Mondelēz International has announced details of its Easter range for 2022, designed to help retailers crack the confectionery category over Easter, the second largest confectionery season.
In 2021, retailers saw Easter sales increase by 11 per cent and the 2022 Easter season lasts for two weeks longer, offering retailers who stock the right range a real opportunity to capitalise on last year’s growth and continue to see their seasonal sales rise.
To take full advantage, retailers should look to focus on three distinct phases.
A fast start
To get the season off to a fast start, retailers need to signpost the season early and use social media to make customers aware that their favourite Easter products are on shelf. With great displays in high-footfall locations in store, retailers can boost their self-eat and sharing offers to shoppers.
Cadbury Creme Eggs will appear in a new promotion this season, inviting shoppers to find one of 200 special promotional half white half milk chocolate Creme Eggs across the UK and Ireland for the chance to win £10,000. A "How Do You NOT Eat Yours?" campaign will run across in-store POS and via online and outdoor advertising.
Also available for the first time is a special mixed gift package containing five filled eggs – two Cadbury Creme Eggs, two Caramel Eggs and one Oreo egg. The packs, RRP £3.14, are available now.
Cadbury Mini Eggs is a staple of Easter, with the 80g bag being the number one selling product across all Easter SKUs in 2021. Launched last year, the Cadbury Mini Eggs Tablet was the number one NPD.
Mid-season momentum
Creating momentum at Easter is about stocking products that shoppers can buy to share with family and friends.
Key to the Cadbury range in 2022 is the continuation of the brand’s partnership with Peter Rabbit, who his year celebrates his 120th Anniversary, and graces the front of the brand-new Cadbury Dairy Milk Hot Cross Bun Bar. The new 110g bar will be available in cases of 18 at an RRP of £1.40.
The new launch joins the rest of the Peter Rabbit range for 2022, including Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg ‘n’ Spoon with Oreo, Cadbury Dairy Milk Bunny Orange Mousse and the return of the Cadbury Hollows range. The range includes White Oreo Hollow Bunny alongside the two standard Cadbury Dairy Milk Hollow Bunny products, available in 50g and 100g formats.
Also new this year from Cadbury is the Spring Share Box. Each box, RRP £5.99, will contain a range of Cadbury goodies perfect for sharing including Cadbury Mini Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs and Caramel Eggs as well as Cadbury Creme Egg Twisted singles.
Gifting finish
The run-up to Easter weekend, which falls on April 17th, is about ensuring that shoppers can find great gifts for loved ones. This includes products like Cadbury’s shell-egg range and larger options.
In 2021, sales of Easter Eggs grew by 10 per cent, driven by medium and large-sized eggs, as more shoppers chose to trade up. Retailers can tap into this trend by ensuring they stock up on the best-selling large, medium and small eggs to create a range for every gifting occasion.
New for 2022 is the Cadbury Twirl Orange Large Egg. Containing one large orange-flavoured egg and 2x Twirl Orange singles bars, the egg joins the best-selling Cadbury Twirl Large Egg in the Cadbury large eggs range.
Cadbury’s best-selling gesture egg – the Cadbury Mini Eggs Gesture Egg – will be joined in 2022 by new Cadbury Creme Egg Gesture Egg and new Cadbury Fingers Gesture Egg. Each of the new products contains one large shell egg and 3x Cadbury Creme Egg singles or 3x packs of Mini Fingers respectively.
And finally for 2022, Cadbury will be launching the Daim Heritage Egg. Containing one heritage shell egg and 1x Daim 28g bar, the new egg is available now, RRP £3.99.
To further fuel the gifting occasion this Easter, Cadbury will be bringing back its Show You Care Hide it campaign, reaching around 92 per cnt of UK adults and encouraging them to show their loved ones how much they care through a simple gesture of hiding an egg for them. The Cadbury Worldwide Hide will also return, enabling people across the UK to hide an egg virtually anywhere in the world for someone they love using Google Maps. The brand will be visible through in-store POS as well as a fully-integrated campaign across TV, outdoor, social media and YouTube platforms, ensuring that Cadbury once again remains firmly at the heart of the nation’s Easter celebrations.
PepsiCo is introducing its "Max Your Snacks" retailer guide this March, a category guide designed to help convenience stores optimise their savoury snacks range through practical, easy-to-implement advice. In fact, convenience retailers could be sitting on an average of £17.8k worth of savoury snacks sales every year in-store. By executing the category in the right way, retailers could truly maximise sales and drive an additional uplift of 16 per cent.
In the UK, 99 per cent of the population consume savoury snacks, and within convenience outlets specifically, 50 per cent of shoppers purchase from the category. PepsiCo’s Max Your Snacks guide offers insights on the right space, range, layout, points of interruption and the right NPD to make the most of the category. It’s been designed to equip retailers with the tools and insights needed to support category expansion, and shines a light on the importance of price-marked packs (PMPs) within savoury snacks. The format helps build shopper trust and encourages impulse buys, offering clarity and value to shoppers.
