Wholesaler Booker has signed up to data consultancy TWC Group’s SmartView Convenience, which it operates in partnership with In Touch Group. Read full article.
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September ’24 – Booker signs up to TWC’s Smartview Convenience market read
Data consultancy TWC Group is delighted to announce that Booker has signed up to its independent convenience market read, SmartView Convenience, which it operates in partnership with In Touch Group. SmartView Convenience provides the most representative EPOS mark read...
September ’24 – Booker signs up to TWC SmartView Convenience
Booker is the latest wholesaler to join SmartView Convenience, TWC’s independent market read in partnership with In Touch Group Full article
September ’24 – Booker signs up to TWC’s SmartView Convenience market read
Data consultancy TWC Group has announced that Booker has signed up to its independent convenience market read, SmartView Convenience, which it operates in partnership with In Touch Group. Full article
September ’24 – Booker signs up to TWC’s SmartView Convenience market read
Full article
August ’24 – Four things you need to know about Frozen Food
Four things you need to know about Frozen Food
August ’24 – Yes, We Can
Exclusive new research from data and insight consultancy, TWC, on the ARTD category within convenience reveals Scotland punches well above its weight in this vibrant and innovative category with premium brands shining bright. Read full article on pages...
July ’24 – Get your functional drinks functioning properly
Our latest data reveals that the 'sports and energy' sub-category is one of the only categories within 'drink now' that is seeing year-on-year (YoY) growth in unit sales. Full article - Page 26
UNITAS SIGNS UP TO SMARTVIEW CONVENIENCE – THE MARKET READ FOR INDEPENDENT CONVENIENCE STORES
Unitas has become the first wholesaler or wholesale buying group to sign up to SmartView Convenience (SVC), the market read for independent convenience stores launched in mid 2023 by TWC Group in partnership with I-TG Group. Many industry suppliers have already signed...
March ’24 – Getting spirits right
Full article - Page 24
January ’24 – Aston Manor signs up to TWC Independent Convenience Market Read
Data consultancy TWC Group has signed up another client to its new independent convenience market read, SmartView Convenience.
January ’24 – Aston Manor signs up to TWC’s SmartView Convenience market read
Data consultancy TWC Group has signed up another client to its new independent convenience market read, SmartView Convenience.
December ’23 – Benchmark portal for Spar retailers
Full article
December ’23 – Less smoke on the horizon
Full article ( Page 14)
December ’23 – Hot Beverages & Cold Brews
According to TWC data, instant coffee remains – at 87% market share – the engine of sales and profit in the coffee category, yet it is also the only segment that is declining (down 3.1%).
November ’23 – Pack to the future II | In focus: Price-marked packs
One in three UK adults say that knowing a convenience store sells price-marked packs (PMPs) means they are more likely to shop there. This represents a huge opportunity for independent retailers.
Added to this, research by data analyst TWC shows 78% of retailers agree that PMPs demonstrate good value for money to shoppers. So, PMPs are good for the shopper and the retailer. It’s a win-win situation.
What can SmartView Convenience tell us about Prime’s performance in the independent convenience channel?
TWC has analysed the performance of Prime sports and energy drink in the independent convenience channel using SmartView Convenience data
Why do I need SmartView Convenience as well as wholesale shipments data?
SmartView Convenience is complementary to your existing wholesale shipments data, providing a total market read against which you can benchmark your performance.
Do you know who your convenience customer is?
Convenience retail covers a broad spectrum of outlets but the channel is often mistakenly treated as a whole, when in reality the different sub-channels attract different shoppers. Do you actually know who shops in the unaffiliated/wholesaler fascia groups? The results might surprise you!
TWC launching convenience market read
Introducing SmartView Convenience – the most reflective EPOS market read covering independent retail and wholesaler-supplied symbol stores in GB
Predictions for Christmas 2022…. and beyond
We share our thoughts on predictions for Christmas 2022 for wholesale, retail and foodservice.
Independent retailer report – Autumn 2022
**NEW REPORT** How have retailers changed as a result of the pandemic and how can wholesalers and suppliers better support them?
TWC Trends Summer 22: Part 4 – Sustainability
Part 4 of TWC Trends Summer Edition 2022 considers how much of a priority are sustainability and environmental concerns in light of the cost-of-living crisis?
Price marked packs: what do retailers think?
