Cadbury’s has not been granted a royal warrant for the first time in 170 years after it got dropped from King Charles’s list of warrants.
Queen Victoria first awarded Cadbury with the title in 1854 which was then repeated by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1955 who was a huge lover of the chocolate.
Following the decision, the look of Cadbury products is expected to be undergoing a significant change
Cadbury told The Sun, "Yes, practically this means that we will remove the Royal Arms from all of our packaging.
"However to be clear, there will be no change to the iconic Cadbury purple which is not by Royal appointment. Cadbury purple has been used for Cadbury chocolate products for more than a century and is synonymous with the brand, this won’t change."
The reason for sudden the removal of the royal title is not known but Cadbury is not the only company to lose such an endorsement.
Another big brand missing from the list is Unilever, which manufactures goods including Marmite, Magnum ice-cream bars and Pot Noodles.
Apart from Cadbury's and Unilever, 100 other companies had their title removed by the Monarch. Luxury chocolate maker Charbonnel et Walker Ltd has also been bumped from the list since the last under Queen Elizabeth II’s name in April 2023.
Those who have lost their warrants were told of the decision by letter, but not informed of the reason.
They have 12 months to remove any royal warrant-associated branding from their items.
The King released the list of the 400 companies that received his royal warrant this year, including includes 386 companies previously holding warrants bestowed by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
These range from the official 'suppliers of Martini Vermouth', Bacardi-Martini, to Command Pest Control Ltd, Dunelm for soft furnishings, Foodspeed for milk, Kellogg's for cereals, florist Lottie Longman, and McIlhenny as the official supplier of Tabasco hot sauce.
Each warrant is granted for up to five years at a time. The king first issued warrants in 1980, when he was Prince of Wales.
Some firms gained warrants for the first time, including those connected with Queen Camilla. They include hairdresser Jo Hansford and Wartski jewellers. The latter made the king and queen’s wedding rings when they got married in April 2005.
PayPoint Group has delivered another positive quarter, with robust performance across its key seasonal businesses, reinforcing its confidence in meeting FY25 expectations and achieving its ambitious target of £100 million EBITDA by the end of FY26.
In a trading update for the three months ended 31 December 2024, the group reported a 1.9 per cent increase in net revenue to £53.0 million, driven by strong performances in its e-commerce and Love2shop divisions.
“Our business has continued to deliver further progress in the third quarter building on our strong first half year performance, despite a more challenging overall trading environment and a stalled recovery in consumer confidence,” Nick Wiles, chief executive of PayPoint Plc, said.
“During the period, our seasonal businesses in particular have performed well and, for the business as a whole, the board remains confident in the delivery of further progress in the year and meeting expectations.”
In the shopping division, retail services net revenue increased by 1.9 per cent to £8.2 million driven by further PayPoint One/Mini site growth. However, card payment revenues declined by 5.7 per cent to £7.8 million, reflecting lower consumer spending and a challenging environment for UK consumers.
Overall, shopping divisional net revenue decreased by 2.0 per cent to £16.1 million.
The e-commerce division delivered a record quarter, with parcel transaction volumes up 36.8 per cent to 35.8 million, driven by the growing popularity of its Collect+ network for out-of-home fulfilment. The division’s net revenue increased by 32.0 per cent to £4.1 million. PayPoint’s partnership with Royal Mail has also gained momentum, with plans to expand the number of Royal Mail sites and volumes. Additionally, the goup is making strides in engaging with Chinese and South Asian marketplaces, with services expected to go live in the final quarter.
“We will be starting a number of initiatives through our network with SF Express in Q4, the leading integrated logistics service provider with an extensive PUDO network in China, focused on enabling our services in Chinese communities across the UK,” Wiles said.
In the payments & banking division, net revenue grew by 0.8 per cent to £14.0 million, supported by the continued expansion of the MultiPay platform and Open Banking services. PayPoint also completed the majority ownership of obconnect in October 2024, which is expected to contribute modestly in the second half of the year.
