Breakfast thoughts

THINK Food To Go. Many research studies point to increasing incidence of people breakfasting while commuting or when they reach an office desk. If...

Loop trial for big brands

Tesco launches reusable packaging
photograph of colin smith standing with a wholesale confectionary goods

Time for retailers to act on environment

Scottish retailers that don’t back sustainability efforts will miss out, according to new consumer research from the Scottish Wholesale Association and TWC.

Building from the ground up

Chocolate brand Ritter Sport has made a major sustainability commitment, pledging to use paper packaging across its entire portfolio by 2025

Building for the future

HAVING jumped a place from number eight to seventh in our Top 50 Scottish take-home brands last year, Stirlingshire-based Graham’s The Family Dairy has...
three bottles of Wise Wolf wine in rose, white and red

Eco efforts are bearing fruit for Accolade Wines

Australian wine supplier Accolade Wines has been on a sustainability journey for some time now and isn’t showing signs of slowing down with the launch of it's carbon-neutral wine brand.
Enviroglow says its E-volve refrigeration system can slash the energy costs of running a c-store. The company spent 18 months on R&D.

Evolution of the open deck

REFRIGERATION expert Enviroglow has launched what it calls “the most efficient open-deck dairy case on the planet”. After 18 months of R&D and live...
Itsu seaweed thins

A good year for trying new things

This year will see the Olympic torch head to the land of the rising sun, shining a spotlight on Asia as the world tunes in to the Tokyo 2020 games.
Quorn has relaunched its range emphasising that it has no artificial ingredients.

Quorn relaunches with a new look to change perceptions about meat-free products

New branding extols ‘high protein with no artificial ingredients’ as the meat-free brand capitalises on consumers moving to a healthier diet.
Tesco van

Sunshine on fleet for Tesco HGVs

TESCO has launch a solar-powered trailer initiative that is expected to save 2,000 litres of diesel per year.

Time to act is fast approaching

ENVIPCO has been working with Scottish retailers for a number of years now – but the real busy period is coming soon as the deposit return live date approaches.
THE institution of the Burns Supper, now an annual celebration of the works of Scotland’s – and one of the world’s – great poets, Robert Burns, began in the very early 19th century. In 1801 some chums who were great admirers of the recently departed Rabbie, and who were also pretty fond of a dram, met on the fifth anniversary of the great writer’s death to wine, dine, toast his memory and recite some of his works. The following year the celebration moved to the date of the bard’s birthday 25 January and the rest as they say is history. The Burns Supper habit spread across Scotland. Within a few years a Burns Supper was being held in Oxford University. Today they are held all over the world. These days formal suppers can be quite posh with a multi-course dinner, a piper, a toast to the immortal memory of our great literary hero, a cheeky toast to the lassies, an even cheekier reply from the lassies, an address to the haggis and a recitation of Burns’ great narrative poem Tam o’Shanter. Other celebrations in homes and elsewhere are often much simpler. But virtually all will include two items that retailers can highlight in Burns season each year ... haggis and whisky. It’s sad that, because of marketing restrictions on alcohol products in Scottish off-trade outlets, it’s effectively impossible to cross-promote the two Burns Supper essentials or even to place them together in a display. But that’s all the more reason to promote them individually. Try highlighting haggis in your meat chiller, carry a few different sizes to suit the variety of sizes of households, use point-of-sale material to remind shoppers of Burns Night and the part that haggis plays in the celebrations. And you could make January a special malts month or simply arrange to focus on whisky generally in your drinks area. If you have a whisky deal that’s giving you a good margin highlight it within your drinks section. And creating a Burns theme in store, with tartan and maybe even pictures of the man himself, will help get the message across.

Power of the Bard

THE institution of the Burns Supper, now an annual celebration of the works of Scotland’s – and one of the world’s – great poets,...
People handing out popcorn

Popping up on shelves

A healthier snacking option
mark-thomson-glenfiddich

Passion for the national drink

Glenfiddich’s Mark Thomson talks Scotch

Out is in for 2019

Research found that sustainable packaging, gut-friendly foods and sugar-free will feature prominently in 2019
Highland Spring

Fast flowing water

WATER is the fastest growing soft drink category in the UK according to Highland Spring. Quoting figures from Zenith International, it says it is...