Read our latest research to get under the skin of independent retailers current concerns and how they feel about price marked packs.
TWC Trends Summer 22: Part 3 – Online and Amazon
Our latest TWC Trends research considers how online will settle following the covid boom and where does Amazon fit in?
TWC Trends Summer 22: Part 2 – The cost of living crisis
Our latest TWC Trends research unpicks how consumers are adapting their behaviour in light of increased pressure on household budgets due to the cost-of-living crisis.
TWC Trends Summer 22: Part 1 – Half of consumers find rapid delivery of groceries appealing
Our latest TWC Trends research has revealed that half of consumers find the idea of delivery of groceries in half an hour – or less – appealing. Interest was highest amongst those living in London and younger consumers.
Operating in times of high inflation – advice from a seasoned professional
We discuss the highly topical issue of how wholesalers can survive stagflation, with TWC Chairman Mike McGee sharing his learned experience of working through high inflation in the past.
Do loyalty schemes need a rethink to engage younger shoppers?
Whilst a third of those aged 55+ claimed to be a member of a grocery loyalty scheme, just 7% of those aged 18-34 did. Surely this is at odds, with those most in need of cheaper prices, least likely to be able to access them – and a strong rationale for creating a loyalty scheme that resonates with these younger shoppers.
Are fascias the loyalty card of wholesale?
Most wholesalers look to recruit the best retailers into a fascia and lock in a proportion of their spend, but what about those retailers that won’t be limited to a fascia? We believe the answer lies in data, with technology monitoring and rewarding customers for the right behaviour.
The last thing wholesale needs is a race to the bottom on price
The watch out of focussing on the price differential – and arguing it doesn’t exist – is that then we simply drive convenience retail prices down, creating a race to the bottom on RSP which directly squeezes the margin which must be shared between a retailer and a wholesaler.
Are consumers prepared to pay more in convenience?
Are consumers prepared to pay more in convenience? Our conclusion: a 10% price differential continues to exist for Tesco and Sainsbury’s convenience stores, so this is the price point that independent retailers must try to compete with.
TWC Trends – Autumn Edition 2021 – PART 4
Part four of Autumn Trends focuses on ‘do good, feel good’ – the impact of environmental and sustainability concerns on consumer choices.
TWC Trends – Autumn Edition 2021 – PART 3
Part three of Autumn Trends focuses on savvy shopping – balancing value as well as premiumisation to meet divergent consumer needs
Price increases & the impact on shared margin
There is a lot of noise about price rises across the supply chain currently but how should this work in the wholesale channel? Nobody expects an independent retailer to sell a product at the same price as a Tesco supermarket, so suppliers need to ensure that revised margin calculations allow indies to compete on price (within convenience) AND make a living.
TWC Trends – Autumn Edition 2021 – PART 2
Part two of Autumn Trends focuses on the online explosion – the digitalisation and delivery of food and drink and its impact on the convenience and foodservice sectors
An end of year message from Tom Fender
TWC’s Tom Fender shares his end of year message and some key findings from TWC Trends Autumn Edition 2021.
TWC Trends – Autumn Edition 2021 – PART ONE
Part one of Autumn Trends focuses on (Re)-Emerging Behaviours – looking at consumer attitudes to socialising in and out of home.
Can PMPs drive value perception at a time of rising costs?
It is clear that wholesalers still want PMP's and our data from TWC Trends Spring Edition shows consumer demand too, with two-thirds agreeing that they like PMPs. In the context of rising costs, it is an ongoing challenge for the industry to offer consumers value and...
Catching the Tiger by the Tail …
C-stores have a timely opportunity to catch the ‘Health and wellness Tiger’ by the tail… But will they?
TWC Trends – Spring Edition 2021
Research on consumer sentiment and attitudes to shopping in: Convenience, Hospitality, Foodservice, Wholesale.
TWC Trends – The Rise of Subscription Services
In the last few weeks, a few headlines have caught my eye.
Firstly, the UK has officially become the 3rd largest ecommerce economy in the world, behind China, and only just behind South Korea (by only 0.1% of GDP).
Wholesale – a Channel Ripe for Disruption, but is it?
A colleague showed me a crowd funding pitch for a digital disruption business, which is aiming to be an online consolidator for retailers to buy direct from suppliers because, and I quote: retailers are “squeezed by middle men who make the vast majority of margins.”
