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Nescafé has unveiled its latest launch, Nescafé Iced Latte, offering, for the first time ever, ready-to-drink iced coffees in the ambient coffee aisle in a brand-new multi-serve format. Available from March in two flavours, Iced Latte and Iced Caramel Flavour Latte, these indulgent tasting lattes were specifically designed to be enjoyed cold and could not be easier to prepare. Simply shake the carton well to mix, prepare your chosen glass with ice and pour 250ml over it, then sip and enjoy! Each carton contains 3 servings, making it easier than ever to enjoy a delicious and refreshing iced coffee at home, any day of the week. "We are so excited to be introducing the new Nescafé Iced Lattes to coffee lovers in the UK," Ingrid Hayes, marketing director for Nescafé UK and Ireland, said.

Philip Morris Limited (PML), the affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI) in the UK and Ireland, is stepping-up its fight against the illicit trade with the appointment of Catherine Goger to the role of Illicit Trade Prevention Manager. In this new role, Catherine is responsible for co-ordinating operations to tackle the sale of illicit products in the UK, continuing the company's working relationships with local authorities and supporting PML's Field Force and retail partners. Since joining PMI in 2022, Catherine has led the Fraud Prevention Team at Philip Morris Japan. Prior to PML, Catherine's career involved fighting money laundering and corruption across Latin America, Asia, and Europe. She also held senior positions at Ernst and Young, HSBC and Prudential. Her background in fighting illegal activity makes her well-equipped to understand how illicit operations impact legitimate retailers' businesses and strategies to overcome them.

Quick delivery is no longer a luxury or a gimmick, it's the clear roadmap to profitability and a guaranteed route to expansion for convenience stores aiming to increase turnover, finds Asian Trader. For decades, convenience stores have thrived on their ability to provide instant access to essentials. Propelled by Covid lockdown and changes in habits, the consumers' definition of convenience now also includes within-minutes delivery at home. Currently, between physical and online stores, the physical option remains the most prominent, although with the increased popularity of rapid grocery delivery services, shoppers today are comfortably open to the idea of buying groceries and food online to save time and hassle.

A first for the brand in the UK, Lipton is entering the kombucha space with the launch of its bold and refreshing Lipton Kombucha range. The innovation is poised to shake up the market and tap into its immense potential, promising a delicious burst of flavour and variety for new drinkers to the category and existing kombucha enthusiasts. The new Lipton Kombucha, available now, is a combination of great tasting flavours, including Strawberry Mint, Raspberry and Mango Passionfruit. Lipton, the UK's number one Ice Tea brand, is looking to tap into the kombucha segment opportunity further. The launch, from the already well-known and well-loved Lipton brand, looks to bring a wide variety of customers into the space and bring kombucha to the mainstream with new, delicious tasting Lipton Kombucha flavours. The Kombucha market has been growing rapidly at 39 per cent since Covid and is now valued at an impressive £33 million, showing the growth opportunity this represents for retailers. As experts in tea, Lipton has blended kombucha with natural fruit flavours, the brand's famous Lipton tea and tiny bubbles to make a great new drink for customers, which is low in sugar, low in calories and made with naturally fermented tea.

The second reading of the Crime and Policing Bill held in parliament on Monday (10) during which Yvette Cooper reiterated the new measures to tackle the rising crime, abuse and shop thefts, declaring that the new measures will reverse the damage done by the Conservative government. Among the key announcements made by Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for the Home Department, during the parliamentary debate were a standalone offence for assaulting a shopworker, introducing Respect Orders, scraping the £200 threshold for shop theft offences, and placing £200 million for the next financial year for recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and police community support officers. Crime and Policing Bill is 'step in right direction', says Fed Additionally, the Secretary of State highlighted the unique challenges faced in crimes against rural communities which she stated are often driven by organised gangs. The Bill introduces measures to prevent prolific offenders from entering places such as town centres, as well as introducing new interventions to help addicts into treatment and end the cycle of reoffending.

Fish4Ever, a small yet influential tin-to-table voice within sustainable, responsible fishing is proud after many years of polite jockeying to finally add Cornish Sardines to its new look range for 2025. Probably best known for its award-winning, 100 percent pole-and-line tuna, which was once described by Greenpeace as "the best tuna in the world for sustainable and equitable sourcing", Fish4Ever has also secured a distinguished +20-year reputation selling Scottish mackerel and sprats. "As a UK protected, designated origin hero, Cornish sardines are a 'local shores' success story we've been seeking to champion for many years at Fish4Ever, albeit it was imperative we worked with a like-minded, home-grown cannery in keeping with our 'socially positive' priorities," said founder Charles Redfern. "Sardines are not only insanely moreish but a nutritionally-ripped, lean protein superfood jam-packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, B12, calcium, selenium and phosphorus."

