DON’T MISS...
Scoot hits 200 store milestone.
LGBTQ+ at Booker
Hints and tips to clean up in 2026
Vol 39 Issue 1 Jan/Feb 2026
PLANT BASED DRINK IN THE UK* #1
**Alpro Almond No Sugars contains 5 essential nutrients: Calcium, Iodine, Vitamins B12, D2, E. *Calcium contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. A varied diet and a healthy lifestyle are recommended for good health.
35% of households now buy plant-based drinks **
**Kantar: Penetration: 52wk 15/06/2025 vs 2023
STOCK
*Circana all outlets, 52 w/e data to 4th Oct 2025.
M144638
M252348
M310164
M310166
Winning ways
Freshgos Londis has been named Food To Go Retailer of the Year at the Asian Trader Awards.
Perfect
pause
Londis HopcroftS Holt is the perfect place to pull over and fill up.
Clean up in 2026
Handy hints and top tips to set your store up for success in the year ahead.
Exploring the work of Booker’s LGBTQ+ Colleague Network.
Booker Retail Partners
Tel: 0870 050 0158
Opening hours: 8am–5:30pm Monday to Friday
IT and Customer Services
Opening hours: For customer services: 6am–9pm (Monday to Friday)
07 AWARDS TRIUMPH
Freshgos Londis has been named Food to Go Retailer of the Year.
09 COMMUNITY NEWS
The latest round up of inspiring stories from Londis stores.
17 GROCERYAID UPDATE
The latest news from the industry’s charity.
20 STRONG STUFF
Londis Winslow is fighting fit to take on 2026 and beyond.
28 STAND AND DELIVER
Shoppers can’t fail to stop at Londis HopcroftS Holt.
37 MEET THE TEAM
Say hello to Lauren Burdett, Booker Category Manager Designate for the Retail Household, Health & Beauty, and Medicine categories.
40 NEW PRODUCT ROUNDUP
Our pick of the hottest new products to hit the shelves.
43 SCOOT HITS 200 STORES!
Scoot has now been adopted by over 200 stores.
47 TIME TO SHINE
Help your store shine in 2026 with our handy hints and tips.
50 BOOKER NETWORKS
Introducing the LGBTQ+ at Booker Colleague Network.
For IT: 7am–9pm (Monday to Friday)
Email: For customer services: londis.claims@bookerretail.co.uk or enquiries@londis.co.uk
Helpdesk: 0800 298 0758
Londis News team: Email: londisnews@ londis.co.uk
Welcome to our January-February issue of Londis News!
Cheers to a
new year!
A calendar of opportunities lies ahead and Londis is here to help you tick every box.
Hello and a very warm welcome to your first issue of Londis News for 2026!
With a fresh calendar of opportunities before us, the start of a new year is always an exciting time – and we believe that Londis has the perfect package to help you make the most of every single one.
With shoppers set to keep tight control of their purse strings in the year ahead, own-label brands look set to play an increasingly powerful role and fortunately Londis retailers have the punchy Jack’s and Euro Shopper brands in their corner.
Both brands offer outstanding value without having to compromise on quality – with Jack’s hanging bags and key Euro Shopper juice and energy drinks both benefiting from new lower prices.
Londis retailers can also access a footfall-driving feast of New and Group Exclusive products guaranteed to give their shelves the edge now – and as we head towards the spring and its many seasonal celebrations.
Home delivery will also continue to present Londis retailers with a golden opportunity to bag additional sales and profits this year and with Booker’s exclusive and low-cost platform Scoot, they have the chance to generate more than £130,000 of additional sales and £34,000 of additional profit.
More than 200 retailers have now signed up to take
advantage of the Scoot platform, with many more set to come on board over the coming months.
You’ll be able to find out more about all of the above inside this issue – and at the fantastic Booker Retail Trade Shows set to take place on Thursday 5 March at Sandown Park Racecourse and Thursday 12 March at Doncaster Racecourse, so don’t forget to register!
This issue of Londis News also introduces you to another of Booker’s inspirational Colleague Networks and this time it’s the turn of LGBTQ+ at Booker.
As ever, you’ll also find a marvellous mix of news, views and achievements from fellow Londis retailers.
So here’s to happy reading and a very happy new year ahead!
Look forward to seeing you in-store!
Stewart Fenn Sales Director, Booker Retail Partners
Londis retailer wins highprofile industry accolade
Londis retailer Kopinath Kalanathan has claimed the soughtafter title of Food to Go Retailer of the Year.
Londis retailer Kopinath Kalanathan’s outstanding achievements in the food-to-go arena have been recognised at a high-profile industry awards ceremony.
Kopi, who owns Freshgos Londis in Doncaster, was awarded the prestigious title of Food to Go Retailer of the Year at the Asian Trader Awards 2025.
The store, like many in his estate, features a mouthwatering food-to-go offer, including home-made gelato, scratch-baked cakes and a long menu of hot foods including burgers, filled rolls, nachos, hot dogs, fries and kebabs.
The Asian Trader Awards judges said Kopi was “a real food-to-go ambassador who had
taken a proactive and data-driven approach to ensure his food-to-go offer was perfectly aligned with his customers’ needs, habits, and preferences.”
Other wins on the night included the prestigious Editor’s Award, which was presented to Booker Group CEO Andrew Yaxley.
