Issuu

NEWS, AWARDS, INSIGHTS, INTERVIEWS, NEW PRODUCTS, PROMOTIONS AND MUCH MORE…

T DON’ .. MISS.

Unearth extra profits this Halloween Scoot delivers vouchering success! Autumn NPD

Sep/Oct 2026

Game on. Stock up now. ONLY £1.99 PMP

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©2026 Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. All rights reserved. DIET COKE & COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry Float price marked pack variants included as stocked.

23 COMMUNITY NEWS

A round up of inspiring stories from community-minded Londis stores around the UK.

13 GROCERYAID UPDATE

The latest news from the industry’s charity.

26 LOCAL TREASURE

Communities most wanted

36 THRILLS AND TILLS

Local shops and post

44 ALL WRAPPED UP

offices once again top the public’s ‘most wanted services’ list.

Local shoppers have even more reasons to treasure Londis Parkhouse after a radiant reﬁt. Get your teeth stuck into this year’s extra-juicy Halloween opportunity. Christmas is on its way – are you ready?

53 TRAIN TO GAIN

Up-skill your staff and keep compliant with free accredited training.

58 SCOOT VOUCHER TRIAL

The results are in and Scoot has delivered again!

63 NEW PRODUCT ROUNDUP

Our pick of the hottest new products to hit the shelves.

68 MEET THE TEAM

Say hello to Booker’s Interim Head of Marketing, Sophie Porter.

77� NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Look out for Booker’s brand-new Autumn NPD Guide!

Treasure beyond measure Londis Parkhouse is even

82 BOOKER NETWORKS

An inspiring update from the LGBT Q+ Colleague Network.

91 ACS UPDATE

Wise words from ACS Chief Executive Ed Woodall..

more of a treasured local asset after a dazzling development.

Booker Retail Partners

For IT: 7am–9pm (Monday to Friday)

Tel: 0870 050 0158 Opening hours: 8am–5:30pm Monday to Friday

Email: For customer services: londis.claims@bookerretail.co.uk or enquiries@londis.co.uk

IT and Customer Services

Helpdesk: 0800 298 0758

Opening hours: For customer services: 6am–9pm (Monday to Friday)

Londis News team: Email: yourretailmag@booker.co.uk

THE UK’S NO.1 WATER BRAND

WE DRAW OUR WATER FROM UNDERGROUND

*Source: NIQ Total Market Coverage, Sales Volume (Ltrs and Sales Value (£s), 52wks to 21/03/2026

n e d l o G Opportunity!

WELCOME

Welcome

ndisNews . o L f o e u s is r e b Octo to our September-

Autumn is here and laden with a rich crop of opportunities for Londis retailers to grow their footfall, sales and profits. After what has been a long and very hot summer in parts,

I also urge you to check out our Meet The Team interview

autumn is here and bringing with it the promise of crisper

with Booker’s Interim Head of Marketing Sophie Porter,

days and cooler nights to come.

who talks about the power of POS and how Londis’ suite of expertly-designed materials can help you squeeze

However, while temperatures might be dipping outside,

every drop out of all these opportunities.

in stores, the opportunity to harvest additional sales and profits is just about to hot up.

You can also read about our latest Scoot developments, including

the

successful

addition

vouchering

The wind-up to the crucial festive period presents an array

functionality. Vouchers were first piloted at the end of

of golden sales opportunities, including ‘Back To School’,

January with very successful redemption rates since then.

Halloween and then Bonfire Night shortly afterwards. This issue also showcases the inspiring progress made by It also heralds the return of the Big Night In opportunity,

Booker’s LGBTQ+ Network over recent months, as well as

as shoppers seek out the warmth and comfort of their

some great advice on staff training.

sofas once more. So, happy reading, and very happy trading over the next Whatever the occasion, Londis has a bumper crop of

couple of months!

support, promotions, NPD and more, to help you make the very most of each one. Our Halloween feature, for example, is packed with insights and information to help you take a bigger bite out

Look forward to seeing you in-store!

of this year’s opportunity, which looks set to be especially plump - given that it falls on a Saturday and during the half term holidays.

Martyn Parkinson And, naturally, we also have a feature to help you get

Director of Retail Sales

Stewart Fenn

Director of Retail Customer Proposition & Forecourt Sales

your all-important Christmas preparations off to a really cracking start. Magazine created for the use of Londis retailers, and not for consumer purposes.

available now

YOUR LONDIS

Stories from around the Londis Family...

Find us on

@myLondis

Local shops among businesses that communities want more of Local shops and post offices once again top the public’s ‘most wanted services’ list.

their local shop acted as a

have once again starred at

community hub, and 54%

the top of the public’s ‘most

agreeing that it helped to

In addition, hairdressers,

wanted services’ list.

reduce loneliness in their

charity shops, takeaways,

community.

pawnbrokers and specialist vape shops were all named

Banks, specialist food shops, pharmacies, post offices

Just under 45% of people

as businesses that the public

and convenience stores all

said that would also like

believe are too numerous,

featured in the top-10 list of

to see a greater range of

and would like to see less of

businesses that local people

shops and services on their

their highstreets.

said they wanted to see more

highstreets, while 39%

of in their communities, the

would like to see improved

“The evidence points to a

Association of Convenience

cleanliness.

clear and consistent set of priorities: addressing crime

Store’s (ACS) Community @myLondis

highstreets worse.

Local shops and post offices

Barometer 2026 has revealed. The Barometer also

An additional 30% said they

and anti-social behaviour,

would also like to see more

returning empty units to

shop units occupied.

use by reducing the cost of trading, maintaining clean

highlighted the essential role that local shops play in

Meanwhile, more than 30%

environments, and ensuring

community cohesion, with

of people said that “dodgy”

accessibility,” the Community

51% of people agreeing that

shops were making their

Barometer said.

NEWS

Fall in recorded shop theft offences welcomed Local shops have welcomed a 4% fall in the number of recorded shop thefts in the last year.

PayPoint launches Community Champion Awards Programme PayPoint has launched a new Community Champion Awards Programme to celebrate retailers who go above and beyond. The initiative comprises four awards, one of which will be announced each quarter. The categories are: l The PayPoint All Rounder

The Association of Convenience Stores

“After years of neglect, we are making

(ACS) has welcomed a fall in the official

a difference. This is what happens when

number of shop thefts recorded by the

retail crime is finally treated with the

police over the last year.

seriousness it deserves.”

The latest Crime Survey for England

ACS chief executive Ed Woodall said:

and Wales, published by the Office

“Tackling theft, abuse, robbery and

for National Statistics, has shown

other retail crime remains is a top priority

that following a period of increases

for local shops, with over half a billion

in shoplifting, there has been a 4%

pounds spent in the last two years on

decrease in the year to March 2026, when

crime prevention and detection measures.

l Parcels Retailer of the Year l PayPoint | BankLocal Retailer of the Year l Most Improved

compared with the previous year.

Retailer of the Year. Winning retailers will be able to select a local community initiative or club to receive a donation of £3,500.

“The official figures continue to highlight

Winners will also receive

In the 12 months to March 2026, there

the challenges facing convenience stores,

free PayPoint service

were 507,086 recorded shop theft

but we welcome significant positive

fees for 12 months and

offences compared to 530,324 the year

steps that have been made throughout

receive professional

before.

the last year on increasing the visibility

PR activity support

and accessibility of police forces in

including local media

communities.

engagement, social

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “Shop theft has now fallen for a

assets, in store point of

second consecutive period – dropping 4%

“We must continue to focus on making it

sale and a photoshoot

in just the last year.

as straightforward as possible for retailers

opportunity.

to report crime, for incidents to be “Charges are up 19% in the last year

responded to swiftly, and for interventions

alone, and almost one in four shop theft

to be targeted at breaking the cycle of

offences now lead to a charge.

reoffending that blights communities across the country.”

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NEWS

Facewatch to launch UK-first real-time police alert capability Instant alerts of highest risk offenders will take evidence-backed crime reporting to police to ‘the next level’. plus positive alerts to thousands of retail stores across the UK. June 2026 became the system’s busiest month on record with 57,111 alerts, reflecting both the continued expansion of Facewatch’s network and the persistent activity of repeat offenders. Facewatch claims that the process delivers 99.98% operational accuracy by checking each match with two Facewatch has announced plans to

combines world-class algorithm accuracy

algorithms, prior to a human verification

launch the UK’s first real-time crime

with an easy-to-use reporting system,

stage, before an alert is sent.

management platform, which will alert

enabling retailers to record incidents,

police in just four seconds when high-

analyse data and generate evidence-led

Fisher added: “The majority of retail

risk offenders enter stores.

reports.

crime is carried out by a minority of

The platform feature will trigger a real-

“To support the wider community and

number of which are using weapons to

time notification the moment a high-

government fight against retail crime,

threaten shop workers.

risk offender is matched by live facial

the capability to alert police instantly

recognition as they enter a protected

when serious offenders trigger a live

“We’re calling time on prolific repeat

store, enabling police to respond while

facial recognition match will take

offending with a unique technical

an incident is still unfolding.

evidence-backed crime reporting to the

development that will warn police within

next level.”

an average of four seconds the moment

prolific repeat offenders, an increasing

the worst offenders are matched and

Facewatch CEO Nick Fisher said: “The Facewatch Crime Management Platform

Every month, Facewatch sends 50,000-

flagged on our network.”

Jisp's Scan & Win platform delivers record shopper engagement Retail technology company Jisp has unveiled the results of its highest-performing Scan & Win activation to date. The campaign combined Jisp’s Scan & Win Video technology, which lets shoppers scan product packaging without a QR code, with instant-win mechanics and multi-channel marketing to create an engaging shopper journey both in and out of store. The six-week activation generated more than 1,000 product scans, with 62% of participants returning to scan more than once and the most engaged shoppers taking part almost daily throughout. Esther Lawrence, Partnerships Director at Jisp, said: “What this campaign proves is that when you make packaging interactive, you create a completely new media channel that delivers measurable engagement and genuine excitement around a brand.”