With the new financial year weeks away, leading gifting and reward experts Love2shop have urged businesses and organisations to shake up their employee benefits packages. The PayPoint-owned business noted that this will meet not only rising business costs including the upcoming National Insurance hike, but the cost of living demands faced by the staff too, as employees want to save money on essential, everyday living costs more than ever. The newly launched Love2shop Perks platform hosts over 150 retailer discounts in one handy place, offering staff discounts of up to 38 per cent which they can take advantage of in seconds. It comes as businesses across the UK face unprecedented financial challenges and look to offer more cost effective ways than ever to support and retain workers.

Warnings have been issued against slush ice drinks by medical researchers, saying that poor transparency around slush ice drink glycerol concentration makes estimating a safe dose tricky. Public health advice on the safe consumption of glycerol-containing slush ice drinks, also known as slushees, may need revising, stated medical researchers after carrying out a detailed review of the medical notes of 21 children who became acutely unwell shortly after drinking one of these products. Brightly coloured slush ice drinks are designed to appeal to children, note the researchers. Slush machines are becoming a common fixture in convenience stores as retailers are increasingly recognising the potential for increased foot traffic and profits. The findings, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, show that in each case the child became acutely unwell with a cluster of symptoms soon after drinking a slush ice drink, which the researchers refer to as glycerol intoxication syndrome.

Vapes touted as "nicotine free" to UK consumers can have traces or even considerable amount of nicotine, shows a new report as Trading Standards continue to unearth new intelligence around the illegal vapes market. As part of Operation Joseph, a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funded initiative tracking the sale of illicit vapes and underage sales, 76 products sold as nicotine free vapes were tested by Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service, working together with Trading Standards teams in Salford and Berkshire. More than one in every eight (13.2 per cent) of the products were found to contain nicotine in amounts ranging from 0.06 mg/ml to 27.02 mg/ml - around the amount delivered by a pack of 20 cigarettes. All ten were also found to exceed the limit on the amount of e-liquid permitted in vapes with two found to exceed both the e-liquid and nicotine strength limit. As a result, consumers hoping to buy nicotine free products would have been exposed to nicotine and its addictive effects and in significant quantities with eight of the ten failed samples. Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said, "Nicotine free vapes can be a useful tool to quit smoking and reduce nicotine dependency, but these findings reveal that people can actually continue to be stuck in a cycle of addiction if sold the highly addictive substance unknowingly.

Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has announced it has awarded £20,000 in prizes to 11 National Lottery retailers in its latest Site, Stock, Sell online quarterly prize draw. A single National Lottery retailer took home the £10,000 top prize, while a further 10 retailers each won £1,000 for achieving high scores in Allwyn's Site, Stock, Sell online in-store standards programme. "My husband and I are big charity people and that's why we always make sure we do everything to maximise National Lottery sales and our shop's contributions to Good Causes," said Ranmal Punja Odera, owner of Smokers Paradise and winner of £1,000. "I worked for the NHS for years, and now I support the community and our customers. I often take our elderly customers out for brunch and dinner, so I will use the money to treat them to a nice afternoon tea and also give a little to a charity. Then the rest could go towards a holiday." Tanwir Hussain, owner of Premier News in Chorley and winner of a £1,000 prize, said: "I was so happy when I found out I'd won. It means we can buy a new washing machine with the money.

HEINEKEN UK is introducing two new variants under its booming Inch's Cider brand - Inch's Cloudy (ABV 4.0%) and the first dealcoholised cider in the UK market, Inch's 0.0. The new SKUs will be available across grocery, wholesale and convenience channels. Since launching in 2021, Inch's now has the highest value share growth (4.6 per cent) of any cider in the UK and saw an overall sales increase of 47 per cent in 2024. The brand has added £16m to the category, which sits at £819m in grocery and 372m in convenience. By adding the new SKUs to their chillers, retailers can capitalise on the brand's popularity and grow their sales during peak cider-drinking seasons, including Easter, bank holidays and the summer. A category first: Inch's 0.0 The launch of Inch's 0.0 - the first de-alcoholised cider in the UK - is a major advancement for the brand, adding a credible, premium option to the booming no- and low-alcohol market. The no-ABV alternative to Inch's Medium Apple will allow retailers to create excitement around moderation and wellness. Available in 4x440ml multipack cans, Inch's 0.0 is a first of its kind, adopting the same thirst-quenching flavour as the original, with a fresh apple aroma in the form of a lightly sparkling cider.

