Want to Increase Sales by 34%?

WANT TO INCREASE SALES BY 34%?

British Food Fortnight

20th September – 5th October 2008

WHAT IS BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT? Running from 20th September to 5th October and now in its seventh year, British Food Fortnight is the biggest national celebration of the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain produces. Every year, small, medium-sized and major retailers take part, all enjoying the commercial benefits that participation brings. Over a thousand independents, 200 medium-sized retailers and five supermarkets run promotions during the event.

WHY SHOULD RETAILERS TAKE PART? Retail promotions during previous British Food Fortnights have proved that the event has a serious impact on sales:

· Retailers taking part increase sales by up to 34% per store as a direct result of the event – an increase that has been sustained two years running.

· 25% increase in footfall in participating outlets during the event.

· In 2007, sales of British food and drink increased by up to £2,000 per store during the Fortnight – a £500 increase on the previous year.

• HOW CAN RETAILERS TAKE PART? Retailers are invited to run British food promotions during the event, to offer tastings and promotions to highlight new products, to encourage producers to come into stores to meet customers and to decorate stores with bunting and British Food Fortnight posters.

In addition to the commercial aspects of the promotion, retailers are also invited to work with their local schools during the Fortnight to help teach children about the pleasures and health benefits of eating fresh, seasonal and regionally-distinct produce. In the build-up to the event, over 30,000 schools in the UK are being given information on incorporating food and cookery activities into their curriculum teaching and they are being advised to seek help from local retailers to achieve this. Retailers wanting to participate can, for example, host a class visit in their shop, offer to give a talk at assembly on how to make healthy snacks, help set up a fresh food tuck shop in their local school, run a competition for children in-store or donate ingredients for school cookery lessons.

WHERE CAN WE GET MORE INFORMATION? All the resources retailers need to take part are on the event's website www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk which is a one-stop-shop of advice not just for the Fortnight but on everything retailers need to make British food a commercial success in their stores: advice on sourcing, supplier contacts, sales promotion case studies, advice on promoting your business in the media including regional media contacts and press release templates and what's in season when charts. All editions of the event's 'Britain's Regional Food & Drink' series of publications for retailers are downloadable from the site: 'Advice for Retailers & Caterers'; 'Retail & Catering Case Studies'; and 'The Basics'. Plus: ideas for working with schools, inspiring examples of retailers already doing so and recipe cards for children.

A 'Hot Tips on maximising sales' guide is available with an A3 'Love British Food!' poster to display in your shop. To order your copy email info@britishfoodfortnight.co.uk, Tel: 020 7840 9292 or download from www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk.

WHO IS BEHIND IT? British Food Fortnight is sponsored by Budgens, ARAMARK and the Department of Health's 5 A DAY Just Eat More (fruit & veg) programme and features the British Food Fortnight 'Cook for Life' Challenge sponsored by Kenwood. It is supported by over 40 organisations led by Brakes, Compass Group, Country Markets, Mitchells & Butlers, National Farmers' Union, National Trust, Sodexo and Tenant Farmers Association.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? Promotions run by the independent and medium-sized retail sector during the Fortnight have been particularly successful. Commenting on the sales increases he has enjoyed in previous years, Les Rutherford, Store Manager of Budgens, Keyworth in Nottinghamshire, says: "Sales of the lines we feature during British Food Fortnight go up by hundreds of percent." Londis Store Manager in Bow, Malcolm Bodell, reports similar success: "I would recommend any retailer to get involved with British Food Fortnight. It creates so much awareness for the store."

Organiser of the event, Alexia Robinson, adds: "When I started British Food Fortnight seven years ago I asked retailers to take part, not for charitable reasons (I was not banging the 'support the farmer' drum), but because they would increase sales by doing so. The event has proven this year on year: British food, properly promoted in-store, sells and it sells well. With the attraction of the 34% sales increases that the event generates, I expect even more retailers to take part this autumn."

W: www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk.