Green cleaning company Bio-D has unveiled a new range of 100 per cent naturally derived soap bars, which the company said will be the first of several upcoming launches in 2022.
The soap bars come in 100% recyclable cardboard packaging, and features three of Bio-D’s most popular fragrances – Lime & Aloe Vera, Plum & Mulberry, and Mandarin.
“Creating soap bars has always been in the pipeline for us, so I’m excited we can finally launch the range to our customers,” said Lloyd Atkin, managing director at Bio-D.
Made from 100 per cent naturally derived ingredients with over 65 per cent certified organic content, Bio-D said the soap bars are cruelty-free and vegan, gently cleansing to leave skin feeling fresh and moisturised. Each bar soap is also free from sulphates including SLS, SLES and ALS, and MPG.
The Lime & Aloe Vera Soap Bar also contains British grown hemp bran, which contains high levels of Vitamin E making it great for skin. The brand said the production of hemp is proven to absorb carbon emissions and capture more carbon during its growth than any other crop, aligning with its environmental stance and ethical values.
“After receiving customer feedback, we’re initially launching our new Soap Bar range in our top three most popular scents – all of which are suitable for use on the face and body,” Atkin added.
“We’re looking forward to hearing our customer’s thoughts on the new range.”
Established in 1989, Bio-D manufactures environmentally responsible, ethically sound, vegan cleaning products. Accredited by Cruelty Free International and The Vegan Society, all ingredients are either naturally derived or ethically sourced. The company this year also secured B Corp Certification.
Bio-D’s new bar soaps are available at selected wholesalers and independents across the UK.
Cadbury has announced the launch of a Creme Egg competition in the run-up to Easter 2025, asking retailers across the country ‘How Do You Display Yours?’
The competition invites retailers to dip into their imaginations and share their most innovative and eye-catching Cadbury Creme Egg displays. Any retailer who shares an idea via a specially-created form on SnackDisplay.co.uk – Mondelēz International’s trade-focused advice and information site – will be entered into a competition to win £1,000 worth of vouchers for first place, with four runner-up prizes ranging from £250 to £500 vouchers and 25 x £25 vouchers up for grabs for the remaining winners.
The chocolate brand the competition would be a fantastic opportunity for retailers to get creative and entice consumers into stores and mirrors the consumer-facing ‘Admit It, How Do You Eat Yours?’ campaign.
“We’re really excited to be taking the annual ‘How Do You Eat Yours?’ campaign to a platform that retailers can engage with directly,” Carianne Robertson, brand executive for Cadbury Creme Egg, said.
“Given the enthusiasm towards ‘How Do You Eat Yours?’ we wanted to create an opportunity for retailers to capitalise on consumer engagement, with the addition of 30 prizes to give further support and thanks to the retailers who have supported Cadbury throughout its 200-year history.”
Cadbury Creme Egg has been an icon of the season for over half a century, with 3.7 packs sold every second [Nielsen ScanTrack, 19w/e 31.03.24]. In 2024 the brand expanded its Creme Egg portfolio, launching the Cadbury Creme Egg Tablet, which sold a bumper 4.6 million units nationwide, making it the #1 NPD for the entire Easter 2024 season.
In addition, Cadbury Mini Eggs sold 11 million more units than in 2023 meaning shoppers are still looking to enjoy the iconic chocolate Easter treat. The mini-beasts of the Easter market remain the number one Easter SKU with the highest penetration of any Easter brand in the UK.
The Cadbury Mini Egg 110g and 360g sharing bars also had another successful Easter and were the #1 and #3 SKU respectively in the sharing novelties category in 2024.
Mondelēz International grew ahead of the Easter category in 2024 by almost 4 per cent and remains the number one supplier at Easter time. To make the most of the season, retailers are being advised to split Easter into three phases: getting off to a fast start (from 1 January to Valentine’s Day), building momentum (from Valentine’s Day on 14 February to Mother’s Day on 10 March), and then gearing up for a ‘gifting finish’ for the last three weeks the period reaches its finale.