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NEWS

Shoppers increasingly prioritise delivery choice The findings reinforce the importance of extensive and accessible parcel networks.

Powerball makes an impact with UK launch Shoppers have been flocking to stores to buy tickets for The National Lottery’s new Powerball game after its official UK launch

Research from PayPoint has

order to arrive within two days as

revealed that shoppers increasingly

standard, reinforcing the need for

value having a choice of delivery

retailers to compete on more than

The new game gives UK players

and collection options when

speed alone.

the chance to play the world’s

in July.

biggest rolling jackpot game for

buying online, highlighting the growing need for retailers to offer a

Nearly one-third (32.6%) of

breadth of choices.

consumers said having flexible delivery and collection options

The research, based on a survey

matters more than receiving the

of more than 2,000 UK consumers,

fastest delivery available, while

found that 86.5% consider it

a further 24.7% said speed and

important to have a choice of

flexibility are equally important.

delivery or collection options at

the very first time. Priced at £4 per line, UK players play for a chance to win the shared jackpot by matching five main numbers plus the Powerball, with the jackpot paid to UK winners over 30 years.

Convenience also remains a key

The first UK Powerball ticket

factor for consumers using parcel

was sold at Sewell On The Go

The findings come as wider

collection and drop-off services.

in Pocklington, York at just after

industry research shows UK

Almost nine in ten (88.3%)

5am on 21 July.

consumers are increasingly willing

respondents said it is important

to pay for delivery services that

for parcel collection and drop-off

meet their individual needs, with

points to be located close to their

61% prepared to pay a premium

home or workplace. Meanwhile,

for a chosen or faster delivery

nearly two-thirds (64.8%) said they

option in 2026.

would only be willing to travel up

checkout.

The findings suggest that while

The game is behind some of the world’s biggest lottery wins, including a record-breaking jackpot worth more than $2.04 billion won in 2022.

to 10 minutes to collect or return a

With 20p commission per

parcel.

£4 line sold, alongside

fast delivery has become an

additional earning and footfall

expectation for many shoppers,

opportunities from in-store

choice is emerging as a key

prize payouts, Allwyn claims the

differentiator for retailers. Industry

game offers clear commercial

data shows 63% of UK consumers

benefits for retailers.

now expect a typical online

Great sales. are on us..

NEWS

Better manager relations halt retail wellbeing decline Retail wellbeing rose to 62 out of 100 between January and March. Wellbeing in the retail industry has improved for the first

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said:

time in a year as relationships between managers and staff

“Retail workers are still battling job insecurity, high living

strengthened, according to the latest Retail People Index from

costs and too many incidents of crime and abuse, and this is

Retail Trust and global consulting firm AlixPartners.

impacting those working on the frontline of retail the most, but the help they are receiving from their employers appears to

The index calculates retail worker wellbeing scores out of a

have improved this year.

possible 100, with anything below 60 indicating that people are struggling with their mental health.

“This rise in overall wellbeing and relationships between managers and staff is testament to a renewed investment in

The results show overall wellbeing scores rose to 62 out of 100

leaders and the impact this can have on everyone’s ability

between January and March this year. This is up from 57 at the

to turn up to work feeling happier, healthier and more

end of 2025, when wellbeing had continued to deteriorate.

productive.”

The report also measures the likelihood of staff quitting or working while unwell to show the impact of happiness levels on businesses. There was a 9% fall in the number of retail employees likely to leave their jobs and an 11% drop in those going into work while unwell during the first three months of 2026.

Booker achieves Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for all own brand tuna products All own-brand tuna supplied through Booker is now Marine

With global supply chains often stretching across several

Stewardship Council (MSC) certified.

countries and processing stages, traceability is an important

The development means that all Booker’s own brand tuna,

part of responsible sourcing.

including tinned tuna, can carry the blue MSC ecolabel,

Booker has been working with suppliers and industry experts to

meaning it has been sustainably sourced.

improve visibility across its seafood supply chains, supporting

The development comes as shoppers increasingly seek confidence in where their food comes from - with seafood being no exception.

responsible sourcing standards for both wild-caught and farmed fish. A key focus has been increasing the amount of seafood sourced from independently certified fisheries.

NEWS

Grocery spend remains top priority for cashstrapped shoppers Groceries and food remain consumers’ strongest spending priority, with 39% expecting to spend more in the coming months.

Brits reveal what they look for in a service station Clean toilets, a wide range of snacks and good parking are the top priorities for service station shoppers. As millions of Brits took to the roads over the summer holidays, new research conducted by Gulf revealed what holidaymakers most desired from their service station stops. Clean toilets were rated a top priority by almost two-thirds of drivers (63%) followed by a comprehensive range of food and drink options, with good parking

Shoppers continue to prioritise spending

feeling largely negative about the wider

on groceries despite planning to cut back

economy with a net 37% of consumers

options ranking third.

elsewhere, the latest BRC Consumer

expecting the UK economy to worsen

A full range of fuels,

Sentiment Monitor shows.

over the next three months, while

good customer service,

expectations for personal finances stand

family facilities and EV

at net -12%.

charging were among

The research, published in July, found groceries and food remained consumers’

the other facilities

strongest spending priority, with 39%

Among consumers planning to reduce

drivers also appreciated

expecting to spend more over the

spending, half said they intended to cut leisure spending and the same number

most.

next three months compared with 11% who expect to spend less, giving the

planned to buy cheaper products. More

category a net score of +28%. All other

than a quarter also said they expected to

retail categories recorded negative net

purchase fewer items.

spending intentions. Parents are feeling particular pressure, By contrast, overall retail spending

with 54% saying they expected to

expectations have fallen to a net +1%,

experience greater financial strain during

the lowest level recorded since February.

the school holidays. Higher grocery

Although the report shows a third

spending was identified as the biggest

consecutive monthly improvement in

cause of that pressure, followed by the

consumer confidence, consumers are

cost of days out and activities.

With the average staycationer travelling 191 miles to reach their holiday destination, service stations are a major feature of the long holiday drive - with 34% of drivers using a service station once and 38% at least twice.

NEWS

Energy drinks ban for under 16s to be enforced in England next April A mandatory ban on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s is expected to come into force next year, the Department of Health and Social Care says. The Department of Health and Social

under 16. Tea, coffee and lower caffeine

retailers to train staff on the new

Care has confirmed that a mandatory

soft drinks are not set to be affected by

policies required.

ban on the sale of energy drinks to

the ban. ACS polling of independent retailers in

under-16s is expected to come into force in England next April.

In November 2025, ACS responded

2022 showed that four in five already

to the Government’s consultation on

have some form of voluntary policy

But, the Association of Convenience

the ban of energy drinks to under-16s

in place to restrict the sale of energy

Stores (ACS) has argued that retailers

in England, highlighting the need for

drinks to young people.

need more time to implement the ban.

a longer implementation period to ensure that retailers and customers

High caffeine soft drinks are currently

Under the proposals, drinks that contain

are prepared for the change, allow

labelled as ‘not recommended for

more than 150mg of caffeine per litre

enforcement authorities to plan their

children’.

will be illegal for sale to anyone aged

activity around compliance, and for

Glasgow retailers join kayak clean-up on the Clyde Londis Solo Convenience Store owner Martin Lightfoot got fully on board with a community litter-pick along the River Clyde ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Organised by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and backed by Keep Scotland Beautiful and local community groups, the 120-strong team, including Martin, took to paddleboards, kayaks and footpaths to clean up the river. The initiative formed part of Commonwealth Sport and the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign, which has prevented one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways.

Bring in the

back to school

crowds

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Key issues of interest to you

Londis Solo is the main event! Saturday 8 August marked the return of Londis Solo Convenience Store’s magnificent Main Street Pavement Festival. Organised by Baillieston-based Londis retailers Natalie and Martin Lightfoot, the festival brought the whole community together for a day of fun, food and festivities. Hundreds of local people came down to enjoy the event, which also raised valuable funds for key local good causes, including Beatson Cancer Charity and The Daffodil Club. Dozens of other local businesses also donated funds and prizes to the festival’s big business raffle. The event was also sponsored by a raft of local and national suppliers.

Elham, Kent, has amassed hundreds of followers

The bee’s knees!

on Facebook in a matter of weeks, following a

Goonhavern Bridge Stores Londis &

concerted community campaign to “help it hit

Post Office is treating its local shoppers

300 likes” and launch the village’s first-ever home-

to a new range of ethical Rescued Bee

delivery service.

Honey.

The store opened in mid-June, and by early July

This delicious honey is produced in

more than 330 local shoppers and businesses were

mid-Cornwall by bees which have been

following its page.

rescued by the ‘Bees Off’ organisation,

Community delivers support for new Londis A brand-new Londis store in the rural village of

which ensures the responsible and Commenting on the campaign, Elham’s local

ethical removal of unwanted honeybee

community group said: “This

colonies from residential, commercial

means it can finally start

and heritage properties.

the ball rolling on our very first village and outer areas

The expert team of passionate

delivery service, Scoot, which

beekeepers prioritises bee welfare,

could make a big difference

ensuring that bees are carefully

to the lives of many in our

removed and relocated to one of its

rural areas. It just shows

safe production apiaries, where they

what we neighbours can do

have access to diverse pollen and nectar

together.”

sources.

NEWS

Barcode Festival raises record £1.19m Industry charity GroceryAid’s ﬂagship Barcode music festival raised a record £1.19m in July. Industry charity GroceryAid has announced the return

Harvest who help nourish people in need across London

of Barcode Festival on 1 July 2027 following another

experiencing food poverty. Some 20,535 meals were

hugely successful event this year that brought together

delivered to charities feeding communities across

thousands of grocery industry colleagues for a day of live

London, through City Harvest’s charitable network, after

music, networking and fundraising at Kenwood House,

the event.

