SLR June 2025 Edition

DRS OPERATOR ANNOUNCED UK DMO to run 2027 DRS scheme

CRIME CLAMPDOWN

Five arrested and 12 charged in ‘Day of Action’

GOING LOKO

Four Loko drives RTD growth

HEALTHY PROSPECTS

New generations drive demand for healthier options

Tuesday 17th June Tuesday 17th June

Join the Best Symbol Group in Scotland

Join us at our Open Day in Dundee and discover why SPAR Scotland is the number one team in the country when it comes to growing your independent business.

Experience a full tour of our award winning distribution centre, meet the CJ Lang & Son team and learn more about our local brand that has national and global support services.

We’ve a limited number of fully funded places available for our 2025 Tradeshow in Aviemore, for retailers interested in joining SPAR.

Places are limited and on a first come first served basis. To find out more and book your place today email discover@sparscotland.co.uk www.sparscotland.co.uk

Why SPAR Scotland? Truth is, SPAR has become a major part of our lives. It's more than just running a shop. It's a way of life. From the tradeshow to the conferences, we have made friends for life:

• The people. We have the nicest people both as retailers and at CJ Lang & Son. We feel like a part of something much bigger than just us. It's like an extended family.

• Great margins.

• High quality own brand products.

• Great range.

• We have the easiest ordering system.

• Punctual deliveries.

• Amazing helpdesk that's fast and efficient.

• The best backup and support.

Mohammed Razzaq (Zak). SPAR Retailer for over 7 years

We’ve a limited number of fully funded places available for our 2025 Tradeshow in Aviemore, for retailers interested in joining SPAR.

08 Healthy Retailing Fifteen convenience stores achieve Healthy Living Programme Premium status

09 Deposit Return Scheme The retail industry welcomes the appointment of scheme administrator UK DMO.

10 Crime A crackdown on shop theft sees five people arrested in Glasgow and a further 12 charged.

12 Wholesale United Wholesale (Scotland) is buying an East London cash and carry.

13 News Extra Co-op Cyber Attack A major hacking incident leaves Skye residents panicking that food might run out.

22 Product News Monster Energy’s retailer support platform returns and AG Barr unveils a dino-mite promotion.

24 Off-Trade News Schweppes makes its RTD debut while Captain Morgan reveals a rum-based alternative to beer.

INSIDE BUSINESS

26 SLR Awards With the on-the-road judging complete, all that remains is to wish our finalists the best of luck

28 Checkout Festival Scottish chart topper Callum Beattie to perform at this year’s event in support of GroceryAid.

30 Store Profile Ali’s Nisa Royston Raheem Ali Razaq has transformed his Glasgow store with an updated layout, enhanced product range and new technology.

32 Business Costs Energy Efficiency Learn how Keystore retailer Chris Cobb cut energy costs by investing in more efficient equipment.

34 Hotlines The latest new products and media campaigns.

62 Under The Counter If you’re interested in lesbian biscuits, tartare sauce and cannabis, the Auld Boy has your back.

FEATURES

36 Soft Drinks Find out which soft drinks segments can help you turn up the heat this summer.

46 Alcoholic RTDs Discover the category’s big hitters in Scotland with our exclusive convenience data.

56 Confectionery Today’s consumers are looking for confectionery to take them on a sensory adventure filled with unexpected flavours and textures.

Lidl eyes Scottish sites

Lidl GB has revealed plans to invest half a billion pounds in its expansion, with 40 new stores opening this year, including sites in Livingston and Edinburgh. The discounter has also published its 2025 site requirements brochure, highlighting six potential locations in Scotland: Banchory, Bearsden, Newton Mearns, Peebles, St Andrews and Stonehaven.

DoorDash to buy Deliveroo

US local commerce platform, DoorDash, has announced plans to purchase Deliveroo for £2.9bn. Tony Xu, CEO and Co-founder of DoorDash, said: “I could not be more excited by the prospect of what DoorDash and Deliveroo will be able to accomplish together. We’ll cover more than 40 countries with a combined population of more than one billion people, enabling us to provide more local businesses with the tools and technology they need to thrive.”

Filshill staff complete Glasgow Kiltwalk

Staff from JW Filshill took part in The Kiltwalk in Glasgow to raise funds for six charities as part of the wholesaler’s 150th anniversary celebrations. Money raised will go towards Filshill’s goal of raising £150,000 for CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland), Dementia Scotland, Cancer Research UK, MND Scotland, GroceryAid and the SSPCA (Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Snappy trials disabled households discount

Snappy Shopper has announced a trial partnership with social enterprise Purpl to deliver an exclusive grocery discount for disabled households across the UK. Eligible Purpl members will receive a 25% discount on their first online grocery order via Snappy Shopper. Additionally, all Purpl users will benefit from three months of free delivery during the trial period.

Sixteen c-stores achieve Healthy Living Programme Premium status

e Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) Healthy Living Programme (HLP) has named the rst 16 convenience stores to reach Premium level in its Retailer Development Plan.

Premium retailers have reached the pinnacle of healthy retailing, meeting strict criteria in areas such as merchandising, product

INVESTMENT

range, a ordability, sustainability, food-to-go options, food waste management, and community involvement.

Spar Scotland had cause to celebrate as the list features seven Scottish Spar stores, comprising three independents (Spar Blantyre, Spar Condorrat and Spar Renfrew) and four company-owned stores (Spar Bo’ness, Spar Crosshouse, Spar Garthamlock and Spar Hillfoot Road).

e other Premium Retailers are Aven’s Retail; Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter Bellshill); Broadway Convenience Store; Costcutter Fresh in Falkirk; Day Today Elite, Bourtreehill; Jaz’s Premier Grangemouth; Keystore More Fulton Road; Keystore, Ness Ave and Premier Watson’s Grocers.

e SGF HLP website has been revamped and features pro les on each of the Premium retailers,

explaining how they are going the extra mile to create a healthier o er in store.

Kathryn Neil, Programme Director at SGF Healthy Living Programme, said: “It is important to give the stores the recognition for all the hard work that they’ve put into encouraging their customers to make healthier choices.

“Spar Scotland is a major supporter of the Healthy Living Programme, and we are delighted that they have demonstrated their commitment to their customers and local communities by achieving Premium level through our Retailer Development Plan.” e HLP is fully funded by the Scottish Government and has been working with c-stores since 2004. To nd out more about how retailers are making their o erings healthier, read our cover story on page 18.

Natalie and Martin Lightfoot kick off shop security makeover

Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston is on a journey to up security after owners Natalie and Martin Lightfoot were crowned National Lottery operator Allwyn’s 2024 Local Retail Champions and won £20,000 for a Social Value store makeover.

The couple have invested part of the cash in six headsets to help improve staff communication and keep each other safe.

The next stage of the store makeover activity will see the installation of new CCTV equipment, replacing the current 15-yearold system. As well as protecting the store, the CCTV currently helps keep the community safer, with cameras located outside of the store successfully having been used in the past to help with investigations.

The final stage of the makeover will include installation of retail AI technology.

Natalie said: “The headsets have been a godsend. The store has thick walls, making it difficult to hear each other in different areas of the shop, so the headsets allow us all to communicate and respond to things quickly as a team. We’re also in the process of getting new CCTV installed which will provide clearer pictures as the current system is quite pixelated and very dated.”

A huge stash of illicit tobacco, vapes and cigarettes has been uncovered in a convenience store in Govan.

e seizure followed a joint inspection between community o cers in Glasgow, Glasgow City Council Trading Standards O cers and Consumer Protection Dogs UK as part of Operation CECE.

e unlawful goods were hidden in various places, including a secret drawer underneath the main storage

drawer below the tobacco papers display. However, the ingenious carpentry didn’t deter tobacco detection dog Boo, who was “on top form as always” and sni ed out the contraband.

A spokesperson for Consumer Protection Dogs UK said: “A brilliant find by our team, 10k plus of cigarettes and tobacco from numerous concealments in this shop. But fantastic teamwork and trust won the day!”

Retail industry welcomes UK DMO as DRS operator

Retail and supplier trade bodies have welcomed the appointment of UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd (UK DMO) as the operator of the new Deposit Return Schemes for single-use plastic and metal drinks containers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. In Scotland, Scottish Ministers have also decided that UK DMO should be designated as the DRS scheme administrator, subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament.

UK DMO will engage with partners including the three governments, retailers, drinks producers, consumer and environmental groups to design and operate a scheme which works for everyone. Producers, retailers and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the UK DMO website and register their interest in getting updates.

e group will be responsible for operating the scheme as an independent, private, not-for-pro t body and will determine aspects of the scheme such as the deposit amount and retailer handling fee. UK DMO is governed by a Board that brings together voices from across the drinks and retail sector across all three nations, including small convenience stores and wholesalers. Recruitment is also underway for an independent Chair and non-executive directors.

AGE-RELATED

SALES Shopkeepers face fines

In a joint statement, the UK DMO Board said: “DRS is an opportunity to deliver a transformational step forward in the circular economy in the UK and the appointment of the DMO is a major milestone in that journey. We don’t underestimate the scale of the challenge, but our aim is simple – to build a system that’s fair, e cient and easy to use. Our work is already underway, and we’ll be working closely with governments, businesses of all sizes, environmental groups and consumer bodies to move forward as quickly as possible.”

e Deposit Return Scheme is due to go live in October 2027. From that date, when consumers buy drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium between 150ml and three litres, they will pay a small deposit – which they will get back in full when they return the empty container for recycling.

Nearly a quarter of Stirling retailers fail underage sales test

Four shops in 17 failed vape and tobacco sales tests to underage volunteers in a test purchasing operation conducted by Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils’ Trading Standards. e visits resulted in three vape sales and a sale of cigarettes to the 16-year-old volunteers.

All 17 premises had previously received visits by Trading Standards to advise them of their legal obligations and o er advice on how they could comply.

Nine xed penalty notices, each for £200, were issued in relation to the underage sales, as well as a failure to operate an age veri cation policy.

Convener of the Environment, Transport and Net Zero Committee, Cllr Jen Preston, said: “It is shocking that almost a quarter of the retailers visited by our Trading Standards team were content to sell these harmful products to underage volunteers. It is even more alarming when they had been warned about such dangerous activity before.

“ e message to businesses is clear: Challenge anyone who looks under 25, always ask for ID and keep a record of refused sales.”

LEGISLATION

Latte Levy plans on ice

The Scottish Government has confirmed that it will not be progressing with its proposed single-use cup charge – aka the Latte Levy – this year.

The key proposal was that a charge of at least 25p should apply to all single-use beverage cups when an individual buys a drink of any kind e.g. coffee, tea, slush, milkshake.

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, had previously urged businesses to “lead by example”.

However, the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), had long argued that retailers did not need further legislation.

SRC Director, David Lonsdale, said: “The delay to the mooted new levy on disposable cups is encouraging and shows Ministers are listening; albeit we think the deeply flawed levy should be dropped entirely.”

Programme for Government fails to impress

The Programme for Government 2025-2026, which was outlined by First Minister John Swinney last month, included the government’s intention to continue to fund the Small Business Bonus, as well as to progress the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. However, an underwhelmed Scottish Retail Consortium said there needed to be more focus on policies to cut the cost of doing business.

Nabeel Ramzan to leave United Wholesale Grocers United Wholesale Grocers has announced that Nabeel Ramzan will step down as a shareholder of United Holdings UK. Son of late founder, Mohammad Ramzan, Nabeel joined UWG with his brother Amaan in 2005, becoming boss in 2009 when his father retired. Amaan took the reins in 2017 and will remain in charge, while Nabeel leaves to “focus on his personal pursuits”.

PayPoint expands digital voucher offer

PayPoint has partnered with Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Roblox to grow its digital voucher portfolio. Retailers will now be able to sell Uber Eats and Deliveroo digital vouchers priced between £15 and £150, as well as Roblox vouchers priced between £10 and £200. PayPoint claimed that 93% of retailers processed digital vouchers in their stores in the 12 months to February 2025.

Scottish retail sales shine

Sunny weather and a late Easter saw total sales in Scotland take flight in April, increasing by 4.5% versus April 2024 when they had decreased by 4%, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium, in collaboration with KPMG. Though much of the increase was driven by non-food sales, total food sales in Scotland still increased by 2.2%, compared with April 2024, when they had decreased by 3.0%.

Unlock £225m extra soft drinks sales

Carlsberg Britvic has released a seven-step strategy to help retailers drive soft drinks sales growth worth £225m, which equates roughly to £5,000 per store. The steps can be accessed at Britvic.com, alongside the newly published 2025 Soft Drinks Review.

Kirkcaldy retailer wins Mayfair Gold’s Mini Imran Ghaffar, of Wilsons Supermarket in Kirkcaldy, is celebrating after winning a brand-new Mini Cooper in JTI’s Mayfair Gold competition. The competition, which supported the launch of Mayfair Gold rolling tobacco as well as the brand’s existing ready-made cigarettes, attracted 142,000 entries. Imran plans to give the car to his daughter.

Jisp unveils online prize draw platform

Retailers can earn rewards by promoting Jisp’s new online prize draw platform, JispWin. JispWin gives customers the chance to play for free through a postal route or purchase pay as you go or subscription-based ticket bundles. Entrants can win cash amounts up to £50 every day or much larger prizes in the monthly prize draw. The new platform follows the approach of Omaze, but uniquely offers retailers the chance to earn revenue for promoting the prize draw in store.

Food inflation

hits

11-month peak

April saw food inflation increase to 2.6% year on year – the highest increase since May 2024, according to the latest BRC NIQ Shop Monitor figures. Fresh Food inflation increased to 1.8% year on year in April, against growth of 1.4% in March. This is above the three-month average of 1.5%. Ambient Food inflation was unchanged at 3.7% year on year in April, against growth of 3.7% in March. This is above the three-month average of 3.4%.

Five arrested and 12 charged in Glasgow

Retailers worked closely with Retailers Against Crime (RAC) and Police Scotland on a Day of Action in Glasgow city centre, which resulted in ve arrests plus an additional 12 people charged with o ences including shopli ing and drug possession.

A team of 31 plain-clothed and uniformed o cers, including two from British Transport Police, spent the day on the streets of Glasgow focusing on the most proli c retail crime o enders.

e RAC team used intelligence from the SentrySIS crime ghting tool, which sees users share realtime information about the s and other incidents, to draw up details of the most active shopli ers in the city.

Sta from Glasgow retailers gathered for a morning brie ng before being supplied with APEX radios to contact police o cers if

they spotted suspects in their store or on the streets.