The Asian Trader Awards 2025 were attended by Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant who delivered the keynote speech and hosted by TV presenter Nikki Bedi.
The event also raised funds for Lepra, a charity that supports people affected by leprosy.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Key issues of interest to you Branching out for charity
Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston helped to deliver much-needed festive cheer to disadvantaged local children over the Christmas period.
Store owners Natalie and Martin Lightfoot teamed up with the ‘Be Someone’s Santa’ charity campaign which seeks to ensure that no child wakes up without a gift on Christmas morning.
The couple put up a special Christmas tree featuring ‘Be Someone’s Santa’ tags in store –with each tag representing a local child in need of “a little festive magic”.
Shoppers chose tags and then bought a gift for the child described e.g. ‘girl, age one.
The gifts were then collected by the store, before being wrapped and delivered to the children in time for Christmas.
A grand day out
Londis Standish Lower Ground celebrated its ‘Grand Re-opening’ with a bash for the local community.
Owned by retailers Mitesh and Hepesh Halai, the store has been serving the area
The initiative supported some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people, and families, including those supported by Glasgow South Health and Social Care Partnership, family support projects, social work, and young care leaver services across the city.
for more than a decade and remains a strong supporter of community initiatives.
The re-launch event was attended by a raft of highprofile community figures, including Mayor of Wigan Councillor Jenny Bullen, Councillor Debbie Parkinson and John Bowhay, Coach of Wigan St Pats Girls U14 Rugby team, which the store sponsors.
Commenting on the Grand Re-opening, coach John Bowhay said: “We were honoured to be invited to share this momentous occasion.
“Beyond their sponsorship, they’re constantly giving back to the wider community, supporting local causes, creating opportunities, and always being there to lend a helping hand.”
Key issues of interest to you Labour drops plans for day-one unfair dismissal protection
Labour has abandoned plans to offer workers unfair dismissal rights from day one – amid fears that it could deter employers from hiring new members of staff.
The qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection currently stands at 24 months, with ministers now having agreed to reduce it to six - as the Employment Rights Bill edges closer to Royal Assent.
The Government reached its decision after a series of “constructive conversations” between trade unions and business representatives. It claimed that coming to an agreement on unfair dismissal protections, meant that the Bill could now reach Royal Assent and keep to the Government’s published delivery timeline, delivering day-one rights to sick pay and paternity leave in April 2026.
The news has been welcomed by retail trade bodies.
Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive James Lowman said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to change its qualifying period for unfair dismissal from day one to six months. This compromise reflects the concerns of retailers and provides a clearer, fairer framework for businesses and workers. Local shops play a vital role in creating secure,
flexible jobs that support communities and the wider economy. We are committed to working constructively with Government as further consultation happens.”
BRC Chief Executive, Helen Dickinson, said: “This is an important, practical step in creating an Employment Rights Bill that will protect employment opportunities as well as employees. We are pleased to see that Government has listened, and this is proof that meaningful engagement between businesses, trade unions and Government can lead to positive outcomes for everyone.”
AI and cybersecurity to be top priorities in 2026
Cybersecurity will be core to retail strategy over the next 12 months, while AI will be central to profitability, IGD’s Global Retail Trends 2026 report predicts.
IGD also predicts further growth in the world foods
category, with “clearer segmentation and strategies that reflect diverse communities,” it says.
A “convenience revolution” is also predicted, with specialist convenience operators expected to “increasingly
focus on food and drink to be consumed in minutes, not days”.
Retailers are also expected to heighten their focus on health – with successful retailers looking to serve a broader span of health missions.
Business rate changes are not enough to support local stores
Changes to the business rates system are “a major disappointment” for local stores the ACS says.
The new lower business rates multiplier for retail, hospitality and leisure properties does “not go far enough to provide meaningful support for local shops,” the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) claims.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced “permanently lower” business rates for more than 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, in her second Autumn Budget.
However, the new multiplier will be set just 5p lower than the small business and regular multipliers, which would fail to offset the removal of the remaining 40% relief on business rates that was first introduced during the pandemic, the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) said.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Changes to the business rates system provide nowhere near enough support and are a major disappointment.
“Small shops will see their rates bills increase in April, and many will see further increases as a result of the revaluation.”
However, the ACS did welcome some announcements made in The Budget, including new powers to tackle the illicit vape market – with fines of up to £10,000 and new digital duty stamps to make it easier to spot fakes.
New National Living Wage rate set
The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations on the future rate of the National Living Wage, increasing the headline rate by 50p to £12.71 per hour in April 2026.
From 1 April 2026, the new National Living Wage and Minimum Wage rates will be:
l The NLW will rise by 4.1% to £12.71 per hour for eligible workers aged 21 and over (currently £12.21 per hour).
l The NMW rate for 18–20-year-olds will also increase by 8.5% to £10.85 per hour (currently £10 per hour).
l The NMW for 16–17-year-olds and those on apprenticeships will increase by 6% to £8 per hour (currently £7.55 per hour).
Soft Drinks sugar tax to be extended
The UK Government has confirmed that the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) will be extended by lowering the sugar threshold to cover more products.
Soft drinks with 5-7.9g of sugar per 100ml are currently taxed 19.4p per litre, but the threshold is set to be lowered to 4.5g of sugar per 100ml, effective from 1 January 2028.