The ‘fast start’ phase focuses on shoppers looking for small treats for themselves, such as Cadbury Creme Egg and Cadbury Mini Eggs.
Here are the top tips from Mondelēz for a fast start to the season:
Be ready on day one of the season with sufficient stock of seasonal self-eat and sharing favourites from well-loved brands, such as Cadbury Creme Egg and Cadbury Mini Eggs.
Create awareness of the season with your customers using campaigns, competitions and promotions as a talking point.
Use POS from shoppers’ favourite Easter brands to highlight products and optimise incremental sales.
Coca-Cola’s iconic The World Needs More Santas ad has returned to the nation’s screens, building excitement ahead of the festive season.
The advert aims to remind everyone that one act of Christmas kindness can bring out the ‘inner Santa’ in each of us, supported by video-on-demand, cinema, and out-of-home advertising. The ad features a cover of Anyone Can Be Santa by British singer-songwriter Celeste.
“Coca-Cola has been bringing people together at Christmas for more than 130 years, and this year is no different,” Rob Yeomans, vice-president, commercial development at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB, said.
“As the biggest soft drinks brand in GB, Coca-Cola has become a festive staple thanks to its iconic and eagerly awaited Christmas campaigns, famous Coca-Cola truck and on-pack promotions, making it a must-stock for retailers this season.”
Soft drinks remain a staple of Christmas occasions and generated more value sales at Christmas 2023 than any year previously, with Coca-Cola the soft drink of choice for more than 10m households.
Philip Morris International (PMI) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the introduction of its leading smoke-free product, IQOS.
The launch of this smoke-free innovation was a breakthrough moment toward achieving the company’s commitment to a future without cigarettes.
In Japan - the first market where IQOS was launched in 2014- newly released public health data by the National Health and Nutritional Survey (NHNS), an annual survey conducted since 1948 by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, shows a 46 per cent decrease in cigarette-smoking prevalence since 2014, dropping from 19.6 per cent of all adults to 10.6 per cent in 2022.
This decline correlates with the introduction of heated tobacco products and their subsequent widespread adoption by millions of adults who smoke in Japan. The country continues to have the highest number of heated-tobacco-product users, and tobacco prevalence has not increased since they were introduced.
IQOS now generates over $10 billion (£8bn) of PMI’s annual net revenues and the product is available in over 70 markets worldwide, with 30.8 million estimated users.
“With the debut of IQOS, we launched PMI’s vision of a smoke-free company, creating an opportunity to solve the problem of smoking,” PMI chief executive Jacek Olczak said.
“Every day, IQOS demonstrates its potential for this, as evidenced by the approximately 22 million adults around the world who have fully switched to it and stopped smoking. IQOS is the world’s leading smoke-free product, and we are committed to continuing to lead the way to a future where better alternatives have completely replaced cigarettes, while moving forward to become a predominantly smoke-free company by 2030.”
Smoke-free products accounted for 38 per cent of PMI’s net revenues in Q3 2024, up from practically zero per cent in 2014.
Bebeto, the leading confectionery challenger brand, celebrated the launch of its new Freeze Crunchy range with a successful sampling event at SPAR Myatts Field, Cromwell Rd, London on Friday 8 November.
SPAR stores were the first to market Bebeto’s Freeze Crunchy range in the convenience sector and the sampling activity was an opportunity to showcase Bebeto’s innovative Watermelon, Peach Rings, and Marshmallow flavoured freeze dried sweets. The Bebeto team offered tastings beside eyecatching branded FSDU displays and invited shoppers to participate in a special social media competition for a chance to win a £50 SPAR voucher and the full Bebeto range.
With scores of shoppers stopping by to sample the sweets, SPAR Myatts Field saw fantastic engagement and enthusiasm for this unique new product range. "We are very excited to be amongst the first convenience stores to stock Bebeto Freeze Crunchy sweets; it’s such a great product and so many people bought packs straight after tasting them," said Velayuthapil Kumarathasan, Store Manager.