London. Kieran Hemsworth, CEO of GroceryAid, said: “Barcode Barcode 2026 welcomed more than 4,600 attendees

is a celebration of an industry that genuinely cares for its

from 378 companies and raised £1,190,025 for

people. To see thousands of colleagues come together

GroceryAid, helping the charity continue its vital work

to connect, celebrate and raise vital funds for GroceryAid

supporting independent retailing and grocery workers

is incredibly special. Every ticket purchased, every

and their families across the UK. The charity provides

activation delivered and every donation made helps us

financial, emotional and practical support to grocery

continue providing financial, emotional and practical

people when they need it the most.

support to grocery workers and their families across the UK.”

Surplus food from the event was donated to City

RETAILER PROFILE

Golden oldie

Local

treasure

Local shoppers have even more reasons to treasure Londis Parkhouse, after a radiant refit of the 40-yearold store.

Recruiting new staff can be a tough

there with an adorable handwritten CV

business even for the best of stores

detailing her ‘cleaning, timekeeping and

– so when you encounter one where

counting’ skills!

prospective employees are practically knocking down the door to work there –

So, what’s all the fuss about?

it’s safe to assume that there’s something truly special going on.

Well, for starters, as a true community store, Londis Parkhouse does a great

And that assumption is certainly

deal of good locally, actively sponsoring

validated when you meet Londis retailer

and supporting a wide variety of local

Manoj Bhardwaj, whose family have run

initiatives, groups and causes.

the locally treasured Londis Parkhouse in Milton for more than 40 years.

In fact, the day that Londis News called, Manoj had just donated all the snacks

In fact, a job at this gem of a store is

and refreshments to the local high

so desirable among locals that Manoj

school’s end-of-year prom – making the

even made the regional news after a

special event even more memorable for

local eight-year-old applied for a job

its young attendees.

RETAILER PROFILE

Local shoppers love it and we’re also attracting a lot of new faces. With the new look, there’s no doubt that we’re turning heads and attracting new trade that might previously have just been passing by. Manoj Bhardwaj

He also actively supports a local group which seeks to help local people struggling with issues such as housing, food provision and mental health. Thanking Manoj for a recent gift hamper donation, the group said: “Manoj and his family truly are part of the fabric and fibre of this community. “They have spent most of their lives working in our community providing a vital service every day in all weathers and during uncertain times. We so appreciate everything you and your family do for this community.”

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“We’re a true community store and we try to help people however we can,” says Manoj. “My parents established the store 40 years ago and I’ve worked here since my early 20s so we’re on firstname terms with pretty much everyone – there’s a great vibe in here. My mum is the backbone of the business, she still works here four mornings a week and everyone knows her!” And now, following a top-to-bottom refit, Londis Parkhouse doesn’t just do good – it looks it too! Really, really good in fact! “Even with our high levels of local loyalty, we knew there was an opportunity to do more with the store,” Manoj says. “The old store was starting to look a little run down, especially from the outside, so we knew it was time to bite the bullet and do it. “Trends had also changed over time. Local shoppers were asking us for more fresh, more chilled and more variety – and the old store wasn’t able to properly provide that for them.” But a brand-new Londis store could. In February 2026, Manoj invested in a top-to-bottom refit of his old familyowned store, elevating its drab old exterior from tired to inspired – with a smart new grey façade, complete with a modern Londis fascia and graphics. “Initially I was a bit worried about how much darker the new paintwork would be but I needn’t have been because the finished result is so smart and striking – it definitely turns heads. I’m really pleased with the outcome!”

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Top tips! 1

3 STORE INFO

We make full use of our POS kits to bring our shelves to life and help promotions stand out.

Local foods are a significant USP – especially our locally made and caloriecontrolled Chinese ready meals.

Hanging bags are a growing category for us, fuelled by their value for money and convenience.

Store name: Londis Parkhouse Retailer: Manoj Bhardwaj Size: 2,000sq ft Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 7am-9pm, Sun: 7am-6pm

And the interior certainly doesn’t

The large, well-lit and immaculately

disappoint either, with a full refit

merchandised beer cave has enabled

including new floors, wall coverings,

Manoj to offer local shoppers and

ceiling tiles, lighting and more.

passers-by alike a much wider range of BWS choice, including more multipacks

Vibrant back-lit category signage makes

and kegs, all of which are sold chilled

navigating the store as easy as pie, while

and ready to drink.

modern new media screens dotted

Best-performing categories: BWS, soft drinks, confectionery

around the store advertise its offer.

Services: National Lottery, home delivery, free-to-use AT M

The modern and inviting new store also boasts vastly expanded food- and

“We closed for three weeks so that we

drinks-to-go offers, thanks to a footfall-

could knock a wall down and expand

driving Treat Stop zone featuring Costa

into our storeroom, taking the shop floor

Coffee, Jolly Rancher slush, Rollover

up from 1,200sq ft to 2,000sq ft,” Manoj

hotdogs, muffins, burgers and more.

says. But it’s fresh and chilled where the true “We’ve got a much smaller stockroom

magic has happened.

now but thanks to new Londis concepts, such as The Cooler, that’s not an issue,

The store’s chilled offer has been

because most of our stock is now

“significantly expanded” to a 14-door

earning its keep where it should be – out

stretch of refrigeration offering local

on the shelves.”

shoppers a basket-boosting new range

of choice, with more fresh meat, ready meals, sides and dairy products than ever before – all of which is ranged within smart new energy-efficient chillers with doors. The store’s extended range of Londis lines, including fantastic-value Jack’s products, is complemented by an abundance of locally sourced fresh and chilled products. The marvellous meat offer alone includes lines from three different local butchers – all of which is supported by eye-catching ‘I’m Local’ POS and shelf strips.

Shoppers can also fill their baskets and bellies with an array of locally made ready meals, including locally made curries and sides, plus high-protein, calorie-controlled Chinese ready meals from local supplier Hosprep. “The high-protein, macro-counted ready meals are hugely popular, especially with the growing number of young healthconscious shoppers out there,” says Manoj. “And it’s not just local shoppers who want them; we get people driving here from miles around and they tend to buy three or four at a time.

pack the store’s strong value-for-money

“Standing here today, after all this time,

for local, but we’ve really stepped it up

message with an ever-weightier punch.

I’m honestly so glad that we’ve done what we have,” Manoj says.

since the refit and it’s such a fantastic USP.” Up at the counter, a mouthwatering

“Shoppers are shopping the whole store now, even our grocery sales have

“Local shoppers love it and we’re also

increased,” says Manoj.

attracting a lot of new faces. We are on a

RETAILER PROFILE

“We’d always had a good reputation

busy road and with the new look there’s

range of local cakes and pies from Stuarts also drives further footfall, sales

“We have a whole new gondola and a

no doubt that we’re turning heads

and profits.

number of new lines and it’s all selling.”

and attracting new trade that might previously have just been passing by.”

More local and Scottish products can

Confectionery is also performing

also be found in the soft drinks chillers,

strongly, led by hanging bags. These,

Sales initially increased 10% after the

while out on the shop floor, promotional

Manoj says, “offer great value for money

refit and Manoj is confident of further

stacks of Irn-Bru create quite the impact!

and are more convenient for shoppers to

growth. “A big change like this always

share or ration.” Jack’s hanging bags are

takes a bit of time to bed in,” he says.

selling particularly well.

“We are well on our way towards hitting

Dedicated and fully supported promotional end bays also help to

20% now. “I’m also so proud of how my in-store team have responded to all the changes. There’s been a lot to do and a lot to learn but they’ve pulled together so well. “With a bigger store and higher sales and footfall we may eventually need to recruit a few more team members but that shouldn’t be too tricky!” Manoj says.

SEASONAL UPDATE

Give your sales some bite!

Thrills and tills

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Missing out on this year’s extra toothsome Halloween opportunity would be a grave mistake!

Pumpkins also provide a ﬂeshy opportunity to carve out additional sales and profits! Just under a quarter of all GB shoppers (22%) will buy a pumpkin to carve, according to YouGov’s 2025 Halloween spending and shopping trends survey.

Summer’s barely spent and yet the

A spooktacular 49% of all GB adults said

Halloween season has already got its

they celebrated Halloween in 2025 – up

claws into stores, with retailers up and

significantly from 28% in 2024.

down the country pulling skeletons out of their closets in preparation for 2026’s

And there’s more good news to come

spooky season.

– because with Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, and during the

And with just under half of all GB adults

October half-term break, consumer

now celebrating Halloween – and the

participation is expected to be stronger

number growing, according to a recent

than ever – giving retailers the chance

YouGov survey – it’s frightfully clear

to take an even bigger bite out of the

why…

opportunity.

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“Halloween continues to be one of the biggest seasonal events in the retail calendar. As shoppers increasingly leave purchases until the last minute, local stores become the go-to destination for trick-or-treat sweets, sharing bags, decorations and impulse purchases.

HALLOWEEN

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“By stocking the right range and creating impactful seasonal displays, convenience retailers can drive incremental sales and increase basket spend throughout October.” Nicola Cranwell, Category Manager – Confectionery, Booker Group

Hot stuff IMAGE COURTESY OF PUBLICDOMAINPICTURES ON PIXABAY

11/05/2026 11:54

Doing so will help you to stretch out that

You can also unearth

all-important seasonal window and fire

great sales and profit

up those all-important incremental sales

opportunities in the

and profits.

grocery aisle. With 11% of GB shoppers saying

But it’s in the final lead-up to the main

that they celebrate the

event that Halloween buying really

spooky season by baking

peaks.

Halloween treats, it clearly pays to ensure your

According to the same YouGov survey,

shelves are fully stocked

57% of Halloween celebrators make

with key home-baking

their plans just one week in advance –

essentials including plain

highlighting just how key it is for retailers

and self-raising flour,

to keep the momentum going right up

sugar, butter and eggs.

until 31 October.

And don’t forget the icing sugar – a common distress

SWEET OPPORTUNITY But not if they leave it too late!

“Halloween continues to be one of the biggest seasonal events in the retail

purchase. And with Halloween 2026 falling during many schools’ October half-

Did you know that more than a quarter

calendar,” Booker’s Confectionery

of shoppers (28%) like to start making

Category Manager Nicola Cranwell says,

their Halloween plans at least a month

“and confectionery is undoubtedly the

before the big night?

standout category.”