Stephanie Karté, National Operations Manager at RAC, said: “ is was our most successful Day of Action so far with an outstanding turnout from retailers and our partners. A good number of o enders were prevented from shopli ing and causing anti-social behaviour on the day.

“Days like these are so important and it brought police, security sta and retailers together to build relationships and help ght the ongoing battle against retail crime, which is a substantial problem and can seem extremely overwhelming.”

One security o cer, who joined the Day of Action, said it was a “phenomenal day” with a real sense of camaraderie and good results in terms of deterring several people from shopli ing.

Newmains store attacked with flare

A are was launched into the c-store at Cooper Brothers forecourt in Newmains, Wishaw, last month, by a gang of more than 25 youths.

e group entered the site and lit the are, which was then thrown into the shop, terrifying sta and customers. No fuel was ignited, but the are caused smoke and burn damage to the oor and some stock.

e youths had been at the Newmains United Community FC ground beforehand and carried out the attack wearing balaclavas.

e store handed over full CCTV to Police Scotland and also appealed to customers on Facebook to come forward with further information.

“I’ve been involved in the RAC Days of Action for about ve years now, I’ve attended every one and this was the best yet. ey have evolved into something very important and make a real dent in the criminality we see in the city centre which has increased massively in recent years.

“It gives retailers more con dence to see people getting caught and arrested.”

Shoplifting in Scotland rises by a third

Between 2019 and 2024, recorded shopli ing crimes in Scotland have risen by more than a third, according to the Scottish Liberal Democrat party.

Liam McArthur MSP, Scottish Lib Dem justice spokesperson, has called on the government to urgently focus on restoring community policing a er Lib Dem research revealed that in the same ve-year period, Edinburgh shopli ing crimes increased by 76%, while in Glasgow they rose by 46%.

Between 2019 and 2024, there were 183,486 shopli ing crimes recorded by the police. As of 31 March 2024, just 79,569 resulted in charges being reported to the Procurator Fiscal – just 43% of all shopli ing crimes, highlighted the party.

McArthur said: “ ese gures emphasise just how vulnerable shopkeepers are to criminal gangs that, too o en, are allowed to operate with virtual impunity.

“For too long, the SNP have failed to give our justice system the support it needs. Now, crimes like shopli ing, which cause so much misery for local businesses and communities, are rising.

“Ministers should be pulling out all the stops to reverse this worrying trend, and that starts by focusing on restoring community policing in every corner of Scotland, making sure o cers are visible and trusted on our high streets, equipped with the resources they need to do their jobs.”

CRIME LibDems reveal shocking stat

CRIME Youths out of control

Image from Pixabay.com

SOME DAY FOR I T

T TIME

Filshill creates vape AI bot

Wholesaler JW Filshill has created Vapora – an AI bot that offers vapes ban advice. Filshill claimed any convenience retailer in Scotland could ask Vapora a question relating to the single use vapes ban, which came into force on 1 June, by emailing vape.questions@filshill.co.uk and the bot will answer instantly. Retailers can also request a list of compliant products and get advice on disposing of any noncompliant stock.

ElfBar

raises concerns over vape ban loophole

Despite the ban on single use vapes now in force, it remains legal to bring disposable vapes into the UK for personal use. ElfBar claimed that this “risks fuelling the illicit vape market and undermining the UK’s smokefree 2030 ambition”. The firm has urged government departments to close this loophole, issue a clear enforcement strategy, and introduce a licensing framework for vape retail.

New partnership for C-Store Collective

Convenience consultancy, C-Store Collective, has teamed up with RS Sales and Distribution to streamline retail supplies for independent stores. The new partnership offers retailers a smarter way to manage Goods Not for Resale (GNFR) supplies. This collaboration gives business owners across the UK and Ireland access to a one-stop service for everyday essentials—from consumables and disposables to cleaning products, signage, and point-ofsale materials.

Pladis relaunches Better Biscuits

Snack firm, Pladis, has refreshed its Better Biscuits advice platform. The platform gives retailers access to tailored blueprints to help improve their profits. Retailers who join Better Biscuits can claim a free case of shopper favourites when they sign up at betterbiscuits.com.

United Wholesale (Scotland) to buy Time Wholesale Services

Glasgow-based United Wholesale (Scotland) (UWS) is in the process of acquiring Time Wholesale Services in East London, SLR can reveal.

UWS, which operates two depots in Glasgow and one in Grangemouth, is expected to complete the sale in July. e acquisition will help to accelerate UWS’ ve-year plan to boost turnover to £500m by 2030.

Time was founded by Sony Bihal in 1999 and supplies groceries, alcohol, tobacco and household essentials from its cash and carry depot in Rainham. Bihal will continue to lead the London team.

Chris Gallagher, UWS Managing Director, said: “At a time of consolidation and change in the sector, we have recognised the need to invest both in our business and the wholesale sector. We are rmly focused on

APPOINTMENT

identifying opportunities for growth and this deal signi es a clear step forward in our plans for expansion. We have some incredibly exciting plans for the London depot which we will share at the right time, and we look forward to taking over in July.”

Sony Bihal commented: “We are delighted to be joining the UWS family, it’s a real opportunity to strengthen our current market and diversify into new markets, not only in retail but catering as well. e opportunity to showcase the UWS award-winning Day Today and USave symbol groups on the streets of London, alongside their GDK franchise business, is extremely exciting.”

Unitas Wholesale Managing Director John Kinney added: “We are thrilled to see [UWS] bringing their exceptional proposition to retailers in London and the South of England.

“Independent wholesalers are not standing still in a challenging market — they are actively seeking out growth opportunities. is move by UWS is a clear example of this ambition in action, and there is more to come.”

Unitas Wholesale appoints Trading Director

Buying group, Unitas Wholesale, has announced that Gurms Athwal will join its executive team as Trading Director, effective from 2 June.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the wholesale sector, Athwal is one of the industry’s most respected trading directors. His career spans several Unitas Wholesale member businesses, including JK Foods, Hyperama and most recently Parfetts, where he served as Trading Director for the past four years.

Athwal’s longstanding association with Unitas and in-depth understanding of its strategy and operations make him ideally placed for this role.

Highlands retailer shuts up shop as costs spiral

Rob Wilson, owner of Kyle Mace store in Kyle of Lochalsh, will close the shop a er 13 years, citing mounting costs and personal issues.

He said Highland Council had changed the ratings system, so that in a few short years he went from paying zero rates to £6,811. “I don’t make enough money in retail as it is to warrant these rises,” he told SLR. “And then there have been sta cost rises, and pro t margins are going down a lot as well.”

He has sold the store and plans to move closer to his mother to support her, as she has MS. He described owning the shop as “one of the most rewarding experiences of my life”. e store’s Facebook page was inundated with customer messages thanking him for his “wonderful community service”.

Unitas Wholesale Managing Director John Kinney said: “Gurms has a strong track record of negotiating commercial terms and promotional programmes that deliver tangible results for both wholesalers and suppliers. Until recently he was a Non-Executive Director on the Unitas Wholesale Board and his transition to Executive Director ensures continuity and further strengthens our commitment to driving incremental growth through deeper supplier engagement.”

Athwal said: “Unitas’ scale and reach across retail, foodservice and the on-trade offer a unique platform for collaboration and I’m looking forward to building on the excellent work already underway and driving further value for our members.”

NewsExtra Indies step up as Co-op cyber attack wreaks havoc on Scottish islands

Vulnerable island dwellers were at risk

Shelves were le bare at Co-op stores last month a er the retailer fell victim to a cyber attack, leaving Scottish islanders panicking that food might run out.

e Co-op stated that the hacking incident, which started at the end of April, had caused “signi cant disruption” and that a number of systems had had to be shut down in order to protect the organisation. e incident also resulted in the the of customer data.

Skye resident Amanda Macauley raised her concerns over empty shelves with the retailer on Monday 5 May. She explained that Co-op was the main supermarket on the island with two stores in Portree and one in Broadford, and asked if remote rural locations would be prioritised for deliveries.

Co-op Operations Director Kate McCrae told her: “Yes, absolutely we are prioritising the stores that we consider lifeline stores as we are the only food retailer in that location, we hope to have stock arriving within the next 24 hours. So sorry for the inconvenience and I promise we are working around the clock to get this resolved.”

e stores had no deliveries the next day, but McCrae said ambient goods and milk would be delivered on Wednesday 7, followed by fresh produce the day a er.

Meanwhile, Uig-based independent, Rankins Supermarket, which is supplied by Costcutter, Filshill, Suma and Cresco, witnessed a surge in footfall as Coop shoppers took their business elsewhere.

“We suddenly got very busy,” said owner Mike Brown. “It happened a er my main order deadline, or I could have increased my order capacity, but unfortunately I was le with only being able to go to small local suppliers so in many cases the supplier was more expensive than I am, which was a challenge.”

Nevertheless, the shop’s sales of fresh produce soared 50% as Co-op shoppers came in search of essentials. “Luckily we hold quite large stocks, so we were able to cope with it. It brought some Covid memories back –basically react and get on with it!”

While Mike believed most customers would return to their old habits now that Co-op was restocked, he remained hopeful that some shoppers might return to his 2,400sq store. “Hopefully, it might inspire one or two, even once a month, to make the trip.

“We have a much bigger range than most – about 7-8,000 lines and we stock a very diverse range of products. We’ve grown our scale over the years, so we compete with the Co-op on price, and we compete with Tesco on price to a degree.

“ e advantage of being smaller is that it’s easier for us to react because we’re not locked into any one system.”

e problems with Co-op led to many islanders airing concerns about the lack of retail options. LibDem MP for Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire, Angus MacDonald, said: “ is situation has once again thrown a spotlight on the vulnerability of rural communities relying on one supplier. Co-op has an e ective monopoly. is is an issue I will discuss with the Highland Council and other agencies.”

Mike suggested that independents could provide a solution. “Maybe the answer is not another big supermarket, but for all the smaller shops to try and scale up a bit. At the moment, a lot of the small shops are having to buy from expensive suppliers because they don’t have enough scale to even use the likes of Costcutter, but if people start to use them, then they’ll have more scale to get better prices.”

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

Convenience Matters with the SGF

SGF has been busy raising awareness among members about the disposable vape ban, which will have a substantial impact on customer relations and illicit trade. Many of our retailers report they switched to reusable products well before 1 June, however, some unfortunately ended the month with a significant volume of non-compliant stock.

SGF’s guiding principle is ‘responsible community retailing’. That is why we issued our retailers’ guide and a printable in-store poster, and it’s excellent to see the convenience sector ensuring compliance from day one. Our latest Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on 10 June also provides members with the chance to ask urgent questions on the topic.

We do have concerns, however. The Scottish and UK governments’ efforts to raise public awareness about the ban were nowhere near enough. It’s not right to expect busy retailers to explain to customers what government policy means for them, and for their preferred purchases. It’s cheap for government to produce regulation but that often creates significant difficulties for retailers.

Customer confusion significantly contributes to threats, abuse, and anti-social behaviour. Retailers are doing the right thing, and it’s not fair that they may have to deal with irate customers who were not informed about the ban.

Likewise, we have seen an explosion in the illicit vape market in the past few years, threatening the viability of local stores. That is why SGF has been robust on this issue and will continue to make the argument for more resources for our enforcement agencies, to ensure rogue sellers are caught and penalised.

A SPACE TO BE

INTRODUCING FUMi.

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• With strong margins to boost your business and a carefully curated range that caters to every preference, Swedish-made FUMi is the pe ect addition to your asso ment.

COME AND CHECK IT OUT

As some of you may already be aware, I have taken on the role of Chairing the Checkout Scotland music festival on behalf of the Scottish committee of industry charity GroceryAid. It’s not I role I took on lightly and I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been daunting at times since I took over at the tail end of last year.

Organising an event of this scale, finding sponsors, selling tickets, sourcing acts to appear on stage and more has been a massive task for the entire committee – and don’t forget that all of them are volunteers with full-time jobs.

But the reason we all took on the task is because we believe in what GroceryAid is trying to achieve and because we all feel a responsibility to everyone in the convenience trade who has fallen on hard times, often through no fault of their own.

GroceryAid provides invaluable financial, practical and emotional support to industry colleagues who need a little help. And let’s be honest, we all need a little help sometimes and there’s certainly no shame in that.

What’s special about Checkout is that in just a few years it has turbocharged awareness of the charity and how it can help those in need. Yes, the event helps raise much-needed funds too, but the core function of Checkout is to let as many people as possible know that there is help there if they need it, there is someone to turn to when life gets tough, no matter the reason.

And it’s working where it matters most. The number of applications for support from colleagues in Scotland has gone through the roof since Checkout started. It’s clearly not great news that so many colleagues need support, but on the flipside, the growth in applications reflects the fact that more people than ever now know they can turn to GroceryAid.

Business is tough, the market is tough, and life can be tough – for all of us. But we’re a retail family and we need to look after our own. That’s one of the many things that makes local retailing special. So, if you are in the blessed position of being able to show a little compassion and a little love to people who really need your help, please consider doing so.

And by coming along to Checkout, not only will you be playing an active, positive role in the wider local retailing community in Scotland, you’ll also have a banging day out, catch up with pals, let your hair down and get the chance to see Scottish star Callum Beattie and other fantastic acts into the bargain. So please do email me – abegley@55north.com – if you want to buy some tickets.

ANTONY BEGLEY, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL

Publishing Director & Editor

Antony Begley abegley@55north.com

Deputy Editor Sarah Britton sbritton@55north.com

Features Editor Gaelle Walker gwalker@55north.com

Web Editor Findlay Stein fstein@55north.com

ADVERTISING

Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons 07575 959 915 | hlyons@55north.com

Advertising Manager Garry Cole 07846 872 738 | gcole@55north.com

DESIGN

Design & Digital Manager Richard Chaudhry rchaudhry@55north.com

EVENTS & OPERATIONS

Events & Circulation Manager Cara Begley cbegley@55north.com

Scottish Local Retailer is distributed free to qualifying readers. For a registration card, call 0141 22 22 100. Other readers can obtain copies by annual subscription at £50 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail), £99 (Worldwide airmail).

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HEALTHY PROSPECTS

The

younger generation is driving demand for fresh and nutritional products and retailers that respond are bearing fruit.

BY SARAH BRITTON

While healthy food reigns supreme in the nutrition stakes, it has o en been lacking in personality compared with more calori c convenience fodder. And when you combine that with the fact that fresh and chilled produce has a short shelf life, its appeal to c-store retailers – and their customers – has been somewhat limited.

