Snappy Shopper has teamed up with ITS, one of the UK’s leading EPOS suppliers, to integrate its technology with Snappy Shopper retailers, as part of the latest efforts from the delivery app in its continued efforts to aid its retailers’ growth.
Following on from similar partnering integrations, this new relationship is born out of Snappy Shopper’s desire to give its retailers the most cutting-edge tools and data to achieve quicker deliveries and control a bigger and more relevant store range to aid improved basket spend and all-round store efficiency. This is achieved by ITS’s ability to offer retailers real-time stock checking, pricing and sales updates to reduce retailer time spent on administrative tasks which will in turn, free up hours to deliver a better customer experience to drive repeat orders and store loyalty.
ITS’s readily available information on other areas of key data such as individual product performance, deals and promotions, as well as the above, means retailers are in complete control of exactly how their store is performing and can provide customers with the products they know they need.
“ITS has long been recognised as one of the leading EPOS providers and thought leaders to act upon data insights," said Mike Callachan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Snappy Shopper. "Our shared mindset highlights our commitment to local retailers by providing them with an incredibly powerful platform service that allows them to maximise both their in-store performance as well as their customers’ online shopping behaviours. This collaboration represents another significant step forward for the Snappy Shopper marketplace as we continue to focus and build upon our convenience and high street retail footprint.”
Tanveer Mirza, MD at ITS said: “Our partnership with Snappy Shopper is a major development within delivery in convenience and will undoubtedly make a real difference to our mutual customers. Many of our symbol store customers use our software in their physical stores already, but to be able to provide them with data on their digital performance is an additional way for them to see their business grow.”
Major food companies, including Kraft Heinz, Mondelez and Coca-Cola, were hit with a new lawsuit in the US on Tuesday accusing them of designing and marketing "ultra-processed" foods to be addictive to children, causing chronic disease.
The lawsuit was filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas by Bryce Martinez, a Pennsylvania resident who alleges he developed type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diagnosed at age 16, as a result of consuming the companies' products.
His lawyers at the firm Morgan & Morgan, a major US plaintiffs' firm, described the case as the first of its kind.
The other companies being sued are Post Holdings, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestle's US arm, WK Kellogg, Mars, Kellanova and Conagra.
"There is currently no agreed upon scientific definition of ultra-processed foods," Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy for the Consumer Brands Association, an industry group representing food and beverage makers, said in a statement.
"Attempting to classify foods as unhealthy simply because they are processed, or demonising food by ignoring its full nutrient content, misleads consumers and exacerbates health disparities."
Evidence has grown in recent years that highly processed foods are linked to a wide range of chronic health problems. Food described by researchers as "ultra-processed" includes many packaged snack foods, sweets and soft drinks made with substances extracted from whole foods or synthesized artificially.
Current US Food and Drug Administration commissioner Robert Califf has said that ultra-processed foods are likely addictive. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services, has criticised the food industry and the FDA for failing to regulate it.
Martinez's lawsuit alleges that the food companies have long known their products are harmful and deliberately engineered them to be as addictive as possible. It argues that they are drawing from the same "cigarette playbook" as tobacco giants Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, which for a time owned the companies that became Kraft Heinz and Mondelez.
The lawsuit includes claims for conspiracy, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and unfair business practices. It seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.
Retailers should prepare for late rush of shoppers looking for fresh food, centre pieces for the dinner table and last-minute gifts, suggests experts forecasting that grocery spend is set to hit £10 billion in the two weeks leading up to Dec 21 with £6bn being spent at the grocery multiples
According to new data released NIQ today (11), total till sales growth steadied at UK supermarkets (+3.7 per cent) in the last four weeks ending Nov 30 2024, down from 4.0 per cent in the previous month. This slowdown in growth is likely due to milder weather, Black Friday distraction and shoppers holding out until early December for the big Christmas shop.
NIQ data also reveals with shoppers actively looking for discounts, over the last four weeks there was a boost to visits to stores (+5.7 per cent) ahead of online shopping occasions (+0.6 per cent). As a result online share of FMCG was at +13.1 per cent compared to last year +13.4 per cent.
Savvy shoppers capitalise on promotions
The percentage of sales purchased on promotion increased to 25 per cent from 24 per cent in October. Shoppers are seeking out savvy ways to save money and retailers and brands are hoping to drive incremental sales and basket spend through both more in-store promotional activity and increased loyalty app discounts.
"Personalised Savings" is thought to have unlocked this discretionary spend with 38 per cent of households set to use vouchers and points saved up for their Christmas groceries this year.