This YouGov stat shows just how

In fact, latest data reveals that

important it is for retailers to invest in

Halloween confectionery is now worth

Why not stock some fun

the creation of fully stocked, high-impact

£263m [NielsenIQ Scantrack & Kantar

and convenient home-

seasonal and promotional displays as

WPO | Total Halloween Confectionery |

baking kits to make even

early as possible in the season.

6W to WE 01/11/25].

more of the opportunity?

term breaks, Halloween baking is also likely to prove a popular pastime for parents and carers this year.

11/05/2026 11:54

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shoppers purchasing only chocolate and

With just under a quarter of GB

fruity fun-size products, underlining the

shoppers (24%) saying they celebrate

Buying sweets to hand out to trick-or-

importance of maintaining availability

the spooky season by holding scary

treaters is the most common way that

during this critical trading period, Mars

movie nights at home, demand for

GB shoppers participate in Halloween,

Wrigley adds.

sharing products soars in the lead-up to

So, what are shoppers buying and why?

the night itself.

with well over a quarter doing so (28%) This year, Londis retailers will be able to

according to the YouGov findings.

offer their shoppers the Haribo Starmix

Sharing bags represent the largest

For that reason, fun-size confectionery

Bumper Box – an ideal solution for

Halloween segment according to Mars

and novelty products are the key drivers

trick-or-treaters, offering a convenient

Wrigley and were also the fastest-

of sales during the Halloween season.

mix of individually wrapped favourites

growing format for Halloween 2025,

in a format designed specifically for

growing 7.1% in value sales – with large

Halloween.

and extra-large sharing formats driving

In fact, demand for these types of

both penetration and basket spend.

products peaks in the final two weeks leading to 31 October, with 80% of

HALLOWEEN

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IMAGE COURTESY OF JILL WELLINGTON ON PIXABAY

11/05/2026 11:54

And of course, sharing is big news too.

Ghoulishly good value PRODUCT

CASE SIZE

PROMO WSP

CONS DEAL

POR

Haribo Starmix Bumper Box

1x800g

£3.35

£5.00

19.60%

Haribo Bone Shakers

12x140g

£7.99

£1.25

36.08%

Maoam Halloween Mix

14x140g

£9.29

£1.25

36.30%

Haribo Sour Bats

12x140g

£7.99

£1.25

36.08%

Maltesers Box

7x310g

£24.79

£5.00

15.01%

UK’s No.1 Convεniεnt * Baking Brand £3.1P9

£3.19

RRP

M304685 M304701

£3.1P9 RR

£3.19 RRP

M304682 M304686

35.1M Salεs Valuε** 45.6% Valuε Sharε** ©General Mills | Serving suggestion. *Nielson, Total Convenient Baking Mixes, Value Sales, All Items, Total Coverage, Latest 52 Weeks, w/e 28.12.24 **AC Nielson, Total Convenient Baking, Value Sales, All Brands, Total Coverage, Latest 52 Weeks, w/e 24.05.25

Frightfully good facts

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l According to YouGov’s 2025 Halloween spending and shopping trends survey, just under half of all GB adults celebrate Halloween (49%) – this is up significantly from 28% in 2024. l Buying sweets to hand out to trick-or-treaters is the most common way that GB shoppers participate in Halloween, with well over a quarter doing so

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Top Tips

HALLOWEEN

11/05/2026 11:54

l Prioritise availability during the final trading push: With more

(28%).

than half of shoppers planning

l Just under a quarter (24%) celebrate spooky season by holding scary movie

their Halloween celebrations just

nights at home.

a week ahead, late October is critical for promotions and shelf

l While more than half (55%) of GB adults say they spend less than £25 on Halloween products, 20% say they spend between £26 and £50, with spending in this region highest among shoppers aged 35 to 44.

visibility. l Ensure bestselling lines, particularly fun-size confectionery

l Younger shoppers aged between 18 and 24 are the age group that spends

and sharing formats of

the most on Halloween, with 10% of 18- to 24-year-olds saying they spend

both chocolate and sugar

between £100 and £200 on the season, according to the YouGov data.

confectionery, remain available as demand peaks closer to 31

l While online sales continue to rise, a solid 39% of GB shoppers say they

October.

prefer to buy their Halloween products in store.

l Drive the value-for-money message home. Price-led Londis retailers should also keep their

This Halloween season, Londis

eyes peeled for Haribo Sour Bats

retailers will be able to get their claws

Share Bags – a wholesale channel

on Swizzels Mummy Mix tubs 340g,

exclusive “that taps into the continued

which they can use to create great in-

popularity of sour flavours while

store theatre and encourage impulse

adding a fun, seasonal twist to the

purchases.

messaging, multipacks and affordable Halloween costumes resonate across demographics.

sharing category,” Cranwell adds. And of course, it’s not all about the Retailers will also be able to offer their

sweet stuff.

shoppers 140g packs of Haribo Bone Shakers, price-marked at £1.25, and

With shoppers stocking up for spooky

140g packs of Maoam Halloween Mix

movie nights at home and Halloween

also for £1.25 – offering them PORs of

get-togethers with family and friends,

36.08% and 36.30% respectively!

sharing is also really big news within the crisps, snacks and nuts (CSN)

Tins and tubs also shine at Halloween

category – in fact, it’s the headline!

– and were bought by eight million shoppers last season, Mars Wrigley

With a value of £2.1bn and growing,

says.

according to KP Snacks, sharing is the largest segment in CSN and proves

And, with nearly half of Halloween tin

that sharing really is caring – especially

and tub purchasers buying them again

when it comes to your sales and

at Christmas, the category really does

profits.

help retailers to create valuable crossseasonal loyalty.

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14/05/2026 15:22

l Boost visibility with dedicated displays and merchandising support: make full use of your Londis POS across a range of key shopper touchpoints to maximise visibility and drive impulse purchases. l Cross-merchandise confectionery with drinks, snacks and party products to increase basket spend. l Maximise the October half-term opportunity. With Halloween and half term aligning this year, plan for increased footfall and familyfocused shopping missions.

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Spooky sales drivers

11/05/2026 11:54

HALLOWEEN

11/05/2026 11:54

When asked what would encourage them to buy more Halloween products, the vast majority of GB shoppers named better prices (21%), better quality (16%) and better offers (15%) as the key motivators. A greater choice of products also ranked highly (13%), while 10% of shoppers said location mattered – with being able to buy locally a key driver of sales. [Source: YouGov]

HARIBO STARMIX BUMPER BOX! Case size: 1x800g Promo WSP: £3.35 Consumer Deal: £5 POR: 19.60%

And thanks to an array of great-value deals, Londis retailers have certainly got sharing in the bag this year. Take 140g bags of Doritos Chilli Heatwave, Cool Original and Tangy Cheese for example – all of which will be

With the days shortening and the

available as part of a Mega Deal for just

weather turning colder, the arrival of the The two new takeaway-inspired flavours

Halloween season coincides with the

are the result of Walkers’ ‘Do Us A

return of the Big Night In occasion more

The same great-value price point will

Flavour’ competition, which invited

generally, as shoppers swap picnic rugs

also apply to six-bag multi-packs of

shoppers to submit their dream crisp

for comfy snugs and cosy nights in.

Walkers Cheese and Onion, Ready

ideas.

£1.75 a bag.

Salted and Variety, along with dips

So, with all that said and done, it’s clear

including Sour Cream and Chives and

Londis retailers will be able to offer their

that no matter the time or the occasion,

Mild Salsa.

shoppers the two winning flavours in

Londis has the products, promotions

70g packs for the amazing value price of

and prices to help you sink your teeth

£1.10 – offering them PORs of 27.33%.

into all the 2026 spooky season has to

Thrilling limited-edition crisps, such as Walkers Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam and

offer – right from its thrilling start to its

Walkers Salt & Pepper Chicken crisps,

And of course, the benefits of creating

are also sure to help retailers give their

compelling seasonal sharing offers and

sales and profits some extra bite too.

displays extend well beyond Halloween.

terrific end.

Don’t get caught out! l Remember! Regulations are now in place to restrict the location and promotion of products that are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS). l If your store is in scope, you cannot run volume promotions on HFSS products in store or online. l You also cannot display HFSS products within certain distances of checkouts, queuing areas, aisle ends and entrances. l For more information, speak to your RDM or visit acs.org.uk/advice/hfss-regulations/.

SEASONAL UPDATE

Get Xmas wrapped up

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Deliver this Christmas

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With multiple missions throughout the season, retailers who plan ahead for Christmas will tuck into the merriest sales and profits.

17/07/2026 15:51

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Trot on Rudolph! When it comes to

And this year will certainly prove no

Christmas, Londis is the master of

exception, with a sleigh-load of footfall-

delivering bags of festive sales and

driving special offers, great-value prices

profits, with no reindeer needed –

and new and Group Exclusive products

unless, of course, they are the chocolate

all set to land in stores just in time to

kind.

help retailers unwrap the festive season’s

GET SET FOR CHRISTMAS

17/07/2026 15:51

full potential. GROUP IMAGE COURTESY OF OURWHISKYFOUNDATION ON PIXABAY

And it’s a potential that just keeps on giving. “Christmas is the biggest seasonal trading opportunity of the year, with a much longer selling period than Halloween and multiple shopper missions throughout the season,” Booker’s Category Manager for Confectionery Nicola Cranwell explains. “Demand begins building from late September as shoppers start buying gifts and festive treats, before shifting towards sharing, entertaining and stocking fillers in the run-up to Christmas,” she adds. “In the final days before Christmas, convenience stores play a vital role for top-up shopping, forgotten gifts and last-minute purchases.” In other words, at Christmas, flexibility is key, with retailers who plan ahead and adapt their ranges throughout the season best placed to tuck into the festive sales opportunity that extends right across every stage of the Christmas shopping journey. Confectionery, of course, delivers one of the merriest opportunities at Christmas, with growth seen across self-treat, sharing, gifting and novelty formats throughout the season.