But change is afoot. e Scottish Grocers’ Federation’s Healthy Living Programme (HLP) has been hammering home the message that a balanced diet is the way forward for nearly two decades.

“We’re under no illusion that they’re going to stop buying chocolate bars and crisps, but if we can get them to go in and buy a healthier snack as well, it’s part of the education,” says Programme Director Kathryn Neil.

e HLP team has spent the last 20 years helping retailers across Scotland to promote fresh produce. A big part of this involves linking them up with their local primary schools and providing free healthy breakfasts, whilst teaching kids about the importance of a healthy diet. In fact, the group has provided breakfast to more than 44,000 pupils across the country.

One of the many stores involved is Broadway Convenience Store in Oxgangs, Edinburgh, run by Linda and Dennis Williams and their daughter Sophie. e store has been on board since HLP rst launched and recently achieved Premium Supporter status in the HLP Retailer Development Plan. Last year it broke the initiative’s record for the biggest breakfast, serving 560 pupils at Pentland Primary School.

When the programme started, Sophie was a young girl. “As a parent, Linda saw the bene t of o ering [fruit and veg] within the store to other parents, and it’s great to see her now carrying that on,” says Neil.

Linda agrees: “We’re strong advocates for the Scottish Government Healthy Living Programme. I’ve been there since its inception and we’re always very aware that we sell a lot of unhealthy food and we want to try and make the other stu that we do sell as healthy as possible.”

A strong fruit and veg o ering, complete with vibrant POS from HLP, is a permanent xture in-store, which also actively promotes fruit and veg online. e shop has just run a deal whereby customers can buy a bunch of bananas for 1p on their home delivery app, and they have also used light-hearted social media posts to promote fresh produce, such as grapes, strawberries and on-the-go lines. “ ere is demand for healthier options, we do quite a lot with fresh fruit salad,” notes Linda.

She also tries to incorporate plenty of veg into her food-to-go fare. “I do six or seven di erent varieties of pasta – chicken ones and di erent toppings, some with cheese, some without, with peppers and onions through them, that sort of thing. Also, with all the sandwiches we try and put salad in them or add salad ingredients on just about everything that we make to try and up the veg intake where we can.”

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

Another Premium Supporter of HLP is Anand Cheema of Costcutter Fresh In Falkirk. “We

have 10m of chilled food and 14 altogether including ambient fruit and veg,” he says. “Our fruit and veg and chilled sales are good, but we’re always looking to improve.”

He claims that the HLP signage gives the o er prominence in store. “Healthy Living Scotland are de nitely there if you need them and their point of sale has massively improved over the last ve years, it’s a lot more eye-catching, brighter and it’s more enticing on the xtures as well.”

He has also worked with HLP to promote healthy eating in local schools. “We’ve done big breakfasts with primary schools and a high school,” he says. “We donate all the milk to the high school for their own big breakfast where they give away healthy porridge and fruit in the mornings.

“Targeting the younger generations is going to bear fruit for the category going forward, so it’s really, really important to instil that healthy mindset.”

Anand has also seen rising health awareness in young adults. “Stocking healthier options is hugely important, there’s more of a healthconscious generation coming through now,” he says. “People are looking at the tra c light [labelling] systems; they’re looking at how many calories; how much protein; and the di erent macros in meals now.

“ ere’s a lot more focus towards tness across the world and in the UK with things like [group tness race] Hyrox that are huge. Everyone’s being a bit more health conscious and that’s not just in the chilled food category, that’s running across all categories now, including alcohol with no and low, and then within so drinks where you’ve got your zero sugar variants.

“Growing health awareness runs across all ages, but it is being more geared from the younger generations, so between 18 and 30.”

Keen to tap into this opportunity, Anand has been experimenting with di erent healthier lines.

“I have tried di erent variants of yogurts and yogurt drinks, and protein shakes. e last one we tried was the big Muller Protein pot in conjunction with MyProtein. We brought it in on two promotion cycles and it didn’t do too well. We also tried the Biofuel Ke r drink on about two or three promotion cycles, but it never really hit o .

“But it didn’t stop us from trying other things as well. We’ve done particularly well with Kind protein bars, they’ve really hit o and Actishakes have done really well for us due to taste and price point,” he says.

HEALTHY MARGINS

He claims that Kirsty’s MyProtein ready meals have been a big hit and so he has decided to try stocking some local protein meals from Hosprep. “It’s Chinese takeaway meals, but they are calorie- and macro-concentrated meals,” he explains. “If you scan the pack, you can add it straight to MyFitnessPal. e range was recommended by another Costcutter retailer.”

He explains that o ering this kind of product, not only gives customers easy access to healthy food, but also provides decent returns. “ ese Chinese ready meals can make a lot more margin because rstly, they’re locally produced and made; and secondly, they’re niche, so customers can’t get them from elsewhere.

“Customers are always happy to see something new in the display, but the packaging needs to be appealing to begin with to entice

A WASTE OF TIME?

The biggest barrier to retailers committing to fresh is waste, states The Scottish Grocers’ Federation’s Healthy Living Programme (HLP). “That’s always been our biggest challenge,” says Programme Director Kathryn Neil. “Some retailers get over that now if they’ve got food-to-go areas where they can utilise any waste food in salads, boxes or soups. You can also give away free food to children, so if they’ve got a pack of four apples, for example, maybe one’s a bit damaged, rather than wasting them all, we’ll give retailers a wee basket and just offer out free food to kids when they’re in.”

Neil claims that retailers need to accept waste as a by-product of introducing or expanding their fresh produce offer. “Maybe you need to take the hit to start with in terms of the overall cost of what it’s going to cost to have fresh in. You have to build up that trust with customers, so that’s not happening overnight. But once the consumer has the confidence that you’re selling fresh products, they will come back.”

them to purchase, then a er it comes down to taste and price. We encourage healthy options by upselling as much as possible, social media is big on it and we list it on our home delivery page as well. We don’t even sell it as ‘healthy’. ‘Healthy’ is a bonus. It’s just a really good ready meal because immediately when you say ‘healthy’ some people get put o . But if they’re getting that as a bonus – less calories, good macros, it’s lling them up and it tastes good, you’re on to a winner.”

Ensuring that healthy products have room to thrive is also essential. “Don’t just try to bring in one product,” says Anand. “Try and entice the customer as much as possible. If you’ve got the space and you can a ord to give a shelf in your xture, then that helps. People buy with their

eyes. We’ve given the Hosprep Chinese range 2m in the chilled display. You get back what you put in.”

PROTEIN POWER

Dan Brown, owner of Pinkie Farm in Musselburgh, has also picked up on the hunger for more nutritionally balanced foods. “I think it is important for convenience stores to have a healthy o er, it’s very much what customers are looking for now, I believe,” he says. “We saw a lot of healthier things trending on social media, so we’ve tried some of them in store.”

Pinkie Farm introduced a range of storemade Carla’s Kitchen protein meals in January. Dishes included Peanut Noodle Salad, Dan Dan Edamame Salad, Protein Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Pad ai Chicken and Terriyaki Chicken. In addition, sta created TikTok-inspired Overnight Protein Oats made with 0% fat Greek yoghurt and unsweetened almond milk.

e new lines were an instant hit and the shop saw an immediate increase in sales. “As a result, we ended up reformulating a lot of our existing meals as well, using ingredients such as lower fat cheese, and made them all higher in protein and lower in calories, sugar and salt,” says Dan.

“We were very careful to make sure that it tasted as good, if not better. It was a lot of work on our side to make it healthier. at was the more challenging side of it, it’s easier to buy in

sauces, but we’re making a lot more from scratch than we were before. We are nding that there are a lot of good suppliers out there that have been able to help us with that.”

To start with, there was more work involved with prepping the healthier food, but Dan and the team quickly found ways to counter this. “One of our suppliers preps the veg for us so a lot of it comes pre-cut, which takes out some of the manual labour,” he says. “ e only real cost to it was the additional development time, but that’s been worth it.”

e store also overhauled its fresh produce. “We really wanted to make sure that we had a strong fruit and veg o er,” says Dan. “Initially we started going to the market ourselves, but now we’ve managed to get one of our suppliers to deliver directly. e quality of the fruit and veg is better, it’s fresher.

“We are able to sell a lot more loose product and we are able to package it in a way that is a bit more appealing to customers. We had access to a wider range of fruit as well, which again helped us for the kitchen side, so we do a lot of fruit pots and things like that.”

Customers have lapped up the improvements, and have also enjoyed feeding back their suggestions, with one woman requesting that the store stocks starfruit. It might sound a big ask for a local store to stock exotic fruit, but Dan was only too pleased to help.

“We actually managed to get them in for her so that was worthwhile,” he grins. “We were able to get things that customers want, but it’s maybe a bit harder for them to source and it feeds us having a point of di erence.”

e store also stocks ai coconut and dragonfruit, in addition to all the usual favourites, and Dan claims that they are performing well.

VIRTUOUS CYCLE

Moving towards a healthier o er has helped the store’s food-to-go operation to accelerate. “It’s really helped us expand the sales in our kitchen, which has helped justify the labour, which has then allowed us to do more with the kitchen,” he says. “Making your own product is quite di cult until you’ve really got to scale up, so anything that we can do to help drive more volume through obviously helps. It also helps make the kitchen side more e cient.”

Sales have seen “a signi cant jump” since making the changes, with chilled meals up £2,000 to 3,000 a week. “ e increase was pretty quick – within a week of us launching and we’re still seeing that growing now,” says Dan. is early success has only served to spur him on. “We’re still doing more development, we’re working with our dedicated suppliers, they’ve all been really helpful,” he claims. “We’re actually at the stage where we can’t really keep up with

the demand at the moment. We’re having to try and hire more people and we’ve got a lot of new things planned for the next six months. I would say that introducing healthier meals is probably one of the big drivers of that this year, which has allowed us to then continue moving forward.”

Healthy Living Scotland have been a constant support. “ ey have always been good, they’ve helped us really highlight the aspect of the fruit and veg in the store,” says Dan.

“ ey also have guidelines, which helped us look at what we were trying to do in terms of heading south with calories and salt levels. We use their guidance a lot as a reference point in terms of what we’re aiming for, and I think there’s a lot of scope for us to keep working with them going forwards. Some of the projects we’ve got lined up will probably tie in with them well. ey’re always useful for giving us support and with in-store events, they highlight healthier food.”

He urges fellow retailers to experiment with healthier lines and give them a fair chance to perform. “Don’t be scared to try new things because you don’t think it will work. We can’t expect to see any strong results if we’re following an old-school ‘cans and packets’ convenience store model. Sometimes you have to look past your own assumptions and take a gamble with trying things because ultimately our business at the moment is changing.”

Hamlyns and Hebridean Baker hook up Hamlyns of Scotland has announced a new partnership with Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker. The move follows the launch of new sustainable paper packaging across the brand’s core range of porridge oats and oatmeals. As the ‘Official porridge of the Hebridean Baker,’ Hamlyns will be working closely with MacLeod to highlight the versatility and quality of Hamlyns’ products.

Müller donates four million meals through FareShare

Müller UK & Ireland has announced that it has donated the equivalent of four million meals through its partnership with FareShare. The organisation redistributes good-to-eat surplus food and donations from the food industry – including Müller milk and yogurts – to more than 8,500 charities and community groups. The partnership forms a key part of Müller’s Sustainability Action Plan.

Cadbury’s Merlin promotion is back Cadbury has teamed up with Merlin Entertainments for another on-pack summer promotion that gives access to discounted ticket prices to Merlin attractions across the UK. Shoppers have until 30 June 2026 to get between 10-50% off the price of up to four tickets. The promotion is supported by digital, radio and social media activities, as well as in-store support and point of sale materials.

KP unveils new cricketthemed competition

KP Snacks, Official Team Partner of The Hundred cricket competition, has unveiled a new Hundred-themed on-pack promotion giving consumers a chance to win £20,000 as well as daily instant-win cash and cricket prizes. The spin-to-win competition runs across eight KP brands that feature on Hundred team shirts and ends on 17 August this year.

Monster’s retailer support platform returns

Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) and the Monster Energy Co. have relaunched their Sales Supercharged convenience retailer support initiative for a h year. e initiative helps independent convenience retailers make the most of the energy drinks sales opportunity – with the chance to win some prizes thrown in too.

Live now, the online platform continues to provide the low-down on the latest trends and details on key segments within energy drinks. ere will also be tips and advice

CONFECTIONERY

around ranging and execution instore from a selection of leading independent convenience retailers. Natalie Light ght (pictured), from Londis Solo in Baillieston returns as part of the Sales Supercharged panel.

Retailers have the chance to win a Monster-branded remote-controlled car by entering a free prize draw at salessupercharged.co.uk before 4 July.

Refreshers marks 70 years with new fruity chew

Swizzels is marking the 70th anniversary of its Refreshers brand with the launch of a new mango and pineapple-flavoured Tropical Chew Bar.

It is available from wholesalers as an 18g single (RSP 20p) in price-marked boxes of 60 bars.

CEREALS Breakfast brand signs four-year deal

Quaker Oats sponsors Team GB

Quaker Oats has been named as an O cial Partner of Team GB.

Dairylea has renewed its partnership with Trainline for a second year. An on-pack promotion running until 30 June gives consumers the chance to get up to £50 off train travel.

Shoppers simply need to buy any Dairylea product and enter some personal and product details online to receive their discount.

e four-year deal will see Quaker Oats supporting British athletes on

e four-year deal will see Quaker Oats supporting British athletes on their journey to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Quaker will play a vital role in helping British athletes fuel their training and preparation, ensuring that all the delegation has access to the brand’s extensive range. e partnership will include exclusive content with Team GB athletes and a multi-channel marketing campaign.

content with Team GB athletes and a

Dairylea is also offering retailers a chance to reduce their travel costs by winning one of 10 Railcards worth £35. To enter the prize draw, retailers can fill in the form on the Mondelez trade website. The campaign is supported by PR, out-of-home advertising, digital and social media activities.

SPORTS & ENERGY

category advice, retailers have the chance to win prizes

CHILDREN’S

Barr launches dino-mite new Jurassic Park promo

Barr So Drinks has unveiled a new on-pack promotion for its Barr Flavours range.

e brand has teamed-up with the new Jurassic World: Rebirth movie to give shoppers a chance to win an adventure holiday in Lisbon.

e promo kicks o in June, supported by an outdoor and digital advertising campaign.

A suite of POS materials is available to retailers

Jurassic World: Rebirth hits UK cinemas on 2 July.

