pladis, the leading global snacking company behind some of the UK’s most loved and iconic brands, has unveiled the McVitie’s festive line-up for 2024. Including a festive flavour relaunch, seasonal packaging switch-up and the return of long-loved Christmas assortments and gifting options, this year’s collection promises to ignite the holiday spirit among consumers and retailers alike.
Kicking off the collection, pladis is building on the continuing success of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives, the nation’s favourite biscuit, with the return of the popular McVitie’s Gingerbread Flavour Milk Chocolate Digestives for 2024, which is sure to create a buzz among shoppers seeking seasonal twists on their favourite treats.
The new addition will be joined by festive redesigns for other McVitie’s fan favourites: classic Milk Chocolate Hobnobs and the hugely popular White Chocolate Digestives, which shot to fame in 2023 to become the category’s biggest launch in the last two years.
Sweet Seasonal Biscuits was worth £178 million in 2023 and pladis isn’t slowing down on its momentum to capitalise on the growing market. In fact, it’s accelerating by bringing back its popular line-up of iconic assortments and novelty treats to herald the arrival of the festivities.
“Seasonal Biscuits reached double-digit growth in 2023 as shoppers kept a careful eye on their spend and opted to enjoy quality time with loved ones in the comfort of their own home,” says James King, Marketing Director – McVitie’s at pladis UK&I. “As Brits continue to face price pressure across many expects of everyday life, we’re expecting a similar pattern in 2024.
“The stellar performance of Seasonal Biscuits is largely being driven by demand for assortments, particularly at the more premium end of the scale, as shoppers look to elevate in-home occasions with special snacks readymade for sharing, like our best-loved McVitie’s Victoria selection.
"It’s still important for retailers to dedicate space to exciting, novel treats and giftable favourites – such as our McVitie’s Gingerbread Flavour Milk Chocolate Digestives and Jaffa Tree – as these products play an important role in encouraging impulse purchases and injecting some extra festive fun into fixtures.
“Our 2024 range reflects the fact that the festive season is a time for indulgence and sharing, and includes new products to tempt treat-seeking shoppers to opt for biscuits, alongside refreshed classics, ensuring there’s something special for every festive moment."
Products in the McVitie’s festive range will be widely available via major UK retailers – including Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Co-op – as well as in convenience stores and wholesale depots from the beginning of September.
pladis is heating things up this year with the return of a festive favourite- McVitie’s Gingerbread Flavour Milk Chocolate Digestives. This seasonal treat was a standout success in 2020, ranked in the top five seasonal NPD and contributing an impressive £1.2 million in sales to the brand. And pladis is bringing it back for 2024 with an extra-chocolatey recipe, ensuring each bite is more indulgent than Christmases past.
McVitie’s Gingerbread Flavour Milk Chocolate Digestives will tempt shoppers seeking fun, festive flavours to the biscuit aisle. Available in 266g packs of 16 biscuits (RRP: £1.89), this indulgent everyday treat is available now in Sainsbury’s, and will be rolling out more widely across multiple grocery, convenience and wholesale from the end of the month.
McVitie’s White Chocolate Digestives and Milk Chocolate Hobnobs
pladis is capturing the attention of sweet biscuit buyers and shoppers looking for festive-themed treats with a seasonal redesign of two of its most popular biscuits- McVitie’s White Chocolate Digestives and McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnobs. Leveraging the enduring appeal of McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnobs and driving further trial for the hugely popular McVitie’s White Chocolate Digestives, which has become a £12 million sales success since launch, both products have been dressed for the holidays.
Seasonal packs of McVitie’s White Chocolate Digestives have been given an eye-catching seasonal makeover featuring snowflakes, holly and smiling snowmen with their favourite seasonal biscuits (232g packs, RRP: £1.89). Meanwhile, Santa’s ‘HoHoHos’ Milk Chocolate Hobnobs come in 262g packs (RRP: £1.89) show Father Christmas enjoying a steaming cup of tea, presents and, of course, a Milk Chocolate Hobnob.
Returning Favourites
McVitie’s Victoria
No Christmas is complete without McVitie’s Victoria, the nation’s go-to premium biscuit assortment. This luxurious selection has once again proven its dominance, remaining the #1 Premium Assortment and which grew by +27 per cent in 2023.
