Trusted brands continue to rule in breakfast category even amid cost of living crisis, suggests a recent survey.
According to a recent report by Weetabix Food Company, conducted by KAM on 200 convenience retailers and 300 UK adults who have children ages two to 14, nine in ten (89 per cent) retailers agree that trusted brands are important within the breakfast cereal category.
The data outlined two-in-three parents of young children say value for money is vital when choosing what to buy for the family. In fact, price was ranked the top reason (65 per cent) that encourages them to purchase one cereal over another.
34 per cent say they are currently looking for ways to shop more economically, but 41 per cent say trusted brands are preferable – highlighting that even with rising costs of groceries, parents still want to buy products that they know they can depend on.
Over half (59 per cent) say that they generally choose ‘what they know their children will eat’ while 60 per cent of those surveyed claim healthy products are the top pick.
Over two thirds (76 per cent) of retailers questioned stated that best-sellers most inform what cereal is on their shelves. The second most crucial factor is brands that consumers know and trust (69 per cent) which is further evidenced by 89 per cent of retailers agreeing that ‘trusted brands are important within the breakfast cereal category.’
Consumers are also in the forefront of retailers’ minds when choosing stock, with over half (51 per cent) claiming that they get information on what cereals to stock from direct requests in-store.
“With the current cost-of-living crisis, we were really interested to see how retailer and consumer appetites for breakfast cereals had altered and what factors determined what was stocked and, most importantly, bought," reports quoted Lorraine Rothwell, head of marketing- Weetabix, as saying.
“Knowing that parents are seeking products from trusted brands with strong health credentials is key for us. Health combined with taste has always been a focus for us and all our Weetabix-branded kitchen-cupboard classics are already HFSS compliant, including our more indulgent products such as Weetabix Chocolate, Chocolate Crispy Minis and Weetabix Melts.
“On the flip side of this, it’s interesting that individual shopper requests influence what is stocked in store, further highlighting how local stores can stand-out and ensure a personalised experience for their community by stocking their consumers most-loved products”
Amazon UK on Monday said it has started the process of launching its drone delivery service from in Darlington.
The retailer has announced its plans to launch drone deliveries in the UK through Prime Air in October 2023, a year after the service was launched in the US.
“Having already built safe and reliable drone delivery services elsewhere in the world in close partnership with regulators and the communities we serve, we are now working to do the same in the UK — and Prime Air is taking steps to start planning for initial flights from our fulfilment centre in Darlington,” the company said in a statement.
The company is set to file a planning application with the local authority to seek permission to build the flight operations facilities at the site, as well as applying for authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to fly drones in the airspace.
Once those agreements are in place, the company will begin hiring team members to launch drone delivery.
“We’ll continue to work closely with the CAA as they develop the regulatory framework to make commercial drone delivery a reality in the UK. In the meantime, we will also engage with the Darlington community to answer questions and collect feedback as we seek to offer this new delivery option,” the statement added.
Once the service is live, customers within the service area will be able to order items directly from the Amazon app or website.
Since launching in the US in 2022, Prime Air has safely delivered thousands of packages to customers in 60 minutes or less using a fleet of electric drones designed, built, and operated by Amazon.
The European bottling unit of Coca-Cola said Monday that it had ordered a major recall of Coke, Sprite and other beverages after detecting high levels of chlorate, which poses potential health risks.
Cans and glass bottles containing elevated levels of the substance were distributed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, France and Luxembourg since November, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium told AFP.
"We do not have a precise figure, but it is clear that it is a considerable quantity," the firm said of the amount of drinks involved.
Chlorate can be found in foods as it derives from chlorine disinfectants widely used in water treatment and food processing.
In a 2015 scientific opinion, the European Food Safety Authority said long-term exposure to chlorate posed a potential health concern for children, especially those with mild or moderate iodine deficiency.
"The majority of the affected and unsold products have already been removed from store shelves and we continue to take measures to remove all remaining products from the market," Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium said.
But the company's French branch said analysis by independent experts "concluded that the probability of an associated risk" was "very low".
"We have not received any complaints from consumers on this subject," the firm said.
Affected batches of Coke and Fuze Tea were delivered in France but for the moment the recall order did not apply to the French market, it added.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners apologised for the recall, which it said was brought to light by a routine check at its production site in Ghent.
Affected products had a production code ranging from 328 GE to 338 GE, and included the Minute Maid, Nalu, Royal Bliss and Tropico brands, the firm said.
"We are in contact with the competent authorities in each of the affected markets," the firm said.
The UK government today (27) implemented the legislation for the deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland.
The scheme will come into force in October 2027, post which businesses that produce or sell drinks in England and Northern Ireland will have new responsibilities. Similar responsibilities will apply in Scotland.
The Scottlish Government will introduce separate legislation and provide separate guidance.
A deposit management organisation will be appointed in April 2025. They will provide more detailed guidance for businesses and set the deposit amount.
The deposit will apply to all single-use drinks containers that:
are made wholly or mainly from aluminium or steel, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic
have a capacity of between 150 millilitres and 3 litres
are likely to be used only once or for a short period of time
Containers with a lid made from other materials are still included.
The deposit will not apply to containers if they are not single use and/or made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The scheme does not include containers used for liquid medicines (such as cough syrup) or flavour enhancers or sweeteners to add to drinks (such as syrups or hot sauce).
Retailers Responsibility
Under the scheme, all retailers selling drinks included in the scheme must:
pay the deposit to producers or wholesalers when purchasing the drinks
charge the deposit to consumers at the point of sale
Supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and newsagents that sell drinks in the scheme must host a return point for drinks containers, unless they qualify for an exemption. The return point can be manual or automated using a reverse vending machine.