Pre-packed milk-based drinks with added sugar, such as flavoured milks, sweetened yoghurt drinks, chocolate milk drinks, and ready-todrink coffees, will now also come under the scope of the SDIL, but the government will introduce a ‘lactose allowance’ to account for the naturally occurring sugars in milk.
Milk substitutes with added sugar, including flavoured varieties, will also be included within the SDIL scope.
Plain animal milks and milk substitute drinks without added sugar will not be included.
Coping with the cost of living
Important costs like energy, food and rent have risen steeply, so if anyone in your business is worried about being able to afford these increases, GroceryAid is here to help with a wide range of support.
Everyone working in the independent retailing sector is fully aware of the rising cost of living and the impact that it is having on your customers – but industry charity GroceryAid is also aware that these same cost increases are affecting store staff in exactly the same way.
with the benefits calculator
l Establish what cost of living support they could be eligible for with the “Help for Households”
l To take control of their debt and help them get free and confidential.
l Build an emergency fund with the right advice.
Costs like energy, food and rent have all risen steeply in recent years and there may be some members of the team in your store that are worried about being able to afford these increases. This is why it’s so critical that everyone in your team is aware that GroceryAid can help – and in many different ways, from offering support and advice to awarding one-off non-repayable financial grants.
GroceryAid can help team members:
l Understand their financial situation with the budget planner
l Find out how to boost their income
If you or any of your team would like to get involved in supporting GroceryAid and helping the charity help those in need in our sector, why not consider taking part in an event or two this year. Here are just some of the events in the calendar for the next 12 months:
In addition, if anyone in the industry is struggling to manage their finances due to cost of living increases, GroceryAid will consider a one-off grant. Team members may apply if they are a current employee in receipt of income related benefits such as Universal Credit or Tax Credits.
To find out more, visit groceryaid.org. uk or call 08088 021 122 or message GroceryAid on WhatsApp on +44 7418 360780
• 5th March –GroceryAid Ball, London
• 11th June – Booker Dragon Boat Race, Marlow
• 24th June –GroceryAid Golf Day, Milton Keynes
• 2nd July – Barcode Festival, Kenwood
• 15th July – UK Cycle Challenge
• 27th August –Checkout Scotland, Glasgow
To find out more, visit groceryaid.org. uk
RETAILER PROFILE
Strong stuff
A future-proofing refit has made sure that Londis Winslow is fighting fit to take on 2026 and beyond.
What do nylon, yaks and baobab trees have in common? The answer is, of course, resilience – that powerful capacity to withstand challenges and weather storms – not just surviving but thriving.
With 10 successful Londis-branded forecourt sites currently trading across the country, Petrocell is one company that has certainly mastered the art of resilience – creating efficient, polished and relevant stores that are primed to prosper in the current climate.
Petrocell’s recently redeveloped site in the affluent market town of Winslow, Buckinghamshire, is a case in point.
Petrocell acquired the town-centre site just over seven years ago, with its 2,000sq ft Londis store performing successfully ever since.
However, with competition intensifying, spring 2024 called for a more radical rethink that would put Londis Winslow on the map as a true destination store.
“The aim,” Londis RDM Steve Griffin says, “was to create a proper one-stop shop: a convenience store with the added benefit of fuel, rather than the other way around.”
The work included a 200sq ft extension to the front right-hand side of the store – creating a prominent new space for an enhanced food-to-go offer, where onceempty roll cages were stored.
The new footfall-driving zone includes a Stone Willy’s Kitchen, Rollover and Country Choice offers, plus two Costa Coffee machines.
There’s even space for shoppers to sit and sip their drinks in comfort thanks to a small seating area overlooking the forecourt.
STORE INFO
Store name: Londis Winslow
Retailer: Tommy Dowling, Director, Petrocell
Size: 2,000sq ft
Opening hours: 6am–10pm
Services: National Lottery, cash machine
Key categories: BWS, food to go, soft drinks, confectionery, vapes
Staff: 10
A quality selection of chilled food-to-go options, including sandwiches and the Londis Meal Deal, is also available from a dedicated six-door chiller at the entrance.
“All the hot food, Costa and food-togo fridges now sit in a prominent new position, between goalposts, as you enter the store,” Petrocell director Tommy Dowling explains.
“Food to go has been a significant driver of sales at Winslow, especially following the recent refurbishment,” he says.
“We believe it strengthens the store’s perception as a roadside retail destination.
“In turn, we feel this helps increase overall store awareness and may encourage repeat visits that benefit other categories,” he adds.
Those other categories include fresh and chilled, which was also enhanced with additional refrigeration, including a new island chiller for produce, ready meals, cooked meats and more.
The store’s entire back wall was also given over to refrigeration, with 10 doors now devoted to chilled soft drinks, including take-home products, and 12 doors for chilled beer, cider and wine.
Much to the delight of Winslow’s discerning demographic, three Cook frozen meal freezers, brimming with premium products, were also added to the mix – complementing the store’s fivedoor frozen food offer.
A complete range review was also carried out across the store, using the latest Londis planograms.
M284429
Over at the counter, the store’s old backwall tobacco gantry was replaced with backlit shelves for spirits and vaping products – including an expanded range of liquids and nicotine pouches.
