Easter will be very different for all of us this year as those who are not frontline workers stay at home to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. However, over half (57%) of the Irish public plan to keep up the age-old tradition of buying chocolate eggs as Easter gifts for others. That’s according to the findings of new research by environmental not-for-profit organisation, Repak*.

In 2019, Irish residents spent €44 million on chocolate eggs and a record €208 million on groceries in the week leading up to Easter weekend**. With almost eight in 10 (79%) still planning to buy Easter gifts and people consuming more items at home than usual, household recycling bins will fill up quickly after the Easter bunny retires for another year.

This Easter, Repak is asking the public to continue to recycle all types of packaging and, in particular, packaging from Easter eggs and gifts. Cardboard boxes, plastic moulds, chocolate trays, clean tin foil and egg boxes can all be recycled, and should be placed in the bin clean, dry and loose.

Eco Easter

The Repak study has revealed that while chocolate egg gifting remains a popular Easter tradition, choosing to buy alternative gifts is also becoming more common. A fifth of those surveyed (21%) plan to buy no gifts for Easter, with another fifth (22%) looking beyond chocolate for Easter present options to give their loved ones.

Reasons for buying alternative gifts to chocolate vary, but a quarter (26%) say they are doing so to be more eco-conscious and gift items that are accompanied by less packaging than chocolate eggs. This eco-conscious mindset is particularly strong among females and younger respondents. Another 41% said they will buy alternative gifts for health-conscious reasons, with half of Dubliners (50%) citing health as the reason why they won’t be satisfying anyone’s sweet tooth this year.

Spending habits

A third (34%) of Irish residents said they planned to dish out between €11 and €20 on gifts, despite one in 10 planning to buy eight Easter eggs or more. Older generations are inclined to spend more, with those polled aged between 45-54 willing to spend over €75 or more on chocolate. Although a whopping 92% said they would prefer to receive Easter eggs that are accompanied by fully recyclable packaging, other factors such as value for money (37%) and type of chocolate (36%) are more important than recyclable packaging (10%) when choosing what chocolate eggs to buy.

The shelf life of a chocolate egg

The research findings suggest that there are a lot of chocoholics amongst the Irish public, but 82% of respondents agree that the date that chocolate eggs typically go on sale in shops is too early for them, with this sentiment strongest among the over 55s (90%). Perhaps unsurprising then that almost six in 10 (59%) say that they buy too many chocolate eggs and that it would be easier to manage the volume they purchase if these went on sale later.

Waste not, want not

Almost a third (31%) of those surveyed will keep chocolate Easter eggs for over a month if they don’t consume them over the Easter weekend, to either eat as they are or perhaps transform into another tasty treat. Women (38%) tend to keep chocolate eggs longer than men (25%). However, 24% consume their chocolate eggs within the week, suggesting a significant volume of recyclable chocolate egg packaging in recycling bins just after Easter weekend.

“Every year, we see an increase in packaging waste generated over the Easter period, and this year we expect a similar trend,” said Séamus Clancy, CEO of Repak. “We are asking everyone to continue recycling and play their part in ensuring we continue to protect our environment at this difficult time.

The CEO said the organisation especially wished to thank Repak waste operators who are “working hard and providing an essential service to ensure all household bins are collected nationwide during this very difficult time”.

For more information on best practice recycling behaviour as well as a full list of household items that can and can’t be recycled, visit mywaste.ie.

*(Source: Refers to a research study survey of 1,000 Irish residents conducted by iReach in March 2020)

**(Source: According to Kantar data 2019, sourced here – https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/irish-consumers-spent-44m-on-easter-eggs-as-grocery-sales-hit-new-record-1.3883643)

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The latest addition to Aldi’s Swap & Save ad campaign was filmed entirely by the starring family.

As the Byrne family from Kilcarra, Co. Wicklow were recruited to star in the campaign before social distancing policies were instated, when the camera crew couldn’t make it into their home the Byrnes decided to take matters into their own hands – by filming the ad themselves on their phones.

Filmed between 24-27 March, the campaign highlights the family’s journey through these challenging times and shows them finding ways to stay positive and to enjoy the time spent together.

Starring dad Vinny, mum Gillian, daughters Áine (14), Erin (12), Siún (10), son Senan (8) and grandad Jo, the first ad will make its debut on Aldi’s social media channels today and on TV from Sunday.

“The kids were devastated when the Aldi TV shoot was cancelled, but we thought let’s film it ourselves for them,” said Gillian Byrne. “I can’t tell you the fun. Maybe they’ll shoot a proper one of us one day! The kids knew more than I expected on filming off the phone and cutting and even did a storyboard. I would say it’s 90 percent them. But the Oscar must go to their grandad.”

John Curtin, group buying director at Aldi Ireland said: “We understand the challenges that families across the country are dealing with on a daily basis due to the impact of Covid-19. What the Byrne family have done here is a brilliant example of how we can all use that little bit of spare time we may have, even if it is at the weekends, to create something we may not have thought of creating before.”

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Cereal and snacks giant Kellogg Company and its charitable funds have pledged more than €1.5 million in food and cash to help those in need across the European region.

Working with its charity partners, the company will distribute more than 15 million servings of food, which equates to 66 truckloads and 460 tonnes, to food banks and feeding programmes in Ireland, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In addition to food, Kellogg Company and its charitable funds will be donating €500,000 in cash to help with the distribution of this food, and to support its food bank partners across Europe, to ensure that food is delivered to those who need it most.

In Ireland, Kellogg will work with FoodCloud to provide 1 million servings of food to charity partners and organisations.

“This is a very sad and difficult situation for so many people and inevitably in these troubling times those impacted the most are those who are least able to cope,” said Kellogg market head of Ireland, Ruth Hughes.

