by Emma Weinbren (emmaweinbrenwrites@gmail.com)
Publishing: 30 Aug 2025
Advertising deadline: 15 Aug 2025
Submissions deadline: 8 Aug 2025
Feature one
The UK’s thirst for coffee knows no bounds, it seems. Our 2024 Top Products report revealed value and volume retail sales growth for instant, roast & ground and RTD iced coffees, despite mounting pressure on producers caused by the impact of climate change on harvests, spiralling costs and market speculation. So, is coffee still in growth now? And what steps are suppliers and retailers taking to mitigate the crisis coffee is facing behind the scenes?
Market dynamics: Central to this feature will be an exploration of the factors driving change in the coffee market, from climate change and market speculation to consumer demand for convenience, quality and value. We will use data from a range of providers to explore how these are playing out in the hot beverage aisles.
Retail share: This feature will explore how different retailers are managing the category in terms of ranging, promotions and balancing brands and own label product assortments. How are brands working with retailers to create excitement in the fixture? Which retailers are in strongest growth and why?
Hot Chocolate: This feature will also include analysis of how the hot chocolate market, which has seen several high profile launches over the past year, is evolving. How much of an opportunity is there to premiums the category with pricier ready-to-heat formats, for example?
Marketing: This feature will explore how brands are choosing to market their products. To what extent are they using social media and influencer marketing and traditional channels such as TV and out-of-home? And how important is savvy merchandising and in-store marketing?
Innovation: The past year has seen plenty of innovation in hot beverages and cold brew. This feature will explore the latest trends and how this is playing out in terms of product innovation. We will profile four new products or ranges, ideally ones that have not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.
Feature two
Our 2024 Top Products report revealed that the tea category’s rate of volume decline had slowed considerably throughout the course of the year, suggesting the market could soon return to volume growth. Sales data also revealed that premium brands were driving much of this growth, with many achieving double digit gains while budget brands suffered. So is posh tea finally going mainstream? Where does this leave the everyday brands? And with many suppliers finding it increasingly difficult to turn a profit in tea, to what extent are they facing similar problems to their counterparts in coffee? And how are they dealing with these pressures?
Posh tea and Celebritea: We will be exploring the premiumisation of tea in detail in this article. What makes a tea ‘premium’? And how much of a premium do they command? Several celebrities – including Kate Moss and Elle Macpherson – have launched their own tea brands in recent years. What are their mainstream potential?
Market dynamics: Central to this feature will be an exploration of the factors driving change in the tea market, from climate change and to consumer demand for convenience, quality and value. We will use data from a range of providers to explore how these are playing out in stores and analyse how commodity prices are changing.
Retail share: This feature will explore how different retailers are managing the category in terms of ranging, promotions and balancing brands and own label product assortments. How are brands working with retailers to create excitement in the fixture? Which retailers are in strongest growth and why?
Marketing: This feature will explore how brands are choosing to market their products. To what extent are they using social media and influencer marketing and traditional channels such as TV and out-of-home? And how important is savvy merchandising and in-store marketing?
Innovation: The past year has seen plenty of innovation in hot beverages and cold brew. This feature will explore the latest trends and how this is playing out in terms of product innovation. We will profile four new products or ranges, ideally ones that have not
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