Henderson Foodservice, which launched the brand in 2015, has invested £250,000 to develop the new ‘My Barista Bar Rewards+’ app for users in Northern Ireland, that will digitise the brand’s loyalty scheme and streamline communications with users.

Alongside the app, the brand has also revamped its website, and launched a new online store, where shoppers can purchase branded products, reusable cups and merchandise which is produced in partnership with local Ballymena company, Ted & Stitch.

Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale, Brand Manager at Barista Bar said they are responding to their customer demand and joining top coffee brands with their digitised approach.

“Barista Bar and the way we communicate with our customers has evolved over the years, led by their behaviour and preferences,” said Keavy.

“This digital approach not only modernises the brand’s presence but will enhance the overall user experience while reinvigorating our loyalty and rewards programme, improving customer engagement and satisfaction. We are thrilled to be able to offer this innovative and seamless experience to our valued consumers through the new ‘My Barista Bar Rewards+’ app.

“Barista Bar’s position in the local marketplace is very strong, and we have announced expansions into Scotland in recent months. Our products are available in 444 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded sites in Northern Ireland, 49 Co-Op sites in the East of England, and we have 104 new sites agreed within SPAR Scotland stores, the roll out for which commences early this year.”

Henderson Foodservice has invested over £14m in the Barista Bar brand in the past nine years, establishing the product as the preferred choice for takeaway hot beverages to go in Northern Ireland, with over 12 million cups sold in 2023.

The all-new My Barista Bar Rewards+ app went live on Monday 15^th January and has been developed alongside local app developers, Sugar Rush Creative. It is available to download from App Store and Google Play.

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The store, which has been operating for six years and is rooted firmly in the local community, prides itself on giving back to local charities, groups and organisations, and store manager David Harrison says their new look store and additional staff will help them do even more in the future.

“Our store first opened in 2017, providing the area with a global-standard yet community focused supermarket, right on their doorstep,” said David.

“Since then, and as our shoppers’ needs have changed, we have adapted and extended our store which now brings a bigger store, a bigger range, and a bigger opportunity for us to engage with our community.

“We have over a thousand new products including an extended range of locally sourced fresh and ambient products, plus a new range of food to go within our Delish deli, which now includes our Southern Fried Chicken selection of fillet burgers, goujons, wraps and loaded fries.”

Windcroft Butchery continues to operate in-store, adding to the incredible choice of freshly prepared meals and products, with shoppers able to browse the range of locally sourced meats while getting expert advice from Andrew Patton and his team.

Value and convenience are priorities within the store, with a choice of four new self-check-outs in operation alongside the fully staff serviced checkouts, while the neighbourhood’s Post Office remains on site now offering a new Evri drop-off and collection service.

When it comes to everyday essentials, fresh and locally sourced groceries, and pre-prepared meals for tonight’s tea, shoppers can still expect to find a host of deals, including a number of prices in-store, matched to Tesco*.

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY FOCUSED

The store’s Community Rep, Caroline Stinton is hugely valued within the local community for her volunteering and engagement with local organisations which EUROSPAR Donegall Road support on a long-term basis.

David added: “Caroline is a gem in our local community and, amongst many initiatives, has connected us with the Cosy Club at Greater Village Regeneration Trust, where we make regular donations of tea, coffee and baked goods for their lunch group, as well as organising a recent donation of selection boxes for the young people supported locally by Tree Co. We also sponsor the local Kelvin Old Boys Youth Football Club, which helps the development of grass-roots football in the area.

“Within our store team, we continue to support Cancer Fund for Children, the charity partner for EUROSPAR NI, however we also make time to raise funds for other charities close to our hearts, including NI Pancreatic Cancer, for which we recently raised over £400 in memory of our colleague’s mum.”

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group which operates the store added: “Since its opening six years ago, EUROSPAR Donegall Road has created a hub for the local neighbourhood and represents what our SPAR and EUROSPAR NI stores are all about.

“Their community initiatives have been praised and rewarded time again, and we are delighted to be able to develop the store for the local community, providing everything they need under one roof, as well as adding eight new jobs to the team.”

*Over 1,000 prices in-store matched to Tesco. Prices checked and updated weekly.