The Love2shop division saw a 1.3 per cent increase in net revenue to £18.8 million, with billings reaching £71.2 million, up from £66.8 million in the same period last year. The division’s strategic partnership with InComm Payments has driven significant growth, with Love2shop gift card sales increasing by 69 per cent year-on-year. Park Christmas Savings also delivered a solid performance, with billings of £162.2 million, consistent with the previous year.
Reflecting the group’s strong performance, the board declared an increased interim dividend of 19.4 pence per share, up 2.1 per cent from the previous half-year.
“As we continue towards delivering £100m EBITDA by the end of FY26, our confidence in our business resilience and growth is underpinned by the breadth of opportunities across all of our divisions and maintaining the right organisational structure and cost base to support the delivery of our growth plans,” Wiles concluded.
A new report from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) celebrates the vital role of the UK’s nearly 19,000 rural convenience stores, highlighting their significant investment, community contributions, and diverse services.
This recognition, however, comes despite the considerable challenges these businesses face. The 2025 Rural Shop Report, released today (29 January), details how rural retailers positively impact their communities and argues for increased government support to ensure their continued success.
Key findings from the report underscore the importance of these stores: they provide secure, flexible employment for over 178,000 people; 40 per cent are the sole convenience store in their area, serving as a lifeline for residents; they generated £18.5 billion in sales last year; and rural retailers have collectively invested over £240 million in their businesses over the past year to better serve their communities.
The report highlights the unique challenges that rural retailers face compared to their more urban counterparts, including a lack of connectivity, issues with the cost and availability of deliveries, theft and other retail crime, and more.
Hopes of Longtown, featured in the report, is an award-winning village shop and post office at the foot of the Black mountains in Hereford, is a case in point. The shop currently receives 100 per cent discretionary business rates relief from the local council because of its status as the only shop in the village, but owner Christine Hope is concerned that this could be dropped as councils deal with growing budget deficits.
“Hundreds of thousands of people in isolated areas across the UK rely on their local shop to provide them with the products and services that they need. If rural shops aren’t able to survive, invest and adapt, nobody will step in the host the post office, offer other essential services and promote the human interaction and social glue that binds those communities,” ACS chief executive James Lowman commented.
“These shops need to be supported by both local and national policymakers at a time when costs are rising significantly as a result of the Budget. We are calling on all MPs in rural constituencies to commit their support for the rural shops that trade at the heart of their communities.”
There has been a major increase in sales of no and low alcohol products over the past 12 months, shows recent data, suggesting that uptake of mindful drinking is no longer contained to Dry January.
Sales data from Ocado Retail shows that customers have been consistently searching for alcohol free prosecco, no/low ready to drinks, and no/low beer over the past 12 months as consumers adapt their drinking habits.
Research among more than 2,000 consumers conducted by Savanta alongside Ocado Retail suggests that Dry January as an event is more popular with younger consumers, while older customers are reducing their alcohol consumption for more holistic healthcare reasons.
Nearly half (45 per cent) of 18-34 year olds have taken part in Dry January at some point, compared to just 31 per cent of 35-54 year olds and 10 per cent of those aged over 55.
However, half (50 per cent) of 35-54 year olds say they have reduced their alcohol consumption over the past few years and a third (32 per cent) have given up drinking alcohol entirely.
For those aged 55 and over, 41 per cent have reduced their alcohol intake and a quarter (24 per cent) no longer drink at all. A desire to lead healthier, more balanced lifestyles and the improved range of no and low products have been key to middle-aged and older consumers pursuing more mindful drinking habits year-round.
41 per cent of those aged 35 and over said improving their overall physical health was their main priority, while more than a quarter (27 per cent) have opted for it to aid weight loss.
Products that have seen particularly large year-on-year increases include Thatchers Zero Alcohol Free Cider (+90 per cent), Tanqueray Alcohol Free 0.0 % Spirit (+32 per cent) and Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5% (+22 per cent), suggesting that the increased range of no and low beverages on offer is helping to convert customers into trying non-alcoholic versions of their favourite drinks.
Despite this shift towards a more consistent period of mindful consumption, Dry January remains a key sales period for no and low products. At Ocado, sales of no and low beer (+46 per cent), spirits (+13 per cent), and ready-to-drink cocktails (+31 per cent) are all significantly up this January compared to the same period last year.