The redevelopment also provided Petrocell with an opportunity to introduce a number of key technological improvements to help the store run more efficiently, not least of which was the installation of smart, easy-to-read electronic shelf-edge labels (ESELs) across the store.
In addition to lending the shelves a sharp new look, “the ESELs cut down the work involved in putting out price changes,” Tommy says.
“They also give us a more robust way of controlling margins and pricing,” he adds.
New Volumatic machines, meanwhile, have also helped “to reduce the time spent counting cash each day.”
One thing Londis Winslow is certainly counting more of these days is shoppers, with customer feedback having been “very positive,” Tommy adds.
Footfall and sales have both risen since the redevelopment – putting the store in a strong position for what Tommy predicts could be a challenging year ahead.
“With the wider economy likely to come under pressure, our aim is to keep the stores running efficiently and remain resilient through whatever comes,” he says.
We have no doubt Petrocell will rise to the challenge.
RETAILER
Stand and deliver!
With a quality range and friendly customer service, shoppers can’t fail to halt at this arresting Oxfordshire forecourt store.
Flanked by fields and farmland, the dusky tree-lined stretch of Oxford Road that spears through the hamlet of Hopcrofts Holt was once a haunt of choice for highwaymen.
In fact, the 15th-century Holt Hotel still bears a carving of the notorious highwayman Claude Duval – for whom the road was a favoured spot to demand that people “stand and deliver!”
Today, people are still pulling to a stop on that very same stretch of road – but of their own free will and for infinitely more pleasant reasons – often setting off again with bulging baskets of quality food and drinks.
The reason for their halt: the bright and bold beacon of convenience and conviviality that is Londis Hopcrofts Holt.
Acquired by Petrocell in 2015, the site’s old 500sq ft kiosk store was flattened in 2016 to make way for a brand-new 2,200sq ft “all-singing, all-dancing” forecourt store with a real “wow factor,” Petrocell director Tommy Dowling explains.
For more information on the responsible retailing of vapour products, visit juullabsretailer.co.uk
A mezzanine floor on which to house an efficient new stockroom and office was created upstairs, while downstairs, the shopfloor was fitted out “to the highest specification possible,” including a smart black ceiling, wood-effect ceramic floor tiles and the latest LED lighting technology.
The store was also designed with multiple missions in mind, including a compelling fresh, chilled and frozen offer that catered to its affluent local shopper demographic – and shoppers from slightly further out.
“With the nearest supermarket almost five miles away, we’ve worked hard to create a winning range here at Londis Hopcrofts Holt,” the store’s RDM Steve Griffin adds.
SHOPPER
VIEW
My local store and garage. Plenty of choice for snacks and some good deals too! Staff are very nice and friendly; they have helped me get shopping to my car several times. Good all round.
Whether it’s a quick and convenient meal for one, a feast to feed the whole family, or a decadent date night in, there’s something for everyone at Londis Hopcroft.
The store’s affluent shopper demographic is also catered to with a quality range of Cook-branded frozen foods, which complement Londis’ greatvalue frozen food offer.
Introduced just a few months ago, the three new Cook freezers already generate well over £1,000 per week.
The range also includes several artisan and locally made products, including fresh bread, which is delivered daily, as well as local eggs, gins and fine wines.
Located on the main road between Banbury and Oxford – and with an MOT testing centre right next door – food and drinks to go also form a key component of the store’s mix.
SHOPPER VIEW
This is my go-to place to refuel on the way to and from work. Good selection of sandwiches and warm, easy meals. Great staff, very friendly.
Peckish passers-by can pick from a wide range of fresh and hot products from Country Choice, Rollover and Costa Coffee, plus Londis-supplied sandwiches in the chilled aisles.
But what really sets this super store apart is its team – most of whom live locally.
“What makes the site different are the staff. They’re well known locally, which supports recruitment, customer loyalty and the smooth running of the store within the community,” Tommy adds.
“They are a dedicated team and there is always a good rapport on site,” he adds.
Online reviews clearly show this to be true, with local shoppers posting a plethora of pleasing content such as: “What a treat to come to a lovely business where the staff are so friendly and charming!”
In addition to service, Londis Hopcroft also offers local shoppers and passersby alike access to a range of convenient services including National Lottery and parcel collection.
INVESTING TO IMPRESS
In the last 12 months, Petrocell has invested around £28,000 fitting brandnew electronic shelf-edge labels (ESELs) across the store – lending its shelves a smart new look and saving staff large amounts of time at promotional changeovers.
The Londis team also worked with the store on a full remerchandise and range review ahead of the key Christmas trading period.
The site was also fitted with new ANPR systems from security firm Big Brother.
The result is a site which continues to perform “very well” – “bucking many of the trends we’re seeing elsewhere in the estate,” says Tommy.
And if that’s not a reason to pull to a stop, we don’t know what is. No highwayman needed!
STORE INFO
Store name: Londis Hopcrofts Holt
Top tips!
Local products can add a welcome USP to your shelves and provide a great opportunity to create eye-catching displays.
Give your promotions the edge with Londis’ professional suite of POS.
Employing local staff can help to support recruitment and shopper loyalty.
Retailer: Tommy Dowling, director, Petrocell
Size: 2,200sq ft
Opening hours: 6am–10pm
Services: National Lottery, parcel collection, food and drinks to go
Key categories: Food to go, fresh, soft drinks, BWS
Staff: 10
MEET THE BUYER
Say ‘hello’ to...