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Consumers like names they can trust and symbol groups are the perfect combination of local faces with trusted brands, thus encouraging return trade and a relationship between shopper and store.

The latest data from Kantar Worldpanel to 14^th May 2023, shows the Northern Irish grocery market saw sales grow by 8.5% in the year to 11^th June 2023, with shoppers spending an additional £308.4 year-on-year.

With grocery inflation at 16.1% for June, the average grocery bill is set to rise by £840, from £5221 to £6061 if consumers don’t make changes to what they are buying.

But shoppers are savvy, and are continuing to look for ways to manage household bills and as part of this, they are returning to store more often, picking up less each time.

What they are choosing to buy is also changing, as own-label items now account for a bigger share of the sector year-on-year. Indeed some €2.9 billion was spent on own-label groceries in NI in 2022 (estimated), with Mintel noting that 71% of Northern Irish consumers avoided buying premium products due to the cost-of-living crisis in 2022.

“Irish shoppers have felt the impact of increased grocery prices in 2022, and have shifted their shopping behaviour accordingly, with a greater level of consumers reporting that they are avoiding premium brands and many using more own-label brands and discounter retailers,” said Brian O’Connor, Senior Consumer Analyst at Mintel.

Convenience is key and is fast becoming the cornerstone of everyday life. Gone are the corner shops of yesteryear. It’s all about the customer experience – and symbol stores have taken that concept to heart – by making the efficiency and ease of shopping at the core.

The symbol sector has actively capitalised on making the ‘shopper experience’ at the centre of their business ethos – smart, stylish, well lit, clean, clear labelling – with value for money being the driving force – this savvy sense of driving the sector forward has its roots in research, category management, and sound business sense.

THE SHIFT TO SYMBOLS

Retail analysts are identifying a clear shift in consumer behaviour and attitudes that is favouring the convenience sector.

On average, shoppers are returning to store nearly 17 times more, but are picking up less volume -2packs when compared to this time last year.

These new attitudes towards grocery shopping are supporting growth in the convenience sector, meaning retailers should adapt to drive change and keep pace with these new shopper behaviours.

These trends are presenting the symbol sector with a new raft of opportunities. Along with technology developments, it’s a clear response to customer needs and demands. It’s being predicted that these trends are likely to continue to evolve rapidly over the next five to 10 years.

Travel and movement patterns have altered in recent years, with more people working from home, resulting in people travelling on the road at different times of day. These pattern shifts are also changing the way consumers view and use convenience stores – but most importantly, consumers want the assurances and certainty that a recognised symbol secures – that meets their expectations.

THE ’CONSUMER EXPERIENCE’

At the cutting edge of change, the symbol sector is creating great shopping experiences for consumers, alongside the essential services and facilities they are known for.

The Henderson Group, which boasts some 500 stores across Northern Ireland – a mix of company-owned and independent retailers – has committed to significant investments throughout 2023, with a capital programme of over £60 million to be invested.

“We are a successful, independent, family-run, family-owned business and we have an ethos and culture of continual reinvestment to drive the business,” said Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director.

“That’s about partnering with our independent retailers, investing in their business, investing in new stores, investing in promotional and price activity to give better value to the shopper, and investing in our infrastructure.”

‘Shoppers in Northern Ireland spent an additional £6.7 million in symbols versus last year, with 76.7% of Northern Ireland households purchasing their groceries in a symbol group over 2023’

As food and drink prices continue to climb, with average prices up 10.1% compared to last year, the impact on shoppers’ budgets is unavoidable for many Northern Irish consumers.

As shoppers look for ways to manage costs, many are turning to cheaper alternatives such as retailer own-label lines, where sales are up £193 million compared to last year and versus branded products, which are up £119m year-on-year.

All retailers are seeing year-on-year growth in the latest 52 weeks. Total symbols are seeing the slowest growth among retailers, at 2.4% year-on-year.

Shoppers in Northern Ireland spent an additional £6.7 million in symbols versus last year, with 76.7% of Northern Ireland households purchasing their groceries in a symbol group over 2023.

