National Lottery operator Camelot is reintroducing its Sales Improvement Programme (SIP) next month, giving retailers a lower minimum lottery sales target of £800 a week.
Camelot suspended SIP last year while it carried out a multimillion-pound expansion to its retail estate. A spokeswoman said it was being reintroduced because “ensuring retailers continue to maximise their sales remains critical to the success of the National Lottery”.
She added the SIP sales target had also been cut - from £1,000 to £800. Average weekly sales across its estate are more than £3,400.
Camelot has also redefined its ‘Community Outlets’ - which are exempt from SIP - as stores that are “more than four miles in driving distance from the nearest National Lottery online terminal”.
This has increased the number of retailers classed as Community Outlets from 392 to 598.But under the reclassification, some retailers have had their exemptions rescinded and now face losing their terminal if they are unable to hit the weekly sales figure.
One Cornish retailer feared she could lose her terminal after being stripped of Community Outlet status. She estimated her weekly sales were £750 a week.
“Camelot sent us a letter saying we were no longer a Community Outlet,” she said. “The letter warned if we don’t meet the minimum weekly sales target we could have our terminal removed in 60 days. There’s a new retailer operating a terminal near us and we’ve lost £150 in sales since it opened.”
The Camelot spokeswoman said: “To help retailers who are placed on SIP achieve the sales target, we will be offering free point-of-sale material, expert sales development advice and, if requested, a visit from one of our retail sales executives.”
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