THE FASTEST

GROWING BRAND IN THE CATEGORY* POR

46% CK ON FLAPJA

£1.99

PROMO RRP ON TR E HIGH PROTEIN K

CODE

DESCRIPTION

SIZE

M303134

TREK Biscoff ,Flapjack ©

16x50g

M224712

TREK Cocoa Oat, Flapjack

16x50g

M256443 TREK Salted Caramel, Flapjack

16x50g

M308667 TREK High Protein, Biscoff

12x55g

M308682 TREK High Protein Low Sugar, Choc Caramel

12x55g

*Source NIQ Retail Sales data to 52 w/e 18.04.26

GROUP EXCLUSIVE!

CADBURY DAIRY MILK BISCOFF BAUBLE Case size: 48x33.5g WSP: £23.49 RSP: £0.80 POR: 26.59%

– another Booker Group Exclusive that

an affordable self-treat will be able to

is set to build on the popularity of the

indulge themselves with the brand-new

iconic brand with an indulgent festive

KitKat Orange Santa 29g – an exciting

twist.

GET SET FOR CHRISTMAS

Case size: 12x147g Promo WSP: £15.99 Consumer Deal: £2 POR: 20.05%

This year, Londis shoppers looking for

new product that Cranwell says is “well placed to drive impulse sales throughout

Fans of white chocolate will also be

the festive period”.

able to indulge themselves and others with Terry’s White Orange and Terry’s

“Boxed chocolates and seasonal

Exploding Candy Balls – both of which

novelties then become increasingly

will feature a great-value RSP of £2 –

important as Christmas approaches,”

offering Londis retailers PORs of 20.05%.

she adds. “Sharing bags also perform especially This year, the Cadbury Biscoff Bauble

strongly as families come together over

5pk looks set to offer shoppers “an

the festive period,” Cranwell adds.

exciting gifting and stocking filler option that’s exclusive to the convenience

And Londis retailers will have sharing in

channel,” says Cranwell.

the bag too, thanks to an array of greatvalue deals on chocolate and sugar

Retailers should also look out for the

confectionery pouch and bag products,

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Toffee Crunch

perfect for sharing under the tree.

Top Tips for merry sales and profits l Plan for the whole season, not just Christmas week. Christmas shopping missions change throughout the season, so adapt your range as demand evolves. l Create impactful festive displays using seasonal POS to inspire impulse purchases. l Stock a variety of formats, from self-treat and stocking fillers through to sharing and gifting options. l Cross-merchandise confectionery with soft drinks, snacks and festive essentials to increase basket spend. l Keep bestselling lines fully stocked in the final weeks before Christmas, when convenience stores become the destination for top-up shops and last-minute gifts. l Make the most of our exclusive products and NPD to give shoppers a reason to visit your store over larger competitors.

CAKE IMAGE COURTESY OF COTTONBRO ON PEXELS

TERRY’S EXPLODING CANDY BALL

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EA SPORTS FC 27 IN-GAME REWARDS Includes optional in-game purchases (includes random items). 18+ only; T&Cs & exclusions apply. Promotion and competition not available on Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2. Competition closes 30/11/2026 and is not available on PC.

Angry Ginge Red Bull Player

GET SET FOR CHRISTMAS

Expert eye “Early shoppers focus on value-driven gifts, festive novelties and stocking fillers, while later missions centre around entertaining, sharing and forgotten purchases. Convenience retailers are well placed to capture these lastminute shopping occasions thanks to their accessibility and extended opening hours. “Shoppers are also looking for products that offer great value while still delivering festive excitement, with trusted brands and our range of Exclusive SKUs, NPD and Mega Deals expected to perform well.”

Festive favourites Product

Case Size

WSP

Consumer Deal

POR

CDM Biscoff Bauble

48x33.5g

£23.49

£0.80

26.59%

KitKat Orange Santa

30x29g

£12.65

£0.80

36.75%

Terry’s Exploding Candy Ball

12x147g

£15.99

£2.00

20.05%

Terry’s White Chocolate Ball

12x147g

£15.99

£2.00

20.05%

CDM Freddo Faces Smash

9x90g

£12.75

£2.25

24.4%

CDM Buttons Smash

9x90g

£12.75

£2.25

24.4%

Maltesers Box

7x310g

£24.79

£5.00

15.01%

Nicola Cranwell, Booker Category Manager, Confectionery

Countdown to Christmas Last year, just under half of Britons (48%) planned to buy an advent calendar for at least one person – with younger adults being the most enthusiastic. Just over a quarter of Britons (26%) said they would buy an advent calendar for children, making them the most common recipients. Around one in five (21%) said they would get a calendar for their own use. This rose sharply among younger adults, with four in 10 18-24-year-olds (41%) saying they bought advent calendars for themselves. When asked what type of advent calendar they would most like to receive, chocolate was by far the favourite, at 62%. Only 18% plumped for drinks-based calendars, 14% for beauty or cosmetics calendars and just 13% for other food delicacy calendars. [source: YouGov Christmas 2025]

Don't fall foul of the law at Christmas! l Remember! Regulations are now in place to restrict the location and promotion of products that are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS). l If your store is in scope, you cannot run volume promotions on HFSS products in store or online. l You also cannot display HFSS products within certain distances of checkouts, queuing areas, aisle ends and entrances. l For more information, speak to your RDM or visit acs.org. uk/advice/hfss-regulations/.

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M302385 Vadasz Kimchi 275g 6 packs/case • M302325 Vadasz Sauerkraut 275g 6 packs/case *Source: Circana 15th June 2025

l Last Christmas, 78% of British adults said they expected to spend under £300 on Christmas food and drink, with 31% budgeting between £100 and £199. l 27% of consumers said they would look for lower-cost or alternative food or drink options, while 55% thought they would spend the same as the year before. l 83% of respondents said that roast potatoes or vegetables were essential to their Christmas meals, followed by 61% who prioritised roast meat and stuffing. l 69% said they made their main dish from scratch and 77% prepared side dishes at home, but 62% bought desserts ready-made. [SOURCE: YOUGOV CHRISTMAS 2025]

GET SET FOR CHRISTMAS

Festive facts

Expert eye “We expect Christmas 2026 to remain a key opportunity for convenience retailers. While shoppers continue to look for value, they are still keen to celebrate and are likely to spread their spending across the longer festive period. “This makes it important for retailers to stock the right products at the right time, evolving their range as shopper missions change from early gifting and impulse treats to sharing, entertaining and lastminute top-up purchases. “Availability will be critical, particularly in the final fortnight before Christmas when convenience stores see increased footfall.”

Group Exclusive sharing pouches of

will allow Londis shoppers to stock up

Christmas-themed M&M’s in both

for the party season with quality wines

peanut and chocolate flavours are sure

for the great value RSP of just £5.99 a

to deliver additional sales and profits.

bottle.

And of course, “soft drinks, crisps and

Beer and cider drinkers will also be

snacks also benefit as shoppers prepare

able to snap up a bevy of big brand

for entertaining, making cross-category

multi-packs including 6x440ml packs

merchandising a great way to drive

of Cruzcampo, Fosters, Staropramen,

basket spend,” Cranwell adds.”

Budweiser, Stella Artois, 1664 Bierre,

IMAGE COURTESY OF MIKEGLES ON PEXELS

Nicola Cranwell, Booker Category Manager, Confectionery

Carlsberg Export, Holsten Pills, Inchs Look out for NP8’s ‘Any 2 for £3’ deal on

Cloudy Apple Cider and John Smith

2L bottles of Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola

Extra Smooth for just £5.50 each.

Zero Cherry, Cherry Float and Diet Coke – perfect for pouring at parties.

Deals will also apply to larger formats, with 10x440ml packs of 1664 Bierre,

Christmas is also a boom-time

Carlsberg Export, Mythos, Madri, Black

for the BWS category and again,

Label, Staropramen, Cruzcampo, Poretti,

Londis’ Christmas 2026 promotional

Stella Artois and many more all available

package has been designed to deliver

for the footfall-driving RSP of just £13.

exceptionally merry sales and profits across the season.

With a package like that, it really is all to play for this Christmas: Londis is ready to

Mega Deals on Isla Negra Seashore,

deliver – are you?

Hardys VR and La P’tite Piere varieties

Train to gain As a Londis retailer you have access to free on-line training courses to help you build confident, compliant teams. IMAGE COURTESY OF COTTONBRO ON PEXELS

CATEGORY UPDATE

Staff training

FREE

OF CHARGE ONLINE TRAINING!

In today’s ultra-competitive retail

environment, a confident, well-trained

retailers can access 11 essential

team is as essential to your business as

compliance courses covering key

being in-stock of milk and bread.

topics such as Health & Safety and Age Verification.

And, Londis is committed to help you do just that.

Courses also include Food Safety Level 2 which give you the necessary training

As a Londis retailer you have access to

for fresh foods that your local authority

a raft of fully-endorsed training courses

will be looking for as part of HACCP

which have been specifically designed

regulations and the store Food Hygiene

to help you build strong, confident and

Rating.

crucially, compliant, teams.

STAFF TRAINING

A number of new and updated courses are now also available, including Natasha’s Law and Slips, Trips & Falls. And it gets better! Not only are all courses free, they have also been designed to fit around you and your team’s schedules. All courses can be completed online on a web browser and be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning there’s always time to shine! One business certainly reaping the rewards of well-trained, confident teams is HSRL which operates a number of

The training that we can access via CPL Learning is fantastic and I would 100% recommend it to other retailers. It allows us to ensure that staff are trained to high standards across a range of key areas including Underage Sales Prevention, Age Verification, Slips Trips and Falls, Manual Handling, Allergen and Natasha’s Law, Fire Safety and more. Investing in our staff is important to us as a business and this comprehensive training not only helps us to maintain excellent standards and remain compliant but also means that staff have all the training they need to kickstart their retail careers. Sellarajah Gunalan Londis Girton Service Station (HSRL)

Londis stores across the south east of

IMAGE COURTESY OF BERTELLIFOTOGRAFIA ON PEXELS

England.

