The Federation of Wholesale Distributors’ series of Blueprints, the educational initiative which secures improved alcohol sales for independent retailers, is developing new links with wholesalers.

A search to find six run down high streets to join in a £2.7m revitalisation project is under way. The Agora project, led by the Retail Enterprise Network, based at Manchester Metropolitan University, is calling on wholesalers to encourage local retailers to apply for the programme.

A new flagship frozen, fresh and chilled distribution centre has been opened by 3663 at Larbert near Falkirk. The £3.5m, 34,660sq ft depot will serve the whole of Scotland.

Blueheath has been chosen by Intervend to supply a range of food and toiletries for its vending operations in Travelodge hotels.

Government plans to regulate food in schools were in danger of being unworkable, delegates at the FWD’s Catersummit conference last week were warned.

Spar retailers in the south and west have been urged to improve their record on own-label products.

Key Lekkerland is updating the store package for its KeyStore group in a bid to attract more members.

LICENCE DEADLINE

Country Range Group is doing considerably better than its major competitors in the foodservice sector at growing sales, according to corporate director Chris Creed.

Landmark member Premier Wholesale (UK) has just recruited the 100th member to its retail club and says it is accelerating the roll-out of its am2pm Lifestyle fascia.

Palmer & Harvey McLane has launched a complete new branding concept to modernise its Northern Irish convenience brand, Your Store. The move follows the decision to update the look of its Mace signage across England, Scotland and Wales.

The Association of Convenience Stores’ decision to appeal to the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) against the Office of Fair Trading’s recent decision to dismiss requests for a full investigation of the grocery market, shows both the importance of the issue and the degree to which the trade is prepared to work together on this matter. It has long been said, and has undoubtedly been true, that we spend far too much time fighting other independents, and too little combating the multiples. This is not unusual – it is far easier to deal with the everyday, close to home issues rather than apparently banging your head against the power of the multiples.

One of the founders of the UK cash and carry movement, and one of its most successful entrepreneurs, has died suddenly at the age of 73.

When the Federation of Wholesale Distributors quizzed supportive independent retailers on the My Shop Is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign, lots of ideas were offered.

The Federation of Wholesale Distributors is giving added emphasis to its support for responsible retailing of alcohol through its successful Take Home Blueprint initiatives.

Current debates throughout the wholesale industry – and indeed the total marketplace – are centred on the growth of Tesco and its increasingly dominant position. Wholesalers supplying independent retailers are not the only segment of our industry to voice their concerns. Wholesalers supplying caterers can see the threat too, as the buying power of the giants is translated into low prices for the commodities that smaller catering establishments particularly need.

Dennis Evans has been appointed managing director for AF Blakemore’s Spar distribution business based at Willenhall in the West Midlands, which supplies more than 550 independent Spar shops throughout the Midlands, north Wales and north London and has nearly 200 company owned Spar stores.

Peter Saunders has been appointed foodservice controller at Landmark central office. He joins from Landmark member Blakemore Food Service, where he was trading and marketing controller with responsibility for sourcing ambient, frozen, chilled and non foods.

Steve Prangle has been promoted to operations controller at Kerry Foods Direct to Store (KFDTS).

Job title: wholesale trading controller

Sarah Wright of 3663, Stowmarket, scooped the Pritchitts ProWholesaler Telesales Achiever Award 2005 at the Catersummit Gala Dinner at Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth.

About 300 suppliers and delegates from the member companies attended Country Range Group’s annual gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton.

The Catersummit Cup was awarded at this year’s event to Heinz Foodservice.

Speed of service and staff helpfulness are both within retailers’ top five considerations when thinking about shopping in cash and carries, the new Cash and Carry Customer Tracking survey has found. It also shows that retailers turn to cash and carry operators (and those working in the branches) first when wanting support or advice on how to grow sales.

PIONEERED. There should be widespread support for the ACS complaint against the Office of Fair Trading to be heard by the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT).

Technology specialist STL has won business with major Landmark and Today’s companies.

Software and IT services supplier Sanderson has won a contract to supply powerful new servers to support the growth of Channel Islands company Cimandis.

Tellermate Group, the provider of cash management solutions, has unveiled a new counterfeit note detector, PoundMate, the latest model in its range of cash management solutions.