“Our goal is to get as much food as we can to the people who need it most,” she added.

Kellogg has a significant history of helping to deliver support to families and children in need through its Better Days purpose platform, launched in 2013. To date, the company and its charitable funds have committed almost €7 million in cash and food to support Covid-19 global hunger relief efforts.

Kellogg Europe is also supporting the Publicis ‘Shop Responsibly’ campaign, which encourages people to stay home, stay safe, respect elderly people and health workers’ shopping hours, keep two metres apart and only buy what’s needed.

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Many charities have been hit badly by the coronavirus, with cancelled fundraising days and a decrease in donations.

With that in mind, Ireland’s best-selling daily tabloid newspaper, The Irish Sun, is stepping up to give these worthwhile causes a platform.

All advertising space in Easter Monday’s newspaper will be donated to charities allowing them an opportunity to connect with the public while accompanying editorial will tell their stories.

Irish Sun editor Kieran McDaid said the newspaper saw a chance to bolster the efforts of volunteers and charities who are going above and beyond to maintain services.

“Many people have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but volunteers and charities are still doing great work to help those most in need so this is our chance to help them,” McDaid said.

“We’ll be donating advertising space, showcasing the work of our charitable sector in stories and providing all the details to help readers donate to worthy causes,” he added. “It’s the perfect time for some good news.”

Look out for this extraordinary edition on Monday and pledge your support.

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Aldi Ireland’s own-label Irish sourced potted herbs are now packaged in recyclable and home compostable materials. The change, which came into effect earlier this month, will lead to the removal of more than 5.5 tonnes of non-recyclable material annually from Aldi’s potted herbs range, namely Aldi’s parsley, coriander and basil.

The pot that holds the plant will now be made from polypropylene – a 100% recyclable material that is used across many different types of packaging and consumer goods – while the sleeve around the pot will be made from sugarcane derivatives and other home compostable materials. This now means customers can throw the sleeves into their brown bin or compost heap (along with the soil in the herb pot when finished with it), and the herb pot can go into the green bin to be recycled.

Aldi has been working with its Wicklow-based supplier O’Hanlon Herbs for the past six months to introduce the new recyclable packaging. The initiative is part of Aldi’s ongoing long-term plastic reduction programme throughout its 142 Irish stores, with the overall goal of having 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging across its products by 2025.

“Moving our herb pots to recyclable material and making the sleeves home compostable is our latest step towards making all of our packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable,” said John Curtin, Aldi’s group buying director.

Aldi says it is aiming to ensure that 100% of its own-label packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022, and to achieve a 50% reduction (relative to 2015 levels) in packaging across its own-label products by 2025. As well as this, Aldi is working to remove all expanded polystyrene trays, non-detectable black plastic trays, and PVC from all Aldi own-brand product packaging by the end of 2020.

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During the current Covid-19 pandemic when parents and carers have been tasked with home-schooling children without their pals to help keep them entertained, The Sunday Times has developed a useful children’s supplement. Importantly, from the retailer’s perspective, this will give parents one more reason to head to the shop to pick up a copy of the newspaper every Sunday.

The Sunday Times is working with charity partners, teachers and principals for the next few weeks to create an educational supplement to support parents during the Covid-19 lockdown called The Children’s Times.

Partnering with the ISPCC for the first edition, the 12-page supplement includes activities and exercises for primary school children with notes from principals and teachers for parents.

The Children’s Times has been created internally for The Sunday Times by the Studio team.

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A nationwide digital advertising campaign has been launched to pay tribute to workers on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic and to highlight their continued hard work and dedication.

The #MyHeroes campaign encourages members of the public to show their appreciation to all the essential workers who are keeping the country running during this difficult time, and to share a story or message about them online using the campaign hashtag.

User-generated content, which will be gathered via the specific call-to-action hashtag, will be displayed on digital advertising screens across Ireland.

Members of the public can put forward a message about any frontline worker in their life, from supermarket and convenience store workers to healthcare workers, armed forces, fire brigade, community workers and carers to journalists. The campaign also underlines the government’s ‘Stay at Home’ message, by encouraging people to reach out to loved ones online.

When a tweet has been selected to feature in the campaign, an illustration of the digital screen, and how the message has appeared, will then be replied to the person so they can share their support further through social media, and – most importantly – show their hero their appreciation.

The campaign will run on more than 200 ‘Out of home’ (OOH) screens across the country, with the advertising space being provided free of charge by Orbscreen, Adtower, MJ Flood Digital/Promogroup, Micromedia, Clear Channel and Wide Eye Media. Agencies Kinetic and DOOH.com are encouraging others to get onboard to support the campaign, and to amplify the messages of gratitude for essential workers.

“In times of uncertainty, it is important to promote positive news,” said Caroline DeCourcy, insights director at Kinetic. “Frontline workers across all essential industries are working in high pressure situations and we want to show our gratitude to our everyday heroes during this difficult time.” She also extended “a special thanks to all the media owners who donated space for this special display of appreciation”.

Andrew Phipps-Newman, CEO of DOOH.com added: “This campaign, and our time, is being contributed by DOOH.com to the out of home industry; turning outdoor media into a community service channel.”

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As part of its sustainability strategy, ‘A Better Tomorrow’, Lidl Ireland has committed to a native tree planting partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The ‘Woodland Environmental Fund’ (WEF) initiative will see Lidl plant over 82,000 trees across Ireland in 2020.  Planting has been completed at the first and largest of the native woodland sites in Burnellstown, Co. Westmeath where almost 33,000 trees were planted ahead of Earth Day which takes place on Wednesday, 22 April.

