Fisherman’s Friend has urged retailers to fortify their supplies with its extensive array of nine globally acclaimed lozenges, as the brand is set to relieve masses of hay fever sufferers as temperatures – and pollen levels – soar.
Experiencing double-digit growth for the past two consecutive hay fever seasons, sales of the renowned lozenge skyrocketed, boasting a 40 per cent surge in value sales and an impressive 27 per cent uptick in volume sales last year. With Allergy UK cautioning an incremental rise in hay fever sufferers, the brand foresees yet another season of surging demand.
“Hay fever, triggered by pollen allergies, manifests in symptoms such as itchy eyes, nasal congestion, and sore throats. It's imperative to acknowledge that almost 10 million people in the UK grapple with these symptoms annually,” said Jon R White, regional business manager for Fisherman’s Friend in the UK.
"As we enter the 2024 hay fever season, Allergy UK warns that rising temperatures are resulting in allergens emerging sooner and lingering for extended periods. And over the past three decades, hay fever cases have tripled, impacting one in four adults. With experts forecasting allergen persistence until January next year, this underscores a substantial market demand for effective relief products and presents a significant opportunity for retailers and pharmacists.”
Fisherman’s Friend is anticipating a further spike in consumer demand with the launch of its ‘Restore in the Great Outdoors’ social media campaign this summer.
With an estimated reach of 124,800, the brand is set to team up with leading outdoor influencers to incentivise followers to embrace the best of British Summertime - all while armoured with their trusted ally Fisherman’s Friend to help combat symptoms.
Fisherman’s Friend distinguishes itself with its diverse range of lozenges, boasting up to a third more menthol content than competitors. The brand also serves shoppers with exceptional value, offering a generous lozenge count in each pack (RRP: 92p, 25g).
“Fisherman’s Friend enables retailers to accommodate a wide range of taste preferences – from Original Menthol, to Mint and Honey and Lemon,” White noted.
“Our packs contain a high number of individual lozenges, ensuring longer-lasting relief compared with many competitor brands. And in today’s economic landscape, where shoppers are keen to maximize value, Fisherman’s Friend surfaces as an increasingly compelling choice – reinforcing its status as a must-stock brand during hay fever season and beyond.”
Foster’s, Australia’s most iconic brew, has announced an exciting new sponsorship deal with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).
The fun kicks off with the World Darts Championship, which begins on December 15 at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace.
This bonza partnership is set to bring even more buzz to one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK, while giving darts fans a real taste of Aussie spirit. The partnership makes Foster’s, part of the HEINEKEN UK portfolio, the official beer partner of the PDC. Putting it front and centre at massive events like the legendary World Darts Championship and the Premier League Darts series.
With both brands built on, passion, camaraderie and unforgettable moments, it’s a match made in heaven. Over the next few years, Foster’s will be making its mark with unmissable event branding, epic fan experiences, and plenty of cold ones to keep the good times rolling, whether fans are at the venue, down the pub, or tuning in from home.
Rajeev Sathyesh, Marketing Director, HEINEKEN UK commented: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the PDC to bring some of that Aussie spirit to such an iconic sport. Darts is all about sociable, high-energy fun – which is a perfect match for Foster’s. We can’t wait to bring a slice of Aussie good times to darts fans around the world!”
Eddie Hearn, Chairman of the PDC, reckons this is a bullseye partnership too: “This is a cracking partnership for the PDC. Foster’s is a household name that’s all about bringing people together, and that’s exactly what we do with darts. With their support, we’ll be taking the sport to a whole new level and giving fans even more to cheer about. It’s time to raise a glass and get ready for some unmissable action!”
What Fans Can Expect Foster’s will be bringing Aussie vibes to PDC events with pop-up fan experiences giveaways, and plenty of ice-cold lager. From VIP darts experiences to limited-edition merch, fans will have the chance to get their hands on some top prizes whether in store or down the pub.
Whether it’s the Foster’s logo shining bright or a cheeky nod to Australia, fans can expect a little extra flair during their favourite tournaments.
Unilever has announced the launch of a new innovative snacking format, Magnum bonbon, available now in the convenience channel.
The range comes in three luxurious flavours: White Chocolate & Cookie, Salted Caramel & Almond and Gold Caramel Billionaire.
Offering the ultimate bite-size ice cream indulgence, each bite is the perfect balance of Magnum’s signature cracking chocolate, creamy dairy ice cream, ribbons of sauce, and crunchy inclusions.
Expertly crafted and perfect for sharing, the brand is setting out to lead the growth of the ice cream snacking segment and continue leading the ice cream category in innovation. Magnum is encouraging consumers to enjoy bonbon as part of new ice cream occasions, such as big nights in and the sofa snacking moment.
“Ice cream continues to have huge growth potential and new formats are key to driving this further within the category,” Jennifer Dyne, head of Unilever Ice Cream UK and Ireland, said.
“Over the past few years, we have continued to see consumers shifting from dessert tubs into smaller formats - whether that be portioned tubs, handheld or bite size. More consumers are looking for a small, sweet treat in the evening, or for other snacking occasions such as on the go or at their desk.
“With in-home snacking occasions having grown by 10 per cent since 2019, our new range of Magnum bonbons aims to help drive category growth in line with these growing trends - allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite brands with friends and family in a convenient snacking format no matter the occasion.”
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.