Has the UK Convenience Sector Reached a Digital ‘Tipping Point’?
‘Maybe’ argues TWC’s Tom Fender….but yet again, industry commentators seem to be missing a key point. Over the last few years, we have seen the Retail Multiples reverse engineer themselves into Convenience retail, either by Tesco acquiring Booker or One Stop,...
April ’21 – As Hospitality opens up – TWC Trends Spring 2021 Report asks will ‘Retailtainment’ be the buzz word of the future…?
As Hospitality establishments open their doors, 72% of consumers say they are ‘excited’ to be able to enjoy the experience and atmosphere of eating out again. The pent-up demand for new experience is indisputable. People have been trapped at home, eating the same...
April 2021: Amazon Could be the 6th Largest Supermarket According to TWC Trends Spring 2021 Report
Launching its inaugural TWC Trends Spring 2021 Report, leading intelligence and technology consultancy, TWC, has revealed that its consumer research indicates that Amazon could be the 6th largest supermarket if current shoppers swapped just one grocery shop per month....
April 2021: The Future of Wholesale – Are you in Tune with the Market Forces Driving Change?
Launching its inaugural TWC Trends Spring 2021 Report published 15.4.21 https://twcgroup.net/register-twc-trends-1/) – leading intelligence and technology consultancy, TWC, has revealed some key factors in the future of Wholesale and urged businesses to consider these...
Amazon Fresh ‘Just Walk Out’ Stores: The point most people seem to forget by TWC’s Tom Fender
Those of us who have visited Amazon’s new Fresh store in Ealing (it has now also opened a second store near Wembley) have been impressed by the technology. Some have commented on the fact that the ‘just walk out’ concept reduces the number of jobs. However, I believe...
Amazon Fresh ‘Just Walk Out’ Stores: The point most people seem to forget.
Those of us who have visited Amazon’s new Fresh store in Ealing (it has now also opened a second store near Wembley) have been impressed by the technology.
Will Wholesalers be forced to shape shift one more time post Covid?
Understandably, foodservice wholesalers are currently pre-occupied with the existential threat they face from a large proportion of their customer base being closed.
Feb 2021: What’s Going to Stick? TWC Launches New Report that looks at Consumer Behavioral Change
It will come as no surprise to readers that ‘shopper behaviour’ has changed! But as we come out of lockdown – the big questions will be... what’s the ‘stickability’ of these changes, and what’s the likely impact on the wholesale, and route to market channel? A new...
Feb ’21 “TWC TRENDS” – WHAT’S HOT? WHAT’S NOT”
Data insight & digital expert, TWC, launches exciting new industry tracker. As the power of knowledge, insight, and keeping abreast of fast-paced change becomes critically powerful, data and digital partner to wholesalers, foodservice operators, and suppliers,...
TWC Talks: The Future of Convenience is Hybrid Stores, is the Future of Wholesale Hybrid too?
TWC Director Tanya Pepin discusses recent mergers in the market and looks at what this could mean for our industry.
Convenience Conversation Needs To Focus on More Than the Mults
Tom Fender unpacks Which? Magazine’s recent report on convenience stores.
Tom Fender: Bestway’s Purchase of Costcutter (CSG)
TWC’s Tom Fender looks at the implications of of the news that Bestway will purchase Costcutter Supermarket Group.
Tom Fender: Retailers’ opportunities grow as consumer behaviour changes
TWC Talks – TWC’s recent research reveals that consumer values are changing. Data can help you capitalise on this…
Nov 2020 – Are Hybrid Stores the Way of the Future?
A report by data and digital experts, TWC, has found 35% of consumers would ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ use a convenience store crossed between a convenience and another type of outlet.
The Growth of Convenience Stores 2020 – free study
Get TWC’s latest study, with data and insights on Christmas 2020 and the impact on convenience, here. (For free!)
It’s time to think about your online experience
TWC’s Claire Murray takes a look at how digital and ecommerce optimisation can help wholesalers get more customers. (With a deep dive into what Screwfix does!)
Data-driven companies massively outperform their rivals – we have the stats to prove it
Tom Fender looks at the implications of becoming data-driven and how that affects the competitive landscape of wholesale.
Wholesaling after Charles Wilson – what lies ahead?
TWC’s Tanya Pepin looks at the tenure of Charles Wilson at Booker and speculates on what his departure could mean for the channel.