The My Shop Is Your Shop marketing campaign supporting independent retailers supplied by cash and carry and delivered wholesalers is only in its second year, but already retailers are beginning to help to shape the activity.

After National Independents’ Day on June l, when more than £1.5m worth of media coverage – in advertising equivalent costed terms – was achieved, the campaign asked retailers for their views on how the Federation of Wholesale Distributors’ activity should develop. Alan Toft, campaign chairman, reports for ProWholesaler

The wholesale industry Blueprint for Spirits and Fortified Wines scheme plans to revolutionise the spirits market in the independent retail sector by promoting anti-theft security caps and open shelf self-select display.

The Federation of Wholesale Distributors has launched the second edition of the Blueprint for Alcoholic Ready to Drinks (ARTDs) containing updated guidance for independents retailers.

Cash and carry and delivered wholesalers great and small have absorbed the principles of the Take Home Blueprint for Ales, Lagers and Cider and the subsequent category Blueprints since the initiative was launched by the Federation of Wholesale Distributors in 1994.

At Christmas time impulse buying can reach frenzied levels as consumers’ budgets go out of the window and little ‘top-up’ gifts are the order of the day. Confectionery – specifically boxes and gift presentations of chocolates – is an ideal gift. So retailers who don’t want to miss out on any of these impulse purchases need to make sure they’re stocked up at all times. This means that perhaps one of the most important jobs of the cash and carry or wholesaler is to communicate their opening hours loudly and clearly in the run up to Christmas. Even the day of the week Christmas falls on can have serious ramifications for retailers – and wholesalers.

While wine and beer are usually the star performers in wholesalers’ alcohol section, spirits take a leading role in the run-up to Christmas. In the four weeks before Christmas last year sales of spirits in GB off-trade reached £420m, compared with £415m for wine and £334m for beer, and in the seven days prior to Christmas spirits sales totalled £153m. In all 11.8 million households buy spirits at Christmas and for some it may be their sole purchase of them in the year.

InBev UK has launched Brahma, its Brazilian premium lager, into the take-home market with a £5m support package.

Blue Nun is being relaunched with a new look for the range, together with a new advertising and communication campaign targeting younger female wine drinkers.

Diageo is spending £5m on marketing Guinness Draught in the run-up to Christmas including some off-trade specific initiatives.

Scottish Courage is introducing new cold look outer packaging for Foster’s in November to give the brand greater stand-out on shelf, provide a stronger brand image and a higher level of brand recognition.

Blossom Hill is extending its portfolio with the launch of a Blossom Hill Sparkling Rosé and Sparkling White wine.

Whitby Seafoods is to break into the cooked and peeled prawn sector with a new range of prawns it claims are bigger and tastier than anything else on the market.

Nestlé FoodServices has launched the first Aero instant hot chocolate drink backed by a £250,000 promotional campaign including free trial to wholesalers and caterers.

A new selection of Mediterranean ready to use sauces for chefs has been added to the Maggi A Natural Choice range by Nestlé FoodServices.

Rollover has reacted to the growing concern about the amount of salt in food by introducing a lower salt hot dog.

Young’s has expanded its cold water prawn offering for caterers with the introduction of a single frozen prawn product.

Nestlé Rowntree is aiming to help small stores capitalise on boxed chocolate sales by launching a composite outer that reduces the investment for retailers wanting to stock up with a range of products.

King Kong is the theme of Pringles’ latest blockbuster on-pack offer, following the brand’s recent Lord Of The Rings on-pack offer, which achieved record retail sales.

Coca-Cola is launching Sprite 3G, an energy drink that combines the lemon-lime flavour of Sprite with three revitalising ingredients – glucose, guarana and caffeine from green coffee beans.

Unilever Ice Cream and Frozen Foods is introducing a new pack design for its Birds Eye SteamFresh brand, and a new variant, as part of a £10m marketing spend on the range.

MONDAY

Sterling Supergroup’s annual turnover is now in excess of £490m, chief executive Anne Tomlinson told this year’s annual conference.

Today’s Group member First Choice Wholesale, based in Burton on Trent, has signed up 11 retailers to its Today’s Local fascia package, after the launch of its flagship store in Loughborough.

The Nestlé Rowntree Manager of the Month for October is awarded to Steve Powell, assistant manager at Bestway, Plymouth.