News

Costcutter Supermarkets Group is coming back to TV this autumn with a campaign that boasts regular advertisements on ITV, GMTV and UTV.

Costcutter is embarking on its fifth bout of TV activity this year to continue to raise awareness of the brand and its “value” messaging to over 10 million of its target consumers in an engaging and entertaining fashion. The adverts are currently running in Northern Ireland and will be on screens from 15th September on ITV and GMTV.

Jill Morris, Costcutter Head of Marketing said: “Our comprehensive marketing package provides retailers with extensive support when it comes to raising the profile of their stores, increasing footfall and importantly, maximising consumer spend. Costcutter continues to put substantial investment in our marketing activity and recognises the significant impact this has for the many retailers choosing to join our group.

“All our activity is focused on a strong value message which continues to be important for our customers in the current economic climate. This is leveraged through our adverts which promote carefully selected ranges at consistently competitive prices. We’re confident that this latest TV exposure along with our ongoing consumer engagement programme will enable us to assist our retailers to grow their businesses and increase their sales – an attractive proposition to any retailer considering joining a symbol group.”

Costcutter recently delivered an all encompassing World Cup marketing campaign for its retailers. Designed to engage consumers and maximise sales, integrated activity included specific retailer incentives along with a raft of consumer competitions and the group’s first ever digital marketing campaign, Love/Hate Football.

Following last year’s growth of 8% and a record £606 million turnover, Costcutter Supermarkets Group has emphasised its aggressive retailer recruitment programme as a crucial contributor to its growth strategy for 2010.

The first quarter of the year has seen 89 new retailers from rival symbol groups, brand new individual and previously non-affiliated stores, joining Costcutter – providing mounting confidence of the award winning symbol operator hitting its own target of finishing the year at 5% above last year.

Nick Ivel, Costcutter Managing Director said: “Just thirteen weeks into the year, our strong retailer recruitment has already significantly contributed to our strategy for growth. Our newest successful retailers demonstrate an appetite and willingness to make necessary changes to develop their businesses, including joining or changing symbol group operators.

“Retailer recruitment will continue to be a driving factor to our success throughout 2010. We are delighted to welcome the increasing number of new retailers, both from rival symbol operators and independently managed stores, opting to join us. Our robust and sustained member recruitment is incredibly significant as it demonstrates industry confidence in Costcutter to maintain its growth and success in the short and long term.”

Mr Naran, Bolton said: “Joining Costcutter has already proved to be a successful move for my five stores and we’re confident Costcutter is moving in the right direction in terms of innovation and growth needed to help develop our stores and maximise sales.”

With past experience of other symbol groups, and thorough research into current options comparatively, Costcutter provides an unrivalled level of support, from practical advice to effective marketing activity including stand-out POS and leaflets. The hands on service we are getting from the team has already delivered above our expectations!”

Costcutter works closely with retailers to ensure they are continually developing their businesses. Existing retailers have invested £2million in store development to date this year which is attributed to the group’s unwavering attention to retailer support and its motivation to increase store trading results through the implementation of new formats including in store design and layout options.

Ivel concludes: “We have set an especially demanding overall target for the year ahead taking account of the current economic climate and the anticipated cuts and their effect on public spending. But we are working on several exciting opportunities to develop and enhance the Costcutter group, which enables us to be optimistic in meeting this target comfortably.

“Our acquisition strategy, promising pipeline of new retailers and our continued retailer development programme give further certainty to the sustained growth and success of the Costcutter group. This successful first quarter highlights that we are geared for another exciting year of trading.”

Costcutter Supermarkets Group, the award winning symbol operator has rewarded its top scoring World Cup retailers with a generous cash boost.

The independent sector reportedly had a mixed performance in terms of trading, with fierce competition from the multiples threatening to blight anticipated high sales. But Costcutter created a programme of activity to drive sales, by engaging retailers and consumers alike.

Costcutter retailers were incentivised to boost their sales with the introduction of a cash competition designed specifically for them to get 100% behind the World Cup campaign.

Four savvy Costcutter members scored a £1000 windfall for adding extra zing to their in-store promotions during the long awaited tournament. Creative in store theatre from dressing staff in team kits, holding drinks tasting sessions from the participating countries, to giving away flags to loyal and hopeful England fans, saw retailers playing their part in encouraging footfall.