Working closely with Sustineo, a carbon and energy consultancy, forestry companies and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Lidl will support a new native woodland in Co. Westmeath. Lidl’s involvement in this initiative will expand its ‘A Better Tomorrow’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy which is already working to reduce carbon emissions through certifying the company’s new stores across the country to an ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard.

The project is intended to absorb approximately 12,500 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and to compliment the landscape as a protected native woodland. Lidl has also undergone a comprehensive carbon footprint mapping to understand environmental impacts, develop solutions and work with supermarket’s value chain in supporting the overall sustainability strategy.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle, congratulated Lidl on the initiative.

“This forest will help to recreate the type of ancient woodland that once covered the Irish landscape thousands of years ago and will also make a huge contribution to improving Irish biodiversity,” said Minister Doyle. “We need leaders in climate action like Lidl, businesses that are willing to get behind new innovative schemes like the WEF and I would encourage others to consider joining also”.

J.P. Scally, managing director at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said the company was always looking for ways to expand its CSR strategy.

“As we’re fully committed to ensuring we drive positive change not only for our customers but the environment as well,” Scally said, “we’re pleased to be involved in the Woodland Environmental Fund initiative and to be working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine by helping to restore a richer biodiversity in Ireland through our contribution to reforesting our countryside.”

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Dealz and Poundland stores across Ireland and the UK have donated over 100,000 Easter Eggs in support of our brave frontline workers and those providing care and support within local communities.

Each of Dealz’s 66 stores across the Republic of Ireland have donated Easter eggs to their chosen local charity or organisations, from national hospitals to care homes and local charities.

Dealz customers were also given the opportunity to join in and give back to local charities and communities. From Wednesday, 8 April, Dealz customers were able to purchase and donate an Easter Egg as a show of support to those looking after them and their loved ones. On Good Friday, Dealz added customers’ donations to the chocolate deliveries sent out across communities.

A number of teams from Dealz stores across Ireland together with their generous customers have been busy donating and delivering essentials and treats to hospitals for doctors, nurses, paramedics and all the frontline staff as a “thank you” for all of the amazing work being carried out.

The teams have donated and delivered  products to the Paediatric Unit in Sligo General Hospital; over 500 boxes of Milk Tray were donated to hospital staff in UCH Galway; product donations were made to the catering and the paramedics and ambulance staff in Mayo General Hospital; lots of goodies arrived to Mullingar Regional Hospital and the local fire brigade services in Longford last week and HSE staff in Limerick received a product drop-off from Dealz comprising customer donations, to name a few. Staff in Henry Street, Limerick have also been allowing ambulance crew members shop for free last week as a thank you for the amazing work they are doing.

“We look forward to continuing to support our local frontline workers and communities in whatever way we can,” said Sharon Sheridan, Dealz country manager trading.

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We’re all more health conscious than ever, but that doesn’t mean that a little indulgence in the sugar confectionery area isn’t out of the question. The total value of sugar confectionery sales in Ireland has been estimated to stand at circa €180 million in 2020, according to Euromonitor.

Sugar confectionery has particular importance with regard to impulse purchase for retailers. And of course, it is a key area among school children, which in turn drives innovation among manufacturers. The latest SKUs from the bestselling brands, sure to keep kids enthralled this summer, are highlighted below.

A recent report by Euromonitor entitled ‘Sugar Confectionery in Ireland’ published in August 2019, shows that brands are increasingly extending their ranges to cater to a growing number of vegans. Bord Bia estimates that 2% of the Irish population are vegan and recognises that veganism is a growing trend in the country. “Purchasing sugar confectionery that is suitable for vegans is also a growing trend among consumers in Ireland,” Euromonitor states.

Another major trend reported by Euromonitor is that consumers are increasingly demanding natural products with reduced or no sugar. “Products made with natural ingredients, no artificial colouring, and reduced sugar are becoming very appealing to Irish consumers,” the analyst reports.

Strategic partnership with BR Marketing

Swizzels has been operating in Ireland (ROI) for over 30 years and is responsible for many much-loved brands including Squashies, Love Hearts, Stinger bar, Drumstick lollies and Refreshers chew bars.

Swizzels is delighted to announce BR Marketing as the sole distributor for Swizzels products in the ROI market. In August 2019, Swizzels appointed BR Marketing to service multiple and symbol retail operations. The company is now announcing the further addition of wholesale and cash and carry operations for ROI.

This partnership offers significant synergies for both parties, allowing a streamlined and consistent approach to further enhance Swizzels’ market position in Ireland. Both companies share a common mission, culture and values. The partnership will allow both parties to expand their customer base and product ranges. “We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with BR Marketing,” said Simon Demery, country manager, Swizzels Ireland.

BR Marketing, founded in 1983 by William and Michael Rochford, is a well-respected importer and distributor of key food brands to the Irish market.

“We are excited to welcome such an iconic brand to our portfolio,” said Gordon Kennedy, CEO of BR Marketing, commenting on the partnership with Swizzels. “It provides us with a great opportunity to strengthen our position in the confectionery category and is consistent with our long-term strategy of expanding our range of quality brands that consumers love to enjoy. The global confectionery market continues to grow, and we look forward to working in partnership with Swizzels to develop the brand and reinforce its position as a leading confectionery brand in Ireland.”

 ‘Choos’ a new option

 

The first product to receive an official launch in Ireland (ROI) under the new partnership will be Swizzels Drumstick and Refresher Choos hanging bags.

Choos were developed to satisfy growing consumer demand for softer sugar confectionery products which has seen the soft fruits segment continue to grow above the market rate. The hanging bag format works well for the product and is seen as the future of the category, now accounting for 50% of total sugar confectionery sales.*

The recipe was purposefully developed to ensure it is suitable for vegans, a trend that has continued to grow across confectionery.