Name: Lauren Burdett
Title: Category Manager Designate
Category: Household, Health & Beauty, and Medicine
In this issue we say hello to Lauren Burdett – Booker Category Manager Designate for the Retail Household, Health & Beauty, and Medicine categories. She’s a busy lady all year round – and especially now as cold and flu season strikes!
PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF…
Hi, I’m Lauren and I’ve worked at the Booker Group for 12 years now. I joined back in October 2013 as a Category Assistant within the Non-Food Grocery team – and in August 2024 I took the leap and became a Category Manager Designate – looking after the Retail Household, Health & Beauty, and Medicine categories.
HOW HAS YOUR ROLE CHANGED OVER TIME?
Over the last 12 years the role has changed a lot! Since joining the Booker Group, we have acquired Makro, Budgens and Londis, which has meant a change in the ways of working and it has been great to see all the new customers. I’ve always worked within the Non-Food category, which has also given me the opportunity to be involved in other innovative and exciting categories, such as Baby and Pet.
WHAT DOES A CATEGORY MANAGER DESIGNATE DO?
Essentially my role as Category Manager Designate is to ensure we have the right products, in the right format, at the right price point for the channel. I liaise with suppliers on a daily basis, as well
as supply chain to ensure that we have the correct forecast and stock levels and avoid any overstocks or shortages. I also ensure that the pricing and promotions we offer will drive our customers’ businesses and they are in line with what today’s shoppers are looking for.
WHAT ARE YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES?
A key responsibility will always be to ensure all products are safe and legal. It’s also my job to ensure that we have the right products for our range, at the right time. I’m always thinking of key periods throughout the year – whether this be Spring Clean or Winter Season.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
My days always vary depending on what I am working on at the time. I deal with a variety of suppliers on a day-to-day basis, whether this is discussing new opportunities for the Booker Group or negotiating pricing. We have a very strong supplier base, with suppliers we have worked with for several years, or new suppliers to the group.
I typically speak to the bigger suppliers on a weekly basis to ensure we are all aligned with plans and anything coming up within the next couple of weeks.
Delicious Crunchy Tender bites
Convenience Wholesale exclusive in Booker, order code M309007 now!
Don’t miss our launch promotion in NP13
About Lauren
Lauren is the Booker Group’s Category Manager Designate for the Retail Household, Health & Beauty, and Medicine categories.
She joined Booker 12 years ago as Category Assistant within the Non-Food Grocery team before making the jump to Category Manager Designate in August 2024.
A self-proclaimed “people person,” Lauren loves the fact that her role allows her to interact with a wide variety of different people daily – including suppliers, retailers and her own team members. She also thrives on the challenge of making sure that Booker has the right products, in the right format, at the right price point for the retail channel throughout the year. She’s currently working hard on plans for 2026 – with lots of promotions and cash & carry activity on the cards – so watch this space!
Currently, I am involved with a couple of range reviews across my subcategories, so watch this space – we have some changes coming!
WHAT
DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR ROLE?
I am a people person, so I love to be able to talk to a variety of different people daily. We hold two retail trade shows each year, and I love attending these and being able to speak to retailers directly and get their feedback.
often need a quick remedy for everyday ailments while on the go. Medicine helps to drive footfall, and shoppers often pick up medicine items alongside everyday essentials. Stocking recognisable brands such as Lemsip, Strepsils, and Panadol elevates store credibility and positions retailers as a reliable destination.
TELL ME ABOUT THE ROLE THAT SEASONALITY PLAYS
This varies throughout the year. Spring will need to ensure stocking of allergy relief such as Piriteze. As we move to the end of August and beginning of September, we look at Back To School, when Calpol is the ‘must stock’ for this period. During the winter – for cold and flu season – ensuring that the correct brands are listed is key: Lemsip, Strepsils, Covonia or Beechams. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are needed all year round.
WHAT
TRENDS SHOULD
CONVENIENCE RETAILERS BE AWARE OF?
Trends are linked to the above question. We see certain trends depending on the time of year. The convenience channel is seeing growth in cold/flu remedies, children’s medicine and digestive health. Shoppers are now more inclined to manage minor ailments themselves – rather than going to visit a doctor, so stocking a core range of trusted brands is imperative.
ARE THERE ANY PRODUCTS, UPDATES OR PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY THAT RETAILERS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE NEW YEAR?
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE MEDS CATEGORY TO CONVENIENCE RETAILERS?
Medicine is incredibly important for the convenience sector. Shoppers
We are currently in the throes of planning activity for the new year. Promotion 12 is being planned as we speak and there are lots of promotions and cash & carry activity coming your way!
WHAT MORE COULD CONVENIENCE RETAILERS DO TO BOOST SALES IN THE MEDICINE CATEGORY?
Make sure they are stocking the top-selling lines: Lemsip, Strepsils, Panadol, and Calpol. It also pays to ensure that the positioning in store is correct. Medicines are often a distress purchase, so shoppers want speed – it’s best to ensure that they are as visible as possible.
Top new products
PEDIGREE PUPPY MIXED SELECTION
JELLY
SHEBA FINE FLAKES FISH SELECTION
CATSAN HYGIENE
PAMPERS AQUA
FELIX AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS MIXED SELECTION JELLY
WHISKAS POULTRY FEASTS IN JELLY
Scoot hits 200 stores!
