PICKS OF THE WEEK

NPD AND MEDIA

DCS GROUP EXPANDS PRICE-MARKED RANGE

THE SPECIALIST PERSONAL CARE AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTOR HAS CREATED A PORTFOLIO OF LEADING BRANDS WITH PRICE-MARKS FOR THE CONVENIENCE SECTOR.

DCS Group has rolled out a range of 43 pricemarked packs in the personal care and household categories to help wholesalers and retailers meet the needs of today’s convenience shopper.

The distributor used market data and worked closely with leading brand owners to create the range, designed to help convenience retailers stock the right range at pricepoints that give shoppers increased confidence about purchasing these items in the channel.

The latest additions to the portfolio are nine Unilever lines, including Dove and Sure deodorants, Impulse body sprays, Dove body wash and Simple moisturiser and face wipes. These new SKUs follow 34 others created over the past 12 months, covering a range of brands and shopper needs across the household and health & beauty categories, including shampoos and conditioners, shower gels and bodywashes, deodorants and body sprays, moisturisers, face wipes, hand washes and bar soaps, household cleaning products, laundry detergents and fabric conditioners.

Alongside the new Unilever range, notable successes include a £1.99 PMP version of Fairy Antibacterial Washing Up Liquid 625ml and a £2.99 PMP variant of Head & Shoulders 2-in‐1 Men Total Care 225ml. New SKUs are being added to the range regularly.

Matt Stanton, Head of Category and Insight at DCS Group comments: “The pandemic caused well-documented challenges for the FMCG supply chain.

“We use market data to identify gaps in the market, and worked with our Co-Packing team and our brand manufacturer partners to create the right packs that will drive sales in convenience stores.”

COCA-COLA UNVEILS REFRESHED NEW LOOK

THE BRAND’S FIRST GLOBAL PACKAGING UPDATE SINCE 2016 BRINGS COCA-COLA, COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR AND DIET COKE CLOSER TOGETHER.

The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled a new design for the Coca-Cola trademark that brings Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke closer together.

The new design is simplified, removing extraneous elements to deliver global consistency to the trademarks as part of the ‘One Brand’ strategy that launched worldwide in 2016. The new design also raises the Coca-Cola logo to the top of the label.

The intention is to provide a simple and intuitive navigation system that carries across all Coca-Cola variants, while simultaneously “celebrating” the Coca-Cola logo. The updated design will be led by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which also features a new recipe intended to bring it even closer to that of Coca-Cola Original Taste.

The new recipe, design and campaign for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar has already launched in Europe and Latin America. The rest of the trademark design evolution will follow, rolling out globally throughout 2021, with flavours to be fully converted over in 2022.

A new marketing campaign will support the new recipe for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar inviting trial and debate under the strapline ‘Best Coke Ever?’

LOWER RSP FOR KENSITAS CLUB ROLLING TOBACCO RANGE IN SCOTLAND

REDUCED RETAIL PRICE REFLECTS GROWING DEMAND FOR VALUE IN THE RYO MARKET.

JTI has repositioned its Kensitas Club Rolling Tobacco in Scotland with a lower recommended retail price.

With an RSP of £11.95 for 30g 3-in-1 packs, the range will have the lowest RSP for a 3-in-1 rolling tobacco product in the UK, claims the company. In addition, 50g pouch formats will have a new RSP of £19.60.

Kensitas Club is the fastest-growing cigarette brand in Scotland, says JTI, so the decision to lower the RRP offers retailers the chance to tap into this brand performance, as well as reflecting consumer demand for value RYO tobacco, which currently accounts for 50.1% of the RYO price sector [IRI].

Kensitas Club Rolling Tobacco with the new, lower price is rolling out across all channels in Scotland now, with the same product formulation and pack formats as before, and retailers can benefit from a 15% POR offer in selected wholesalers (POR calculation based on purchases at £42.32 (30g) and £69.42 (50g) when sold at RSP).

Ross Hennessy, Head of sales at JTI UK, says: “We know that for many existing adult smokers, price is a key factor when deciding what brand to purchase. By repositioning the Kensitas Club Rolling Tobacco range in Scotland, it will allow retailers to capitalise on the brand’s momentum and success over the past 100 years, as well as tap into the growing RYO segment which now generates sales of £3.7 billion a year. We’re confident that the price drop will provide Scottish retailers with an even more competitive product for existing adult smokers and drive incremental sales.”

Retailers are free to sell JTI’s products at whatever price they choose.

LOMOND BRINGS BACK ‘GIVE BACK’ PROMOTION TO BOOST CUSTOMERS

FOLLOWING GREAT SUCCESS LAST YEAR, LOMOND: THE WHOLESALE FOOD CO HAS BROUGHT BACK A PRICE-CUTTING PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN TO RUN THROUGHOUT THE SPRING AND SUMMER.

Glasgow-based wholesaler Lomond has rebooted its ‘Welcome Back, Give Back’ campaign, slashing the prices on many of its bestselling food-to-go products to help boost retail and foodservice customer margins as they prepare to reopen.

Starting this month and running throughout the summer, the campaign will see a variety of new lines and food-to-go products on promotion each month, as well as promotional pricing on many of Lomond’s core range of bestselling products. This will include everyday purchases such as bacon, chips, chicken, soft drinks and bouillons. For April, the standout offer is on Lomond’s bestselling Lomond 49 unsmoked Danish back bacon, 1 x 2.27kg for £6.99.

Barbara Henderson, Director at Lomond: The Wholesale Food Co, comments: “The feedback we had from our customers last year was that our Welcome Back, Give Back campaign was a gamechanger for them. We were absolutely blown away by the response to the promotion last year and it made sense to bring it back to offer support when our customers need it most.

“Just like last year, our customers are under pressure and will be operating on much lower volumes and we recognise that they need a great offer for their customers. By offering incredible low prices on the products they most want to buy, we’re helping them to boost their margins and rebuild their businesses for the future.

“By focussing on the products we knew were most in demand, not only did we see sales increase by a minimum of 100% on all key lines on offer, but we also saw a staggering 400 new customers come on board during the campaign.”

GREEN FOR GOLD

Birds Eye’s Green Cuisine brand has become the official plant-based supporter of Team GB ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which start on 23 July. A new marketing campaign includes in-store activations, on-pack promos and social media activity.

MULTI BENEFITS

CCEP has launched Capri-Sun Multivitamin Squash, which comes in Orange and Apple & Blackcurrant variants. Both contain vitamins B1, B3, B6 and Biotin, and the Orange variant also offers Vitamin C. A new TV ad backs the launch. RSP £1.99

READY FOR ANYTHING

Gordon’s 0.0% is now available in a premixed ready-to-drink can. The new format follows the launch of Gordon’s 0.0% in December and is intended to capitalise on interest in the low and no alcohol RTD category. RSPs: £1.60 (250ml can) / £5.50 (4-pack)

GET THE SHIRT

Carling lager has teamed up with Umbro to give shoppers the chance to win one of 10,000 limited-edition football shirts. The retro-style shirt has been specially designed by Umbro for Carling. Consumers will be able claim a shirt by finding special golden cans.

AROUND THE BLEND

The Laughing Cow has expanded its range with the launch of The Laughing Cow Blends, a creamy cheese spread blended with chickpeas and herbs. The new line is supplied in 133g packs of eight individually wrapped triangles. RSP £1.40

POUCH PERFECT

Ritter Sport has launched the brand’s first ever sharing pouch. The Mini Chocolate Mix Pouch features nine individually–wrapped mini bars (150g) in a variety of flavours, while Mini Nut Selection Pouch has seven mini bars (116g). RSP £2.50 (£2 at launch)