Boost Drinks has announced the exciting introduction of 500ml cans to its Energy range launching in Original, Sugar Free Original and Red Berry varieties at just Ā£1.
Leveraging its standing as the third largest brand in Energy Stimulation, Boost expands on its hugely successful 250ml energy range with the new, larger 500ml cans. 500ml is the largest energy drinks size and is worth a huge Ā£745m - enjoying 13 per cent YoY growth, offering even bigger profits for retailers.
The three varieties available in new 500ml cans have been carefully selected, with sales data places them as the best selling in Boostās 250ml Energy range.
Boost Original Energy is rated first for taste among Original competitor products, and Original flavours remain strong in the category with a 28 per cent year on year growth. With flavours representing 32 per cent of Energy Stimulation sales, marking a substantial +28 per cent growth YoY, Red Berry is a guaranteed hit with consumers in the new larger can. Plus, the sugar-free energy drinks category has seen a remarkable +23 per cent YoY increase, and the new 500ml Sugar Free Original can caters for the growing trend in health-conscious consumers, with one in three now opting for more sugar-free beverages.
Adrian Hipkiss, Commercial Director at Boost Drinks says: āIt is a very exciting moment for us to be expanding on our hugely successful 250ml energy range with a new 500ml offering. Weāve identified the trend in consumer demand for larger, on-the-go formats with 500ml showing huge growth in the sector, so to be able to launch our iconic Original flavour, also in Sugar Free, alongside the flavour-favourite Red Berry is not just huge for consumers looking for a bigger can on the go, but also for retailers who can now enjoy XL profits. Weāre forever committed to innovation and excellence within the soft drinks category and are excited to see the new cans roll out across wholesale and convenience.ā
These new products underscore Boost's continual dedication to offer retailers the opportunity to communicate great value on fixture vs. the major multiples, in line with its Honest Broker approach that underpins Boostās commitment to being a transparent and collaborative partner to wholesalers and retailers.
Sweet maker Swizzels has unveiled a brand-new limited-edition product in time for Valentineās Day, combining two of its most-loved brands into one treat: Squashies Love Hearts.
Offering a fresh twist on two popular classics, the new Squashies Love Hearts combine Squashiesā signature soft texture with the iconic and timeless messages of Love Hearts.
Squashies remain the No. 1 sugar confectionery brand in the market, while Love Hearts see consistent growth, with 950,000 units sold during the Valentineās period and a 10 per cent year-on-year growth in brand value. Building on this success, Swizzels has combined the two household names to create a fast-moving and profitable addition to any retailerās offering.
Available in 120g bags and sold in cases of 12, each foam sweet is embossed with a fun message or emoji, making them ideal for sharing with a loved one. Messages include "KISS", "WOW", "FAB", and "LOVE", alongside two cheerful and romantic emojis, adding a playful touch.
With an MRSP of Ā£1.15, the new product retains the classic colours and flavours of traditional Love Hearts, including Pineapple, Lime, Blackcurrant, Lemon, Cherry, and Orange.
Swizzelsā Love Hearts range remains a Valentineās Day favourite, led by the popular 39g Giant Love Hearts rolls, which outsell any other Valentineās SKU with 621,000 units sold during the season.
Other fan-favourites from the range include Love Hearts Originals Hanging Bags, the 15g mini Love Hearts rolls and Giant Love Hearts multipacks.
āWeāre excited to introduce a delicious and innovative new product that combines two of our most popular brands, delivering the same moreish flavours and signature texture - with an added twist," said trade marketing manager Clare Newton.
āSquashies Love Hearts bring something new to retailersā offering, appealing to shoppers looking for unique yet familiar treats for themselves or as a special gift to someone else.
āOur Valentineās range is all about sharing the love, regardless of relationship status - whether itās romantic love, familial love or friendship and we hope the new Squashies Love Hearts will help to do just that.ā
The launch is part of a broader campaign, featuring national research that explores how love and Valentineās Day have evolved, and examining how the ways people express and seek love have changed over the years.
KP Snacks has today named Tom Grennan, one of the UKās biggest solo pop music artists, as its official popchips ambassador. The new partnership between the beacon āBetter for Youā brand and the pop star taps into popchipsā positive, feel-good positioning while enhancing the brandās relevance.
As an ambassador, Tom Grennan will perform at a special event delivered by popchips in May. Tickets to this exclusive event will be available as prizes in a brand new on-pack promotion running across the popchips portfolio from 27 January until the end of March. Featuring a flash of Tom holding a single popchip and microphone, the on-pack also offers consumers the chance to win cash prizes and tickets to leading UK festivals.
To celebrate Tom Grennan becoming a popchips ambassador, the brand will be supported by a Ā£1m media investment with a campaign running across OOH and social media channels, as well as audio platforms including Spotify.
Building on the passion people have for music, popchips is proud to be the exclusive snack brand partner of the Latitude Festival for the second consecutive year. This year, the brand has extended its festival partnership with the addition of The Isle of Wight Festival, growing its reach within key cultural moments and driving its association with feel-good occasions. To further engage consumers, popchips will deliver exciting new marketing activations across both festivals.
āWe are delighted to announce Tom Grennan as the official popchips ambassador," said Alex Callender, Brand Manager at popchips. "As a brand known for its positive energy, we are committed to tapping into culturally relevant moments in our consumersā lives to drive a stronger emotional connection and boost brand penetration. By sponsoring two key UK festivals, we are taking this one step further, engaging consumers in an exciting setting and giving our leading āBetter for Youā brand true differentiation.ā
Worth Ā£42.7m, popchips is the number two healthier brand in the CSN market with a 14 per cent share of the Healthier Snacking segment. Available in a variety of flavours and formats, the entire popchips range is non-HFSS. The new on-pack promotion will run across the entire popchips range including sharing, multipack, single and price-marked pack formats.