On average shoppers pick up groceries in a symbol group 65.3 times over the course of the year, which is down only slightly, at 0.1% on last year.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Retailers will need to continue to make efforts to be more sustainable, as 78% of Northern Irish consumers noted they consider their lifestyle to be environmentally friendly to at least some degree, notes Mintel.

Some 71% of Northern Irish consumers believe that unless there are changes from big businesses, the planet cannot be saved. As such, grocery retailers that can successfully display green/ethical initiatives to support sustainability, will likely appeal more to shoppers.

With more consumers struggling to justify ‘splashing out’, adding a sustainable angle to grocery shopping may help to alleviate any ‘buyers’ guilt that consumers might feel in splashing out in a time where they may feel they need to deny themselves luxuries.

Having set out to achieve a 12% carbon reduction by the end of 2023, SuperValu and Centra retailers have achieved a 9% carbon reduction, a year on from the launch of the €25m Musgrave Sustainability Fund.

In June last year, Musgrave announced the first of its kind €25 million sustainability fund aimed at realising this target and reducing emissions across its operations, ultimately to achieve net zero by 2040. In order to reduce emissions to net zero by 2040, Musgrave is aiming to achieve a 46% reduction in carbon emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2030.

Ian Allen, Managing Director of SuperValu and Centra said: “Our stores are at the heart of communities around Ireland, and we are proud that our network of SuperValu and Centra retailers are on track to reach our carbon reduction goal by the end of this year.

“Our retailers have shown real passion and enthusiasm to continue to lead by example and implement sustainability measures across their leading supermarket and convenience stores.”

Retailer Philip Woods, who operates four SuperValu and Centra stores in the Armagh and Portadown areas, has invested £660,000 to reduce his store’s carbon emissions and make them more sustainable, supporting brand owner Musgrave Northern Ireland’s sustainability goals.

Investing in new energy efficient refrigeration, LED lighting, and solar panels, the retailer has also been supported by Musgrave NI’s £3.6 million Sustainability Fund.

Mr Woods is the first retailer in Musgrave NI’s network to use the Sustainability Fund for solar panels, which have been installed by local company Solmatix into SuperValu Fruitfield, Richhill and Tandragee, plus Centra Dobbin Road.

The solar panels will reduce carbon emissions by saving a predicted 49 tonnes of CO2 across the four sites each year helping to achieve Musgrave NI’s overall target of net zero carbon by 2040. This is the equivalent to planting 1,856 trees.

TO VIEW THE FULL MID-YEAR SYMBOL REVIEW IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER JULY ISSUE, CLICK HERE

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It may be summer and schools are now shut for the holidays, but for many parents it is time to plan ahead for the back to school shopping list, in a bid to get ahead of the crowd in getting sorted for September.

This is a key business period for retailers, following closely behind Christmas and Easter as one of the busiest times of the year for those in the industry.

From freshly sharpened pencils, notepads, calculators and lunchbox essentials to those all-important breakfast and snack ideas, it’s vital that retailers have their shelves stocked up and eye-catching for consumers.

PARENTS CONSIDERING COSTS

Many customers will be looking for ways to make savings this year, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household budgets. With the prices of almost everything going up, parents will be keen to spread out the cost of the back-to-school shop and will be keeping a keen eye on their seasonal shopping.

In many cases, parents will be shopping for more than one child, so will be focusing on multi-packs or bundle offers as they remain price conscious, and where relevant may be willing to avail of saving schemes. According to Mintel’s 2022 research, 39% of parents have used a buy-now-pay-later scheme for purchasing back to school items, while 25% would be interested in using this type of payment option in the future.

There have been significant cuts in the education budget, and in turn schools are becoming more reliant on contributions from parents to support the purchase of some stationery essentials. Suffice to say that parents will inevitably be bulk buying items such as blue, black and red pens and pencils, rulers, sharpeners and notepads.

With this in mind, retailers can maximise sales by planning events and promotions centring on price sensitivities, encouraging customers to shop in their stores. Price discounts and other incentives will help ensure sales and attract the attention of parents.

It is not just parents however, that will be shopping for back-to-school essentials, as older students also play a pivotal role in the buying process, be it influencing their parents’ purchases or spending their own money, so it is worth remembering this when planning promotions or in-store displays.