The 2024 edition of McVitie’s Victoria features a delicious variety of extra-chocolatey biscuits, making it the ultimate festive indulgence with 35% more chocolate than its closest competitor.
A larger format 778g pack is now available, offering 10 biscuit varieties – including Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Cloverleaf biscuits – perfect for stocking up for the season or hosting Christmas get-togethers. Available in fully recyclable packaging, this assortment not only satisfies the taste buds but also supports sustainable choices.
McVitie’s Family Circle
As the UK’s favourite everyday biscuit assortment, McVitie’s Family Circle is back, bigger and better than ever. This classic collection, featuring 10 varieties of biscuits to cater to every member of the family, has generated a loyal fanbase over the years. It has impressive +54 per cent and a repeat purchase rate of 12.7 per cent, making it a must-have for the festive season – particularly as savvy shoppers continue to seek great value treats from trusted household-name brands.
The 2024 edition features a brand-new, fully recyclable 400g carton (RRP: £2.50) that’s perfect for sharing, making it an essential for any sweet snacking occasion this Christmas.
McVitie’sVictoria Chocolate Creations
For those looking to indulge, or gift something truly special, McVitie’s Victoria Chocolate Creations is the perfect choice. This deluxe assortment, featuring a mix of fully coated white, milk and dark chocolate biscuits, has been carefully curated to offer a premium experience with every bite.
Presented in a beautiful 340g flower box-style carton with personalised gift tags (RRP: £6.00), McVitie’s Victoria Chocolate Creations is the ideal luxury collection for those looking to make a lasting impression.
It was a top choice for shoppers seeking premium options last year, recording sales of £1.2 million, making it an unmissable opportunity for retailers to encourage trade up.
McVitie’s Jaffa Tree
After its successful debut last year, the McVitie’s Jaffa Tree returns in 2024 with even more festive flair.
This delightful tree-shaped carton, filled with a selection of three Jaffa Jonuts and three Original Jaffa Cake Snack Packs, was the #2 NPD launch of 2023, making it a standout in the novelty segment.
Its unique packaging and irresistible contents ensure the Jaffa Tree is perfect for gifting and sharing, adding a touch of fun to any festive occasion.
Available in 240g pack RRP: £3.00.
McVitie’s Jaffa Pole
Back with a new design featuring a craft activity for all the family, , the McVitie’s Jaffa Pole is once again ready to tempt shoppers seeking novel treats to add some festive fun to the Christmas run-up.
Ranked as one of the top novelty products in 2022, interactive packs feature a special ‘Santa Stop Here’ sign activity.
Each pole contains 40 Original Jaffa Cakes, making it the perfect stocking filler or party favour to delight Jaffanatics of all ages. Available in 440g packs, RRP: £3.75.
McVitie’s Santa Snacks Chocolate Cake Bars
Rounding out the 2024 collection are the ever-popular McVitie’s Santa Snacks Chocolate Cake Bars. These individually wrapped bars, which have been a festive favourite for four years running, offer the perfect balance of indulgence and portion control.
Each bar comes in at just 99kcal and features a soft, fluffy sponge layered with rich chocolate cream and enveloped in McVitie’s signature silky-smooth milk chocolate.
Shoppers couldn’t get enough of these chocolatey treats last year, which led to growth of +26%[11], far outpacing overall growth for Seasonal Christmas Cakes (+2.9%) – and this year is set to be no exception. Available in a pack of seven (RRP: £1.80) they’re the ultimate grab-and-go treat for the holiday season.
KP Snacks today announces the latest addition to its market-leading PMP range with the launch of Space Raiders Saucy BBQ £1.25 PMP. Available in stores from early November, the new launch combines the fastest-growing Space Raiders flavour with the strength of the £1.25 PMP format.
Capitalising on the growth of “barbecue” flavours, the new launch is well-positioned to engage shoppers and drive impulse sales, with 57% of impulse shoppers purchasing PMPs. The £1.25 PMP format is strong and KP Snacks’ £1.25 PMP portfolio is growing ahead of the segment at +5.2 per cent (vs +4.2 per cent), bolstering sales. By launching Space Raiders Saucy BBQ £1.25 PMP, KP Snacks is tapping into the strength of the segment and appealing to consumer demand for great value and clear pricing.