CONFECTIONERY Meet and greets up for grabs

Cadbury FC competition is a game changer

Cadbury FC, the confectionery brand’s football club partnership programme which o ers exclusive initiatives with some of Britain’s biggest clubs, has launched Game Changing Wins, giving shoppers the chance to win one of four meet and greets with some of the UK and Ireland’s most well-known female footballers.

e promotion aims to highlight how small acts of generosity can make a big di erence, with the campaign celebrating those closest to the players and the impact they have had on their lives, from taking them to training, to their constant words of encouragement.

Alongside the four main prizes, which include a hotel stay and travel for the winner and three guests, a number of daily prizes are up for grabs. ese include matchday tickets for the 2025/2026 season with participating clubs, and hundreds of instant win lifestyle vouchers.

BISCUITS McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives celebrates centenary

McVitie’s is marking 100 years of its Chocolate Digestives with a newmultimillion-pound campaign: ‘100 Years of the Nation’s Greatest Invention’.

Here’s looking at LU

Biscuit brand LU has unveiled a sophisticated new pack design and visual identity. The entire range features distinctive, bold bright colours to differentiate variants and ensure strong standout on shelf. Each pack also carries real product photography to showcase the biscuits, and the brand’s angel logo. In-store messaging will include a ‘New design, same beautiful biscuits’ slogan to help and reassure consumers that the product quality has not changed.

Chef and Cook’s team up Cook’s Matches is working with top chef Daniel Clifford (from the two-Michelin-starred Midsummer House) to get people into the kitchen and spark their culinary creativity. New pack designs, which roll out from June, include 12 recipes created by Clifford specifically for the brand. The partnership will be supported by digital and social media activities. The full list of recipes is available on pack and on the Cook’s website.

iPRO signs up for three more years with Royal Navy Sports & Energy brand iPRO has renewed its long-standing partnership with the Royal Navy Rugby League team for a further three years. This means iPRO Hydrate will remain readily available across Royal Navy sports sites, providing Navy personnel with a convenient source of everyday hydration. iPRO Hydrate is also the Global Hydration Partner of parkrun.

Bear back in museum

As part of the campaign, an on-pack promotion sees £100 up for grabs every 100 minutes. Shoppers simply purchase a pack from the McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives range and scan the on-pack QR code for the chance to win. The promo is live now until 22 June 2025.

Other activities include front-of-store displays, sampling trucks and in-store activities. The centenary is highlighted in the convenience channel with POS, FSDUs and shelf wobblers.

Kids Fruit Snacking brand Bear has renewed its partnership with the Natural History Museum for a second year, with an on-pack promotion across its Bear Yoyos multipacks. Shoppers have the chance to win tickets to the Museum’s Dino Snores for Kids sleepovers and is open to families with kids aged seven to 11. Last year’s promo saw a +29% uplift in new customers and +7.6% growth in unit sales.

SOFT DRINKS Shoppers can win an adventure holiday

Beer tasters required Innis & Gunn has launched a competition to find five official beer tasters. To enter, thirsty punters need to purchase a promotional pack and follow the instructions. Winners will get a training session at an Innis & Gunn Taproom and have access to new beers. They will also receive VIP tickets to events including Belladrum, Edinburgh Christmas Market, Celtic Connections and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

New look for Foster’s

Heineken has unveiled a new look for its Foster’s and Foster’s Proper Shandy brands. Updated packs feature Australian symbols such as the five stars from the nation’s flag and a red kangaroo, and bring back the use of the ‘Amber Nectar’ label. The new visual identity appears on packaging across all SKUs in the core Foster’s range, including 4 x 440ml, 10 x 440ml and 18 x 440ml multipacks, as well as Foster’s Proper Shandy.

WKD’s

new Cherry Ice

RTD brand WKD has launched a new Cherry Ice variant, available now in 70cl bottles (RSP £3.38 and £3.29 PMP) and in 330ml cans, which will also feature in the brand’s mixed 10-packs. The launch is backed by in-store and digital activities. Inspired by the growth of cherry flavours across multiple drinks categories, WKD Cherry Ice “brings a frosty, fruity twist that is designed to resonate with WKD’s core 18 to 24-yearold target audience”.

Vinarchy in the UK

A new powerhouse in the wine market has been formed by the merger of Accolade Wines and the Australian, New Zealand, and Spanish wine brands previously owned by Pernod Ricard. The new business, Vinarchy, immediately becomes one of the world’s largest wine specialists. Brands in its portfolio include Hardys, Campo Viejo, Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Mud House and Jam Shed. RTDs

Captain Morgan unveils Muck Pit

Diageo has announced the launch of Captain Morgan Muck Pit, a new rum-based alternative to beer.

e Captain’s latest brand extension takes inspiration from the Caribbean rum making process which sees overripe fruit tossed into a ‘muck pit’ and fermented in the tropical heat to create a rum with an intensely fruity avour.

Trumpeted by Diageo as an “exciting new liquid innovation,”

Captain Morgan Muck Pit Brew is a gently sparkling blend of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold, brewed mangoes and a dash of hop avours. e combination yields a 4% ABV drink that has the body of a beer but the nish of a spirit.

Funkin spritzes up range

Funkin Cocktails is expanding into spritz serves with the launch of a new range of RTDs.

Available in two flavours – Limoncello and Raspberry – the range comes just in time for summer..

Limoncello is a quintessential summer classic and a flavour that’s soared in popularity by a quarter this year, while Raspberry is the UK’s fastest-growing cocktail flavour.

With a lower ABV (4.5%) and longer serve (330ml) than the brand’s core cocktails, the Funkin Cocktails Spritz Range has an RSP of £2.30 per can.

Muck Pit Brew will make its UK debut in selected hospitality venues over the summer, supported by a marketing campaign, ‘Muck Up the Usual,’ that includes sampling at festivals, consumer activations and digital advertising.

It launches in the o -trade next year, in 440ml single cans and 330ml can multipacks.

Mark Sandys, Chief Innovation O cer at Diageo, said: “Captain Morgan Muck Pit is more than just a product innovation; it’s a new brand extension that champions avour.

“We can’t wait for it to hit pubs and festivals this summer, and shelves in the near future.”

CIDER Magners kicks off multi-millionpound campaign

Magners has launched ‘That’s Magnertism,’ a new marketing campaign that forms part of a seven-figure investment in the brand.

A new TV ad shows Magnertism in action, with a glass of Magners over ice accompanying a pub full of dancing feet “conveying the contagiously positive feeling that the first thirst-quenching gulp of Magners brings”. The ad will run throughout the summer, supported by digital, outdoor, and social media, as well as on- and offtrade activities.

BEER When is a beer not a beer?

Schweppes makes ready-to-drink debut

Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) had added to its fastgrowing ready-to-drink (RTD) portfolio with the launch of Schweppes Mix.

Marking the Schweppes brand’s debut in the RTD space, a twostrong range of 250ml cans comprises Gin Twist (ABV 5.5%), a crisp, citrus-forward blend of gin and herbal lemonade; and Paloma Bliss (ABV 6%), a mix of tequila and grapefruit with a hint of rosemary.

e launch comes with Britain’s RTD category outstripping beer,

wine and spirits, with a value of £631m.

It follows CCEP’s recent roll out of Absolut & Sprite Watermelon and Bacardi & Coke RTDs.

Furthermore, the so drinks giant’s original Absolut Vodka & Sprite variant was 2024’s number one new RTD while Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola Original Taste remains the nation’s bestselling RTD SKU.

To help convenience retailers make the most of the launch, a suite of Schweppes-branded pointof-sale kits is available from the My.CCEP.com trade website.

Cutty Sark RTD takes maiden voyage

Blended Scotch whisky Cutty Sark has unveiled its debut ready-todrink (RTD) product in the shape of its signature serve, The Cutty Sark & Ginger Ale Highball (ABV 5%).

The latest addition to the burgeoning RTD category offers an easy-drinking combination of Cutty Sark’s original signature blended Scotch with the refreshing zing of ginger ale.

The new RTD features Cutty Sark Original, a combination of Speyside single malts and high-quality grain whiskies.

New cocktail quartet

RTD cocktail brand Served has extended its full-strength range with the launch of Margarita (14.9% ABV, 125ml), Spicy Margarita (14.9% ABV, 125ml), Passion Fruit Martini (14.9% ABV, 125ml) and Mojito (10% ABV, 200ml). All have an RSP of £3.99. Each cocktail is made with Served Founders Reserve spirits and natural ingredients – and designed to be shaken in the can before pouring into glassware to deliver a bar quality serve.

Brothers

grows core range

Brothers Cider has added two flavours to its core range, Pineapple & Passionfruit and Toffee Apple. All-new Pineapple & Passionfruit variant adds a tropical angle to the range, while the newly reformulated Toffee Apple marks the return of one of the brand’s most popular ever flavours. Both come in 500ml cans and are 3.4% ABV, aligning with the brand’s strategy of offering sessionable, easydrinking flavoured ciders.

New hard seltzers

The Cutty Sark & Ginger Ale Highball is currently rolling out globally. It will be available in the UK later this year in 250ml cans.

Old Mout launches Mango & Passionfruit

Heineken has expanded its range of premium ciders with the introduction of Old Mout Mango & Passionfruit.

e brand’s rst new avour in three years is available now in 10x330ml cans (RSP £11.75) and single 500ml bottle formats (RSP £2.55) with an ABV of 4.0%.

Combining the juicy and tangy avours of mango and passionfruit to create a crisp, tropical cider, it is

also vegan friendly and gluten free, with natural avours and no added colours.

To support the launch, Old Mout will feature the new avour in its two-year-long Moutopia campaign across video on demand, streaming services, social media, and targeted online and out-ofhome advertising. It will also appear in the brand’s latest summer in uencer campaign.

White Claw has launched two new hard seltzers, Tequila Smash and Green Apple. Tequila Smash comes in two flavours: Strawberry Lime and Mango Passion Fruit – which combine white tequila with a squeeze of real fruit juice. Both are 5% ABV and are available in 250ml (RSP £2.50). Green Apple is made from natural flavours, triple distilled spirit, and sparkling water. At 4.5% ABV, it comes in 330ml cans with an RSP of £2.30.

Erdinger Alkoholfrei targets triathletes

Erdinger Alkoholfrei has launched a new competition designed to appeal to triathletes. Instead of the standard triathlon trio of swim, cycle and run, participants need to purchase a promotional 500ml bottle, scan the neck collar and enter. Prizes include 10 Ribble Gravel AL-Enthusiast Bikes, 10 Garmin Forerunner 265 Smartwatches and 10 Huub Agilis wetsuits.

Heineken brand

FINGERS CROSSED FOR OUR FINALISTS!

This year’s SLR Awards are almost upon us, and all that remains is to wish our shortlisted retailers the best of luck.

By the time you’re reading this, the SLR Awards, which will be presented on Wednesday 4 June at a glittering ceremony in the Radisson blu hotel in Glasgow, will be within touching distance.

SLR Publishing Director Antony Begley and his fellow judges have travelled thousands of miles crisscrossing Scotland visiting every single one of the stores

BREAD & BAKERY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier Grantown on Spey Spar Erskine

The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

CONFECTIONERY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Golden Lion (Premier)

Premier Lochore

Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

Spar Renfrew

Spar Stenhousemuir

FOOD TO GO RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Glenrothes (Spar)

David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy (Spar) Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

FORECOURT CONVENIENCE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Ascona Refinery Service Station (Nisa)

Balfron Filling Station (Morrisons Daily) Londis Dumfries

Westend Filling Station (Costcutter)

DATES

shortlisted below in their quest to nd the best of the very best convenience stores in Scotland. And once again, they were blown away by what they saw.

It’s clear that, despite all of the challenges our industry is facing at the moment, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate.

So with that in mind, we wish all of the stores – and the great people behind them – the very best of luck.

FRESH & CHILLED RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Glenrothes (Spar)

Premier Grantown on Spey Spar Renfrew

The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

NEWSTRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier Turriff

Spar Hillfoot

Spar Kilwinning

OFF-TRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier Dunbar

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch

Racetrack Wishaw (Premier) Spar Renfrew

SCOTTISH BRANDS RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy (Spar) Premier Dunbar Premier Watson’s Grocers

SOFT DRINKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR

David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy Premier DUSA Racetrack Wishaw (Premier) The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

VAPING RETAILER OF THE YEAR Day-Today Drylaw

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

COMMUNITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Londis Solo Convenience Store One Stop Partick Spar Jedburgh Premier Watson’s Grocers

NEW STORE OF THE YEAR

Costcutter CNS Scot Premier Dunbar Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

REFIT OF THE YEAR

D&M Fraser, Thurso (Nisa) Spar Leuchars The Village Store, Drongan (Premier)

SUSTAINABILITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Premier DUSA Premier Early til Late Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

#THINKSMART INNOVATION AWARD

Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter)

Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch Racetrack Wishaw (Premier)

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Baba’s Kitchen (Costcutter) David’s Kitchen Kirkcaldy (Spar) One Stop Partick Spar Drummers Corner

OUR SPONSORS

CALLUM BEATTIE CONFIRMED FOR CHECKOUT SCOTLAND 2025

Scottish chart-topping sensation Callum Beattie has been confirmed among the headline acts at this year’s Checkout Scotland music festival in support of GroceryAid.

The Scottish Committee of convenience and grocery industry charity GroceryAid has announced that Scottish chart-topping singersongwriter Callum Beattie is to perform at this year’s Checkout Scotland music festival. Beattie will be playing at Checkout a matter of weeks before performing at the 12,000 capacity OVO Hydro.

Beattie has gone from selling just 30 tickets in small grassroots venues to selling out the iconic OVO Hydro in the space of four years, a remarkable rise that highlights his talent, determination and strong connection with fans.

BACK TO BAaD

His rst two albums both reached number one on the Scottish Album Charts and with his third album on the horizon, Callum is set to reach global audiences.

In addition to his stellar music career, Callum and his manager have raised over £750,000 for various charities over the past four years, using their platform to make a meaningful di erence in communities across the country. And he’ll be doing it once again on 28 August.

With already half of the tickets to this year’s Checkout Scotland already sold, if you want to be there to see Callum Beattie while also helping raised much-needed funds for GroceryAid, get

in touch now to book your tickets.

All ticket enquires should be directed to Checkout Scotland 2025 Chair Antony Begley: abegley@55north.com

Begley commented: “To secure a homegrown top-notch talent like Callum Beattie for Checkout Scotland is a massive coup, particularly as he will be playing to a packed Hydro just weeks later.