“At PepsiCo, we are committed to supporting the convenience channel and independent retailers in driving maximum success in their stores,” said Nic Storey, Senior Sales Director, Impulse, at PepsiCo. “Through our ‘Max Your Snacks’ guide, we’re equipping retailers with expert insights to help them feel confident, informed, and empowered to grow their business and unlock additional revenue. While launches like Extra Flamin’ Hot and Doritos Dinamita have injected excitement into the category, NPD is just one part of savoury snacking. It’s vital that we also work collaboratively with our retail partners to support our range as well and help them make PMPs work as hard as possible. This is a key format for the channel which we continue to support, ensuring our core range and bestsellers are available at great value to shoppers.”
Available exclusively via *shopt, PepsiCo is also giving retailers the chance to earn cash rewards for downloading the guide, plus an exclusive competition for those who engage with the principles. Kicking off from 17 March 2025, retailers who successfully download the Max Your Snacks guide via *shopt will earn £2 in credit on their account. From 1 April 2025, retailers who have successfully downloaded the guide will then be invited to take part in a follow-up offer to stock five of PepsiCo’s recommended PMP SKUs. Retailers who upload a photo of the stocked items will be entered into a prize draw, with 30 winners each receiving £100.
PepsiCo’s Max Your Snacks guide is available via *shopt and can be accessed by independent and symbol group retailers with a *shopt account. To enter the competition and discover expert strategies to unlock your category’s full potential, download the *shopt app now at https://www.shopt.digital/en-gb/#download.
Recommended PMP Range:
Doritos EFH 70g PMP
Doritos Chilli Heatwave 70g PMP
Doritos Cool Original 70g PMP
Doritos Tangy Cheese 70g PMP
Walkers Max EFH 70g PMP
Wotsits Crunchy EFH 60g PMP
Wotsits Crunchy Cheese 60g PMP
Wotsits Crunchy FH 60g PMP
Walkers Smokey Bacon 32.5g Single PMP
Walkers Roast Chicken 32.5g Single PMP
Walkers Ready Salted 70g PMP
Walkers C&O 70g PMP
Walkers S&V 70g PMP
Walkers Prawn Cocktail 70g PMP
Walkers Max Punchy Paprika 70g PMP
Sensations TSC 65g PMP
Cheetos Twisted FH 65g PMP
Cheetos Twisted FH 30g PMP
Cheetos Crunchy Cheese 30g PMP
Monster Munch Flamin’ Hot 72g PMP
Monster Munch Pickled Onion 72g PMP
Monster Munch Roast Beef 72g PMP
Squares S&V 72g PMP
Squares C&O 72g PMP
Quavers Cheese 54g PMP
Wotsits Cheese 60g PMP
French Fries C&O 54g PMP
Smiths Frazzles 75g PMP
Short terms
Open to GB 18+ *shopt account holders only. Competition opens [00:01] (UK time) on 17/03/2025 and closes at [23:59] (UK time) on 29/04/2025. To qualify, entrants must successfully redeem the offer entitled “Max Your Snacks” by following the “Download Now” link and successfully downloading the category guide. Retailers who have successfully downloaded the guide will receive a follow up offer to stock five of the Max Your Snacks PMP SKUs. To qualify, entrants must successfully redeem the offer entitled “Stock 5 PMP for a Chance to Win £100” by following the “Claim Now” link and successfully stocking of five Max Your Snacks PMP SKUs will result in retailers being automatically entered into a prize draw offering the chance for 30 retailers to win £100 each. Please note entrants need to make their claim before the closing date. Eligible participants will be awarded via their *shopt wallet. Max 1 entry per store. Full T&Cs can be found HERE Promoter: CPM United Kingdom Limited, a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with registered company number 01757157 and registered office address at 85 Strand, 5th Floor, London, England, WC2R 0DW.
Kepak Foods Division is launching a new brand, “Grab a Bite”, for the out-of-home sector. The range will enable operators to offer hot, tasty and on-trend food 24/7 with minimal operational complexity and labour requirements. The range, which is fully assembled, will be supplied frozen which will enable operators to manage their stock levels and reduce wastage through a Thaw, Heat and Serve Process.
With research showing that burgers are the second most popular dish in the food-to-go market, driving growth at breakfast and lunch, the range is launching with top-selling Burger variants – The Barbecue Chicken Burger, The Classic Cheeseburger, and The Morning Sausage and Cheese Muffin. A wider range of products will follow later this year.
“We are excited to announce the launch of ‘Grab a Bite’ into the Out of Home market,” said Brian Farrell, Kepak Foods Division CEO. “Consumers are increasingly demanding no-compromise food offerings at a time and place that suits them whilst operators are under increasing pressure from the cost of doing business, particularly the availability and cost of labour. We saw a gap in the market to make great tasting hot food that can be prepared easily by operators. Grab a Bite sets a new standard of quality in the market and has been thoroughly researched. Its development has leveraged Kepak’s food-to-go operational expertise, its market leading expertise in the production and assembly of Burgers and Hot Sandwiches and a significant R&D effort”.
Designed to work across all hot vending and heat-and-serve concepts, ‘Grab a Bite’ is suitable for all skill levels and reduces health and safety risks. The products can be cooked in pack using a combi oven, high-speed oven, or microwave.
