The 250-year-old shaving brand, Wilkinson Sword, that is part of the Edgewell Personal Care portfolio, is moving into the male grooming category with the launch of its new pre- and post-shave grooming range.
As the longest-standing shave brand in the UK with centuries of experience in blade making, the £46 million shave prep market presents the perfect opportunity for Wilkinson Sword to drive innovation and growth.
Currently, 42 per cent of UK men use inadequate prep – or none at all – and 67 per cent of shaving prep users are over the age of 45. As a trusted expert in the category, Wilkinson Sword is well-positioned to boost penetration by recruiting younger customers.
The new range directly addresses key purchase drivers for men seeking pre- and post-shave products to address skin-related issues such as getting a closer shave, skin irritation and comfort, while offering these solutions at an accessible price point.
Wilkinson Sword’s prep products are dermatologically tested and alcohol free. With ingredients that care for sensitive skin, including Pro Vitamin B5 (shaving foam and gel) and Vitamin E and Argan Oil (after-shave lotion), the range provides users with the ultimate kind-to-skin shaving routine.
Wilkinson Sword Shave Foam (200ml) - RRP £3.00 The cloud-like foam lifts the hairs for a closer shave and enhanced razor performance. It’s designed to cushion the blade, ensuring an easy, comfortable glide that leaves the skin feeling soft.
Wilkinson Sword Shave Gel (200ml) - RRP £3.00 The gel-to-foam formula helps protect the skin for a smooth and comfortable glide. Ideal for sensitive skin, the gel softens the skin and lifts the hairs, while reducing the risk of irritation from shaving.
Wilkinson Sword After Shave Lotion (100ml) - RRP £5.00 The hydrating lotion helps soothe sensitive skin after shaving. The non-greasy and caring formula will leave skin feeling refreshed and cooled.
The range packaging boasts a sleek green and matte black colour scheme, strengthening Wilkinson Sword’s brand identity across its product range and boosting visibility on shelf.
"Using quality shave prep and aftercare products is essential for a close, comfortable shave, yet often men overlook this vital step,” said Euan Condron, Senior Brand Manager at Edgewell Personal Care. “The challenge for the category is to simplify the routine and highlight its value, encouraging more men to enhance their shaving experience.
"With centuries of expertise, Wilkinson Sword’s new grooming range is a natural evolution of its legacy, designed to meet the needs of the modern man. We are excited to offer a complete grooming experience that delivers performance, sustainability, and skincare, ensuring every shave is smooth and effortless."
Wilkinson Sword will be using its new “Prepare, Shave, Care” messaging in select retailers to highlight the full regime it now offers. This will include free-standing units, branded product trays, and POS media.
To educate consumers on the importance of a proper shaving routine, the brand will also collaborate with leading British influencers and invest in paid social campaigns targeting younger shavers, ensuring strong visibility and engagement for the new range.
This launch follows the brand’s successful relaunch last year with the high-impact "The Blade Masters since 1772" campaign, which humorously showcased the brand's 250-year expertise in blades.
Leading toilet and bleach brand Domestos has expanded its successful, multi-year innovation Power Foam range with the launch of Domestos Bleach Foam.
This is the first product in the range to contain bleach and targets those consumers looking for a superior bleach clean for the toilet and bathroom.
Domestos Bleach Foam combines the performance of Domestos bleach with Power Foam’s unique and convenient upside-down 360-degree spray trigger technology to kill germs in the hardest-to-reach places.
The new variant delivers effective stain removal and unrivalled whitening, leaving bathroom surfaces whiter and shinier for longer. The thick foam allows the product to cover a larger surface area, providing an even more efficient cleaning experience when compared to liquid bleach alternatives, where one Domestos Bleach Foam bottle lasts as long as two Domestos Thick Bleach bottles.
The launch is supported with a strong media investment, including a TV campaign from May, as well as a high shopper investment to drive visibility in store. In addition, Domestos will continue investing in retailer e-commerce channels to ensure the Power Foam range remains unmissable online.
“Domestos Power Foam is our most disruptive innovation in a decade and now we are expanding our range to meet the needs of consumers looking for a superior bleach clean. We know that our consumers find the upside-down bottle easy to use allowing them to reach those hard-to-reach places in the bathroom like under the toilet rim, under sinks and behind taps,” said Sophie Brooke-Jones, Unilever Home Care UK & Ireland home & hygiene lead and Home Care net revenue management lead.