These retailers will be required to register with the deposit management organisation, pay the deposit back to consumers at the point of return (via voucher, card or cash), store returned containers for collection and display information so customers know how the scheme works
Retailers in urban areas are exempt from hosting a return point if they have a retail space of less than 100m2. They can still apply to be a voluntary return point. The deposit management organisation will provide guidance on exemptions and how to apply.
If a store is not automatically exempted, it can apply for an exemption if either the business is close to another return point or it is not possible (or easy) to host a return point due to the location, layout, size, design or construction of the premises.
However, to apply for one of these exemptions the store owner will need to provide evidence to the deposit management organisation. They will provide guidance on the criteria and how to apply.
Supplier responsibilities
Everyone in the drinks supply chain must charge the deposit to their buyers when they sell filled drinks containers included in the scheme. This includes drink producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers.
Businesses must only supply filled drinks containers that have been placed on the market by a registered scheme producer and carry the scheme labelling.
The deposit does not need to be charged when supplying unfilled containers. Producers and retailers also have additional responsibilities.
Producer responsibilities
Under the scheme a business will have producer responsibilities if it is a manufacturer of in-scope drinks (typically the brand owner), import drinks to the UK and/or fill and seal drink containers to order, for example a hospitality venue supplying crowlers.
Producers who are based in the Republic of Ireland and supply drinks to the Northern Ireland market should register with the scheme as a producer and meet the relevant responsibilities.
From 1 October 2027, producers must be registered with the deposit management organisation – your producer fee will be based on the number of containers you place on the market, apply the deposit to all containers included in the scheme and pay the deposits collected to the deposit management organisation when containers are sold to the next business in the supply chain.
The businesses will also need to comply with scheme labelling requirements and report the number of drinks placed on the market
The deposit management organisation will provide detailed guidance on how to comply. The organisation will set the deposit amount, the producer registration fees and payments to return point hosts.
It will also provide detailed guidance to help businesses in the drinks supply chain prepare for the DRS, inform consumers about the scheme, handle queries, be responsible for meeting the scheme’s collection targets, arrange collection and recycling of in-scope materials and make collected material available to producers for purchase.
The Government has today (27) implemented legislation for the deposit return scheme for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland. The scheme will come into force in October 2027.
Post October 2027, consumers will have a financial incentive to return empty containers to a collection point, such as at their local supermarket and stores, so that the bottle or can will be recycled.
The 150ml to three-litre single-use drinks containers made from plastic and metal included in the scheme.
With the new legislation for England and Northern Ireland now into force, the scheme administrator – known as the Deposit Management Organisation – will be appointed in April 2025. This will be a not-for-profit, industry-led body responsible for the administration and day-to-day running of the scheme.
With Scotland’s own regulations also progressing, this marks a major step forward for the introduction of the scheme across the three nations, stated the official announcement.
The three governments will ensure the scheme is implemented effectively, working closely with businesses to provide the infrastructure and investment to make it a success.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said, "This Government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.
"This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife.
"Turning trash into cash also delivers on our Plan for Change by kickstarting clean growth, ensuring economic stability, more resilient supply chains, and new green jobs."
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said, "We are pleased to have certainty on the DRS regulations so local shops can start to prepare for October 2027 and our communities can realise the benefits of reduced litter and higher quality recycled materials.
"Now the real work begins to make the deposit return scheme a success through cross-industry partnership and a planned network of return points that work for customers."
Welcoming the scheme, Stephen Moorhouse, Vice President and General Manager of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB Business Unit, said, "We’ve been supportive of launching a DRS across the UK for a number of years as they are a proven way of increasing recycling, reducing waste and tackling litter.
"Therefore, we welcome the clarity provided by the regulation for England and Northern Ireland and are encouraged by recent developments that will ensure an aligned scheme with Scotland, despite wider challenges around a UK-wide approach.
"Delivering to the timelines will be challenging but achievable, and now is the time for industry to roll up its sleeves to create a well-designed system that works for businesses, shoppers and the environment."
Hitting this milestone is another big step forward for the Government’s collection and packaging reforms, which together will support 21,000 new jobs and stimulate more than £10 billion of investment in recycling over the next decade.
This January, Batchelors and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP) are teaming up to launch an unmissable DC competition as part of their ongoing partnership to give back to convenience retailers. Encouraging Bestway and Unitas customers to "feed their inner Superhero", the brand is launching an exclusive competition, giving retailers the chance to win big.
In this special wholesaler incentive, Batchelors is giving back to Bestway and Unitas customers with the chance to win a Batman Experience. The Batman experience prize for two includes a trip to Paris with entry to the Batman escape room, return flights (economy standard) to Paris from select UK airports or, travel via train (economy standard) from London St Pancras (at the Promoter’s discretion), 4* hotel accommodation in La Vilette, and even a hop-on hop-off bus tour around the iconic city. To qualify, Unitas and Bestway customers simply need to purchase three cases of qualifying Batchelors products in depot, which include Batchelors Pasta N Sauce, Batchelors Super Rice and Batchelors Super Noodles, to be entered into the prize draw. Qualifying products are subject to availability.
“Batchelors is here to power up snack time and bring a whole new level of excitement!" said Kate Yateman-Smith, Brand Director for Quick Meals, Soups and Snacks at Premier Foods. "By teaming up with WBDGCP and our wholesale partners, we are thrilled to be giving back to wholesale customers - true heroes in their communities - through this promotion. It’s an opportunity to create buzz and celebrate the incredible role they play in bringing joy to their customers.”