NEW! The Sweetest Life

60 years of global sweet-making expertise. Now in the UK with a range of first to market products.

A classic reinvented for today’s shopper.

A pick-and-mix favourite now with a juicy gooey twist.

M318602

M318567 A playful blend of iconic shapes and top flavours nostalgia meets zing.

M318603

vidalcandies.co.uk

STAFF TRAINING

As operations director Sellarajah Gunalan explains: “Investing in our staff is important to us as a business and this comprehensive training not only helps us to maintain excellent standards and remain compliant but also means that staff have all the training they need to kickstart their retail careers.” And signing up couldn’t be easier either. Simply email vicki.edwards@booker. co.uk to register your store today.

FREE ONLINE COURSES l Allergen Awareness l Age Verification l Award in Underage Sales Prevention (AUASP) l COSHH l Emergency First Aid l Fire Awareness l Fuel Safety l HACCP Level 2 l Health and Safety l Manual Handling l Natasha’s Law l Slips, Trips and Falls l Working at Height Awareness l Food Safety Level 2

REGISTER YOUR STORE TODAY! vicky.edwards@booker.co.uk Please provide: Brand, Name of Store, Account Number, Address, RDM name, Contact Name, Contact Number

SCOOT UPDATE

Voucher success

468

retailers using Scoot!

Scoot adds vouchering to continue progress Booker’s exclusive low-cost rapid delivery service Scoot continues its programme of continuous improvement with the addition of vouchering capabilities, in direct response to retailer requests.

SCOOT UPDATE

Why Scoot? l 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)

There are very few quick and easy wins

With only 1% commission charged up to

in the world of independent retailing but

£4,999 of weekly in-app sales – and zero

one solution that might just tick those

commission once you hit £5,000 a week

boxes is Scoot. From a standing start,

– Scoot delivers an outstanding low-cost

Booker’s exclusive low-cost delivery

app that facilitates home deliveries to

solution has flourished and, as Talking

shoppers in as little as 30 minutes.

Shop went to press, the number of retailers now using Scoot has reached

There are also no shopper charges –

468 – a remarkable growth curve by any

giving you the flexibility to offer the

standard.

service for free, should you wish – or set your own delivery, service or minimum

Part of the reason why Scoot has seen

order fees.

such spectacular growth is down to the simple fact that Scoot is a solution

CONSTANT PROGRESS

Another major reason why Scoot

save more. There’s an estimated £34,000

continues to grow is the fact that the

more profit available each year, based

dedicated team at Booker continue

on weekly sales of just £2,500 at 26%

to develop and improve the solution,

gross margin.

often in direct response to requests from

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 setup support, including POS package

retailers.

retailers, Scoot offers four different voucher types including: l £x or % off a total basket spend l £x or % off a fees and charges

SCOOT UPDATE

To make the vouchering model as flexible as possible for

l £x or % off a product l Buy X product get £x or % off product Y Additionally, voucher codes that can be configured for any of the above scenarios and these vouchers can be set to exclude certain departments and have minimum spend criteria and valid days when issued, as required by the retailer. They can also be automated.

FLEXIBLE APPROACH Vouchers can also be set to be purchasable by the consumer, sharable with other users, set as being valid on certain days of the week or scheduled to coincide with major events. A fantastic example of that is the addition of vouchering functionality. Vouchers were first piloted at the end of January

To assist with targeting, retailers can choose to target a

2026 with the first voucher being redeemed by a customer on

range of customer segments, such as all customers, lapsed

the 29th of January.

customers, high frequency shoppers or high spenders, for example.

Since then a total of 5,630 vouchers have been redeemed which represents a redemption rate of 10% which by industry

Vouchers can even be used to manage customer service

standards is very successful.

issues by, for instance, automatically issuing vouchers for slow deliveries or offering free delivery or money-off vouchers to

Those redeemed vouchers saved customers a whopping

shoppers as part of a complaint handling process.

£17,400. And the process of continuous improvement doesn’t Participation has been extremely encouraging with a total of

stop there. In the near future, Scoot will roll out further

99 Scoot stores having had a redeemed voucher. The average

enhancements such as retailer-controlled vouchering and

customer spend on vouchers was £29.72 after voucher

voucher automation for new customers.

discount compared to £26 without a voucher. It’s no surprise then that Scoot continues to make massive What’s more, a total of 814 new customers have used new

headway and is bringing more retailers on board on a weekly

customer vouchers with 450 shopping again. The average

basis. Is it time you gave Scoot a go? Talk to your RDM for

spend of new customers is £23.95 after the discount is applied

more information.

(with an average discount of £6.70) so total basket spend was a very solid £30.65.

VOUCHER TYPES AVAILABLE

l £x or % off a total basket spend l £x or % off a fees and charges l £x or % off a product l Buy X product get £x or % off product Y

EXCLUSIVE TO BOOKER THIS OCTOBER **Recommended Retail Price.

Top new products Every issue we bring you the latest product launches from your favourite suppliers

KINDER CRISPY

IT'S GIVING MANGO & PASSIONFRUIT, APPLE & ELDERFLOWER, BLACK CHERRY

Case size: 16x5x34g WSP: £36.99

Case size: 24x330ml RSP: £3.99 WSP: £12.49 POR: 30.5% RSP: £1.00 POR: 37.6%

YFOOD RTD MEAL BANANNA, CHOCOLATE, VANILLA, BERRY

RUBICON RAW ENERGY CHERRY BURST

Case size: 6x500ml

Case size: 12x500ml

WSP: £14.79

WSP: £6.65

RSP: £3.50

RSP: £1.00

POR: 29.6%

POR: 33.5%

ABSOLUTE VODKA & SPRITE PMP Case size: 12x250ml PROMO WSP: £12.49 RSP: £2.29 PROMO POR: 45.5%

WOTSITS CRUNCHY REALLY MEATY PMP Case size: 15x48g WSP: £13.15

WALKERS MAX KFC PMP ORIGINAL CHICKEN, ZINGER CHICKEN Case size:15x70g

RSP: £1.35 WSP: £13.15 POR: 22.1% RSP: £1.35 POR: 22.1%

DRIVE YOUR SALES WITH TH E N EW READY M EALS FROM THE UK’ S NO. 1 FRESH PASTA BR AND! *

M301802

M320896

M318389 M301798

15+ days life

Reasons to stock La Famiglia Rana • UK ’ S NO. 1 FRESH PASTA BR AND * * • £6 . 5M UK ADVERTISING INVESTMENT IN 2026 *Source: Circana SIG Grocery Outlets, Data to 27.12.2025 **Source: Circana Total Market, Unit and Value Sales, 52WE 25.04.2026

Top new products Every issue we bring you the latest product launches from your favourite suppliers

WALKERS MAX KFC ORIGINAL CHICKEN SHARING BAG

WOTSITS CHEESY Case size: 18x 6x16.5g WSP: £25.29

Case size: 9x140g RSP: £2.25 WSP: £13.09 POR: 25.1% RSP: £2.50 POR: 30.2%

MAYNARDS BASSETTS TROPICAL FRUIT MIX

KIT KAT CHUNKY COOKIE DOUGH PMP

Case size: 10x100g

Case size: 24x42g

WSP: £6.45

WSP: £12.95

RSP: £1.00

RSP: 0.89

POR: 22.60%

POR: 27.3%

SOUR PATCH KIDS PEACH, PARADISE

ABSOLUTE VODKA & SPRITE WATERMELON Case size: 12x250ml PROMO WSP: £12.49 RSP: £2.29 PROMO POR: 45.5%

HARIBO BALLA BITES ZING

Case size: 10x105g

Case size: 12x140g

WSP: £7.99

WSP: £9.15

RSP: £1.25

POR: 23.3%

POR: 26.80%

1 BOTTLE SOLD * EVERY 10 SECONDS NP8

CONSUMER DEAL

STOCK UP NOW * Nielsen Total UK Unit Sales YTD W/E 21/02/2026

Top new products Every issue we bring you the latest product launches from your favourite suppliers

LIMITED EDITION!

HARIBO PIXELS ZING!

MCVITIE'S DIGESTIVES JAFFA CAKES FLAVOUR

Case size: 12x140g

Case size: 12x250g

WSP: £9.15

WSP: £15.29

RSP: £1.25

RSP: £1.99

POR: 26.8%

POR: 36%

MCVITIE'S DIGESTIVES CLUB MINT FLAVOUR

Discover more newness in Booker’s latest NPD Guide – out now!

Case size: 12x266g PROMO WSP: £11.49 RSP: £1.50 POR: 23.4%

WALKERS QUAVERS CHEESE MULTIPACK

CADBURY DAIRY MILK AND FRUIT AND NUT GRAB PACK PMP

Case size: 6x16g

Case size: 22x56g

WSP: £21.09

WSP: £17.85

RSP: £2.25

RSP: £1.29

POR: 25%

POR: 24.5%

NEW PROD UCT DEV RANGE GU ELOPMENT IDE SUMMER 2026 ALCOHO 52 LINESL

GROCER 30 LINESY OVER 290 NEW LINES

IMPULS 45 LINESE

FRESH FROZEN& 78 LINES

INCREASE SALES & PROFITS

23 GROU EXCLUSIVEP S

MARYLAND S'WICH TERRY'S CHOCOLATE ORANGE FLAVOURED COOKIE Case size: 12x150g PROMO WSP:£8.99 RSP: £1.00 POR: 25.1%

MEET THE TEAM

Say

‘hello’ to...

Name: Sophie Porter Title: Interim Head of Marketing, Retail, Booker Group WELCOME SOPHIE! TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU TO GET US STARTED.

Promotional Trading Packs, supplier-led shopper activity (competitions and prize draws), plus the in-store look and feel and supporting branding across our new

Hi! I’m Sophie and I work in the Retail

home-delivery service, Scoot!