“We’re expecting tickets to sell out fast so I would urge everyone who wants to be there and help us raise awareness of GroceryAid to get in touch now to make sure they will be at one of the highlights of the Scottish local retailing calendar.”

The Scottish Committee of GroceryAid has also confirmed that Checkout Scotland will once again be returning to the unique and atmospheric Barras Art & Design (BAaD).

GroceryAid Scotland Chairman Matthew Howie commented: “BAaD is the perfect venue for Checkout Scotland with a great vibe and a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces which help create that unique festival vibe.

“We are delighted to be returning to BAaD and we hope to see the entire local retailing industry come together for another fantastic day of great music and great fun while also helping industry colleagues facing hard times.”

THE ROLLS-ROYCE OF ROYSTON

Store owner Raheem Ali Razaq has transformed his Glasgow outlet with an updated layout, enhanced product range and new technology.

Ali’s Nisa Royston on Royston Road now boasts an expanded chilled range, thriving food-to-go section and a 65-inch digital media screen at the shopfront to advertise o ers to passing customers, complemented by in-store digital screens showcasing promotions and community news.

A major highlight of the revamp is the increased presence of Co-op Own Brand products throughout the store. Clear shelfedge labelling, branded gondola ends, and eye-catching signage have been introduced. In addition, the store has signi cantly expanded its chilled range, incorporating more Co-op products and a wider selection of so drinks to meet customer demand.

e transformation also includes technology to improve both the shopping experience and security. Advanced AI the detection technology has also been introduced, provided by RETaiL AI, adding an extra layer of protection for sta and shoppers alike.

e store also features a Post O ce and an indemand food-to-go section.

Raheem, who o cially took over running the family business in December 2024 a er it was

Check out newly refitted Ali’s Nisa Royston in Glasgow.

previously operated by his brother since 2004, says: “Our customers love the Co-op range; we’ve worked hard to make it more visible across the store, and the feedback has been fantastic.

‘PROUD TO SERVE’

“We’re proud to serve our local area and this investment re ects that. It’s not just about new signage – it’s about o ering the right range, improving security, and creating a store our community can feel proud of.”

He adds: “I’d also like to thank Robin from Hi! Street Digital for the brilliant digital media screens, and our hardworking sta whose e orts have been vital in delivering this transformation.”

To support the relaunch, Raheem has commissioned billboard advertising in highfootfall areas, including near Celtic Park, and signed the store up to Co-op’s Peckish delivery app to o er even more convenience for local shoppers.

e store will celebrate the transformation with a Community Day at the end of June, inviting customers to come and see the improvements and thank them for their continued support.

e re t was supported by Co-op Wholesale, with dedicated teams assisting in merchandising and store design to ensure the latest standards were delivered across the board.

LEANER AND GREENER

BY SARAH BRITTON

The price hikes that hit the industry in April have led many convenience retailers to take drastic action to keep their businesses a oat. For some, this has meant cutting sta hours, reducing shop opening hours, and increasing prices. But for Chris Cobb of Cults stores Keystore in Aberdeen, the decision was made to invest in a re t to make his store more energy e cient and save money.

“We had an open deck chiller and our electricity costs for the whole shop were really quite high,” he claims. So he got in touch with Business Energy Scotland (BES) to see how the store could try and reduce its energy consumption by investing in new equipment that would lower its carbon footprint.

“In the years before, you would never really be worried that much about it, but nowadays it’s a major factor,” he says. “So that’s when we knew we were going to change the chiller and we thought let’s do the ceiling and lighting as well.” e group’s report showed that investing in energy e ciency could save the store £400 a month on electricity costs.

Learn how Keystore retailer Chris Cobb cut energy costs by investing in more efficient equipment.

SME LOAN SCHEME

Scottish Government funding can help you pay for energy efficiency projects

Loans up to £100k are available to help you pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business. You could also receive a cashback grant of up to £30,000.

An SME loan can be used to finance the installation of a range of eligible measures including:

Q heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades;

Q renewable heat technologies such as installing an air source heat pump;

Q improving insulation, draughtproofing, double or secondary glazing;

Q installing LED lighting;

Q installing solar thermal systems, wind turbines and biomass boilers.

If you are an SME and installing eligible equipment, you could also receive a cashback grant of up to £30,000 for your business:

Q 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £20,000 can be claimed for energy efficiency measures;

Q 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £10,000 can also be claimed for a range of renewable heat measures (heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal).

To apply for funding from the SME Loan Scheme, you need a report from Business Energy Scotland that recommends the energy efficient systems, equipment and/or building fabric improvements that you would like to use the funding to install.

Business Energy Scotland’s reports are free and impartial and once you request support, it typically takes between 2-6 weeks to prepare your report, depending on the complexity of your requirements.

For more information, visit businessenergyscotland.org/smeloan or call 0808 808 2268.

“Everything has to be streamlined with the minimum wage going through the roof and the national insurance kicking in, that’s going to hit your bottom line, so I was thinking if we can save £400 a month, that’ll o set the increased cost,” he says.

He invested £29,000, plus VAT, on new refrigeration, lighting and ceiling panels. “We managed to get a grant for energy e ciency, so that helped towards it,” he says. He also put part of the £5,000 he had been awarded from National Lottery operator Allwyn – as part of its Local Retail Champions initiative – towards the re t.

His 3.25m open chiller was replaced with a 5m chiller with doors. “We went for a more advanced Arneg fridge, which blasts in cold air when it’s required, instead of it running the whole time, and it’s supposed to be 37% more energy e cient than the next best thing.”

EXPANDED OFFER

e extra chiller space has enabled Chris to expand his o er, stocking more products from the local bakers and butcher. “We have a big Sainsbury’s local 100 yards away and a big Tesco Express 300 yards away, so that gives us a point of di erence,” he explains.

Previously, the store had one upright freezer, which was about 850mm, and a small, threetier Wall’s ice cream freezer. “ ey use an extortionate amount of electricity,” he says. “It took up quite a bit of space too. You don’t realise until it’s gone how much is taken up. Now it’s all integrated into the one big 2m and 1m freezer.”

Chris has taken advantage of the extra room to improve his frozen range and has introduced new lines, including large bags of ice.

In addition, he had new white gloss ceiling panels installed, some of which boast edgelit LED strip lighting. “Most people are going for grey and black [tiles], but that would have really enclosed the shop because we’ve got a low ceiling,” he says.

e lighting and panel combination has vastly improved the store’s overall appearance and ambience, with many customers believing that the shop has had a full re t. “It’s just amazing how the lighting has changed things, it makes it look a lot fresher,” he says. “We’re only 850sq , so we’re not a massive shop, but it has made a big di erence and our sales have been better too.”

Keystore supported Chris during the process by sending two members of sta to help rebuild the shop, restock and remerchandise.

He claims that investing in energy e cient equipment is a fantastic way to reduce energy costs. “It’s a win-win. You’ll save money and you know you’re reducing your energy costs and your carbon footprint.”

Trek High Protein Low Sugar Lotus Bakeries

Trek has launched a new High Protein Low Sugar range made with 100% naturally sourced ingredients. The core range includes Choc Caramel and Choc Peanut Butter variants, accompanied by a new High Protein Biscoff bar. All deliver 12g-15g of plant-based protein and are available in 55g singles (RSP £2.88). The launch is supported with social media, digital, sampling and brand partner activities.

Reese’s

Butter White Bar EuroFoodBrands

The new 90g bar (RSP £1.75) pairs Reese’s signature smooth peanut butter filling with a white chocolate flavour coating, for a balance of salty and sweet tastes. The design features the iconic shape of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, including its signature ridges. The launch comes with White Chocolate sales growing by 32.9% in value last year.

7UP Pink Lemonade Carlsberg Britvic

Guava taste of this!

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has extended its Relentless energy drink range with the addition of a new Guava variant.

The new sweet and tangy Guava flavour is available now, and comes in a bold pink can design, in both plain and £1 price-marked 500ml packs.

The launch will be supported by influencer and ambassador partnerships, in-store sampling and brand takeovers at key music and cultural events – building on the brand’s longstanding association with the music scene.

Convenience retailers can also drive excitement instore with Relentless Guava POS materials and digital downloads, available from My.CCEP.com.

The launch coincides with a new Relentless on-pack promotion that gives music fans the chance to win a music bundle from European audio company AIAIAI.

Unique codes under the ring pulls of promotional packs let shoppers enter an online competition that will see 30 lucky winners bag an AIAIAI bundle, consisting of a set of speakers and a pair of headphones with a hard storage case.

Promotional packs include 500ml single cans of Relentless Raspberry Zero Sugar, Origin, Fruit Punch, Cherry, and Guava, as well as multipack cans of Origin and Raspberry Zero Sugar.

Consumers have until 30 December to enter online.

Peperami Chicken Bites Jack Link’s

The new zero-sugar variant combines lemon, lime and raspberry flavours and comes in 330ml cans in both plain (RSP 85p) and 75p PMPs. Other formats include 500ml bottles (RSP £2.15/£1.30 PMP), two litre bottles (RSP £3.35) and 8 x 330ml cans (RSP £5.29). The launch will be supported by social media, influencer, PR and shopper marketing activities over the course of the summer.

Peperami has expanded its chilled snacking range with the launch of new £1 price-marked Chicken Bites single packs, aimed at tapping into the fast-growing food-to-go market. Available in two flavours – Tikka and Roasted – each 45g pack contains just 95 calories, tapping into demand for healthier, high-protein snack options. The launch is backed by TV, digital, radio and influencer activities.

Following an initial launch in grocery, the latest addition to Pringles’ Hot portfolio has landed in convenience. The new flavour was inspired by Nashville-style chicken from the US. Awareness of the new product will be boosted by Pringles’ year-long partnership with England footballer Cole Palmer. It is available now from Bestway, Dhamecha, Parfetts, Sugro and Unitas.

The new limited-edition bar comes in cases of 48 x 43g with an RSP of 99p per pack. The launch is supported by PR, social and in-store activities. The new bar combines Cadbury’s milk chocolate curls and swirls with a covering of creamy white chocolate. It follows the launch of Orange, Caramel and Mint variants, and comes with sales of combined milk and white chocolate confectionery growing ahead of the wider chocolate category.

Peanut

Pringles Blazin’ FriedChicken Kellanova

Cadbury Twirl White Dipped Mondelez

Jimmy’s Iced Coffee Donut Carlsberg Britvic

Skittles Citrus Mars Wrigley

Jimmy’s Iced Coffee has launched a new limited-edition Donut flavour. There are no prizes for guessing that the new variant combines the rich, bold flavour of coffee with the sweet taste of donuts. It is available now in a 250ml slim can with an RSP of £1.70. The launch is backed by a nationwide sampling campaign. It comes with the RTD coffee category growing from £343m to £367m in retail sales value over the last year.

Grenade Protein Shakes Mondelez

Mars Wrigley has brought a zesty twist to the confectionery category with the launch of Skittles Citrus, a mix of Orange, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, and Blood Orange flavours. Available now, the new variant comes in response to growing demand for fruity and sour flavours. The launch is supported by a summer campaign designed to drive awareness and trial.

Nordic Spirit new flavours JTI

Drouthy David

Pepsi Max has launched a new campaign fronted by David Beckham as part of its ‘Thirsty For More’ brand platform. A new TV advert shows a group of friends living life to the max, ending with Beckham delivering the campaign’s message: “If you love it, it’s never a waste.” The 30-second ad is bolstered by a number of out-of-home activations.

Tatties on TV

Grenade’s relaunched range of high protein, low sugar shakes is available now in five flavours: Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Salted Caramel, Cookies & Cream, Strawberries & Cream, and White Chocolate. Each comes in cases of 8 x 330ml bottles, RSP £2.75. POS is available, including fridge and floor stickers, branded chiller trays, and shelf talkers and wobblers.

Mr. Porky Puffs

Tayto

Three new on-trend variants cater to growing consumer demand for berry and tropical flavours: Raspberry, Tropical Mix and Forest Berries. All three feature a quicker and stronger flavour release, alongside increased moisture content, while the packaging and pouch size has also been changed to be more convenient for the user. Retailers can buy the new flavours from wholesalers or via the JTI360 website.

Refreshers Tropical Chew Swizzels

Albert Bartlett has launched a £3m ad campaign to celebrate the start of the Jersey Royal Potato season, which stars a number of Jersey’s farmers as well as celebrity chef Michel Roux. Alongside a light-hearted TV ad, the campaign includes digital, video on demand, digital display, paid social, out-ofhome advertising and media partnerships.

Keep this to yourself

Chocomel has invested £3m in a revival of its ‘Sharing Not Required’ campaign. Running until September, the campaign includes video on demand, cinema and out-of-home advertising, and is projected to reach 75% of UK adults an average of four times. With a new strapline, ‘Too tasty to share,’ it taps into the trend of treat culture and self-indulgence.

Scent-sational

The launch is targeted at consumers who are looking for high protein, low carbohydrate snacks but are put off by the appearance of traditional pork scratchings and strips. Mr. Porky Puffs are the gluten- and allergen-free, and have an airier and more crisp-like texture than classic pork scratchings. A 25g pack (RSP £1.59) contains 16g of protein, with only 132 calories and 0.1g carbs.

Sweet maker Swizzels is marking 70 years of its Refreshers brand with the launch of a new chew that retains Refreshers’ fizzy sherbet centre but tastes of mango and pineapple. It is available from wholesalers as an 18g single (RSP 20p) in price-marked boxes of 60 bars. Swizzels is also marking the milestone with The Great Community Refresh – a nationwide initiative which invites people to nominate a community project, group or asset in need of a ‘refresh’.

Unilever has unveiled a multi-million-pound marketing campaign fronted by former Love Island contestant Molly-Mae Hague for its new ‘Pure Heaven Scent’ laundry range. Hague –and two-year-old daughter Bambi – will appear on out-of-home advertising, and Pure Heaven Scent is sponsoring a new documentary series, Molly-Mae: Behind It All Part Two.

Smint’s marketing stint

Perfetti Van Melle has launched a new campaign for its Smint brand that will encourage an estimated six million commuters to ‘Refresh and reset’ with outdoor advertising in 350 locations. The brand will also increase its social presence on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and give away 110,000 tins of Smint Peppermint to commuters.

AWASH WITH OPPORTUNITY

Find out which soft drinks segments can help you turn up the heat this summer.

