BY?JOHN?WOOD

Some of the biggest food and drinks brands in the UK are to support a national money-off coupon promotion for National Independents' Day (NID) on June 1.

Landmark Wholesale pushed sales up 3.5% in December, compared with the same trading month last year, and overall growth for its fiscal year was 8%.

Nisa-Today's has made changes within its senior management team with John Schofield and Neil Turton appointed to newly created positions as chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer (COO) respectively, reporting to founder and executive chairman Dudley Ramsden.

Two senior members of the Booker management team, its high-profile marketing director Mark Collier and services director Steve Hogan, have left the company.

Bestway Group has launched a major promotional push via the internet using its newly revamped website.

Ulster-based Henderson Group has announced that it will invest £18m in its company-owned estate of Spar, Eurospar and Vivo stores across Northern Ireland in 2006, compared with a £6.3m investment last year.

Insights into the strategies of the leading companies in the wholesale sector will be revealed at the FWD's annual conference in April.

Spar support pack

MBL has focused on getting the basics right as the first part of the transformation strategy to build the industry-leading supply chain for the independent retailer, according to the man in charge.

Specialist confectionery cash and carry Hancocks has announced 5% year on year sales growth for 2005.

Booker's symbol group Premier has opened its biggest ever store.

3663 has added 35 lines of organic and additive-free foods to its frozen, fresh and chilled division. The new range, supplied by Pure Organics and Additive Free Limited, is now available and, says 3663, meets a growing demand for alternatives to highly processed foods in the foodservice market.

The Bestway Group has reported its annual results with substantial increases in both turnover and profits.

The Today's Group has secured the support of five footballing legends for its latest promotional campaign, Football Crazy.

Musgrave Budgens Londis has launched a fresh produce trial with Londis stores from its retailer service centre (RSC) at Andover, in Hampshire.

ChildLine and Spar have linked up in a sponsorship deal that will mean ChildLine can train and recruit six more volunteer counsellors to provide additional support to children phoning the helpline.

A new pack advising care home caterers on providing a nutritionally balanced offer has been published by 3663.

The Nestlé Rowntree Manager of the Month for February has been jointly awarded to George Paskin, general manager, and Lorraine Gattens, stock control manager, at the Glasgow Makro depot.

One thousand toiletry bays in the Landmark Wholesale Group are being re-merchandised following successful trials at five members' depots.

Key Lekkerland has reported like-for-like growth of 5% during 2005 taking group turnover to £450m.

Big political and regulatory issues concerning the grocery market continue to seethe away, but the day-to-day business of the Federation that affects wholesalers' needs must continue. As this issue of ProWholesaler was going to press, the report from the Parliamentary All Party Small Shops' Group on the future of retailing on Britain's high streets was about to be published. Its findings will get wide media coverage, but one thing is certain - the wholesaler's pivotal role in maintaining a healthy independent retail sector will play centre stage.

The 2006 Drinksummit conference has a new venue - the Oxford Belfry Hotel just off the M40. And the Federation of Wholesale Distributors is setting up a programme which will embrace new thinking in much of the beers, wines and spirits market.

FWD is urging the Government to relax new legislation on the storage of organic foods that could saddle wholesalers with extra registration and inspection costs.

? Job title: spirits buyer

Parfetts Cash & Carry has appointed David Grimes as the finance director of the company. He is currently deputy general manager at Parfetts' Sheffield depot, and takes over from Robert Miller who is standing down from the position but will remain at Parfetts.

Dundee-based CJ Lang & Son has announced management changes within its Martex cash and carry and foodservices delivered catering divisions.

Musgrave Budgens Londis has added two members to the senior management team within its supply chain.

Larry Hands, one of Bestway's senior buyers, has retired after 35 years in the industry, 14 of which were with Bestway.

march

Coors Brewers hosted a Coors Fine Light Beer poker night for members of the Landmark Group who qualified via a recent incentive - with a trip to Las Vegas as one grand prize.

Gaymer Cider Company has awarded its first ever Cash & Carry Depot of the Year award to Imperial Cash & Carry of Barking.

A range of new features will be unveiled at Food & Drink Expo next month at the NEC.

MORATORIUM. It's that word again, the one that the OFT hopes will go away - for reasons Vigilante does not understand.

Alcohol is the fourth highest selling line in a cash and carry after soft drinks, cigarettes and confectionery with almost as many customers buying RTDs as buy bitter or ale. In addition to which, retailers say that beer is the third most profitable category to them in their stores, according to the latest cash and carry survey carried out by HIM.

Software and IT services supplier Sanderson has won two major contracts to supply its Swords wholesale distribution system.

Woodward Foodservice is investing in a £9m fleet of 150 purpose-built Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Baler Options, one of the country's leading suppliers of baling equipment, has launched a waste reduction demonstration unit.

Independent retailer Shahid Ali is at the heart of an inspirational community project which has raised almost £500,000 to fund facilities for young people in his area of Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire.