Hot vending solutions for out-of-home food businesses
Polytag, a leading packaging solutions provider, has announced the achievement of two International Standards Organisation (ISO) certifications, reinforcing its commitment to the highest standards of quality, information security, and privacy management.
Polytag has been awarded ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, demonstrating its dedication to both quality excellence and robust information security.
ISO 9001 underscores the company’s commitment to operational efficiency, continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, while ISO 27001 ensures strong data protection measures and compliance with international security standards.
Together, these certifications provide Polytag’s customers and partners with confidence in its ability to deliver secure, high-quality solutions at scale.
As a supplier of GS1 UK-approved QR codes and invisible UV tags, Polytag tracks packaging lifecycles through data collection and sharing, showing when, where, and how much consumers interact with and recycle packaging.
These ISO certifications validate the security and quality of Polytag’s technology, reinforcing trust among top brands and retailers.
By meeting these internationally recognised standards, Polytag empowers businesses to track packaging throughout the supply chain, enhance transparency, and drive progress toward a more sustainable, circular economy.
Jon Anderson, Chief Technology Officer at Polytag, said: "As we continue to scale our solutions for businesses worldwide, ensuring the integrity, security, and quality of our operations is paramount. Achieving both ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications underscores our unwavering commitment to excellence.
"ISO 9001 reinforces our process-based approach, commitment to continuously improving our offering and dedication to our customers, while ISO 27001 ensures that we meet the highest security standards in managing sensitive information.
"Together, they provide our partners with confidence in our ability to deliver secure, reliable and high-quality solutions at scale.”
Last year in April, not-for-profit company DDRS Alliance, whose members include Circularity Solutions, Recycl3r, ACE UK, Tetra Pak and Valpak, joined hands with Polytag to accelerate the development and adoption of Digital DRS in the UK.
As the launch date for a DRS in the UK is reportedly delayed further until 2028, the two organisations have pledged to work collaboratively and leverage their experience and expertise to demonstrate the viability and convenience of a Digital DRS.
The move ensures alignment of the two leading organisations in the development of Digital DRS and underpins the approach to develop a global blueprint.
The timing of their alignment is motivated by a shared intention to deliver a viable solution for Digital DRS in the UK and other major European countries.
The UK's leadimg supplier of Caribbean food and drink, Grace Foods UK, has launched its best-selling range of drinks, Grace Tropical Rhythms, in price-marked packs.
The drinks range are available in selected convenience stores across the country priced at £1.79 for 475ml bottles.
Grace Tropical Rhythms is a range of drinks that features four tantalisingly refreshing, thirst-quenching flavours - Mango Carrot; Pineapple Ginger; Fruit Punch; Sorrel Ginger that bring the real taste of the Caribbean to UK shores.
The drinks are made from a blend of fruit and vegetables and are packed full of Caribbean flavours that evoke tastes and memories of exotic adventures to the Caribbean islands.
Speaking about this PMP launch, Dorota Dziedzic, Brand Manager at Grace Foods UK, said, "We rolled out PMPs for Grace Tropical Rhythms last year and they proved to be very successful.
"Priced at £1.79, the drinks offer great value, and we know that PMPs help retailers to drive sales.
"And as we head into spring and summer, demand for our thirst-quenching, Caribbean-inspired drinks soar, so we feel a PMP at the start of March is the perfect timing."
Grace Tropical Rhythms PMP range will be available at selected convenience stores across the UK from July, priced at £1.79.
As a member of the global GraceKennedy Group, headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica, Grace Foods UK is guided by a strong global company with significant expertise and passion for developing iconic and innovative Caribbean products.
Grace Foods UK's brands and products are national favourites and have been at the forefront of Caribbean food worldwide for more than 100 years.
They include: market-leading brands Nurishment (nutritionally enriched milk drinks), Encona Sauce (hot pepper sauces), Grace, Dunn's River and Caribbean Choice (Caribbean beverages and general grocery ranges).
Yoplait is introducing a new recyclable PET bottle across its 500g and 825g formats from this month. Featuring clear PET and including 35 per cent RPET, the bottles have a new micro-perforated sleeve with clear instructions for the consumer to remove before being put into the recycling bin.
Each bottle now also has an attached cap, enabling the PET bottle and cap to be easily sorted and recycled and to help minimise littering.
“Our ambition is for all of our packaging to be recyclable by the end of 2025 and the move to PET and inclusion of RPET in our Yop bottles this year and the move to PET for our Petits Filous, Wildlife, Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol pots last year has seen us take a huge step towards this ambition,” said Antoine Hours, General Manager at Yoplait UK.
“We are confident that we can move towards being a more circular brand as technologies and infrastructures become more sophisticated.”
In addition to the new recyclable bottle, Yop will also be sporting the new Yoplait logo and adding more information on the back of pack to educate the consumer on the unique nature of Yop – it offers a delicious flavour and as it is a yoghurt drink rather than just flavoured milk, it keeps consumers fuller for longer.
Yop is available in Strawberry and Raspberry flavours in both bottle formats, is targeted at 15-24-year-olds, has a unique smooth texture, is a source of Protein, Calcium and Vitamin D.