Gaelle Walker

With their treat-worthy status and affordable price tags, cakes and biscuits sales continue to look sweet, despite the current squeeze on incomes. By Gaelle Walker The market for cakes, sweet baked goods and biscuits fared well in 2021 as home-bound shoppers found themselves with time to indulge in small treats more often. And with a…

With on-the-go occasions once again on the rise, local retailers have a tasty opportunity to make more of food- and drinks-to-go. By Gaelle Walker Things, they say, ‘can only get better’ and with the food-to-go market having grown by 9% in value within independent convenience stores in the latest 12 weeks (vs the same period…

Vape sales continued to grow in October fuelled by the annual Stoptober campaign and budget concerns. By Gaelle Walker The UK’s dynamic vape market enjoyed a further boost last month as the annual Stoptober campaign sought to inspire smokers to kick the habit and bin their butts. Returning for the 11th year in a row,…

The UK biggest symbol group has opened its 4,000th store in Poole in Dorset, offering the latest insight into the direction Premier is taking. By Gaelle Walker Premier, the UK’s largest symbol group, has celebrated reaching its milestone 4,000th store with the unveiling of a ground-breaking new store packed to the rafters with technology and…

Leaf-wrapped cigarillos continue to drive cigar sales. By Gaelle Walker While total cigar sales remain a little muted compared with 2022, within the category the cigarillo segment is continuing to party hard. Cigarillos have reported ongoing growth in both the grocery and convenience channels over the past three years but particularly over the last 12…

The UK tobacco market continues to shine, buoyed by its many heritage brands. By Gaelle Walker The strength and resilience of the UK’s £14bn tobacco market has been clearly demonstrated by the raft of milestone anniversaries that have taken place in recent weeks, with a number of the UK’s biggest brands marking their ongoing success…

A flood of recent innovation seeks to offer greater choice to value-driven adult smokers. By Gaelle Walker As a category, tobacco is nothing if not adaptable. Its products, formats and features are in a constant state of flux as manufacturers clamour to meet regulatory requirements and the ever-evolving needs of adult smokers. However, recent months…

The tobacco category still offers bright opportunities despite the value storm. By Gaelle Walker For local stores across Scotland, tobacco remains a key driver not just of footfall but also associated purchases. As such, keeping on top of the latest tobacco trends and developments remains of the upmost importance – and there’s no bigger trend…

Local retailers are battling against the growing scourge of fake Facebook pages out to scam their shoppers. By Gaelle Walker Scam, sham, cheat, con: dirty-sounding words that describe dark and dirty dealings. Not the kind of words that any local retailer would want uttered in association with their business, and certainly not by their shoppers.…

Nominations for The Above and Beyond Awards 2026 will be closing soon – so don’t miss out on the chance to celebrate and reward your hardworking team. By Gaelle Walker Like a whirlwind, the festive furore has now blown over and in the relative calm that tends to follow in January, now is the perfect…