BY SARAH BRITTON

ALMOST ONE IN FOUR CONVENIENCE BASKETS (23.4%) CONTAIN A DRINK – THAT’S MORE THAN ALCOHOL (9.7%), CSN (17.2%), CONFECTIONERY (10.9%) AND BISCUITS (9.4%)

Source: Carlsberg Britvic Soft Drinks Report 2025

Consumer con dence has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past year, but So Drinks has been largely una ected. “So Drinks is unbelievably resilient from a consumer con dence point of view,” says Tim Downes, Category, RGM and Insight Director at Carlsberg Britvic.

Within convenience (stores under 3,000sq ), So Drinks was valued at £5.3bn in 2024, according to the latest Carlsberg Britvic So Drinks Review.

e category put an extra £186m through the tills of c-store operators, with a whopping 2.9bn litres sold (+1.9%) – the equivalent of

991 Olympic-sized swimming pools – states the rm.

“ e average so drinks c-store shopper spends more, has a bigger basket and comes to the store more o en,” says Reena Bilakhia, Head of Category at Carlsberg Britvic. “Attracting so drinks shoppers is going to add value to your store.”

And now is the time to nail it because summer is so drinks season, with rising temperatures sending sales soaring.

Admittedly, last summer didn’t exactly get o to a ying start. It may have been the hottest year on record in 2024, but the UK weather didn’t play ball, resulting in the coolest summer since 2015! is saw convenience retailers sell 28 million fewer so drinks during the summer months compared to the previous year [Nielsen Scantrack 52 w/e 28.12.25].

But fast forward to 2025, when we have just experienced the driest spring in 100 years, and it’s hard not to raise hopes that this summer may be a scorcher.

Retailers must be ready to make the most of every chance to boost sales, and that means ensuring that major categories, such as sports and energy drinks, are well stocked and optimally ranged.

AG BARR REVEALS ROARSOME ON-PACK DINO PROMOTION

To celebrate the release of Jurassic World Rebirth next month, AG Barr is launching an on-pack offer for its Barr Flavours range in partnership with Universal Pictures. The promotion gives shoppers a chance to win a holiday adventure in Lisbon with sea kayaking, a high-ropes adventure park and dinosaur caves tour.

Annette Yates, Brand Director, Barr Brand says: “A third of shoppers are actively looking for on-pack offers and prizes [Nielson, 2021]. The last on-pack partnership on our Barr Flavours range saw a double-digit uplift in sales [Customer Data 20th June – 17th July v prior period], bringing new shoppers into the category and brand, so we know just how profitable this opportunity could be for retailers.”

“As a top-three carbonate brand in symbols and independents [Circana volume sales 52 w.e. January 2025, Total Coverage], Barr’s core target audience of families accounts for 40% of the overall category [Kantar sales 52 w.e. 23 March 2025], so the brand is well placed to help retailers drive incremental sales this summer.”

sales and summer remains the biggest selling period,” says Louisa Newlove, Head of WS RTM

“It’s important retailers are prepared to take

“ ere is a very clear correlation between warmer weather and an uptick in so drinks sales and summer remains the biggest selling period,” says Louisa Newlove, Head of WS RTM and Field, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I. “It’s important retailers are prepared to take advantage of any upcoming sunny spells by stocking segments such as sports drinks which have a key focus on hydration.”

She highlights early season success with Lucozade Sport’s Jude Bellingham collaboration and notes that the brand has grown 16.1% value and 14.6% volume, plus increased its share by 2.1%, compared to this time last year [4w to 22.02.25].

ENERGISE SALES

Flavoured energy can also expect an upli as the mercury rises. “As summer approaches avoured energy becomes more relevant,” says a Red Bull spokesperson. “Innovation has been vital to the success of Energy Drinks growth this year, with particular engagement around new avours, which has helped broaden the category’s appeal to new groups of shoppers, where taste was previously a barrier.”

Red Bull Editions avours are now bought by three million shoppers. e range is recruiting younger consumers to the category, with 30% under the age of 25. As a result, sales of Red Bull Editions are growing +35% on last year [Nielsen Scantrack, Total Coverage, MAT 15.03.25]. As the portfolio grows, so does loyalty to the

under the age of 25. As a result, sales of Red Bull

TANGO BLAST BOUNCES BACK

Carlsberg Britvic has brought back Tango Blast for another limited drop. Inspired by the iconic Tango Ice Blast flavours, Raspberry Blast and Cherry Blast, the 500ml bottles appeal to Gen Z shoppers wanting bold tastes.

Tango is a fan favourite of consumers, now worth £113m retail sales value and growing +7.6% [NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Fruit Carbonates, Carlsberg Britvic Defined, Value Sales and Value sales % chg, Latest 52 wks w/e 22.3.25].

The return of Tango Blast is set to build on this momentum, following the success of its first launch in April 2024. Tango Blast quickly became a top performer for the brand within immediate consumption, with Raspberry and Cherry securing first and second place for fruit-flavoured carbonate product development in 2024 [NielsenIQ RMS, Total Impulse, Immediate consumption Fruit Carbonates, Carlsberg Britvic Defined, Value sales, Calendar Year 24 to 28.12.24 vs Calendar Year 23 to 30.12.23].

Editions range, growing by +40% vs 2YA [Kantar Take-Home Panel | 52 weeks to 26th Jan 2025].

Red Bull Summer Edition White Peach is the latest avoured variant, available in 250ml plain (RSP £1.70) and £1.65 PMP cans as well as Sugarfree 355ml can (RSP £2.10) and 250ml can 4-pack (RSP £5.40).

Anand Cheema of Costcutter Fresh in Falkirk is all stocked up and ready for the summer onslaught of sales. “Energy drinks are a huge seller,” he says. “We’ve got the full Red Bull and Monster range in; they are the leaders. ey look good on the shelf colour-wise, they’re bright and they put a lot of e ort into marketing it.”

He’s not wrong. e energy segment is worth £1.2bn in convenience [Nielsen IQ, GB Convenience [I&S, Convenience Multiples, Grocery Convenience], Value Sales, MAT w.e. 22.03.25] and is the largest so drinks segment in the channel [ibid].

is summer, Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) and the Monster Energy Co. will be

helping retailers to capitalise on the energy drinks opportunity with the relaunch of their SalesSupercharged.co.uk convenience retailer support initiative for a h year.

Live now, the online platform and trade communications campaign provides retailers with the low-down on the latest trends and details on key segments within energy drinks. And there will be tips and advice around ranging and execution in-store from a selection of leading independent convenience retailers.

New this year, in response to the insight that 74% of energy drink consumers enjoying energy drinks with a snack or meal, the refreshed platform includes a dedicated ‘with food’ section, o ering actionable top tips on merchandising food alongside energy drinks to boost sales.

drinks with a snack or meal, the refreshed

e 2025 Sales Supercharged Retailer lineup comprises father and son duo Bay and Ellis Bashir, who own ve convenience stores in Middlesborough; Jack

LEGENDARY SALES LEGENDARY SALES

Matthews from Bradley’s Supermarket in Leicestershire; and Natalie Lightfoot, who owns a compact store in Baillieston, Glasgow.

we’re con dent this launch will give retailers a powerful new asset to excite shoppers and accelerate their energy drinks sales.”

ADD A LITTLE SPARKLE

To build further engagement, the rm is running a competition where retailers can win a Monster-branded remotecontrolled car. Retailers need to enter the prize draw at salessupercharged.co.uk/ before 4 July to be in with a chance of winning.

HEALTHIER HYDRATION

An overriding trend across all so drinks – and convenience categories in general –is demand for healthier options.

Outside of the energy category, there is still plenty of interest in healthier drinks.

Sugar-free versions of all beverage sub categories are experiencing growth, observes Red Star Brands.

Low-calorie so drinks have grown at 5.5% in value over the past year, outperforming full sugar products which inched up by 3%, highlights Carlsberg Britvic. e rm urges retailers to “push permissible choices” by stocking up on top selling sugar-free brands like Pepsi MAX and 7UP Zero Sugar, as well as avoured formats, such as 7UP Zero Sugar Pink Lemonade.

Anand is only too aware of the rise in zero sugar drinks options. “ e sugar-free variants seem to have taken over almost,” he says. “You see it across brands, like Monster Energy and Red Bull, there are a lot more sugar-free avours coming out.”

Monster has recruited Formula 1 frontrunner Lando Norris to launch Monster Lando Norris Zero Sugar this summer.

“Flavoured sparkling water is a strong area of low/no sugar options, worth £55m and seeing growth of +5.6% in L52wks,” says Clark McIlroy, Managing Director, Red Star Brands.

e rm has relaunched its Sparkling Ice Black Raspberry sparkling avoured water in response to customer demand. Made with only natural fruit avours, carbonated water and better-for-you ingredients including antioxidants and vitamins D, B6 and B12, and with no added sugar, HFSS-compliant Black Raspberry delivers a sweet, tart and refreshing drink yet contains only 12 calories.

“We’re seeing increased consumer interest in fruity avoured zzy water which is being fuelled by a strong emphasis on both functional health and taste,” says McIlroy.

e drink features “one of a kind” Melon Yuzu avour, which is designed to help retailers connect with Gen Z energy drinkers, who seek avour experiences through innovative avour pro les and unique avour, the rm claims.

e launch follows on from the success of Monster’s Lewis Hamilton Zero Sugar variant, which was the best-performing NPD launch in the energy drinks category in 2023 and delivered more than £21.7m in value sales in its rst year in the market [NIQ, Total Coverage, Value Sales MAT to 30.12.23].

Helen Kerr, Associate Director of Commercial Development at Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners GB, says: “Monster is already driving the growth of the zero-sugar energy segment, which has seen an impressive growth in value sales over the last year [ibid]. With a unique avour pro le and the star power of one of Formula 1’s most exciting personalities,

Black Raspberry is the sixth bold and unconventional avour to join the Sparkling Ice line-up which also includes Strawberry Watermelon, Kiwi Strawberry, Orange Mango, Pink Grapefruit and Cloudy Lemon. Its launch will be supported by a high pro le ‘Anything But Subtle’ marketing campaign across POS materials and social media.

Carlsberg Britvic concurs that addedvalue hydration drinks are an opportunity for c-stores.

“A new generation is reshaping the so drinks market: Generation Z,” claims the rm. “Nearly a third (31%) of all Gen Z drinks occasions feature tap water, bottled water or avoured hydration drinks like ice tea, compared to a UK average of 24%. Retailers can encourage younger consumers looking for hydration to trade up with drinks like Aqua Libra’s range of pure ltered still, sparkling and avoured waters, and Lipton Ice Tea and new Lipton Kombuchas.”

Another area bene ting from consumers’ increased health awareness is juice drinks.

Research from consumer insights platform Vypr in February 2025 revealed most people associate fruit juice, smoothies and juice shots with health. Nearly one in four (23.4%) buy these products for their health, followed by 16.6% who buy them to boost their immunity.

With double the amount of pure fruit juice as its so drink competitors, the rm believes its Tropicana Sparkling will help retailers make the most of the rising demand for ‘better-for-you’ products this summer.

“Consumers are actively seeking nutritious products that are low in sugar and free from arti cial additives which will not only satisfy their taste preferences but also support their health goals,” said George Tuck, Head of Sales – Impulse, Tropicana.

FUNCTIONAL FIX

“Research shows that shoppers are searching for healthier alternatives in so drinks,” he continued. “In fact, 58% say that they want to see healthier so drinks in retailers’ ranges [ToLuna x Tropicana Concept Testing, 2023] and this is just one of the reasons why Tropicana Sparkling is so valuable to both the category and to consumers.”

Packaged in a 250ml can, the drink contains under 65 kcals and comes in Zesty Orange and Tropical Twist variants, with 30% natural origin fruit juice, infused with sparkling water.

Fruit juice shoppers are a valuable demographic as they spend, on average, 25% more per shop, according to Lumina Intelligence. ey also add three more items to their baskets on average compared to total convenience [ibid].

If you can incorporate a range of healthier options and eye-catching new avours into your so drinks range, you’ll be ready to quench consumers’ thirst all summer long.

Red Star Brands claims that functional drinks have driven growth within soft drinks over the past year. “We’re seeing a key focus on CBDs as well as gut health drinks and nutritional shakes on the rise,” says MD Clark McIlroy. “Possibly as a result of a lot of NPD around protein drinks, protein coffee, protein water etc, protein has also experienced a resurgence in popularity.”

Not wanting to miss out, protein bar brand, Grenade, has reformulated and relaunched its high protein, low sugar shakes. With protein shakes growing at +21.2% [IRI data 52 w/e 4th August 2024], faster than protein bars at +5.59% [IRI data 52w/e 16th March 2025], the range is set to shake up the RTD protein category and drive incremental sales for retailers.

Available in Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Salted Caramel, Cookies & Cream, Strawberries & Cream, and White Chocolate flavours, each 330ml bottle provides over 25g of protein and is low in fat and sugar.

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FOUR LOKO LEADING THE CHARGE AS RTDs SOAR

Alcoholic RTDs are rocketing right now and here you can find out who the big hitters are in Scotland with our exclusive convenience data from CD:UK powered by Talysis.

BY SARAH BRITTON

Here at SLR we’ve been banging the drum about alcoholic RTDs for quite some time and for good reason. But in this feature, we’ve got the whole percussion section out because our exclusive convenience data from CD:UK powered by Talysis reveals that RTDs are positively thriving in Scotland, which is seeing much higher growth than the rest of the UK. e category grew 13.5% in Scotland to achieve a value share of 28% of the market in the year to 27 April 2025, versus total UK growth of 3.1% over the same period.

Much of the reason for their success is in their ease of consumption. “Convenience is a common factor driving sales within the RTD category as consumers are increasingly turning their attention to portable drink options that o er hassle-free drinking experiences,” says Craig Chapman, Head of Brand at Global Brands. “ is is especially relevant as we enter summer since RTDs are o en the go-to choice for spontaneous gatherings, mainly because they require minimal preparation and mixed packaging formats make it easier to drink on the go.”

8.4% ABV CAFFEINE FREE

Nin Taank, Marketing Manager for RTDs, Diageo GB, claims that RTDs are to drinking what fast food is to dining. “In terms of frequency, in terms of new news and innovation – think about the menu drops that fast food has to keep consumers excited and engaged with the category,” she says. “ ink about how we all need more convenient solutions to our busy lives and RTDs really play into that.

“It isn’t just a trend that’s going to come and then fade away. is is going to be part and parcel of how we do drinking occasions moving forward.”