“Domestos has the highest brand awareness in this segment and is the signpost brand for the toilet and bleach category. The Power Foam range has built on the success of the brand by bringing innovation to market that delivers a true point of difference when it comes to effective household cleaning and hygiene, helping retailers to drive incremental sales in this category and also attract new shoppers.”
The launch continues to build on of Domestos’ multi-year innovation support, which also sees the brand’s three core Power Foam variants - Arctic Fresh, Citrus Blast and Floral Burst – reformulated to offer an improved foam with more effective cleaning power. The portfolio is also receiving updated, premium packaging with enhanced messaging to better guide shoppers in selecting the right product for their needs.
Since its launch in 2022, the Domestos Power Foam range has played a huge part in growing the category, with 5.7 million consumers purchasing the range since launch.
Leading cake brand Mr Kipling has announced the launch of a new limited-edition Simnel Slices just in time for Easter.
Expanding the season beyond classic chocolate treats, Mr Kipling is bringing a fruity Easter flavour onto shelves, expanding retailers’ seasonal cake ranges this year.
Simnel is the third most popular cake flavour at Easter, growing 7.4 per cent versus 2023 [WPO, 52w/e 14.04.24]. Often found across Easter in larger sharing cakes, the new Mr Kipling slices look to meet the growing demand for this flavour in a smaller convenient format, leveraging Mr Kipling’s number one cake format.
Whilst Simnel is highly relevant to the season, the brand said there is an untapped opportunity in a smaller slices format. New Simnel slices encapsulate a fluffy and moist sponge with succulent dried fruit, sandwiched with a moist marzipan flavour filling and topped with soft marzipan flavour icing.
“Mr Kipling is renowned for its iconic seasonal products, and Easter remains highly important for attracting and driving penetration of newer, lighter buyers,” Naomi Shooman, global marketing director for sweet treats at Premier Foods, commented.
“Mr Kipling brought in the most new shoppers of any Easter cake range in 2024. With this latest launch we hope to drive even more footfall into the aisle this Easter, engaging shoppers with seasonally relevant and fun flavour twists to enjoy across the season, helping retailers make the most of the opportunity on offer.”
Mr Kipling Simnel Slices will be launching alongside returning favourites, with limited-edition sweet treats across the Premier Foods portfolio from Mr Kipling and Cadbury Cakes. Shoppers can expect to see chocolate favourites such as Cadbury Mini Eggs Nest Cakes and Cadbury Crème Egg Cake Bars back in stores, as well as a host of non-chocolate, sweet treats such as Mr Kipling Lemon & Raspberry Mini Batts and Mr Kipling Vanilla ‘Egg’ French Fancies.
Leading Prague beer Staropramen has launched a new 10x440ml can ‘Fridge Pack’ in response to rising demand for multi-pack can formats in the world beer category.
The packs will launch in stores nationwide from Monday, 17 March, with the most recent data showing that 30 per cent of shoppers who purchase multi-packs in the world lager category exclusively buy can formats.
The new cans are encased in a new recyclable cardboard sleeve and include an easy-to-carry handle and quick tear-open fold.
The launch will be supported by a new marketing campaign including in-store POS, digital assets and a paid social media programme.
Each 440ml can and outer sleeve will include a scannable QR code, giving consumers access to exclusive Staropramen content as well as the brands website where they can learn more about Staropramen’s heritage and brewing process.
“Shoppers want a pack format that works for them. Adding a mid-size pack to our range enables retailers to provide more choice, making sure their world lager offering has the formats to suit all shopping habits,” Bethan Roberts, assistant brand manager at Staropramen, said.
“Every pack comes with a scannable QR code to give customers access to exclusive Staropramen content and promotions, as well as an insight into the brands heritage and brewing processes.”
Keep ReadingShow less
Boost Energy Blue Raspberry and Cloudy Lemonade flavor
Boost Drinks has announced the exciting introduction of limited edition NPD in both its Energy and Sport ranges; Blue Raspberry Energy and Cloudy Lemonade Sport.
ENERGY Leveraging its position as the third largest brand in Energy Stimulation, growing +15 per cent in value vs. two years ago, Boost’s new Blue Raspberry limited edition is bringing excitement and incremental sales to the 250ml market.
The latest launch aligns with growing demand from consumers for new flavours. 40 per cent of consumers are looking for new flavours within energy, and Blue Raspberry is an established and visually appealing flavour profile that appeals to both Millennial and Gen Z demographics, through nostalgia and modern relevance.
With 90 per cent of consumers that have tried Boost’s Blue Raspberry Energy ‘’loving’’ the flavour, this exciting NPD drop offers huge opportunities for retailers to boost their sales and draw more shoppers to the sector.