Wholesaler interest in the eating out of home market is at an all-time high with many of the companies and groups more usually associated with supplying retailers highlighting the potential they see in the catering and foodservice side of the business.

Consumers in the UK want to have their cake and eat it. They want indulgent and gooey, but they also want low fat and healthy. And what consumers want they usually get, so in the cakes market growth is being seen in both the indulgent and better for you categories. The same is true in biscuits. Indeed United Biscuits UK (UBUK), which has a presence in both markets, has identified three mega trends in these markets: healthier, pleasure, and making life easier.

With all the concerns about obesity levels - particularly in children - it's a tough time for confectionery companies. They want to sell more, but in the current climate encouraging people to eat more of their products is a delicate business. Their reaction has been the creation of new categories such as everyday sharing with the underlying message that it's okay to eat confectionery every day as long as you share it. Then there are indulgent treats - products that are so special that you should save them for special occasions.

Last year saw a resurgence in fortune for cider as it became the fastest growing category in the off-trade BWS market, with an increase of 8.1%. This growth, following years of decline, has been driven by a number of factors including the emergence of multipack cans of amber ciders and the growth in glass bottles.

Paul Adshead has been appointed to the Take Home Blueprint scheme as national operations manager. In his role, Paul will be responsible for the field sales team who are located nationwide and provide assistance to the independent retailers requiring practical hands-on help implementing the Blueprint makeovers.

The scheduling and reporting of Blueprint field activity is managed via a bespoke online facility developed within IMA, called Prism. Through the Prism system, Blueprint administrators at IMA are able to log retailer nominations, manage the retailer validation process and record information on retailer profiles, stock profiles and visit activity.

Suppliers who are supporting the Blueprint for Alcoholic Ready To Drinks (ARTDs) are increasingly receiving recognition from leading wholesalers.

Pernod-Ricard has recently taken advantage of the offer made to all Blueprint supplier supporters of training in the development of the Blueprint initiatives.

The now traditional papers on the progress of the Blueprint initiatives will be delivered at Drinksummit, the leading supplier/wholesaler/retailer off licence conference.

Walkers Crisps has unleashed a £20m relaunch of its core range following a reduction in fat and salt content.

Pomegreat, the pomegranate juice drink, has launched a 6 x 1 litre pack exclusively for the wholesale and cash and carry sector.

A new sales force and refreshed POS will be backing Masterfoods' ice cream range this year, which also features a new product in the Starburst range.

Cadbury Trebor Bassett is introducing a treatsize version of Cadbury Dairy Milk and rolling out new shelf-ready packaging for its entire treatsize range.

Burton's Foods is launching three confectionery products that have fruit juice centres and contain natural flavours, natural colouring and are virtually fat-free.

United Biscuits UK is seeking to accelerate growth of its McCoy's and Hula Hoops brands with new varieties of each.

Nestlé Rowntree is launching a seasonal "best sellers" outer, designed to help small stores offer a range of confectionery for the minimum outlay.

The Whiskas advertising campaign that broke at the beginning of this month is the start of a £15m media spend by the brand in 2006, the company has revealed.

Tetley is to launch its new Tetley Extra Strong brand to the convenience sector. The new line will be available in cash and carries and wholesalers from this month, and will be in 80s soft pack, shrink wrapped in sixes to minimise stock holding.

Britvic Soft Drinks is introducing Robinsons Fruit Shoot H2O, a sugar free, naturally flavoured water, designed for kids.

Gaymer Cider Company has announced a new investment programme of over £24m intended to drive sales of its cider.

Landmark Wholesale has unveiled a new look for its Prince Consort own-brand spirits. The range comprises vodka, whisky, brandy, gin, white rum and dark rum, available in bottle sizes ranging from miniatures to 1.5 litres.

Jacob's Creek is adding to its premium wine portfolio with the introduction of Jacob's Creek Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.

Red Square Reloaded links with youth music brand Kiss to launch an on-pack promotion next month.

Traditional Manchester brewery Joseph Holt has launched a range of premium bottled ales to both the on- and off-trade.

We love the term "shape management"- and several of our buying team are very keen to cash in on this.

For a while it will mean more cash and less card at the till - until people get their PIN numbers into their heads. Up to last weekend, my local Waitrose still hadn't made the switch, citing technical difficulties.

This is a brand that can challenge the market leaders. Can we persuade them to provide us with some in store tasting? Through our strong retail club we can now organise this very effectively.

We, too, performed well on wine in spite of the issue of duty fraud on top brands and heavy multiple discounting. Nielsen's suggestion that our sector fared badly cannot be upheld. With a lot of independents buying their spirits stock from the multiples, figures will inevitably be distorted. The really good news is that independent off licences and licenced convenience stores still have plenty of opportunity for growth in this category.

The additional discounts offered prompt us to take a more positive approach towards new lines and adhere to a full sales promotion package, an acceptable arrangement all round.