Black Friday also coincided with payday at the end of the month, seeing value growth sustained at the Grocery Multiples in the last week of November. Shoppers cashed in on higher ticket priced items while on promotion, such as 25 per cent off six bottles of wine and beauty and gifting offers.
However, this likely resulted in holding back spend on other items such as storage cupboard food, frozen and household basics where growth was flat.
Health and beauty wins out
In terms of category growth, NIQ data shows that the Health & Beauty category experienced an uplift in sales (+6.9 per cent), likely helped by Black Friday discounts. However, beer, wines and spirits (BWS) continue to struggle as value sales fell (-3.8 per cent) and there was no corresponding increase in unit sales (-2.5 per cent) compared to a year ago.
Looking ahead to Christmas celebrations with family, NIQ data reveals that 50 per cent of shoppers still expect to dine with turkey while 22 per cent opt for chicken, with beef following at 20 per cent. And 12 per cent opting for vegetarian or vegan alternatives.
Mike Watkins, NIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, said: “Sales are going to accelerate in the two weeks up to the 21st December. The biggest single week will be week ending 21st December with £6bn being spent at the grocery multiples, which is a third of the 4 weekly spend in one week.
"Food retailers can prepare for this late rush starting next week as shoppers will be looking for fresh food, centre pieces for the dinner table and last-minute gifts, including a trade up to premium items”.
Watkins adds: “Last year with food inflation at 7 per cent (BRC NIQ SPI), volumes fell in December 2023 however, this year NIQ expects volume growth of around +1 per cent.
"Even with 50 per cent of households saying it is important for them to make savings on their Christmas groceries this year, 66% still expect they will spend the same or more than last year (NIQ Homescan Survey) and 38 per cent intend to use points or vouchers saved up. So there are reasons to be cheerful”.
More than two in five UK retail employees (43 per cent) were at risk of quitting their jobs between July and September this year, an 11 per cent increase from the previous three months of 2024, according to the Retail Trust and AlixPartners’ latest Retail People Index.
The index, which surveyed 1,100 UK retail employees in July, August and September, found the percentage of people working whilst physically or mentally unwell, also increased to 41 per cent over this time. This is a 14 per cent year-on-year increase, and a 7 per cent rise from the previous quarter of 2024.
Younger retail workers, aged 19 to 24, and LGBTQ+ employees had the biggest ‘flight risk’, or propensity to quit, of 47 per cent, due to feeling more anxious and depressed about work and also least likely to feel they were recognised for doing something well.
Retail employees aged 19 to 34 showed the highest levels of presenteeism, where employees work when physically or mentally unwell, with half working while unwell.
And female workers experienced some of the biggest mental health declines over the period, with an overall wellbeing score drop from 72 per cent in July to 52 per cent in September for women aged 55 to 64. Those aged 25 to 34 also experienced lower wellbeing in July and September.
Staff were asked, by the Retail Trust’s and employee engagement platform WorkL’s online happiness assessment, about their mental and physical health and how valued and fulfilled they feel, to create an overall wellbeing score for the Retail People Index.
Questions around pay, recognition, relationships with managers, work-related anxiety and workplace safety were among those used to separately help calculate the likelihood of them leaving their jobs or working while unwell between July and September 2024.
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said, “There are often unrealistic expectations that the summer will be a less stressful time for people working in retail, but the reality is it often brings added pressures for working parents and those having to put in extra shifts to cover colleagues’ holidays.
“That's why it's important employers don’t underestimate the support their staff members need during the summer months, especially as they'll need a happy and healthy workforce to rely on as they gear up for the busy shopping period at the end of the year.
“Investing in staff wellbeing and retention during this crucial period will allow retailers to be more productive and successful for the rest of the year, thanks to the fundamental link between the hope, health and happiness of a business’s workforce and its economic resilience.
“Thank you to AlixPartners and to our data partner WorkL for their support in creating this valuable index. Our hope is that businesses from across the retail sector and beyond can now build this insight into their wellbeing strategies as they look to the tailored support their people will need in 2025.”
Laura Bond, director at AlixPartners said, “Retail employees clearly feel increasingly unsettled. These year-on-year insights underscore the uncertainty felt across the industry – and the autumn Budget likely will have heightened tensions further as people brace for potential job cuts and role shifts in 2025.
“As retail leaders respond to the Budget, they have an opportunity and responsibility to step up and engage meaningfully with their teams. Supporting people through this period isn't just the right thing to do – it’s a key driver of business performance.
“High-performing retailers consistently demonstrate effective employee engagement and a commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion. These are critical strategies for navigating challenges, while fostering resilience and growth within the organisation.”