Wholesaler JW Filshill, having achieved its 2020 pledge to cut its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 five years early, is prioritising sustainability in its 150th anniversary year. In terms of Filshill's sustainability goals, the company revealed that it has reached this target five years early, boosted by its relocation to the new Renfrew site, significant investment in electric HGV vehicles, solar panels and full LED lighting, and transitioning to HVO fuel for all diesel-powered operations at Westway Business Park. Filshil has also committed to investing in a software platform that will assist greatly in tracking Scope 3 emissions. The wholesaler relocated to its purpose-built 120,400 sq ft distribution centre at Westway, near Glasgow Airport in March 2023

Wilkinson Sword Intuition, the shaving brand with intuitive tools designed for women, has joined forces with the Women's Rugby World Cup as its official shaving partner for 2025. The exciting new partnership, which represents a significant marketing investment for the brand, underscores its commitment to supporting world-class events that foster a sense of pride and inspiration. The Women's Rugby World Cup is a celebration of teamwork, determination, and resilience while also recognising and celebrating players' individual skills and strengths. This mirrors the ethos behind Wilkinson Sword Intuition's shaving range, which comprises of expert tools specifically designed for women to help remove hair across different areas of the body - legs, underarms, bikini and face.

Imperial Brands has launched an exciting range of new flavours to its rechargeable blu bar kit vape line, following increasing demand from customers for more flavour options. Launched in independents on March 3. the new additions consists of three new kit flavours - each comprising of a rechargeable blu bar device and flavoured pod - and 11 new blu pod flavours, so customers can buy and try a total of 15 flavours across the range. The three new kit flavours are Watermelon Ice, Blueberry Ice, and Blueberry Sour Razz, whilst the replaceable packs of 2 pods are now available in Blueberry Ice, Lemon Lime, Strawberry Ice, Berry Mix, Kiwi Passionfruit, Mint, Apple, Grape, Banana Ice, Blueberry Cherry, and Triple Melon. The blu pod packs and blu bar kits both carry an RRP of £5.99.

PWR-BRU, from IRN-BRU, the No. 1 Scottish grocery brand, is introducing its first new flavour innovation since launching in 2023. Dynamo Fruit Punch will be hitting shelves from April 2025 in a 500ml big can format. "PWR-BRU has been packing a powerful flavour punch in the fast growing Scottish energy market since launch," said Kenny Nicholson, Head of IRN-BRU Brand. "The range, with its distinctive can design and real IRN-BRU essence, provides something unique and individual. This latest flavour innovation is arriving with retailers just in time to maximise profit opportunities in the summer sales peak." Scotland's energy drinks market is the nation's fastest growing category, adding the most value for retailers and selling an additional five million units per month during summer. Flavours are still driving these sales, as data shows flavoured SKUs are 60 per cent incremental to the market.

US snack brand Cheetos is gearing up for a major relaunch in the UK this year. With plans to scale the brand to new heights, Cheetos will capture the attention of Gen Z shoppers and please existing lovers of the brand. The relaunch will kick off with the introduction of a brand-new flavour, Fiery Jalapeño and Cheese, which will be available from March 17 in a 105g sharing bag (£2 RRP), and two price marked packs (PMPs) - 70g (£1.49 RRP) and 27g (49p RRP). Cheetos will also be updating its packaging across its existing Twisted Sweet & Spicy range, which is growing +31.1 per cent, bringing a bold, eye-catching design that resonates with Gen Z and emphasises its American heritage. Cheetos is worth $2.9 billion in the US and holds the title of the number one Puffed Snack and number-two Gen Z Snack brand. At a time where Gen Z over-index with loving spice, it is looking to expand its UK fanbase by leveraging its bold American heritage and innovative flavours. The growing popularity of the brand will not only attract new shoppers but also reignite excitement among those familiar with Cheetos from the US, helping to drive footfall and increase basket spend as consumers seek out the iconic US brand in store.

Most shoppers like the use of technology in the stores though frustrations emerge when that tech falls short of expectations, shows a new report, also highlighting retailers' enthusiasm towards adaptation of technology. According to new insights from the Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index, 77 per cent of Brits use tech to enhance in-person shopping. 42 per cent have adopted new tech in the last year to improve operations, with a third (30 per cent) aiming to boost sales and customer connections. One in three Brits (34 per cent) have spent more time in stores or returned due to enjoyable or useful technology, rising to 57 per cent of 25-to-34 year olds.

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