Marketing Team. My background has always been in retail, starting in

We also support new stores with

electricals (both on the floor in-store and

branding and launch packages to

later in eCommerce) before moving over

help put them on the map within their

to the fast-paced grocery sector in 2014.

community and work closely with the

I’ve worked across all the Booker symbol

Product Team to produce New Product

brands over the years and now have an

brochures and the Pre-Sell brochures,

overview of them all and a great team to

which help retailers plan and order

make things happen.

stock for big events in the year, primarily Easter and Christmas.

SO WHAT DOES THE RETAIL MARKETING TEAM DO?

And the main event of the year is the Booker Retail Trade Shows, where

We’re responsible for bringing to life

we deliver all of the visuals and key

all of the promotional leaflets and Point

messages from across the wider Booker

of Sale (POS) that are sent to stores, as

team.

well as seasonal and event POS, retailer

It certainly does! It also means that every day is different and I love that.

HOW IS YOUR ROLE CHANGING OVER TIME? ARE YOU HAVING TO LEARN ANY NEW SKILLS, OR WAYS OF WORKING?

Top tips! 1

Even a great offer won’t perform well if customers don’t know about it! Place POS materials in high-traffic areas to significantly improve the chances of success.

Using the full kit will help you create multiple customer touchpoints throughout the shopping journey. Window posters attract customers before they enter, aisle signage highlights promotions as they shop, and shelf-edge materials help convert interest into purchases.

Utilise in-store space for secondary displays and importantly, ensure good availability through the full campaign!

There are many things that keep us on our toes – consumer regulations, legislation changes, new technology and evolving shopper trends and behaviour are all things that have an impact on our role. We need to be at the forefront of these changes to ensure we continue to get things right and support retailers.

IS THERE A PROJECT OR ACHIEVEMENT YOU’RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF? Launching Scoot was a great project to work on. From a branding point of view, shoppers were involved from the start – we gained feedback on the name, colourways and logo to ensure

MEET THE TEAM

WOW, THAT MUST KEEP YOU BUSY!

Sophie’s

we launched a brand that resonated and stood out in the market.

MEET THE TEAM

ABOUT SOPHIE Sophie Porter is a key cog in Booker’s Retail Marketing Team, the hardworking bunch responsible for bringing to life all the promotional leaflets, POS and branding that help your stores to shine! And, having worked across all the Booker symbol brands over the years, she certainly knows her stuff. Helping to launch Scoot has been one of her favourite projects to date, but it’s her ability to support independent retailers, by providing them with the right tools, promotions and instore materials to grow their businesses, that gives her the most satisfaction.

M121844 – Desperados (8x) 3x330ml bottles M177728 – Desperados (12x) 1x650ml bottle M301529 – Desperados (6x) 4x440ml cans

*Source: Kantar world panel online MAT P5 26

MEET THE TEAM

WHAT GIVES YOU THE GREATEST SATISFACTION AT WORK? I get a huge amount of satisfaction from supporting independent retailers. They work incredibly hard, and if I can provide them with the right tools, promotions and in-store materials to help them grow their business, that’s a success for me. What I enjoy even more is spending time in stores and observing how shoppers interact with the POS and promotional messages. Seeing a customer stop, notice an offer, pick up a product or add an extra item to their basket is a powerful reminder that effective marketing can make a real difference in a retail environment.

IF YOU COULD SHARE ONE KEY LEARNING WITH RETAILERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

OK – TALK US THROUGH THIS. HOW EXACTLY DO POS KITS HELP TO DRIVE SALES?

To take full advantage of their free POS material kits (promotional and seasonal)

Promotions give customers a reason to

to maximise the impact of every

buy now rather than later. They create

promotion!

excitement, drive footfall, increase basket spend, and help highlight products that shoppers may not have otherwise noticed. Well-executed promotions can also encourage repeat visits and improve customer loyalty!

ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS BEYOND DRIVING SALES? Strong promotional displays create a more professional and engaging shopping environment and can help build loyalty. Promotions can also help shoppers discover new products and help increase spend in store.

STOCK UP ON

THE UK’s No 1 COFFEE BRAND

Over

281

Million c Iced Coups of ff sold lasee t year* *Source Circana (UK) Ltd. All Outlets. UK, 52 WE 27 Dec 2025.

MEET THE TEAM

WHAT ABOUT WELLESTABLISHED STORES WITH VERY LOYAL CUSTOMERS – DO THEY STILL NEED PROMOTIONAL DISPLAYS? Even regular shoppers can overlook products and offers. Promotional displays remind them about current deals and encourage them to try new products. From time to time, kits also contain supplier-led POS supporting shopper competitions. Displaying this is a great way to reward shoppers and give them a chance to win fantastic prizes!

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISTAKES RETAILERS MAKE WITH PROMOTIONS? Not putting them up early enough. Not giving promotions enough visibility.

SO WHAT DOES A WELLEXECUTED PROMOTION LOOK LIKE THEN?

customers before they enter, aisle

Even a great offer won’t perform well if

signage highlights promotions as they

customers don’t know about it. Using

shop, and shelf-edge materials help

all available POS materials and placing

convert interest into purchases. The

them in high-traffic areas significantly

Ensure promotions are visible at different

more visibility your promotion has,

improves the chances of success. Slow

touchpoints (front of store, in-store,

the greater its impact. Seasonal POS

replenishment, leaving gaps on shelves

digital displays and even social media),

supporting things like Halloween and

correct POS is used and displayed tidily.

Christmas also really help to create

Utilise in-store space for secondary

theatre within a store.

displays and importantly, ensure good availability through the full campaign. Focus on your shoppers’ missions and ensure everything is seasonally relevant.

A LOT OF RETAILERS ARE TIGHT ON TIME, ARE THE FULL POS KITS REALLY WORTH THE EFFORT OF PUTTING UP?

AND THEY’RE FREE, RIGHT?

SO HALLOWEEN AND CHRISTMAS ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER, CAN RETAILERS EXPECT ANYTHING SPECIAL THIS YEAR? Yes! We will be supplying things like header cards, shelf strip and

Yes! The kits have been professionally

seasonalised promotional posters to

Completely free! Additional or

designed to maximise visibility and

help them bring the seasons to life.

replacement items can also be ordered

create a consistent promotional

directly through the Londis Printshop.

message throughout your store. A few

Halloween as an event continues to

minutes spent installing the materials

grow every year and now appeals to

can significantly increase awareness

a much broader audience than just

of an offer and help improve sales

younger children. Think pumpkins and

performance. If you are tight on time,

friendly ghouls to get shoppers into the

The full kit creates multiple customer

focus on the Mega Deals, which are

‘spirit’!

touchpoints throughout the shopping

designed to drive the most footfall.

DO RETAILERS REALLY NEED TO USE THE WHOLE KIT?

journey. Window posters attract

AUTUMN NPD GUIDE

Get set to sizzle

Fire up your sales

this Autumn Booker’s brand-new Autumn NDP Guide for 2026 offers up an explosive mix of sizzling NPD, First To Market and Group Exclusive products to get your Autumn off to a bang.

Temperatures may be falling outside, but in-

Other First To Market products that are sure

store, things are just about to heat up!

to help retailers stand out from the crowd include Mountain Dew Pitch Black and a new

Autumn, the gateway to smoking seasonal

Limited Edition Haribo variant of Ritter Sport.

sales is here, and so too is Booker’s brandnew Autumn NDP Guide for 2026 – a hotbed

GET EXCLUSIVE!

of new products, first to market goods, Group Exclusives and more!

The power of Group Exclusive products is well-known – gifting retailers a potent way to

Live online now and available alongside your

set themselves apart and drive footfall and

NP9 POS kit, the NPD Guide for Autumn

excitement in their stores.

features 11 First To Market products across a number of key convenience categories

Booker’s Autumn NDP Guide also includes

including soft drinks, confectionery, BWS and

five red-hot Group Exclusive products across

grocery.

the key impulse and BWS sectors.

Londis retailers will be among the first to be

These include:

able to offer their shoppers brand new Cherry

l Kinder Crispy: The popular chocolate

Cola variant of Shades - the viral sunshade

and wafer snack is now available in a new

shaped sweets created by YouTuber Niko

Group Exclusive 5-bar multipack format,

Omilana which are also vegan and halal-

which offers shoppers even better value

certified.

for money! l McVitie’s Digestives Mint Club – two

They will also be able to get their hands on

nostalgic products have been combined

two new great-value formats of Red Bull

to create an innovative Group Exclusive

Glacier. The new ice raspberry flavoured

product that’s sure to give sales some

drink is now available in a 250ml format pricemarked at £1.75 and a 473ml format

extra bite. l Fox’s Chocolatey Indulgent Creams

pricemarked at £2.80. The same can sizes are

Matcha – Maximise the ever-growing

also available in non-PMP formats.

matcha trend with this Group Exclusive biscuit!

THE MARKET LEADING coffee brand Full Size Machine

Countertop Machine

1m x 1m space required

600mm x 1m space required

Up to 200 drinks range

Available with or without Costa stand

WHY CHOOSE COSTA EXPRESS? We sell 5 cups of coffee every second. Offer your customers the Nation’s No.1 coffee brand in store. You provide the milk and we provide all other consumables, marketing materials, field service support and training.

Please speak to your Booker RDM to find out more about getting Costa Express into your store. Alternatively, email bookergroup@costacoffee.com for more information.

Group Exclusives are key to create unique value and competitive advantage. Stocking and providing these products can allow you to foster deeper customer loyalty by providing products that can’t be found elsewhere!

AUTUMN NPD GUIDE

Exclusive advantage!