Jill Morris, Costcutter Head of Marketing said: “Costcutter went to significant lengths to ensure our members were able to fully take advantage of the World Cup. As well as our innovative consumer campaigns, TV advertising campaign and the provision of free themed POS kits for stores, we urged our retailers to leverage this by any means possible in store.

“It was a tough competition with so many retailers going that extra mile to make their store and their profits stand out. The successful stores were able to engage with their communities, interacting with their customers to promote loyalty as well maximising sales.”

Jubilee Garage (Egremont) Ltd, Cumbria, O’Neill’s Costcutter, County Antrim, Costcutter Stores & Seaways Service Station, St Asaph and E C Ashton & Sons, Llansantffraid, were all recognised for their extra effort and commitment to making the World Cup a successful sales occasion.

Trevor Morgan from Costcutter Stores, St Asaph said: “We created an in store football theme and got right behind the Costcutter Football Crazy Deals, using all the promotional material provided. Sales of beers in our Mold store have increased year on year by 72% and this played a vital role in that increase. The support we receive from Costcutter, from resources to their encouragement of us as individual retailers, is what really sets the group apart from other symbol operators.”

As well as specific retailer incentives, Costcutter invested heavily to engage consumers and drive footfall into Costcutter fascia stores. A raft of competitions, from Supermarket Sweepstake which granted new kit to thirty two local football teams across the UK, a Win a Car competition to the group’s first ever digital marketing campaign Love/Hate Football, enticed tens of thousands of entries to win hundreds of prizes ranging from Costcutter vouchers to luxury holidays in South Africa.

The independent sector has reportedly fared better than feared from a disappointing World Cup as a whole. Costcutter itself achieved its first ever £13 million sales week during the period and saw value sales up more than 100% on certain alcohol and confectionery products.

Costcutter continues to help retailers drive revenue with the addition of a new leaflet to its suite of retailer-focused marketing materials.

Designed specifically with retailer savings in mind, the new six-page full colour guide, entitled “Top Deals” allows retailers to see the exact savings to be made by product along with the potential margins that they can achieve on sales, at a glance.

Angela Barber, Trading and Marketing Director for Costcutter said: “With the industry as a whole looking for ways to sustain recent sales growth, information such as the new Top Deals leaflet we’re providing will allow our retailers to quickly identify the most profitable promotions for them. Our first leaflet allowed retailers to save over £500 by simply buying one case of each deal and latest offers even more.”

Costcutter already supports its members with a range of product promotion deals but is conscious of the vast choice available to retailers which can make the purchasing decision more difficult.

Angela concludes: “Understanding independent retailers businesses as we do, we’re always keen to support our members with initiatives to save them time and money. By flagging up the potential savings they can make, we’re confident that the investment we are making with this new leaflet will see great returns for Costcutter retailers.”

The Top Deals leaflet will be issued to retailers every promotional period and the deals are available to all Costcutter retailers.

The Making A Difference – Locally (MADL) charity has donated £10,000 to the Pakistan Flood Appeal to help the country’s relief efforts following the devastating monsoon floods which have struck the country.

Appeals have been made by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who issued a plea for donors to support Pakistan at this difficult time. UN officials and the Pakistani government have also appealed for more assistance as the monsoon rains continue to fall.

MADL Board committee member John Schofield commented: “The £10,000 which MADL has donated will hopefully be of great use to the people of Pakistan at this time. The loss of life and damage to buildings and infrastructure has been catastrophic and while nothing can fully repair the damage caused to people’s lives, we hope that our support and the support of the international community, can help the country emerge from this terrible ordeal. Our deepest condolences go to those who have lost family, friends and loved ones in the floods.”

The MADL charity was formed in May 2008 with the intention of assisting more than 2000 independent retailers throughout the UK with raising money for their local communities, although a percentage of all money raised is set aside to assist other more timely causes.

The charity was created by Nisa-Today’s and Costcutter Supermarkets and the stores participating in the scheme are all members of Nisa-Today’s or independent retailers who are part of the Costcutter Supermarkets Group.

The charity works by a specified amount of the cost of certain products promoted instore being allocated to the retailer’s MADL charity fund. For instance, this month for every Clover 100% Extra Free 500g pack sold, 3p of the sale will go into the retailer’s MADL fund to be donated to their chosen charity.