Drumstick Choos provide five double flavour combinations including Peaches & Cream and Strawberry & Banana, while Refreshers Choos offer five fizzy flavours with the unique sherbet centre, including Pineapple and Apple. The vegan-friendly recipe creates a soft, chewy texture.

Choos will officially launch in the ROI market from June 2020.

Number one hanging bag brand

Squashies is currently the number one sugar confectionery hanging bag brand in the UK

Squashies continues to be a huge success story for the Swizzels business and in fact, is now the number one sugar confectionery hanging bag brand in the UK*.

Drumstick Squashies original flavour has the highest rate of sale out of all Swizzels’ ₤1 price- marked sugar confectionery packs*, making it a must-stock hanging bag. The price-marked packs represent a key opportunity for convenience retailers as consumers look for price reassurance to ensure they are getting value for money. Price-marked packs account for 90% of Squashies that are sold in symbols and independents**.

For those customers seeking a single portion sweet treat for on-the-go consumption, the range is also available in 45g bags in Original Raspberry & Milk, Sour Apple & Cherry and Bubblegum flavours.

Count lines

Initially launched back in 1954, Love Hearts offer a fun way to share romantic messages

As many manufacturers move away from lower price points, Swizzels is committed to providing value to consumers with its 10c, 20c and 50c count lines range. Over 3 million of these count lines were sold in Ireland alone last year.**

Most of the count lines have benefited from the trend towards vegan and vegetarian products. Swizzels has developed many of its products to be suitable for these dietary needs, offering shoppers more choice and making it easier for them to select appropriate products.

This includes some of Swizzels’ most popular brands such as Choos, Drumstick and Refresher stick packs, Love Hearts and chew bars including Drumstick, Stinger and Refresher, with many of the products having been reformulated specifically to make them suitable for these diets. According to Swizzels, these are a must-stock as shoppers continue to seek out sweet treats from brands they know and love.

*(Source: IRI Total Market data, Sugar Confectionery, 52 WE 26.01.20, value sales – brand-level bag SKUs 100-199g)

**(Source: Swizzels Internal sales database, 52 WE 31.12.19)

New members join the family

The Natural Confectionery Company’s Sour Splash range has reached almost half a million euros in sales, since launching last yea

The Natural Confectionery Company, one of Ireland’s favourite confectionery brands, keeps growing and closed 2019 with a +15% sales increase*.

The brand recently introduced more products to its range that respond to consumer market trends. These are Sour Splash and Superfruit Jellies.

Superfruit Jellies from The Natural Confectionery Company, are available in a variety of flavours

Sour candy is very popular among consumers. That is why The Natural Confectionery Company presented Sour Splash in early 2019. These sweets are shaped as fish (to tap into consumers’ more playful side) and come in a variety of consumers’ favourite flavours: Orange, Strawberry, Blackcurrant and Lime. They are all made with natural colours and flavours. Sour Splash has had amazing success since its launch in 2019, reaching almost half a million euros in sales.**

Candy is all about emotional connections, however, authenticity is a key trend. Consumers look for products that contain ‘real’ and high-quality ingredients. Superfruit Jellies are tapping into consumers’ desire for authenticity perfectly, with higher real fruit content and added benefits. The range includes an exciting variety of super fruit flavours: Papaya, Cranberry, Blueberry and Pomegranate. The sweets are shaped after these fruits, they are made with 30% fruit juice***, they are a source of Vitamins C and E and they are of course made with natural colours and flavours. You will be seeing more of these jellies in stores soon, with the brand advising retailers to stock up on new Superfruit Jellies now.

*(Source: Value sales TNCC total market 2019 vs 2018)

**(Source: Value sales Nielsen data 2019)

***(Made with concentrated fruit juice. Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. The beneficial effect is obtained with a consumption of four sweets per day. Enjoy as a part of a varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle)

A mouth-watering portfolio

Shelton Distributors serves the Irish market with a wide range of confectionery and snacking options. Below, we outline the company’s core sugar confectionery brands.

Walk this way

Walker’s Nonsuch only manufactures high-quality toffees. The company recently launched its unique Double-Choc Toffees, which have been extremely well received by the public. The creamy butter toffees are enrobed twice in a high-quality milk chocolate to give an intense and full-flavour taste, and each piece is individually flow-wrapped to seal in that fabulous flavour. Recommended to retail at €2.

Full of characters

Children’s novelty products sell consistently all year round, with even better sales in the summer months. Pez is famous for producing collectible character dispensers, and has a long association with all the major licensing brands, including Disney, Frozen 2, Toy Story 4, Peppa Pig, and many more.

The major seller for summer 2020 is expected to be Trolls, with a new movie scheduled for release shortly, when the cinemas return to normal service. With several innovative point-of-sale fixtures, Pez can be easily marketed in-store, retailing at €2.

Worth a look

Look-O-Look celebrated 50 years in 2019, and to mark the brand’s new vision at the start of its next 50 years, it is launching a new logo on the 2020 range of Look-O-Look hanging bags.

These feature a more grown-up approach to appeal to the brand’s loyal fans who have grown up with these products over many years. Each bag will feature a uniquely designed header card, with fresh graphics, and even better nutritional information. The RRP is €2.

Bite into fun

The Trolli Gummi Burger display stand has proven to be highly effective in-store.

It is compact, can be set up in seconds, and offers 50g of tasty Gummi jelly Burger bites for great impulse purchases. The RRPs of €1 or £1 are ideally priced for a one-coin purchase.

America’s favourite lollipop

America’s most popular Lollipops are manufactured by The Original Gourmet Candy Company. Launched in Ireland in 2016, and with original flavours such as Cotton Candy, Pink Lemonade, Wild Cherry and many more, this 3g deposited candy Lollipop has featured in several famous American movies and TV series.

