News in brief: a round-up of industry stories
We visit different corners of the industry to bring you a selection of stories in bitesize form.
Exploring Retail Crime
The ‘hard-hitting’ first instalment of new Bira podcast Exploring Retail Crime has aired, laying bare the ‘shocking realities independent retailers are facing’.
In the first episode host and journalist Steve Dyson shares statistics from Bira’s 2024 Crime Survey, revealing that in the UK 35.5% of retailers have experienced verbal abuse, with 66% not reporting incidents to the police, while physical violence is experienced by 7.95%, including being subjected to threats with weapons.
Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre says ‘resolute action must be taken to protect retailers and their staff’.
Retailers can access the first episode here.
Wet wipe ban announced
Following pressure from industry the Government has announced a UK ban on plastic-based wet wipes, with an 18-month implementation period beginning in autumn.
The move follows Defra’s 2018 classification of wet wipes as ‘serious environmental hazards’, akin to plastic bags in terms of the environmental damage they cause.
Strong public support for the legislation is expected; a 2023 consultation revealed that 95% agreed or strongly agreed with a proposed ban. Some manufacturers have voiced concerns over cost implications, but Victoria Brownlie, chief of policy, British Beauty Council, says the strength of modern innovation means ‘there is simply no excuse for wet wipes containing plastic’.
“The beauty industry has been ahead of the curve in this regard. Regulation is, however, necessary to ensure everyone is operating in this way. We hope this is just the beginning of Government action to support the transition away from plastic use.”
Kicking off tomato season
Four new pasta sauces have been added to the Mr Organic range ahead of ‘tomato season’, confirms the brand.
Created in-house by Chef Andrea, each sauce uses sun-ripened tomatoes which are cooked within five hours of harvest.
The Smooth Pasta Sauces range is available as Smooth Basilico, Smooth Bolognese, Mushroom Ragu and Aubergine Ragu.
Stephanie Lee, brand manager at Mr Organic, describes the Basilico and Bolognese SKUs as ‘classic sauces that are popular with families’ and explains that the brand aimed to expand the range with ‘ridiculously smooth sauces’ which would appeal to ‘even the fussiest of eaters’.
“Now is the perfect time to launch tomato-based Pasta Sauces since this is the time when people get into the spirit of tomato season.”
The itch-scratch cycle
Existing to break what it calls the ‘itch-scratch cycle’ familiar to eczema and psoriasis sufferers, Cosi Care markets a range of medically certified reusable ‘safe scratch’ devices which reduce the risk of skin breakages, scarring and infection.
The Cooling Scratch Attack Roller relieves uncomfortable itchy skin and cools inflammation while distracting the user from scratching. The hypoallergenic, medical grade stainless steel roller glides ‘effortlessly’ across the epidermis, working together with a long-lasting internal cooling gel and antibacterial technology to bring relief without the risk of skin infection.
The Cooling Scratch Star is shaped with ‘fingernail-like bumps’ which emulate the natural scratching sensation, and when kept in the fridge has a cooling effect on hot, irritated skin, ‘killing the itch’ and preventing scarring.
A new way to find calm
In its first foray beyond CBD-infused beverages, TRIP has developed a brand-new range of functional mushroom and adaptogen drinks called Mindful Blend, with lion’s mane, ashwagandha and magnesium at their core.
Offering ‘a new way to find calm’, the range speaks to the 3.5 billion social media searches for mushroom and adaptogen content and answers the rapidly growing demand for functional drinks.
Helping to ‘make mushrooms mainstream’, Mindful Blend’s four flavour combinations are: Cucumber Mint, Blood Orange Rosemary, Elderflower Mint and Raspberry Orange Blossom, the latter two chosen because of their popularity in the CBD range.
A boost for baobab
B Corp baobab shot brand UNROOTED has secured £1.2 million in its latest funding round to support further investment in the growth of its sales and marketing.
Brand founder Nathan Clemes comments: “It’s fantastic to have secured this investment, over 85% of which has come from existing shareholders, which we see as another vote of confidence in our brand, our products and our values. We’ve been on an incredible journey over the past few years, growing more than 400% in the last two years alone. UNROOTED is now the leading shots brand in the travel and hospitality channels and is a pioneer in bringing baobab fruit into the mainstream.”
Introducing the ‘Sun Case’
With Brits three times more likely to remember to pack their phone for a holiday than their sunscreen [Censuswide April 2024], Green People has teamed up with O2 for a new campaign to encourage sun safety this summer.
The ‘Sun Case’ is a limited edition phone accessory designed to make forgetting your SPF a thing of the past; built into the case is a 10ml tube of Green People Age Defy+ Daily SPF30 Moisturiser.
With 6.4 million Brits admitting to ‘shunning sunscreen’ the brand hopes the message will be amplified by timing the launch with Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
“SPF has always been a huge part of the Green People offering so we are thrilled to be partnering with O2 in a campaign backed by The British Skin Foundation. We’re all reliant on our phones whilst away, so the ‘Sun Case’ is a great way of reminding us all to make SPF the same priority,” says Charlotte Vøhtz, Green People founder.
By Rosie Greenaway, editor