65% of readyto-drink consumption takes place at home

Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston, Glasgow, has been taking full advantage of the category’s success. “RTDs sell really well, especially during days with good weather,” says supervisor Alix Kegg, who is an SLR Above & Beyond winner. “We’ve got a massive range and they do really, really well. We stock Dragon Soop, Four Loko, Au cans and then a mix of Funkin, Malibu, Gordon’s, Smirno and Bacardi. We order quite a lot of cases each week through our deliveries because we sell out really quickly, but more so in the summer.”

Andy Ferguson, Business Development Manager Scotland, Red Star Brands, which distributes Four Loko, says: “ e RTD category in Scotland continues to grow, with signi cant year-on-year gains driven by changing consumer preferences, particularly in singleserve formats.”

He claims that the brand has been at the forefront of this surge, outpacing established players like Dragon Soop and the widely distributed Au Vodka RTDs. “ is re ects both

Mintel 2024, GWI 2023, Kantar 2023, Shopper Journey Soundbites Key Learnings from UK & DE 2024

Data to 27 April 2025, CD:UK, Powered by Talysis

Image from Freepik.com

consumer appetite for stronger, convenient drinks and the shi away from traditional beer and cider multipacks,” he adds.

e top 10 Alcoholic RTD brands accounted for 93% of value sales in Scotland in the latest year [CD:UK 52 wk/e 27 April 2025], and in fact the top four brands alone accounted for over 75% of value sales. Four Loko is the largest brand with 34.3% share, followed by Dragon Soop (18.2%), Au (15.8%) and Smirno (8.2%) [ibid].

Looking at speci c products, Four Loko White 440ml is the top-selling product in Scotland [CD:UK YTD 27 April 2025], even though it only has a distribution of 54% maximum, observes Talysis. Four Loko Sour Apple, which holds the number ve spot, has a stronger distribution of 81%, but other Four Loko products in the top 10 also have relatively low distribution (maximum of 48% for Tropical and 51% for Blue) [ibid].

is is in contrast to Dragon Soop, which has 90% distribution for Scotland’s secondbestselling line YTD, Dark Punch, and third bestseller Au’s Blue Raspberry, which also has 90% distribution [ibid].

“If retailers aren’t already stocking Four Loko, then they should be, as this brand presents a major opportunity for sales growth,” states Ed Roberts, MD of Talysis. “It’s the top performing brand in Scotland, despite relatively low distribution – just over 50%.”

It’s certainly a top performer for Londis Solo Convenience. “Our bestselling brands are de nitely Dragon Soop and Four Loko,” says Alix. “We also get a lot of girl groups coming in and buying the Au cans.

“Dragon Soop and Four Loko appeal to the younger generation, around 18 to 25. And then 25 and upwards lean more towards the Au cans and Ciroc because they’re not as strong as the other two. e young ones buy Dragon Soop and Four Loko because they want a strong drink before they go out.”

Ferguson states: “Larger single-serve RTDs like Four Loko o er more ‘bang for buck,’ providing consumers with extended drinking time compared to smaller, stronger cocktails (100–150ml, 13–30% ABV). is improves the value of a single drink for on-the-go or social occasions.

”Products in the 8–10% ABV range o er the balance of potency and drinking experience that resonates with RTD shoppers. Larger format carbonated serves can mean consumers drink more slowly, which aligns with more responsible drinking while maximising value and reducing overall alcohol unit intake.”

PLAY TO YOUR AUDIENCE

Alix notes that certain RTD cans are designed to speak to di erent target markets. “More men

WKD GETS COOL TWIST WITH CHERRY ICE

Cherry Ice is the latest flavour to drop from WKD. The flavour comes in 70cl bottles (standard RSP £3.38 and £3.29 price-marked packs) and in 330ml cans, which will also feature in the brand’s popular mixed 10-pack format. The launch will be supported by in-store activations and digital campaign activity focused on driving awareness and trial.

Inspired by the explosive growth of cherry flavours across multiple drinks categories, WKD Cherry Ice is designed to resonate with WKD’s core 18 to 24-year-old target audience.

FUNKIN ADDS A NEW MARTINI TO THE MIX

Cocktail brand Funkin is expanding its nitro cocktails offering with Apple Sour Martini. With half of all cocktail serves containing vodka [CGA Mixed Drinks volumetric sales data –MAT to March 2024] and the martini format continuing to dominate the scene, making up a fifth of all cocktails [ibid], there is also a rising demand for drinks with a citrus flavour profile, with apple experiencing a large growth (+4%) over the last year [CGA Mixed Drinks Report H2 2024]. Funkin Cocktails Apple Sour Martini (5% ABV, 200ml, RP: £2.25) is available nationwide in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, as well as wholesalers including Bestway, Booker and Parfetts.

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buy Dragon Soop and more women buy Au cans, whereas Four Loko is mixed,” she says. “I think part of it has to do with the look of the cans – Dragon Soop has a picture of a dragon on it and probably appeals more to men, whereas the Au cans are shiny gold. It is still a newish brand to the table, and they put in a lot of e ort to make the packaging look pretty.”

However, the lines are set to blur this summer with Au’s latest NPD. Dragon Soop and Four Loko have been the go-to big can brands in recent years, but Au is going large in 2025 with its 500ml Ultra cans. Boasting 7% ABV and ca eine, Ultra is available in Blue Raspberry and Strawberry Burst avours. e drinks are packaged in Au’s iconic gold cans, but with more cartoon-style fruit imagery and bold, graphic text.

Blue Raspberry already has a good track record with Au, with the brand’s 330ml cans growing 36% in Scottish convenience in the year to 27 April 2025, according to Talysis’ CD:UK data. e brand’s Black Grape and Cherryade variants have also seen double digit growth in the same time period, up 37% and 24% respectively [ibid].

Global Brands’ Soopa Hooch is also thirsty for a taste of the stronger RTD market.

“Global Brands was quick to recognise the increase in demand for nostalgic products. is prompted the launch of Soopa Hooch – a stronger, 8% ABV beverage that has demonstrated exibility by resonating with millennial consumers, while also connecting with a new Gen Z audience.” e sub-brand released Blue Raspberry and Cherry Cola variants in a 440ml format towards the end of last year, carrying an ABV of 8%.

Of course, Hooch isn’t the only RTD keeping things fresh. “Flavour is the number one driver of purchase,” says Ferguson. “Consumers want bold, fruity avours that deliver on taste. Trends are moving toward tropical pro les, hybrids (e.g. candy-inspired), and nostalgia-based avours. Four Loko’s launches, including Dark Berry Burst, new Camo Mango avour and Hawaii, speak directly to this demand.” e vodka-based drinks contain 8.4% ABV and are notably free from ca eine, which the brand refers to as a “potential health danger”.

TASTES OF THE TROPICS

Diageo is also tapping into tropical with Cîroc Colada, which comprises vodka mixed with pineapple and coconut avours and lightly sparkling water. e 5% ABV 250ml can was launched simultaneously with the return of the vodka brand’s coconut- avoured spirit.

RETHINK YOUR SPACE

If you want to whip your RTDs into shape, then Red Star Brands has some top tips to get you on your way:

Q Expand RTD space with clearer segmentation by ABV and flavour.

Q Use vertical block merchandising for standout brands.

Q Rotate seasonal NPDs and promote trial packs.

Q

Q

Implement impactful POS (shelf barkers, wobblers, aisle fins).

Maximise visibility by placing bestsellers at eye level and using secondary siting (e.g. chiller ends).

Pippa Lewis, Senior Brand Manager at Cîroc Vodka, says: “Whether shoppers are on the go, at a picnic, or gathering with friends, Cîroc Colada is the perfect addition to fridges, helping retailers tap into these occasions and drive sales.” e rm has also gone for beachy vibes with Smirno Miami Peach. e RTD launched in tandem with a avoured spirit of the same name, with Jessica Lace, Head of Smirno GB, describing Peach as “the avour of the moment”. e launch follows similar dual RTD and avoured vodka NPD from Smirno , including Mango & Passionfruit and Raspberry Crush, which was the biggest avoured spirit launch of the last three years, generating the highest sales value among new products launched in spirits.

RETRO RESURRECTION

Diageo also has big plans for Smirno Ice, which it has labelled “the sleeping giant” of its portfolio. A single can format was launched in September to celebrate 25 years of the RTD brand, which Diageo concedes it had neglected for the past 20 years. However, the rm is now eager for the brand to claim its “rightful spot” as the number one RTD in GB. e rm is investing £1.9m to “break the ice” with a new communications platform this month. It has also announced its largest-ever festival plan, which will include activity in the highlands of Scotland.

Another nostalgic tipple making waves in Scotland is Global Brands’ Reef. “In Scotland, Global Brands have expanded the distribution

of Reef by 23% YoY, which has resulted in a 43% rise in sales,” says Chapman. “It can be purchased as 70cl PMP or 275ml, as well as in 10x275ml format, demonstrating versatility for di erent settings and events.”

Chapman urges retailers to pay attention to millennial shoppers (aged 29-44). “ e RTD market attracts a range of demographics with shared interests of adaptable and convenient drinking options,” he says. “Gen Z are o en a primary focus for brands, but it’s important not to overlook a core, millennial audience – who are o en the ones with the spending power. ese audiences o er the greatest potential for the convenience channel, therefore, it’s vital to understand their behavioural patterns and purchasing habits. A recent trend that is driving customer purchases is the revival of 90s culture – which appeals to both demographics. Any brands and products that can tap into that sense of nostalgia – such as Reef, Hooch and VK – are poised to perform well with these audiences.”

Another blast from the past that has rocked the RTD world is Bacardi Breezer. Several savvy Scottish stores got a sni that the rumbased drink, now branded simply Breezer, was available to import back in January and consumers simply can’t get enough of the stu . Londis Solo Convenience sold a pallet’s worth of stock (that’s 1,584 bottles at £2.99 each) in less than 24 hours at the beginning of the year and demand continues to be strong.

“Bacardi Breezers are still going mental!” says Alix. “We’ve still got a whole load of stock here, but we sell out so quickly and we’re o en getting deliveries every week.”

In fact, the brand has grown by +1,000%, and has a brand value share of 1.5% of the Scottish market, according to Talysis’ CD:UK 52 week data to 27 April 2025.

Data to 27 April 2025, CD:UK, Powered by Talysis

Breezer Fever certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by Barcardi itself, which has announced plans to bring the much-loved bottles back to the UK this month. e drink comes in Zesty Orange, Zingy Lime and Crisp Watermelon avours and has an ABV of 3.4%.

SOFT DRINKS BRANDS GO HARD

Coca-Cola Europaci c Partners (CCEP) is also set to capitalise on Bacardi’s popularity. “Most recently, we launched Bacardi & Coca-Cola, building on the natural synergy between two iconic global brands,” says Senior External Communications Kate Abbotson. “Coca-Cola is the world’s most popular cola [Nielsen FY 2024 Value Share], while Bacardi holds a quarter share of the growing global rum market [IWSR 2024].

Top 10 Scotland Alcoholic RTD packs in Scotland by Value Share - YTD

3

4

5

“With more than a century of heritage, this classic serve is already one of the world’s most recognisable bar calls. Bringing it into the RTD space meets strong consumer demand for trusted, convenient choices without compromising on quality.” e rm has already seen major success with its Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola RTD

9

10

Data to 27 April 2025, CD:UK, Powered by Talysis

range. Jack Daniels & Cola 330ml is the topselling pack in convenience in the UK (excl. Scotland) with a value share of 12.6% in the year to 27 April 2025 [CD:UK].

Over the past year, the brand has achieved the second-biggest value share of the UK market (excl. Scotland) a er Au, which holds the top spot with a 15.7% share, according to Talysis CD:UK data 52 wk/e 27 April 2025. “ e UK (excl Scotland) has a very di erent product mix,” notes Roberts. “Major spirits brands are popular in the UK with strong value share for Jack Daniels (12.6%), Smirno (11.5%) and Gordons (10.4%).

By contrast, Jack Daniels holds a 3.2% share of the Scottish convenience market, making it the seventh-biggest brand.

CCEP expanded its range with Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola Cherry in April. Elaine Maher, Associate Director, Alcohol Ready-to-Drink at CCEP GB, calls it “a brilliant opportunity to bring avoured cola lovers into the category for the rst time, with Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Cherry alone clocking up nearly £107m in sales to date [Nielsen Total RTD Value MAT 28.12.24].”

She adds: “By drawing on insights from our so drinks range, we’re helping our readyto-drink line-up reach its full potential and continuing to drive growth in the category.”

CCEP’s Absolut & Sprite RTD has also added a fruity twist with its rst foray into avours with a new Watermelon variant.

Maher says: “Vodka remains a top choice for RTDs, while lemon-lime so drinks are a staple mixer. By adding a bold watermelon twist, we’re tapping into the number one growth driver – avour innovation [IWSR Strategic Study ARTD UK, DE, BR, MEX + global 2022] – and o ering consumers a fresh new way to enjoy a classic combination.”

In addition, CCEP is using its so drinks credentials to further expand into RTDs with Schweppes Mix Gin Twist and Paloma Bliss. e mixer brand’s rst venture into RTDs targets “pre-party moments and at-home enjoyment” with bar-quality taste.

WHITE CLAW AIMS FOR A SMASH HIT

With warmer weather incoming, hard seltzer brand White Claw is unveiling its newest brand launch: White Claw Tequila Smash. Available in Strawberry Lime and Mango Passion Fruit flavours, the drink incorporates 100% agave Tequila Blanco from Mexico. Each can (RSP £2.50) contains 80 calories and has an ABV of 5%.

Michael Dean, Marketing Director UK at White Claw, says: “We think people have been hiding away from the taste of tequila for too long, whether it be smothering it with salt, sugars, and artificial fruit flavours. With Tequila Smash, we’re elevating flavour to smash your tequila experience — clean, vibrant and ready to be enjoyed to refresh social connections.”

Regardless of which RTDs you choose to stock, promoting them both in-store and on your socials is crucial. “It makes a big di erence to us to promote new RTD lines on social media,” says Alix.

“We are a really small store, but we are packed full of stock. We get people travelling from all of Scotland and sometimes we get folks that will come up from down south if they’re visiting people and they’ll come to our shop because we’ve got so many good things in it and also maybe if a product is here rst before it is out in England. We’ve got over 7,000 followers on Facebook and a lot of them aren’t local but they’ll still travel to come and buy in bulk.”

Over the past year, the store has expanded the number of RTD lines it stocks and given the category more space overall in order to help it reach its full potential. So don’t be afraid to shake things up in store and make sure that you’re making the most of sales in this innovative category that’s growing at breakneck speed.

