http://www.asiantrader.biz 13 OCTOBER 2017 ASIAN TRADER 37
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BATTERIESseason is always the busiest for
battery products, multi-pack
deals are usually on o er from all
brands.”
In terms of promoting special-
ity products, Tuck says retailers
could o er GP Powerbanks with
battery sizes of 2600 mAh or
5200 mAh, as these make ideal
Christmas gifts for anyone who
is always on their phone (so
that’s most of us then!)
GP Batteries has also recently
launched a new SafeGuard
outdoor lighting range. The
motion-sensitive and cordless
SafeGuard range is available now
with a price range of £24.99 to
£49.99.Go Green
GP are also taking part in the
#BringBackHeavyMetal
campaign which is running
through the whole of October to
encourage consumers to recycle
their old batteries instead of
throwing them in the bin andsending them to landfi ll.
If retailers want to get even
greener they can play their part
by promoting the use of
rechargeable batteries.
With around 40 billion
alkaline batteries being disposed
of worldwide last year, recharge-
able batteries represent a huge
opportunity for renewable
energy.
However, considering the fact
that the majority of consumers
are still unaware of the benefi ts
and economic advantages of
rechargeable batteries, there’s
still considerable education to be
done in this area. Retailers
should look into gaining more
knowledge and supplying the
right products, as 46% of UK
shoppers say they would
‘defi nitely consider buying’
rechargeables (Haystack
research).
“Rechargeables still have
plenty of room for growth, as
consumer gain more awareness
of their environmental benefi ts
and the value-for-money that
they o er,” says Panasonic’s
Clark. “With people becoming
more environmentally-con-
scious, we need to make the
most of on-pack messaging and
in-store POS material to get the
message across that rechargea-
bles could prevent 40 billion
discarded batteries annually.”
Panasonic’s rechargeable
o ering includes eneloop pro,
designed to power high-current
consuming devices and o er
extended performance in
appliances such as photo
fl ashlight and wireless key-
boards. The eneloop pro has an
AA capacity of 2500mAh, can be
recharged up to 500 times and,
after one year of storage, still
retains 85% of its capacity.
Clark says Panasonic remains
at the forefront of technological
developments and recent
innovation includes the next
generation lithium-ion batteries
for Tesla cars.
Panasonic has also recently
introduced a new packaging
design across its range which
includes the movement of
appliance icons from the back to
the front of packs. This came in
response to consumer research
showing that there continues to
be confusion amongst shoppersCASE STUDY
After an eight-week category overhaul
from the Panasonic team, the owner of
Londis Caterways store was blown
away by the impact on his battery
sales.
Following the category trial,
award-winning retailer Ramesh
Shingadia consulted his EPOS data to
find that his battery sales has increased by a remarkable 400%.
“Batteries can be a bit of an after-thought for convenience
retailers,” says Ramesh. “It’s a complex category and many
retailers aren’t confident about the products or the brand
positioning, or about how to make the most of what is a high
margin category, such as where to site the category and the role
of secondary displays. Our batteries had previously been hidden
behind the counter with a cheap own-label battery supporting
the brand leader. However, a few simple changes, really did
deliver powerful results.”
Some of the changes Ramesh introduced to the category
were:
Relocating tobacco under the counter and using the space to
site high value impulse items there
Switching to a better combination of brands, with the best
sellers receiving the most space
Ensuring that the pricing was competitive with the multiples,
whilst still delivering a good return
Introducing secondary display sites around the storeTo add to the success story, Ramesh also enjoyed a Christmas
bonus with his sales increasing 300% on Christmas Day and
Boxing Day. On checking his EPOS information, Ramesh found
that battery sales for the month of December were also up by
50% vs the previous year.
“Whilst I expected some increase in sales over the festive
season, I was pleasantly surprised by the scale of the increase
which I can only put down to Panasonic’s advice on range,
pricing and dual siting for maximum visibility.”
Panasonic Sales Manager, UK and Ireland, Tim Clark believes
other retailers would benefit from a re-think: “To make the best
use of the highly valuable space left by dark gantries, impulse-
led categories such as batteries work well here and it’s a great
way to give the category a higher profile.”site high value impulse items theresellers receiving the most spacesellers receiving the most spacewhilst still delivering a good returnwhilst still delivering a good return