Giving support for community stores

New ideas and promotions are being launched for this year's National Independents' Week, reports Katie Davies

As the wholesale community gears up for National Independents' Week, the My Shop is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign which organises it has introduced some changes.

This year the yellow MSYS T-shirts have been upgraded to black polo shirts, which were unveiled by James Bielby, chief executive of the FWD, and the MSYS team at the Convenience Retailing Show (CRS) in March.

The new shirts are designed to be something that can be worn all year round and retailers that are signed up as 'mentors' of the programme will also get gold branded polo-shirts for more stand-out.

The mentors programme aims to have leading MSYS retailers providing examples and guidance to other retailers on how MSYS can be used successfully and innovatively to the advantage of their business and community.

Bielby says: "I am delighted that so many retailers who took part last year have volunteered to be mentors, helping to demonstrate the benefits of taking part."

Seventy retailers signed up at the CRS and will receive an MSYS pack, and MSYS has a core number of 1,500 retailers from previous years, but the aim is to encourage 5,000 to take part.

Wholesalers and cash and carries backing NIW include, Bestway, Blakemore Wholesale, Booker, Costco, Landmark Wholesale, Makro, Musgrave Retail Partners GB, Today's Group, Palmer and Harvey and Sugro UK.

Also new this year is the Little Book of Big Ideas, out this month. It contains ideas and information for retailers on running promotions in local shops and retailers will be encouraged to use the ideas in the book throughout the year to help raise their profile in their local communities. Sponsors of the book include Heineken, The Sun, Cadbury, Heinz, Buxton, Molson Coors, JTI, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Imperial Tobacco, AB InBev, Britvic and Tetley.

Retailers can also visit Facebook and Twitter to find out more information. They can contact msys@fwd-uk.com or 020 7689 3369 to request a MSYS pack which includes the branded polo shirts, balloons, POS, window stickers, and the Little Book of Big Ideas.

This year NIW runs from May 31 June 6 and for the seven days of NIW a promotion with The Sun newspaper will allows sponsors of MSYS to have exclusive access to take part. Each day buying a copy of The Sun from an independent store will allow the consumer to have money off a particular product. Consumers will need to purchase The Sun to get the discount and will need to redeem the voucher at the point of purchase. Retailers will be provided with POS to support the promotion to display in-store and drive consumer awareness.

There are opportunities for seven different promotions and Carling, Cadbury, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Buxton have already signed up.

Bielby says: "MSYS helps independent retailers, who are FWD members' customers, to strengthen their links with local shoppers, provides them with confidence and they say it helps grow sales.

"The main purpose of MSYS is to increase awareness and use of local shops and the scheme provides a feel-good factor so independents feel a part of a wider community that supports them. Everyone benefits from strong independents and MSYS helps independents understand their USPs and how these can help them compete with the multiples."

Returning as a key feature this year is National Cuppa Day, with Tetley as the lead sponsor, on June 2.