicon has been a standout performer, with a series of new product launches driving the brand’s impressive growth. In 2024, Rubicon became the fastest-growing soft drink brand, supported by innovations like Rubicon Sparkling, Rubicon RAW, Rubicon Spring, and the all-new Rubicon Spring VITS range,” said Gavan.

“While IRN-BRU is a household name, it’s a common misunderstanding that sales are predominantly in Scotland, however it is worth noting that we actually sell more IRN-BRU outside of Scotland than within it. Our 2024 TikTok campaign, Mannschaft broke records, becoming the most-viewed UK soft drink ad on the platform.

‘The consumer connection with Boost in Northern Ireland is especially strong thanks to a long-standing local presence’

“Boost has also seen tremendous growth post-acquisition, helped by an energy category that has proven resilient in the face of ongoing market challenges. Boost’s ability to deliver across energy, sport, and coffee categories has set it apart from the competition.

“Additionally, our alcohol portfolio, led by Funkin Cocktails – the UK’s #1 cocktail brand – has been a key driver. While the hospitality sector faces its own pressures, Funkin’s relevance and ability to adapt to evolving social trends and premium drinking occasions continue to solidify its market-leading position.”

Northern Ireland is a key area of focus now for the company, particularly following the acquisition of Boost, with Gavan citing the exceptionally strong performance of the energy drink in the region as a core difference between NI consumers and the rest of the UK.

“This reflects a unique consumer profile that values high-energy, great-tasting and good-value drinks,” said Gavan.

“That’s why innovation within the Boost range, such as Boost Sport Cloudy Lemonade and Boost Energy Blue Raspberry, is so important to our strategy here.

“The consumer connection with Boost in Northern Ireland is especially strong thanks to a long-standing local presence, targeted campaigns and a deep understanding of what resonates with the market,” added Gavan.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH GAVAN MORRIS IN THE JUNE ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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Dubbed a post-Brexit ‘reset’, the new UK-EU agreement aims to reduce or cut red tape for businesses while boosting the UK economy by £9 billion by 2040.

Described by the two sides as a new Strategic Partnership between the UK and EU, they confirmed the shared principles of maintaining global economic stability and mutual commitment to free, sustainable, fair and open trade, as well as noting the importance of cooperation with all trading partners in safeguarding supply chain resilience and monitoring trade diversion.

The UK Government said the new deal would make it “easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing paperwork and checks” – something which has been welcomed by businesses and retailers here.

Following Brexit, goods from the UK travelling to the EU, including food products, have faced new checks and additional paperwork, while items such as UK exports of raw burgers and sausages have been banned from entering the EU because they do not meet its strict import rules.

A new food agreement – the SPS Agreement – would help reduce these barriers, allowing for smoother movement, although does come with some conditions, namely that the UK will have to follow future EU food standards, known as ‘dynamic alignment’ and also accept that the European Court of Justice will have final say in any disputes in this area.

The EU is the UK’s largest agri-food market, however since Brexit exports have reduced by 21% while imports decreased by 7% between 2018 and 2024, with many businesses scaling back or stopping trade entirely because of higher costs, paperwork and border delays.

A new agri-food deal will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Zone which will see the removal of Export Health Certificates, saving businesses up to £200 per consignment each time goods are sent; and the removal of plant health certificates, saving businesses around £25 per certificate.

Routine border checks on agri-food products would stop, meaning fresh produce can get to supermarket shelves faster, with less paperwork and fewer costs. British goods, such as dairy, fish, eggs and red meat are currently subject to 100% paperwork checks and up to 30% physical checks and would see these removed entirely.

Routine checks on certain imports from the EU for products such as milk, dairy, eggs, red meat and plants for planting, potatoes, will also be removed, reducing the cost to bring these products into the UK. Additionally, British products which had been banned, such as fresh sausages and burgers, certain shellfish from domestic waters, and seed potatoes will be able to resume trade to the EU, increasing markets for these goods.

Moving goods between GB and NI will be easier, says the government, reducing the need for paperwork and checks due to the removal of SPS and other requirements, helping make sure that the same products can be found on shelves across all parts of the UK.

Northern Ireland retailer, Peter McBride owns 15 stores across the region and said a deal that will ultimately reduce costs and ease trade barriers was to be welcomed.

“Anything that removes pointless bureaucracy is a good thing,” said Peter.

“The ease of movement of goods to and from NI to the UK and the rest of Europe, with all jurisdictions following the same rules and standards, will encourage more choice by opening up opportunities for smaller suppliers who simply couldn’t cope or afford to deal with the complex burden of paperwork.

“Suppliers who have decided NI wasn’t worth the hassle, may now decide to return.”

READ THE FULL FEATURE IN THE JUNE ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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From opening its first store on the Cregagh Road three decades ago, frozen food specialist, Iceland Foods now has 37 stores across the region, including two Food Warehouses, employing 800 colleagues.

Throughout those 30 years it has worked hard to become a significant player in the grocery sector here, offering a competing value proposition and a commitment to supporting locally sourced products.

Now with two strings to their bow, they have their core stores which are 7,000 to 10,000 sq ft and their Food Warehouse stores, which are about 13,000 to 16,000 sq ft carrying over 5,000 products with bigger pack sizes. As Ron Metcalfe explains, Northern Ireland is a crucial part of the Iceland Foods story.

“We saw Northern Ireland as a really strong opportunity given we had just made our presence felt in Scotland,” said Ron. “There was a large gap in the market here and that was the big reason for coming across.

“Thirty years ago, Northern Ireland had huge potential for us to grow the brand and it still holds true today. Our continued growth is a reflection of this. We have refitted 15 stores in the last five years and invested over £6 million in those, and we have opened a second Food Warehouse in Belfast.

“I can reveal that we are opening four new Food Warehouses here and will open those in the next 12 months in Northern Ireland, supporting our growth and creating jobs. We are massively supportive of the Northern Ireland market and customers love the brand and we love being here.”

Acknowledging Northern Ireland’s very strong independent grocery sector, Ron said Iceland is able to compete due to its host of unique selling points.

“It’s down to our exclusive brands, our value proposition and we are growing other sectors of the stores, such as chilled and grocery,” said Ron.

“We have three ways to shop with us – in-store, online and our delivery partners. So, we continue to grow our online channel and which has become a very important part of the business. This is also supported with delivery partners, Deliveroo, Uber and Just Eat.

“Our teams across the buying, merchandising and marketing departments allow us to focus on the NI consumer and on our local range, which is really important to our customers.

“In the last five years we have grown our local portfolio. The buying team has worked exceptionally hard to bring that local entity into the business and we continue to look at every opportunity. We have 50 local suppliers with over 500 lines and that is something we have worked on and grown throughout the 30 years.”

Ron added that with the Windsor Framework, the company has to be fleet of foot in order to make sure they can continue to maximise their range.

“There is the continuing challenge of bringing in certain products into the island,” he said.

“Products from Morocco, Brazil, Argentina cannot be brought in so once again, we have had to look at alternative arrangements for these lines, as well as all products must now be labelled ‘Not For Sale in EU’. It’s all based around product and legislation, but having managed our business in the Republic of Ireland through Brexit, we are well equipped and well aware of the challenges we face with the Brexit arrangement.

“We have a team in GB in our head office and along with ourselves, we continually work with it every week to make sure we are aware of the next range of products that might be affected, speaking with suppliers to see that they are aware and changing packaging where required.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH RON METCALFE IN THE MAY ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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