He continued: "The range is especially popular with people who had already seen the trend on TikTok, and everyone is delighted by the unique taste and texture."
With hundreds of sweets sampled, the store saw an increase in sales for Bebeto’s Freeze Dried sweets during the event, confirming a strong demand for the product line.SPAR colleagues have reported great excitement among shoppers, with big repeat purchase levels and many returning to buy all three flavours after their initial purchase.
"The event has been amazing," remarked Velayuthapil. "The Bebeto team have been very friendly, and everyone has done a great job in creating a memorable experience for our customers."
Phil Hulme, Commercial Director at Kervan Gida UK said: "We’re thrilled to partner with SPAR and see the Bebeto Freeze Crunchy range successfully rolled out in stores nationwide. This sampling event has further highlighted the importance of working in partnership with SPAR which has resulted in huge support and excitement for the range.
“Bebeto is the first major brand to bring freeze dried confectionery directly to retail shelves, and we’re proud to make this exciting innovation available to shoppers right across the convenience channel.”
Bebeto’s new Freeze Dried Sweets are available in three mouth-watering crunchy flavours: Peach Rings, Watermelon, and Marshmallow. Each 35g resealable pouch ensures the sweets retain their crunchy texture while keeping moisture out, and all products in the range are Halal-certified. The Peach Rings and Watermelon flavours contain no artificial colours. Available in SRP 12 x 35g. RSP £2.00
Barefoot, the #1 U.S. wine brand in the UK, has continued its momentum in 2024, showing a value growth of +4.3 per cent compared to the overall wine category’s +0.2 per cent, with an even stronger previous three months, where growth reached +6.6 per cent against a category decline of -1.1 per cent.
The continued success of the established varietals and the introduction of the new Barefoot Zinfandel in the late summer, coupled with Barefoot’s distinctive branding, have helped fuel this success.
The UK’s four most popular wines…
Barefoot holds the #1 spot for Merlot, Pinot Grigio, White Zinfandel and Pink Moscato, cementing its place as a trusted choice among consumers.
Approachable and adaptable, Barefoot Merlot is a go-to for any occasion. It offers flavours of blackberry, raspberry and chocolate, pairing perfectly with meat dishes and cheese
Crisp and refreshing, Barefoot Pinot Grigio is a dry and light-bodied white wine, with flavours of tart green apple and notes of citrus and peach. The perfect sip to pair with spicy pasta, a Thai green curry or a bowl of mussels.
Barefoot White Zinfandel is fun, refreshing and a definite crowd-pleaser. It’s bursting with tropical aromas of pineapple and strawberries. This fruity wine pairs well with chicken and seafood.
The Barefoot Pink Moscato is a juicy and refreshing wine with ripe nectarine aromas and flavours. With layers of raspberry and pomegranate, it’s best enjoyed with spicy Asian cuisine or a fruity dessert.
Smelling of rosés
Barefoot has maintained its position as the UK’s #1 rosé brand, with a year-on-year value growth of +11.7per cent – outpacing the rosé category’s +1.2 per cent increase by +10.5pts. With a portfolio including Barefoot Rosé, White Zinfandel and Pink Moscato, there is a rosé for every taste.
New Barefoot Zinfandel…
Launched in the UK August 2024, Barefoot Zinfandel is the latest edition to the brand’s award-winning portfolio, this fruit-forward red wine offers a bold, layered profile with vibrant notes of black cherry and juicy raspberry. The fourth most planted grape variety in California, Zinfandel is particularly tolerant to increasingly warm summers, promising a hopeful future for the variety.
“Barefoot has experienced exceptional success since we launched it in the UK in 2009 to become the UK’s most popular US wine brand. Its unique and approachable fruit-forward styles, combined with eye-catching and familiar branding, resonate with a broad range of consumers – whether it’s new drinkers or loyal fans. We hope to continue this growth over the coming year,” says Mark Stammers, Senior Sales Director EMEA at Gallo.