Consumer awareness is growing all the time, and consistent repeat sales confirm this. There is an assortment of special magnetic fixtures, counter and floor stands available for in-store placement. The RRP is €1 per piece, with excellent margin.

Tastefully intense

‘Tastefully Intense Mints’ is how Barkleys describes its range of premium designed tins of breath-mints. Cinnamon, Ginger, Liquorice, Peppermint and Spearmint flavours comprise the range currently available in Ireland. Retailing at €2, and with counter stands and floor stands on call, Barkleys can fill a hole in your mint sales, with the tins having many after-uses.

Fruitful results

With global sales establishing Cavendish & Harvey Travel Tins of hard candies as the leading international brand, the latest innovation is sugar-free candies.

The regular range of 11 flavours includes Mixed Fruit Drops, Wild Berries, Multivitamin, and Tropical Mix. The bestsellers are now also available in sugar-free tins, for those looking to reduce their sugar intake. Priced from €2.50, the Cavendish & Harvey range also includes Gift Jars for seasonal gifting.

For more details or to order any of the products in Shelton Distributors’ portfolio, contact:

Q & A with…Claire Allen, snacking marketing manager, Valeo Foods

Claire Allen

Now consumers can enjoy the classic Dip Dab brand as a soft chewy sweet within the Softies range

Q: What are the latest consumer trends within sweet confectionery and how does Barratt meet these?

A: A key trend we are seeing is the growing appetite for retro confectionery as consumers look for novel ways to enjoy their childhood favourites. We are also seeing growth within soft confectionery such as gums and jellies and sharing bag formats. The Barratt Softies range combines all these trends in one bag. The latest addition, Wham Softies, for example, offers the same tongue-tingling taste consumers expect from their Wham bar in a soft chewy sweet.

Ingredients continue to be high on the agenda as consumers look to avoid artificial colours and flavours. Our range includes all-natural colours and flavours and it is a claim that we call out on our packs. It is important for us to highlight this to reassure our consumers that we don’t compromise on our ingredients and our products are always of the highest quality.

Q: What are the bestselling brands within the Barratt portfolio and what have been the key factors behind their success?

A: Classic brands such as Milk Teeth, Fruit Salad, BlackJack, Dip Dabs and Wham Bars continue to drive growth for the Barratt brand. New formats such as Softies and sharing bags have proven successful, offering consumers a new way to enjoy their favourites. The success of the Barratt range can be attributed to a number of key factors. The iconic brand portfolio has an extensive range with strong appeal for both young and old. Barratt offers a range of high-quality sweet confectionery at a competitive price point. Finally, the strength of our field sales team ensures maximum visibility in-store with best-in-class merchandising solutions.

Q: The Barratt company has a rich history. How does the tagline ‘Make Sweet Memories’ build on this heritage?

A: The Barratt brand has been producing sweet confectionery for over 170 years. We are lucky to have several famous confectionery brands within our portfolio. From Fruit Salad, to BlackJack to the Wham Bar, many adults fondly remember the first time they tried their favourite Barratt sweets. The Barratt range continues to evolve to ensure that young people today share the same unforgettable experiences with the brand. Our tagline ‘Make Sweet Memories’ captures that feeling of wide-eyed enjoyment that consumers share with Barratt past and present.

Q: How does Barratt plan to support the brand over the next 12 months?

A: We understand that we need to continuously evolve the Barratt brand to ensure that it remains relevant to consumers of all ages. We are developing new products within gums and jellies that we will be launching in June of this year. Extending our range gives retailers a versatile and flexible offering that keeps consumers engaged in this very dynamic category.

Over the next 12 months, we want to continue to maximise our visibility in-store by developing merchandising solutions that work for all store formats both small and large. This creates a destination within retailers’ stores where consumers can effortlessly shop the category and easily discover new product offerings.

Creating smiles

The 230g Sonas Sweets Mix-Up bags are great for sharing and on-the-go convenience

Sonas Sweets’ 100g hanging bags offer a perfect treat-sized portion, priced at €1

The word Sonas comes from the Irish word meaning happiness, and this confectionery range is sure to create smiles! The Sonas Sweets brand has been developed and distributed by Ampersand which has been working within the confectionery area for the last few years. After seeing the demand in Ireland, Ampersand decided to create its own brand of sweets and launched Sonas Sweets, a quality range that is fully compliant, with vibrant packaging and gives a nod to its Irish heritage.

The Sonas Sweets range includes a €2 Mix-Up bag and €1 hanging bags selection, which has now been extended to 23 different varieties since its launch. The Sonas Sweets range has all the favourites including jellies, sour sweets, bonbons, and liquorice pencils. The 100g hanging bags are a perfect treat-sized portion priced at €1. The 230g Mix-Up bags are great for sharing and on-the-go convenience, ideal for school bags or car journeys and as the bags can be resealed it means they don’t have to be eaten in one sitting.

Retailers and consumers can also be assured in these challenging times where hygiene, health and food safety are at the fore of people’s minds that the Sonas Sweets range is a premium quality offering and the highest standards of food safety and compliance with legislation have been ensured for the wellbeing of consumers. Sonas Sweets Mix-Ups are all hand-packed in a factory in double laminate bags with a re-sealable tab which are fully compliant with trace-ability and best-before-dates along with strict controls and conditions carried out by staff throughout the production and packing processes.

Each sweet in the Sonas Sweets Mix-Ups range has also been carefully selected in a tasting panel to ensure quality and to provide the consumer with the best selection of sweets in the offering and a bag of treats that will have something for everyone!