Booker’s exclusive low-cost delivery solution Scoot has now been adopted by over 200 stores and is on course to hit over the 400-store mark by the end of February.
Why Scoot?
FULLY FLEXIBLE MODEL
l Make an estimated £34,000 additional profit per year (based on weekly app sales of £2,500 at 26% gross margin)
l ZERO commission once you reach £5,000 of weekly sales on the app
l ZERO consumer charges giving you the ability to offer the service for free
l 0.7% average card transaction fee
l Save up to £16,000 per year with Scoot vs other rapid delivery platforms based on weekly sales of £4,999
l Want to get to the next band of Spend and Save? – Scoot can help you
l Dedicated onboarding and set up support, including PoS package
More than 200 retailers have now signed up to take advantage of Booker’s exclusive and low-cost Scoot home delivery platform despite the service only becoming widely available in April last year. Even more impressive is the fact that Scoot is set to hit over the 400-store mark by the end of February as more and more retailers come on board to start seeing the benefits of the unique Scoot proposition.
Designed by retailers for retailers, Scoot promises to help you make more and save more – an estimated £34,000 more profit each year to be precise, based on weekly sales of just £2,500 at 26% gross margin.
With only 1% commission charged up to £4,999 of weekly inapp sales – and zero commission once you hit £5,000 a week – Scoot delivers an outstanding low-cost app that facilitates home deliveries to shoppers in as little as 30 minutes.
There are also no shopper charges –giving you the flexibility to offer the service for free, should you wish – or set your own delivery, service or minimum order fees. The app connects shoppers directly with participating stores, enabling them to order from a range of products, curated by you, the retailer.
What’s more, a new ‘last-mile’ partnership announced in September between Booker and Just Eat gives retailers the option to offer fast, reliable delivery without needing to manage their own fleet of drivers and vehicles.
with high- profile, content-relevant influencers like Mitchy & Matty, Nantida Intajak and Kerre ‘the insatiable foodie’. Between them they have something in the region of 35,000 followers and we have worked with them to share and amplify the Scoot message, showing consumers how it works and what the benefits are and encouraging their followers to give the Scoot app a try.
In other words, Scoot offers everything you need to introduce home delivery for the first time or to take your existing home delivery service to a new and more profitable level.
GETTING SOCIAL
With Scoot now firmly established as a uniquely effective low-cost solution, Booker is working hard to encourage download and trial of the Scoot app among consumers in areas around stores that offer Scoot home delivery.
Among the latest innovative campaigns is an exciting trial between Scoot and some leading social media influencers. Damian Sanderson, Head of Home Delivery at Booker, explains: “We know that customers spend a lot of time on social media these days so that’s a natural opportunity for us to exploit.
“We did a lot of analytics and modelling to help us identify the social media influencers we wanted to work with and ultimately decided on entering into agreements
Did you know?
“As we speak, we’re only a few weeks into the trial but initial results are very positive. If the strategy works as well as we expect, it’s obviously a model we can roll out more widely in future to the benefit of more and more Scoot retailers.
“At the end of the day, our role at Scoot is to help our retailers grow their sales. Our unique low-cost model is squarely designed to minimise cost and complexity for retailers while simultaneously helping them grow their home delivery sales. If our retailers are growing their sales, we are growing our sales too. It’s a true win-win partnership.”
Scoot costs
l Retailers introducing Scoot to their store will incur a one-time setup fee of only £395.
l There is a 1% service charge on in-app sales up to £5,000 per week, however this is removed once a retailer consistently achieves over £5,000 in weekly in-app sales, over a four-week period.
l A card processing fee of approximately 0.7% will apply to all transactions.
l Next day settlement of all consumer transactions occurs, with the exception of weekend and bank holidays.
l Average delivered basket transaction is £26* (3x more than in store)
l One in three shoppers are interested in using Rapid Grocery Delivery*
l The market is set to grow to £2.6bn by 2029 from £2bn*
l 34% of convenience stores offer a local delivery service**
l 80% of orders are delivered within a one-mile radius
l The busiest days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday* *TWS; **ACS
SCOOT: BY RETAILERS, FOR RETAILERS
SPRING CLEAN
Polish your profits
Time to shine
The often-quieter new year trading period provides the perfect opportunity to take stock of your operations and set your store up for success.
Santa’s stabled Rudolf and, after the wild ride that was Christmas, shoppers are reining in their socialising and spending too.
With the start of a new year traditionally ushering in a quieter trading period for retailers, now is the perfect time to quite literally take stock of your operations and shape up for the year ahead.
The power of a well-presented, efficiently run store cannot be underestimated when it comes to driving footfall, sales and profits –especially in today’s ultra-competitive market.
And while we can’t help you shine the shelves, we can provide buckets of top tips and reels of advice to help you brush up for 2026.
OUTSIDE
First impressions count! The outside of your store is the first thing that every single shopper sees as they approach – so it’s vital that everything looks on point and inviting.
Ask yourself:
l Is the signage neat, tidy and clean?
l Do your exterior walls need a lick of fresh paint?
l Are the windows smudge- and clutter-free?
l Do you have a bin available for shoppers?
l Why not arrange a community litter pick around the local area? It’s a great opportunity to engage your shoppers and clear up the local area. It also provides positive content for social media.