Additionally, multi-platform promotion and engagement with younger consumers can go some way to increasing sales. Students will see much of what they want or need for school online, so highlighting offers and availability on social media platforms is a key way of helping both online and in-store sales.

STORE INITIATIVES

Naturally, back to school is an important event for many local retailers, including the Henderson Group. Their wholesale division supplies to over 500 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores across Northern Ireland, all within local communities and close to schools.

Sara Murphy, Brand Marketing Manager at Henderson Group highlighted that the group invests heavily in initiatives that will attract footfall and boost retailers’ sales during this key time.

“Back to school is an opportunity for us to promote healthy eating and invest in value deals across lunchbox favourites to make back to school that little bit easier for families across communities,” said Sara.

“We know it is a busy time, and therefore we also maximise offers across our tonight’s tea ranges, which allows retailers to offer practical, quick and simple, yet tasty mealtime solutions to those families.

“Across our SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO stores we have been developing our food to go offering across breakfast, lunch and dinner, with over 25 stores now offering our new food to go brand, Delish. Delish hot bars capture the breakfast demand on those busy weekday mornings, alongside our Barista Bar coffee to go proposition.”

LUNCHBOX ESSENTIALS

As households across the country grapple with rising prices, shoppers are looking to make cost-savings wherever they can. As a result, homemade lunchboxes will be the ‘go-to’ solution for many parents looking to save money this year.

Recent research[1] has shown that 72% of consumers believe that a home-made sandwich for lunch is unbeatable. With sandwiches often a core component of any lunchbox, stocking a range of quality wrapped bread should be a focus for any retailers looking to cater for the back-to-school occasion.

While many shoppers may be looking to save money, there is still a huge desire for quality bakery products from recognised brands like Hovis^® that consumers know and trust.

‘In many cases, parents will be shopping for more than one child, so will be focusing on multi-packs or bundle offers as they remain price conscious, and where relevant may be willing to avail of saving schemes’

“Sales of white bread are dominating sales of pre-packaged sliced bread at present, accounting for over 55% of total units[2],” said Alistair Gaunt, Commercial Director at Hovis.

“Given the current economic climate, many shoppers are buying fewer different types of bread for their households and are increasingly moving towards pre-packaged white bread, which is most likely to satisfy the needs of multiple people. It is therefore clearly important for retailers to stock white bread as it is a potential “crowd-pleaser” for everyone in the household.”

Health and wellness also continue to play a key role in helping shoppers decide what to eat, especially when it comes to children’s lunchboxes.

“Hovis^® Best of Both^® for example is rich in calcium[3] and it is also a source of fibre. In recent research, half (49%) of those surveyed agreed that Hovis Best of Both is something that everyone in the family would eat[4],” added Alistair Gaunt.

Another focus for lunch boxes should be in brown/wholemeal bread, which is the third biggest type of pre-packaged bread, accounting for nearly 14%¹ of loaves sold in Great Britain.

The traditional sandwich remains a key part of any lunchbox so making sure there’s a good range of pre-packaged bread on offer that caters for different tastes available at all times is essential to cater for the back-to-school trend. Combined, white bread, brown/wholemeal and half and half bread account for over 75% of the pre-packaged loaves sold in Great Britain over the last year[5]. Whilst bread with seeds and grains accounts for 18% and are extremely popular, they have more of an adult consumer profile.

Alongside a range of pre-packaged bread, offering a selection of classic kids’ sandwich fillers, such as cheese and ham, as well as fruit, will help retailers ensure they’re well prepared to respond to rising demand ahead of the return to school.

EYE-CATCHING DISPLAYS

Creating a back-to-school occasion display can really help to drive impact in store. For example, displaying a range of lunchbox essentials, such as pre-packaged bread, sandwich fillers and fruit, next to or close to each other and offering cross-category promotions can help to boost sales. Where running promotions, using PoS in store can also help build shopper awareness of the different offers available and encourage them to buy multiple items in one shop.

“We recommend ensuring the most popular products are displayed at eye level in convenience stores. These products will often have a single facing, so it’s important to ensure the customer sees them and knows they are available,” said Alistair Gaunt.