Ampersand has some exciting plans in place to promote its Sonas Sweets range of confectionery later this year which are sure to bring more happiness or “sonas” to consumers…watch this space for updates!

If you are interested in stocking Sonas Sweets, get in touch with Ampersand on 01 4130150, email info@ampersandsales.ie or make contact via the website at www.ampersandsales.ie.

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For busy mornings on-the-go, Kellogg’s has launched Granola Fusion Smoothie Bowls – the perfect grab-and-go ‘deskfast’.

This brand-new release is the first of its kind for Kellogg’s. Each pot has all consumers need to mix up a delicious ‘deskfast’, including granola and either fruit or chocolate – just add water to create a crunchy yet smooth granola pot that’s ready in seconds.

Kellogg’s Granola Fusion Smoothie Bowls will be available in two of Kellogg’s iconic breakfast options, Special K Protein Red Berries and Crunchy Nut Chocolate & Hazelnut.

Each pot comes with an innovative eco spoon that goes from flat to functional in one easy step and is made from an ultra-efficient paper which uses on average 50-80% less material than wood, bio-plastic or plastic cutlery. The pot and lid are also recyclable in most recycling waste disposal systems across Ireland.

New Kellogg’s Granola Fusion is available now for RRP €1.99.

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In ongoing support of the fight against coronavirus, L’Oréal Ireland is implementing a series of measures for communities most impacted by the crisis.

The group and its family of brands will donate 50,000 hygiene products and hand sanitisers to frontline healthcare workers in Ireland serving the most vulnerable people and striving to curb the pandemic. The group will donate 27,000 hand sanitisers to frontline pharmacy and grocery staff that are ensuring availability of essential goods and services to communities across Ireland.  These products will be provided completely free of charge. L’Oréal Ireland states this commitment builds on the L’Oréal Group’s wider European solidarity programme announced globally on 18 March.

Together, L’Oréal Ireland will:

• Donate 40,000 hygiene and care products to frontline healthcare workers: In partnership with In Kind Direct and Blue Light Card, the company will provide 40,000 body wash, hand creams, conditioner, shampoo and skincare products to hospital workers in Ireland. This includes products from L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Kiehl’s, Lancôme, Urban Decay, YSL, House 99, L’Oréal Paris Men Expert, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, Vichy, Roger and Gallet, Baxter of California, Kerastase, Redken, Matrix and Decleor;
• Donate 10,000 hand sanitisers to frontline healthcare workers: The company will distribute 10,000 La Roche Posay-manufactured hand sanitisers to frontline healthcare workers in the Ireland;
• Support small businesses: L’Oréal Ireland has frozen the payments of its most vulnerable very small and small-sized customers in its distribution network, including hair salons, until their businesses resume. Additionally, L’Oréal Ireland has shortened its payment times for small suppliers who have been most exposed to this economic crisis;
• Protect pharmacy and food distribution workers: Garnier will give 27,000 free bottles of the new Garnier Pure Active Hand Sanitiser Gel to independent pharmacies, Dunnes Stores and Boots, helping to protect themselves from Covid-19.

“At L’Oréal UK and Ireland we feel a strong sense of responsibility to support relief efforts for the most vulnerable during this unprecedented crisis,” said Vismay Sharma, L’Oréal UK and Ireland country managing director.

“The frontline healthcare workers and retail staff are doing an incredible job looking after the sick and providing essential products and services to communities,” Sharma added. “We feel honoured to be able to provide them with hand sanitisers and key hygiene products. We believe in the beauty of community and are proud to contribute to the needs of our heroic NHS and HSE staff, and those on the retail frontlines across the UK and Ireland.”

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The Grow with Aldi programme has enabled a Cork-based company, De Róiste Foods, to supply its award-winning black and white pudding to 142 Aldi stores nationwide

Founded by Jimmy Allen and his sons Declan and Cathal, De Róiste Foods produce Irish black and white pudding using traditional methods. To date, the range has garnered both Blás na hÉireann and Great Taste Awards.

The Grow with Aldi supplier development programme gives up-and-coming artisan Irish food and drink producers the chance to have their products listed in Aldi’s 142 stores.

Following a successful Grow with Aldi specialbuys launch in 2019, De Róiste Foods was awarded a 12-month contract with the discounter. The company has since increased production and is set to expand its business offerings.

Its plans to launch a brand-new product line of ‘Ballyvourney Sausages’ which will be available in two flavours, Tomato & Herb and Herb & Garlic. Created for the summer BBQ season, the range will launch in Aldi stores nationwide on 31 May as part of the Grow with Aldi 2020 programme.

The contract has given De Róiste Foods a lifeline amid the uncertainty of Covid-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, the team has experienced a significant loss in sales and orders due to the closure of hotels and cafés.

However, the push on the retail sector and Aldi to keep shelves stocked has allowed the team to weather the storm. Sales for the Ballyvourney supplier were up almost 40% in March, when compared with January and February.

“Many aspects of our business, such as supplying to cafés and hotels literally disappeared overnight, but we have seen a surge in our business with Aldi through the Grow with Aldi initiative,” said Co- Founder of De Róiste Foods, Cathal Allen.

“The reduced payment terms that Aldi activated during this Covid-19 crisis has played a critical and crucial part in allowing us to keep all our nine employees in a job. The Grow with Aldi initiative has allowed us the opportunity to pick up the phone anytime, I know the team on a first name basis and it just helps to build great business relationship.”

John Curtin, group buying director, Aldi Ireland said: “Over the last few months our suppliers have experienced unprecedented circumstances. Their teams have worked around the clock to provide the products to keep our shelves stocked for customers, and we want to do everything we can to support them. We have already implemented shorter payment terms for over 200 Aldi suppliers who will have their invoices processed and payment within five working days.”