Inside
Offering a quality shopping experience is an absolute must these days. Shoppers expect sky-high standards, so make sure you’re delivering them! Walk your store and try to see it through your shoppers’ eyes by asking yourself:
l Are the floors clean and safe with no loose or uneven surfaces?
l Are aisles easy to navigate for shoppers with mobility issues or prams?
l Do all the lights work?
l Is your counter clean and free of scuffs and clutter?
l Is the ceiling free of marks and cobwebs?
l Is all in-store signage accurate and in good condition?
l If you have a community noticeboard, can any out-of-date messages or posters be taken down?
Range review
Now is also a great time to do a full review of your range to ensure that every inch of space is earning its keep.
l Implementing new planograms will help you to ensure that you are stocking the best-selling lines and highlight new products.
l Remember – choice is important, but not to the point of unnecessary duplication.
l Actioning new planograms also provides a great opportunity to deep clean fixtures – not forgetting the tops of shelving!
Shelf life
Once you have identified the best range for your store and given your shelves a deep clean, a high standard of merchandising will help to maximise sales.
l Giving team members responsibility for specific areas of the store can help to increase efficiency and can be really motivating for staff.
l To help them, use photographic evidence of ‘What Good Looks Like’ in back-room areas.
l Print out new shelf-edge labels to keep fixtures looking premium and make sure you have a shelfedge label in place for all products.
l Aligning the shelf-edge label to the left of the first facing for each product will make replenishment easier and quicker.
l Remember! A full point of sale (POS) pack is provided to all stores, but if you require specific POS or wish to order additional items, you can do so on the Printshop website.
l If you don’t already, facing up the store each evening will assist in quicker replenishment from the morning’s delivery.
Seasonal swing
The start of the year is packed with seasonal opportunities – from Valentine’s Day on 14 February, Shrove Tuesday on 17 February and Mothering Sunday on 15 March.
l If you don’t already, consider creating a dedicated seasonal bay within the store.
l Seasonal products can also create a great opportunity for off-shelf feature displays.
l Where applicable legislation allows you to do so, feature seasonal products at the front of the store or near checkouts.
l Always make sure any off-shelf displays are supported with pricing and point of sale.
l As seasonal stock is time sensitive, monitor sales and be prepared to reduce the stock to clear at an appropriate time.
l If stock for future events is not yet available, consider using the space for bulk promotions.
Stocking success
l A well-organised stockroom and warehousing facilities will ensure that stock is easily accessible and not wasted through unnecessary damage.
l It will also help your team replenish more quickly and efficiently – maintaining availability and increasing sales and profit.
l A good idea is to organise your warehouse in a way that matches your shop floor – this will allow products to be found quickly and easily.
l Designate a specific location for promotional products – these will sell quickly and will need to be replenished regularly.
l Consider where you store high-value lines – are they secure?
l Try to ensure that stock is not stored directly on the floor – this will help to prevent damage and maintain quality.
l It’s best practice to keep all floor areas free from trip hazards.
l Try locating Local and Central Billing products together –this can make it easier to check stock levels when placing top-up orders.
Team tactics
Shoppers will judge your team just as much as your store, so it’s vital that all store staff are well trained and know how to offer first-class customer service all day, every day.
The start of a new year is also a great time to review staff training and for team members to undergo refresher courses.
Londis retailers have access to free online training for their staff via CPL Learning. You and your team can access 11 essential compliance courses covering health and safety, food safety, and age verification – all of which can be completed on a variety of devices.
It’s also worth checking staff uniforms.
l Ask yourself: Are staff uniforms and fleeces in good condition or do they need replacing?
l Are your team that handle food wearing the appropriate aprons, bibs, gloves and hair nets?
allies
BOOKER NETWORKS Powerful
Safe and supported
Shining the spotlight on the great work of the LGBTQ+ at Booker Colleague Network.
An absolutely superb event! A huge thank you to the network. I have certainly come away with actions to implement for me and my team to take another step forward in allyship. Booker Colleague
Over the last few months, we’ve been taking a closer look at the inner workings of Booker’s fab four Colleague Networks – the valuable safe spaces which strive to create a supportive environment and drive meaningful change for Booker colleagues from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Recent issues of Londis News have introduced you to Women at Booker, Race and Ethnicity at Booker and Disability at Booker – and now it’s the turn of the
LGBTQ+ at Booker Colleague Network.
Created in 2023, LGBTQ+ at Booker’s overriding aim is to make sure that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, feels welcome at Booker and that Booker is a place where all LGBTQ+ Colleagues can thrive.
Run by members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies – the Network offers a dedicated space for LGBTQ+ Colleagues and allies
to come together, share experiences and learn from each other.
The Network also offers a wide range of support, including helping to connect Trans+ Colleagues to a wider virtual Trans+ Colleague Space, which offers monthly meetings and support.
It’s also on hand to help with any issues faced by LGBTQ+ Colleagues and encourages them to reach out if there’s anything they’d like assistance with.
LGBTQ+ at Booker also runs sessions to help allies understand how they can best support our LGBTQ+ Colleagues and has created an inclusive language guide, available on the Our Booker website, which helps allies to champion LGBTQ+ inclusion locally and have meaningful
conversations with Colleagues.
