The Times’ Post

*TRIGGER WARNING* Mentions chocolate. Aha, 'a nice Cadbury Wispa chocolate pot' I thought. The familiar purple packaging was like a beacon of trust - I knew what I was going to get, the quality, the flavour. Except, I didn't. From the moment I touched the pot, and felt the packaging, a foreboding sense of doom started to circle as I realised that this wasn't the chocolate delight I was hoping for. As I dug in, I was confirmed - I could have bought a supermarket's own brand version for less than half the price, and it would have tasted the same. So next time, avoid the Cadbury Wispa pots and just grab the cheapest ones you can. Because at least you'll be expecting those ones to taste of bland fuzzy mousse with a hint of fake chocolate. ----- The moral? Make sure your product lives up to the marketing hype. Some products you can make look really nice and heighten the experience for the customer. Others, you can't. #marketing #chocolate

🍫🐣 Dive into the fascinating history of chocolate and Easter! Did you know that the same visionary chocolatier who sparked the tradition of heart-shaped boxes for Valentine's Day also introduced chocolate Easter eggs? Richard Cadbury's innovation in the 19th century transformed Easter celebrations forever. 🍫🐣 The tradition of giving eggs as gifts predates Cadbury's innovations. In medieval Europe, eggs were prohibited during Lent, making Easter Sunday a time of celebration and renewal. Boiled eggs, decorated with colors and patterns, symbolized the end of Lent and the joyous arrival of Easter. 🍫🐣 In the 19th century, Cadbury transformed the tradition by selling solid chocolate Easter eggs in 1875. Over time, chocolate manufacturers introduced hollow eggs to reduce production costs. They marketed this innovation as enhancing consumer enjoyment, often adding small trinkets inside to increase excitement. 🍫🐣 Fast forward to the present, where a metric tonne of cocoa costs more than a metric tonne of copper, and sugar prices, while slightly down from last year's highs, remain elevated. 🍫🐣 In response, manufacturers are ramping up marketing efforts focused on consumer health. This includes promoting sugar-free alternatives and smaller package sizes, all under the guise of prioritizing consumer well-being. #LetsTalkCommodities #Investing #Markets

Saw this multibuy from Mondelēz International in-store recently. Weight of purchase and discount level are hot topics, especially in confec. So, an important question - how likely are shoppers in your category to consume more when they buy more..? Here's the top-ranked categories according to Aussie shoppers: 1 - Kid's confec 2 - Cream biscuits 3 - Bakery snacks 4 - *Choc bags* 5 - Sweet/plain biscuits ⬇ ⬇ 12 - *Choc share packs* It's more important than ever for your insights, sales, marketing and supply chains to be tightly connected. And who sits in the middle of them all..? Yep, it's your shopper, folks. Follow for more insights and behaviours to help you land plans with real punch. #shopperinsights #grocery #proofpoints #success

I was chatting with someone on the phone yesterday and they mentioned they hadn't seen my monthly top selling products post for a while, and that was because I had completely forgotten about it! So here it is Jan - March 2024 top selling lines across our vending service at Coinadrink Limited. Looking back at my last post there are a few new frontrunners! Top 5 Confectionary 🍫 Shortbread Fingers 🍫 Kinder Bueno 🍫 KitKat 🍫 Cadbury Dairy Milk 🍫 Chocolate Topped Flapjack Top 5 Crisp 🥔 Walkers Ready Salted 🥔 BBQ Hula Hoops 🥔 Walkers Cheese & Onion 🥔 McCoys Thai Sweet Chicken 🥔 Cheese& Onion Crinkle Cheddars Top 5 Bottles 🥤 Coca Cola 🥤 Fanta Orange 🥤 Water 🥤 Orange Juice 🥤 Dr Pepper Top 5 Cans 🥤 Coca Cola 🥤 Lucozade Orange 🥤 Fanta Orange 🥤 Dr Pepper 🥤 Monster Dominated by major brands on the whole but the continued strength of shortbread fingers and flapjacks keeps on going. We monitor our top sellers monthly but we also place a huge focus on those products that just aren't performing for us and we have to be ruthless on occasion. There is one thing we don't lack and that is variety and choice. In fact we have some big changes to our line-up coming soon that we are really excited for. If your vending provider is not filling machines with popular items or providing variety and most importantly using the data to monitor this to ensure the best planograms then perhaps its time for a chat. As ever, let me know what your top 5 would be in the comments. #vending #morethanjustvending #confectionary #snacks #colddrinks Mondelēz International Walker's Shortbread Ltd. Ferrero PepsiCo The Coca-Cola Company Nestlé Monster Energy Lucozade Ribena Suntory Mobberley Cakes Limited pladis Global WENLOCK SPRING WATER LIMITED Sunmagic Juices Ltd