Aldi is committed to growing its Irish supply base and increasing the number of Irish products available in its stores. Aldi has invested more than €1.5 million its Grow with Aldi programme since 2018.

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Spar recently launched a new television advertising campaign paying tribute to the nationwide network of independent retailers who are working hard to provide an essential service to their local communities.

The advert shares a heartfelt message of gratitude to the teams around the country that are keeping Spar stores safe, stocked and open for their customers, while emphasising the convenience of shopping at Spar.

Featuring imagery of Spar stores and staff, the advert demonstrates the effort and fantastic community spirit of Spar retailers around the country and sees a return of Spar’s iconic brand promise of helping you get all you need, when you need it, under the tree at Spar.

Commenting on the production, Suzanne Weldon, marketing and communications director, BWG Foods said: “Our nationwide network of independent Spar retailers has responded magnificently to this crisis and we wanted to capture their Trojan efforts with this advert. Produced over a four-week period and observing current government safety guidelines, the finished project is a homage to their commitment to their communities.”

“We were able to achieve the final edit by utilising various video-conferencing platforms and ensuring any fresh imagery was captured by a single photographer working within a 2 kilometre radius of his home to complement imagery sent in by our retailers themselves,” Weldon explained. “This was a real team-effort and is truly reflective of the community spirit of all Spar retailers.”

To view the advert, click on https://vimeo.com/408176811/c04462626e

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Spar retailer Louis Byrne makes special donation to heroes at University Hospital Kerry

Spar retailers all over Ireland are going above and beyond to serve their customers, their local communities and crucially the most vulnerable in our society. They are doing this in many ways including home deliveries, telephone orders and a number of other initiatives designed to make life easier for our customers. For Louis Byrne, owner and operator of Spar Caherslee, Tralee and Spar Oak Park, Tralee, this included making a special delivery of Spar water, baked goods and some sweet treats to the heroes working on the front lines in University Hospital Kerry recently.

Louis Byrne, his team and Spar were keen to show their appreciation for the tremendous work those working in our healthcare system are doing in the most challenging of circumstances.

XL launches new Facebook campaign, ‘How good is your Gaeilge?’

XL Ireland has come up with a great way to stay busy, learn and have fun during the coronavirus lockdown by launching a Facebook campaign using animated Irish flashcards to encourage learning Irish. Every day a new flashcard is introduced as part of the ‘How Good Is Your Gaeilge?’ campaign. At a time when parents across the country are home-schooling, this campaign was created as an fun educational support tool to teach common words, phrases and facts, as Gaeilge, to all ages. These Irish flashcards include a wide variety of phrases and words from food such as bananas and apples to everyday household items such as keys and money.

Sadie’s Kitchen develops online home delivery option

Bone broth producer Sadie’s Kitchen recently added a home delivery option to its website, in response to the Covid-19 crisis. In an innovative example of how to ensure loyal customers still receive products during these challenging times, customers can now order single and bulk-buy options here.

BWG Foods supports new RTÉ Operation Transformation series: ‘Keeping Well Apart’

BWG Foods is proud to be supporting RTÉ’s new Operation Transformation: ‘Keeping Well Apart’ series. This is a special series and focuses on experts and the participants sharing their knowledge and real-life experience to help others as we stay apart to keep safe and healthy.

BWG Foods is the supporting retail group for the opening two weeks of this special edition of the show with its retail brands Spar, Eurospar, Mace and Londis. An independent retailer from each symbol delivers all of the grocery needs of show participants to them.

Susan Barry, owner of Mace Beaumont, arranged two deliveries of groceries to feed the Ryan Mongey family. Spar Murroe delivered the groceries for the two weeks of the show to the Ryan family. Mulroy’s Londis Moneen Roundabout, Castlebar did likewise for the Gavins and Eurospar Ballymun looked after the grocery needs of Ann Brophy, who is cocooning in Santry.

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The Irish Sun, Ireland’s bestselling daily tabloid newspaper, will this Wednesday (29 April), pay tribute to Ireland’s frontline heroes by dedicating the entire edition of the newspaper to highlight their incredible efforts to keep Ireland safe.

To help against the coronavirus fight, The Irish Sun will provide a ‘Frontline edition’ which will feature interviews with our everyday heroes in a bid to find out how they are coping with the situation they find themselves in and how they have overcome adversity. The edition will also feature special tributes to frontline staff from all walks of life – young and old, heart-warming and funny.

“The fight against Covid-19 has prompted an incredible national effort,” says Kieran McDaid, editor of The Irish Sun. “Nurses, doctors, gardaí and the defence forces are working tirelessly to save lives as well as delivery drivers, shop staff, farmers and food producers who are ensuring that everyone in Ireland continues to receive fresh food and essential goods.

“To express our appreciation and gratitude to these everyday heroes,” says McDaid, “we’ll be dedicating one whole edition of the newspaper, showcasing their work as well as their stories. It’s the perfect time to offer praise to those who deserve it most!”

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Many Irish flower suppliers across the country are feeling the pinch with DIY and garden centres temporarily closed. However, one bright spot for such nurseries is their partnership with Aldi, which says it remains eager to continue supporting small Irish suppliers in these uncertain times. Little Bridge Flowers (Spring Nurseries), a small rural family business situated in Doneraile, Co. Cork is one such business, which is now supplying Irish Grown Spring Bedding (€3.99/20pk) to Aldi stores nationwide.

“This opportunity during these unprecedented times is a lifeline for our business, helping us to remain open and operational,” says Sean Barrett, sales manager of Little Bridge Spring Nurseries.