Confectionery challenger brand Bebeto is kicking off 2025 with a ground-breaking debut: its first-ever Valentineās range featuring innovative liquid-filled technology.
You Melt My Heart liquid-filled gummy soft hearts contain two delicious flavours ā Strawberry and Cherry ā each with a luscious raspberry liquid filling for an extra-special touch. They are available in 130g hanging bags (Ā£1 SSP) and 400g heart-shaped tubs (SSP Ā£3), making the perfect Valentineās gift or to share and show someone you care. To make them even sweeter, they contain no artificial colours or flavours and are halal certified.
Bebetoās cutting-edge liquid-filling technique transforms traditional, firm, gummy sweets into gooey, flavour-packed treats with a juicy, melt in the mouth centre inside each foam-backed gummy, delivering a fun, sensory experience unlike any other. āLiquid-filled technology is one of the most exciting trends in confectionery today,ā says Phil Hulme, Commercial Director at Kervan Gida UK.
āItās particularly popular with Gen Z, who love experimenting with bold flavours and textures. Weāre thrilled to lead the way with this innovation and offer UK consumers a unique, high-quality confectionery experience this Valentineās. This marks an exciting new chapter for the Bebeto brand in the UK. Seasonal offerings have played a pivotal role in driving our growth, as demonstrated by the remarkable success of our Halloween range. Building on this momentum, we are expanding our seasonal portfolio in 2025 with fresh, innovative product developments that help bring even more joy to consumer celebrations.ā
While the liquid-filling process requires advanced technology and extra production time, Bebeto is committed to keeping prices competitive, ensuring these premium treats remain accessible to all. Look out for further exciting liquid-filled NPD from Bebeto this year.
Rolling out from January, Bebetoās You Melt My Heart range will be available in Spar UK and also through Parfetts Cash and Carry.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is launching Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry Crush, a limited-edition twist on its popular zero sugar variant. The launch coincides with Valentineās Day and will be supported by an integrated Valentineās-themed marketing campaign.
The four-week period covering Valentineās Day was worth Ā£160 million to convenience retailers in 2024, up 3.2 per cent year-on-year, and more than Ā£3.4 million came from value sales of Dr Pepper.
Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry Crush
Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry Crush combines the popular zero sugar liquid with the vibrant cherry flavour ā a combination thatās guaranteed to deliver results.
Cherry variants have delivered 55 per cent of the value sales growth across colas over the past year. Flavoured carbonates is the third largest category in soft drinks. Dr Pepper is the second-largest flavoured carbonate brand in GB, growing ahead of the total flavoured carbonates category in both value and volume sales.
A playful new can design featuring roses front and centre is guaranteed to deliver maximum stand-out on shelf, especially over the Valentineās Day period. In testing, more than 70 per cent of consumers loved the concept and were interested to try it.
āDr Pepper has a loyal fanbase thanks to its unique taste, and continues to deliver growth ahead of the wider flavoured carbonates category,ā said Rob Yeomans, Vice-President of Commercial Development.
āWeāre really excited for fans to try the new cherry twist on our zero sugar variant, a flavour which we know goes down well with shoppers and drives sales in retail. The supporting campaign is packed with personality ā as is always the case with Dr Pepper ā and we canāt wait to see how retailers get behind it and activate in store!ā
This limited-edition flavour will be available from 27 January 2025 in 330ml, 500ml, 2L and 8x330ml packs. Priced-marked 300ml and 500ml single packs will also be available.
The launch will be supported by influencer partnerships, in-store sampling and experiential OOH advertising encouraging consumers to step into the Drās billboard-office for some romantic "advice".
Convenience retailers can request Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry Crush POS materials and download digital assets via My.CCEP.com, to help bring the launch to life in-store.
Christmas may be in our rear-view mirrors but that only means that Easter is getting ever closer, which is why Gnaw Chocolate has introduced a range of reassuringly chunky flat eggs in an array of intriguing formats: Rocky Road, Totally Nuts, Chocolate Curls and Eggs-travaganza offerings.
Consumers might be under the misapprehension that Gnawās refusal to subscribe to hollow, āairyā eggs could be down to attention-seeking gimmickry but in truth you couldnāt be more wrong.
When a chocolatier insists on only using Columbian chocolate to assemble 40 per cent cocoa milk chocolate, itās important to create a thickness that not only ensures a suitably satisfying snap but provides the all-important density that can accommodate the tasty inclusions.
More important of all, a flat egg requires less packaging than a rotund āimage over substanceā hollow egg, which is very important when Gnaw takes pride in its stance as an artisanal chocolate producer with strong sustainable values:
Leaning heavily on clean, solar energy provided by the panels on their manufacturing unit
Refusing to dabble in planet unfriendly palm oil
Using 100 per cent compostable/recyclable chocolate wrappers using planet-friendly vegetable inks
In 2025 relaunching their iconic chocolate buttons in leading-edge pouches with a zero micro plastic footprint
All four Gnaw eggs have a Ā£10 RRP and vary in weight (148g ā 115g depending on topping) and are available throughout the independent channel (via wholesalers such as Cress, Diverse & Cotswold Fayre).