“We’d also recommend that stores enhance their pre-packaged products wherever possible, e.g., cross-promoting with other favourites to help provide inspiration for shoppers to create a more special lunchbox for their children.

“With the highest levels of spontaneous brand awareness[6] in bread, we have supported recent launches in-store with engaging off-shelf feature which include gondola end displays and promotional shelf POS.

“Our in-store activation has been aligned with wider brand activation, including retailer online sites, where we have used occasion-led visuals to inspire elevated meal choices, and through the creative use of social media on our own Hovis^® channels.”

TO VIEW THE FULL BACK TO SCHOOL FEATURE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER JUNE ISSUE, CLICK HERE

[1] Perspectus Global, May 2023

[2] NIQ Scantrack, total coverage, incl. discounters, unit sales of pre-packaged bread by dough type, MAT to 22/04/23

[3] Note: Hovis^® Best of Both^® is rich in calcium which contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth and bones, which needs to be eaten regularly as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle

[4] Zinklar, July 2022

[5] NIQ Scantrack, total coverage, incl. discounters, unit sales pre-packaged bread loaves by dough type, MAT to 22/04/23

[6] Walnut, Brand Tracking, July 2022

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Creating five new jobs in the local community, the brand new SPAR store has the Delish hot food to go concept and continues the roll out of the EV charging points.

In the newly modernised and expanded store, customers can now enjoy the benefits of a brand-new SPAR that is 70% larger than the former premises. The grocery offer has more than doubled in size to include a larger dairy and chilled range for greater customer choice and convenience. A brand-new BARISTA BAR coffee unit has been installed so customers can enjoy a delicious Barista quality coffee on the go while a Delish hot Food To Go concept with a self-serve chicken bar has also been included in the development.

On the forecourt, there is a brand new 150kw EV charge point that services two vehicles at any one time and is operational from Wednesday 21^st December. It is powered with renewable energy. Maxol’s Premium Fuel range has also been introduced to enable customers to make greener choices and car parking facilities have been increased from six to 27 spaces giving more room to ease the flow of traffic on site, especially at peak times.

‘This development demonstrates our continued commitment to invest in the right infrastructure across our service station network’

Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group

Customers on the go can also enjoy new Pay at Pump technology that has been installed on two fuel pumps, for maximum convenience.

The new store sees the continued roll out of Maxol’s sustainable forecourt design. From concept and construction through to the site’s ongoing operations, Maxol has worked with Henderson Group to install cutting-edge technology to help Maxol Edenderry reduce its existing carbon footprint. These measures include the use of low-energy CO2 refrigeration; installing LED lighting systems; heat recovery from refrigeration for use in the Delish Food to Go Deli, and “on demand” fan controllers to reduce energy use.

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of The Maxol Group said: “It is exciting to see the complete transformation of our site here at Maxol Edenderry across the forecourt and in-store.

“Our valued customers can now shop locally for all their daily needs in a modern, vibrant, sustainable and welcoming environment. We have created five new jobs to bring new employment opportunities for local people to the area. While on the forecourt, we have introduced Premium Fuels, Pay at Pump technology and added a new Ultra-Rapid 150 kW EV charge point that will be available from December 21^st.

‘John and Sharon Bailey along with their staff, all work tirelessly to provide their customers with the very best products and services’

“This development demonstrates our continued commitment to invest in the right infrastructure across our service station network to move Maxol to a more convenience led destination that services the community.”

Patrick Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group which owns the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland added: “This is an impressive redevelopment which brings everything local shoppers need for now and for later, right on their doorsteps.

“We have worked alongside Maxol and their local management team to develop a store which complements the recent redevelopments in the area, bringing fresh SPAR brand and locally sourced fresh foods, Henderson’s exclusive Delish Food to Go concept, plus Barista Bar coffee and a premium forecourt offering to the local community. We wish the team all the very best!”

Brian Donaldson concludes: “Maxol Edenderry is part of the fabric of this local community. It is operated under licence by well-known local couple, John and Sharon Bailey along with their staff, who all work tirelessly to provide their customers with the very best products and services. I would like to wish John, Sharon and their team all the success with this new venture.”

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