The government has made significant changes to the law in recent years to further push the UK towards becoming a smoke free country. Most notably, the government's "smoke-free generation" plan aims to create a generation that will never be able to legally buy tobacco products. Local authorities across the UK also deliver a wide range of services to help smokers to quit. Despite these efforts, around six million people in the UK are still smoking and it’s costing local authorities on average £936 to help a smoker to successfully quit.
The research, compiled by Haypp, looked at how much local authorities are spending on stop smoking services, vs the number of successful quitters. Based on current figures, it would cost local authorities a total of £5.61 billion to help every smoker in the UK to successfully quit.
With so much funding going towards quit-smoking services, it’s interesting to note that 57 per cent of people who have set a quitting date have successfully quit smoking in 2024. Men are more likely to be successful quitters, with 59 per cent of men who were trying to quit at the start of the year reporting that they have kicked the habit, compared to 56 per cent for females.
Stop- smoking services are provided by local councils, with each location offering a variety of services. On average, each council in England is spending £139,366 per year on quit smoking services which ranges from group support and one to one coaching, to free nicotine replacement patches and vape kits.
The data which can be viewed on an interactive map, view England quit smoking rates here, displays all of the areas around England based on the success rate for quitting smoking, as well as government expenditure and cessation tools. Overall, North Yorkshire had the highest quit smoking rate at 82 per cent, and Hartlepool reported the lowest quit smoking rate at just 13 per cent.
Additionally, the amount each council invested into stop smoking strategies and services varied considerably, with some councils investing much more than others in the effort to help people successfully quit. The councils currently spending the most per quitter, are:
1.Westminster – £6567
2.Ealing – £4771
3.Gloucestershire – £4043
4.Manchester – £3171
5.Telford and Wrekin – £3085
Quitting smoking strategies vary across the councils, but one highly successful method is encouraging smokers to switch to a less harmful nicotine product. In England, 58 per cent of people successfully quit using a nicotine replacement therapy product, such as nicotine pouches, and 63 per cent successfully quit using tobacco-free nicotine vapes as a quitting tool.
“Following UK government guidance, those who reduce the amount they smoke are more likely to stop smoking eventually," said Markus Lindblad, from Haypp. "The national harm reduction strategy, including switching to alternative, less harmful nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, has been key to the UK being one of the most successful countries in Europe in reducing the number of smokers overall. While it comes with a high price tag, the UK has been very successful so far, and the investment is worth it.
“There are also several other possible contributing factors to these success rates, including local councils offering nicotine replacement therapy, free vape starter kits, online courses, and in person, one-to-one or group, support. All of these methods are excellent resources to help people quit smoking for good.”
The research, conducted during summer 2024, explores how rising living costs are impacting consumer spending habits. Among its findings, 43 per cent of consumers reported abandoning a purchase this year because their preferred payment method wasn’t available. Security also emerged as a key concern, with 54 per cent of respondents citing it as a critical factor in payment decisions. Nearly half (47 per cent) expressed discomfort entering financial details online due to security concerns. These concerns are further compounded by the increasing prevalence of cyberattacks, with 50 per cent of businesses reporting such incidents in the past year.
“Consumers have made it clear that payment choice and access to cash are essential to them," said Mike Severs, Sales & Marketing Director at Volumatic. "While digital payments are convenient for many, cash continues to offer unmatched security, privacy, and inclusivity. As cyberattacks become more frequent, it’s no surprise that consumers value the reliability and resilience of cash.”
The survey also shed light on consumer unease about a cashless society with 63 per cent expressing concern about losing access to cash, which the UK government has addressed through the new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules introduced in September. Many consumers still prefer traditional payment methods, with 44 per cent indicating they would like to reserve goods online and pay in cash upon collection in-store. Additionally, 35 per cent feel uncomfortable leaving home without cash or a physical payment card.
Volumatic highlights that these findings reflect the relevance of cash as a payment method, as one in ten people are still paid in cash and that cash remains an essential option for millions of individuals.
Volumatic has long championed the importance of payment choice, and in 2021, the company collaborated with organisations like the Bank of England, Cash Essentials, and Vaultex to produce the white paper, Consumers Demand Payment Choice, which stressed the importance of businesses offering diverse payment methods to meet consumer needs. This message was reinforced at the 2022 Volumatic’s Cash 2030 Conference, where key stakeholders, including The Co-op Food Group, the UK Cash Supply Alliance, and Enryo, united to support cash as a critical payment method.
As businesses navigate economic challenges, Volumatic encourages organisations to consider these insights and offer a range of payment options that meet the needs of all while ensuring no consumer is left behind.