CSWEET SURPRISES

Consumers are looking for confectionery to take them on a sensory adventure filled with unexpected flavours and textures.

onfectionery is worth a delicious £5.5bn within the UK treating and snacking market, according to Mars Wrigley.

Toying with texture is one of the major trends impacting innovation, states the rm.

“Research shows that 70% of shoppers seek a unique, multi-texture chocolate experience and with chocolate wafers making up 20% of the chocolate bars category, our Crispy Rolls range is perfectly positioned to tap into this demand,” says Lauren George, External Communications Manager at Mars Wrigley.

Hershey’s is also mixing textures to create its sweet, salty and snackable Reese’s Dipped Peanuts shareable bags. e new product combines crunchy peanuts dipped in avourful peanut butter, mixed with chocolate- avoured dipped peanuts in a bag, o ering “a surprise with each handful”.

Launched in April, the product is available in a £1.35 price-marked pack (PMP), exclusive to small convenience stores.

BY SARAH BRITTON

Hanging Bags contribute 16.5% to the category segment, with a growth of 8.9%, while the giving and sharing category accounts for 24.6%, growing at 7.9% [Circana Total Store, 52 w/e 22 Dec 2024, All Outlets], highlights Hershey. e launch taps into the growing demand for shareable, on-the-go treats, particularly among Gen Z and Millennial snackers who enjoy new ways to experience their favourite brands.

Jackson Hitchon, General Manager of Europe, Middle East, Africa and World Travel Retail at e Hershey Company said: “With strong initial consumer demand and the segment’s year-on-year growth, we’re con dent Reese’s Dipped Peanuts will be a must-stock item for retailers.”

e Reese’s brand continues to drive momentum in the UK market, with Reese’s hanging bags growing +64% year-on-year in the Symbols & Independents sector [Circana, Chocolate

Confectionery, S&I, Values Sales growth vs YA, 52w to 01.09.24].

Texture mashups are fast becoming a growing trend in confectionery, concurs World of Sweets. “Brands are actively moving towards more innovative products to make their products stand out and o er customers more choice,” says Kathryn Hague, Head of Marketing. World of Sweets recently launched their new Sweet Vibes brand, which breaks away from traditional confectionery. eir Mallow Dunkz features marshmallows dunked in chocolate and coated in a crispy candy shell for extra crunch. Mallow Dunkz are available in strawberry or vanilla avours and are packaged in eyecatching pouches.

e Barratt brand has also welcomed products that play with texture. Its new candy oss range is available in the classic Barratt avourings, but all have a unique twist to them. e Wham candy oss has popping candy scattered throughout an iconic sour raspberry- avoured oss, while Flumps has crunchy, dehydrated mallows hidden within a vanilla oss.

SOUR SOUR SOUR

Customers can nd popping candy sprinkled in lemon and strawberry oss when eating the Dib Dab oss, and the Fruit Salad candy oss contains a mix of raspberry and pineapple avoured oss that when eaten together, tastes like the much-loved retro classic chew.

Barratt has also launched Fruit Salad Duo Drops (RSP £1), which contains raspberry and pineapple- avoured liquid candy.

Mars Wrigley is also embracing consumers’ love of fruit avours with the launch of Skittles Citrus, a zesty mix of Orange, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, and Blood Orange avours. Developed in response to the growing demand for fruity and sour avours, Skittles Citrus delivers a refreshing taste experience, with 29% of shoppers seeking sour avours in new products.

“ e fruity confectionery market continues to thrive, growing +6.4% in value sales in 2024, with innovation playing a key role as nearly a quarter of fruity value growth comes from new product development,” says George.

NOVELTY APPEAL

SWIZZELS GOES TROPICAL TO CELEBRATE 70 YEARS OF REFRESHERS

British sweet maker Swizzels is marking the 70th anniversary of its iconic Refreshers brand with the creation of a new Tropical Chew Bar.

Featuring a mango & pineapple flavour, it’s a tangy twist on the number one chew bar in the UK. Reflecting the growing popularity of fruity flavours, the new product retains the unique, fizzy sherbet centre and will appeal to customers looking for a refreshing treat on the go.

The latest addition to the Refreshers single confectionery line-up is vegan friendly. Each 18g bar is available in pricemarked boxes of 60, with an RSP of 20p.

Clare Newton, Trade & Shopper Marketing Manager at Swizzels, said: “We wanted to bring a new twist to the nation’s favourite chew bar to mark 70 years since its creation and highlight how it’s still an iconic and everevolving brand that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

“Tropical flavours are having a real moment with consumers this year, which is why we’ve opted for a mango & pineapple flavour, helping retailers to appeal to demand for a fresh twist on classic confectionery.”

Carmelina Mancini. “Incorporating a toylike product with playful confectionery, consumers enjoy their sweet treat with an added element of fun. Bobby’s Mini Gumball Machine is a great example of bringing fun confectionery experiences to the end consumer.”

bringing fun confectionery experiences

With the main target audience of younger shoppers, Gen Z and Millennials are shortly behind, seeking feelings of nostalgia from interactive confectionery, states Mancini.

“Bobby’s Fast Food Gummies is an

at £1.25 for affordable enjoyment.”

e novelty segment also has a huge role to play in driving the confectionery category forward, believes Bobby’s Foods.

“Targeted at younger consumers, novelty confectionery remains a powerhouse subcategory in the market,” says Marketing Manager

Novelty is one of the most popular categories in confectionery at the moment, agrees Hague. “ eir attractive prices, playful elements and bold avours make them stand out on the shelves, encouraging impulse buys,” she says.

e Paint Dripz product line, which includes blue razz- avoured brush-shaped lollipops with a matching liquid candy bucket of ‘paint’,

is one of the latest arrivals from Crazy Candy Factory. e fun shape makes it an innovative new dip and lick option for a novelty range, and the a ordable RSP of just £1.29 makes it appealing for younger customers.

Another exciting launch from Crazy Candy Factory is the Dip n Dunk 3-in-1 fruity lollipop that comes with sour sherbet and sour liquid candy. Dip n Dunk has a retail price of just one pound and comes in three avour combinations – strawberry & watermelon, blue razz & strawberry and watermelon & blue razz. Novelty products should be displayed in hightra c areas such as near tills or end of aisles to encourage impulse buys, advises Hague. “ ey should also be stocked at eye level to ensure younger customers notice the products. Novelty ranges should be refreshed around every six months to ensure they retain their new and exciting appeal.”

PMP IMPORTANCE

As the cost of living continues to be a pressure point for shoppers, the desire for products deemed to be good value for money is evergrowing, claims Mars Wrigley. “PMP formats respond to this need by clearly displaying price to shoppers, o ering reassurance of a fair cost for a high-quality product,” says George. “ is produces a positive price perception that in turn drives sales. In addition, stocking PMPs of new products can drive trial, and in turn form new shopping habits that can establish brand loyalty in the long-term.”

Mars Wrigley’s M&M’s range includes PMP formats in four consumer favourite avours: Peanut, Crispy, Chocolate and Salted Caramel, all priced at £1.

Mancini believes PMPs are crucial to the success of hanging bags. “Holding a large proportion of sugar confectionery sales, hanging bags are more o en than not price marked, highlighting the importance of price transparency within this category,” she says. “Shoppers are comfortable spending on sweet treats when the price is clearly marked and familiar.

“ e majority of share bag sweets hold price marks of anywhere between £1-£2, helping to build signi cant trust with the end consumer. Bobby’s £1.25 bagged sweets are the ideal

solution for c-stores as they house a wide variety of avours and formats, all accessible at their a ordable price mark.”

Including products priced below £1 in singleserve formats will appeal to younger audiences, reckons Mancini. “Price sensitivity o en corresponds with younger shoppers as they prioritise the play factor of confectionery while considering costs to align with pocket-moneypriced budgets,” she says. “Providing a variety of sub-£1 confectionery lines is crucial for consistent confectionery performance, as they are tailored to price-conscious shoppers and drive impulse sales from younger customers.”

Bobby’s must-stocks include: 59p Rip Rolls, 50p Snakewinders and 69p Laces.

“ ese products drive spend during peak times during the day – before and a er school –therefore when retailers o er a wide variety of pack sizes, they are staying relevant for their range of recurring customers,” Mancini observes.

In recent times, she claims that consumers have ditched more premium lines in favour of PMPs and lower-priced sweets. “Consumers are increasingly price conscious, leading to a decline in sales of premium confectionery items,” she says. “When searching for a ordable indulgence, shoppers are opting for more value options, or even reducing their overall confectionery consumption entirely.”

However, consumer behaviour is set to change as pricing improves. “With sugar prices appearing to stabilise, suppliers are continuing to diversify pack sizes and price marks to ensure the end consumer builds trust from price transparency and value for money,” she says. “Consumer behaviours may see a rise in purchase quantities, with more customers buying multiple confectionery items per visit, or perhaps tapping into more luxurious confectionery lines for a special treat, due to lower retail prices.”

confectionery visit, or perhaps tapping into more luxurious confectionery lines for provide a unique taste experience will

O ering the right price points for your individual customer base and stocking innovative products that provide a unique taste experience will mean you can have confectionery all wrapped up.

WINNING WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE

The Reese’s brand is bringing a bold new twist to its beloved peanut butter line-up with the launch of Reese’s Peanut Butter White Bar. This latest innovation pairs a smooth peanut butter filling with a white chocolate flavour coating, delivering a salty and sweet flavour.

The new variation offers an alternative to the classic combination of peanut butter and milk chocolate flavours, expanding the range to appeal to changing consumer tastes. White Chocolate is the second-largest flavour segment after Chocolate, growing by +32.9% in 2024 (+£14.5m in total sales) [Circana Total Store, 52 w/e 22 Dec 2024, All Outlets].

The Reese’s Peanut Butter White Bar’s design incorporates the shape of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into the mould, including the signature ridges, bringing the brand’s most recognisable format into this NPD.

Jackson Hitchon, General Manager of Europe, Middle East, Africa, and World Travel Retail at The Hershey Company, said: “We are excited to introduce the Reese’s Peanut Butter White Bar to British consumers, building on the success of the original Reese’s Peanut Butter Bar. This design evolution strengthens the consumer connection to the iconic cups, while maintaining the signature sweet and salty peanut butter experience. The innovation highlights our commitment to new flavours and formats, staying true to the Reese’s taste everyone loves. At The Hershey Company, we’re dedicated to creating exciting products that cater to evolving market preferences and consumer interests – because Reese’s is anything but ordinary.”

The 90g bar is available at Spar and Asda stores nationwide with an RSP of £1.75.

RUG MUNCHIES SAUCE OF CONFUSION

Under The Counter was shocked to discover that Balsen’s Choco Leibniz biscuits are fast gaining internet notoriety as ‘lesbian biscuits’.

Unconvinced? Type ‘lesbian biscuit’ into Google and see what happens. Don’t worry, UTC would never try to lure readers down some dark NSFW alley. Honest.

The Auld Boy is unsure how ‘Leibniz’ morphed into ‘lesbian’. OK, they both have seven letters and start with ‘l’ but then so do loads of other words. For example, what’s wrong with ‘leakage’? Quite a lot, if you were to ask UTC’s urologist, but you get the point.

to say it out loud in the store with a straight face, you might get what we mean. The number of times I’ve heard people stumble over ‘Leibniz’ in the wild is staggering—and hilarious.”

is staggeringly small but put

UTC is pretty sure the number of times Price has heard people stumble over ‘Leibniz’ is staggeringly small but put his theory to the test, nonetheless.

The recent launch of Heinz’s new Fish & Chips Sauce had Under The Counter rubbing his balding napper with a vigour he usually reserves for Millionaire 777 scratchcards.

The reason? Some serious condiment-induced déjà vu. Surely, the Auld Boy reckoned, this was the same stuff last seen on shelves in 2022, in the shape of the brand’s Tartare Sauce?

Not so, according to Heinz. “Think of Heinz Fish & Chips sauce as Tartare 2.0 – 2025’s hot new upgrade,” it said.

Richard Price, a grocery expert at BritSuperstore, offered this explanation: “At first, it might seem like a weird fluke—how on earth could ‘Leibniz’ ever sound like ‘Lesbian’? But when you try

And SLR can exclusively reveal that the Auld Boy managed to stand in Lidl repeating ‘Leibniz’ no bother at all. Well, there was some bother when staff took umbrage at the weird old guy with dodgy damp patches on his breeks mumbling in the middle aisle, but that’s part and parcel of investigative journalism.

At any rate, UTC wouldn’t thank you for a pack of lesbian biscuits. He’d much rather bust open some Party Rings.

HIGH CONCEPT RETAILING

Under The Counter has seen more stores in his time than he’s had Werther’s Originals. Given that his dentures have fillings, that’s a lot of stores – from Kirkcudbright to Kirkcaldy, and Arbroath to Airdrie.

However, the Auld Boy’s falsers nearly hit the floor when he clocked a new retail outlet in, where else, New York.

The Travel Agency, the city’s premier legal cannabis retailer, has opened its latest location in SoHo, “blending sculptural art, visionary architecture, and functional cannabis pieces in an immersive, first-of-its-kind environment”.

Hot new upgrade? A lot of hot air, more like, thundered SLR’s resident curmudgeon-in-chief, who branded the renaming as another egregious example of society’s dumbing down.

However, he wasn’t alone in smelling something fishy; the internet was soon swimming with shoals of punters, calling out the codswallop and putting Heinz in its plaice.

The brand responded with: “Fish and Chips Sauce = a creamy, herby sauce for the beloved fish and chips.”

Now, Under The Counter doesn’t like to carp (that’s because he loves to carp) but he reckons Heinz is floundering a bit with its naming conventions.

Surely then, the old codger cogitated, this means that Heinz Tomato Ketchup must be a thick, sweet and tangy sauce for livening up a plate of tomatoes?

If you think that sounds nuttier than an outer of KP Dry Roasted, then take a swatch at the picture. That’s the inside of a shop. Actual.

The Travel Agency caters for all cannabis consumers, “from the canna-curious to seasoned connoisseurs”.

UTC sits firmly at the canna-curious end of the spectrum, in that he’s asked the odd random stoner, “Canna have a wee puff of your wacky baccy?” This is strictly in the interests of easing his joint pain (no pun intended).

So, the Auld Boy knows just how kicking back with Mary Jane can affect one’s mental

faculties. And with that in mind, he can’t think of anywhere he’d like to be stoned less than the full-on freakout-inducing Travel Agency. Except Airdrie.