The new PMP expands the Space Raiders portfolio. Worth £25m, the Space Raiders range includes Space Raiders 40p PMPs, the UK’s number one best-value singles PMP[5], as well as existing £1.25 PMPs: Beef and Pickled Onion.
“At KP Snacks, we are committed to delivering NPD in the right formats and flavours to support our retailer partners and drive consumer demand,” said Stuart Graham, Head of Convenience and Impulse. “The launch of Space Raiders Saucy BBQ £1.25 PMP leverages the strength of this format and the popularity of barbecue flavours to drive impulse sales.”
Pepsi is teaming up with EA Sports FC for the second year running, with a bigger and better on-pack promotion set to give away even more gaming prizes to shoppers across additional Pepsi SKUs and formats.
Available now, the campaign aims to drive excitement among a wide range of customers in-store, from football fans to gamers, to encourage on-the-go and impulse cola sales.
Following an incredibly successful 2023 campaign that saw over 530,000 promotional codes redeemed, this year’s on-pack promotion will roll out across all Pepsi500ml packs and 330ml Pepsi MAXcans.
Cola continues to lead the soft drinks category as the number one segment, worth £2.9bn. Pepsi MAXcontinues to drive this growth, with a +9.6 per cent sales value growth over the last year. Additionally, the Pepsi MAXbrand has strong cultural ties to football, with EA SPORTS FCbeing the most successful video game across Europe in the first six months of 2024.
Through this, the partnership is well placed to support retailers in maximising the cola opportunity among wider audiences and encourage repeat purchase, with last year’s promotion seeing an average redemption rate of 3.5 codes per participant.
To enter, shoppers must purchase a promotional Pepsi product and scan the QR code on-pack. Consumers will be directed to www.europe.pepsifc25.com, where they will be required to sign up or log into their EA account and complete a form using the unique code found on the product. Shoppers can get their hands on one of 60 game consoles, 3,000 EA Sports FC25 game copies, and 4 x guaranteed-win rewards packs that can be redeemed in game. Entries will be open until 30 December 2024.
Win £5,000 to donate to a local football initiative
Guinness is kicking off the Autumn with a new Premier League partnership. The four-year agreement will see Guinness become the Official Beer of the Premier League, and Guinness 0.0 as the Official Non-Alcoholic Beer. The partnership comes with Guinness looking to tap into culturally relevant occasions throughout the year and engage with a wider audience, reminding shoppers that football is a lovely game for a Guinness.
To recognise the vital role retailers play within communities, Guinness is giving one lucky retailer the chance to win a prize of £5,000 to donate to a local football initiative. From investing in training, to upgrading sports equipment, or purchasing new football kit, the £5,000 prize will help to improve access and enjoyment of the game locally. To enter the competition, existing Diageo One retailers simply have to visit Diageo One and complete a short form. If not yet a Diageo One member, all other retailers can enter by clicking here, and filling out a short form with their details.
The competition aims to bring communities together and harness the power of sport to do so. As a brand, Guinness continues to invest in driving relevancy and use dedicated support for the impulse channel to tap into the match-day occasion
Five retailers around the country have been chosen to host football takeovers within their stores. Each will have football themed giveaways, Guinness-branded merchandise, free street-food and football-themed games. To get a slice of the match-day action, retailers can download their own "Lovely Game for a Guinness" POS via Diageo One.
“Whether you’re a spectator or a player, football has the power to bring people together," said David Mills, Commercial Sales Manager, Diageo. "Our new partnership with the Premier League represents a huge opportunity for Guinness to engage at not only a global level but also more locally too. Retailers and local football clubs sit at the heart of their communities, and we want to support them and give something back. The £5,000 grant will be awarded to one retailer and their chosen football initiative to make a positive difference.”