SPORT
Sports is a category in which flavours drive excitement and growth, contributing £9m last year. As the number two brand in Sports Drinks and growing +70 per cent in value vs. two years ago, Boost has seen huge success with limited edition releases, with Raspberry & Mango in 2023 and Watermelon & Lime in 2024 both driving demand and increasing incremental sales in the category.
Boost Cloudy Lemonade Sport taps into the popular citrus flavour profile with a tasty twist. Cloudy lemonade flavour profiles have been growing in popularity in recent years with trends relating to authenticity and craft becoming more prevalent in soft drinks, and Boost is now offering retailers the chance to cash in on this with an exciting new 500ml product.
“These latest limited edition launches across Energy and Sport are helping us provide an increasingly diverse range of drinks, that tap into multiple consumer trends and flavour desires," said Adrian Hipkiss, Head of Energy Brands at AG Barr. "The two new flavours will build excitement in their respective rapidly growing categories, ultimately supporting our retail partners to drive more sales.
“Our limited edition launches in the Sports range have always been a huge success and Cloudy Lemonade will be no different, tapping into proven consumer interest in zesty flavours with something new and exciting. We are also very excited to be bringing a limited edition flavour to our Energy range, with Blue Raspberry offering another popular and trending new taste that appeals to a wide range of consumers.
“Limited editions create a buzz around the chiller, with shoppers keen to try before it’s gone and we will be supporting both new flavours with a social and sampling campaign. We’d advise retailers to stock up on both formats and ensure availability, particularly during peak times. We're confident that these new additions will continue to delight consumers and reinforce our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence within the energy and functional categories.”
On shelf: April 2025
Packs: Cloudy Lemonade: 12 x 500ml PET sports cap 89p PMP Blue Raspberry: 12 x 250ml can 75p PMP
Delice de France, the UK experts in bread, bakery and food to go, is launching Café Delice, a new coffee-to-go concept where outlets selling 35 cups a day can earn margins of 40 per cent.
The move will enable bakery customers of Delice de France to extend their food-to-go offering with quality hot drinks at competitive prices.
Café Delice is a monthly rental hot drinks concept, which includes a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine, linked milk cooler, branded housing unit and menu, as well as product and waste storage areas. Full servicing and cleaning packs for the agreement period are provided.
It is a modular set up, with floor-standing and counter solutions available to cater for different sized outlets and needs. Café Delice’s menu includes coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
Outlets can earn 40 per cent margin when they sell 35 cups a day, working to Delice de France’s suggested retail price of £2.75 for a regular 12oz latte.
This margin takes into consideration the cost of the coffee and the monthly rental. With monthly rental options starting from £360 per month, outlets could make more than £10,000 a year based on a forecast of 35 cups per day.
Delice de France has partnered with Modern Standard for its coffee bean, with a focus on its hero product Momentum Espresso, a 100 per cent Arabica – Medium Roast product that is 70 per cent Brazilian and 30 per cent Columbian, a combination that offers the strength and depth that other coffee-to-go products can lack. It is available in cases of 12x1kg bags, with each bag serving 55 cups.
Modern Standard is one of the few female-founded and -run coffee businesses in the UK. Founder Lynsey Harley spotted a gap in the market for a full-service specialty coffee roaster. Working with world-leading farmers while packing themselves, Modern Standard enables retailers and foodservice outlets to offer a specialty coffee at an accessible price. The company has locations in Fife, Edinburgh and London.
For its tea, Delice de France has partnered with Dorset-based Clipper to offer a range of organic and fairtrade teas that are plastic-free. Café Delice outlets can offer English Breakfast, Decaf and Earl Grey.
Hot chocolate is provided by Barry Callebaut – Le Royal Choco Flavour Mix, which is supplied in 10x1kg bags. Each bag contains enough for 35 cups.
The solution also offers a range of sugars and syrups, including brown, white and sweetener sticks, and Sweetbird Vanilla, Caramel and Hazelnut syrups. Each syrup bottle is one litre, which is enough for 62 cups using two pumps.
In packaging, Delice de France offers a range of Edenware coffee cups and lids, which use a plant-based lining as an environmentally friendly alternative.
“With Café Delice, we have a reliable and strong brand that offers our partners lucrative margins and completes their to-go offer," said Thierry Cacaly, Delice de France CEO. "Through our partnership with Modern Standard, we are offering the quality that consumers expect at a price point that will ensure our partners can be competitive.”