Is Aldi crossing the line with their product copies? Recently, dessert brand Pleese accused Aldi of mimicking their frozen cheesecake product, Freezecakes, claiming Aldi used an almost identical name, slogan, and flavors. This isn't the first time Aldi has faced such allegations, having previously settled trademark disputes with Marks & Spencer over caterpillar cakes and gin bottles. Joe Moruzzi, managing director of Pleese, expressed his dismay, stating, "We've worked so hard to bring this product to market and it's really disheartening." He highlighted the challenges small companies face when larger competitors allegedly copy their innovations. What are your thoughts on this case? Do you think Aldi's actions are fair competition, or do you believe they have overstepped? You can read more about the lawsuit here: https://lnkd.in/eA-gpMGv #Trademark #Competition #TrademarkLaw

#Ready_to_Drink_Cocktails Market is estimated to grow at a high CAGR >> https://lnkd.in/gMR48fUk The #Ready to #Drink #Cocktails Market 2023 research #report gives emerging industry #data, global #segments and regional outlook. This report covers up all details such as #size, share, #value, #growth, restraints, and #opportunities for the year 2023 to 2032. The report generated using various #analysis tools like porter’s five forces #model, #market #attractiveness and value chain. Diageo Brown-Forman, Bacardi, Asahi Group Holdings Pernod Ricard, HALEWOOD WINES AND SPIRITS PLC SHANGHAI BACCHUS LIQUOR TRADING CO.,LTD.., Suntory Holdings Limited, Manchester Drinks Company Ltd., Anheuser-Busch InBev Ukraine (SUN InBev) #readytodrink #cocktails #beverageindustry #foodandbeverageindustry #researchreport

Shift in the Alcohol Beverage Sector: Why Big Box Stores Are Falling Behind In the ever-evolving alcohol beverage market, big box grocery stores are seeing a downturn, and here’s why: their strategy focuses heavily on “set” alignments and prioritizing “top” selling SKUs across regions. This broad approach is missing the mark! Meanwhile, smaller independent retailers are thriving. Their secret? A direct focus on customer preferences and a sharp eye for industry trends, spotting shifts long before they hit the mainstream. These nimble players are not just selling products; they’re curating experiences tailored to real-time consumer desires, setting them leagues apart from the giants. Big chains could take a leaf out of this book. The key to winning in this sector isn’t just about stocking bestsellers but adapting swiftly and effectively to what customers truly want. #RetailTrends #BeverageIndustry #CustomerFocus #MarketShifts Imperial Beverage Sazerac Company Iron Fish Distillery Great Lakes Wine & Spirits RNDC Michigan Scott Newman-Bale Shane Nicholson Short's Brewing Company

𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝟭𝟬? 𝗔𝗡 𝟭𝟭! Netflix's "Stranger Things" Eleven isn't the only one who's head-over-heels about 𝗘𝗴𝗴𝗼𝘀 𝗯𝘆 Kellanova 🧇 We are too! 😍 ingredient brothers Imagine the nostalgic taste of our childhood breakfast...then add an "adult" twist! That's what Kellanova has done with their new product, 𝗘𝗴𝗴𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 🧇☕️ Read more from Food Dive's article below 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 https://lnkd.in/gWUP8tdD #news #foodindustry #Eggos #coffee #CPG #beverageindustry #supplychain #wholesale #ingredient #supplier #privatelabel #importer #ingredientbrothers

Some interesting news in the #food and #drinks industry this week: 1. Ready-to-drink coffee has become overly reliant on promotions to drive sales, according to the CEO of London challenger brand Grind | Certified B Corp. Speaking to The Grocer, David Abrahamovitch said competition between leading RTD brands such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee was putting downward pressure on pricing, and suppliers needed to offer higher quality products to “encourage consumers to trade up” and preserve value in the category. 2. pladis Global has promoted Emily Stuart to head of innovation for the UK & Ireland. With 13 years’ in fmcg experience. Emily started out as a buyer for Tesco and has held numerous commercial, strategy and category roles for General Mills and PepsiCo. 3. According to Future Market Insights (FMI), the spice oils and oleoresins market is expected to record a CAGR of 7.9% between 2023 and 2033. Oleoresins are used to create aromas, fragrances, and various cosmetic items. They are utilised in the pharmaceutical sector with multiple uses such as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and other medication, thus expecting to drive growth along with the expanding consumption of organic food making spice oils popular in the market. 4.  The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called on the new government to put the wine and spirits trade at the centre of its programme for growth. They said “urgent action” needs to be taken to halt “unnecessary changes” to taxing wine in February 2025, and to “clear up” confusion over waste packaging regulations. 5. Morrisons has launched a limited-edition heritage butter packaging design to mark its 125 years as a business. The anniversary product is a nod to how the company started as an egg and butter market stall in Bradford. The heritage butter packaging is on both salted and unsalted variants of Morrisons British Butter and includes a union jack, gold wrapper, and blue and red accents. #grocer #newgovernment #election

Multi-brand food manufacturer Kwality Foods has introduced an all-new packaging in its breakfast cereal category. Click on the link below to know more.... Pagariya Foods I Naresh Pagariya I Dheeraj Jain #kwalityfoods #breakfastcereal #packaging #pagariyafoods #retailnews #retailtrends #retailsector #retailindustry #retailing #retailresults #retailupdates #businessnews #retailgrowth #retailindia #retailsectornews #retailresults #retailtrends #retailbusiness #ir #IndiaRetailing