Welcome to The Grocery Trader’s first issue of 2016. We hope you all had a successful Christmas and enjoyed a break along the way.
Our big news is that the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has awarded a prestigious Circulation Certificate to The Grocery Trader, confirming its unique status as the UK’s only trade publication exclusively dedicated to the multiple grocery industry. As our publisher James Surridge says in this issue, The Grocery Trader’s ABC audit comes after we have put in a good deal of time building and refining our printed circulation. Now that hard work has been recognised and rewarded.
Turning to the industry news, on our front cover social enterprise is taking the UK beverage market by storm. Ethically sourced Nari Palm Juice, the innovative London based ethical-health brand, has launched a new soft drink which builds on the cultural, spiritual and creative roots of West Africa to meet the growing demand for naturally healthy beverages.
‘Nari’ have created the first in a range of palm juice drinks, derived and harvested from West African and South Asian coconut plantations to produce a deliciously healthy drink with no added sugars or preservatives, in which the natural magic of palm juice is the number one ingredient. Taking advantage of one of the world’s most highly regarded natural resources, ‘Nari’ have committed not only to ensuring the palm juice in their drinks is ethically sourced, but also to working with farmers across Africa to help prevent deforestation, and promote sustainable farming practices.
In this issue we also have features on World Food, Baby & Kids and Big Night In. The first three weeks of January are probably the gloomiest time of the year – all the more reason to banish the blues with a Big Night In.
If we can’t have world peace, how about a piece of World Food? UK consumers are better placed than ever to enjoy food from around the globe in their local store. Our population is constantly changing, and new cuisines rub shoulders on shelf with more settled ones. For multiple grocers there remains the ongoing question of where you put world food in store to best effect. It ultimately depends on how far the products have passed into the mainstream, and hence where consumers expect to find them.
What’s that sound? A baby crying spells a big sales opportunity for retailers. Baby & Kids is one of the categories where competition for consumer purchases is keenest between convenience stores and discounters and the big box superstores. Parents with babies and young children have to balance working life with their child rearing commitments. The early years are tough, physically and financially, so consumers appreciate any saving.
Here’s to a successful year all round.
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