Brexit

Oh boy. Here we go. After endless discussion and hundreds of front-page headlines, Britain appears to be leaving the European Union following several years of negotiation. The exact impact upon the British economy remains to be seen, yet leading figures from the Convenience sector gave TRDP their opinions back in 2017. You can read responses from both sides of the argument here.

Over 75% of survey respondents believed that wholesale price rises of products as a result of Brexit would have an impact on their business. Regardless of speculation, panic buying has caused shortages of toilet rolls, medicines, and popular foodstuffs.

As such, with the expected January 31^st leave date, and scheduled transition period for negotiation on future relationships set to expire on December 31^st, 2020, we forecast a further spree of panic buying throughout the run-up to Brexit. Best to stock up on those daily essentials for when the scrum arrives.

With proposed issues on fuel supply also fanning the flames of panic,  residents may opt to stick with convenience stores within walking distance rather than travelling to nearby supermarkets.

VE Day 2020

The Early May Bank Holiday has been bumped from Monday, May 4^th to Friday, May 8^th for commemoration of the 75^th anniversary of VE Day; where Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender was formally accepted by the Allies of World War II.

Naturally, with any commemorative celebration, you’ll want to ensure that you have plenty of party supplies in stock as Britain will be hosting hundreds of street parties. Paper plates, plastic tumblers, party food, and alcohol is a must. We believe that moving the Early May Bank Holiday to VE Day itself is a fitting tribute. Make it a good one!

Tokyo Olympics

Over 11,000 athletes will descend upon Tokyo for participation in the 2020 Olympics from 24th July until August 9th. With people gathering around their screens to watch the opening ceremony and subsequent sporting events, snacks, pizzas and drinks will be in demand across the nation. We’d recommend getting those items lined up as they’ll fly off the shelves – especially if the packaging of individual items promotes the event itself.,/p>

James Bond’s Cinematic Return and Other Film Events

It’s been five years since Daniel Craig last brought agent 007 to the silver screen, and anticipation is at fever pitch. If your shop is located nearby, or on route, to a cinema then you can expect an increase in confectionery sales as of April 3^rd; when 007’s 25^th cinematic adventure receives a nationwide release.

As cinema snacks are priced at eye-water levels, students and those unwilling to pay extra will swing into the nearest convenience store in search of snack foods during the film.

Other cinematic releases destined to draw large audiences, and therefore increase confectionery sales include Fast and Furious 9, Bad Boys for Life, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mulan, Black Widow, and Top Gun: Maverick.

Certain Netflix releases are also big enough to warrant snacking. The Crown will see its 4th season towards the end of 2020, while Altered Carbon is retuning after it became a sci-fi hit some years ago.

You can view the trailer for No Time To Die here.

Football!

What goes hand-in-hand with watching the football on the TV? Pizza, beer, and crisps! With the UEFA Euro 2020 kicking off on June 12th and running until July 12th, the quadrennial international men’s football championship is sure to drive sales of lager, spirits, frozen foods, and condiments.

It’s a big one this time around, too. Michel Platini, former UEFA President, claimed that the tournament is being hosted in several nations as a uniquely ‘romantic’ event to celebrate 60 years of the European Championship competition. Wembley Stadium is hosting the semi-finals and final. Have a shop nearby Wembley Stadium? You’ll want to be prepared with all the goodies to appease football fans as they dive between pubs in search of cigarettes and hot food.

In a similar fashion, the 2020 Guinness Six Nations gets the Rugby season off to a start on February 1^st. The final takes place on Saturday, March 14^th.

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