Shauna Clark Fitzpatrick, no & low buyer at Ocado Retail, said, “Consumers of all ages are becoming more mindful of their drinking habits, some prompted by Dry January and others by longer term lifestyle considerations throughout the year.
"Both our alcoholic and no and low ranges continue to grow significantly, launching nine new products this month, making it easier than ever for our customers to find a beverage that suits their need whilst bringing innovative and exciting flavours.”
The Portman Group has announced the appointment of Nick Baird as its new Chair.
As a former senior diplomat and business leader, Nick has a wealth of experience with an impressive career spanning thirty years in government and several more in the private sector.
During his 30 years in government, Nick was Chief Executive of UK Trade and Investment, Ambassador to Turkey, and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Director General Europe and Economic, as well as serving in various other posts in Europe and the Middle East. Most recently, he has been Chair of the Trade Remedies Authority and Chair of the charity, Carers UK.
During his time in the private sector, Nick was Group Corporate Affairs Director of the international energy company Centrica for 8 years, as well as a Non-Executive Director of the international education company, Nord Anglia
The Portman Group’s independent Chair is responsible for chairing the Council which comprises the CEOs of the 18 member companies who fund the self-regulatory system.
Nick was chosen from a strong field of candidates and the Portman Group was assisted in the selection by Spencer Stuart.
Nick will replace outgoing Chair Philip Rycroft who is stepping down after five years in post. Nick will formally take up the role on 1 February.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Portman Group as their new Independent Chair and excited to work closely with the team to bring our member companies together and further encourage responsible best practice across the industry," said Baird. "The Portman Group has a remarkable record of highly effective self regulation over the last 30 years and as a big supporter of corporate social responsibility I’m looking forward to getting to work.”
Matt Lambert, Chief Executive of the Portman Group added: “I’m delighted to welcome Nick as our new Chair, and have no doubt with his vast and impressive experience across government and the private sector that he will bring a huge amount of insight to the alcohol industry. I would like to also take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our departing Chair Philip Rycroft who has made an incredible impact during his five years at the Portman Group.”
Wholesalers will soon be receiving WhatsApp updates from Sugro UK as the leading buying group has now launched a new service for its members.
The closed group is exclusively for Sugro’s wholesale members and is using b2b.store’s WhatsApp Business API service, ProConnect, to share messages about important news, deals and other communications.
While other buying groups have free member WhatsApp groups, Sugro has chosen to launch a paid-for channel to benefit from ProConnect’s B2B-tailored functionality, greater security and professional tools, including message scheduling and audience segmentation.
One of the biggest benefits of using a paid-for channel rather than a free solution is that it’s a one-way WhatsApp messaging environment – meaning there’s no need to monitor the channel or change current methods of member feedback.
All ProConnect WhatsApp channels are managed from a dashboard that’s accessible by login on all desktop and handheld devices, allowing multiple Sugro employees to use and send messages to members on their new channel.
"We see this use of WhatsApp as a smart way of enhancing our member communications and are excited to get our new channel live,” says Head of Commercial and Marketing Yulia Petitt.
“We will be using this to send all Sugro members updates on key suppliers, NPDs, incentives, prize draws and more, providing them with everything they need to know in a digestible format in WhatsApp, where most communications now happen.
“The speed that messages are read is also a big draw for us, with WhatsApp achieving much higher open rates – in a much quicker time – than alternatives such as email and SMS.”
Sugro already uses WhatsApp within its membership in a different way, with a retailer channel for wholesale members’ customers that sends deals and incentives from Sugro’s eLoyalty scheme.
This is soon to be expanded to include the eLoyalty Extra Compliance and Execution scheme, which will allow retailers to capture evidence of compliance in WhatsApp by tapping ‘take photo’ and sending to be approved.
“This is another exciting WhatsApp development that Sugro is leading the way on once more,” Petitt added.
“The eLoyalty Extra aims to boost compliance and execution in our members’ retail stores to drive new product launches and core-range compliance – all without leaving a WhatsApp message, thanks to ProConnect and b2b.store.”