Group Exclusives PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

CASE SIZE

RRP

WSP

MIN. POR

Kinder Crispy Multipack

16x5 Pack

£3.99

£36.59

31.2%

McVities Mint Digestive Club Group Exclusive

12x266g

£1.99

£15.29

22.4%

Foxs Chocolately Indulgent Creams Matcha

12x122g

£2.99

£20.89

28.8%

Thatchers Apple & Blackcurrant

10x440ml

£12.99

£8.49

20.0%

Stoli PM1269

6x35cl

£12.69

£50.75

19.0%

#1 SELLING JUICE SKU

$4.4BN GLOBAL CATEGORY

The UK's number one selling juice SKU across take-home and on-the-go* with 1 carton sold every second***

Coconut Water is now a $4.4bn global category, backed by elite athletes and growing consumer demand for functional refreshments*

M204762 VITA COCO ORIGINAL 500ml

THE FASTEST-GROWING TOP 10 JUICE BRAND BUILT FOR EVERY CHANNEL Enjoyed on its own, in smoothies or as a mixer & sold everywhere from retail to QSR, gyms, pubs, and vending Ambient stable with a long shelf life, it's the Swiss Army Knife of beverages. NAT OCCUURALLY POTA RRING SSIUM

Driving more volume growth than any other juice brand, adding 4.5 million litres to the category and outperforming the energy, juice and soft drinks categories combined*

GREAT

OUTT WOFRREK SHMEN RE

*SOURCE: NIELSEN COCONUT WATER CATEGORY 52 W/E 11.07.2026 ** SOURCE: EUROMONITOR 2026 *** SOURCE: INTERNAL SALES

alternative compared to the brand’s standard edition. Other new products sure to help retailers light up their shelves include Poppi – the top-selling functional soda brand in

AUTUMN NPD GUIDE

new Lite range offering a lower calorie

the US which is now available to Londis retailers. And with Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas just around the corner, Booker’s Autumn NDP Guide also

l Thatcher’s Apple & Blackcurrant – A low lower ABV

Well over a quarter of shoppers (29%)

showcases some of the sizzling new

product from the fast-growing cider

specifically seek out sour flavours when

seasonal products that are sure to help

brand that’s sure to drive volume.

choosing new products, meaning that

you get your Autumn off to a bang.

l Stoli - Premium Vodka in a Group

new launches from the Sour Patch Kids

Exclusive 35cl pricemarked at £12.69

and Shades brands are sure to help

Keep your eyes peeled for new Wotsits

retailers add some zing to their sales.

Bag of Bones – the new cheesy flavoured bone-shaped crunchy corn

Booker’s Autumn NDP Guide for 2026 is also packed with enlightening insights

Likewise, new launches from the Huel

puffs which are sure to help stores

into market trends to help you identify

brand will also help them to make even

capitalise on the sizeable Halloween

new opportunities to help drive footfall

more of the shopper trend towards high-

snacking opportunity.

through your doors.

protein products and meal replacement The Guide also includes a helpful ‘Focus

shakes.

on Frozen Pizza’ to help retailers create

For example, did you know that sour Growing at 34%, Huel is currently the

a compelling range of convenient meal

market at £171m and growing at over

largest Ready To Drinks (RTD) sports

solutions for cozy autumn nights in.

4.5 times more than the market?

nutrition brand in the UK - with its

flavoured confectionery is 12% of the UK 133112

62089

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ide Co

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2026

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W E N T’S 6

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60 1 R E V O INES L W E N CROSS A

L LCOHO

LINES

Y GROCER S E 41 LIN

LSE IMPUN ES 68 LI

& FRESHEN

FROZNES 51 LI

BOOKER’S AUTUMN NPD GUIDE 2026! More than 160 NEW lines including: FIVE Group Exclusives! 11 First To Market products! 81

BOOKER NETWORKS

LGBT Q+ at Booker

Pride of place In our latest update feature on Booker’s four inspirational Colleague Networks, we turn the spotlight back onto the powerful work of LGBTQ+ at Booker.

In recent months, we’ve been updating you on the many inspiring developments that have taken place within Booker’s four Colleague Networks – the pistons of progress that power the common goal of ensuring everyone feels welcome at Booker. In this issue, we return the spotlight to the LGBTQ+ at Booker Colleague Network which, it’s fair to say, is shining brighter than ever before – having undergone quite the evolution since it was first launched in 2023 and even since it was last profiled on these pages back in late 2025. Since then, LGBTQ+ at Booker has continued to grow both its reach and impact across the business – learning every step of the way and leaning into those learnings with the creation of more structured approaches and new initiatives that seek to drive improvement and lasting change.

BOOKER NETWORKS

The LGBTQ+ at Booker Colleague Network Created in 2023, LGBTQ+ at Booker has the overriding aim of making 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.

WHY ALPRO MATCHA?

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BOOKER NETWORKS Initiatives include executive mentoring

ensuring that LGBTQ+ inclusion remains

through Trans in the City – the UK-based

a visible priority and that colleagues

organisation founded by LGBTQ+

have advocates at every level of the

advocate Bobbi Pickard, which helps

organisation.

businesses create environments where all employees feel safe and supported.

However, one of the biggest learnings the Network has made is just how

The Network has also strengthened

valuable listening can be.

its approach to gathering feedback – enabling it to better understand

Conversations held at Pride events

colleague experiences and prioritise

and ongoing colleague engagement

the actions that will have the greatest

revealed that colleagues wanted

impact.

practical ways to celebrate and support LGBTQ+ inclusion in their own locations.

Feedback gathered from colleagues has also led to the creation of a cross-

This directly influenced the

functional working group focused on

development of the Network’s ‘Pride

identifying and prioritising areas for

in a Box’ initiative, which provides

improvement across the business.

Pride resources, flags, decorations and educational materials to branches and

The Network has also strengthened the

distribution centres across the Booker

involvement of senior leaders within it,

network.

M314337

l The Gender Equality Network

BOOKER NETWORKS

Booker’s fab four Colleague Networks are open to all and include:

l Race and Ethnicity at Booker l LGBTQ+ at Booker l Disability at Booker

The incredibly well-received initiative, which was expanded again in 2026, enables local teams to celebrate Pride in ways that feel meaningful to them – while raising awareness of why Pride remains important today. Listening has also enabled the Network to learn that while awareness is important, colleagues increasingly want to see tangible action. As such, by combining colleague feedback with insights from the UN Gap Analysis Tool, it’s been able to move beyond discussion and into developing clearer priorities for the future. So what are those priorities? Above all, LGBTQ+ at Booker’s driving ambition is to continue creating an environment where every colleague feels safe, respected and able to bring their whole self to work – building on its strong foundations and ensuring that LGBTQ+ inclusion becomes increasingly embedded in the business’s culture, leadership and ways of working.

One of LGBTQ+ at Booker’s standout moments was its Pride event in London on 4 July 2026, which brought together more than 200 colleagues from across Booker.

BOOKER NETWORKS

Events to be proud of

The event was both a celebration and a reminder of the importance of visibility, inclusion, mental wellbeing and identity. Importantly, it also gave colleagues the opportunity to share their lived experiences and ideas on how Booker could further support LGBTQ+ colleagues. These discussions became a valuable source of insight for the Network and wider business. Alongside this, the Network also continued to host its learning and awareness sessions – covering topics such as intersectionality, HIV awareness and Trans+ inclusion. Other proud highlights included a virtual fireside chat with LGBTQ+ advocate Bobbi Pickard and its continued support of mentoring opportunities through Trans in the City – helping senior leaders to strengthen their understanding and allyship.

Increasing visibility, strengthening

LGBTQ+ at Booker will also continue

allyship and providing opportunities for

to collaborate with Booker’s other

colleagues to learn from one another

Colleague Networks and with Tesco

also remain key.

Group to share learnings, make LGBTQ+ voices heard and ensure that allyship

And with a packed schedule of activity

continues to grow across the business.

designed to connect colleagues from across the business coming up,

Doing this will help to ensure

they will certainly have a great many

that inclusion remains everyone’s

opportunities to do just that.

responsibility.

Planned activity for the months

Because meaningful change only really

ahead includes support for important

happens when colleagues, networks

awareness dates, such as Bi Visibility

and leaders all work together to create

Day, World AIDS Day, LGBTQ+ History

a culture where people can thrive – and

Month and Lesbian Visibility Day.

everyone feels that they belong.

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VIEWPOINT: ACS

Make your voice heard

healing our

high streets The ACS’s new Community Barometer provides a blueprint for the new Prime Minister to deliver a robust high street strategy and a starting point for how to deliver good growth on every high street, ACS Chief Executive Ed Woodall says. A change of leadership in

life, and the clearest measure

and £10bn in GVA that we

Westminster has created

of whether a place is working

contribute to the economy

an opportunity to deliver

for the people who live there.

every year.

renaissance”, after a decade

Our Community Barometer

When we ask what people

in which too many local

report explores what it means

want more of, specialist food

parades, high streets and

to put place first through the

shops rank as one of the

town centres have been

lens of local high streets and

services that people are most

allowed to drift.

community services. Drawing

keen to see locally, along

a genuine “high street

on the views of people

with banks, which will come

Andy Burnham has put

across Britain, it examines

as no surprise to anyone

the principle of place at

what people value locally,

who’s attempted to visit a

the heart of his agenda.

what makes a good (or bad)

branch in person recently.

On winning Makerfield, he

high street, and the policy

called for a “Makerfield

interventions that are needed

The interventions that are

test” at the centre of British

to make local high streets

needed to create diverse

politics, judging every

more vibrant and appealing

and thriving high streets

decision by its impact on

to their communities.

are not new or necessarily complicated. We highlight

the many communities that Westminster has too often

The findings of this year’s

the burden of business

overlooked.

report paint a clear picture

rates, the impact of dodgy

of what people value. Post

shops locally, and the need

If the Makerfield test is to

offices, pharmacies and

for robust town-centre-first

mean anything, it must

convenience stores were

planning decisions as three

be applied where people

viewed as the services that

areas where the Government

encounter the condition of

had the most positive impact

can make a positive impact.

their community. Putting

locally, as well as being seen

place first means recognising

as the most essential.

Together, these findings provide a blueprint for the

that a thriving local shop, a clean and safe parade, and

Convenience stores were also

new Prime Minister to deliver

easy access to everyday

ranked as the top service for

a robust high street strategy

essential services are not

promoting local growth – a

and a starting point for how

nice-to-haves. They are the

testament to the recognition

to deliver good growth on

infrastructure of community

of the 400,000-plus jobs

every high street.

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