Aldi is also helping to keep green-fingered shoppers entertained during lockdown, with the opportunity to add some instant summer colour to their gardens and balconies. Aldi’s range of potting and bedding plants, grown in association with Bord Bia quality assured nurseries, goes on sale in all 142 stores nationwide tomorrow (Thursday, 30 April), and includes the following:

• Red Geraniums, Calibrachoa and Osteospermums (€1.99 each) – Ideal for planters or beds, add a splash of colour to the garden for the bank holiday weekend with vibrant red Geraniums, Calibrachoa and Osteospermums all sourced from Jim O’Connor’s Nurseries, Co. Wexford.
• Marguerite, Million Bells, Cape Daisy, Petunia Peppy (€2.99 each) – When planted in a bright, sunny spot these plants will thrive and will flower between early summer and early autumn, best planted in sheltered areas. All home-grown from Uniplumo, Oldtown, Co. Dublin.
• Moss Phlox, Campanula (€3.99 each) – Sourced from SAP Nurseries, Cahir, Co. Tipperary, these instant summer colour perennials are a mix of low-growing early summer flowering plants that come back year after year. Perfect for front beds and rockeries. Also available are Erysimum, Dianthus, Armeria and Salvia.
• Azalea (€4.99 each) – Home grown and produced from Doran’s Nurseries, Co. Kildare, this low-growing evergreen Japanese shrub will reward with an abundance of bright flowers and is ideal for filling gaps in flowering beds.
• Calibrachoa Light Yellow, Calibrachoa Pink Vein (€5.99 each) – Ideal planters for the patio or decking area. These ready-made planters from Jim O’Connor’s Nurseries in Wexford don’t require getting the hands dirty.

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After over a month spent working from home, Kellogg is encouraging its employees in Ireland to take a much needed break away from their screens with its ‘Summer Hours’ scheme.

Now in its 17^th year, Kellogg’s Summer Hours scheme began this week and has been adapted in light of the lockdown measures currently in place. The scheme, running from May to September, previously meant that all office-based employees were able to finish work from 12pm on a Friday provided they had completed a full week’s hours.

This year, with all colleagues currently working from home throughout the week, Kellogg is offering its employees the flexibility to utilise the Summer Hours scheme on a day of their choice – from Monday to Friday.

With the challenges brought on by the new norm of working from home, combined with home schooling, caring for the vulnerable and an increased desire for timeout, the company believes encouraging more time away from desks will support mental health, increase motivation and boost productivity. Kellogg currently employs 265 employees in its European Headquarters in Dublin with all office-based workers having the opportunity to take half a day per week for themselves.

“At Kellogg, we have a long history of offering flexible working and in recent weeks it has become more of a priority than ever,” said Sam Thomas-Berry, vice president HR at Kellogg Europe. “We understand that everyone has different needs and pressures at this time, and we are doing all we can to offer flexible benefits to suit everyone.”

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The Football Association of Ireland and Spar have joined forces to encourage children to adopt healthy eating habits by sharing easy-to-follow recipes for wholesome breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks at home, all made with ingredients available in local Spar stores.

Eating healthier food helps children to concentrate for longer and learn more, while it also helps create the energy they need to perform at their best at sport. Three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, three healthy recipes that are fun to make and healthy to eat will be chosen by members of the Ireland senior squad and available to download from the FAI’s website.

The recipes have been carefully crafted to ensure a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals are present in each meal and snack and will help keep people satisfied over the coming weeks and months.

Spar has a proud history of promoting healthy eating through its Spar Better Choices and Spar Better Choices Kids initiatives. According to the group, these recipes are a good illustration of how people can rely on their local Spar retailer to maintain their healthy lifestyles during the Covid-19 lockdown.

In total, 20 players from the Republic of Ireland Men’s and Women’s Senior Teams are involved in the 2020 Healthy Eating Guide, including Spar FAI Primary School 5s ambassadors Amber Barrett and Jack Byrne.

Former Ireland striker and FAI interim deputy CEO Niall Quinn said: “The Spar Healthy Eating Guide is a brilliant opportunity for children and their families to try some healthy and tasty recipes during this current lockdown period. I’m delighted that our senior men’s and women’s internationals are part of this programme. A healthy diet is key to a healthy lifestyle. It’s fantastic to join forces with our Primary 5s partners Spar to give those around Ireland the opportunity to try some new and tasty recipes.”

Colin Donnelly, Spar sales director added: “We are delighted to be partnering with the FAI in reprising this fabulous initiative. When we brought the Healthy Eating Guide out for the first time in 2017, it was a terrific success and it is great to be updating it and showing people that they can continue to eat healthily during these truly extraordinary times. At Spar, our local community-based retailers are committed to providing our customers with the best of options under the tree and the Healthy Eating Guide is a perfect way to show our commitment to that.”

The 2020 Healthy Eating Guide can be downloaded at www.fai.ie/sparhealthyeating.

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How retailers communicate with their shoppers and local communities has never been more important. The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified the need for all retailers to reassure their local communities that they are providing safe environments for all shoppers.

Eurospar’s retailers have been working tirelessly to promote the importance of health and safety in their supermarkets by producing individual videos that are being shared across their social media channels.

The innovative videos are proving popular and have been viewed by more than 1 million people since first being produced.

“This is a perfect example of how Eurospar retailers work tirelessly to ensure that our supermarkets are leading the way in terms of fresh food retailing, innovation, food safety and customer service and is testament to the professionalism and dedication of all Eurospar retailers,” said Malachy Hanberry, managing director, Eurospar.

“The videos are providing tremendous comfort to the local communities our Eurospar supermarkets serve and are reassuring customers that they can shop for their everyday essentials in a healthy and safe environment in their local Eurospar,” Hanberry added.

An example of one of the videos, created by Eurospar Bruff, can be viewed by clicking here.

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