Tom Fender: it’s time to get resistant to the impact of change
In this week’s TWC Talks, Tom discusses how change will continue happening and operators need to ensure their data centres and digital infrastructure are up to the task.
Tom Fender: you’re losing money by not utilising accurate data
Tom Fender looks at how much revenue businesses have lost through inaccurate data and points out that *now* is the time for data transformation.
3 Sept 2020 – TWC launches TWC Talks
TWC launches TWC Talks providing insights, knowledge, and information for the wholesale sector.
Tanya Pepin: the benefits of data visualisation (it all begins with Peter Snow)
TWC’s Tanya Pepin talks about the impacts that data visualisation can have on your business (and the effect it’s had on TWC!)
Tom Fender: the next wholesale battleground: e-commerce?
TWC’s Tom Fender looks at recent e-commerce stats and asks – is this the new battleground for wholesalers?
Tom Fender: Amazon takes further steps into the grocery market – worrying or all just hype?
As Amazon takes further steps into the grocery space, TWC’s Tom Fender looks at the implications.
Rachel James: data quality: would you put your house on the market during a renovation?
TWC’s Consulting Services Director, Rachel, discusses data cleansing and the benefits it can bring.
Tom Fender: home delivery & click and collect – local retailers’ opportunity to become data-led?
TWC’s Tom Fender asks: could the recent explosion of delivery and click and collect present a unique opportunity for retailers?
Convenience Retail: Forging a New Future. Chapter 4 – The Retailer Perspective
The fourth chapter of new research on the current landscape in shopping at UK convenience stores, is now available.
Convenience Retail: Forging a New Future. Chapter 3 – Digital Solutions
The third chapter of new research on the current landscape in shopping at UK convenience stores, is now available.
Convenience Retail: Forging a New Future. Chapter 2 – Home Delivery
The second chapter of new research on the current landscape in shopping at UK convenience stores, is now available.
Convenience Retail: Forging a New Future. Chapter 1
The first chapter of new research on the current landscape in shopping at UK convenience stores, is now available.
TWC is nominated for The Grocer Gold Awards 2020 for Technology Initiative of the Year
TWC is delighted to be shortlisted for the Technology Initiative of the Year for Picture Portal, a ground-breaking, pioneering app – set to drive a paradigm shift in how retail and trade compliance is managed here in the UK. Launched in 2019 for Unitas Wholesale...
Convenience Today, Convenience Tomorrow
How suppliers can invest in the future of their brands in independent retail and wholesale
6 January 2020 – In a ground-breaking move, TWC launches Alchemy elements
TWC has launched Alchemy Elements – a modular, cloud-based, multi-platform solution that promises to pack a punch when it comes to reporting, engaging, and rewarding in a way that is unique, simple, and highly cost effective.
27 November 2019 – About TWC
As a team, we’ve been imbedded in Wholesale, Retail and the Supply Chain for more than a decade (you will have seen us around), but still people say they are not sure what we actually do! We may surprise you…
3 July 2019 – Is Amazon defining the digital space?
TWC’s Tanya Pepin joins panel at FWD Conference 2019 to debate what lessons can be learned from the digital giant…
18 January 2019 – Understanding the oo in Typhoo
Typhoo has appointed insight specialists, TWC, to interpret the wholesale shipment data it purchases and strategically support the brand’s forthcoming relaunch into the Wholesale channel – in order to drive upsell and profitability.
28 September 2018 – On ye’r bike! TWC heads to Vietnam to raise funds for MAG
Tanya Pepin, director of TWC (The Whole Sale Company), has dusted down her bike, and will be joining industry executives from the Wholesale and Convenience Retail Channel on a 600km bike ride in Vietnam to lend her support and help raise funds for MAG (Mines Advisory Group).
6 August 2018 – Alchemy WholeView launches affording suppliers unique data management and marketing excellence
Specialist data house, TWC has launched Alchemy WholeView – a solution that offers suppliers that are selling into Retail, Convenience and Foodservice the unique ability to merge the sales data that they are purchasing from each account, in order to deliver optimum sales insights and achieve marketing excellence.
28 June 2018 – The Whole Sale Company relaunches as TWC
Further to its recent fast-track growth into new channels, boutique data specialist, The Whole Sale Company, has re launched as TWC.