It’s all made possible thanks to the hard work of passionate Network Chairs and three dedicated teams: Events & Planning, Engagement, and Inclusion –who all pull together in a bid to achieve the Network’s goals, meeting every two weeks to discuss actions, plan events and tailor support.
For example, the summer of 2025 saw the Network explore how it could use an external benchmarking tool to assess LGBTQ+ inclusion at Booker.
By combining a tool from Stonewall with Colleague feedback from our Pride event, the Network was able review what Colleagues wanted – and see where the biggest differences could be made.
I thought the day was fantastic, amazing conversation between colleagues that we would never get to spend time with outside of the events, helps us see things from all different perspectives to shape change required for the future. Drag acts were a fantastic end to celebrate with everyone. Well done on a memorable and amazing event!
Booker Colleague
LGBTQ+ COMMON TERMINOLOGY
Language is inherently complex and continuously evolving – and terminology associated with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ (LGBTQ+) community is no exception. Here are some common terms you may encounter when in conversation with people from within this community.
Cisgender: Describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Gender dysphoria: Marked and persistent incongruence between a person’s experienced gender and assigned sex at birth.
Intersex: Describes a person with one or more innate sex characteristics (such as genitals, internal reproductive organs, or chromosomes) that fall outside of traditional conceptions of male or female bodies.
Nonbinary: Describes a person who experiences their gender identity and/ or gender expression as outside the binary genders of man and woman.
Transgender: Describes a person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Transition or gender affirming care: The process a person undertakes to bring their body and/or gender expression into alignment with their gender identity; may involve social, medical, or legal transitions. Note: A person is not required to transition socially, legally, or medically to be considered transgender. Transitioning is a unique experience for each individual and may involve all, none, or some of these processes.
Social: may include going by a different name, using different pronouns (e.g., she, he, or they), and dressing or otherwise presenting themselves differently.
Medical: may include procedures such as hormone replacement therapy and/or one or more gender confirmation surgeries.
Legal: may include changing one’s name or sex on legal documents such as a passport, driver’s license, or bank account
Language to avoid
l Referring to a person as “biologically/genetically” a man, woman, boy, or girl.
l “Lifestyle” or “sexual preference” to refer to a person’s sexual orientation.
l Calling a person “homosexual” who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, or queer.
Going forward, two key areas it plans to tackle are engaging Band 1 + 2 Colleagues and providing better training and support for Colleagues to understand the LGBTQ+ community. So stay tuned as we seek to drive change in these areas in 2026!
The Network also seeks to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with a range of events throughout the year, as well as supporting key national events such as LGBTQ+ History Month in February – and Pride Month in June.
LGBTQ+ at Booker is currently hard at work planning a range of in-person events for LGBTQ+ History Month – as well as supporting colleagues who are hoping to run their own local events.
We’re also planning to re-launch Pride in a Box to help Colleagues create their own Pride displays after the brilliant work we saw last year – so watch this space!
For Trade Only. Not for Distribution to Consumers.*PMI reported global shipment volumes and in-market sales estimates of nicotine pouch units, from December 2023 to December 2024.** Offer valid whilst stocks last and subject to availability until 31st March 2026. † Profit on Return. Margin is calculated on the stated RRP. All pricing decisions rest with the retailer and therefore margin may be affected by the retailer’s chosen selling price.
Make your voice heard
Time to break the cycle
With the Crime and Policing Bill coming into force in early 2026, the time to start working on real solutions that effectively break the cycle of repeat offending against our sector could finally be approaching, the ACS hopes.
In recent weeks, the BBC published new figures reporting that the amount of time it takes for shop theft offences to reach magistrates court has risen from 32 days in 2014, to 59 days in 2024. When we asked retailers about this, the new figures still seem to be pretty optimistic with many reporting that it takes several months to get a court date when incidents are reported, if anything happens at all.
So what’s going on here, and could this be an indication that the tide is actually starting to turn on retail crime?
We know that year on year, retailers are doing their part to deal with crime. In the last two years alone, the convenience sector has spent over half a billion pounds on crime prevention and detection, with many investment decisions in store now seeing the fastest payback when they are for loss prevention measures. Retailers are also doing their part by reporting more. In some areas, this has been supported by more streamlined reporting systems, but overall, the constant breaking of ONS records of shop theft incidents recorded by the police can be seen as a positive, as it is starting to bridge the gap between what happens on the ground and what the police see.
The police themselves are also stepping up. Figures from our latest Voice of Local
Shops survey, of over 1,000 independent retailers, show that more than half reported having a very good relationship with their neighbourhood police. This kind of response would have been a real anomaly just a few years ago, and it shows that there has been a tangible effort put in by local forces, Police and Crime Commissioners, and central Government to demonstrate a visible police presence.
So, what we have left is the rest of the justice system. It goes without saying that if more retailers are reporting theft, and police are increasingly prioritising the investigation of crime, that there will be more pressure on the courts to see cases. This is where we need more resource because left unchecked, offenders will simply continue offending without any fear of reproach.
We’re not prescriptive about what the intervention should be, but we’re clear that whatever it is, it needs to be the most effective way of breaking the cycle of reoffending.
We continue to make these points to the Government, but with the Crime and Policing Bill coming into force in early 2026, it looks like we’re finally getting beyond having to describe the problem and starting to work on real solutions to stop repeat offending against our sector.
