Welcome to the December issue of Wholesale Manager. Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, has revealed the hottest dining and social trends set to shape the industry as we enter into a very different world in 2022. One movement is the WOW Factor: this trend is all about how people are treating themselves and what it takes to make occasions that little bit more special. Another shift is the Greta Effect, meaning a greater focus on sustainability.
FareShare, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, is launching a new scheme to recognise food businesses in the supply chain which consistently divert their edible surplus food to charities and community groups. Over 100 companies will be awarded a Leading Food Partner badge, including Tesco and Cranswick. Over the last year, the food industry has diverted 35,000 tonnes of in- date, nutritious food that would otherwise have been wasted, enough to create 84 million meals for vulnerable families – and avoid the needless wasting of 56,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases emitted in the production of this food.
A new initiative has been launched to Nisa partners to enable them to support their local communities with more time-sensitive donations via the Making a Difference Locally charity. ‘A Moment in Time’ will allow retailers to apply for additional MADL funding of up to £2,500 when they are looking to support a local good cause in time for a particular event or deadline, but are unable to donate the money from their store’s own MADL funds. An example could be a retailer that has recently donated all of their MADL funds or whose balance would not build quickly enough in time to support the cause or event, such as a local community group celebrating its 10th birthday, a fundraising campaign almost at its target or an upcoming local event.
Tobacco continues to be a huge FMCG category, worth £2.2bn after tax. Wholesalers need the right products and the right knowledge to help their customers make the most of the tobacco category. Duncan Cunningham, UK Corporate Affairs Director at Imperial Tobacco & blu, tells our Supplier Spotlight page how wholesalers can merchandise tobacco in depot and how Imperial works with wholesalers to improve sales. The Better For You (BFY) Snacks category is back in growth after a testing 18 months in which on-the-go shopping occasions were considerably reduced. Consumers are looking for lower levels of fat, salt and sugar in their snacks and are controlling their calorie intake. In a Supplier Spotlight interview, Roisin Witort, Marketing Manager for Snacking at General Mills, explains how wholesalers can capitalise on the BFY Snacks opportunity.
May we take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Enjoy reading the issue.
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