To enter the Guinness x Premier League community fund competition, and not already a Diageo One user, convenience retailers must visit Diageo One and fill out a short form with their details between 23rd October 2024 at 00:01am and 20th November 2024 at 23:59pm. Existing Diageo One retailers to visit Diageo One and complete the short form. Winners will be contacted via email and follow up phone call within 48 hours of being randomly selected. For full terms and conditions visit Diageo One.
*Retail businesses UK 18+. Opens 23 October 2024 at 00:01am closes 20 November 2024 at 23:59pm. Purchase not necessary. To enter simply Diageo One and fill out a short form. One winner total. Winners to receive £5,000 cash prize to donate to a local community, made via bank transfer.
Snack manufacturer Kestrel Foods has acquired Indie Bay Snacks from Nurture Brands. The brand will join Kestrel Foods' award-winning portfolio of Forest Feast, ACTI-SNACK and Just Live a Little, continuing its trajectory to become a leading player in the snacking category.
Indie Bay Snacks offers consumers tasty and healthier savoury snacks within the grocery, travel and DTC channels. Its pretzel thins are a lighter, fun way to enjoy pretzels, with 70 per cent less fat than crisps.
"As Nurture Brands consolidates its resources around Rebel Kitchen, EMILY and Jax Coco, I am happy to see Indie Bay go forward and become an important part of the Kestrel Foods portfolio," said Adam Draper, Managing Director of Nurture Brands.
Michael Hall MBE, founder and CEO of Kestrel Foods said, “The acquisition of Indie Bay is aligned to our ambition of creating a fast paced and innovative snacking business. We believe Indie Bay offers consumers and customers something different in our portfolio, and we see great potential for growth through our strong brand, innovation and go to market capability.”
Kestrel Foods' own flagship brand, Forest Feast, has grown over 30 per cent in the last year, a result of increased brand awareness and penetration, and further gains in distribution.
Reviva – the vibrant coffee brand owned by Gulf – has announced it has signed a multi-year deal with the Williams Racing Formula 1 team.
The new partnership is a celebration of a shared commitment to high quality performance. Crafted exclusively from 100 per cent Arabica beans, Reviva’s balanced yet bold and vibrant taste makes it the perfect partner for the Williams Racing team, to keep them fuelled in the fast-paced world of motorsport.
As of 1 January, 2025, when the partnership goes live, Reviva will feature across the Formula 1 calendar, at the Williams Racing motorhome, at flyaway races as well as the Williams Experience Centre in Oxfordshire. The logo will also be prominently positioned on the nose of the two cars, taking the Reviva brand all over the world.
“We are excited to announce this partnership of Reviva Coffee and Williams Racing," said Mike Jones, CEO, Gulf Oil International UK Limited. "Reviva is expanding Gulf’s footprint into the speciality coffee sector, and we look forward to seeing it on the world stage of Formula 1 through the Williams Racing partnership. We are also delighted to extend the partnership between Gulf and Williams Racing, building on what we have achieved in our first two seasons together, and our commitment to continue bringing engaging activations for the fans, including iconic Gulf liveries and F1 demos in our key markets”.
James Vowles, Team Principal, added, "We are thrilled to deepen and extend our partnership with Gulf Oil International, a brand with a motorsport heritage to match our own and one that is synonymous with excellence and innovation. Together we have put captivating fan engagement and developing the next generation at the heart of our partnership, and this extension is another vote of confidence in Williams’ ongoing transformation. The introduction of Reviva as our Official Coffee Partner will mark the start of our next chapter together, bringing together two brands with bold ambition and strong momentum.”
Reviva, which launched in 2023, is dedicated to providing responsibly sourced specialty and premium coffee. Crafted exclusively from Arabica beans to ensure the highest quality, its perfectly balanced flavour profile, with notes of chocolate, caramel, roasted almonds and red fruits provides a smooth, vibrant taste.
“The Reviva Signature range is sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms in Brazil, Colombia and Honduras and is roasted in small batches to maintain the highest levels of freshness and quality," said Sara Trioni, Head of Marketing & NPD for Reviva. "We are passionate about flavour and the expertly crafted specialty coffee has been developed to create an opportunity for enjoyment, refreshment and revival.”
The Reviva range is available in whole beans, ground and Nespresso compatible capsules. It’s ideal for independent cafés, catering, hospitality, hotels and event venues.