Group items tagged

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eid ul-Fitr lasts for one day, and is expected to take place on Sunday 30 or Monday 31 March 2025, following the sighting of the moon. In the Islamic calendar, according to Islamic Relief, Eid ul-Fitr takes place on the first day of Shawwal. This is the day in which Eid prayers take place when, in contrast to the preceding month of Ramadan, it is forbidden to fast. Eid ul-Fitr is one of the two main, equally important, Eid celebrations of Muslims (the other being Eid ul-Adha, which begins following the annual Hajj pilgrimage). Commencing at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, Eid ul-Fitr is a festival that celebrates the breaking of the fast. It is celebrated by family and other social gatherings, with traditional sweet dishes, feasting, wearing new clothes, shopping and gift-giving. Globally, Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr traditionally over the first three days of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.

Ice cream brand Magnum has introduced a brand-new vegan ice cream recipe for its vegan range including Magnum Vegan Almond, setting the benchmark for plant-based indulgence with its most velvety vegan ice cream yet. The new velvety soy protein-based ice cream, paired with Magnum's signature cracking vegan chocolate, delivers the luxurious ice cream experience Magnum is known for. Magnum Vegan Almond has the smooth vegan vanilla ice cream coated in the brand's signature vegan cracking chocolate and studded with almond pieces to give a crunchy twist on the classic format. The soy recipe replaces Magnum's former pea protein recipe to offer consumers a more velvety taste and texture. In addition to the new recipe, the single stick will be available in a new eye-catching premium pack design to elevate its visibility in freezers and to help convenience retailers boost impulse sales.

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.

Delice de France, the UK experts in bread, bakery and food to go, is launching Café Delice, a new coffee-to-go concept where outlets selling 35 cups a day can earn margins of 40 per cent. The move will enable bakery customers of Delice de France to extend their food-to-go offering with quality hot drinks at competitive prices. Café Delice is a monthly rental hot drinks concept, which includes a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine, linked milk cooler, branded housing unit and menu, as well as product and waste storage areas. Full servicing and cleaning packs for the agreement period are provided. It is a modular set up, with floor-standing and counter solutions available to cater for different sized outlets and needs. Café Delice's menu includes coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

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.

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.

Cadbury has announced the launch of its latest innovation: Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff, combining the best of smooth, creamy, Cadbury Dairy Milk with the much-loved crunch and unique taste of Lotus Biscoff's biscuits. The partnership between two iconic brands looks to unite their respective classic tastes and textures into one product- proving that both is best. The launch looks to tap into consumer interest in new flavours and textures and drive cross-brand excitement to help drive incremental growth. To support retailers in this launch, the campaign will be boosted by a range of eye-catching co-branded POS materials, showcasing the coming together of Cadbury and Biscoff's branding with the iconic purple synonymous with the Cadbury brand, alongside the bold red Biscoff branding. "We are delighted to be partnering Cadbury Dairy Milk with the much-loved flavours and textures of Lotus Biscoff," said Connor Gould, Brand Manager, Cadbury Dairy Milk. "Combining two delicious favourites is a great way to give consumers the best of both, creating the perfect pairing for them to enjoy the smooth, creaminess of Cadbury Dairy Milk mixed with the classic crunch and unique flavour of Biscoff that consumers love. As a result, the new Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff is sure to utilise consumer demand for unique flavours to help drive category growth."

OREO put a square stamp on the London skyline today, with the construction of a giant square cookie. The world's favourite cookie brand has built the four-meter homage to the square world of A MINECRAFT MOVIE to celebrate its partnership with the hotly anticipated film. Cookie enthusiasts queued up at the eye-catching spectacle to get their hands on the real thing - with a limited number of ultra-rare square OREO cookies up for grabs. The ginormous replica of the iconic black and white cookie took inspiration from the film, with the installation appearing to be built piece-by-piece as the final corner of the cookie was suspended by a 20,000lb construction vehicle. Fans flocked to the tribute from as early as midnight, following an announcement on OREO's social media channels earlier this month that revealed visiting the giant square construction would be the only way to get hold of the ultra-rare prototype, and cement a place in OREO history.

When the expats' favourite, British Corner Shop - which made traditional and much-loved Brit skus available abroad - went into administration, gasps were heard around the globe from homesick Brits who were used to rely on this e-commerce platform. For this cousin duo from Newcastle, British Corner Shop's debacle presented a moment to not only turbojet their retail career but also to venture into the promising world of e-commerce. In an exclusive conversation with Asian Trader, Hayer shared insights into how their paths crossed with British Corner Shop and their future plans. "My cousin Amar and I both finished our degrees and started helping in our family-run convenience store in Newcastle. Though we liked working in it, within three to four years, a sense of restlessness started settling in both of us. "It was a decent business, but it wasn't growing fast enough for us. I wanted quick growth and was struggling with several ideas. I initially thought about launching a chain of shops, but it was time-taking and difficult to find good locations, so I started leaning more towards online.

Southern Co-op said its chief executive Mark Smith, who has been leading the retailer since 2009, has decided to retire and focus on non-executive roles going forward. He will step down on 13 June. "On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Mark for his outstanding leadership over more than 15 years," Dame Janet Paraskeva, chair of the board of Southern Co-op said. "During his time as CEO, he's more than doubled the size of our business. In addition to significantly growing our convenience store estate, he's successfully taken the Society into the hospitality sector, where he's built one of the largest Starbucks franchises in the country from scratch.